Daily Norseman
The season begins today! Some of yous have given your season prediction in the Sept 2 thread which was great. What will be the biggest key for your prediction to come true? I would say the play of JJ McCarthy is likely the #1 factor for most predictions. I think injury is going to play a role and the depth will be put to the test at some point this season. Which position group are you least comfortable with the depth? I have to go with cornerback.
Vikings-Bears preview: 3 big questions ahead of Monday Night Football
No 1. How will J.J. McCarthy handle the moment?
“As we know, it’s gonna be a big moment for him,” O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen this week. “We want to basically surround him with the best guys we can in the huddle. We feel like we’ve done that. We feel like the other side of the ball’s gonna play good football defensively for us, as well as in the kicking game. And then it’s just gonna come down to a lot of really boring things. It’s gonna come down to footwork and his comfort in doing the things that he’s done a lot now on the practice field and throughout this offseason.”
No 2. Does Ben Johnson really have Brian Flores’ number?
In the four meetings between the Vikings and Lions since Brian Flores was hired as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator two years ago, Detroit scored 30, 30, 31, and 31 points in four victories. The Lions recorded 389, 381, 391, and 394 yards in those games. That’s remarkable consistency. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and the rest of the Lions’ offense shredded the Vikings’ defense in those meetings. Johnson, of course, was Detroit’s coordinator.
The question is how much of that success was predicated on Johnson out-scheming Flores and how much of it had to do with the execution by the players on a Lions team that went 27-7 overall during those two seasons. Can Johnson have the same success with Caleb Williams and the Bears’ other offensive pieces that he had in Detroit? Will Flores have any schematic adjustments up his sleeve, especially now that he has Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in the middle of his defensive line?
No 3. Will a few key players suit up?
Both teams are dealing with some injury question marks to key players heading into this game. The big one for the Vikings is left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who is less than 11 months removed from a major knee injury and sounds like a potential game-time decision on Monday. If he can’t play, backup Justin Skule would be out there, which would be a significant blow to the Vikings’ offense. Safety Harrison Smith’s status is also up in the air, which is another one to watch.
Keys for the offense for the Minnesota Vikings against the Bears in Week 1
Establish the Run
Protect J.J. McCarthy...
