Vikings Will Put Bears Into Hibernation On Monday Night

Bears vs. Vikings, 8:15 ET

Another football week is coming to a close and we get the Chicago Bears taking on the Minnesota Vikings. At least one of the quarterbacks that started the season will still be in this game. As far as Monday Night Football matchups go, I actually like this one - I'm not a Bears fan, but I think both teams have some interesting things going on, even if the star power and success is probably not there for either squad.

The Bears did something that had never happened before in the history of football last week. That's right, friends, the 2023 Chicago Bears are history-makers. But... like... not the good kind of history. They lost a game where they had time of possession for 40 minutes in the contest, and plus three turnover margin. Teams before that were 48-0 in regulation. The Bears made it 48-1. There were several reasons for that collapse, but harping on it won't do much good. The defense should've been able to stop the Lions, and yes, the coaching staff messed some things up, but giving up two touchdowns in four minutes is on the players as well. What is good about the game was how Justin Fields looked in his return. I'll be the first to say that I've had my doubts about him. Chicagoans came into this season acting like he was going to lead the league in passing. He still stares down his primary receiver, misses reads, and is better running than passing, but it did look like he was a more competent quarterback. More importantly, he seemed comfortable with the plays and his receivers. The Vikings are a middle-of-the-pack defense in a lot of categories, including sacks. If they give Fields time, I think he can find ways to beat them with the pass. They do appear to be better against the run, but Fields has the ability to create something out of nothing, so the Vikings will need to keep a spy on him in order to negate what he does with his legs.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 01: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears runs the ball during the first quarter in the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 01, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Can you just give a moment to appreciate what Joshua Dobbs is doing? He came over from Arizona having lost seven of eight starts and now has won two of his past three with the Vikings after stepping in for the injured Kirk Cousins. He's completing over 60% of passes in each game and has only thrown one interception. I mentioned the legs of Fields, but Dobbs is also keeping plays alive with his legs and has scored a touchdown on the ground in all three of his Vikings outings. The Bears have maybe one solid cornerback, but the rest of the secondary is pretty bad. Dobbs has just two games with over 250 yards on the season, but he should be able to find his receivers with space tonight. I really like the way their rookie, Jordan Addison has played and TJ Hockenson has been a good security blanked for him. The Bears defensive line isn't quite as bad as it was painted out to be in the early part of the season where they couldn't get a sack to save their lives, but they aren't much better than that either. They are still dead last in sacks with just 15 in 11 games. If they can't put any pressure on Dobbs, you're not giving much help to an already struggling secondary. When they do get pressure, Dobbs is capable enough to run or maneuver around them.

I think the Vikings win this game with ease. Sure, the Bears looked better, but the franchise probably doesn't even want victories right now. Fields can do what is needed to get them wins, but the defense is bad, the coaching is bad, and even the offense isn't consistent enough to back on the road. A short -3.5 is the line at the time of writing, but I think it makes sense to buy the half-point and take the Vikings at -3 in this game. Provided Matt Eberflus is still coaching the Bears by game time, I think the Vikings should win with ease.

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