3. Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky will be making his regular season debut on Monday night. What does the Vikings defense have in store for young Mitch? The Bears will try to take some pressure off Trubisky by running the ball? Will they find any running lanes against a stout Vikings defense?
Trubisky will be the fourth rookie quarterback to start a game against a Mike Zimmer defense since 2013. The three before him did not fair well either, as their combined average quarterback rating in when facing a Zimmer defense was just 55.7.
Minnesota will likely focus on stopping Chicago’s run game and force the rookie quarterback to beat them with his arm. The Vikings’ run defense is also much better this season (third best in the NFL) than when they gave up 158 rushing yards to the Bears in Week 8 last year.
4. Give me an under-the-radar Vikings player on each side of the ball who Bears fans might not know but will have an effect on the outcome.
Chicago Bears
On offense, rookie center Pat Elflein has played really well so far this year and has been a big part of the Vikings improved offensive line this season. His athleticism has allowed Minnesota to have more success when running the ball this year as well.
On the defensive side of the ball, Danielle Hunter is now a starter for the Vikings and the Bears will have to deal with him coming after their quarterback for the majority of Monday’s game unlike in year’s past. After going without a sack in Minnesota’s first three games this season, Hunter picked up two sacks last week during the team’s game against the Detroit Lions.
5. OK, it’s prediction time. Despite the Bears bad record over the last few years, the Vikings have struggled in recent years at Soldier Field. Any reason to think the Bears can pull off the upset? Please provide your game synopsis and a score.
Oh, there is plenty of reasons to think that Chicago can come out with a win on Monday. Minnesota is 2-14 in their last 16 road games against the Bears, so records never seem to matter when these two teams face off in the Windy City.
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I’m thinking it will be a close game, as most divisional matchups are, but Minnesota will get the edge due to Mike Zimmer’s success against rookie quarterbacks. The Vikings will win 17-13 on Monday after preventing Trubisky and the Bears from scoring a touchdown on the final drive of the night.