Harmon's Longship Week 2: Vikings Conquer Stormy Seas to Take Over Chicago

A battle won is still a battle won, no matter how messy it may have been.

The Vikings did something Sunday we have not often seen in the Kevin O’Connell era: win ugly. A team that was built for high-flying, explosive pass plays walked away victorious by winning a bloody, rain-soaked ground skirmish. The run game and defense set the tone while the passing game avoided critical errors. Exactly the war plan needed to leave Chicago with a win.

Let’s break down how the Vikings beat the Bears and what it means for them—and the rest of the league—going forward.

The battle in the Windy City

The Vikings descended on a tarp-covered Soldier Field that had taken a pounding from rain over the weekend, and Mother Nature did not let up once the game kicked off. The Vikings have largely struggled in recent years to win these “ugly” games in less-than-ideal conditions, but Sunday was a throwback to a style of game that would make former head coach Bud Grant proud.

Let's start with the passing game: there wasn’t one.

Well, that is outside of a nice drop in the bucket from Wentz to Justin Jefferson on the team’s first drive. Wentz finished 11-of-20 for 143 yards and no touchdowns and had an easy interception dropped (shoutout to the rain for the assist). He struggled with accuracy throughout the game but did just enough to keep the offense moving. Aaron Jones Sr. was the real star offensively, carrying the ball 23 times for 105 yards. The stats may not win you this week’s fantasy matchup, but Jones’s grit and toughness were the driving force for the Vikings' entire offense.

Defensively, this team continues to dominate, and they still have room to grow. Dallas Turner may just be that guy (h/t: The Athletic's Alec Lewis).

Where Dallas Turner ranks among NFL pass rushers through two weeks, per @NextGenStats...

— 20 pressures: 1st
— 11 QB hits: 1st
— 3 sacks: 2nd
— 10 quick pressures: 1st
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) September 21, 2026

The third-year pass rusher added another two sacks, including a game-sealing takedown of Tyson Bagent, where Turner turned Colston Loveland into his personal wrecking ball. Have we mentioned that Turner is still only 23? The Vikings may very well have their next name in a long line of legendary franchise pass rushers.

Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel also tallied sacks on the day, further solidifying their importance to Flores’ scheme. Jalen Redmond came away with four tackles and a forced fumble to prevent a Bears TD near the goal line. The fumble was picked up by Isaiah Rodgers, who also had a game-changing blocked field goal.

First-round pick Caleb Banks was everywhere, stopping runs in the backfield and ending the day with six tackles. In a hyped up battle between Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Bears head coach Ben Johnson, Flores won the day convincingly.

Oh Brian Flores was TALKING on the way off the field 😭 pic.twitter.com/LfHhyz2Hbf
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) September 20, 2026

Will Reichard was the sole contributor to the scoreboard for the Vikings, nailing all three of his field goal attempts, even nailing the last one off the upright and in to add some excitement. He remains a perfect 4-of-4 on FG attempts this season.

Lessons learned on Sunday

The main takeaway from the Vikings’ season so far? If they clean up a few glaring flaws, they may just be unstoppable. Seriously, this team has had a passing game that’s totaled 259 net yards over two games, an inconsistent and oft-injured group of running backs, and a defense that can get to ball carriers but struggles to bring them to the ground.

Yet, the Purple and Gold are undefeated against two divisional opponents, largely thanks to Flores's madman defensive scheme.

It may seem like nitpicking to acknowledge flaws instead of simply praising what O’Connell & Co. have done despite rampant adversity over two weeks. On the contrary, it’s acknowledging what the team must still overcome if they are going to stand alone as the ultimate victors in February.

O’Connell seemed confident after Sunday's win that Murray would be cleared this week (h/t: ESPN's Kevin Seifert), which should inject new life into a passing game that Wentz was barely keeping afloat.

Kevin O’Connell says that Kyler Murray remains on track to be cleared from concussion protocol early this week.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 20, 2026

Some slight adjustments in practice priorities for the defense could help clean up the few rough spots in tackling and coverage across an otherwise stellar unit. If the Vikings offense can get in a groove with Murray back, this team may just be a contender.

The journey ahead

The Vikings are the only team in the NFL to be a perfect 2-0, with both wins coming against divisional opponents. The Lions' defense looked shaky against the Bills, but Jared Goff and the offense did put up a respectable fight in a 41-31 loss.

The Packers were in an absolute dogfight with the Jets in a game that, unironically, had a local Vikings watch party I was at, chanting “J-E-T-S”. The Pack ended up sneaking away with a 20-17 overtime victory. The big concern for the Bears? The injury to Caleb Williams that had him carted off the field. An official prognosis has not come out for what appears to be a hamstring injury.

Elsewhere in the conference, the defending champs dominated the Cardinals with Drew Lock as Sam Darnold continues to recover. The Eagles snuck away from Tennessee with a 24-20 win against the Titans. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels suffered a brutal arm injury as they lost to Dallas 37-20. The Niners beat down on the Dolphins in a 35-13 victory, and the Rams look to get into the win column against the Giants on Monday.

Basically, the NFC appears wide open to start the season, and the Vikings have built themselves an incredible buffer with two straight divisional wins to open the 2026 campaign. That said, they’ll head into week three against a desperate conference opponent.

Know your Week 3 foe: the Buccaneers

The Vikings head to Tampa Bay to face off against the Buccaneers next Sunday afternoon in a battle that would have my three-year-old son losing his mind. Which group of seafaring soldiers will come away victorious? So far, everything points to it being the Vikings, which is exactly why they must be careful.

The Bucs are 0-2 to start the year after losses to Cincinnati and Cleveland. I’m sure no one in that building is a fan of Ohio at the moment. Baker Mayfield is off to a slow start with only one passing touchdown so far. Most notably, he has been sacked seven times so far this season, a number I’m sure Flores is very excited about. Their passing defense allowed 254 passing yards and one touchdown from Joe Burrow in week one and 238 yards and two TDs from Deshaun Watson in a weather-delayed week two. There will be opportunities for Kyler Murray if he does indeed make his return; he’ll just need to be patient enough to let his wideouts find space.

The Bucs will be desperate for a win to save their season, and the Vikings will need to avoid complacency as they push for a 3-0 start.

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