Bears vs. Vikings: Full Minnesota Game Preview

The Minnesota Vikings will host the Chicago Bears this coming Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium for the second leg of this annual two-part saga between divisional rivals.

Minnesota topped Chicago the first time these teams met during Week 8, as Blair Walsh sent the Vikings to their first victory at Soldier Field since the second term of the George W. Bush regime as the clock struck triple zeros.

Both teams are set to enter this Week 15 contest in a vulnerable position, as each organization currently finds itself in the midst of two-game losing skid.

The Bears, who have missed out on prime opportunities to earn victories each of the past two weeks, have been at the mercy of veteran Robbie Gould. Against the San Francisco 49ers, the longtime place-kicker failed to convert a potential game-winning 36-yard attempt as time expired in regulation, effectively breathing new life into the opposition in the process. San Francisco went on to win the contest in walk-off fashion when a resurgent Blaine Gabbert connected with Torrey Smith on a 71-yard touchdown.

With a chance for redemption against the Washington Redskins during Week 14, Gould again failed to meet the standard he had set for himself over the duration of his long, successful career. The Bears' all-time franchise leader in field-goal percentage (85.1 percent) pushed a potential game-tying 50-yard try wide to his right, handing the ball back to Washington and allowing rookie Matt Jones to run out the clock.

Minnesota, on the other hand, has not exactly lost in conventional fashion over the past two weeks either. Given the opportunity to establish itself as a true playoff contender, Mike Zimmer's team produced one of its worst games of this millennium with the Seattle Seahawks laying down the law in a 38-7 shellacking.

The Vikings recorded their third loss to the NFC West this season a few days later despite exceeding their expectations by a wide margin. Minnesota battled its way to the cusp of its first significant win, but, unlike Chicago, did not even have the pleasure of attempting a possible game-tying kick on Thursday Night Football.

Instead of giving Walsh a shot from 48 yards deep, Norv Turner tried an intermediate route combination with the intention of completing a sideline pass, which resulted in a Teddy Bridgewater fumble and a crushing 23-20 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals.

One of these NFC North teams has to win this week, however. Chicago will be forced to play essentially for bragging rights, but Minnesota is still very alive in the playoff hunt, setting the stage for a second consecutive photo finish between these rival franchises.

Location: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Time: Noon CT/1 p.m. ET

TV: Channel 9 Fox KMSP (Local)

Week 14 Results and Recap

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

A wise person once said, "It's about the journey, not the destination."

While the philosophical individual who originally made this remark certainly could not have been referring to an NFL game—as there is no such thing as a moral victory in professional football—this overused cliche does seem oddly applicable to the Vikings' heartbreaking 23-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football during Week 14.

Minnesota, which entered the matchup without arguably its three best defensive players in Linval Joseph, Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith, put together a surprisingly strong performance against the class of the NFC.

After the defense made a tone-setting stop to allow only a field goal on Arizona's opening drive, Teddy Bridgewater drove the Vikings offense down the field for six points. Adrian Peterson capped off the unexpected seven-play, 80-yard possession with a nine-yard touchdown featuring a collection of his best cuts and footwork before finishing with an explosion through a pair of tacklers into the end zone.

Carson Palmer and the Cardinals offense naturally struck back immediately, taking advantage of an injury-ravaged Vikings defense with a 65-yard scoring toss to second-year wide receiver John Brown. But Minnesota did not fade away—even though it would have been hard to blame given the circumstances.

The Vikings worked themselves into a tie at halftime, but the Cardinals again took the advantage early during the third quarter. Following a botched reverse play that led to a second Minnesota turnover, Palmer again put six points on the board for Arizona with a long touchdown pass.

Michael Floyd scored the tiebreaking touchdown, being sprung free by a textbook Larry Fitzgerald block on rookie safety Anthony Harris. Again, Minnesota found itself down on the scoreboard—this time thanks to a pairing of wide receivers native to the state of purple and gold.

Following the second of three Chandler Catanzaro field goals, the Vikings again went on the attack. Blair Walsh converted a 54-yard attempt of his own on Minnesota's ensuing offensive possession, setting the stage for Bridgewater to play hero.

The often-criticized Minnesota quarterback delivered, finishing an 11-play, 88-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace on third down to knot the game up at 20.

Palmer, however, answered with a strong possession of his own on the next drive that ultimately led to a 47-yard Catanzaro field goal. But, due to an incompletion on the third down prior to the successful three-point try, the Vikings were left with a sufficient amount of time to engineer, at the very least, a game-tying drive.

Bridgewater managed to force Minnesota into field-goal range over the course of seven plays that consumed all but 13 of the provided 83 seconds of game clock. Instead of kicking a field goal on play No. 8, Mike Zimmer elected to take a chance at grabbing a few more yards in order to reduce the distance of what would have been a 48-yard attempt by Walsh.

Norv Turner's questionable play call ultimately ended in disaster, with veteran Dwight Freeney blowing past left tackle Matt Kalil with his trademark spin move and catching Bridgewater's arm as he began his throwing motion. The impact forced the Vikings quarterback to fumble the ball, which All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell fell on top of to clinch both win No. 10 and a playoff berth for the Cardinals.

It was a discouraging loss that included multiple "rewind" moments for Minnesota, but multiple encouraging signs and the performance of a handful of reserve players made this defeat one that may ultimately be looked back upon as a major turning point for this team.

NFC North Standings

1. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
2. Minnesota Vikings (8-5)
3. Chicago Bears (5-8)
4. Detroit Lions (4-9)

News and Notes

David Richard/Associated Press

Vikings Try Out Former First-Round Pick DT Phil Taylor, Others

Linval Joseph is currently on track to miss his third consecutive game, which prompted the Vikings to act accordingly.

Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and National Football Post, Minnesota worked out former Cleveland Browns first-round pick Phil Taylor, a pair of Canadian Football League defensive backs in Steven Clarke (BC Lions) and Courtney Stephen (Hamilton Tiger-Cats), as well as a pair of undrafted players in offensive tackle Colin Kelly from Oregon State and defensive tackle Euclid Cummings from Georgia Tech.

Of the aforementioned players, Taylor is the one player truly worthy of note. The No. 21 overall pick during the 2011 draft, Taylor spent three unproductive seasons in Cleveland after a solid rookie campaign. His career totals include 109 combined tackles, seven sacks, three passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery while playing the nose tackle role in the Browns' 3-4 defensive alignment.

It is fairly obvious what Minnesota sees in Taylor, as his 6'3", 337-pound frame strongly resembles the mammoth 6'4", 328-pound figure of Joseph. The Vikings have yet to announce an agreement with the former Browns interior linemen, but he may have a future wearing purple due to his untapped potential and comparable size to the ailing Joseph.

The remaining four names brought in for evaluation seem unlikely to receive contract offers, but the presence of Kelly, who last practiced with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2014 offseason, likely represents a small symbol of the coaching staff's frustration with the Vikings offensive line performance.

Vikings Re-Sign DE Justin Trattou; Release DB Shaun Prater

In addition to evaluating potential roster additions, the Vikings made another move to stabilize their injury-hampered roster. According to Chris Tomasson of St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minnesota brought back defensive end Justin Trattou and again parted ways with defensive back Shaun Prater.

With the emergence of Anthony Harris and Terence Newman showing an ability to play safety at an advanced level, the Vikings no longer could afford to roster Prater considering their other positional deficiencies. Due to a shoulder injury to star rusher Everson Griffen, putting Trattou back in a Vikings jersey made the most sense—especially considering his knowledge of the defensive playbook and scheme.

As Tomasson notes, Trattou received a workout invitation with another team, but declined the opportunity in order to continue playing for Mike Zimmer.

"I really didn't want to go anywhere else," he said. "I'm happy where I'm at."

Trattou has appeared in two games for Minnesota this season, with his season highlight being a game-altering interception of quarterback Matthew Stafford during Week 2 when Minnesota hosted the Detroit Lions.

CB Terence Newman Open to Future Role at Safety

Speaking of Newman's proficiency at the safety position, the veteran defensive back reportedly is open to moving to center field in the future. According to Jason Gonzalez of the Star Tribune, the 37-year-old career cornerback sees a move to safety as a way to extend his already lengthy career.

“All options are in play in the future,” he said before considering the idea of playing until he is 43. “I think I can still play corner. I can play safety. I’ll do whatever the team asks me to do. I like playing football. My biggest thing is trying to stay in the door. That’s the first and foremost.”

Newman also noted his belief that safety is an "easier" position to play than cornerback, stating that running backward and contorting his body accordingly is more physically challenging than safety, which relies more on intelligence, a strong understanding of the scheme and knowing where to be line up on the field—elements that reflect the reasoning behind signing him to the team in the first place.

Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson likely represents the most notable example of a cornerback moving to safety in order to prolong his career. Following 14 prolific seasons at the line coverage, Woodson brought his ball-hawking ability to the middle of the field in his second stint with the Oakland Raiders.

Even at 39 years old, the former Green Bay Packer and terror to Minnesota quarterbacks currently ranks tied for third this season with five interceptions.

Bonus News and Notes

The following list is composed of articles containing general team information, updates and matchup-specific statistics related to Minnesota's Week 15 contest with Chicago:

• Adrian Peterson Can Make History—Ben Goessling, ESPN
• Vikings Headed Toward NFC North Title Game?—Ben Goessling, ESPN
• Vikings Showed Enduring Offensive Formula in Arizona—Ben Goessling, ESPN
• Vikings Defensive Backs Being Rewarded with Hot Wheels—Ben Goessling, ESPN
• 10 Wins or Bust—Jim Souhan, Star Tribune
• Even Top Kickers Hear Boos—Mark Craig, Star Tribune
• Sharrif Floyd Wants to Give Linval Joseph a Toe—Matt Vensel, Star Tribune
• Nobody's in Panic Mode—Chris Tomasson, St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Vikings Rookie Class Has It All—Chris Tomasson, St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Blair Walsh Backs Mike Zimmer's Decision—Chris Tomasson, St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Antone Exum Thought He Might Die During Seattle Game—Chris Tomasson, St. Paul Pioneer Press
• Vikings Bid Farewell to TCF Bank Stadium in Prime Time—Mike Florio, PFT
• Vikings Defense Credits Red Wine for Success—Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports
• Examining Vikings Playoff Scenarios—Zach Kruse, Bleacher Report
• Vikings Veterans Don't Want to Rely on Outside Help—Craig Peters, Vikings.com
• NFC North Status Report—Aldo Gandia, NFC North Barroom
• Vikings Naughty and Nice List—Austin Belisle, NFC North Barroom
• The Norse Awakens—Daily Norseman
• Vikings Set Franchise Record for Rookie Starters—Christopher Gates, Daily Norseman
• Antoine Winfield Jr. Commits to University of Minnesota—Matt Humbert, The Daily Gopher
• Minnesota Vikings: Top 20 Games in Franchise History—Dan Zinski, The Viking Age
• Is Sunday Night Football a Bad Thing for Vikings?—Adam Carlson, The Viking Age
• Joe Berger Among NFL's Most Underrated—Adam Carlson, The Viking Age

Latest Injury News

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Vikings' Wednesday Injury Report (8)

Did Not Practice (4)

• NT Linval Joseph (Foot)
• DE Everson Griffen (Shoulder)
• DE Scott Crichton (Concussion/Neck)
• LB Anthony Barr (Groin/Hand)

Limited Practice (3)

• LB Brandon Watts (Rib)
• FS Harrison Smith (Knee/Hamstring)
• SS Andrew Sendejo (Knee)

Full Practice (1)

• SS Robert Blanton (Knee)

Key Injuries

Everson Griffen (Shoulder)

Just as Minnesota began to show remote signs of getting healthy, it added yet another one of its key defensive players to the "did not practice" section of the injury report. Per Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Vikings' current sack leader, Everson Griffen, did not practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury.

Griffen, who has recorded 8.5 sacks through 12 games this season, attended practice but left the field prior to fulfilling the requirement for a limited effort. The Pro Bowl-caliber defensive end has already missed one game this season due to an illness, but a lack of current information regarding his shoulder ailment keeps his status up in the air for this weekend against the Bears.

If he is forced to miss Sunday's action, the Vikings could be down two starters along their four-man defensive front.

Linval Joseph (Foot), Anthony Barr (Groin/Hand) and Harrison Smith (Knee/Hamstring)

Hulking nose tackle Linval Joseph did not practice on Wednesday for the third consecutive week. His current status for the weekend remains unknown, as fellow interior linemen Sharrif Floyd may be willing to sacrifice one of his toes to get his partner back on the field (via Vikings.com).

"I've been talking to [Joseph] every day," he told reporters Wednesday. "Please come back. I understand you're hurt, I'll give you my toe, or at least give me 10 of your pounds."

Aside from Floyd's humorous standpoint on Joseph's absence, there have not been any further reports on his status for this weekend or the remainder of the regular season. Joseph, playing in the second year of a five-year, $31.5 million contract with Minnesota, was in the midst of an All-Pro season prior to injuring his foot during Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons.

He does have company, however, as linebacker Anthony Barr was missing from Wednesday practice for the second week in a row due to injuries to his groin and hand. Mike Zimmer has not yielded any status updates on his 2014 first-round pick either, and the only words offered to the public by the UCLA product in recent days were "wrist" and "tip" in succession and separated by an ellipsis in a tweet announcing his musical interest of the day.

Unless the musical talents of R&B singer Chris Brown have succeeded past Grammy-caliber to a level capable of healing physical ailments, Barr's status remains an unknown similar to both Griffen and Joseph.

There is good news for Vikings fans, though, as dynamic safety Harrison Smith returned to practice Wednesday in a limited capacity, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. He and fellow defensive back Andrew Sendejo, who also missed the Arizona game due to injury, participated during the open session of practice.

"I'm not that careful," Smith said, per Ben Goessling of ESPN. "I count on other people to be careful for me."

With both Smith and Sendejo returning to practice Wednesday, the Vikings may have the ability to send out the starting safety combination last utilized against the Seattle Seahawks. But, Minnesota may choose to start undrafted rookie Anthony Harris opposite of Smith, assuming health is not an issue, due to his impressive debut in Arizona.

Sendejo also faced a "scare" during an interview with the local media, in which he was subjected to a reporter exhibiting the symptoms of a cold.

"If I get sick, that's on you," he said after a reporter admitted to having a cough. This, of course, was followed by a chorus of laughter, in what was a rare health-related joke during the month of December in Vikings territory.

Key Matchups

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

CB Xavier Rhodes vs. WR Alshon Jeffery

Minnesota managed to defeat Chicago the first time these two teams met this season, but the Vikings' victory did not come without conceding defeat to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jeffery was targeted on 15 separate occasions, hauling in 10 receptions for 116 receiving yards and a score. Five of these receptions came while Minnesota's No. 1 cornerback Xavier Rhodes was in coverage.

Rhodes, who has been outstanding in recent weeks, struggled early in the season to find consistency. He mixed in strong performances against Calvin Johnson during a Week 2 matchup with the Detroit Lions and again in Week 4 when Minnesota faced Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and the Denver Broncos.

On the other hand, he was also torched for big gains against the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Lions (Week 7). Based on his recent showing against Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons and his one-man show when the Seattle Seahawks set fire to TCF Bank Stadium, it appears that Rhodes may be back to the level he is expected to perform at.

This hypothesis will be tested to the fullest when Jeffery arrives in Minnesota this weekend, as Jay Cutler has shown zero signs of lessening the load for the prolific fourth-year wide receiver.

WR Stefon Diggs vs. CBs Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter

When the Vikings first saw the Bears, Norv Turner had to feel confident in his offense's ability to move the ball through the air, as both second-year cornerback Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter—potentially the most hated active defensive back among Minnesota fans—were struggling to cover anything.

Minnesota's soft passing attack may have led the turnaround, as both Fuller and Porter produced strong efforts in defeat. According to Pro Football Focus, Chicago's one-two punch at cornerback received 13 targets from Teddy Bridgewater, resulting in five completions, 67 yards and an interception.

In addition, Chicago's pass defense currently holds the No. 2 NFL ranking in passing yards allowed per game, a substantial improvement from Mel Tucker's 2014 unit that finished the season in the No. 30 spot.

Mike Wallace played well against the Arizona Cardinals, but based on the fact that Patrick Peterson shadowed fifth-round rookie Stefon Diggs everywhere, opposing teams have a clear definition of who Minnesota's No. 1 wide receiver is at this point in the season.

Diggs' targets during Week 8 were spread out among Fuller, Porter, Christian Jones and Sherrick McManis—the defensive back responsible for his 40-yard game-tying touchdown.

It is unlikely that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will make the mistake of putting anyone but his best on Diggs at all times this time around, so the Maryland product better be ready for a heavy dosage of Fuller with some sprinkles of Porter as well.

Matchup X-Factors

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

Vikings X-Factor of the Week: FB Zach Line

There was a collective groan from the vast majority of Vikings nation in late August when it was revealed that fullback Zach Line had made the final round of roster cuts and would be an active member of Minnesota's 53-man roster. He has answered this skepticism with a strong year in a niche role, providing Adrian Peterson with an effective lead blocker and an extra chess piece for Norv Turner on the goal line.

Chicago's run defense currently ranks dead last in efficiency, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA statistic, which should lead to a heavy workload for Peterson. Minnesota does not run Peterson out of the I formation at a ridiculous rate, as the NFL's leading rusher often receives lead-blocking help from pulling guards or simply is asked to make plays without the extra help.

According to Pro Football Focus, Line received 14 snaps against Chicago in Week 8 and produced his best performance based on their grading system with a positive-3.1 run-blocking evaluation.

Following an 158-yard day against the Atlanta Falcons, Peterson has record yardage totals of 18 and 69 over the past two weeks against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, respectively. Line, coincidentally, received 19 snaps against Atlanta compared to a grand total of 10 during Minnesota's last two games.

It's not too difficult to connect the dots here.

Bears X-Factor of the Week: QB Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler has looked like a completely different quarterback during his first season under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Adam Gase. He is making smarter decisions on a consistent basis, and this is directly reflected within his statistics.

If the season ended today, Cutler would post career bests in interception percentage (1.8) and quarterback rating (92.2) while tying his finest season in terms of yards per attempt mark (7.6). In addition, his season total of seven interceptions is a career low in the years he has played in at least 11 games.

His improvements in efficiency also caught the eye of Mike Zimmer, who noted during his midweek press conference that Cutler is making fewer mistakes this season, per Vikings.com.

"Obviously he's got confidence in [Alshon] Jeffery," the Minnesota coach said. "I see him making a lot of good decisions, as opposed to, in the past, maybe he didn't make quite as good of ones."

Zimmer will attempt to bring back the Cutler of old this week, which, if accomplished, would put Chicago at a significant disadvantage given how valuable its quarterback's efficiency has been this season.

Prediction: Vikings 20, Bears 10

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Bears have become a much better team since the Vikings saw them back in Week 8, but that should not change the outcome this Sunday.

Chicago will be a tough team potentially as soon as next year, but the lack of an effective run defense plays directly into Minnesota's one true strength: running the football with Adrian Peterson. Furthermore, the Bears' lack of a consistent pass rush and home-field advantage should allow the Vikings to work around an offensive line that has cost them multiple games this season—specifically against the Arizona Cardinals last week and the Denver Broncos in Week 4.

Minnesota will need to find a way to contain Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery, who have both consistently wrecked this team throughout the years. The emergence of rookie Jeremy Langford may also pose a significant issue, but with Xavier Rhodes peaking at the right time, and Eric Kendricks improving in coverage every week, the Vikings should have enough defensive pieces to, at the very least, keep this trio of Chicago playmakers from beating them.

While I do buy into the idea that Jay Cutler is a completely different player than the signal-caller who seemingly only made mistakes when it truly mattered, I do not think this Bears team has enough pieces in place to stop Peterson consistently and put a high point total on the scoreboard.

Vikings earn victory No. 9—and potentially clinch a playoff spot—with a big game from Peterson and a strong defensive performance, keeping a Week 17 showdown against the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North crown in order.

All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, unless otherwise noted. Injury report courtesy of Vikings.com.

For more Vikings news, statistics and discussion, find me on Twitter @RobertReidellBT.