With the Chicago Bears' trouncing of the Carolina Panthers in the rear view, now, it's time to focus on an early-season NFC North rivalry game.
In Week 2, the Bears host the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, who are coming off an impressive comeback win over the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota erased a 12-point deficit, scoring 29 unanswered points to win 39-22.
And they did it with their starting quarterback having been knocked out of the game after throwing just five passes.
Kyler Murray left due to injury and is currently in the concussion protocol. He's reportedly doing well and is considered day-to-day.
When Carson Wentz replaced Murray, it took a little bit for the Vikings' offense to get going, but in the end, it was easy to tell the full story of what happened on that side of the ball for Minnesota.
In a nutshell: the Bears better pray to God that Kyler Murray starts in Week 2.
But a mobile quarterback against a defense that looked slow and hardly generated a pass rush? That sounds crazy on one hand!
Kyler Murray starting against the Bears in Week 2 is precisely what Chicago should be asking for
Here's the thing.
Wentz looked far more comfortable than Murray did. Sure, Murray only played a few snaps. But, he looked like the same guy we saw at the end of his time with the Cardinals.
He isn't comfortable standing in the pocket. He's mobile, but he rarely has used his legs to make a real impact running the ball over the past couple of seasons—averaging just over 36.0 yards rushing per game—and he's been under that mark each of the last three campaigns.
Murray looks like, dare I say it, a frantic Justin Fields at times—and I'm sorry, Bears fans, that isn't a compliment. As much as many of us loved Fields (and maybe some of us still do), that is not a compliment.
Wentz was unafraid to deliver the football to Justin Jefferson, and that is the one key component that should worry the Bears' defense, because there isn't a soul in Chicago who could remotely cover the man.
Jefferson looked like the same dominant player we were used to seeing before he had part-time Costco employees throwing him the football last season.
Eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers -- what do we think he'll do against the Bears defense with cornerbacks playing slower than Flash Slothmore from Disney's "Zootopia?"
At least, with Murray under center, the Bears defense has a chance at a quarterback willing to aimlessly run around and make questionable decisions with both his arm and his legs.
My inner take, all offseason long, was that Wentz was always the best option in Minnesota. Kevin O'Connell's offense needs a guy who can stand in the pocket and deliver the football to his weapons.
That's far from Kyler Murray -- he's never been that guy.
As much as you coach him to stand firm in the pocket and deliver a pass with hands in his face, Murray just won't do it. And here's the low-hanging fruit (no pun intended): Murray's stature doesn't exactly do him any favors.
Wentz came into the game on a moment's notice and delivered three touchdown passes on 12 completions. This is proof that he doesn't need to do too much.
He has Justin freaking Jefferson.
Oh, and that Jordan Addison guy is pretty good too -- and he went without a catch in Week 1.
Read more: Bears broke or tied 8 records in their electric Week 1 win over Panthers
What we saw from the Bears' defense against the Panthers was nothing short of an atrocity. If they are to have any hope, at all, in limiting Jefferson and the Vikings' offense, they'd better be praying for Murray to get healthy and reclaim his job before Wentz ultimately takes it back from him.
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