Why Vikings and Bears’ Offenses Could Surprise—and Stumble—in the Weeks Ahead

Week 1 is wrapping up with a bang, but before we kickstart the frenzy of Week 2, we’ve got one last showdown that’s itching to steal the spotlight: Vikings vs. Bears, 8:15 ET. After witnessing the Ravens and Bills throw down in what might already be the Game of the Year, you’d think this final game couldn’t hold a candle—but football’s never that predictable, is it? The Vikings are rolling out a rookie QB in JJ McCarthy, a guy whose college highlight reel is more about handing off than throwing bombs. Yet, he’s got Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in the league, waiting in the wings. On the flip side, the Bears are ushering in a new coaching era with Ben Johnson, hoping to breathe life into Caleb Williams and repair a shaky offense and o-line. Their defense, re-energized under Montez Sweat’s influence, could make life miserable for Minnesota’s offense. So, here’s the kicker—who will figure out their game plan first? Will the Bears’ defense shut down Jefferson, or will McCarthy’s supporting cast outshine rookie jitters? Expect a chess match with a low-scoring, nail-biting finish. You’d better strap in—this one’s a tossup with the kind of drama only a fierce divisional clash can deliver. LEARN MORE

Vikings vs. Bears, 8:15 ET

We’ve reached the final game of Week 1, and there has already been the Game of the Year. Last night we got a great one between the Ravens and Bills, one that the Ravens will probably still be thinking about tonight. The rest of the league had plenty of good games and good looks. It was a fun first week of the year, and you’re going to hear a lot of hot takes from talking heads, so just be careful with the information you take away from it. We have one last night before we can start focusing on Week 2 as the Vikings come to Chicago to take on the Bears.

The Vikings are entering another new era. Last year, Minnesota ushered in the Sam Darnold era after moving on from Kirk Cousins. Darnold was great for the Vikings, and they had a very nice season, but they invested in JJ McCarthy in the draft the last year, and due to injury he never made a start. Now he will be under center. McCarthy came from Michigan, but I have my concerns about just how good of a quarterback he is. In college, most of his role was to turn around and hand the ball to his running backs. He has another good one to continue doing that with, to Aaron Jones. However, McCarthy also has a ton of weapons to throw to in Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in football, Adam Thielen, a veteran receiver, and T.J. Hockenson, a reliable tight end. The Bears don’t have the best defense in the world, but they should be a team that can at least be competitive and stop some of the Minnesota attack. There isn’t much they can do against Jefferson, but they have actually been surprisingly good against him when he plays in Chicago over the last two games. In 2022, he had four receptions for 38 yards with no touchdowns. In 2024, he only had two receptions for 27 yards. 

The Bears are also entering a new era, but this one isn’t about a new player. Instead, this is about a new coach. The Bears now have Ben Johnson who is expected to have control over Caleb Williams, the supposedly generational quarterback who did very little last year. The problem is that Chicago needs more than just Williams to improve from last year. The whole offense looked disjointed last year, but most of all the offensive line was awful for the Bears. Williams made his fair share of mistakes, but he also didn’t have a ton of time to pass the ball. The Bears have plenty of options for Williams to pass the ball to, but Williams didn’t seem to make a ton of connections with his receivers. The Bears defense should be pretty good this year. Montez Sweat has done a great job of revitalizing this unit since coming over via trade a couple of years ago. They were fairly average last season, ending 13th in total defense. I expect heavy pressure on McCarthy today to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

This is a game that I honestly am not sure who could win the game. I think that the Vikings have a good chance because their defense is very good. I also think that the Bears offense should at least look better. Johnson, albeit with a different team, did find ways to carve up the Vikings defense. I’m going to back the under for this game. I think this will be yet another close divisional battle. The first half under is probably an even better look as the teams try and figure out their offenses.

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