Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is well aware of his team’s impressive performance.
O’Connell knows he surprised many observers who expected the Vikings to finish at or near the bottom of the NFC North. He knows he’s getting credit for reviving the career of journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold.
But O’Connell is not satisfied. He wants to see his players take another step forward when the Vikings (8-2) take on the Chicago Bears (4-6) on the shores of Lake Michigan on Sunday.
“We have to continue to improve and prove it,” O’Connell said. “8-2 means nothing at all.”
This weekend’s district matchup should be something.
The Bears are desperate to end their losing streak at four and get their first win since Oct. 13. Chicago’s slump began with a Hail Mary pass in a loss to the Washington Commanders, but it’s been four weeks since last Sunday’s game in Green Bay. The Packers blocked a 46-yard field goal attempt by Bears kicker Cairo Santos as time expired.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus tried to remain upbeat despite the mounting losses.
“There were a lot of positives to build off of,” he said. “That’s what you have to do.”
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will look to build off a solid start as he prepares to face the Vikings for the first time in his young career. The rookie completed 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards and carried the ball nine times for 70 yards last week against Green Bay.
Chicago wide receiver DJ Moore, who had a team-high seven catches for 62 yards last week, should be able to keep the positive momentum going for him and his teammates this week against the Vikings’ top-10 defense. he said.
“We have the players, so hopefully we can run the ball with all kinds of defenses, from the No. 1 defense in the league all the way up to No. 32,” Moore said. “Hopefully we can keep this up and hopefully get some wins.”
While the Bears are looking to end their losing streak, the Vikings are looking to maintain their winning streak. Minnesota has wins over the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans over the past three weeks.
Darnold has a passer rating of 100.0 in 10 starts this season. He completed a career-high 67.9 percent of his passes for 2,387 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The next touchdown pass would be a career-high for Darnold, who played for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers and served as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers last season.
“I feel like we haven’t talked about our past experiences at all, but I think there are details here that we’ve been through since OTAs, since April,” Darnold said. “We’ve definitely been able to see our progress, just feet and eyes, where they’re supposed to be, and just being in time for the concept.
“If we play like that, it makes the quarterback position a little bit easier.”
It also helps that All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson has 59 catches for 912 yards and five touchdowns. The Vikings’ leading rusher is former Packer forward Aaron Jones, who has 692 yards and two touchdowns.
Last season, the two teams split their matchups. The Vikings won 19-13 against Chicago on October 15th, and the Bears won 12-10 against Minneapolis on November 27th.
Chicago is 4-2 at home this season. Minnesota is 4-1 on the road.
–Field level media
