Vikings @ Bears
Final Score: Vikings 27, Bears 24
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1.bsky.social on Bluesky)
After an electric opening drive from the Chicago Bears in which Caleb Williams delivered two fantastic off-script plays, one a 9-yard run to find the endzone, this game stuttered to halftime with a gluttony of penalties, miscommunications and poor quarterback play. J.J. McCarthy struggled mightily with all aspects of handling the offense and wasn’t protected well at all by a newly formed offensive line. Last year’s first round pick attempted just seven passes in the first half, completing four for just 20 yards before a 28-yard completion to Jalen Nailor in the final seconds that setup Will Reichard for a 59-yard field goal. He was sacked a couple of times as the Vikings looked a mess on offense in general. Williams showed much more composure in the opening drives but pre-snap penalties, a turnover on downs and a couple of missed throws made this game a lot closer than it should have been at the half, 10-6 to the Bears.
That didn’t matter early in the second half as McCarthy looked completely lost in a mess of a drive after the Bears went three-and-out to start the half. McCarthy was overwhelmed, couldn’t pick the defense alignments and consistently had to rush with the play clock expiring. That culminated in a dreadful throw behind Justin Jefferson that former Viking practice squad player Nahshon Wright took 74 yards back the other way for a pick six. The next drive was even more worrying for Vikings fans as McCarthy looked out of his depth from start to finish of a three-and-out that went for -10 yards. It looked bad, it was bad.
Then, two things happened – Brian Flores took over the game and the Vikings defense completely shut down the Bears on offense; and Kevin O’Connell established the run thanks to the inside running skills of Jordan Mason, which empowered McCarthy to throw the ball with more confidence. It was the most unlikely swing in a football game I have witnessed for some time. The Vikings scored 21 points in the fourth quarter with a trio of touchdown drives and the Bears had -1 yards of offense in that span in response. McCarthy made a nice throw over the middle between two defensive backs to find Jefferson for a touchdown before a lovely deep ball to find Aaron Jones on a wheel route down the right sideline ended in another score. Then, it was all about the play call. O’Connell dialling up a quarterback keeper on a third-and-short in the redzone that his young leader took in for a 14-yard touchdown to win the game. Poor Bears fans. Ecstatic Vikings fans. Lots of questions about these two teams remain. What a ride!
Special mention: Vikings kick returner Myles Price ran for 109 yards on six attempts and really made a difference to the outcome of this game.
Three Up
- Jordan Mason – RB1 looks likely for the former 49ers rusher as he out-carried veteran Jones 15-8 and looked more dynamic rushing the ball between the numbers
- Justin Jefferson – the Vikings superstar started last season with four straight games with a TD with a new quarterback, and it looks like he’s on his way to do the same with McCarthy
- Rome Odunze – the former first round selection led the team in targets and catches and also found the endzone – his promise as an WR1 looks to be coming to fruition
Three Down
- Caleb Williams – hmmm, I don’t think he’s it Bears fans 😬 Williams struggled after a bright start and some of his throws down the stretch missed by a long, long way
- D’Andre Swift – averaging just 3.1 yards per carry behind an offensive line that deteriorated as the game went along doesn’t inspire confidence
- Bears TEs – they combined for just three catches for 43 yards and both Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland drew only 6 targets. This wasn’t the TE wonderland we were promised
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
J.J. McCarthy: 13/20, 143 Yards, 2 TD, INT, 3 Sacks | 2 Carries, 25 Yards, TD
A sensational fourth quarter turnaround from the former Michigan quarterback inspired the Vikings to a comeback win and earn the young second-year man his first win in his first official start. For so long it didn’t look like the Vikings would convert a third down all night and the name Carson Wentz was begrudgingly whispered…but the belief instilled in him by his coach proved valid as McCarthy threw for two passing touchdowns and rumbled in for a game-winning rushing touchdown to lead his team to a Week 1 win in the intimidating surroundings of Soldier Field. The passion of the reaction from O’Connell when McCarthy followed an outstanding block from T.J. Hockenson into the endzone would have delighted all Vikings fans.
It was a superb character response from McCarthy, who for long periods of this game look totally lost. Once he settled, however, there was a lot to like about his poise, mechanics and execution in the face of serious adversity. Connecting with his main playmakers to win the game bodes well for this team.
Notes
- It was a fiery baptism for McCarthy as he went three-and-out on the first two possessions of the game, taking poor sacks on each on each drive. The first series featured a short throw under pressure but every other play was a run. Both sacks came from trying to escape the pocket after initial reads didn’t work out. They weren’t clumsy sacks but scrambles he didn’t quite get back to the line of scrimmage.
- His ability to scramble, however, was evident on the third drive of the game that resulted in a field goal early in the second quarter. The former Michagan star looked comfortable in taking off and moving the chains before Jefferson dropped a third down throw to the sideline to stunt the drive. His legs will add another dimension to this Vikings offense.
- The main issues with McCarthy in this game were all the things you expect a rookie to have trouble with – the pace of the game, reading the alignments on defense, managing the pre-snap mechanics, and going through reads to execution. It was all off and it showed up badly in prime time. There is a lot of work to do for this Vikings offensive unit.
Running Back
Jordan Mason: 15 Carries, 68 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
The trade for Mason, which involved a couple of late round pick swaps, looks like a fantastic piece of business for Minnesota as the former undrafted free agent showed his abilities as runner between the tackles with a strong showing in the second half to give the Vikings offense a much-needed reboot. Mason broke off an 18-yard run on the first Vikings touchdown drive while also stretching the field with a 19-yard run on the final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. His vision at the line of scrimmage is a key trait that O’Connell knows fits his offensive scheme. The fact that he saw 16 total touches despite the Vikings being in a hole for most of the night bodes well for future usage.
Aaron Jones: 8 Carries, 23 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 44 Yards, TD
Despite taking a backseat to Mason on the ground, Jones was very much involved in the comeback and his wheel route down the sideline was rewarded with a pinpoint throw from McCarthy for a 27-yard score to nudge the Vikings into the lead. Jones was drafted as an RB1 so for fantasy purposes the swing towards Mason doesn’t feel great but he is an integrated, trusted part of the offense that will be given opportunities week-in, week-out. Temper the expectation of big fantasy numbers, however.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 44 Yards, TD
The Vikings once again failed to get the ball into their main playmaker’s hands enough early in the game, a criticism levelled against O’Connell last year. When they finally did early in the third quarter the ball squirmed through his hands on a low throw to the sideline near the goal line. It was a ball he should have hauled in to give the Vikings a a chance to tie the game. Indeed, Jefferson also let a ball through his hands when jumping to bring in a high throw from McCarthy in the third quarter – it was a touch catch but one that the wideout has made a name for himself in hauling in. He is inevitable, however, and on a crossing route early in the fourth quarter his route running prowess kicked in and he lost his marker to show safe hands in grabbing a low throw from McCarthy in for a 13-yard score to ignite his team’s comeback. Jefferson comfortably led the team in targets and despite McCarthy’s struggles early, he once again proved to be the difference maker.
Jalen Nailor: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 28 Yards
It was interesting to see who might benefit from Jordan Addison‘s suspension in this offense and to be honest it is hard to say anyone did. But Nailor ran a fantastic route at the end of the first half that allowed the Vikings to steal three points from a 59-yard field goal. The young pass-catcher is highly thought of but the issues will be the opportunities afford to him once Addison returns.
T.J. Hockenson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 15 Yards
A short-area target on nearly all of his routes, Hockenson may end more touchdown-dependent than we initially thought.
Josh Oliver: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Adam Thielen: 1 Target, 2 PT
The Vikings legend returned in a trade with Carolina late in the offseason and he was angry at himself on the sideline after allowing the Bears defense to punch the ball out of his hands on a key third down pass that he had initially hauled in. He made up for the error with a nice route to the side of the endzone to record a two-point conversation catch to give the Vikings a three point lead late in the fourth quarter.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: 21/35, 210 Yards, TD, 2 Sacks | 6 Carries, 58 Yards, TD
For a brief moment, the magic was truly in the air in Chicago as Williams took Johnson’s opening script down the field for a touchdown drive that he himself finished with a 9-yard run into the endzone. The drive included a brilliant throw on the run on third down to Odunze on a broken play. As the game went on, however, Williams veered from the script too esrly and too often and that’s where the problems mounted up quickly. His offensive line broke down under constant pressure from all across the Vikings defensive line and this led to mistakes and a lot of the similar flaws that plagued his rookie campaign. His accuracy by the forth quarter has completely gone and only his ability to rush out of pressure was effective. He reminded me a lot of Daniel Jones early in his career. Williams had a scramble for a score in the fourth quarter overturned on replay but otherwise it wasn’t an efficient or impressive performance.
Notes
- Williams was the most talked about quarterback in the offseason simply because of his new Head Coach. It didn’t take long to show why Johnson is the right fit in Chicago as he schemed up plenty of easy, short throws in the opening couple of possessions. However, it was Williams’ innovation outside the playbook that resulted in the opening drive touchdown – twice on third down he made sensational plays; the first, a bullet throw down the sideline to Odunze when scrambling to his right; the second a reverse scramble on third down into the endzone for a 9-yard touchdown.
- Improved offensive line play was also the main reason for some of his opportunities early in the game (also some favorable holding calls that went the Bears’ way on the OL), with his time to throw increased significantly on anything last year – he had all the time to pick out Odunze for 30 yards early in the second quarter before missing Moore on a crossing route on fourth down a few plays later. He started the game with a career best 10-for-10 in completions.
- Williams is very athletic and it saved him twice in the second quarter from taking big sacks after holding the ball for too long and the pocket collapsing. His best scramble was away from Jonathan Allen inside his own 20-yard line with less than six minutes left in the first half – the Bears quarterback escaping two tacklers before turning the run into a short gain.
- A poor throw on fourth down turned the ball over to the Vikings and from that point on things went downhill. Williams looked stressed and broke out of structure too often int he second half. Johnson was visibly frustrated on camera a number of times in the second half after drive-after-drive resulted in the offense failing to move the sticks. Williams’ poor accuracy was a big factor in this.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 17 Carries, 53 Yards | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 12 Yards
In a “prove it year” for the former Lions running back, many fantasy managers were hoping that the introduction of a known play caller in Johnson would see an uptick in both volume and effectiveness after a career-low 3.8 yards per carry in 2024. That doesn’t look the case, however, as he averaged just 3.1 yards behind a problematic offensive line. With Swift seemingly locked into a high volume role due to both lack of competition and his additional qualities as a pass-catcher, much still depends on whether the Bears can sustain drives with Williams at quarterback. On this evidence, hope is thin. An inspired Vikings defensive front took over the game in the second half and there was nowhere for Swift to go. He saw five looks out of the backfield in the passing game but a couple of these were stuffed early. One target was nearly picked off by Andrew Van Ginkel in the third quarter.
Kyle Monangai: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DJ Moore: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 68 Yards | 3 Carries, 8 Yards, Fumble (Lost)
Credit to Moore, who took a massive hit in the third quarter yet returned to the field to do everything he could to try and get his team back in the game. He hauled in a couple of nice passes from routes where he ran deeper to the outside. However, Williams missed a couple of opportunities to hit him deep that will show up on the film in the week. It looks like Johnson also wants to use Moore as a rusher more this year too, which can only be a positive for fantasy purposes. It has to be noted that the lost fumble came as the Bears were attempting laterals on the game’s final play.
Olamide Zaccheaus: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 42 Yards
This is a classic WR3 stat line from the former Falcons and Commanders wideout who looked proficient in his role in this game. Zaccheaus finished second on the team in both receiving yards and targets and did most of his work in intermediate routes. There wasn’t any big play opportunities and certainly no sniffs in the redzone.
Rome Odunze: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 37 Yards, TD
After hardly featuring from the start of his rookie season, fantasy managers will be more encouraged by this showing as the former Washington college star was involved first and often in Johnson’s new scheme. His diving grab from Williams throw on a scramble on third down on the opening touchdown drive of the game was a flash play, as was his 1-yard grab for a score, in which he jink away from his marker to find plenty of room in the endzone. Odunze led the team in targets and caches. It is something to build upon. His quarterback’s ability to make more throws in pressure situations could determine his overall fantasy production this year.
Cole Kmet: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 31 Yards
On a disappointing offensive night for the tight end room, Kmet laid out for his quarterback late in the fourth quarter as the Bears attempted to respond to three straight Vikings scores. Kmet made a spectacular catch for 31 yards down the middle of the field that setup a score to at least give Chicago hope. Prior to that he had failed to connect with Williams on three separate occasions. Not a great start for those fantasy managers expecting a bump in production from the big tight end.
Colston Loveland: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards
Luther Burden III: 1 Target, 1 Reception, -3 Yards
Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)