Four Things to Watch in Sunday's 'Meaningless' Vikings-Bears Game at U.S. Bank Stadium
For the third consecutive season, the Vikings are heading into a regular season finale without any playoff implications. In 2019, they were locked into the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Over the past two seasons, they've been eliminated from contention prior to the final week of the year, leaving the game as little more than a glorified exhibition.
Sunday's game against the Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium is going to be a strange one. There's a growing sense that it could be Mike Zimmer's last as head coach of the Vikings, with the possibility that news of his firing could come less than 24 hours later. The Bears also have a coach in Matt Nagy who could be gone on what is known as the NFL's Black Monday. It'll be fascinating to see what kind of crowd shows up and how they greet Zimmer. With boos for two disappointing seasons? Or with applause for a mostly successful eight-year run? I'm guessing a mix of both.
On the field, there's still a game to play, even if it doesn't really mean anything. Zimmer is going to play Kirk Cousins and the rest of his available starters, hoping to end the season on a positive note. The Bears, despite missing Justin Fields and Akiem Hicks, will also be competing hard and hoping to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Vikings.
The strange irony of games like this one is that while both teams will be hoping for a win, the loser may benefit most from the improvement of their draft position. Or at least that's the case for the Vikings; the Bears don't own their first-round pick so it doesn't matter for them.
Let's get into five things to watch from a Vikings perspective in Sunday's game.
Justin Jefferson's pursuit of history
Entering the final game of his second season, Jefferson has 1,509 receiving yards. The single-season Vikings record is Randy Moss's 1,632 in 2003, meaning Jefferson can break that with 124 yards on Sunday. With Cousins throwing him the ball, that's definitely within reach.
The thing that NFL fans across the country are starting to grapple with is how they view single-season records now that there's a 17th game. Cooper Kupp, for example, may break the all-time receptions and yards records. Is it fair to view what Jefferson or Kupp might do in 17 games as a greater achievement than what their predecessors, like Moss, did in 16?
"It’s not fair to the guys that only had 16 games," Jefferson said. "So, you know, I got a little extra chance to get it. It’s definitely an honor to be in this position, competing to have the most yards in a single season. I couldn’t ask for anything more, just surrounded by all these guys on the team, being with Kirk, it’s just been a blessing to be in this position."
If Jefferson does break it, some will view it with an asterisk. But the NFL has expanded its season before, most recently from 14 games to 16 in 1978. It's just something that happens, and it shouldn't take away from what he has done this season. In the official history books, there won't be an asterisk if Jefferson does get there. He still currently has 8 fewer catches and 12 fewer targets than Moss did in 2003, anyways.
In general, Jefferson is one of the main reasons to tune into this game. His historic brilliance has been the single biggest bright spot for the Vikings over the past two years, and the 22-year-old superstar gives them someone to build around going forward.
Kirk Cousins' last hurrah in Minnesota?
Much like Zimmer, Cousins enters this game with questions swirling about his future. If the Vikings do make major changes at head coach and/or GM, the new hires may want to go in a different direction at quarterback. Cousins has put up great stats in his four seasons in Minnesota, but it has led to just a 32-29-1 record and one playoff appearance. Wins are not solely a QB stat, of course, but Cousins hasn't elevated the franchise the way the Vikings were hoping when they signed him (and then extended him two years later).
It's all about value. Cousins is probably in the 8-12 range among NFL starters, but is that level of production worth it considering he's paid like a top-three guy? His cap hit for next season — the final year of his contract — is $45 million. If the Vikings don't want to extend Cousins again, they can either let him play that final year or, more intriguingly, look for trade partners.
Anyways, that's a longer discussion for another day. The point is that there's a chance this is Cousins' last game as a Viking and I'm curious about what the fan reception will be for him, as well. And how will he play? It would be very on-brand for Cousins to tear up the Bears in a game that means nothing. On the other hand, he has a 9-to-5 TD/INT ratio in six games against the Bears since joining the Vikings, with 20 sacks taken and zero 300-yard outings.
Other young players
Personally, I think the Vikings are making a mistake by playing their starters in this game. Why risk an injury to someone like Jefferson or Cousins in a game with no playoff stakes? Why not see what you have in some of the young players who haven't gotten much of an opportunity to see the field this year? Zimmer isn't viewing it that way, and that isn't surprising considering that if he does get fired after the game, the Vikings' future is no longer his concern.
"I get these questions about 'Are we going to play young guys?' The preseason, training camp, that's for those guys to play," Zimmer said. "This is a regular season game and we approach it the same as we would the first game of the year. We grind the same, we do everything pretty much the same, other than we back down a few reps, but we do that at the end of the year anyway. This isn't the preseason. We just go about our business like we always have."
Regardless, there will be some young players to watch on Sunday beyond Jefferson. Christian Darrisaw and Ezra Cleveland are expected to come off the COVID list and play. Both appear to have bright futures on the left side of the Vikings' offensive line. Armon Watts will get another starting opportunity with Michael Pierce out. Cameron Dantzler, K.J. Osborn, and D.J. Wonnum are second-year players who have seen the field a bunch this season. Kene Nwangwu will have his final chance of the year to return a kickoff or two. And if Mackensie Alexander doesn't play (he's questionable), we could see Harrison Hand get some rare playing time.
Who steps up and plays well?
The word 'meaningless' is used a lot to describe a game like this. It's in the title of this article. And in terms of stakes, it's true: all the result is going to do is impact the draft order.
But for the players, a chance to go out on the field and compete with their teammates is never meaningless. These guys know that you only get so many opportunities to play in NFL games, so they're not overlooking it.
"I tell the guys all the time, I don’t care how you cut it, there’s nothing like winning," Patrick Peterson said. "We could be 0-16 and I’m still preparing to win that last game because, one, you don’t know when that opportunity is going to come to an end and two, you don’t know who else is watching. I hate that term that we’re not playing for anything. You are playing for something. You are playing for your livelihood, you are still playing for your job, you are still playing for your family because because for me, I don’t want to go out there and put bad tape out there. My daughter is watching me, my family is watching me, looking up to me. I want to to put my best foot forward."
Peterson, who stepped in as a captain and leader during his first season with the Vikings, has an uncertain future. One of 19 pending unrestricted free agents on the roster, Peterson may or may not be back in Minnesota this year. So he wants to go out and play well to end this season, whether it matters or not. He's also mentioned on his podcast that he's hoping for an interception this week, as he has had at least one pick in all ten of his seasons so far and is currently sitting on a goose egg.
He's not the only one. Take Dalvin Cook, who could be risking another injury by suiting up and playing in this game. But he wants to play. He wants to beat the Bears, even if his usual trash-talk foe Akiem Hicks is out.
"A game in the NFL is never meaningless," Cook said. "It's a tryout every time you go out. You can't put bad film out there, that's just not good for anybody. These guys know that. We're going to do our same normal things and go get ready for a football game and go win a football game. That's our mindset."
When asked what motivates him for a game like this, Cook stood up and showed the Zoom camera his tattoo of his late father, who passed away around this time last season.
"It's football, man. What do I have right here? It's my dad. It's my dad. That's one of my reasons. Every time I'm going to compete, that's how he raised me. It ain't about nothing but competing and getting better."
"I think you play this game for the guys next to you," Garrett Bradbury said. "At the end of the day, it’s the locker room, it’s those guys to your right and left – that’s why you do it. It’s one more time. You never know who’s going to be in the room next year, who’s not, so it’s just one more time with this group, potentially, to go out and make some plays and have some fun.”
There may not be a playoff spot on the line, but it's still NFL football. I'll be curious to see who steps up, plays well, and makes a good impression heading into next season. And with eight months ahead without regular season Minnesota Vikings football, why not try to enjoy this one as much as possible?
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