Ali Siddiqui’s Prediction for Vikings-Bears
Well the wait is over. Or almost over, that is.
The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their season on Monday night against the divisional rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Ali Siddiqui makes his Vikings-Bears prediction, highlighting matchups, playmakers, and why Minnesota could leave Soldier Field with a season-opening victory.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 68-58-2 and has won seven of the past eight meetings.
Minnesota is one of the most interesting teams heading into the regular season. They went a surprising 14-3 last season and added plenty of new faces to the roster. They will also have a first-year starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy.
Siddiqui Makes the Call for Vikings at Bears
It is doubtful that he will perform as well as Sam Darnold did last season (35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions), but if he even throws 20-25 touchdowns and less than 15 interceptions, Minnesota has a very good chance at going deep into the playoffs with all the upgrades they have made this offseason.
One thing is for certain. He certainly has the right supporting cast around him, both on the field and on the sidelines. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown each played the position in the league. New backup Carson Wentz could also be a good mentor.
Minnesota came out with the victory the last time these two teams met in the Windy City.
Sam Darnold went 22/34 for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Jones rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Jordan Addison caught eight passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. T.J. Hockenson caught seven passes for 114 yards.
On defense, Harrison Smith recorded a team-high 11 tackles. Jonathan Greenard recorded two sacks.
“Football is a game where you’ve got to be able to respond,” O’Connell said. “It’s never gonna be perfect. This group is a special group, and it’s a road win in the NFC North and I’m really proud of our team.”
For Chicago, Caleb Williams went 32/47 for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Keenan Allen caught nine passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. D.J. Moore caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Kevin Byard recorded a game-high 13 tackles. Minnesota won 30-27 in overtime and improved to 9-2 on the season. They finished at 14-3 – clinching a Wild Card berth. They, however, lost in the first round on the road to the Los Angeles Rams.
Chicago fell to 4-7 with the loss and finished 5-12 on the season. They missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
While Minnesota has won five in a row in Chicago, winning there is never easy, and divisional games can be very tough, too, sometimes, regardless of who is on either roster. It would be a disappointment though if Minnesota does not come out with a win this Monday night.
Minnesota has not made it to the Super Bowl since 1976, and they have not won more than one playoff game in a season since 1987. Since advancing to the NFC Championship Game in 2009, they have also won only two playoff games.
Will they end all of those droughts in 2025 or at least one of them? They absolutely could. This roster is loaded. The biggest question is what kind of season McCarthy will have. If he has even a decent season, Minnesota could go far, and just maybe they can finally win that Lombardi Trophy.
Of course, Minnesota needs to stay healthy, too, for the most part, and also get some contributions from fellow young guns Dallas Turner and Donovan Jackson. Defense has a chance to be a top-five unit, and the offense has plenty of weapons. Bringing Adam Thielen back last week will add some extra juice, even at age 35.
This marks the fourth year of the Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah regime. Better playoff results need to start happening, and they very well could not just this year, but also for years to come.
Prediction: Minnesota wins 20-10
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