Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings: The Make-or-Break Matchup

The Chicago Bears will feature two inexperienced safeties when the Minnesota Vikings come to Soldier Field on Sunday night.

It's a must-win game for the Bears if they want to continue dreaming about the playoffs.

And yet their season doesn't hinge on the health of Julius Peppers, whether they can stop Adrian Peterson, or if Jay Cutler and Matt Forte will perform. 

Because if Chicago safeties can't stop the big play, the season is already over.

Chicago Safeties vs. Anyone

How bad have the Bears safeties been?

Bad.

Unspeakably bad. They've given up three plays of more than 50 yards in the past three games and two against Detroit.

So bad, that the Bears would rather start a duo with three total starts between them, rather than the highest paid safeties on the team—Pro Bowlers Brandon Meriweather and Chris Harris.

Harris looked slow against the Lions last week, and may have rushed himself coming back from a hamstring injury—but he wouldn’t admit that because he’s a pro’s pro.

Meriweather, however, looked ignorant of the playbook (willfully or not) and continued to miss assignments and rack up fines for cheap shots. Definition: not a pro's pro. 

Even the usually reserved, glass-is-half-full Coach Lovie Smith admitted, "We have to improve at safety, getting in position to make some of those plays."

He went on to say, "We can't continue to give up big plays."

All Hands on Deck

Enter Major Wright and Chris Conte.

Yes, they have three total starts between them and all belong to Major Wright.

But the Bears invested a third-round pick each of the last two years to add them. And things are bad enough that the Bears would rather look to their future than grimace at their past.

Wright has started at free safety once and strong safety twice since being drafted. SS is his best position, as he’s a major hitter (but not so great in coverage).

Is Wright ready to take on the Vikings receivers? 

"Every week, there’s a lot of pressure, you just go out preparing to play," said Major.

Chris Conte starts at FS for first time ever in his pro career and hasn't played much safety since...well, ever.

He was a cornerback for three seasons in college and wasn't a safety until his senior year.

But the Bears believe it’s his natural position and the athleticism that made him a good CB will make him a great FS with ball-hawk instincts.

Of course, the Bears also thought Harris and Meriweather could play safety, and gambled $5 million they were right. So what do they know?

More importantly, does Conte know his role as "The Lid" on the Bears defense? And how will he hold up when tested by Percy Harvin and the veteran McNabb?

"I should be able to get over and at least stop the touchdown," he said. "I have to feel that route coming from the back side and then get more depth and keep on getting depth against a fast guy," said Conte.

Bears Move All In?

Are the Bears worried about starting inexperienced players?

It’s not like anything has worked so far: this is the fifth starting safety combo for the Bears in just six games.

It's the 28th different starting safety combo since Lovie Smith was named head coach in 2004.

Will this be the one that works?

"We start from scratch each week," Smith said, "…so who knows?"

It’s hard to be worse than the safeties have been the past five weeks. But this gamble could mean the game.

And the season.