The Chicago Bears are the defending NFC North champions, and they put on an explosive performance in their season opener with a 59-37 triumph over the Carolina Panthers. The Bears certainly have their share of question marks â particularly on defense â but the combination of quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson have the team pointed in the right direction as they attempt to join the most elite teams in the NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings have made a major adjustment this season as they are going with veteran Kyler Murray at the QB1 position. However, Murray got injured early in the season-opener against the Green Bay Packers when he took a big hit and was driven into the NFL's concussion protocol in the first quarter.
It looked like the Vikings were on their way to a disastrous loss to the arch-rival Packers, but backup QB Carson Wentz threw 3 TD passes and the Minnesota defense dominated in the fourth quarter as Kevin O'Connell's team rallied from a 12-point third-quarter deficit to deliver a shocking 39-22 triumph.
These two teams meet Sunday at Soldier Field and the Bears are 5.5-point favorites over their NFC North rivals. The Bears will be pumped to show their home fans that they can continue to light up the scoreboard, while the Vikings want to demonstrate that they can compete with an explosive team on the road even though they may not have their starting quarterback.
Williams will continue to show his MVP form, throwing 2 TD passes and running for 1 score
Caleb Williams came into his own last season when he led the Bears to multiple comeback victories. They were able to win the division title and a postseason game against the archrival Packers.
Williams, the No. 1 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, has remarkable arm talent and athletic ability. However, it is his ability to keep plays alive, escape pressure and then demonstrate the skill to complete plays by refusing to panic. His ability to run with the football may have been underestimated when he came into the league, but that is no longer the case.
He has a crew of dangerous receivers led by Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and tight end Colston Loveland. He is able to connect with his receivers at the most important moments of the game and that's what makes him most dangerous.
The Vikings will try to combat Williams with defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz-heavy defense. The Vikings were hit with multiple big plays by the Packers for three quarters in Week 1, but the defense dominated in the decisive fourth quarter.
Minnesota blitzed Packers quarterback Jordan Love on 72 percent of Green Bay's 46 pass attempts and stopped the Packers on 9 of 12 3rd down attempts. The Vikings registered 4.0 sacks against the Packers, and they were led by Andrew Van Ginkel's 1.5 QB traps as well as his forced fumble and recovery
Williams will get his share of big plays, but the Vikings need their defense to assert itself in the fourth quarter.
Carson Wentz-Justin Jefferson combination will provide 2 more TDs
Murray remains in the concussion protocol, although it's possible he could lose that designation prior to Game Day. The Vikings are unlikely to push Murray this early in the season because Carson Wentz was decent in completing 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards with 3 TDs. He did not have any interceptions against the Packers.
The Vikings have one of the best receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and he caught 8 of 9 targets in the win over Green Bay for 92 yards with 2 TD receptions. He has already matched the number of TD catches he had last year with his performance in the season opener. Jefferson is motivated to regain his status as the NFL's best receiver after a down season in 2025.
Jefferson is joined by Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, and this could be the best receiving trio in the league. However, Wentz did not complete a pass to Addison or Jennings in the season opener and that has to change here.
The Bears defense looks extremely vulnerable as they allowed the Panthers to gain 478 yards and average 7.7 yards per play. A similar performance here could be disastrous for the home team.
D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai will combine for 125 yards
It was not just Williams doing his job in the season opener for the Bears. Top running back D'Andre Swift was dynamic with 18 carries for 124 yard and 3 TDs, while backup RB Kyle Monangai showed off his explosiveness with 10 carries for 100 yards and that included a 61-yard TD burst.
The Bears want to unleash their running attack on an every-game basis, and the Vikings are not strong enough on defense to do that. While they should do a better job than the Panthers, the Bears ground game will exceed 100 yards between the two backs and set Williams up for another big day throwing the ball.
Bears emerge with high-scoring victory
This is a crucial early-season for two teams with high hopes for the 2026 season. Both teams are flying high after season-opening victories, but the Bears have the advantage. They have the better and healthier quarterback, and they want to impress their home fans at Soldier Field. Look for the Bears to come away with another last-second victory, moving to 2-0 with a 35-34 triumph.