Bears vs. Vikings: Three Things To Watch
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's basically a playoff elimination game on Sunday. Here are Three Things to Watch as the Bears take on the Vikings in Minnesota.
Trubisky's Resurgence
Will Trubisky's resurgence continue? Mitchell Trubisky has looked better in his three starts since coming back from the benching, with an offense this week he said is finally more catered to his skill set. He's on the move more and getting rid of the ball quickly. But can it continue? The Vikings defense has given up a lot of yardage, especially at home. But they also have faced a lot of great offenses. Football Outsiders has them the #14 defense when you factor in opponents. The Bears' last two opponents are the bottom two teams in those rankings, Detroit & Houston. So if Mitch can keep it going Sunday, that's a good sign that he's made some real progress.
Slowing Down Justin Jefferson
Can the Bears slow down Justin Jefferson? He's having the best season by a Vikings wide receiver since Randy Moss in 1998. Jefferson torched the Bears in their first matchup for 135 yards on eight catches, and now the Bears are banged up in the secondary. Whoever is covering Jefferson will be busy. He's averaging 10 targets a game over his last five games.
Kicking Concerns
How many kicks will Dan Bailey miss? The Bears may never have a greater special teams advantage than they have this week. The Vikings are sticking with Dan Bailey as their kicker after he had one of the worst games ever for a kicker. He missed all three of his field goal attempts and an extra point too, after missing two extra points and a field goal the week before. Meanwhile, Cairo Santos has made 18 straight field goals for the Bears, and he's on pace to break Robbie Gould's all-time single season field goal percentage mark of 90%. He's at 91.3%. So, if this game comes down to a kick, big time advantage to the Bears.
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