The Chicago Bears know they should've beaten the Minnesota Vikings on opening night. They held the lead 17-6 in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, a defensive collapse, coupled with the offense's inability to extend the lead, left the door open for a comeback. Caleb Williams didn't have a bad game, but he was rendered ineffective for long stretches, and that ended up costing his team. Hopes are high that he is considerably better prepared this time around. His recent performances against Cincinnati and New York reflect that.
Thankfully, some added good news came down the pipeline. Reports out of Minnesota confirm that star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard will miss the game with a groin injury. This is no small loss. Greenard leads the Vikings by a wide margin with 36 pressures. He had seven in the game against Chicago, constantly harassing Williams all night. Minnesota has no obvious replacement for him. His absence should mean the Bears can focus their efforts more on blocking those Vikings interior rushers.
Caleb Williams has proven he can gash the Vikings if not pressured.
A good example was last season's meeting at Soldier Field. Minnesota had only 14 pressures, which was considerably lower than the 20 they had a few weeks later. As a result, Caleb Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Luckily for the Vikings, the offense put up 30 points and they escaped in overtime. There is no question that defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be aggressive. He's one of the most blitz-happy coaches in the NFL.
There is one problem with that. Williams has 769 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 110.0 passer rating when blitzed this season. It is not some magic solution to beating him. Often the best way was through getting pressure through a four-man rush. That option becomes less likely with Greenard out of the picture. If Chicago can establish the ground game and open up play action, Williams will have a big day.
