Written by: John Stocco
Twitter: @realJohnStocco
The Bears won their second game of the season on Monday night against the Redskins. The Redskins game was a game the Bears should have won. It should have been an easy game for Trubisky to gain confidence in his own abilities, an easy game to establish the run, an easy game to get Burton and Miller back in the mix, and an easy game for the defense to dominate an offense once again. Heading into this game against the Vikings the Bears are riding high, and if, or when, the Bears take care of business and win this game, the Bears put themselves back in the mix as the favorites in the NFC North, and one of the best teams in the NFC.
Am I expecting the Bears' defense to be as dominant as they were against the Redskins? Yep. Kirk Cousins has been nothing but a bust since coming to Minnesota. He hasn’t lived up to the contract, and every week the Vikings are telling you that they don’t trust him. Week 1 against the Falcons, 8/10, 98 yards, and 1 TD. Week 2 against the Packers, 14/32, 230 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT’s, one of those interceptions sealed the deal for the Packers because Cousins threw one of the worst passes I’ve ever seen in my life. Week 3 against the Raiders, 15/21, 174 yards, and 1 TD. This is what everyone thinks Mitch Trubisky’s numbers look like. The Vikings have shown zero faith in Kirk Cousins against defenses that don’t even hold a candle to the Bears' defense. Dalvin Cook has been sensational this year, but he’s running into an elite defense that’s going to stack the box, attack the line of scrimmage, and force Kirk Cousins to beat them. That’s not good news for the Vikings because Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd are licking their chops to get into that backfield.
As for the offense, everything they did on Monday night, that’s where the bar is set. If Mitch Trubisky plays the way that he did consistently then this Bears team has a real shot at winning in big games. So many people want to see the flashy plays. They wanna see the big throws like Patrick Mahomes and Carson Wentz, but sometimes, simple wins you football games. Hide Trubisky’s flaws. Keep it safe, keep it simple, and let the playmakers on this team make the flashy plays after the catch. The running game is improving, but there’s still room for more. Cordarrelle Patterson is getting more action in wildcat type of play-calling, and David Montgomery has that one big play ability where he’s a few cuts away from breaking one for 60 plus yards. The goal this week should be getting Tarik Cohen back involved in the game plan as a receiver. Getting Tarik Cohen in the passing game along with Taylor Gabriel, and Anthony Miller will only help Trubisky and help the Bears beat the Vikings. Screens, 4-yard curls, 5-yard slants, finding them in the flat, death by a million paper cuts.
The Bears win on Sunday, and it’s the type of win that could really set them off. The NFC North is the NFL’s best division. When the Lions are technically undefeated, you know the division is stacked. The Bears need to win this game to put themselves ahead of the division and to set them up nicely for the next six weeks. Against the Raiders in London, at home against the Saints without Drew Brees, the unluckiest team in the world without a fan base, the LA Chargers, the Eagles with no secondary, while Alshon Jeffery and Carson Wentz are injury prone, and then the Lions are at home. Don’t call me crazy, but the Bears are looking at 8-1 square in the face. If the Bears go 8-1 they’re sitting pretty in first place and will be considered as one of the best teams in the NFL. It all starts this Sunday with a win at home against the Vikings.