Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings: 10 Things We Learned
The Chicago Bears took on the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.
They came out a winner in a game that didn’t end up being as close as some might think that it was.
The Bears played pretty solid football all the way around and have emerged as a talented team in the NFC.
Can they continue to win and make the playoffs this season? That’s the biggest question that is being asked right now.
Before we move on to the Bears' next game against the Dolphins, let’s take a look back at 10 things that we noticed about the Bears in their game against the Vikings this Sunday.
The Receivers Still Have a Lot to Learn
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As we saw a few times in this game, the Bears wide receivers made some mistakes, some critical, at critical times in the game.
One perfect example of this came in the first quarter, when Johnny Knox bounced a pass off his hands that landed in the arms of a waiting Vikings defender. The play could have been handled a different way.
The receivers will learn as they go. But they have to eliminate some of the mistakes that they have been making lately.
Penalties Are Coming at the Wrong Time for the Bears
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We saw the Bears commit several key penalties at times during the game on both sides of the ball.
Some of the offensive penalties came from the offensive line, while the defense committed some pass-interference penalties that helped the Vikings extend drives and get some good field position.
The Bears need to be much more disciplined in the future so that the penalties don’t cost them victories in future games.
The Offensive Line Is 100% Better Than It Was Against New York
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No one can deny this fact.
Ever since the second half of the game against the Redskins, the Bears' offensive line has tightened things up, protected quarterback Jay Cutler and allowed the running game to flourish at points.
Perhaps it was because this group finally got some time to get used to each other and finally gel together, being that there wasn’t any more shuffling within the group. Or maybe scaling down the offense helped them out.
Whatever it was, this line is doing a lot better than they were just a few games ago.
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The Running Game Has Gotten Better
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Even running against the tough Minnesota Vikings defense proved productive for the most part, as the Bears gained 130 yards on the ground Sunday.
Everyone got into the act, from Cutler to running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. In the second half, the Bears ran the ball successfully to keep the ball in their position and work the clock, thus keeping it out of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s hands.
This helped a ton.
Hopefully, they can continue on with this as a way to win games from this point forward.
Cutler Makes Good Decisions Except...
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Except when he tries to force things at times, (which we saw when he threw his second interception of the game in the end zone) Cutler has been making some good decisions with the football.
If the play isn’t there, he will take off and run with the ball (and gain some significant yardage) or throw the ball away. The interception was a mistake, and you can be assured that he learned from that.
The Defense Is Better Now That the Offense Is Better
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This is true.
The defense, with much more rest coming now that the offense is able to hold on to the ball longer and convert third-down opportunities, has been playing better. This will be an important thing for them to take advantage of as the season progresses.
We saw what the defense was capable of doing with their superb tackling and hustle to the football. This unit is clearly one of the best in the NFL.
Devin Hester’s True Spot Is on Special Teams
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No one can deny the fact that Hester played a huge role in this game on special teams.
It’s tough to think that the Bears won’t keep him returning both punts and kickoffs on a regular basis now. This might decrease his role on offense, but he could be used in special situations.
Chicago needs to put him where he will do the most good for the team, and that’s on special teams.
The Bears have to keep using him there.
Johnny Knox Is Quietly Become One of the Better Receivers in the NFL
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He may not be the same caliber of guys like Larry Fitzgerald or Reggie Wayne.
But Knox is a very reliable receiver that manages to be in the right place at the right time often. He’s got the speed needed to stretch the defense, and he and Cutler seem to be on the same page often.
Hopefully, he can continue to develop and continue being one of the better wide receivers that the Bears have seen in a long time.
Brian Urlacher Is Truly Marvelous
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The Bears really missed Urlacher a lot last season.
You can tell that his presence on defense this year has really helped the defense out a lot. He was busy on Sunday working hard against the run and dropping back into coverage when needed to help take away the Vikings' short passing game.
Urlacher has, and always will, be the ideal fit at middle linebacker for the Cover Two defense, and the Bears are very lucky to have him.
Julius Peppers Continues to Quietly Impress
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While he didn’t have any sacks again this Sunday, Peppers was all over the field making plays against the run as well as taking up blockers in an effort to help someone else rush the passer.
He had a hand in a couple of big plays, and is still clearly showing his value to this team. He’s due for a breakout game, so expect him to have one in the very near future.
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