Chicago Bears vs Vikings: What to expect with Bill Lazor calling plays

What the Chicago Bears defense must do on Monday night

On defense the biggest decision Chuck Pagano has to make is how to defend Dalvin Cook. Before and after the Saints game I thought Pagano should have used Roquan Smith almost like a spy on Alvin Kamara. If he had done this, maybe the Bears beat the Saints.

Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara have similar skill sets. Kamara gained 96 yards on passes and 67 yards on the ground against the Bears. However Pagano schemes it up, he has to limit Cook from making explosive gains. The good news for the Bears is that both Drew Brees and Sean Payton and better at their jobs than Kirk Cousins or the Vikings offensive coordinator.

Gary Kubiak, the Vikings Offensive Coordinator, is good but Payton is great. If the Bears can hold the Saints to 23 points during regulation, they should be able to improve on that with the Vikings. The Vikings also don’t have as good of an offensive line as the Saints.

What made the 2018 Bears defense great was they stopped everybody’s run game. Then once they made an offense one-dimensional they really put the hurt on them. The Bears have a new boy in town on the defensive line. He is Daniel McCullers and they seem pretty excited about what he brings to their defense.

McCullers is a big one at 6’7″ and 352 lbs. If he can bring a little of that Eddie Goldman nose tackle magic back to the Bears front seven, opposing offenses are going to become very unhappy when playing the Bears.

With McCullers, a rejuvenated Danny Trevathan, a red hot Roquan Smith, Akiem “the Dream” Hicks and the Khalil Mack attack all working together, it is possible the Bears can slow down the Vikings running game enough to regularly force them to pass the ball. If this happens, it could be just like old times for the Chicago Bears defense.

The Vikings have two very good wideouts in rookie Justin Jefferson and the clutch, Adam Thielen. However, Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson and Buster Skrine should be able to hold their own against the Vikings wideouts. A bend but don’t break effort by the Chicago Bears secondary should be enough to beat the Vikings.

If the Bears front seven can regularly put the Vikings in passing situations, Kirk Cousins is going to crumble under pressure. This could lead to a turnover or two by the Vikings quarterback. With this in mind, I believe the Bears will get at least one interception from Kirk Cousins.

My prediction is Bears win 27-19.