The Chicago Bears made a game of it against the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings did most of what they wanted in the first half. With an early 21-3 lead, the Chicago Bears appeared on their way to being blown out in Week 5. With their backs to the wall late in the second quarter, the Bears made a furious comeback against their divisional rival.
The Vikings would finish strong in the fourth quarter to knock out the Bears 29-22. The Bears appeared to make good progress overall in the game. It was arguably the Bears’ best performance this season. However, they still have yet to play a great complete game. Here we look at three studs and duds for the Bears in Week 5.
Studs
Justin Fields
After a few rough weeks, Fields played well against the Vikings. He carried the team with 208 yards passing and 47 yards on the ground. That was his first 200-yard passing performance of the year. The Bears’ offensive line showed improvement, and Fields took advantage of a cleaner pocket. Fields numbers could have been better, but a few wide receivers had crucial drops, and Darnell Mooney missed a chance to haul in an early touchdown.
Chicago Bears Red Zone offense
The Bears’ red zone offense was terrible against the New York Giants in Week 4. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the team focused on red zone situations in practice this week. The move paid off, as the Bears converted their two red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Rookie Velus Jones Jr. scored his first career touchdown on a creative play by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Kindle Vildor
Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor gave the team a big break Sunday. Vildor intercepted a third-quarter Kirk Cousins pass on a series the Vikings were driving into Chicago territory. His interception gave the Bears an extra possession the team used to march down the field and take the lead on a field goal. Vildor finished with five tackles on the day.
Three Duds
First quarter offense
The Bears’ offense struggled at the beginning of the game. Their first drive ended in a field goal. Not terrible, but they were trading three points to the Vikings’ seven, as the Vikings scored a first-drive touchdown. Fields receivers The offensive line looked terrible, as their miscues caused a fumble on a snap, and Fields was sacked on third down. Wide receiver Dante Pettis had a bad drop.
Chicago Bears coverage on Justin Jefferson
The Bears didn’t have a good game plan for one of the NFL’s most dangerous wide receivers. It didn’t help that the Bears were missing their best corner, Jaylon Johnson. Jefferson went off on the Bears’ secondary, and his early play gave the Vikings a huge lead. He finished with 12 receptions for 154 yards. The Bears will need to come up with a better way to defend him in their January matchup.
Chicago Bears running backs
The Chicago Bears’ running game was good in the early season. This week, the Bears were expected to have a boost running the game as David Montgomery came back from injury. The Vikings were able to keep the Bears’ running backs under control Sunday. Montgomery finished with 20 rushing yards on 12 carries, just 1.7 yards a rush. Khalil Herbert gained 11 yards on 4 carries. The Bears need their running backs to be more effective going forward this season if they want to win games.
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