The Minnesota Vikings have been playing some amazing football these past few weeks and will try to continue that as they head to Chicago to take on Nick Foles, Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears in a pivotal NFC North matchup. The Vikings have been rolling on all cylinders, both offensively and defensively, especially behind their Pro Bowl running back, Dalvin Cook. Cook has been playing like an MVP, scoring six touchdowns and accumulating over 475 scrimmage yards in just his last two games. If the Vikings can keep leaning on Cook, then this should be a cake walk for the Vikings.
On the flip side of the coin, the Chicago Bears are moving in the wrong direction. After starting the season with a 5-1 record, the Bears have dropped three straight and cannot seem to figure it out. Nick Foles, who replaced Mitchell Trubisky as the team's starter after their week three matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, has not been able to find a groove and be successful. He has had a turnover in every game he has played in this season, except against the Tennessee Titans last week, and has not been able to come up in clutch moments this season. On top of that, the Bears are the worse offensive team in the NFC, only having scored 178 points within eight games.
The Bears strong suit is obviously their defensive. Not only are they led by All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack, but they also bring players like Roquan Smith, Kyle Fuller, Eddie Jackson and Danny Trevathan to the party. The Vikings, as well as the Bears, will have to rely heavily on their defensive performance in order to come away with a victory.
The Vikings will be without two key pieces that have both been pivotal players in their last two victories; Tight End Irv Smith Jr, who came away with two touchdowns last week, and rookie Corner Back Cameron Dantzler. Expect the Vikings to rely heavily on Kyle Rudolph in the passing game and Tyler Conklin in the blocking game. On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings will seek heavy Corner Back help from Jeff Gladney, Kris Boyd, Chris Jones, Harrison Hand and Dylan Mabin.
For the Bears, they will also be without some of their key players. Second year Running Back David Montgomery will watch this game from the sideline as he recovers from a concussion sustained over the past week. Starting in his place will be none other than 2018 Pro Bowler Lamar Miller, who was just promoted from the practice squad this weekend. It looks like Miller will be splitting carries alongside Ryan All and Artavis Pierce.
This is a game that will be won on the defensive side of the ball when it is all said and done. This will be the 118th meeting between the two teams, with the Vikings leading the all-time series 60-56-2. However, the Bears have won five of the last eight games dating back to 2016.
The Vikings game will kick off at 7:15 pm CST/8:15 pm EST with the game being televised nationally on ESPN. Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Greise will be on the call. If you'd like to listen on the radio, Paul Allen and Pete Bercich will providing the sights on sounds on KFAN 100.3-FM/KTLK 1130-AM in Minneapolis / St. Paul.
Follow Anthony Tornatore on Twitter @a_tornatore for all things Minnesota Vikings!
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