Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings: Complete Week 17 Preview for Chicago
After an up-and-down last 16 weeks, the 2014 season will finally come to a conclusion this Sunday for the Chicago Bears (5-10) when they travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings (6-9).
Sunday will mark the 108th meeting between the Bears and Vikings. Minnesota currently leads the all-time series 54-51-2 dating back to 1961. The home team has won 21 of the last 25 meetings.
The Bears are coming off their fourth straight loss and have not won since November 23. They fell to the Detroit Lions by a score of 20-14 in Week 16.
Jimmy Clausen got the start at quarterback and completed 23 of his 39 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Alshon Jeffery led the team in receiving yards with 72, but he took the blame for the loss.
“Jimmy did a great job, the O-line protected well, I had too many dropped balls,” said Jeffery after the game, via Arthur Arkush of ChicagoFootball.com. "I blame that loss on me.”
The team announced on Monday that Clausen suffered a concussion against the Lions and will be replaced by Cutler this Sunday:
"After Jimmy Clausen suffers concussion, #Bears coach Marc Trestman announces Jay Cutler will start at QB in season finale in Minnesota.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 22, 2014"
The Vikings are coming off a strange 37-35 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Miami's Terrence Fede blocked Minnesota's punt attempt with 41 seconds remaining for a safety, and that ended up sealing the victory for the Dolphins.
"We made too many mistakes and penalties in crucial situations," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said after the game, via ESPN.com. "All of the things I've been trying to preach for 11 months, we didn't do today."
With both the Bears and Vikings guaranteed to finish the season with losing records, Sunday's game will be all about pride for both organizations.
Here is our Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings preview for Week 17.
Week 16 Recap
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Prior to Chicago's game against the Lions in Week 16, head coach Marc Trestman opted to bench Jay Cutler in favor of Jimmy Clausen.
"We need better play at the quarterback position," Trestman said, via Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. "We need a lift at the quarterback position. We need a spark."
The Bears finished the game with just 234 yards of total offense.
"We stood tall," said Trestman after the game, via ESPN.com. "We played hard. We're not trying to sugarcoat it. We didn't win. We're here to win. But I felt our players were in it to win for four quarters today, but I've felt that way throughout the season. That hasn't changed."
Matt Forte carried the football 19 times for 55 yards and helped set up the passing game, but Chicago's receivers had a tough time hanging onto the football all afternoon.
"That makes 7 #Bears drops today. Receivers definitely aren't helping Clausen out.
— Bears Talk (@CSNBears) December 21, 2014"
On the other side of the football, Chicago gave up 367 yards of total offense, including 138 on the ground.
"At the end of the day, we've gotta score more points, and we've gotta keep them off the field," defensive end Jared Allen said after the game, via Nate Atkins of ChicagoFootball.com. "However we cut the cake, we've gotta slice it to where it's in our favor. It wasn't good enough today."
The Bears will now head to Minnesota this weekend to close out the season against the Vikings.
News and Notes
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Jay Cutler Helped Jimmy Clausen Prepare for Detroit
Even though Jay Cutler was benched in favor of Jimmy Clausen late last week, the nine-year veteran still helped prepare Clausen for last Sunday's game against the Lions.
“He was involved during the week in the meetings, actively and vocally involved,” Marc Trestman said of Cutler after the game, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. “Today, he did what you would expect him to do. He was with Jimmy and [quarterbacks coach] Matt [Cavanaugh] between series and was part of the dialogue.”
Trestman was not the only one who praised Cutler after the game on Sunday.
“We only had two days to prepare for this game, so we stayed pretty much until 8:30 p.m. every single night, trying to watch as much tape as possible, get all the calls down,” Clausen said, via Wright. “Get everything down to make sure we were prepared for this game. But Jay was great. David Fales was great in helping me to go through all the calls, watching the film. Staying real late, they helped me out a lot.”
Robbie Gould Did Not Agree with Trestman's Decision to Sit Cutler versus Lions
On his weekly radio appearance on the Spiegel and Mannelly Show on 670 The Score in Chicago on Monday, kicker Robbie Gould voiced his displeasure over Marc Trestman's decision to sit Jay Cutler versus the Lions.
“To be honest with you, I feel really bad for Jay,” he said, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. “When you’re having a tough season like this, he’s not the guy to be the scapegoat or the guy to blame."
When host Pat Mannelly asked Gould what sort of message Trestman was trying to send, Gould did not have an answer.
“I honestly don’t even know what the message is, Pat, to be honest with you,” he said. “I think he thought maybe he thought this was going to provide a spark to the team. That’s what he told us. I wish Jay was out there playing.”
Trestman tried to justify his decision when asked about Gould's comments on Monday afternoon.
“What we’ve talked about in our meetings is that...the change was not made to make a statement to the team," Trestman said, via Campbell. "The change was made because I thought we needed to get better play out of the quarterback.”
With Clausen out with a concussion, Cutler will reclaim his role as the starter this Sunday against Minnesota.
Kyle Long Will Be Chicago's Lone Representative in the Pro Bowl
For the second year in a row, Bears right guard Kyle Long will be heading to the Pro Bowl. He went last season as an alternate.
He joined elite company with his second straight selection, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"RG Kyle Long is the only Bear named to the Pro Bowl. He's the first Bear to make it in his first two seasons since Devin Hester.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) December 24, 2014"
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Long has allowed zero sacks this season and has a plus-10.4 grade.
He took to Twitter after the announcement to thank his teammates and coaches:
"Speechless. So much love 4 my teammates and coaches. Couldn't ask for a better city than Chicago to play 4. Thank u so much %Beardown
— Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) December 24, 2014"
General manager Phil Emery has made some questionable picks in the previous three drafts, but Long has easily been his best.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Chris Conte | FS | Did Not Practice (DNP) |
| Jared Allen | DE | DNP |
| Robbie Gould | K | DNP |
| Kyle Long | RG | Limited |
| Jeremiah Ratliff | DT | DNP |
| Marquess Wilson | WR | Limited |
| David Bass | DE | Limited |
All injury statuses courtesy of Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
Because of Christmas, the Bears did not practice on Thursday.
The conjecture is that free safety Chris Conte, defensive end Jared Allen, kicker Robbie Gould and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff would have missed practice.
Right guard Kyle Long, wide receiver Marquess Wilson and defensive end David Bass would have been limited.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Jared Allen vs. Matt Kalil
When the Bears and Vikings squared off in November, defensive end Jared Allen got the best of left tackle Matt Kalil.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Allen finished with five tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit and five quarterback hurries.
"It was fun out there," Kalil said after the game about going up against his former teammate, via Derek Wetmore of 1500ESPN.com. "He just got me on one play. [I was] probably just overthinking a little bit. I've had a lot of plays against him in the past, except [not] in a game."
Despite Kalil's belief that Allen only "got" him on one play, he did finish with a minus-2.1 grade on the day, via Pro Football Focus.
Even though he is having a disappointing season by his standards, Allen knows he gives it his all every week. He told Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com, "People can say whatever they want. I know what I put on tape. So I could sit here and make excuses, say I got sick, do this, that and the other. It is what it is. I go out every week and whatever I have to do to win...so people can talk. They can say what they want. But I know what goes on tape, and I know I give it my all."
He currently sits with 5.5 sacks on the season and will likely not collect double-digit sacks for the first time since 2006. Even though a 4.5-sack game is unlikely, do not be surprised if Allen plays one of his best games of the season on Sunday.
Marquess Wilson vs. Captain Munnerlyn
Expected to be a major factor this season as the team's No. 3 wide receiver, Marquess Wilson missed the first nine games this season after breaking his clavicle in training camp.
After catching eight passes for 56 yards in his first five games this season, he hauled in seven catches for 66 yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 16.
With Brandon Marshall out for the season with a ribs injury, Wilson will get one final shot this Sunday to prove he deserves an expanded role next season on offense.
On Sunday he will be going up against one of the league's best pass defenses. The Vikings could put Xavier Rhodes on him in coverage, but Rhodes will likely line up against Alshon Jeffery. If Rhodes plays strictly against Jeffery, Wilson will likely face Captain Munnerlyn.
Munnerlyn is similar to Bears cornerback Tim Jennings. At 5'9", he's smaller than most cornerbacks, but he plays with physicality and aggression at the line of scrimmage.
If Wilson can get into a situation where he can use his 6'4" size against Munnerlyn, he could wind up having a big day for the Bears.
X-Factor of the Week: Martellus Bennett
Tight end Martellus Bennett started off the 2014 season with a bang. In the team's first four games he hauled in 29 passes for 295 yards with four touchdowns. He cooled down after his fast start, but he has had the best season of his career. He currently has 82 catches for 857 yards and six touchdowns.
He struggled a bit against the Detroit Lions, dropping one pass and getting called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, via Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald:
"If you're keeping track at home, that's 1 drop for Martellus Bennett and 2 penalties, 1 of which was declined.
— Bob LeGere (@BobLeGere) December 21, 2014"
He will have an opportunity to finish the season strong against a Vikings defense that gave up six catches for 114 yards to Miami tight end Charles Clay this past Sunday.
If Bennett can get open in the middle of the field, he has enough speed and deception to gain extra yards after the catch. If he can get off to a hot start, he has a shot to be the team's X-factor on Sunday afternoon.
Prediction
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For the first time in a handful of games, the Chicago Bears head into the weekend with a legitimate shot of coming away with a victory.
After getting blown out by the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers in consecutive games back in late October/early November, Chicago was able to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11 for its first victory since its Week 6 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bears were not particularly good at anything that afternoon, but they were able to slow down Teddy Bridgewater in the passing game and Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata in the running game. They controlled the clock by running the football 31 times for 138 yards, while Jay Cutler completed 31 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Neither team has anything to play for at this point on Sunday, but if the Bears can play a balanced game on offense, they should come away with a victory.
Prediction: Bears 23, Vikings 14
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Follow @MattEurich
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