Vikings, Zimmer face struggles at Soldier Field head-on Monday
Dalvin Cook #33, Adam Thielen #19 and Tyler Conklin #83 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrate a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans by Cook during the first quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears meet at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.
That’s a thought that makes most Vikings’ fans cringe, and assume they’ll fly home that night with a loss. It’s a rarity that the Vikings play well at Soldier Field, especially in primetime. Mike Zimmer has faced the Bears six times at Soldier Field, and he’s 2-4. Their last win came in 2017, a 20-17 victory.
Zimmer’s Vikings have averaged 15.3 points per game in six contests at Soldier Field. He offered a pretty simple explanation on Wednesday as to their road struggles at Chicago.
“I think the biggest struggle is they’re really good. Their guys are really, really good, they’ve got good players and they’re coached well. That will be the biggest struggle for us is playing against a really good football team,” Zimmer said.
The two teams couldn’t be headed in a more opposite directions heading into Monday night’s game. The Vikings got off to a dismal 1-5 start, took the bye week to look themselves in the mirror and have come out of the week off with two straight wins against NFC North Division opponents.
With three straight home games after facing the Bears, there’s hope they can get themselves back in playoff contention.
The Bears started 3-0, but are now 5-4 after losing three straight. Monday’s biggest storyline will be about irresistible force meeting immovable object. The Vikings feature the NFL’s leading rusher in Dalvin Cook. The Bears feature the No. 3 rushing defense in the NFL. They’re allowing 3.7 yards per carry and just two rushing touchdowns this season.
“This year is something different, it’s about us knowing our identity, knowing who we is and going out there and playing football. I give the utmost respect to the Bears, but I think if we have a good week of practice, it’s truly about us and how we play,” Cook said.
Cook earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight game. He rushed for a career-high 206 yards and two scores in Sunday’s win over the Lions. He’s averaging nearly six yards per carry, and leads the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Zimmer’s philosophy has played out perfectly the last two games. Get the ball to Cook, sustain drives and play sound defense. But Cook has just 86 rushing yards in three games against the Bears, and they’ll have to find ways to win match-ups against Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith.
That means the Vikings will rely on their offensive line of Dakota Dozier, Riley Reiff, Garrett Bradbury, Brian O’Neill and Ezra Cleveland to open up holes and run lanes.
“If we can run it effectively, consistently throughout the game, it certainly gives us a much better chance to have a strong day on offense,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said.
The Vikings will be on the national stage Monday night, one that hasn’t treated them terribly well in the recent past. But with two straight wins out of the bye, and the next three at home, the Vikings control their own fate the last eight games as they battle to get back into the playoff conversation.
“It’s the next game as well, our mindset really is just every game to come in and put in the work. It’s Monday night, big lights, big stage, it’s what you play for. You play to win those big games and those games that mean a lot more,” said tight end Irv Smith Jr., who had two touchdowns last Sunday.
It’ll come down to executing. The Vikings are giving Cook the ball, and the Bears’ defense knows it.
“The sky is the limit for this team and I’m just proud of the work we’ve put in to this point. We can’t get complacent, we’ve just got to keep working,” Cook said.
Dantzler returns to Vikings practice; Ham, Irv Smith Jr. sit
The Vikings had a relatively short injury report on Thursday as they started preparations to face the Bears on Monday Night Football. Fullback C.J. Ham did not practice, and the team listed him with a chest/not injury-related designation. Irv Smith Jr. also didn’t practice with a groin injury.
Cameron Dantzler returned to practice as a limited participant. He missed Sunday’s win over Detroit in the concussion protocol, an injury sustained in the win at Green Bay. The Vikings also have to make a decision on Pat Elflein this week. If they don’t activate him from injured reserve, his season is over.