5 Bold Predictions – Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears – Week 15
By Chris Schad
Chicago will end Minnesota’s playoff hopes
It’s been a wild season for the Vikings so far. What started out with hopes of a NFC North title turned into a “Tank for Trevor” campaign. After a hot streak after the bye, Minnesota fought their way back into the NFC playoff race, and they even sat in the No. 7 spot this time last week.
Even though the Vikings fell to eight in the NFC standings with a loss last week, there’s still a chance they could get into the playoffs, which is insane.
But at their core, Minnesota is a flawed team.
The Vikings have gotten to this point with a reliance on Dalvin Cook to carry the offense. For the most part, he’s been able to do that, but the Bears seem like an opponent that should have the upper hand in stopping them.
At that point, its a matter of how long it takes Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to realize their old school approach isn’t working and last week it was too late.
Minnesota could be in a similar situation on Sunday against Chicago. With an improved offense, the Bears could put pressure on the Vikings to push the tempo more than they would like. As the loss to the Bucs showed last Sunday, Minnesota may be too stubborn in their ways to do that, which could lead to their doom.
Minnesota is 5-2 against sub-.500 teams this season, but this feels like a game where the Bears should have the upper hand. Expect another NFC North battle, but Chicago should come out on top and end the Vikings’ Cinderella story.
Prediction: Bears 24, Vikings 21