Fresh off of their Week 1 victory against the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears will have their home opener against the Minnesota Vikings who are banged up coming into the game. Minnesota will be without Kyler Murray at quarterback and backup running back Jordan Mason, both were injured in the Vikings comeback victory over the Packers last weekend.
In place of Murray will be veteran Carson Wentz, who threw for three touchdowns in relief of Murray and zeroed in on Justin Jefferson in a 22-point fourth quarter. On defense, the Vikings have high-level pass rushers in Andrew van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, both who not only get after the quarterback also find the ball and are capable to make plays with it.
Each week here at Bears Wire, we're breaking
down the key matchups to watch for, and this week there will be some fun ones on both sides of the ball:
Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores
Everyone is calling this matchup a high-level chess match, and both coaches are coming off of highly impressive performances on their side of the ball. Brian Flores is known for his blitz capabilities, putting his playmakers on defense in the best possible position to create turnovers. And he’ll need to do just that to oppose the Bears defense. Chicago will more than likely do what they did last week, and lean into their run game to open up their entire offense. This is a game where the offensive line is more important then normal, and it’ll be must see TV with Flores and Ben Johnson.
Justin Jefferson vs. Jaylon Johnson
Minnesota’s top wide receiver is also one of the best in the NFL, bringing a serious threat to the Bears secondary. Last week’s two touchdown performance from Justin Jefferson should give plenty cause for concern for a Bears defense that struggled mightily against the Panthers tall wide receivers. These two superstars have gone at it consistently over the past several seasons, and it is very clear that Wentz will not be shy about going to his primary option in the passing game. It’ll take more than just Jaylon Johnson to lock him down, but Johnson should be looking for a bounce back performance after last week.
Dallas Turner vs. Braxton Jones
Until he proves otherwise, Braxton Jones will continue to be a player to monitor in matchups. Dallas Turner picked up a sack last week, and with the Bears continuously having questions about their left tackle, it could be very problematic for Chicago in this matchup. Jones was injured last week but was able to return to the game, what with each passing week Ozzy Trapilo continues to get healthier, putting more pressure on the veteran Jones to protect quarterback Caleb Williams and his job.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 key matchups to watch in Bears vs. Vikings Week 2 matchup
