Chicago Bears: Storylines to follow in Week 12 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings

Can the Bears run defense give another good showing?

The Chicago Bears' rush defense has had a terrific turnaround from last season. In 2022, their rush defense ranked 31st in rushing yards. This season, however, they rank second in yards, seventh in rushing touchdowns, and lead the league in average yards per carry.

The rush defense took a little bit of a hit late in the game last week. They gave up 115 rushing yards, 33 of them in the last two drives. They also gave up two rushing touchdowns. David Montgomery averaged 6.3 yards per carry while Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 4.5 yards.

The Bears want to return to their run-stopping ways this week. They can do that against the Vikings. Minnesota ranks 28th in rushing yards, 25th in rushing touchdowns, and 27th in average yards per carry. For the season, they average 93.8 rushing yards per game.

The Vikings have been hot as of late, however. In their last three games, they average 148.7 rushing yards per game. Alexander Mattison, who replaced Dalvin Cook as the starting running back, has 542 rushing yards this season.

If the Bears have another big game against the run, then Dobbs becomes the focal point. The Bears did that last week against Jared Goff and the Lions and they forced three interceptions. Everything was falling into place until the last four minutes of the game. Hopefully, the Bears finish the job this week and punch a big hole in the Vikings' playoff hopes.