You never have to apologize for a win, and the Minnesota Vikings will be offering no such thing after a 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears on a wet Sunday at Soldier Field.
An ugly first half for both teams yielded an even uglier second half, with no points scored until late in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings will emerge from Week 2 with the lead in the NFC North, somehow, with two division wins in their pocket already. Add in the unfortunate injury to Bears' quarterback Caleb Williams late in the game (which has been reported as a hamstring injury of unknown severity right now), and the division balance has shifted toward the Vikings two weeks in.
And with that, here are a half-dozen instant takeaways from Minnesota's Week 2 win.
Instant reactions after the Minnesota Vikings defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 2
Risk of Aaron Jones as the RB1 proven again, but he's also a certified Bears' killer
Jordan Mason being placed on IR this past Wednesday opened up the Vikings' lead back role just in time for Jones to face the Bears, and you know he was happy for the opportunity to continue being a Bears' killer. In 15 career games against Chicago, Jones now has over 1,000 rushing yards.
Having Jones be a clear-cut workhorse is a slippery slope at this stage of his career, but on the kind of day that it was on Sunday, he came through with 105 yards on 23 carries.
After a Bears' third-quarter fumble deep in the red zone, a 20-yard run from Jones helped the Vikings flip field position in a game where it mattered even more than usual.
Jones was able to return, but a knee injury in the fourth quarter showed how it's necessary to be careful with his workload while Mason is out. Overall, though, Jones was the star of the Vikings' offense when taking care of the ball, and winning the turnover battle was an extra layer of importance.
Will Reichard is impervious to weather
Wind and rain were the biggest headlines at Soldier Field on Sunday, impacting every element of the game. But Reichard continued to advance his case to be considered the best kicker in the NFL, with made field goals of 35, 49, and 39 yards in the rough conditions.
His streak almost ended on the last one, but Reichard is now tied for third place when it comes to consecutive field goals made in Vikings' history with 23. He's got a little ways to go before he reaches Fuad Reveiz (31) and Gary Anderson (35), but it feels inevitable that he'll get there.
Brian Flores is still a certified defensive genius
After blitzing the Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love at a never-before-seen rate in Week 1, Flores started with a different approach against a prolific Bears offense.
He eventually couldn't resist tapping into his blitz-heavy tendencies, but the marriage of that with coverage eliminated easy answers for Chicago's offense all day long.
Containing the run game is a prerequisite to containing a Ben Johnson offense, and that got done very well outside of the first drive of the second half. Add in a bevy of Bears' penalties for a stretch in the first half, highlighted by former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury being in a particular blender, and you get allowing three points to an offense that scored 59 in Week 1.
The weather played a big role in making it easier for Minnesota's defense to keep Chicago's offense in check on Sunday. But Flores' game plan exacerbated things rather nicely before Williams left the game.
Holding Kyler Murray out was the right decision, if we needed more evidence
Murray seemed to be making good progress through the league's concussion protocol after being a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. Then he was ruled out on Friday, perhaps somewhat due to the weather forecast and the impact it'd have on the game.
Wet conditions and a notoriously poor surface at Soldier Field are a bad combination for any player who is dealing with a notable injury. Keeping Murray out of Sunday's game was always going to be the proper decision, and the overall circumstances of Week 2 simply fortified it.
Carson Wentz again proved why he is the ideal QB2
It was not a banner day for Wentz on Sunday, as the weather and Kevin O'Connell's allergy to giving his quarterback easy throws, combined to hurt him.
But on the drive that sealed the game late in the fourth quarter, he hit Jordan Addison for 15 yards to convert on third down. A couple of plays later, he connected with T.J. Hockenson for a 19-yard gain.
A less-experienced fill-in for Kyler Murray might have let the weather and struggles for most of the game impact his late-game performance, but not Wentz.
Dallas Turner is proving the Vikings right on a weekly basis
The Vikings eased Turner into things for basically a season-and-a-half before an injury to Jonathan Greenard led to a breakout late last year.
That breakout also led to trading Greenard during the offseason, as he wanted a new contract, and he has yet to suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles, as a pectoral injury continues to linger.
Turner had so many near-sacks against the Bears it was almost funny. But his game-sealing sack on the final play made everything right at exactly the ideal moment, and the Vikings' decision to pave the way for him to start continues to be proven all kinds of correct.
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