If the season ended today, MIN is the 7th playoff team and they actually have a 1.5 game lead on the 8th place team. The NFC is super weak this year.

Fields gets 8 days to get that thumb healed up a little more. He handled pressure really well against DET. MIN is going to blitz, that is what they do. I think Fields will make them pay this time.

In the last meeting, the Bears had the ball with 6:44 left in the 4th, down by 6 and Bagent got them all the way down to the MIN 35 before throwing that pick. As long as the injury report looks good, this will be another game where the Bears are the healthiest they have been all year while MIN will be without Cousins and Jefferson.

This game means more to MIN than it does to CHI, but I think Fields is worth at least 7 points compared to last game. I am going to go with Bears 24-20 with MIN scoring a TD late to make everyone stress a little at the end because the Bears rarely win easy games.

If the Bears win this, I think they also beat DET at home after the bye. They have the formula to beat Goff, they just need to stick with it all game. 

The point is after dominating the Lions for 55 minutes, we now can beat anyone but how will we beat ourselves. 

7 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

The point is after dominating the Lions for 55 minutes, we now can beat anyone but how will we beat ourselves. 

Very true. I guess it would be more fun to figure out how they lose this time.

 

1. Defensive Pass Interference on deep ball gives MIN ball at 1 with 0:00 on the clock, Dobbs runs it in for the win.
2. Fields Pick-6 with Bears up by 6. XP wins it 21-20.
3. Bears burn clock on long drive to end game, instead of trying for TD, they burn more clock and go for FG to win it, and Santos misses, Bears lose by 1.
4. Bears down by 1, go for 2 to win it and don't make it, lose by 1.
5. Bears score TD to take lead by 4 with 30 seconds remaining, on ensuing kickoff, MIN runs it back for the win.

2 minutes ago, adam said:

Very true. I guess it would be more fun to figure out how they lose this time.

 

1. Defensive Pass Interference on deep ball gives MIN ball at 1 with 0:00 on the clock, Dobbs runs it in for the win.
2. Fields Pick-6 with Bears up by 6. XP wins it 21-20.
3. Bears burn clock on long drive to end game, instead of trying for TD, they burn more clock and go for FG to win it, and Santos misses, Bears lose by 1.
4. Bears down by 1, go for 2 to win it and don't make it, lose by 1.
5. Bears score TD to take lead by 4 with 30 seconds remaining, on ensuing kickoff, MIN runs it back for the win.

The key will be , how will the coaches adapt to the game and not make the wrong decisions.

1 hour ago, adam said:

If the Bears win this, I think they also beat DET at home after the bye. They have the formula to beat Goff, they just need to stick with it all game. 

From the little bit of the last Minnesota game I saw, Dobbs gets rattled like Goff does if you pressure him.  Difference between them is Dobbs is way more mobile. They may need to consider deploying a spy on him for Minny.  Maybe Sanborn is up to the task?  I was happy to see more blitzes last game than we’ve seen before.  But yeah, like Stinger said, after what they did with Detroit and they have the team to near perfect health they can beat most teams right now.  Just not themselves. 

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

From the little bit of the last Minnesota game I saw, Dobbs gets rattled like Goff does if you pressure him.  Difference between them is Dobbs is way more mobile. They may need to consider deploying a spy on him for Minny.  Maybe Sanborn is up to the task?  I was happy to see more blitzes last game than we’ve seen before.  But yeah, like Stinger said, after what they did with Detroit and they have the team to near perfect health they can beat most teams right now.  Just not themselves. 

Yeah, if they don't let Dobbs free, don't let Hockenson just sit down in the zone and ensure Addison doesn't get free over the top, I think the Bears will win fairly easy.

Bears in pretty good shape with injury report.  Would personally like to see Foreman play. And hope Feeney gets the call at Center.  
 

Meanwhile, Jefferson and Hockenstein were “limited” in the last injury report I saw for Minny.  I think  that’s actually an upgrade for Jefferson.  
 

Stevenson and Foreman out.  ☹️?

This post brought to you courtesy of Makers Mark.  ?

we obviously arent playoff bound this year, so getting Smith more snaps and looks isnt a bad thing at all - especially with JJ's contract looming.

10 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Stevenson and Foreman out.  ☹️?

This post brought to you courtesy of Makers Mark.  ?

Bears by 2 TDs!!

Its good to see what we have in Smith, I think they put the transition tag on him ( 17 mil) and keep him from leaving. If Smith plays well in increases the chance they let JJ walk but they can do both.  

The JJ situation is going to be interesting. I hope Poles doesn't keep making holes though. He needs to upgrade weaknesses, not fill currently filled positions with different players. 

If the Bears can't beat the Vikings without Cousins AND Jefferson, it will be another incredibly sad loss.

53 minutes ago, adam said:

The JJ situation is going to be interesting. I hope Poles doesn't keep making holes though. He needs to upgrade weaknesses, not fill currently filled positions with different players. 

If the Bears can't beat the Vikings without Cousins AND Jefferson, it will be another incredibly sad loss.

Agreed on Johnson.  He's a young talent that needs to be here.  I would transition tag him.

First team to 20 wins. 

27-13 Bears, maybe one of these games they will finish instead of the normal Bears miscues to lose a game they should have won.

That second throw to Moore was what Im looking for. Fields took his drop and threw the ball in rhythm. Good.

Moore was wide open too so that made it easy - but that's the rhythm.

Fields looked really good on that drive, but we always look good with the scripted plays. Let's see if it continues.

I had predicted 4 sacks and an INT.

But if Fields played like that all the time, I'd be on his side. We're past the script now, so let's see.

some good some bad. 2 sacks, but Fields stood in the heat on that blitz, stayed in the pocket and found Kmet - great job. So far hes played calmer than weve seen. Thats also excellent.

The play calling is good, some missed blocks not giving Justin a lot of time.

Great pick by JJ! Im sure the dropped int last week has been on his mind.

Fields had Mooney for the first down and hung him out to dry and almost got him killed.

Now we're back to bears football, 3 penalties and a punt.

This is going the way the Detroit game was.  Another old school ‘black and blue’  Division game.  

Not usually heralding Johnson’s play but so far he’s playing really well. 

JJ looks like he's ready to be a player. I think he's getting a taste of what it takes to play at a high level int he league, and he's pushing for it now - good to see. That could really help him get that deal.