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Vikings vs. Bears: Preview, score prediction for Week 5

By Nick Sparrow

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 1: Sam Bradford #8 of the Minnesota Vikings throws the ball in the first half of the game against the Chicago Bears on January 1, 2017 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 1: Sam Bradford #8 of the Minnesota Vikings throws the ball in the first half of the game against the Chicago Bears on January 1, 2017 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

Week 5 of the NFL season will feature an NFC North matchup as the Chicago Bears host the Minnesota Vikings. If either team has any chance of reaching the playoffs it has to start with this game, as both the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions are above these teams in the division.

The quarterback position will be the largest talking point of this game. Sam Bradford is expected to make a return for Minnesota after missing both Week 2 and 3 with a knee injury. Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is expected to make his first career start for the Bears, replacing Mike Glennon, who is also in his first year with the team.

Will it be the returning veteran or the rookie who makes the splash in primetime on Monday Night Football?

Keys to Victory

The Vikings are desperately going to need to find a way to replace the productivity of Dalvin Cook. Cook, who is in his rookie season, tore his ACL in Minnesota’s Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions and is done for the year. Cook had 444 yards from scrimmage at the time of his injury, nearly 30 percent of Minnesota’s total offensive yards.

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Having Bradford back will help Minnesota’s offense but it won’t make up for the impact of losing Cook entirely. If the other running backs on the Vikings’ roster cannot make up for Cook’s productivity alone, it must fall on the Minnesota coaching staff to adjust their gameplan in any way possible to re-establish their run game.

Playing at home, the Bears are going to need to focus on fitting their gameplan around Trubisky. We have seen the success rookie quarterbacks can have when the offense is designed specifically for them, which is what the Houston Texans are doing with Deshaun Watson.

Chicago cannot simply expect Trubisky to succeed where Glennon failed because they are two very distinct players with different styles. Trubisky is best in an offense that features play-action boots and moving around the pocket. Against an elite Vikings defense, it is important for Chicago to make Trubisky comfortable in his first start.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Minnesota -3
Moneyline: Minnesota -135, Chicago +115
Over/Under: N/A

All betting odds provided by BetOnline and Heritage via Sportsbook Review

Next: NFL 2017: Picks against the spread for Week 5

Prediction

A lot if unknown in this game. For the Vikings, we do not know how they will choose to replace Cook or what Bradford will look like after the injury. For the Bears, we haven’t seen Trubisky play since the preseason. With questions on offense, this game could come down defense. Minnesota’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL through the first four games of the season. With a rookie quarterback under center, this defense could have a great night.

Final Score: Minnesota Vikings: 28, Chicago Bears: 17

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