Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Week 10 Preview, Keys to Game (Video)
The Chicago Bears (5-4) take on the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field as 3.5-point underdogs. The Bears desperately need a win to have any hope of getting this season back on track after losing three straight games.
Matt Nagy has officially handed over play-calling to OC Bill Lazor, giving up control of the offense for the first time since taking over as the head coach back in 2018. It’s hard to imagine the Bears getting any worse in that regard, but the real question is whether they’ll improve enough for Nagy to secure his job going forward.
Meanwhile, the Bears offensive line should be in slightly better shape tonight than it was last week, with Jason Spriggs expected to start and center Cody Whitehair perhaps returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Vikings pass rush is graded as 30th overall ($) by Pro Football Focus, a weakness Nick Foles should be able to take advantage of if the line holds up.
While the Vikings defense isn’t much to write home about, their rushing attack is one of the best in the league, led by stud RB Dalvin Cook, who’s averaging over 122 yards per game this season. If the Bears can contain Cook like they did Derrick Henry last week, they should have the upper hand.
Here are my keys to the game. If these things happen, the Bears should win.
- Limit Cook to under 100 yards rushing.
- Foles throws for over 250 yards with at most one interception.
- Bears rush for 75+ yards.
- Bears defense and special teams create at least two turnovers.
- Allen Robinson gains over 100 yards receiving.
My prediction: Bears win 24-10
Here are Bears analysts Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer with their preview of the Week 10 matchup.
