5 Bears players the Vikings need to worry about on Monday night
By Nik Edlund
Akiem Hicks – DT
Akiem Hicks is a flat-out beast and a member of the Bears that the Vikings need to neutralize if they have any hopes of winning the game on Monday night.
Hicks is a quick and powerful disruptor who can anchor against the run and provide interior pressure. Chicago will be looking to shut down Dalvin Cook and Hicks will be key in them trying to accomplish that task.
On the season, Hicks already has 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He has been a Viking destroyer in recent contests against Minnesota and during the pair of matchups between the two teams in 2018, he totaled nine tackles with six coming for a loss and 2.5 sacks. The guy has been unblockable at times and has feasted upon the Vikings offensive line.
Minnesota’s offensive line has performed better in recent weeks and even though they’ve improved, they haven’t faced a challenge like Hicks. They’ll need to double team him as often as possible and if he moves around, they must be aware of where he’s lined up at all times.
Stopping Hicks will be a huge test for the Vikings offensive line to find out if they are truly improving and taking the next step to becoming a strength of the team.