The Chicago Bears are seeking a fast start to their 2025 season with a Week 1 win over their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. Their quarterback, Caleb Williams, could be in for an excellent performance in his first game under Ben Johnson's new system.
FanSided's Ryan Heckman made his Week 1 predictions for the quarterbacks around the NFL. Heckman has high expectations for Williams, predicting that the second-year signal caller will gain over 300 total yards against the Vikings.
"As good as Brian Flores' defense was last year, his unit still finished 28th against the pass. Vikings fans will tell you they're still concerned about an outside cornerback room featuring Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers, so look for Caleb Williams to exploit that with guys like Rome Odunze and DJ Moore.
Ben Johnson's offense has been designed for Williams to get the ball out a lot quicker, which will help him avoid getting sacked at such a high rate. Not to mention, the offensive line is much improved. But, Johnson will also allow Williams to get outside the pocket and use his legs at times; an underrated aspect of his game."
Will that be enough for Bears to pick up a Week 1 over Vikings?
Minnesota is loaded on offense with Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, T.J. Hockenson, and Adam Thielen. The only question mark is Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who will be making his first career NFL start. If McCarthy plays well, it could be a long day for the Bears' defense.
That would put more pressure on Williams to carry the offense and perform well. The Vikings are vulnerable against the pass, and the Bears have too many weapons to rely on Moore, Odunze, Luther Burden III, Cole Kmet, and Colston Loveland. This is all the ammunition Williams needs to be firing on all cylinders in the game.
A lot of it will depend on how good the running game will be in Chicago. D'Andre Swift will get most of the carries, but the backfield is banged up with Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai banged up, and their statuses for Week 1 are unclear. If the Bears only have Swift healthy, they will be forced to throw the ball more with Williams.
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If people want to have a long shot bet that is most likely to pay off, Williams gaining over 300 yards in the game seems possible.