The NFC North rivalry adds another chapter to its historical story in Week 2 as the Chicago Bears face the Minnesota Vikings.
Both teams are coming off big Week 1 wins, with the Bears beating the Carolina Panthers and the Vikings taking down the Green Bay Packers. Both teams needed those wins to start the season on the right foot.
This week has been all about building the proper strategy and getting things correct for the game. The Bears will need to predict what the Vikings are thinking and whether they are on the same page; Minnesota might be stepping into some major mistakes. Chicago has a chance to make it hurt if the Vikings decide to make these five fatal mistakes in the contest.
What mistakes will the Vikings make against the Bears in Week 2?
Give Aaron Jones 20 or more carries
Jordan Mason is out for the Vikings, and head coach Kevin O'Connell has already said Jones will get a heavy workload in the game. The 31-year-old running back may not be able to handle even 18 to 20 carries during the contest.
This could help a Bears defense that needs to feel good about itself. If the Vikings do this, the Bears can load up the box early and force them to be a one-dimensional team.
Let Carson Wentz bomb the ball deep to Justin Jefferson multiple times
Sure, it might work once or twice throughout the game because...well...it's Justin Jefferson. He's a top-five receiver in this league, and he is bound to make at least one spectacular catch per game.
The problem is that, while Wentz is a respectable quarterback in this league, he doesn't have the arm talent he did when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He'll want some passes back when throwing it to Jefferson. Chicago created three turnovers last week, and there's a strong chance they'll do it again.
Vikings blitz on Caleb Williams over 50% in the game
Last week, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores sent the house on the Packers by blitzing the football over 80% of the time. While Minnesota surrendered over 350 yards, it did completely cripple the Green Bay rushing attack.
The Vikings won't be able to get away with that with Williams. If the middle of the field is wide open, he'll have plenty of pass-catchers to throw it to: Kalif Raymond, Cole Kmet, and Colston Loveland. Give Williams that opening, and Minnesota will regret ever blitzing on him.
Putting one-on-one coverage on Rome Odunze
Odunze's 47-yard completion against the Panthers, when he absolutely Mossed a defender, shows he is not easy to cover one-on-one. The Vikings' secondary is already suspect after Jordan Love threw for 353 yards on them last week.
While Odunze didn't have the performance he wanted in Week 1, he has a chance to put up big numbers and solidify himself as a WR1. Watch for him to be an integral part of the Bears' offensive game plan and make the Vikings pay for putting one defender on him.
Not respecting Colston Loveland after zero-catch Week 1
Loveland being shut out is starting to feel a lot like what happened at the start of last year, but the Bears will make sure that doesn't happen again. Minnesota could forget about him and focus on Odunze and Luther Burden III as the main targets in the passing game.
Read more: Carson Wentz starting at QB for Vikings gives Bears a clear game plan
The Vikings have a young linebacker room, and they can't cover tight ends of Loveland's caliber. Loveland is due for a bounce-back game and could make Minnesota pay for it.
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