3 Chicago Bears Keys to Success for Week 12 vs the Minnesota Vikings

Week 12 is here and the Chicago Bears (4-6) are looking to snap their four-game losing streak by taking down the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) at Soldier Field. The second of three consecutive divisional games that the Bears will play over a 12-day span, Sunday's noon showdown provides a great opportunity to earn a meaningful win after a string of heartbreaking and demoralizing losses.

The Vikings, however, are looking to add to their three-game winning streak while boosting their chances both as an NFC North and NFC Wildcard contender. Led by a revitalized journeyman quarterback in Sam Darnold and perhaps the league's best offensive talent in Justin Jefferson, head coach Kevin O'Connell presents a dynamic offensive unit that can hang with anyone. Defensively, the Vikings are equally impressive, with coordinator Brian Flores calling plays for an aggressive group that constantly brings pressure and turns the ball over.

The Bears will have their hands full on Sunday, but their recent improvements provide more hope than ever that the team can turn their disastrous season around and salvage the end of Caleb Williams' rookie campaign. To get back on the winning path against the Vikings, the Bears must accomplish the three following keys to success:

1) Beat the Blitz with the Quick Game

It's no secret that Brian Flores's defenses like to rush the passer, and Sunday should be no exception. Through 11 weeks, the Vikings' 35 sacks are the second most per game for any defense in the league, led by three players (Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Pat Jones II) with seven or more sacks.

Against rookie quarterbacks, Flores's desire to blitz only becomes grander. In his five seasons serving as head coach (Miami Dolphins 2019-2022) and coordinator (Minnesota Vikings 2023 - present), Flores's defense has produced 30 sacks on rookies in eight games, finishing with a 7-1 record. Outside of the 227 sack yards produced in these games, Flores's pass rush also led these rookies to a total-touchdown-to-total-turnover ratio of seven to eight while averaging a 33.5 QBR.

If history is any indicator, Flores will look to blitz Williams heavily, especially considering that the rookie has already taken 40 sacks this year, the most in the NFL. Fortunately, the Bears offense seemed to click better in Thomas Brown's debut as interim offensive coordinator a week ago, where Williams took just three sacks, two of which came on the final drive. Much of this success was due to play design, which forced Williams to finish with an average time to throw of just 2.62 seconds, a new season best.

Asking Williams to play point guard and distribute the ball quickly to playmakers in space will not only make sacks more difficult but eventually force the Vikings to ease up on the pressure. Plus, the easy check-downs and schemed-up quick hitters will only further build Williams' confidence and momentum. All in all, keeping Williams upright and in rhythm will lead to better results on the field while ensuring the health of perhaps the most important individual in the Bears' franchise.

2) Finish with 7, not 3

Obviously, scoring more points than your opponent is a pretty good formula for victory, and while the Bears have struggled to score in general over their four-game losing streak, their troubles in the red zone have been more worrisome. Looking at the season as a whole, the Bears currently rank as the ninth-best red zone offense, possessing an impressive 60.9% touchdown rate inside the 20.

Over the past four weeks, however, this figure has dropped all the way down to 33%, with two rushing touchdowns a week ago doing most of the heavy lifting. In general, scoring touchdowns not only widens the margin for victory, but it rewards the offensive players, something that has just been missing as of late.

Starting with the quarterback, Williams has gone nearly a month and a half without a score, dating back to their pre-bye week win in London. This reality is not entirely emblematic of the Heisman winner's play, as he has accounted for nearly 800 total yards over that span. Still, William's scoring drought, and subsequently that of all the pass catchers, is a real concern, and the Bears must find a way to get more points on the board out of the passing game.

As far as the run game in the red zone and on the goalline, the Bears have been exceptional, especially with Roshcon Johnson, who has yet to be turned away on a goal-to-go scenario this season. With Brown bringing a running back's mentality to the offense, this aspect of the offense should not be going anywhere soon, and could actually create play action and run-pass-option opportunities near the end zone. No matter how they do it, the Bears need to be able to finish drives in the end zone to beat the Vikings.

3) Stop the Deep Passing Game

Despite their recent losses, the Bears still possess one of the more stifling defenses across the league. Currently ranked in the top ten for fewest passing yards allowed (6th), fewest passing touchdowns allowed (T-1st), fewest points allowed (7th), and turnovers forced (7th), the Bears have proven that they are in the upper echelon of NFL defenses.

Still, the team has struggled - especially recently - to defend the deep ball, which must be corrected against the Vikings and Jefferson. Just a week ago, the Bears allowed Packers receiver Christian Watson to accumulate 150 yards on just four catches, including two fourth-quarter receptions that both went for over 40 yards. With all due respect to Watson - a spectacular receiver in his own right - Jefferson's big play potential is even scarier, and covering him up on Sunday is essential to the Bears' success.

Recording at least one reception for at least 25 yards in all but one of the Vikings' games this season, Jefferson is already on the precipice of his fifth consecutive 1,000+ yard season after just 10 games. After starting the season with five touchdowns in six games, Jefferson has gone scoreless in each of his last five contests, and the Bears can add to this streak with the help of their talented secondary, specifically Jaylon Johnson.

The Bears' high use of zone coverages makes it somewhat difficult to look at boundary matchups from a one-on-one perspective, but it's hard to envision a better receiver versus cornerback matchup in 2024 than Jefferson versus Johnson. As is typical for the secondary, Johnson will not be "shadowing" or following Jefferson wherever he lines up, so expect to see double teams - perhaps from Tyrique Stevenson and Kevin Byard - to bracket the receiver when Johsnon has a different responsibility. No matter how the secondary gets it done, it is crucial to keep the top on the defense and channel the ball to shorter check-down options.