Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings: 5 storylines to watch in Week 12

LAKE FOREST – For the first time this season, the Bears will see an opponent for a second time. They have their second crack at the Minnesota Vikings on “Monday Night Football” from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The last time the Bears faced the Vikings, quarterback Justin Fields dislocated his thumb midway through the game, and rookie backup Tyson Bagent made his first appearance in a regular-season game.

The Bears (3-8) are coming off a brutal loss against the Detroit Lions last week. The Vikings (6-5) lost a one-point nail-biter against Denver last week after winning their previous five games.

The Bears and Vikings will kick off at 7:15 p.m. Monday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Here are five storylines to watch this week.

1. Can the Bears handle the blitz?

Nobody blitzes more than the Minnesota Vikings.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been the most aggressive defensive coach in the NFL over the past several years, and that isn’t changing in his first season with Minnesota. The Vikings are blitzing on 47.4% of plays. Only two teams in the NFL blitz above a 40% rate (the other being the New York Giants). The median rate is about 24%.

When these two teams squared off Oct. 15, the Vikings sacked Fields on the first play, rushing six defenders when the Bears had only five players in protection. It set the tone. Fields and Bagent were sacked a combined five times.

Having seen the Vikings once already might not necessarily help the Bears the second time, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said.

“Every game plan, they have specifics, and they do a good job of changing things up each week,” Getsy said. “That’s where they are so dynamic in that sense that their personnel allows them to be so fluid so guys don’t have to line up in the same spot to do the same thing every time.”

Every game plan, they have specifics and they do a good job of changing things up each week. That’s where they are so dynamic in that sense that their personnel allows them to be so fluid so guys don’t have to line up in the same spot to do the same thing every time.”

—  Luke Getsy, Bears offensive coordinator on the Vikings' defense

2. Can Justin Fields keep it going?

Making his first start in a month last week against the Lions, Fields played really well. He taped up his dislocated thumb and looked like his old self out there on the field. He ran for 104 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, and also threw for 169 yards and a touchdown. He put the Bears in position to win the game before a meltdown in the final minutes.

“Through the end, I thought he did a nice job,” Getsy said. “Especially with having the layover and not playing ball for a little while. Mentally, dialed in.”

Fields will try to keep that positive momentum going against a Vikings team he struggled against last month. In the first half against Minnesota – before the thumb injury – Fields went 6-for-10 passing for 58 yards with an interception.

Fields looked really good running the football against the Lions. He ran at a volume (18 carries) that fans hadn’t seen since last season. Fields said he will continue to wear tape on his right thumb, likely through the remainder of the season. It did not appear to affect his ability to throw the ball.

3. The Josh Dobbs experience

Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs is one of the best stories in the NFL this season. He has been traded twice since August and started games on short notice with Arizona and Minnesota. Days after the trade deadline, injuries forced him to enter his first game as a member of the Vikings, despite the fact that he was still learning his teammates’ names. Somehow, he led the Vikings to a win.

The Vikings have won five of their past six games, with Dobbs playing a big part in the past three contests. Even with quarterback Kirk Cousins lost for the season because of an Achilles injury, the Vikings remain in playoff contention.

“You have to give the guy a lot of credit,” said Jon Hoke, the Bears’ cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator. “And you have to give their coaches a lot of credit for getting him ready. He’s just that type of guy. It’s pretty impressive.”

In three games with Minnesota, Dobbs has completed 65.6% of his passes for 647 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He adds a running element, too, that Cousins simply didn’t have. He has rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries during those three games.

4. Can the Bears’ running backs get going?

Against Detroit last week, Khalil Herbert played for the first time in a month. The starting running back injured an ankle Oct. 5 and missed five games. During that time, D’Onta Foreman emerged as the lead back for the Bears.

Then on Sunday, with Herbert back, Foreman suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for the second half. It’s not clear whether Foreman will be able to play Monday. He has been a limited participant in practice this week. The Bears could be looking at a heavy dose of Herbert and rookie Roschon Johnson on Monday night if Foreman can’t play.

Herbert had a bit of a slow return, totaling 35 yards on 16 carries. The Lions’ defensive front is one of the best in the NFL against the run.

“When you’re out for so long, just getting your feet back underneath you – you kind of saw that in that he got better as the game went on,” Getsy said. “We anticipate him coming out and having a great day.”

The Vikings’ defense is pretty tough against the run, too. They’re allowing only 94 rushing yards per game (which ranks seventh among NFL defenses). In Week 6, the Bears totaled 162 yards against this Vikings team. One way to find success against a heavy blitz team is to establish the run. The Bears will likely look to do so.

5. Can the Bears end another streak?

The Bears have lost 12 straight NFC North games. Head coach Matt Eberflus is 0-9 against teams in his division. Additionally, the Bears haven’t won a game against a team with a winning record since Oct. 10, 2021. The Bears also have lost five straight games against the Vikings.

None of those facts looks good for the Bears heading into this game.

The Bears have blown several fourth-quarter leads against divisional opponents over the past two seasons. The last time they played Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Bears let a one-point, fourth-quarter lead slip away.

For the Bears, that has become an all-too-familiar feeling.

“Just lock in. The play. Your assignment. Be the player you’re supposed to be during those moments,” Bears safety Jaquan Brisker said. “No moment should be too big, too high.”

In theory, a game against a team playing a relatively new quarterback should give the Bears an advantage. But Dobbs has defied all odds. This feels like it could be another close contest.