Chicago Sports

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday at the Vikings:

RICK MORRISSEY

Vikings 27-16

If the Bears are looking for a get-well game on offense, this one doesn’t seem like a good fit. It’s not that the Vikings are that good; it’s that the Bears’ offense has been that bad. Here’s where things stand four games into the season: In the search for progress from a struggling Justin Fields, we’ll take baby steps. Season: 3-1.

RICK TELANDER

Vikings 23-20

You wonder if the Vikings picked up any civility inEngland last week. Doubtful, even with a W. So they’ll want to punish the Bears in front of”Skol, Vikings!” home crowd. The skilled, up-and-down Kirk Cousins reminds me of former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, but with slightly more personality. Season: 3-1.

LAURENCE HOLMES

Vikings 30-12

With the way the Bears defense is going it’s hard to pick them in any game left on the schedule. Cousins is great in afternoon kickoffs and has enough weapons to make this one hurt. Season: 2-2.

PATRICK FINLEY

Vikings 28-10

Weird things happen in London: the Vikings were a double-doink away from heading to overtime against an Alvin Kamara-less Saints team quarterbacked by Andy Dalton. The Vikes won’t play that poorly again, even after fighting jet lag this week. Season: 1-3.

JASON LIESER

Vikings 25-17

The Vikings aren’t as good as their 3-1 record looks, but they’re better than the Bears at quarterback (Cousins), running back (Dalvin Cook) and wide receiver (Justin Jefferson). The Bears can’t score enough to keep up with that. Season: 2-2.

MARK POTASH

Vikings 23-17

The Bears usually play the Vikings tough at U.S. Bank Stadium and should be better in all three phases than they were last week against the Giants. Their offense, though, is a tough sell, especially on the road.Season: 3-1.

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Phillips at Lane, 7:15 p.m. Friday

Both teams are 3-0 in the Red North; the winner clinches at least a share of the title in one of thePublic League’s two top conferences. It’s been a storybook season for Lane (6-0 overall), which is assured of its first state playoffberth since 2013 and first winning season since 2008. The Champions rely on an old-school double-wing offense and a swarming defense. Lane has allowed just 61 points all year, includingonly 35 in the last five games. Phillips has won three straight after starting 0-3 againstBatavia, Mount Carmel and Morgan Park, who are a combined 16-2.

No. 5 Simeon vs. Kenwood, 4 p.m. Saturday at Lane

With early wins over Bolingbrook and Wheaton-Warrenville South, Simeon (6-0, 3-0 Red South) has established itself as the Public League’s top team this season. The Wolverines have an elite receiver in four-star Cincinnati recruit Malik Elzy, the No. 4 senior in the state and a top-300 prospect nationally, and one of the state’s most productive running backs in Andre Crews. Kenwood (4-2, 2-1) has as much high-level talent as any team in the area, but hasn’t always been able to overcome its own mistakes. Among the Broncos’ difference makers: defensive backs Kahlil Tate and Kiwaun Davis, edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot and linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird.

St. Charles East at No. 19 St. Charles North, 7:30 p.m. Friday

It’s rivalry week in the DuKane, and this is one of several games that will draw packed houses. St. Charles North (5-1, 4-0) didn’t get the preseason buzz of some of its league rivals. But after a bit of a downturn, the North Stars are rolling again and alone in first place of one of the state’s best leagues top to bottom. Drew Surges, a senior with offers from Army and Navy, has been a force on both sides of the ball for North. He has 871 yards on 117 total touches. Indiana-bound offensive tackle Austin Barrett is a force for St. Charles East (2-4, 0-4).

Geneva at No. 22 Batavia, 7 p.m. Friday

It’s the 104th edition of one of the state’s most enduring rivalries, which dates back to 1913. Batavia leads the series 52-46 with five ties, and current Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron is 11-0 against the program’s oldest rival. Geneva (5-1. 3-1) is having a bounceback season behind junior quarterback Nate Stempkowski, who has passed for 915 yards and 14 touchdowns, and run for 171 yards and four TDs. For Batavia, Ryan Boe has thrown for 939 yards and Ryan Whitwell has rushed for 721 yards and 12 TDs. Power Five linebackers Tyler Jansey (Wisconsin) and Jack Sadowsky (Iowa State) lead the defense.

Brother Rice at No. 16 Joliet Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday

Brother Rice (3-3), which finishes the regular season with home games against Marian Catholic and Marist, needs two wins to be playoff-eligible. Wisconsin-bound defensive lineman Roderick Pierce III has been a mainstay for the young Crusaders. Joliet Catholic (5-1), which will be playing at home for just the second time this season, is averaging 43 points a game with an almost entirely new offense anchored by Anthony Birsa, a four-star lineman committed to Northwestern.

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CINCINNATI – Willson Contreras paused an interview after the Cubs’ final game of the season to embrace catching coach Craig Driver and fellow catcher PJ Higgins before they exited the clubhouse.

“You have my number,” Contreras called after Higgins.

“I do,” he said.

It was likely the last time Contreras would share a clubhouse with many of his Cubs teammates. He’s set to enter free agency this winter.

“Really calm,” Contreras said of likely his last game as a Cub. “Thinking about a lot of stuff, a lot of memories that I have with my teammates. Everything since I signed for the first time. … Memories from 2009 to now. How proud I feel. How proud I feel of being in this position.

“It’s hard for me because it’s the first time that, basically, I don’t have a team since 2008. So, there’s a little emotion there. But I don’t want to overthink it because I don’t want to cry again.”

Contreras didn’t play in the Cubs’ 15-2 win against the Reds on Wednesday. So, in his last game of the season, on Tuesday, he homered.

In a full circle moment, he thought of the 2016 regular season, before the World Series run. The Cubs finished the regular season in Cincinnati that year, too. And Contreras homered in the last game.

Sampsonexits early

Cubs pitcher Adrian Sampson said it was hard for him to leave his last start of the season after 2 2/3 innings with tightness in his right groin. The Cubs said they pulled him as a precaution.

“But I think it was the right decision on the last day of the year and going into the offseason healthy,” he said. “Feeling good though. I feel good now.”

Sampson had a rollercoaster of a year. He was designated for assignment by two different teams in May, first the Cubs and then the Mariners, before carving out a more permanent role for himself back with the Cubs. In the rotation, Sampson posted a 3.20 ERA.

Sampson finished especially strong, allowing just eight runs in his last eight starts combined (1.71 ERA).

“It’s a lot of motivation,” he said. “Ending on a note like this kind of sucks, but you look at how we finished off and just the last couple weeks, how we’ve been playing and how I’ve been pitching. I’m looking forward to getting to work.”

Pitchers galore

The Cubs rotation’s injury issues were reflected in a couple single-season high marks. Cubs relievers set a franchise record with 656 1/3 innings pitched, passing last season’s 631. With an MLB-leading 716 strikeouts this season, the Cubs set a new franchise mark.

The Cubs also tied the single-season major league record by putting 42different pitchers (including three position players) on the mound. The 2019 Mariners, 2021 Orioles and 2021 Mets share the MLB high water mark.

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Chicago Bears’ offense is amongst the best in the league, that’s not something you would guess considering how bad the offense has been this year.

The Chicago Bears’ offense is among the leaders in big plays, but that stat is skewed by the number of runs they’ve generated of 10 or more yards.  They’re fourth in the league in runs of over 10 or more yards with 24 and second to last in the league in passing plays of 20 or more yards with eight.

Most big plays through Week 4: pic.twitter.com/KmZcP4bycR

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 4, 2022

The Chicago Bears have done a fantastic job of running the ball this year and a horrible job in the passing game.  The Bears offensive line has done a good job at run blocking but have been horrible in pass protection.  Justin Fields has contributed in generating big runs outside of the pocket with his ability to scramble, but has struggled to deal with pressure.

Not surprisingly the Chicago Bears offense reflects what the offensive line has done well and done poorly to start the season.

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Players will tell you the best two days of the season are the first day of spring training and the last day of the regular season. When it ends with a meaningless game in a season that was supposed to be anything but, it’s just not going to end well.

A couple of hours before the White Sox’ finale, a 10-1 thrashing from the Twins sending the Sox home at 81-81, equipment bags were laid out by clubhouse lockers as players were already packing and saying goodbye. Handshakes and well wishes were exchanged.

The Sox had already absorbed the disappointment of not making the postseason days ago and sa in on 78-year-old manager’s Tony La Russa sad farewell press conference Monday. Some of them won’t be back.

“A bunch of the guys here, they’ve started thinking, realizing this is their first time they’re not going to be in the postseason,” said shortstop Elvis Andrus, a free agent. “I went to back-to-back World Series my first years in the league and thought it was so easy. You have to be grateful and realize how lucky you are just to be able to make it to the postseason.

“I know everybody’s going to go home with that in their mind and put in a good offseason and not let that happen next year.”

The season was already over before Wednesday’s the season finale at Guaranteed Rate Field, and then right-hander Davis Martin got shelled for nine runs on seven hits including two home runs in 1 2/3 innings.

And then Martin left the game with right biceps soreness. It was one last fitting injury for a team riddled by injured list casualties this season.

Jose Abreu, who will be a free agent, asked acting manager Miguel Cairo to sit out Wednesday, denying fans the chance to give him a farewell if this happens to be his last season.

“I don’t like goodbyes,” Abreu said Tuesday.

Fans chanted his name in the ninth inning, hoping for an at-bat but to no avail.

Romy Gonzalez played shortstop as Andrus was the DH. Yasmani Grandal, AJ Pollock and Eloy Jimenez did not play, and the grind of spring training and 162 games came to a merciful end. It’s a grind often lost on fans, who don’t want to hear how tough it might be to play a kids game and get paid millionaire’s money. Especially if they’ve let said fans down like maybe never before.

Such was the case with the Sox, who declared themselves World Series contenders but needed to win five of their last seven games to avoid an eighth losing season in the last 10.

“It’s hard to put into words, there is a lot of emotion,” reliever Kendall Graveman said before the game, looking around the clubhouse. “We didn’t succeed.”

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Ironically, the Blues’ one even-strength goal in last week’s preseason opener was actually one of the first good examples of the Blackhawks correctly executing new coach Luke Richardson’s defensive system.

In that play, Blues forward Brandon Saad skated up the half-wall in possession with Hawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski on his tail.

Michal Teply, the Hawks’ strong-side winger, correctly crashed down on Saad from the other direction, forcing Saad to pass inside to Kyrou at the faceoff dot. Then Josiah Slavin, the Hawks’ low center, also correctly moved up –with an active stick — to block Kyrou’s potential shooting lane.

The issue was Samuel Savoie, the Hawks’ weak-side winger, also went to Kyrou. That left Blues defenseman Griffin Luce wide-open in the space Savoie vacated, and Luce scored.

Besides Savoie’s mistake, though, the Hawks’ rotation closely matched what Richardson has spent training camp teaching. While none of those players remain on the Hawks’ NHL roster, those who do have regularly reviewed clips like that to adjust to his approach.

“We’re looking to kill plays quickly,” Richardson said. “It’s hard defense, and that just gives us more energy to play offense instead of chipping the puck out after being in [our] zone for a minute.”

Richardson’s system is based on a standard “box-plus-one,” one of the most commonly used defensive structures throughout all levels of hockey.

It’s a zone defense in which wingers each cover half the zone above the dots and defensemen cover half the zone below the dots, with support from a roving center. That zone aspect alone differentiates it substantially from the hybrid man-to-man coverage the Hawks used during Jeremy Colliton and Derek King’s coaching tenures.

A typical “box-plus-one” system focuses on protecting the slot while conceding possession on the perimeter, but Richardson’s version is more aggressive than most and sometimes pressures even on the perimeter.

“It’s moreaggressivethan anything I’ve played, and I really like it,” Sam Lafferty said. “Because as a center, you can strike sooner. And as a winger, you can strike sooner when the guy climbs the wall.”

Beyond the defensive zone, the Hawks won’t follow as specific and predetermined of a system –few NHL teams do –but Richardson has nonetheless given a few points of emphasis.

One point is that, during breakouts, forwards should circle back below the defensive blue line to assist their defensemen. Another is that players carrying the puck through the neutral zone –be it defenseman or forward –should move the puck vertically rather than horizontally whenever possible. Following both rules will reduce the risk of turnovers leading to counterattacks.

“We ask our forwards to get back for our ‘D,'” Richardson said. “We don’t want to go ‘D’-to-‘D’ andslowit down all the time. We want to go right back at them. … We’re skating back hard, not just waiting for the ‘D’ to get it back to you waiting at the far blue line. It makes you work early, but it pays off in the end.”

Once in the offensive zone, if the Hawks’ forecheck forces a turnover or wins a puck battle below the goal line, Richardson wants them to first see if they can hit the trailing forward — the “F3” –cruising down into the slot.

If that’s unavailable, he wants them passing low-to-high –back up to defensemen at the blue line –and then either finding open space or crashing the net to create traffic.

“A lot of teams swarm now and they’re all down low, so [that’ll] give us time out high to work something out with a forward running high, or simply shooting the puck at the net with a couple of bodies there,” he said. “Those are probably our best chances [during] all of training camp…so we’re going to start with that and build off it.”

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The latest rankings of Illinois high school football teams in each class, according to an Associated Press panel of sportswriters.

Class 8ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Loyola (12) (6-0) 129 1

2. Lincoln-Way East (1) (6-0) 118 2

3. York (6-0) 104 4

4. Glenbard West (5-1) 75 3

5. Warren (5-1) 69 5

6. O’Fallon (5-1) 53 T6

7. Maine South (4-2) 41 T6

8. Neuqua Valley (5-1) 37 10

9. Edwardsville (5-1) 22 NR

10. South Elgin (6-0) 18 NR

Others receiving votes: Plainfield North 16, Glenbrook South 13, Bolingbrook 11, Marist 5, Palatine 4.

Class 7ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Mount Carmel (13) (6-0) 130 1

2. Hersey (6-0) 112 2

3. Prospect (5-1) 89 3

4. St. Rita (4-2) 81 4

5. St. Charles North (5-1) 68 7

6. Pekin (6-0) 65 5

7. Wheaton North (5-1) 62 6

8. Jacobs (5-1) 33 9

9. Batavia (4-2) 27 10

10. Lake Zurich (5-1) 17 NR

Others receiving votes: Downers Grove North 12, Geneva 11, Hononegah 7, Brother Rice 1.

Class 6ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. East St. Louis (11) (4-2) 126 1

2. Simeon (2) (6-0) 115 2

3. Lemont (6-0) 105 3

4. Prairie Ridge (5-1) 83 4

5. Crete-Monee (4-2) 73 5

6. Chatham Glenwood (5-1) 58 7

7. Wauconda (6-0) 50 8

8. Belvidere North (6-0) 39 9

9. Notre Dame (4-2) 22 6

10. Normal West (5-1) 18 10

Others receiving votes: Champaign Centennial 10, St. Ignatius 8, Kenwood 6, Benet 2.

Class 5ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Kankakee (10) (5-1) 115 2

2. Sycamore (3) (6-0) 114 3

3. Mahomet-Seymour (6-0) 99 4

4. Peoria (6-0) 96 5

5. Morgan Park (6-0) 74 6

6. Morris (5-1) 71 1

7. Highland (5-1) 46 T8

8. Sterling (5-1) 41 10

9. Rockford Boylan (5-1) 19 NR

10. Glenbard South (5-1) 14 7

Others receiving votes: St. Patrick 9, Mount Vernon 6, Providence 5, Nazareth 4, Centralia 2.

Class 4ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Sacred Heart-Griffin (8) (6-0) 121 1

(tie) Richmond-Burton (5) (6-0) 121 2

3. St. Francis (6-0) 94 4

4. Joliet Catholic (5-1) 93 3

5. Rochester (5-1) 71 5

6. Stillman Valley (6-0) 70 6

7. Carterville (6-0) 50 8

8. Macomb (6-0) 31 10

9. Genoa-Kingston (5-1) 30 9

10. Wheaton Academy (5-1) 28 7

Others receiving votes: Breese Central 3, Coal City 2, Murphysboro 1.

Class 3ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. IC Catholic (7) (5-1) 125 1

2. Reed-Custer (4) (6-0) 123 3

3. Williamsville (2) (6-0) 113 2

4. Princeton (1) (6-0) 105 4

5. Byron (5-1) 75 5

6. Fairbury Prairie Central (6-0) 67 7

7. Mt. Carmel, Ill. (6-0) 61 6

8. Eureka (6-0) 50 8

9. Seneca (6-0) 28 9

10. Tolono Unity (5-1) 16 NR

Others receiving votes: Durand-Pecatonica 7.

Class 2ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. St. Teresa (12) (6-0) 129 2

2. Maroa-Forsyth (6-0) 110 3

3. Bismarck-Henning (6-0) 92 4

4. North-Mac (6-0) 91 5

5. Wilmington (1) (5-1) 83 1

6. Rockridge (5-1) 62 6

7. Downs Tri-Valley (5-1) 56 7

8. Carmi White County (6-0) 40 9

9. Johnston City (6-0) 21 10

10. Pana (5-1) 9 NR

Others receiving votes: Vandalia 8, Mercer County 5, Knoxville 5, Clifton Central 3, Nashville 1.

Class 1ASchool W-L Pts Prv

1. Lena-Winslow (14) (6-0) 140 1

2. Colfax Ridgeview (6-0) 108 2

3. Camp Point Central (6-0) 102 T3

4. Hope Academy (6-0) 99 T3

5. Shelbyville (6-0) 72 6

6. St. Bede (6-0) 71 7

7. Athens (5-1) 56 5

8. Fulton (4-2) 40 T8

9. Greenfield-Northwestern (6-0) 36 T8

10. Ottawa Marquette (5-1) 31 10

Others receiving votes: Tuscola 8, Kewanee-Annawan-Wethersfield 7.

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The Vikings have two offensive stars that would be problematic for any team in wide receiver Justin Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook, but they’re especially concerning for the Bears.

Every defense begins its game plan against the Vikings by zeroing in on Jefferson, and for the Bears, that would mean deciding whether to have top cornerback Jaylon Johnson shadow him the entire game. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams prefers not to do that, but given how good Jefferson is and how unproven the Bears’ cornerbacks are, it’d be a smart move.

One snag: Johnson might not be there.

He missed practice Wednesday because of a quad injury that kept him out of the last two games, and coach Matt Eberflus gave no indication of whether it’s realistic to hope he’s ready by Sunday.

If he isn’t, that will leave either Kindle Vildor or rookie Kyler Gordon to tangle with arguably the most explosive wide receiver in the game.

Jefferson announced himself as a rookie with 88 catches for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns and has only gotten better. Since entering the league, he leads the NFL with 3,409 yards receiving. He topped 100 yards in three of his four matchups against the Bears.

And this season, he already has 28 catches for 393 yards and two touchdowns. He has more yards receiving than everyone on the Bears combined.

If he plays, even Johnson might need a little help containing Jefferson.

But if it’s up to Vildor and Gordon? The Bears could have issues.

The gap between Johnson and the other cornerbacks was illustrated as clearly as possible by the fact that he didn’t face a single pass in the first two games. There’s no need to throw at him when better options present themselves.

While the front office’s projections for Gordon are sky high, he hasn’t found his footing yet. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went after him in Week 2, and that’s been a blueprint for subsequent opponents.

Pro Football Reference says he has allowed a 114.9 passer rating, and Vildor, a 2020 fifth-rounder who has yet to establish himself, is at 112.7.

Cook is almost as much of an issue.

The Bears have typically stumped him, but most of the defenders from the teams that held him to 68.9 yards per game and 3.7 per carry over his career are gone.

The current Bears have gotten steamrolled this season. While they’ve allowed the 11th-fewest points, they’ve given up an NFL-worst 183.3 yards rushing per game. They’ve yielded the third-most yards per carry at 5.1.

“We certainly have a lot of work to do,” Eberflus said.

Cook made the last three Pro Bowls — he averaged 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns per season — and iseyinga defense that let Saquan Barkley rush for 147 yards last week. Cook is off to a slow start at 69.8 yards per game and a career-low 4.4 per carry, but surely sees this as a chance to get rolling again.

“I’m sure they won’t stop running the ball,” Bears defensive end Robert Quinn said. “If we don’t slow him down, it sets up the play action and all that other stuff. You want to stop the run and that should make everything a little easier.

“It sets up everything else [for an offense] if you can’t stop the run. Then it’s kinda, to be honest, demoralizing.”

The Bears’ defense, while imperfect, is their greatest cause for optimism at the moment. That group has kept the floundering offense in games. If they can’t get a reasonable handle on Jefferson and Cook, this could get out of hand quickly.

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CINCINNATI – Whole sections of the Great American Ball Park stands sat empty as the Cubs and Reds began their final game of the season. The rest hosted a smattering of fans clad in red and blue.

The gentle murmur of the crowd, punctuated now and again by a slightly raised voice that carried clear across the ballpark, served as a reminder of how far from the playoffs the Cubs were finishing the season.

Across Major League Baseball, teams and fan bases were gearing up for a postseason push. Not on this sunbathed field in Cincinnati.

“I still want to be playing,” Cubs manager David Ross said before the Cubs’ 15-2 win against the Reds on Wednesday. “That’s the way I reflect. I look at it like, we’re going to be better really soon, and let’s hurry up and get there because I’m ready to play into October. I’m jealous of the teams that are going on to play, and having to watch that on TV, and want to get back into that arena. So, we’re almost there, but we’re not yet. And we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

To get there, the front office also has plenty of work to do. The Cubs finished the season with a 74-88record, sitting in third place in the NL Central ahead of two 100-plus loss teams, the Reds and Pirates. The roster could use support in all facets of the game – pitching, hitting, defense.

“There’s a lot of different directions they can go with it,” shortstop Nico Hoerner said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “I don’t know exactly what it looks like, or even who’s going to be here next year, and that’s a strange part of this time of year, for sure.

“But I just hope that whatever it is, it’s geared towards building a competitive team next year that’s going to fight for the division and that also sets us up for continued success for years beyond that. And I think that should be the standard here.”

Catcher Willson Contreras is expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, so the club will have to replace his bat and add more thump to their lineup. Center field, which the Cubs could fill internally or externally, is up for grabs. In the infield, only Hoerner has definitely claimed an everyday role. But he could play shortstop or second base, depending on who the Cubs acquire in the offseason.

The shortstop free agent market is strong for the second straight year. It’s set to include Trae Turner, Xander Bogaerts (can opt out) Carlos Correa (opt out) and Dansby Swanson (in extension talks with the Braves).

The Cubs’ pitching infrastructure has garnered praise this year for the starters it has produced at the upper levels of the farm system. But that young pitching depth won’t mean anything without rotation additions.

“If you go and ass a top-of-the line rotation arm to what we already have,” lefty Justin Steele said, “you could see something really special unfold.”

A strong rotation would do a lot to take pressure off the bullpen. And the Cubs add veteran bullpen arms on short-term deals every offseason.

Rookie Brandon Hughes has established himself as a reliable late-inning reliever, and Codi Heuer is expected to return from his Tommy John surgery rehab next season. In the playoffs, however, having Hughes and Heurer coming in before an experienced closer would give the Cubs a more solid footing.

“We made some strides this year,” bullpen coach Chris Young said. “You saw some guys finish strong, which is huge. If we’re keeping the bar high, we should have three or four more weeks of baseball left. That should be the mindset. That should be the goal.”

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The Bears have a list of potential mismatches ahead of their matchup with the Vikings

The Chicago Bears are facing yet another tough test with their Week 5 matchup against Minnesota. The Vikings have been playing like a playoff team since the season started and are currently sitting in 1st place in the North whereas the Bears are struggling to stay afloat above.500. Throw in the fact that the game is in Minnesota and the Bears are already in trouble before kickoff.

The Bears will face a completely different team from the one they saw last week in New York. The Vikings have an explosive offense and have some serious playmakers on that side of the ball. Whether it’s all-pro receiver Justin Jefferson, Pro Bowl receiver Adam Thielen or All-pro running back Dalvin Cook, the Vikings just have so many ways to hurt a team. This brings us to our next point, the most concerning matchups ahead of this weekend’s game.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Vs. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

This matchup is currently a big question mark for Chicago. Johnson is one of the few Bears who has played against the all-pro receiver. Johnson has matched up with Jefferson for two years now and last year in a game Johnson followed Jefferson all over the field as a chaser.

Johnson knows what to expect from Jefferson however the Bears might not have Jaylon Johnson for this game. Johnson has been battling a quad injury that has kept him out the last two weeks. Even if the Bears have Johnson on Sunday the Vikings move Jefferson all over the field which could get Jefferson matched up against some of the younger less experienced players the Bears have in their secondary such as Kyler Gordon.

Bears CB Kyler Gordon Vs. Vikings WR Adam Thielen

Kyler Gordon has struggled early on in this young season and this week 5 matchup might be his biggest test yet. While the Vikings have an All-pro WR in Jefferson, Adam Thielen is also a massive piece of their offense. Thielen is on pace to have his best season yet since 2018 when he caught 113 passes. So far in 2022 Thielen has caught 75% of targets which is the best mark on the team. There’s no secret the Vikings will look Thielen’s way early and often.

Though in years past Chicago has been able to contain Thielen as he barely averages 30 yards against the team, this is a new Bears defense. A defense that has been pushed around on the ground by weaker teams and not able to pressure the QB enough to contain WR production.

Bears LT Braxton Jones Vs. Vikings OLB Za’Darius Smith

Za’Darius Smith will pose a tough matchup for the Bears rookie Braxton Jones. So far in this young season Smith has 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, and 6 TFL’s. Through 4 games Jones has allowed at least one sack a game and 11 pressures. Jones needs to be able to hold his own against Smith in order to get Chicago’s passing game back on track. If Fields is running for his life the whole game how are they supposed to get anything going?

Jones is currently ranked as the 70th best offensive lineman as per PFF. Jones has to be better in pass protection than he was last week. Last week against the Giants Jones’s mistakes killed two Bears drives and one resulted in a sack fumble one can only hope that he will cut the game changing mistakes to a minimum if any at all.

Bears TE Cole Kmet Vs. Vikings LB Eric Kendricks

Chicago has been trying to get their passing game going ever since the season kicked off. Cole Kmet has not been a big part of the Bears offense up to this point and that might be because he simply is not getting open. Kmet has only been targeted 8 times in 4 games and with Fields looking for literally anyone to be open this says a-lot about Kmet’s ability to create separation.

Kmet will likely struggle to get open this week as he will likely be matched up against Eric Kendricks for a majority of the game. Kendricks is one of the better coverage LB’s in all of the NFL and will be on Kmet like glue. Although Kmet has had some success against the Vikings in the past. Kmet averages 3.3 catches and 34.5 yards a game against Minnesota though he has not scored against them. Hopefully Kmet can find pay dirt this Sunday.

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