The Chicago Bears (4-9) cap off week 15 with a Monday Night Football showdown versus the Minnesota Vikings (11-2). Just three weeks removed from a home overtime loss against the Vikings, the Bears enter Monday looking for their first road win of the season, which would snap both Chicago's seven-game losing streak and Minnesota's six-game winning streak.
Boasting the second-best record in the NFC, the Vikings have played like one of the best teams in the league thanks to an explosive offensive arsenal and an aggressive defensive attack. With great play-calling from head coach Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings appear to be a true contender as the regular season comes to a close, and the Bears have an opportunity to play spoiler, pull off the upset, and regain some momentum themselves.
Of course, avenging their narrow loss will not be easy, especially since it is now the Bears' turn to play visitors. But if the team can accomplish the three keys to success listed below, they may return to Chicago with their first win on American soil since October 6.
1) Get off to a faster start offensively
The Bears offense has struggled to consistently score points through 13 games, with the unit's performance in the first halves of games being a primary weakness. Heading into week 15, the Bears are ranked 31st in the NFL in both first-half and first-quarter points, averaging 7.4 and 1.5 points respectively. On the road, these averages dip even lower to 4.7 and 0.4 points. Perhaps even more concerning, the Bears have scored just three first-quarter road points this season, which came via a Cairo Santos field goal in week two.
Against the Vikings, the offense must find a way to start faster, starting with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. That is not to say that the Heisman Trophy winner has played poorly in the first halves of games, but his second-half touchdown splits (12) dwarf his first-half total (4). Outside of putting points on the board, Williams has thrown for 19 more first downs in the second halves of games compared to the first halves, with his quarterback rating sitting about 10 points higher in his second-half performances.
2) Stop ALL of the Vikings' Receiving Threats
It is no secret that the Vikings possess one of the best passing attacks around the league. Led by journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold - who is enjoying a career renaissance in his first season under O'Connell - Minnesota's offense is currently ranked second in pass yards per attempt (8.6), fifth in pass touchdowns per game (2.2), and eighth in pass yards per game (238.2). Still, as well as Darnold has played, perhaps even more integral to the Vikings' offense is superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been one of the league's premier players since getting drafted in 2020.
The last time the Bears and Vikings faced off, the former were determined not to let Jefferson beat them alone. To the defense's credit, Chicago kept him to just two receptions and 27 yards on five targets, all of which remain the lowest totals of his season. Unfortunately, the Vikings are deep with talented pass catchers, and former first-round selections Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson were able to pick up Jefferson's "slack" in Chicago. Addison's eight receptions for 162 yards in Chicago are both marked as season highs, while Hockenson was similarly able to turn in a season-high of 114 yards.
Shutting down an elite player like Jefferson should always be a goal in winning, but doing so at the expense of allowing two other players to combine for 276 yards is definitely not a winning strategy. The Bears' secondary has struggled of late in general, allowing at least one 100+ yard receiver in three of their last four games. Chicago has a talented group of defensive backs, but they must play better and have tighter coverage if they want to shut down Minnesota's offense and ultimately win the game.
3) Play with more Urgency and Energy
Last week, the Bears laid an absolute egg in Thomas Browns' first game as interim head coach, losing by 25 points thanks in large part to a disastrous first half. Coming out with little to no energy, the team was unable to build any momentum prior to the halftime break and ultimately came up with far too little, too late.
Granted, the Bears have little to play for heading into the final quarter of the regular season. Having already been eliminated from post-season contention heading into the game, the team is in somewhat of a lame-duck period, with the inevitably of a new coach - and potentially more - coming at the season's end. Still, new coaches and new years essentially always bring new rosters, meaning several players will likely be playing for their future with the team over this final stretch.
Even with a season out of hand, the team needs to find a way to put their foot down and swing the tides away from their lengthy losing streak. Despite finishing with three losses, the Bears have shown an ability to compete within the division, with their cumulate point differential against NFC North opponents sitting at -7. Whether it stems from team pride or self-pride, the players have to find a way to come out with more energy and hit the ground running. If they have any desire to pull off this road upset, they must avoid their usual faux pas while building off of and learning from their mistakes and miscues in recent weeks.