Bears vs Vikings – Keys to a Chicago Bears Victory
Jan 1, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) celebrates his sacks of the Chicago Bears quarterback in the third quarter at the Metrodome. The sack set a new team record for Allen for most sacks in a single season with 22. The Bears win 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE
The Bears and Vikings are set to square off yet again in a matchup that will feature two of the weakest passing offenses in the league on what’s expected to be a cold day at the freshly re-sodded Soldier Field. It sets up as a ground and pound kind of game.
With the Bears on a tw0-game skid while Jay Cutler recovers from a concussion, this game takes on huge importance against the surprising Vikings. A loss against the Vikings and the Bears will drop from first to third in the division in less than a week. But it’s not hopeless; the Vikings are very beatable. Here are my Keys to a Chicago Bears victory.
Allen Alert
In case the Bears and their offensive line haven’t heard, Jared Allen is pretty good at getting to the quarterback. He just missed out on breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record last season after racking up 3.5 sacks against the Bears in the last game of the season. Meanwhile, the Bears’ offensive line is yet again in shambles as they’ve demoted right tackle Gabe Carimi while left guard Chilo Rachal walked out on the team after a rough time in San Francisco last week.
J’Marcus Webb will have a lot of responsibility to win some one-0n-one battles with Allen, but this is going to be a team effort. It will require play calling, scheme and help to keep Allen from disrupting the Bears’ passing game, especially since the recently concussed Cutler is coming back against the Vikings.
Purple Jesus Can’t Walk on Water
They call Adrian Peterson “Purple Jesus” and I’m sort of starting to buy into the idea that he’s not a mere mortal. Who else blows their knee out in December and starts the next regular season without missing a beat and in fact, has an MVP-type season. Has anyone ever won Comeback Player of the Year and MVP in the same season?
Word came through late Saturday that Percy Harvin has been ruled OUT and will not travel with the team, which makes the Vikings very one-dimensional. If the Bears can keep AP from running wild, they win the game.
What’s our Forte Again?
Matt Forte is not having a great season, but it’s hard to blame him. He just hasn’t had the opportunities. He’s not getting as many rushing attempts and has been all but forgotten in the passing game. It’s time for someone to remind Mike Tice that this dude went to the Pro Bowl last season for a reason. With Cutler coming back, the Bears would be well advised to ease him back into the swing of things and a steady dose of Forte rushes and some short passes out of the backfield are in order.
I’m only going to go with three keys this week because frankly it’s a simple game plan to beat Minnesota. They’ve exceeded expectations this season and hung around a lot longer than people thought they would. It’s time to put them out of their misery and knock them back down in the standings. Don’t forget, after this week, the Bears host Seattle before a return engagement with the Vikings in Week 14 at the Metro-dump.
What do you think? What are your keys to a Chicago Bears victory? Let’s hear your suggestions in the Comments.