Vikings-Bears preview: Three things to know about Caleb Williams, Chicago

The Vikings are looking to extend their winning streak and the Bears' losing streak.

Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Vikings' three-week stretch of road games comes to an end this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, who have lost four in a row — two of those in excruciating, last-second fashion — after a 4-2 start to the season. The Bears have been struggling lately, but if the Vikings are going to extend their winning streak to four and Chicago's losing streak to five, they'll need to show up and play well at Soldier Field.

The latest heartbreak for the Bears came via a blocked field goal in the final seconds against the Packers on Sunday. That was three weeks after they lost to the Commanders on a deflected Hail Mary as time expired. Still, provided Chicago's morale isn't broken, they pose some threats to the Vikings with a solid defense and a rookie quarterback coming off one of the best games of his career.

Here are three things to know about the 4-6 Bears.

1. Wiliams took a step forward against the Packers

The No. 1 overall pick's rookie season hasn't exactly gone to plan, but Caleb Williams showed some encouraging signs against Green Bay last weekend, even if it wasn't eye-popping on the box score. He completed 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards and also ran for 70 yards on a day where the Bears averaged 5.8 yards per play, went 9-for-16 on third down, and didn't turn the ball over. Williams' PFF grade of 85.2 trailed only his four-touchdown game against the Jaguars in Week 6 (87.9).

Both of the Bears' touchdowns came on the ground, so Williams still hasn't thrown a single touchdown pass during this four-game losing streak. Nonetheless, the talent and potential are clearly there, and Chicago fans can take some solace in their rookie's strong performance despite another gut-wrenching loss to the Packers. He was clutch late in the game and put them in position to win.

Notably, that was the Bears' first game with Thomas Brown at offensive coordinator after firing Shane Waldron. So although the Bears' offense has struggled this season (27th in DVOA, 28th in yards per game, 24th in EPA per play), they're 1-for-1 in playing well under their current play caller.

"It's a pretty dynamic group of skill players for Thomas to work with," Kevin O'Connell said on Wednesday. "And I thought he did a really good job for a young quarterback, getting him some easy throws, getting the ball out of his hand, but still allowing some of that freedom that Caleb is so special at to make some plays."

Brian Flores' league-best defense will present a different level of challenge for Brown and Williams this week. But the Bears certainly have the weapons — D'Andre Swift, D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet — to make things happen if Williams plays well. The key for the Vikings will be the pass rush getting after Chicago's young QB, who is just 35 of 84 (41.7 percent) when pressured.

2. The Bears' defense is more vulnerable against the run

Chicago's strength this season has been on defense, where they rank 15th in DVOA, 8th in opponent EPA per play, and 7th in scoring. Matt Eberflus might be running out of time as a head coach, but he's still good at getting a defense ready to play. This Bears team has plenty of talent and a quality scheme.

The Bears are much stronger against the pass than they are against the run. They're 9th in pass defense DVOA and 2nd in opponent EPA per dropback. That stems from a solid pass rush led by Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter Sr., plus an experienced secondary featuring Jaylon Johnson and Kevin Byard.

Against the run, they're 31st in DVOA and 24th in EPA per play. On paper, this sets up as a good week for Aaron Jones and Cam Akers, who were held to just 64 yards on 25 carries against the Titans. Exploiting that weakness will be critical for the Vikings on Sunday.

Related: Three areas where the Minnesota Vikings must improve to keep winning

3. They've been good in the turnover department

Rookie quarterbacks tend to be turnover-prone, but Williams has a reasonable seven in 10 games (5 INTs, 2 fumbles lost). Sam Darnold has double that number. Paired with a defense that has been good at creating takeaways this year, the Bears are tied for third in the NFL with a +9 turnover differential. It's tough to do that and be 4-6; the other three teams with at least a +9 in that department (the Bills, Steelers, and Lions) are a combined 26-5.

Winning the turnover battle is massive for the Vikings every single week. They're hoping Darnold can take care of the ball well for the second week in a row, which won't be easy against a Bears team whose 17 takeaways are a top-8 mark in the league.