looks good to me #getoutthere https://t.co/toKXDUsjNQ

— TurnerSZN (@twinberviks) September 16, 2026

"He's going to be heavily involved."

Kevin O'Connell on how much the Vikings will lean on Aaron Jones with Jordan Mason heading to IR. pic.twitter.com/h5pTQlWC6g

— Bring Me The Sports (@BMTNSports) September 16, 2026

🍿🍿🍿 https://t.co/Pr6OKKtU8c

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) September 16, 2026

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/vikingzfanpage/status/2100295801951985895?s=20

And the weakest room on the team just got weaker.

purplefaithful wrote:

And the weakest room on the team just got weaker.

The one saving grace is running backs don't have to be super stars if their O-line can block for them. Big IF though!

#Vikings QB Kyler Murray still has a a chance to play on Sunday after practicing in a limited fashion yesterday, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/V8gzla5y2x

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 17, 2026

Caleb Williams vs Brian Flores over the years pic.twitter.com/7ahzjvoZjL

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 17, 2026

Aaron Jones averages 71.25 rushing yards, 0.75 TD’s and 16 carries per game against the #Bears during his tenure with the #Vikings.

Expect another big game on Sunday, especially with Jordan Mason out. pic.twitter.com/nvEnyL3d6F

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 17, 2026

Even though they trailed for much of Sunday’s game against the Packers, the #Vikings still ran the ball 58 percent of the time. Their commitment to the run game will have to continue without Jordan Mason for at least a few weeks, starting this Sunday in Chicago:…

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) September 17, 2026

In addition to Kyler Murray, the #Vikings had three players limited on Wednesday: Blake Cashman, Brian O’Neill and Andrew Van Ginkel. pic.twitter.com/wSwgI5SahB

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) September 16, 2026

Since it’s Bears week, let’s throw it back to 2008 for one of the wildest two-play sequences in NFL history:

-The Vikings’ defense makes a successful goal-line stand from the one yard line.

- Gus Frerotte hits Bernard Berrian for an NFL record 99 yard passing TD.

The Dome… pic.twitter.com/4S7M5n16fM

— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) September 17, 2026

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/JasonHarmonNFL/status/2100584331915727191?s=20

One of my favorite memories. I was holding a sleeping child at that time and couldn't jump up and cheer so I had to scream internally.

greediron wrote:

One of my favorite memories. I was holding a sleeping child at that time and couldn't jump up and cheer so I had to scream internally.

Same here. We need to do the same this Sunday. I think leaning on the running game more & playing a strong, smart defense is what it's going to take.

Man ~ How in the world were you able to scream internally after all that? LOL 😲

https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/onsi/bears-vikings-nfl-week-2

Everything Chicago Bears Have to Fear About Minnesota Vikings in Week 2

The Chicago Bears need to be prepared for three things in particular for their Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Chicago Bears will face quite the test in their Week 2 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

Chicago is coming off a historic performance on offense, but this week should present a tougher challenge because of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Even before the Bears and Vikings take the field, head coach Ben Johnson is on a seemingly torturous path of trying to figure out what the Vikings defensive play-caller is thinking.

"How do you avoid going down a path where you're just overdoing it?" a reporter asked after Johnson admitted that facing a play-caller like Flores can lead to overthinking.

"I'm in that path right now," Johnson with a laugh.

Flores is just one thing the Bears have to fear about their Week 2 matchup against the Vikings.

Brian Flores getting blitz-happy

It will be a true clash of titans this week when Ben Johnson's offensive genius meets Brian Flores' elite defensive prowess.

Flores is one of the very best defensive play-callers in the NFL, and what makes him more difficult to game plan for is his unpredictability.

The Bears saw that last season, when Flores doubled the blitz rate against Chicago from Week 1 (37.2%) to Week 11 (66.7%), as ESPN's Courtney Cronin noted.

"You don't. You try to have answers for everything," Johnson said when asked how to game plan for the unpredictability Flores presents.

"You'd like to think he's put everything he could possibly do on tape until you play him next and you realize he hasn't yet," he said. "So it'll be something new. There always is with him and that's what makes him such a good coordinator. It's a great challenge. It really is. You have a lot of fun on game day. Now the week of preparation is not so much fun, but you know, there's a lot of back and forth that goes into it."

The Bears' offensive line did a fine job in Week 1, but it certainly was not perfect. Chicago's group upfront gave up 15 pressures, but it wasn't as noticeable because of Caleb Williams' ability to escape the pocket.

If Flores brings the heat in Week 2, the Bears' offensive line and/or Williams' legs better be ready because, if not, it could be a long and painful afternoon for Chicago.

Vikings' WRs

Chicago's pass defense left a lot to be desired in Week 1.

Bryce Young racked up 361 passing yards and three scores, and the Bears' two starters on the boundary, Jaylon Johnson (127 yards) and Tyrique Stevenson (77 yards and two touchdowns) struggled mightily.

“They were excited that the team won the game and both of them felt like they could play better than they did. We got a chance next week to come back and start all over again and play better. I expect that out of them," Johnson said of his cornerbacks.

Things are not going to get any easier this week. In fact, it's going to be a tougher test for Johnson and Stevenson, who will have to contend with a deep wide receivers room that includes the elite Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings.

It remains to be seen if Kyler Murray will play due to a concussion, but he did turn in a limited session at Wednesday's practice, so there is a chance he plays.

Even if he doesn't play, Carson Wentz is capable of making the Bears' cornerbacks pay if they don't play better.

Vikings' run defense

The Bears ran wild over the Panthers last week en route to 291 yards and six touchdowns, which no doubt made Williams' life easier.

Running the football is a huge part of the Bears' offense, but that might be more difficult this week after the Vikings limited Green Bay to just 66 rushing yards on 21 attempts, which amounts to only 3.1 yards per carry.

Another reason why it's important to get the rushing attack going is it will slow down Flores if he gets blitz-happy. The inability to get the ground game will make Johnson's and Williams' jobs a lot harder.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/onsi/bears-ben-johnson-admits-to-being-on-torturous-path-before-showdown-with-brian-flores-vikings?page_source=v_recirc

Bears' Ben Johnson Admits to Being on Torturous Path Before Showdown With Brian Flores, Vikings

Bears head coach Ben Johnson admitted it is not easy preparing for a matchup against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Two of the very best minds in football will be squaring off this week when the Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings.

Those two minds are Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who will be locked in a chess match as one tries to outduel the other.

Johnson and the Bears are coming off a game in which he showed his offensive genius en route to an avalanche of points, and 59, to be exact.

Meanwhile, the Vikings had some struggles early in the win over the Green Bay Packers, but Minnesota put the clamps on Green Bay late in the game and the Vikings ended up blowing out the Packers with a huge helping hand from Flores' unit.

Ahead of the Bears-Vikings showdown on Sunday, Johnson was asked if he's on the seemingly torturous path of overthinking and trying to guess what Flores is going to do and whatnot.

Johnson admitted that he indeed is.

"When you face someone like Brian Flores, not only is he very accomplished but someone you have faced so many times, is there ever a trap to avoid of just overthinking and trying to guess what he thinks you think he thinks you think he thinks you’re gonna do?” a reporter asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Yes, there is," Johnson said with a smile.

"How do you avoid going down a path where you're just overdoing it?" the reported followed up.

"I'm in that path right now," Johnson with a laugh. "There's a lot of that. End of the day, our guys, I want them to go out and play fast. I want to make sure we're sound... making sure we have a hat for a hat as often as we can. And if (Flores) gets us on something then that's fine. We gotta come together and make sure we get it corrected and we'll move on from there."

Of course, Flores and Johnson are no strangers to one another, as they have been in the same division since 2023, when Flores was hired as the Vikings' defensive coordinator and Johnson was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions still.

One thing the Bears will have to contend with is Flores' tendency to switch things up when it comes to blitzing. As ESPN's Courtney Cronin noted, Flores blitzed at nearly twice the rate in the second game against the Bears last season as he did in the first.

Johnson said that isn't something you can necessarily game plan for, and it makes preparing for the contest that much more difficult.

"You don't. You try to have answers for everything ... you'd like to think he's put everything he could possibly do on tape until you play him next and you realize he hasn't yet. So it'll be something new. There always is with him and that's what makes him such a good coordinator. It's a great challenge. It really is. You have a lot of fun on game day. Now the week of preparation is not so much fun, but you know, there's a lot of back and forth that goes into it," Johnson said.

It's very clear Johnson has the utmost respect for Flores, and that respect is definitely mutual.

“It’s a major challenge, and that’s what we all signed up for," Flores said of the Bears' offense.

As if a divisional matchup wasn't enough to create excitement for this game, the fact that two brilliant minds on opposite sides of the ball will duel it out only makes it more interesting.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/onsi/bears-vikings-nfl-week-2-matchups-ben-johnson?page_source=v_recirc

Ben Johnson Headlines 4 Key Matchups for Bears in Week 2 Showdown vs Vikings

Whether the Bears can score an early divisional victory will come down to these key matchups.

Fresh off the best season-opener in franchise history, the Chicago Bears suddenly look very much like the legit Super Bowl contender that many analysts expected them to be. But Week 1 lies, as the saying goes, and before we can fully buy into what the Bears are selling, we'll need to see them do it again.

They don't have to put up 60 points two weeks in a row to prove that their Super Bowl window has opened, mind you. But the Bears face a much bigger test in Week 2 with the Minnesota Vikings coming to Soldier Field, and finding offensive success against that squad would be undeniably impressive.

The Vikings just snatched a stunning victory from the jaws of defeat in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, so they're riding a wave of confidence just as much as the Bears are. This division rivalry matchup could very well spark the biggest fireworks show of the week, and it's likely going to be defined by a handful of matchups. Here are four for Bears fans to watch as the game unfolds.

1. Ben Johnson vs Brian Flores

The players have to play, but what will likely be the deciding factor of this divisional clash is the chess match between two masters of their craft: offensive playcaller Ben Johnson and defensive playcaller Brian Flores. We just watched this Bears offense drop 59 points on the Carolina Panthers, who are no slouches on defense. Meanwhile, the Vikings' defense had Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love in hell for 60 minutes as they blitzed him on nearly 80% of his dropbacks.

As a playcaller, Johnson is 5-1 against Flores since 2023, but that should bring only a little comfort to Bears fans. You can always count on Flores to have a diabolical plan for every opponent, and he's going to make Johnson's offense work like a mule to get points on the board. More than any matchup between players, it's this battle of coaches that will make or break the Bears in Week 2.

2. Caleb Williams vs The Blitz

The 2026 season opener could not have gone much better for Caleb Williams, who looked every bit the budding superstar we heard about in training camp (here we'll ignore Williams' baffling Week 1 grade from Pro Football Focus). Not only did he complete more than 70% of his passes and throw for nearly 300 yards, but he added 65 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

It was good to see Williams show himself to be such a running threat in Week 1; he may have to do quite a bit of that in Week 2 against the Vikings. To piggyback off of the first matchup I listed, Williams needs to be ready for a heavy dose of exotic blitz packages. Johnson should help him out with some dump-off and checkdown options to get the ball out of his hands without throwing it away, but Williams may have to rely on his own two legs and magical elusiveness to avoid a catastrophic performance.

3. Bears secondary vs Justin Jefferson

We may see an improved Bears defense in Week 2, but Justin Jefferson is going to be one heck of a stress test for this unit. The four-time All-Pro receiver is averaging 79 yards per game against the Bears in his career, according to StatMuse, and he already put 92 yards and two touchdowns up against the Packers in Week 1.

The Bears must find a way to slow Jefferson down. It's very likely that the Vikings would struggle to keep drives alive if Jefferson is bracketed in coverage, whether it's Kyler Murray at quarterback or Carson Wentz. A couple of early defensive stands, combined with a pair of touchdowns to start the game, could give Chicago enough of a cushion to cruise to another high-scoring win.

4. Bears tackles vs Dallas Turner

Now in his third NFL season, Dallas Turner is becoming a huge problem for the rest of the NFC North. He was a force of nature against the Packers in Week 1, living in their backfield and earning an 86.1 Impact Grade from Pro Football Network. Worse yet, he doesn't even turn 24 until next February.

To be clear, the Bears' offensive line is several miles ahead of the Packers' line. Turner will face much stiffer resistance from the likes of 2025 All-Pro right tackle Darnell Wright and left tackle Braxton Jones. However, those two haven't yet faced a pass rusher of Turner's caliber this season. If they do their jobs and protect Williams from Turner, the Bears' offense should be able to handle the rest.

Caleb Williams set to become the third QB ever with 50 TDs, fewer than 15 interceptions

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ next touchdown pass will be the 50th of his career. As long as he throws his next touchdown before throwing three interceptions, he’ll join some very good company.

Williams has 49 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his career. Only two quarterbacks in NFL history, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, have reached 50 career touchdown passes while having 15 or fewer career interceptions. Williams is likely to become the third.

It won’t be easy on Sunday, when Williams will have his hands full against a Vikings defense that relentlessly pressured Packers quarterback Jordan Love in Week 1.

Williams says he and the Bears’ offense expect to score on every drive. One drive ending on a touchdown pass on Sunday would add another significant accomplishment to his growing career résumé.

Bears HC Ben Johnson on facing Vikings DC Brian Flores: "You'd like to think he's put everything he could possibly do on tape until you play him next and you realize he hasn't yet." Via @CourtneyRCronin...https://t.co/kq670eq25a

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 17, 2026

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Minnesota Vikings' defense is a "one of a kind" scheme that comes with its own set of challenges for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

Chicago's home opener Sunday will be Williams' fifth time going against a Brian Flores-run defense.

As a rookie, Williams dubbed Flores the "King of the Cover-0 blitz," but that's not always the strategy the Vikings' defensive coordinator deploys. That makes the week of preparation for the Bears' first NFC North opponent especially difficult and "not fun" for the quarterback.

"Coach [Ben Johnson] calls this 'mental war' when you go against versus him, and that's what it is," Williams said. "You've got to be able to go out there and bad things are going to happen. You've got to be able to fight back and stay steady. That's one of the biggest things is not allowing his defense and all of that to fluster you and get in your mind. You stay steady and now it's time to go make plays and get completions and when the big ones show up, take them and find them."

Flores' blitz-heavy tendencies are difficult to predict. Williams was blitzed on 37.2% of his dropbacks (6-of-13, 36 yards, TD) during Chicago's season-opening loss to the Vikings in 2025. When the division opponents played again in Week 11, Flores sent a blitz 66.7% of the time, which resulted in Williams completing 11 of his 21 passes for 126 yards (6.0 yards per attempt).

Trying to predict which strategy Flores will deploy can be a fruitless exercise.

"You don't," Johnson said with a laugh. "You try to have answers for everything. He's been in this division three years now, and yeah, I mean you'd like to think he's put everything he could possibly do on tape until you play him next and you realize he hasn't yet. So it'll be something new. There always is with him and that's what makes him such a good coordinator.

"It's a great challenge. It really is. You have a lot of fun on game day. Now the week of preparation is not so much fun, but you know, there's a lot of back and forth that goes into it."

The Bears enter Week 2 coming off a 59-point performance in a win at Carolina. Chicago scored on nine of its 14 drives, which consisted of eight touchdowns, a field goal, two punts, one fumble and one turnover on downs.

When asked about the full potential of the Bears' offense, Williams pointed to Sunday's result falling short of expectations.

"Scoring every drive is our mindset," Williams said. "That's the potential of us. That's an internal expectation, that's an internal feeling just of what we have up front, out wide and in the backfield. It's an expectation from ourselves to be able to go out there and score every time and figure out ways to help the defense. That's our part to help this team, help special teams, is scoring points, as many as we can, on as many drives that we have. That's our challenge."

Cricket wrote:

Same here. We need to do the same this Sunday. I think leaning on the running game more & playing a strong, smart defense is what it's going to take.
Man ~ How in the world were you able to scream internally after all that? LOL 😲

Cuz the baby was sleeping and I was the one home with the kids. No way I was waking a sleeping baby.