We are right around half an hour from kickoff in Chicago for our Week 2 matchup between the Chicago Bears and your Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, a battle that will give the winner sole possession of first place in the division by the time it finishes this afternoon. Let’s give you all of the information you need to be prepared for this one.
Time and Date: Sunday, 20 September 2026, noon Central Time
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Weather: Rain/rain showers, temperatures in the mid-to-upper
60s, winds from the northeast at 20-25 miles/hour
Television Coverage: KMSP-9 in the Twin Cities, FOX affiliates around the country, YouTube TV Sunday Ticket
Radio Coverage: Vikings Radio Network, SiriusXM Channel 263, SiriusXM App Channel 820
Line: Vikings +4.5, Over/Under 46.5
Chris’ Prediction: Bears 27, Vikings 23
Join Daily Norseman on game day!
Stay on top of every Vikings update and debate every snap with other diehard fans. Game-day discussion is smoother in the SB Nation app.
- Fewer ads
- Jump easily between conversations
- Faster commenting and posting
Download on iOS or Android.
Three Keys
1) Keep control of the ball – It’s going to be a wet, windy, sloppy track out there at Soldier Field today, and that surface is usually a horse pasture at the best of times. The Vikings won the turnover battle last week, and they have an unbelievable record in the Kevin O’Connell era when they come out even or better in the plus/minus ratio during a game. If they can keep from making the big mistake, they can keep themselves in this one.
2) Stay disciplined on defense – This Chicago offense put up 59 points last week against Carolina, and even though they’re not going to do that every week, they do have the talent to put up points in bunches. The Vikings need to make sure they don’t commit stupid penalties and give the Bears extra opportunities to stay on the field and extend drives. If they can get off the field on third downs and get some three-and-outs, they’ll greatly enhance their chances of winning this afternoon.
3) Special teams stay special – The Vikings got a big kick return to spark their comeback last week, and the kicking and punting games remained solid. They did give up one long kickoff return, which is something that haunted them against the Bears last year, but overall the special teams were pretty solid. When weather plays a role, the special teams play can be the difference between winning and losing, and the Vikings need to make sure they keep making the plays there.
Know the Foe: Windy City Gridiron
Twitter/X/Whatever we’re calling it today: @DailyNorseman
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/thedailynorseman
There you have it, folks! Remember, we’re only going to have one thread for the entire game for our games this season, so you won’t have to keep your eyes open for anything as far as moving things around or anything like that. Remember that we’ve got our new app that you can use for the game day experience this year, too, which simplifies things quite a bit as well.
Enjoy the game, everybody! Hopefully in about three hours or so, we’ll all be able to relax, kick back and enjoy the late window, and think about how great it is to not only get off to a 2-0 start to the 2026 regular season, but to a 2-0 start in the divisional race as well.
SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!
