Windy City Gridiron
Having the first Monday Night Football game of the NFL season is a brutal tease.
You’ve waited patiently for seven months to watch your favorite team and now you have to wait the longest period possible before you get to watch them.
And it’s a nationally televised game, so if it doesn’t go your way, it’s going to be a long night and even longer week.
That’s the hand the schedule-makers gave the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
The wait and anticipation for the Ben Johnson era has to wait another two days.
Let’s break this game down and meet the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings
SB Nation site: Daily Norseman
Record: 0-0 (2024 – 14-3, 2nd in NFC North)
Game day, time, TV: Monday, 7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN
Spread: MIN -1.5
Bears all-time record against: 58-68-2 including 1-0 postseason
Historical meetings: The last time the Bears played the Vikings to open a season was Sept. 8, 2002, exactly 23 years to the day of this week’s meeting.
It was Chicago’s opening game in their home-away-from-home in Champaign as Soldier Field was being renovated.
The Bears grabbed a 7-3 lead with a Jim Miller-to-Marty Booker 29-yard pass. Daunte Culpepper scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter.
The teams traded field goals before Culpepper hit Randy Moss for a 33-yard pass late in the first half to give the Vikings a 20-10 halftime lead.
The two teams again traded field goals and with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, it was still a 23-13 Vikings lead.
Then Chicago channeled whatever was left of their 2001 comeback mojo. Miller hit Booker for a 54-yard pass, and four plays later, Anthony Thomas scored on a one-yard run.
The Vikings tried to run out the clock, but facing 2nd and 6 at the Bears’ 47-yard line, Michael Bennett was stuffed for a two-yard loss. Then the Vikings were flagged for a false start. Facing 3rd and 13, Culpepper was intercepted by Mike Brown.
Miller drove the Bears down to the Minnesota nine-yard line with 35 seconds left. He hit David Terrell for a nine-yard touchdown pass to put Chicago ahead 27-23.
Two plays later, Daunte Culpepper was sacked by Rosevelt Colvin, forcing a fumble recovered by Bryan Knight. The Bears kneeled and won.
Last meeting: Week 15 last season, the 4-11 Bears faced the 11-2 Vikings in Minneapolis.
The Vikings took a 13-0 halftime lead and eventually pushed it to a 27-6 lead before the Bears clawed back a garbage-time score for a final score of 30-12.
Injury report:
Offense: The Vikings return most of their offense that finished ninth in points last season with one notable exception.
Last year’s first-round pick, quarterback J.J. McCarthy makes his NFL debut after missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury.
McCarthy has some very good weapons at his disposal. Justin Jefferson (103 rec./1,533 yds./10 TDs in 2024) is one of the best in the league. Jordan Addison (63/875/9 in ‘24) will...
