Everything Minnesota Vikings Fans Need to Know Heading into Week 12 vs. the Chicago Bears

Minnesota Vikings fans celebrate a touchdown by wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) in the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.

The Minnesota Vikings landed a third consecutive win this past Sunday when they knocked off the Tennessee Titans, 23-13.

Now, the Vikings are moving on to Week 12 when they will play their third divisional game of the season as they travel to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. Here is a rundown of what Vikings fans need to know heading into that matchup.

How to Watch the Minnesota Vikings This Week

Minnesota Vikings
Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images.

The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will kick off at 12 PM on Sunday, November 24 at Soldier Field. The game will be broadcast on FOX and can be can be streamed via NFL+ in the NFL app as well as on NFL Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV.

Bears/Vikings History

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In the histories of these two storied franchises, the Bears and Vikings have met a grand total of 126 times. In total, the Vikings lead the all-time series with a record of 66-58-2 against their division rivals.

However, the Bears captured a win in the most recent meeting between these two teams. That win came in Week 12 of the 2023 season when Chicago went into U.S. Bank Stadium and won a defensive showdown, 12-10. Prior to that meeting, the Vikings had won five consecutive games against the Bears going back 2021.

Vikings Spotlight Player: RB Aaron Jones

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) finds a lane during the second quarter an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 12-7. © Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Aaron Jones was held to a very quiet afternoon this past weekend against the Titans, totaling 15 carries for just 39 yards and a single reception that went for four yards.

However, this weekend offers an opportunity for the veteran running back to put up a big game against a familiar foe. The Bears have allowed the six-most yards per carry this season at 4.8, and they rank seventh-worst in terms of EPA/run on defense at -0.03.

Additionally, Jones is no stranger to putting up massive games against Chicago. In his career, Jones has played against the Bears 13 times, all of them coming with the Green Bay Packers to this point. Green Bay was 12-1 in those games, and Jones totaled 147 carries for 712 yards and seven touchdowns along with 29 receptions for 285 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Bears Spotlight Player: QB Caleb Williams

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It has been a very up and down rookie season for the No. 1 overall pick. Caleb Williams has shined at times, but it has been very ugly as well, particularly during this four-game losing streak for the Bears.

However, Williams started to turn things around in this most recent loss to the Green Bay Packers, totaling 231 passing yards while completing 74.2% of his passes. He also added 70 rushing yards during the 20-19 heartbreaker.

In the end, it may come down to how quickly he can get the ball out of his hands against a very tough Vikings pass rush. This season, Williams has been sacked more often than any other QB, but in games where he takes three or fewer sacks, the Bears are 4-2. In games where he is sacked 4+ times, the Bears are 0-4.


Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference and nfeloapp.com.