The 8-2 Minnesota Vikings will finish their three-game road trip with a stop in Chicago to take on the 4-6 Bears in Week 12. Make no mistake about the records, the boys from the Windy City are a talented group that could be trouble for the purple and gold on Sunday.
One issue is always health. The Vikings currently have several starters on injured reserve and have an injury report that included several key contributors including tight end Josh Oliver, who has been excellent the last few weeks.
Full injury update for Vikings and Bears
Here is a look at the injury report to see which players have been ruled out of the Week 12 game between the Vikings and Bears according to the official website of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings
OUT
Josh Oliver, TE - wrist/ankle
QUESTIONABLE
Gabriel Murphy, LB - knee
Nick Muse, TE - hand
Not having Josh Oliver available for Sunday's game is a bit of a blow to the Vikings. Minnesota's premier blocking tight end has emerged as a solid target in the Vikings' passing attack and now the team will need to rely on T.J. Hockenson to pick up some slack at Solidier Field.
Otherwise, the injury report doesn't look too bad. Garbriel Murphy and Nick Muse aren't major contributors, so if they need more time to heal, waiting another week to have them available wouldn't be a huge problem.
Chicago Bears
OUT
Ryan Bates, OL - concussion
Elijah Hicks, safety - ankle
QUESTIONABLE
Kiran Amegadjie, OL - calf
D'Andre Swift, RB - groin
Elijah Hicks is a starting safety for the Bears. That means his backup Jonathan Owens will likely get the start in his place. On the other hand, Ryan Bates wasn't likely to see action on offense for Chicago on Sunday, so his absence shouldn't be a major loss.
Chicago could be in an interesting spot if running back D'Andre Swift can't play. The Bears' starting running back would have an opportunity to be a big contributor if he can suit up. If he can't go, it will likely be Roschon Johnson getting those reps.
Don't miss a minute of the action on FOX in Week 12 when the Minnesota Vikings travel to Illinois to take on the Chicago Bears in an important NFC North matchup that could have major implications on the division down the road.