Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Will The Vikings Beat The Bears?

A win is a win no matter how you get them. 1-0. Gotta love that!

It seems like it is going to be another big week and a very tough game against an improved Bears team. Ben Johnson holds a 5-1 record going up against Brian Flores which includes his years with Detroit as OC. Last year they split the games. Flores blitzed Caleb Williams 40% and masked his coverage shells in the second half of the first game enabling the Vikings to get a 27-24 comeback win.

In the second game, Ben Johnson deployed the most

condensed offense in the NFL that season, squeezing his formations to an average width of just 17.7 yards. These hyper-tight sets neutralized Flores’ wider blitz angles. It forced the Vikings’ cornerbacks into heavy run-defense roles and opened up quick out-breaking routes into massive voids of empty turf. Flores anticipated the adaptation and flipped his own script, abandoning his signature man-coverage blitz looks to drop into heavy-personnel zone coverage. The Bears leaned on the running game a lot more that second game. The Vikings took the lead with 50 seconds remaining but special teams gave up a 56 yard kickoff return to put the Bears in field goal position enabling them to grab a 17-16 win.

Obviously, you’d like to think that both teams are a little better this year. The Bears offensive line is top 5 or 6 in the NFL and it is going to be a true test for the Vikings defensive line. They did a good job against the Panthers but the game was 31-31 in the third quarter before the Panthers fell apart. I think the sledding will be much tougher for the Bears this week.

I am always going to pick the Vikings but the QB situation is concerning. I cannot say I am confident in Wentz. It seems every drop back is a hitch hitch worm ball. Then, he will make a good throw. Confounding actually. I have not seen enough of K1 to draw any conclusion. It seems the team is going to put him back in as the starter once he is good to go.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings’ next task? Slowing a Bears offense that dropped 59 points in Week 1
https://bringmethesports.com/vikings-next-task-slowing-a-bears-offense-that-dropped-59-points-in-week-1

“Lot to correct, watching the tape today,” Kevin O’Connell said on Monday. “Some good things, good enough to win a football game, but long from where we wanna be as a team.”

The Vikings are going to be tested in extreme fashion this upcoming Sunday. Next up on their schedule is a trip to Chicago’s Soldier Field to take on the Bears, who just dropped nearly 60 points in a 59-37 win over the Panthers to begin their season.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson has not been shy about his desire to set NFL scoring records this year. His team is off to a pretty good start in that pursuit. Sunday marked just the tenth time this century that a team has scored at least 59 points in a game. The Bears racked up 552 yards of offense (291 rushing, 261 passing), averaging 7.9 yards per play. The Panthers had no answer for Caleb Williams and D’Andre Swift.
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Since Flores arrived in Minnesota, he has struggled against Johnson perhaps more than any other offensive coach. In the 2023 and ’24 seasons, when Johnson was still the Lions’ offensive coordinator, Detroit went 4-0 against the Vikings. They put up at least 30 points and 380 yards in each of those games. Johnson’s Bears averaged only 21.5 points in a series split with the Vikings last year, but they did cross the 300-yard mark both times.

Vikings news: Brian Flores makes eye-opening take on Week 2 Bears showdown
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-news-brian-flores-makes-070921248.html

Coming off a historic Week 1 scoring exhibition, Chicago poses a stern test for Minnesota’s aggressive, blitz-heavy defensive scheme. Speaking to reporters ahead of the high-stakes NFC North showdown, Flores acknowledged the intricate chess match awaiting his group.

“It’s a major challenge, and that’s what we all signed up for,” Flores said on matching up against Johnson’s versatile offense.

Flores noted that going from Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur in Week 1 to Johnson in Week 2 keeps his defensive unit on high alert. Johnson’s playbook features an array of heavy run packages, run-pass options, and spread concepts, forcing opposing defenses to adjust constantly on the fly.

Vikings Don’t Have Any Answers for Ben Johnson’s Offense
https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/vikings-dont-answers-ben-johnsons-110035818.html

Week 2 NFL Picks: Vikings Duel High-Powered Bears Offense
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/week-2-nfl-picks-vikings-bears

Will J.J. McCarthy or Carson Wentz Start for Vikings in Wake of Kyler Murray Injury?
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/j-j-mccarthy-carson-wentz-112227529.html

Vikings GM Nolan Teasley host multiple players for tryouts, including one with an interesting background
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-gm-nolan-teasley-host-multiple-players-for-tryouts-including-one-with-an-interesting-background/

Vikings Snap Count Analysis: Biggest Winners, Losers and Role Changes Ahead of Week 2
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/vikings-snap-count-analysis-biggest-winners-losers-role-changes-ahead-week-2-01m2hpd11zx1

Vikings know they must improve, but coach O’Connell encouraged day after division win
https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/vikings-know-they-must-improve-but-coach-oconnell-encouraged-day-after-division-win/

The biggest involved quarterback Kyler Murray, who entered the NFL’s concussion protocol following a first-half hit Sunday.

According to O’Connell, Murray was in the building Monday, attending meetings and reviewing film.

“He came in feeling pretty good today,” O’Connell said. “He’s in the protocol, so we’ll defer to the medical folks and take it a day at a time.”

O’Connell said the organization is not second-guessing the play that led to the injury.

“It was a violent physical play,” he said. “I don’t put any fault on anybody there.”

The coach added that Murray has not experienced symptoms severe enough to prevent him from participating in football meetings.
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One area that stood out during O’Connell’s film review was the inconsistency of the running game. The Vikings ran it 34 times for an average of just 3.1 yards per.

The Vikings had stretches of success, particularly later in the contest, but Green Bay’s defensive structure created challenges. O’Connell credited Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Green Bay’s front for forcing adjustments.

“They made it hard on us,” O’Connell said. “There were some tough angles. There were times where it looked good on the chalkboard, but they were physical and we’ve got to match that.”

O’Connell noted that negative plays early in drives repeatedly put the offense behind schedule, making it more difficult to sustain a balanced attack.

“Even when it’s not popping, the negatives make it hard,” he said. “You flip the script of what you want to be doing.”
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As expected, Justin Jefferson remained at the center of the offensive discussion after another dominant outing.

O’Connell highlighted not only Jefferson’s production but also the attention he commands from defenses.

“I thought there were a bunch of examples of his greatness happening,” O’Connell said. “If not the best player on the field, clearly one of the best players on the field.”

Jefferson scored twice and consistently dictated Green Bay’s coverage plans. O’Connell pointed to T.J. Hockenson’s touchdown as an example of how Jefferson’s presence benefits the rest of the offense.

“You can see Justin taking two defenders and what that means to the rest of the progression,” O’Connell said.
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One of O’Connell’s most enthusiastic comments came when discussing rookie fullback Max Bredeson.

The first-year player has quickly earned trust inside the Vikings’ building because of his physical style and football intelligence.

“You have to remind yourself sometimes that he’s a rookie,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell smiled while describing Bredeson as a player who is constantly smiling despite playing one of the game’s most rugged positions.

“He’s one of those rare players that has a couple of screws loose, but is wildly intelligent,” O’Connell joked. “We’re so fortunate to have Max.”
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Now the Vikings shift their focus to a Chicago Bears team O’Connell believes can quickly capitalize on mistakes.

He specifically mentioned Chicago’s ability to generate takeaways, warning that turnovers like the ones Minnesota committed Sunday could be costly this week.

“We’re going to have to be on top of that,” O’Connell said.

Latest Kyler Murray injury update comes from an unlikely Vikings source
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/latest-kyler-murray-injury-update-comes-from-brian-flores/

One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Minnesota Vikings is quarterback Kyler Murray. The biggest question mark right now is with his health, and we are still waiting on more details with him being in the concussion protocol.

Oddly enough, we got an update from defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who did a rare media appearance with Chris Simms on the Unbuttoned podcast.

“[I] actually, just saw him a couple minutes ago, he looks good, and so you know, obviously, he’ll be through the protocol, and you know, we’ll see what happens there.

He didn’t just give an update on Murray; Flores also talked about Murray has looked over the course of his time in Minnesota.

“Throughout training camp, you just saw growth, command of the offense. You know, he’s got a big arm,” said Flores. “You can see the athleticism. There’s athleticism. There are off-script plays, and it was unfortunate to see him go down the other day. But you know, my time with him is, and our time with him so far has been fantastic, and I think he’ll do some good things for us once he’s healthy.”

It’s pretty normal for coaches and teammates to praise someone else on the team, but it feels a little different coming from Flores. During practice, it’s his responsibility to try and stop Murray, which gives him a different perspective than others.

We saw during training camp that Murray would give his unit fits in a multitude of ways, especially with his legs. We got a small taste of that against the Packers, but 11 plays isn’t enough to truly know how much Murray’s athleticism would make a difference. Once he comes back from his concussion, we will start to see that.

Vikings QB Kyler Murray Gets Good News From Sports Doctors After Concussion
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kyler-murray-concussion-return-timeline-carson-wentz/

However, former NFL team doctor David Chao said on Sunday, September 13 that just because Murray’s injury looked particularly bad, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was particularly bad.

“Here is the good news for Kyler Murray. Look, it is never good news to get a concussion. But good news No. 1 — this is his first concussion, so there isn’t multiple for him,” Chao said on X. “The second piece of good news is as scary as the posturing looks, that is not necessarily associated with a quote ‘worse concussion.’ It is not necessarily associated with longterm or permanent damage.”

“As a matter of fact, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re out any longer. It’s very scary,” Chao continued. “I’m not trying to belittle the head injury. I’m just saying, medically speaking, it is not out of the question for Kyler Murray to be cleared next week.”

If Murray has a more or less standard concussion, and he has a more or less standard physical response to it, the most likely scenario is that he misses Week 2 against the Chicago Bears on September 20 and is then ready to return to the starting lineup in Week 3.

“#Vikings Kyler Murray – Concussion avg ~8 days. ~1/3 make it back w/o missing games, but most common = sit Wk 2, return Wk 3,” Deepak Chona of Sports Med Analytics posted to X.
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Judd Zulgad of SKOR North suggested Sunday that Wentz could keep the starting job if he plays well in Chicago and/or potentially in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I have to imagine Carson Wentz is going to get the start next Sunday against the Bears in Chicago. How does it play out from there? Who knows at this point? JJ McCarthy is now the backup quarterback,” Zulgad said. “And if Carson Wentz plays well — I’m guessing because Kyler is signed to a one-year contract — that Carson Wentz … holds onto the job.”

Deeper Dive Reveals Hidden Gems in Vikings Week 1 Win Over Packers
https://www.vikings.com/news/deeper-dive-hidden-gems-week-1-win-over-packers

Levi Drake Rodriguez opens sack season

In a moment of foreshadowing, the charismatic defensive tackle stormed first through the Vikings tunnel, leading the Purple onto the field pregame. Later in the day, Rodriguez surged past Packers center Sean Rhyan and wrapped Jordan Love’s legs like a calf for the first Vikings sack of the season on the final play of the third quarter. The pass rush typified the 26-year-old’s hair-on-fire relentlessness.
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Rodriguez garnered three tackles and two QB hits, and Pro Football Focus awarded him with an 82.1 overall grade — his best single-game score to date in 18 career appearances on defense. Before his sack, Rodriguez partnered with Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins on a TFL inside the Vikings 10 that helped calm the unit following a 43-yard completion to tight end Jonnu Smith. On that tackle, Rodriguez swam past Zach Bako-Bewele (formerly Zach Tom) with so much force the standout lineman collapsed to his knees, then Rodriguez pursued MarShawn Lloyd from the backside and wrapped up his feet as Lloyd was stood up.

5 overlooked Vikings performances from wild comeback win over Packers
https://bringmethesports.com/5-overlooked-vikings-performances-from-wild-comeback-win-over-packers

Vintage T.J. Hockenson?
The veteran tight end caught all four passes thrown his way for 36 yards and a critical touchdown that started Minnesota’s climb out of a 22-10 hole in the second half. Facing 3rd-and-8 at the 16-yard line, Carson Wentz found a wide-open Hockenson over the middle for a touchdown with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

Donovan Jackson is a tank
While right guard Will Fries seemed to be getting pushed around all day, Jackson was a brick wall at left guard. The 2025 first-round pick received a career-high 88.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, surrendering zero QB pressures in 34 snaps.

Big Citrus says Packers’ failed QB sneak attempt was ‘disrespectful’
https://bringmethesports.com/big-citrus-says-packers-failed-qb-sneak-attempt-was-disrespectful

“It was disrespectful,” Orange said of the Packers’ decision, via Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller. “So mindset was, y’all are going to go take that? Alright, cool. Turnover on downs.

Did Orange know the sneak was coming?

“Absolutely,” he said. “Fourth-and-1 and you have a rookie in front of you? If I was a quarterback, I’d try that too. But they don’t know about Big Citrus yet.”

Carrington Valentine got picked on in the red zone vs. the Vikings
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/carrington-valentine-got-picked-red-100000471.html

A Loud Vikings Concern Proved to Be No Problem in Week 1
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/loud-vikings-concern-proved-no-103000460.html

NFL Power Rankings: Vikings Propel Forward After Historic Week 1 Victory over Packers
https://www.vikings.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-week-1-victory-over-packers

NFC NORTH: Where all four teams stand heading into Week 2
https://www.detroitlions.com/news/nfc-north-where-all-four-teams-stand-heading-into-week-2-stbrown-gibbs-hutchinson

Some very good humor for you! Packer fans live streaming and melting down!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0fi7aDjEg8