As soon as the clocks ran out in Saint Louis and Jacksonville on Sunday, Bears and Vikings fans everywhere breathed a momentary sigh of relief before setting their sights on a huge game looming in the near future. Both teams' playoff hopes hang in the balance, and the stakes rarely get any higher in the NFL today.
The magnitude of this game can't be underestimated. While the winner can build upon the momentum that they gained with convincing road wins this past week and focus on winning one more divisional game to potentially lock up a playoff spot, the loser will face an uphill battle in the coming weeks and must hang their playoff hopes on the outcome of other division games as the season comes to a close.
Truly, I think that this is what NFL football is all about; a true NFC North showdown of epic proportions. This division has been hard for me to wrap my head around all season, and both of these teams have won and lost some games they shouldn't have.
Despite the unpredictability of both teams, I think that there are some things that both teams need to predict and address accordingly this week if they want to come out of Sunday night's game with a 7-5 record.
1. The Battle in the Trenches
This will likely to be a much lower-scoring affair than the last time these teams met, and I know it gets said a lot, but I think it is especially true this week that whichever team manages to dominate the line of scrimmage for four quarters will win this game, period.
Both teams possess solid running backs and physical offensive lines, but just as importantly, both teams rank near the top of the league in run defense.
As a Bears fan, I was overjoyed when I heard that the "Williams Wall" might be forced to sit this game out, but it appears both All-Pro defensive tackles will be active on Sunday.
The Bears have been fortunate enough to avoid any major injuries to their front seven so far this year and the team's depth at the defensive tackle position might help wear down Minnesota's running game.
In the first meeting between these two teams, Adrian Peterson rushed for 121 yards, but nearly half of his total came on one long TD run.
The other reason to expect a low-scoring game won at the line of scrimmage is because both teams' passing games have been subject to a great deal of scrutiny in recent weeks.
For the Bears, Orton's injury and the lack of a consistent downfield receiving threat might make it hard for them to produce through the air. If Jared Allen plays this week, the Bears will also have to account for his pass rush, which is one of the league's deadliest.
For Minnesota, Gus Frerrotte's checkered performance this season has been marked by 12 interceptions, including four against the Bears' sub-par and injury-ridden secondary in Week 12.
2. Special Teams
If you look at the Vikings special teams performance this season, it's easy to see how they've managed to disappoint so many fans and analysts this year who saw them as a possible Super Bowl contender in the preseason. The truth is that their special teams play has been their Achilles' heel all season long. It killed them in losses to the Bears and Bucs, and almost killed them in close wins over the Saints and Packers.
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about 1 month ago
Its more important for the Vikings because if they lose, their season is over. They will be only 2-3 in the division and the Bears and Packers would only have one loss in the division until week 16 when they meet.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah that's a good point. I guess to Lovie Smith and his players it has to feel very important when you think about how easily the Packers manhandled them two weeks ago. After that debacle, it probably seems like a tall order to beat the Packers on December 22nd, whereas if they beat the Vikings, they pretty much lock up the division for the time being. Thanks for reading.
about 1 month ago
Great stuff, James. POTD from me! Go Vikes! :)
about 1 month ago
Its all on quarterbacks for both teams in which one will make less mistakes, and you can't say it's easily Orton because he's shown that he came back way too early from his ankle injury. He yards have gone done and he made mistakes but I guess thats what happen when your scared that the number two quarterback will take your job.
from about 1 month ago
I don't know that Orton really has to worry about Grossman taking his job. The Bears have been very pleased with him so far this season. As for who will be more productive and who will make more mistakes Sunday night? It's hard to say. When your run game is clicking like the Bears' and Vikings' have, I think it's gravy for quarterbacks because they don't have to throw it as often and when they do, they find the defense much more spread. With that being said, Orton and Frerrotte went to the air a lot during their last meeting and both put up a lot of points. But Orton did it without throwing any picks. In this game, turning the ball over with poor field position could be the deciding factor. The reason I give Orton the nod is simply because I don't know how much his ankle will play a part in the way he plays, whereas I think Frerrotte's record speaks for itself this season when it comes to interceptions.
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