The Minnesota Vikings are gearing up for a Week 11 matchup with a Chicago Bears team that looks far different from their first meeting of the season. Since that Week 1 clash, the two NFC North teams have gone in very different directions.
The Vikings sit at 4-5, stumbling after a Week 10 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens that followed their Week 9 victory over the Detroit Lions. That defeat kept them below .500 and slowed any momentum they had built.
On the other hand, the Bears have climbed to 6-3, winning six of their last seven games, with their only loss coming to the Ravens on October 26. Caleb Williams’ late-game poise has fueled several close wins this season, putting Chicago firmly in playoff contention.
While speaking to reporters on November 12, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell shared what’s different about Williams now than when they faced the young quarterback in Week 1.
“We felt it in Week 1,” O’Connell told reporters on November 12. “Some of the throws he can make are at the highest level, whether it’s a play-action pass, on the move, or in the keeper game, with different ways of attacking downfield. When he breaks containment, he can make every throw.
“He’s made some throws that haven’t ended up in completions, but you watch him on tape because of the difficulty of the throws he can make in and out of the pocket. As he accumulates more snaps and builds off what he did last year, that experience is showing up in a consistency that’s helping them win.”
Minnesota Know What to Expect from Caleb Williams
The Vikings’ coach, who will be in charge of containing Williams, will be defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Ahead of the Week 11 matchup, reporters asked Flores about Williams’ late-game performances for Chicago.
“He’s proven that in those moments he’s come up big multiple times,“ Flores told reporters on November 11. “It looks like he thrives in those situations, which for a young quarterback is certainly an area you want to see.
“For us, we know that when it comes down to those moments—which most NFL games do—we’ve got to be at our best because he’s going to be at his best, and so are they. It’s a division game, so that’s probably what it’s going to be: A 60-minute battle. We’ve got to prepare the right way. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams Is Ready for the Vikings Challenge
Williams knows that whatever the Vikings throw at him, he will need to be ready. Despite the rivalry between the Bears and Vikings, the young quarterback didn’t hesitate to praise Flores.
“I would say he’s probably one of the more challenging coaches that I’ve had to go against so far in my career,“ Williams said on November 12 when talking to reporters about Flores. “Obviously, I haven’t played every single team yet and every single defensive coordinator, but up to this point, he’s been that.
“It’s all 70-plus plays that you have or so. It’s a full mental test. Every single play, he challenges you to reach your full mental capacity. This is always a fun game, going against Flo and his defense and the players he has on that side of the ball. Like I said, it’s always fun going up against a defensive coordinator and a team like this.”
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