Get set for an absolute football chess match.
On Sunday, we’re going to see Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson face off against Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Both coaches are some of the best in the league at scheming.
The Bears are fresh off putting up 59 points on the Carolina Panthers. While the Vikings sacked Jordan Love twice and forced two takeaways in a come-from-behind 39-22 win at home.
It’s going to be a very interesting game.
How many games do we think it will take
to win on Sunday? I think if I had to put a number on it, it would be 28 points. The Vikings only scored more than 28 points last year. However, they scored 39 against Green Bay in week one.
Let’s meet the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings
SB Nation site: Daily Norseman
Record: 1-0, first in the NFC North (tied)
Game day, time, TV: Sunday, noon CT, FOX
Spread: Bears -4.5
Bears all-time record against: 59-69-2, including 1-0 postseason
Historical meetings: Week 2 of the 1964 season on Sept. 20.
The Bears and Vikings traded scores in the second quarter. Frank Tarkenton hit Bill Brown for a 19-yard score. But Billy Wade answered, finding Rick Casares for a 51-yard touchdown.
Next, Wade found Johnny Morris for a 13-yard score. Minnesota answered back before halftime with Hal Bledsoe hauling in a 34-yard touchdown from Tarkenton.
In the second half Morris scored again on a 10-yard reception. Minnesota again answered with a Jerry Reichow 10-yard pass from Tarkenton.
Wade scored on a one-yard run and in the fourth quarter, Joe Marconi rushed from three yards out for a score, too.
The Vikings scored one more touchdown, a 26-yard pass from Tarkenton to Bledsoe, but Chicago won 34-28.
Both QBs threw for 300 yards. Wade finished with 3 passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Morris had 10 catches for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Last meeting: Week 11 last season, the Bears went to Minnesota and squeaked out a 19-17 comeback win. The Bears led 16-3 heading into the fourth quarter and it felt like week one all over again.
Set up by a 43-yard punt return, Jordan Mason scored from 16 yards out on a two-play drive for the Vikings to give them their first touchdown of the game.
Cairo Santos missed a field goal on the next drive. Following a Minnesota punt, the Bears drove but ultimately punted back to the Vikings with just over 3 minutes left in the game.
JJ McCarthy drove the Vikings down and hit Jordan Addison for a 16-yard score with just 50 seconds remaining.
Devin Duvernay returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards. Following three D’Andre Swift rushes, Santos hit a 48-yard walk-off field goal.
Injury report – The Vikings listed five players on their Wednesday injury report
Limited participation
- QB Kyler Murray (concussion)
- LB Blake Cashman (wrist)
- T Brian O’Neill (knee)
- OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (chest)
Did not participate
- WR Jauan Jennings (NIR – personal)
Offense: The Vikings are ranked third in points, but 29th in yards.
Their passing offense ranks 29th and their rushing offense 18th.
Kyler Murray is trending/not trending toward playing.
In his place, Carson Wentz (63.2 pct cmp./133 yds./3 TD/0 INT) played well and led the Vikings late comeback.
Justin Jefferson (8 rec./92 yds./2 TD) is among the best receivers in the league and Wentz (and Murray) are finally good enough for him to ball out again. Jordan Addison (42/610/2 in 2025) didn’t have a catch last week but is still the main No. 2. T.J. Hockenson (4/36/1) and Josh Oliver (2/22/0) were also in the mix.
Jordan Mason (15 att./59 yds./1 TD) landed on IR this week with a thumb injury, leaving the veteran Aaron Jones Sr. (12/40/1) as the lead back. DeeJay Dallas (0 att in 2026, 1 catch – 4.3 YPC average in his career) will be the number two, according to coach Kevin O’Connell.
Defense: The Vikings defense comes in ranked 12th in points allowed and 28th in yards allowed.
Their passing defense ranks 30th and their rushing defense ranks third.
Obviously, it’s a small sample size and somewhat skewed by the wild game they played against Green Bay in week one.
One thing that’s consistent though, is defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s love of blitzing. Minnesota leads the league in blitz percentage and is third in pressure percentage. They blitzed seven more times than the second team (the Lions) and their percentage of blitzes was 71.7 percent, while Tampa Bay was second at 43.2 percent.
The defensive line is led by EDGE rushers Andrew Van Ginkel (1.5 sk/` TFL/2 QB hits/1 FF/1 FR) and Dallas Turner (1 sk/7 QB hits/1 FF).
Levi Drake Rodriguez (1 sk/1 TFL/2 QB hits) and Blake Cashman (0.5 sk/7 tkl/2 TFL/2 QB hits) also made some plays.
The secondary features James Pierre (2 PD/1 INT/4 tkls) and Byron Murphy (1 PD/8 tkls) and Harrison Smith (1 tkl/1 PD/1 QB hits) are in the secondary, too.
Key matchups: Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. The players will execute the schemes, but this is about which coach can achieve the most schematic success against the other.
Caleb Williams and the offensive line will have to be on top of their communication to make sure they know where the protections need to be and who is coming.
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have to bounce back from a rough week one outing with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison coming to town.
Key stats
- The Vikings allowed 28 or more points just twice last season – to the Chargers and Eagles.
- Last season the Bears scored 24 and 19 points against the Vikings. They lost the 24-point effort.
- Minnesota allowed just one of Green Bay’s four red zone trips to end in a touchdown. The Vikings scored on all four of their offensive red zone trips.
- The Bears are second in the league in pressure percentage, according to Pro-Football-Reference.
- The Vikings allowed 6.3 yards per play to Green Bay. Chicago allowed Carolina 7.7 yards per play.
- Carson Wentz is 4-0 in his career against the Bears with 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and a 91.0 rating.
