THE Chicago Bear (4-9) are back on the court again and looking to end their losing streak against the Minnesota Vikings (11-2) on Monday Night Football. For the second time in three games, the Bears and Vikings will meet, after Minnesota beat them in the opener, 30-27 in overtime after Chicago scored 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Last week, in the debut of interim head coach Thomas Brown, the Bears looked flat against the San Francisco 49ers in what would be a 38-13 road loss. It was a game in which the Bears had more punts (5) than offensive yards (4) in the first half, and they only saved some respect for themselves with two passes Caleb Williams’ touchdown to Rome Odunze in the second half.
Chicago’s problems are clear and obvious, their offense is flat for the entire first half most of the season and their defense is exhausted. For the majority of their performances this season, the Bears have played from behind and the change has been a major point this week, where they will now have to prove it. As Monday Night Football approaches, here are three reasons for optimism that the Bears will end their losing streak.
1. Caleb Williams plays error-free
In his last seven games, Williams hasn’t thrown an interception, and until last week’s loss to the 49ers where he lost a fumble, he hadn’t committed a turnover in that span. It seems unimaginable that a quarterback wouldn’t throw an interception in seven straight games while his team lost each of those seven games, but that’s the story for the Bears right now. There’s no denying Williams’ talent level at this point in his rookie season, and after showing great success against heavy blitz pressures from Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Williams could show even more in his second game .
2. The Vikings’ weak pass defense
If a quarterback plays error-free, takes care of the football and faces a vulnerable pass defense, that should mean good things for him and his offense. That’s the case for Williams and the Bears, facing a Vikings defense that ranks 29th in the NFL, giving up more than 250 passing yards per game. Last time out, Williams threw for 340 yards, with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen combining for 192 yards and 16 catches, with a touchdown for each of them. The offense continues to develop and the passing game could be the key to success against Minnesota.
3. Thomas Brown needs this win
Brown’s coaching debut went about as poorly as it could have for an interim head coach looking to get a good feel for the permanent role in 2025. Having five games to prove he’s worthy as a head coach, Brown and the Bears will have three games against NFC North opponents. , neither of which will be easy to win, with two of them (Minnesota and Green Bay) taking place on the road. Brown is not only looking to get a win and end the team’s losing streak, but he is also looking to showcase a football team that is competent and ready to play. After the embarrassing display of effort in San Francisco, Brown will need to show he can quickly turn this team around against Minnesota.
This article was originally published on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Vikings: Reasons to be optimistic in Week 15 primetime matchup
