The Minnesota Vikings have officially ruled out quarterback Kyler Murray for the Week 2 showdown against the Chicago Bears, bringing Carson Wentz into the conversation.
Murray suffered a concussion in the Vikings' 39-22 Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers. Wentz finished the game by completing 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Chicago's defense is coming off a game where it allowed 37 points and was bailed out by its offense, which scored 59 points in the win over the Carolina Panthers. With the Bears' defense needing to make adjustments, they now have the perfect game plan to beat the Vikings.
Bears have a plan of attack to beat Carson Wentz and the Vikings
The interesting part of this game is that the Vikings' offense has taken some big hits this week. With Murray out, they also lost starting running back Jordan Mason, who went on IR with a thumb injury. Mason is coming off a 59-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Packers.
That means the Vikings are down to their second-string quarterback, Wentz, and their second-string running back, Aaron Jones. While Wentz and Jones are respectable players, they are older and have lost the touch they had when they were younger and better players.
This is a massive advantage for the Bears, who can now focus on other things besides the running game. Murray and Mason are arguably the Vikings' two biggest threats in the running game. Without them, the Bears can now focus on one player: Justin Jefferson.
Chicago has seen Jefferson shred them all year and can't afford to let him do it again. The Vikings have no credible running threat. Jaylon Johnson will get support in covering Jefferson. The Bears can bring a safety down to double-cover the Vikings receiver.
If anything happens in the middle of the field, the Bears' linebackers or the lone safety can handle it. Minnesota is also down Jauan Jennings, so the slot receiver position won't have its starter either.
The Vikings have lost three starters at skill positions, which helps a Bears defense that has had its own injury concerns. The good news is that safety Xavier Woods will be back for Week 2, giving them their starter back and more depth in the secondary.
Read more: Bears final Week 2 injury update: nobody is ruled out, including Darnell Wright
Chicago needed help after the defense struggled last week in one of its ugliest wins in a long time. The offense may not be able to bail them out again against this stellar Vikings defense, so the Bears' defense has to do the work.
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