The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears will clash for a second time this 2025 NFL season. Moreover, the intriguing in-game matchup will be between the Bears’ offense and the Vikings’ defense.
Despite the loss in Week 10 to the Baltimore Ravens, the Vikings’ defense kept the opposition in check. Minnesota kept Lamar Jackson and Co. in check for the first half before Baltimore eventually racked up points to secure the win.
Meanwhile, the Bears’ offense is hitting its stride with head coach Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. On November 12, Johnson spoke to the media and shared his thoughts on the Vikings’ defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“I’m sure Flo would tell you it’s not that much defense for them, but from an offensive perspective, it feels like there’s a lot of variety in fronts, coverages, and personnel groups,” Johnson told reporters. “He does a great job mixing everything up, and each week brings a different flavor. He played us a certain way in Week 1 that was a little different from what you might have seen in recent years. Looking at the last few weeks, he’s changed things up again.
“A lot of it depends on who he has available. In Week 1, they didn’t have Harrison Smith. Guys move in and out — [Andrew] Van Ginkel in and out, [Jonathan] Greenard, we’ll see where he’s at this week. He does as good a job as anyone at putting his players in the right spots and keeping the opposing play caller guessing.”
Vikings’ Brian Flores Is an Issue for the Bears
Johnson didn’t stop there when talking about Flores and what makes him a challenging opponent to decipher. The Bears’ coach went into detail about how the Vikings’ coordinator can disguise what his defense intends to do out on the field.
“You just [don’t] know what front [a Flores defense is] going to major in or what they were keying on. I think many of those elements from how he was brought up probably carry over to his philosophy now, and it shows in his approach.
“It definitely creates issues when you’re trying to game plan because you want to make sure you’re sound and that everyone is accounted for. But if you do too much, you risk players overthinking, which slows them down, and the defense feeds on that. That’s the challenge and the balance we’re trying to find this week.”
Vikings Ready to Stop Bears QB Caleb Williams
Before the Week 11 matchup, Flores was asked about how Bears quarterback Caleb Williams could play a key role in helping Chicago win tight contests.
“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.”
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