Final Score: Vikings 30 Bears 12
The Bears dropped their 8th straight this week in Minneapolis. The Vikings dominated for the entirety, taking a 13-0 lead into halftime and adding on until the scoreboard read 30-12. Nothing was working for Chicago in the raucous environment. Even though Minnesota didn’t play its best game, the Bears couldn’t do much of anything and shot themselves in the foot in crucial situations. Caleb Williams was under constant pressure and wasn’t able to recreate his impressive performance against the Vikings earlier this year.
Glaring Issues
Caleb Williams is Under Constant Duress
The most prevalent worry to me is the well being of Caleb Williams. Every week, he stands strong under center and takes hit after hit. This week, inexperienced rookie tackle Kiran Amegadjie was thrusted into action as left tackle Braxton Jones entered the concussion protocol late in the week. He was awful, allowing 4 QB pressures by himself.
Williams has clearly proven his physical toughness at this point, which is obviously an admirable quality. However, he can’t take these beatings forever. The lack of a competent offensive line is putting Williams in dangerous situations, especially against aggressive defenses such as Minnesota’s.
3rd-Down Efficiency
The offense’s inability to convert on 3rd-down was a massive factor in this week’s loss. The Bears finished the game 1/12 on 3rd-down conversions, only 8.3%. This game doesn’t represent an outlier; this has been an issue all season long. In fact, Chicago’s 3rd-down conversion rate for the whole season is 33.9%, 2nd-worst in the NFL.
Games are won and lost on 3rd-down. If you are unable to convert, you are unable to extend drives and therefore unable to score points. Good teams find ways to convert their 3rd-downs.
Bright Spots
Swift Bucked His Slump
It is difficult to pick out anything positive from this week’s contest, but running back D’Andre Swift’s performance may qualify. Swift had been putrid as of late, having not surpassed 40 rushing yards since Week 11. He racked up 79 rushing yards this week and had a touchdown reversed. You can’t win games rushing as poorly as the Bears had been for the last few weeks, so this week was a step in the right direction in that regard.
Standout Performers
DeMarcus Walker
Veteran pass rusher DeMarcus Walker is my standout performer this week. Walker had arguably his strongest game of the year, stacking up an impressive 7 pressures and 4 QB hits (now 1/3 of his season total). It felt like he was constantly in the backfield causing disruptions. His presence was certainly felt by Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
Key Drive of the Game
Although the Vikings would have probably gone on to win regardless, the Bears blew a great chance to get back into the game on their second drive of the second half.
A 29-yard connection to rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze and a couple considerable gains from D’Andre Swift on the ground quickly drove the Bears to the 1-yard-line. Set up with four chances to gain one yard to cut Minnesota’s lead (13-0 at the time) to only 6 points, they were in good position to get back into the game. On 1st-down, Swift appeared to punch it in for a score! However, the Bears were flagged for a rare “illegal substitution” foul, taking the touchdown off of the board. After another penalty, this time on the rookie tackle Amegadjie, Chicago was forced to settle for a field goal.
The inability to score a touchdown and make it a one-possession game after staring down 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard-line was absolutely deflating.