Bear Digest

Biggest Bears Matchup Problems Against the Vikings on MNF

The Bears could have problems bottling up Justin Jefferson the way they did in the first game between the teams when they face each other on Monday Night Football.

Gene Chamberlain

Safety Jonathan Owens and Jaylon Johnson have Justin Jefferson bottled up in Chicago but a pass interference flag wipes out an interception made by Owens.
Safety Jonathan Owens and Jaylon Johnson have Justin Jefferson bottled up in Chicago but a pass interference flag wipes out an interception made by Owens. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
In this story:

dadThomas Brown knows the procedure.

Asked about the breakdown in the secondary that led to Jauan Jennings going untouched on a catch crossing the middle for a touchdown, the Bears interim coach wasn't about to rat out who deserved blame.

“Just a miscommunication on the back end. Had a play-action pass, we didn’t communicate well on the back end as far as who was matching three vertical and had an opportunity for a pretty easy pitch and catch touchdown,”

Asked further about blame: "The entire defense."

The entire defense needs to improve in a hurry because there are numerous dangers when going against the Minnesota Vikings passing attack.

The Bears already know this. They held their own much of the game in Chicago when they had Matt Eberflus calling the shots on defense.

Now they're going to Minneapolis coming off their worst defensive performance of the year, after they held receiver Justin Jefferson to only two catches the first time.

They can expect Jefferson to bounce back big time.

The Bears' own offense will have its own problems in Minneapolis when the backs could gain only 32 yards rushing last time against the Vikings, and they've struggled moving it on the ground in five of the last six games.

"Ideas that I have, comes to us doing a better job of making sure our (backs') tracks are in line with what we’re kind of blocking from a scheme standpoint up front," Brown said. "Obviously at some point when it comes to being a ball carrier, things aren’t always going to be perfect.

BEARS MOVES INCLUDE ADDING FORMER PACKERS PRACTICE SQUAD LINEMAN

LOSING STREAK HAS BEARS IN AN ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR PLACE

WHY LIAM COEN SHOULD GET CLOSE CONSIDERATION FOR BEARS COACH

THE WAYS BEARS COULD LEARN FROM SAINTS INTERIM COACH EXPERIENCE

"So I think the best backs are the ones that can create for themselves, which we have a really good one, kind of a core group as well."

They'll need D' Andre Swift to do this because it's one sure way to keep the Vikings offense sidelined.

Here are the Vikings who can cause the most matchup problems for the Bears Monday night in Minneapolis.

1. Justin Jefferson

A two-catch performance in an overtime game spoke to the job Jaylon Johnson did on him last time, even though it wasn't enough to win the game. Jefferson went out and caught 14 passes for 231 yards in the last two games with two TDs. So you can bet he'll arrive at Monday's game looking for revenge. The Vikings will have another plan for getting him the ball, as well.

2. WR Jordan Addison

Addison is hotter than Jefferson at the moment as he has capitalized on the opportunity afforded him while defenses shift to stop the top receiver. He has 410 yards in the last four games on 21 receptions after he had 298 yards for seven games. Zone coverage doesn't seem to work well with Addison as he displays excellent route-running skills.

3. TE T.J. Hockenson

There's normally no reason to expect big numbers from Hockenson as he continues to make a comeback from knee surgery. He had 73 yards on seven catches over the last two games, 13 catches prior to the last Bears game. But he hit the Bears with seven catches and 114 yards and was the deciding factor in overtime of the game. The Bears just have problems covering good receiving tight ends as George Kittle, Evan Engram, Sam LaPorta, and any number of other tight ends have shown through the course of the season.

4. QB Sam Darnold

He hit the bears with a 116.1 passer rating, 330 yards and two TD passes last time and has been in a higher gear over the last three games. Last week Darnold threw five TD passes against the Falcons with a near-perfect 157.9 passer rating. He's had four straight 100-plus passer ratings and seven in the last eight games. But when Darnold hasn't been completely dead-on in the passing attack, he was very bad. He had a 48.2 rating against Jacksonville and 50.3 against the Jets.

5. RB Aaron Jones

He usually only needs to see the Bears to produce big numbers and did last time with a season-high 106 yards rushing and three catches for 23 yards. Jones doesn't usually get overworked because of the Vikings' passing game so he'll be ready coming off of a 73-yard game against the Falcons.

6. T Brian O'Neill

The perfect solution for facing Montez Sweat is someone who can handle him without the need for a chipper and O'Neill, a former Pro Bowl tackle, can. Pro Football Focus has him graded 10th best among all tackles, 14th best as a  pass blocker this season. The 6-7, 310-pounder has three penalties and two sacks allowed on the season.

7. DE Jonathan Greenard

Graded 18th among edge rushers in the league, Greenard burned the Bears line for two sacks last time and had one the following week against Arizona. The former Texans' edge has 10 sacks on the season now and 14 tackles for loss as a disruptive force against the run and  pass.

8. LB Andrew Van Ginkel

He had a sack against the Bears last time, as well, and is at nine for the season with 15 tackles for loss. His pass rush is less predictable as they’ll use him in coverage, as well.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.