Bears @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 29, Bears 22
Writer: Mike Miklius (@SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter)
Early on, the Vikings were putting on a clinic; with three minutes left in the first half, they were up 21-3 and Kirk Cousins had yet to miss a pass. He was 17 for 17 through the air. Well, the Vikings went on cruise control and tried to just ride it out. The Bears scored their first touchdown–a David Montgomery run–followed by a missed Vikings field goal to make it 21-10 at halftime. Chicago took over in the second half with a touchdown (missed 2-pt conversion) and a pair of field goals to take a 22-21 lead with less than 10 minutes to go. The Vikings finally woke back up, making it 29-22 thanks to a seven-minute touchdown drive and a successful two-point conversion. The Bears tried to answer, but a fumble by Ihmir Smith-Marsette secured the win for Minnesota. The 2-3 Bears will host Washington on Thursday while the 4-1 Vikings head to Miami on Sunday.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 15/21, 208 Yards, TD | 8 Carries, 47 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)
Early on, this one was going poorly for Chicago and their QB. Justin Fields started with a delay-of-game on the first play, he was 2/6 on the team’s first three drives, and he fumbled the ball–recovered by a teammate. Well, things were looking up from there. Fields started the team’s fourth drive with a deep strike to Darnell Mooney. That drive ended in a touchdown and included one more Fields incompletion. If you’re doing the math, that means Fields was 12/13 in the second half.
The second half of this game was the first time this season the Bears looked like a real offense. On the first drive after halftime, Fields hit ESB for a 19-yard gain. The pass was thrown well and showed nice touch. Three plays later, Fields found Kmet for a big gain over the middle. The drive ended with a Fields touchdown: a pop pass to rookie Velus Jones Jr. Fields stayed in rhythm on the team’s next drive, hitting quick passes and leading the team to a field goal. It still wasn’t perfect, but Fields took a big step forward today and Bears fans should be feeling optimistic.
Running Back
David Montgomery: 12 Carries, 20 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 62 Yards
Khalil Herbert: 4 Carries, 11 Yards
David Montgomery was largely a victim of game flow today as the Vikings dominated time of possession early and put Chicago in a huge hole. Montgomery caught a screen pass on the Bears’ first play, taking it for 30 yards thanks to some nice running. Other than that, there just weren’t many plays for the offense. Minnesota was keyed into the run, forcing Justin Fields to beat them through the air. It worked for a while. Montgomery’s touchdown came on a nine-yard run up the middle and was largely thanks to some great blocking. Montgomery was hit with a glancing blow that spun him on the play, but he easily took it in. Montgomery was the clear lead today and looked 100% despite being iffy throughout the week. Realize that the passing numbers are inflated thanks to three catches on the final drive of the game for Chicago. Still, I would be ready to roll with Montgomery again next week barring any setbacks.
Khalil Herbert saw one series in the first half, and that was basically it. Herbert suffered from the same game flow as Montgomery and he is someone I can’t start as long as Montgomery is ready to go. Herbert still strikes me as being as talented as Montgomery, but Montgomery is the team favorite and a guy who gets praise from the locker room. Don’t expect a change.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Darnell Mooney: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 52 Yards
Cole Kmet: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 45 Yards
Equanimeous St. Brown: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards
Ihmir Smith-Marsette: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Velus Jones Jr.: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards, TD
Ryan Griffin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Dante Pettis: 2 Targets
This was not a complete nothing today. Darnell Mooney played well today with a few plays that won’t show up in the box score. On the first drive, he was open deep causing a defensive pass interference as Mooney was knocked down before the ball arrived. Mooney was open deep again later on the drive, but some miscommunication saw the ball drop incomplete. I couldn’t tell if Mooney should’ve turned earlier or Fields was just off target, but there was a big play waiting there. Mooney’s best catch today–and likely his best all year–came on the fourth drive. Mooney was again open deep, had to wait for the ball, and made a spectacular one-handed catch. I don’t often insert gifs, but this one is required viewing:
WHAT A CATCH FROM DARNELL MOONEY!!!
🎥: @NFL
pic.twitter.com/xTHp3bOf7X— Bears Talk (@NBCSBears) October 9, 2022
Mooney is getting open and he just needs a better connection with Fields to start putting up some big days. Given my optimism with Fields, I see Mooney as a must-add, even if you stash him for now. He looked excellent today and could have had a monster day.
Cole Kmet caught all four of his targets and was used well in the game plan. Three of his targets were quick hitters to keep the chains moving, but he also caught a 23-yard pass early in the second half. Kmet found a hole in the Vikings’ zone coverage and made the catch for a big gain. This is a step in the right direction.
Velus Jones Jr. made his first career catch and took it for a touchdown. Lined up about nine yards out, the Bears designed a pop pass for the rookie. He ran hard to the edge and just made it in.
Dante Pettis dropped both of his targets, one of which would have been a huge gain, and hit him perfectly on the hands. Pettis should not be getting targets anymore.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins: 32/41, 296 Yards, TD, INT | 4 Carries, 4 Yards, TD
Kirk Cousins was putting on a clinic early in this one. He was seemingly throwing at will against a soft Bears defense, going 17/17 to start the game. Cousins benefitted from three factors: a lacking Bears pass rush, coverage playing safely back, and Justin Jefferson. On the team’s first drive, Cousins was seven for seven with four of those passes going to Jefferson. The Vikings scored a touchdown. On the second drive, Cousins was six for six with another two throws to Jefferson. The Vikings again scored a touchdown. The third drive was more of the same. Cousins looks great when he has time, and we saw that today. The second half wasn’t as smooth, but I partly blame conservative play-calling, as well as good defensive adjustments from Chicago. This was the first game where Chicago has given up a touchdown in the second half.
Running Back
Dalvin Cook: 18 Carries, 94 Yards, 2 TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 27 Yards
Alexander Mattison: 9 Carries, 19 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 21 Yards
This felt like a slow day for Dalvin Cook as the Vikings passed at will early and didn’t need him early. He was fortunate to have two touchdowns to buoy his day early on. He had a nice pair of runs on the first drive and plunged the ball into the endzone for the 7-0 lead. Cook was spelled by Mattison on the team’s long second drive but was brought back in for the scoring run. Cook had a pair of big gains to start the team’s fourth drive which ended with a Cousins sack. Cook was called upon to help ice the game later on and was clearly the best back on his team.
Alexander Mattison saw a handful of carries but overall failed to impress today. He picked up a few first downs, but he was also blown up in the backfield a few times as well. Mattison is still only a handcuff option in this backfield.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 13 Targets, 12 Receptions, 154 Yards
Irv Smith Jr.: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 42 Yards
K.J. Osborn: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards
Adam Thielen: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 27 Yards
Johnny Mundt: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards
Jalen Reagor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard, TD, 1 Fumble (Recovered)
Justin Jefferson was a monster today. The Bears were afraid of the big play and happily gave Jefferson space to work. He preceded to catch anything and everything thrown his way. Jefferson is a master at getting open, and he is smooth at the catch point. He hauled in three first downs on the team’s first drive and then nearly found the endzone, getting tackled half a yard short. Jefferson is a matchup nightmare for defenses, and you have to realize you can’t stop him; you simply hope to choose how he beats you.
Adam Thielen was the next-most involved target, and I think he would have had a bigger day if Jefferson didn’t eat so much volume. Thielen saw a red zone target in the second half, but it was out of bounds.