Bears vs. Vikings Prediction: Chicago prepares for critical NFC North showdown

David Banks - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 2 hours ago

It's hard to believe that we are now past the halfway point in the regular season with the stretch run right around the corner. Nine games into the Ben Johnson era, and the Chicago Bears are currently sitting at 6-3, which is good for second place in the NFC North. Chicago also finds itself as the No. 6 seed in the NFC, as it starts to think about the playoffs for this season.

While the 6-3 start is fantastic, keep in mind that this team actually started the season 0-2. To go 6-1 over their past seven games shows how well they have been playing. Despite that, some still don't quite believe in this team as they haven't had the toughest of schedules up to this point.

That shouldn't matter, as you play who is on your schedule when you see them, and the Bears have been taking care of the teams they have had to take care of. Starting this week, things are about to get a whole lot tougher, as the back end of the Bears' schedule will be challenging, and that all starts with the Minnesota Vikings this week at US Bank Stadium.

This will be the first time in Johnson's tenure that he will face a team for the second time this season, and he will be looking to rebound after falling to the Vikings to open the season. Chicago was a much different team then than it is now, but so are the Vikings; as a result, this has the chance to be a sneaky good game.

Here are some key points to consider in this one:

Kick them while they're down

When the Vikings chose to go with JJ McCarthy over Sam Darnold this season, there were plenty of question marks surrounding the decision. The biggest one being whether or not McCarthy was the right choice and whether the Vikings should have stuck with Darnold long-term.

Looking at how the season has unfolded for both players, it's safe to say the Vikings may have made a mistake letting Darnold walk, as he is playing at an MVP level in Seattle, while McCarthy has played three good quarters of football out of the 12 he has played. It's understandable for him to struggle, as he is still the youngest quarterback in the league at 22 and has only four career starts under his belt.

What is very concerning when it comes to the Vikings is that McCarthy and Justin Jefferson are not only not on the same page, but it is starting to boil over into pure frustration, as this is the first time in his career that Jefferson is struggling to get the ball. That doesn't bode well for the Vikings and their offense, as the Bears need to get under his skin early to keep the struggles coming.

What's next for CJ Gardner-Johnson?

When you talk about an immediate impact player, look no further than CJ Gardner-Johnson. Picked up off the waiver market two weeks ago, Gardner-Johnson not only suited up last Sunday, but made an immediate impact by recording a sack and forcing a fumble to help the Bears secure another win.

His performance alone was worth noting as he has the potential to play like that every week, which would make him one of the best steals of the season. Given what he showed last week, I wonder if he will start seeing an increased role on the defensive end. Known for his playmaking ability, Gardner-Johnson put that on full display last week, and the Bears are hoping that is just the start of what is to come.

After reports surfaced that Jaylon Johnson could return this season, with Kyler Gordon also close to returning, Gardner-Johnson adds another element to the Bears' secondary as they quickly become one of the better units in the game. They will need to be at their best to stop Jefferson and company, although the lack of passing by McCarthy is helping with that.

Keep pace in the NFC North

Don't look now, but with the Bears winning their sixth game in seven tries, Chicago has not only improved to 6-3, but they have the same record as the Detroit Lions, who sit atop the NFC North due to tiebreakers. With the Lions playing the Eagles this Sunday night, the Bears could be in sole possession of first place for the first time since early in the 2021 season, as long as they take care of their business on the road.

While the long-term goal for this team is to make the playoffs, they are still taking things on a week-to-week approach, which is all you can ask for. With that in mind, the Bears need to focus on winning this game against the Vikings and let everything else fall into place, as they are simply looking to keep pace in the NFC North.

Prediction: BEARS 24-20

This is one of those games that is extremely hard to pick. On the one hand, you have the ever-improving Bears team, which has improved each week and now boasts an offense that ranks among the top five in football. On the other hand, you have a reeling Vikings team that has been inconsistent since the start of the season and can't seem to figure it out offensively, no matter who is under center.

Considering Chicago had this game won in week one, only to let McCarthy catch fire in the fourth and lead the Vikings to their first win of the season, you know Chicago is going to come ready to go in this one, as they felt they gave that game away. Minnesota knows that, and this is a divisional matchup, so don't expect the Vikings just to roll over and die.

Given how things have gone for these teams in their past meetings, you should expect more of the same, as this one could come down to the final play. Either way, look for the Bears to get the job done as they secure a 24-20 win on the road to improve to 7-3 for the season.