Five Questions With Bear Goggles On
By Adam Carlson
Sep 15, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea (92) during the second half at Soldier Field. Chicago won 31-30. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Recently, I had to opportunity to talk with Michael Praser about the upcoming contest between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Michael is a part of Bear Goggles On, one of the best Chicago Bears fan sites for news and information about the team in the Windy City.
Here are five questions that I asked Michael:
1) Do the Bears have anything to fear with Christian Ponder at quarterback for the Vikings on Sunday?
"Yeah, they have to fear that he will hand it off to Adrian Peterson. Other than that, the only think the Bears are worried about is Christian Ponder finding his tight end open. By the way, the Vikings tight end will always be open. Doesn’t matter who it is."
2) Adrian Peterson is a monster. What kind of day do you predict him to have against the Bears run defense?
"Nov 24, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) walks off the field after the Vikings and Green Bay Packers finished in a tie 26-26 at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY SportsI predict that Adrian Peterson will beat his own single game rushing record that he set against the San Diego Chargers back in 2007. What did he end up rushing for? 296 yards? That’s nothing. He is going to have 350 yards, easy. The Bears run defense is a joke. They just let an undrafted rookie named B. Cunningham rush 13 times for 109 yards. He is so unknown, I don’t even know his first name. Is it Barney? Who cares. Plus, that is after Zac Stacy ran for 87 yards on 12 carries. If Adrian Peterson isn’t buying a new calendar every day just so he can keep circling Sunday, then Toby Gerhart is doing it for him."
3) What will the Vikings defense have to do in order to stop the Bears offense?
"Nov 24, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) looks to get past St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Alec Ogletree (52) during the third quarter at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY SportsNow that is a great question. It is amazing how good the Bears offense has been playing. The Bears have been doing a great job this year at limiting sacks and taking advantage of Matt Forte in the passing game. The best way to beat the Bears offense is probably keep the ball out of Matt Forte’s hands. But, if that is not possible, then stopping the run will help out a lot by making the offense more one dimensional. But, since that one dimension is the passing game, pressuring the quarterback will help, yet sacking Josh McCown has been difficult. Vikings fans will need to be very loud this Sunday, or just pipe in crowd noise like they do in Detroit."
4) Who is one player on the Bears team that Vikings fans have probably never heard of, but should learn the name of?
"Nov 10, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end David Bass (91) before the game against the Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY SportsDefensive end David Bass is the guy that should put fear into Vikings fans. Well, maybe not fear, but he will probably be sticking with the Bears for a while. He has been playing rather well as fill in defensive end with a pick six against Baltimore and a sack against St. Louis. Shea McClellin may have broken Aaron Rodgers collar bone, but that’s about it for Shea. David Bass so far seems to play the run well and has shown some play making ability. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 7th round by the Oakland Raiders."
5) What is your prediction for the game, including the final score?
"My prediction is that the Bears are going to let Adrian Peterson run for 350 yards and score a ton of touchdowns. The Bears defense is awful and I don’t think that the Bears offense will be as good in Mall of America Field. They made a ton of mistakes and penalties last week in St. Louis, and I don’t see them correcting those mistakes this week. Did I mention Adrian Peterson breaking the all time single game rushing record? Yeah, that’s going to happen. Vikings 34 Bears 21."
Special thanks go out to Michael Praser and Bear Goggles On. The game should be a great one. Look for it in your local listings on Sunday.