The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings combined to score 98 points in Week 1. However, when the two got together for a rain-soaked game at Soldier Field, they could only manage a combined 12 points.
Defense ruled the day in this NFC North division tilt, with the Minnesota Vikings earning a 9-3 victory to improve to 2-0. The Bears dropped to 1-1 but will have bigger worries in the form of their starting quarterback’s hamstring.
Here are my takeaways:
1.
After putting himself in the MVP conversation with an impressive performance against the Carolina Panthers, Williams struggled mightily against the Vikings, ending the game on the sideline with a right hamstring injury suffered while trying to scramble for a touchdown. Williams, who was taken to the locker room on a cart, was replaced by Tyson Bagent.
The USC product failed to consistently handle Minnesota’s pressure, finishing 15-of-26 (57.7%) for 138 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. Williams was sacked three and finished with 42 rushing yards, posting a 56.2 passer rating.
Specifically, Williams struggled against Minnesota’s pressure. Per Next Gen Stats, the Vikings blitzed 81.8% of the time, and Williams finished 12-of-21 for 124 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception, posting a 54.5 passer rating when blitzed.
Penalties were also an issue for Williams and the Bears. A week after leading the NFL with 12 penalties, the Bears finished with eight accepted penalties for 58 yards, including four on just one offensive drive for the Bears.
The Vikings forced four Chicago punts, holding the Bears to 5-of-14 on third down.
While Williams is more than capable of making the “wow” plays, he still has room to grow in consistently leading the offense and playing a clean game. And with the injury, Chicago will have to wait and see how long the team’s superstar quarterback will be out.
2.
A lot had been made throughout the league of Chicago’s innovative head coach chasing the league’s scoring title, held by the 2013 Denver Broncos. But on this day, the Bears couldn’t muster a touchdown against Minnesota’s blitz-heavy defense.
Specifically, the Vikings did a nice job of slowing down Chicago’s potent running game, holding D’Andre Swift to just 38 rushing yards on 12 carries for a 3.2 per-carry average. Swift totaled 124 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, earning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
How bad was it for Swift? The Bears had first-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the opening drive of the second half with a chance to take the lead, but defensive tackle Jalen Redmonnd forced Swift to fumble at the goal line and Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recovered to save the touchdown.
Rodgers also blocked a 23-yard Cairo Santos field goal in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game.
The Bears had four rushes of at least 25 yards in Week 1. The rest of the league combined for five. Chicago’s longest run against Minnesota was 17 yards.
Johnson’s quest for the scoring title is admirable, but Chicago’s focus should be on winning football games, no matter what the score.
3.
Chicago’s defense played much better against Minnesota backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who did a nice job of managing the game for the Vikings. Wentz understood the assignment, leaning into a dominant defense by the Vikings in inclement weather.
Carson Wentz did everything he needed to as the Vikings improved to 2-0. (Getty Images)
Wentz finished with 140 passing yards, but more importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over. The Vikings leaned on running back Aaron Jones, who finished with 105 rushing yards.
Wentz did a nice job of managing the offense, but a healthy Murray offers more explosive playmaking ability and should return to the starting role when healthy.
