A Different Bears Offense Confronts Vikings in Rematch
Rematches between NFL divisional opponents often take on drastically different looks than the first game.
The Bears have to hope this is the case Sunday when they play what essentially is a playoff game at Minneapolis against the Minnesota Vikings.
They'd much rather forget about the first matchup, which had to be the low point of the season for their offense.
If it had come against one of the league's better defenses, like Indianapolis or Tampa Bay, or even against the Packers, that would have been understandable.
However, the Vikings on defense had been dreadful before the game. They've improved slightly since then over how they played earlier in the season, but still not enough to even elevate their statistical standing to the top half of the league.
The Vikings will face a different Bears offense, of that there is no doubt. What this says for the outcome is open to interpretation.
Here's what's different from a Bears standpoint than in the first game and what's important:
1. David Montgomery didn't play against the Vikings.
They used converted wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson for most running plays and only ran the ball 19 times. Patterson ran 12 of them. Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce took on roles and did virtually nothing.
Minnesota has given up at least 96 yards rushing in every other game this season, and allowed 124 yards or more in seven games. Yet in that one game the Vikings managed to hold the Bears to 41 rushing yards
It can look different with Montgomery back from his concussion and running well.
2. The Bears offensive line
Their line was yet another hodge-podge of unmatched parts when they played Minnesota. They've used six different lines and that was possibly their worst.
Right tackle is a key run-blocking spot for any team and the Bears, as well. The Vikings have one good player on the line playing at left end and going against the right tackle, and that's Ifeadi Odenigbo. It was Odenigbo who injured Nick Foles on the final drive. And who did the Bears have to play right tackle? Inexperienced Alex Bars. He isn't really even a tackle, and if he can play tackle it's left tackle and not right tackle. A mauler is needed for running plays there. Bars fit in just fine at right guard, though, alongside former Notre Dame teammate Sam Mustipher, and the Bears have made do with right guard Germain Ifedi playing right tackle. It isn't ideal, but it sure beats a line with Bars at right tackle and Rashaad Coward playing right guard. The line has done nothing but excel since Coward stopped playing. He has a 46.2 Pro Football Focus blocking grade this year.
One other thing to be remembered: Cody Whitehair not only played center in that, but did it without practicing all week. He'd been on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and couldn't practice until he came off just before the game. Now he's not even at center and is healthy.
3. Mitchell Trubisky
Whether anyone wants to believe the company line about this being the "new Mitchell Trubisky," he still can't be much worse than Nick Foles was in that first game. Foles threw up an ill-advised deep pass that let Harrison Smith do what he always does against the Bears and take advantage of their impatience. Foles had a passer rating of 51.1, as he completed 15 of 26 for only 106 yards against one of the league's worst pass defenses.
The problem for the Bears is Trubisky has never played a good game against the Vikings defense, even though they won four of his six starts against them. Two wins came in the season's final game, one against substitute Minnesota players, the other after the Vikings had folded up shop and the Bears had won the division and were using subs themselves in the second half. In anotherTrubisky suffered a shoulder injury and left. He has only a 72.5 passer rating against them. At least it's better than what Foles did against the Vikings last time. And Trubisky does offer the option of scrambling. It was being immobile behind a bad offensive line which eventually got Foles injured in the last Vikings game.
4. Tight Ends
The Bears have discovered Cole Kmet can catch passes of all types since that last game. They had no tight end contribution, or almost none. Kmet caught a 7-yard pass in that game and Jimmy Graham got blanked. In three games since then, they caught 17 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. It makes a difference because it can take away some of Smith's ability to cheat to Allen Robinson's side in providing a double team.
5. Bill Lazor
The Vikings game was the first test for the play calling of offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. It produced six points. The other TD came on Patterson's return to start the second half. However, Lazor seems to have found a groove as a play caller since with 30 and 36 points the last two games and a strong second half against the Packers in a blowout loss.
6. The Offense Was Close Anyway
What has to be remembered is despite all their troubles, the Bears didn't fall behind until the fourth quarter on a 63-yard Vikings drive. Then they had three possessions to do something about their deficit and actually reached the Vikings 31 with just over two minutes left before they lost the ball on downs. A critical 4-yard loss on a third-down throw behind the line to Allen Robinson proved too much to overcome and for some reason they called a deep pass on fourth-and-9.
So they were on fairly even terms even with a clown car of an offense in the first game.
Sure, their defense isn't as good now as it was then. They have always managed to give Kirk Cousins fits, and even while being his first Monday Night Football victim ever they caused problems then for the Vikings quarterback.
It's easy to see the Bears reversing their fortunes from the first game just by using very little imagination.
It's also easy to see them finding some other way to lose, as they did so effectively during their six-game losing streak.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
