The Minnesota Vikings took plenty of questions about their defense into this season, jettisoning veterans for salary cap savings at three starting spots and carrying tenuous depth at a couple of key positions.
asserted
Vikings → take → positions
The return of defensive coordinator Brian Flores probably should have been the first clue, though, that the Vikings were going to be just fine.
asserted
Vikings → go → Flores
After scoring eight touchdowns and totaling 552 yards in a 59-37 win at Carolina in Week 1, quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears surged into their home opener and found a rain-soaked Soldier Field with an unrelenting Vikings defense.
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Williams → score → defense
Minnesota fueled an ugly 9-3 win on Sunday with four sacks, two turnovers and an average allowance of just 4.2 yards per play.
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Minnesota → fuel → play
“We just trust Brian Flores,” cornerback Isaiah Rodgers said.
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Rodgers → trust → Flores
“We want to go out there and play for our coaches, understanding that the scheme is going to work.
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scheme → want → coaches
We’ve just got to believe in it.”
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We → get → it
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he immediately felt confident in the strategy Flores had for containing Williams and his dual threat and Bears coach Ben Johnson’s shape-shifting offense during their regular game-planning meeting at the beginning of the week.
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Flores → say → week
Flores frequently sent extra pass rushers as he did against the Packers, but even more critical in this game was the way the Vikings committed to stopping the run — a combination of alignment, assignment and performance that continually put the Bears in unfavorable situations.
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that → send → situations
Jalen Redmond led the push on the interior again, with four tackles, a pass deflection and a forced fumble near the goal line.
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Redmond → lead → line
“I just try to be consistent with my play.
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I → try → play
That’s really it.
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That → ’ → ?
That’s how I try to hold myself, to be consistent and keep doing the things that work well,” Redmond said.
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Redmond → ’ → things
“Flo put us in a great position.
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Flo → put → position
We’ve just got to make it work, and make the layups.”
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it → get → layups
The Vikings are 25th in the NFL in percentage of their cap devoted to defense, according to contract data from Spotrac.
uncertain
Vikings → devote → Spotrac
Their top two inside linebackers, top two safeties and one starting edge rusher are all over 30.
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linebackers → start → 30
But being well-coached and well-connected can go a long way.
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being → coach → way
Flores regularly gives the players a voice in the game plan, before and during the action.
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Flores → give → action
“He’s asking us what calls we really like, what we feel confident in,” linebacker Blake Cashman said.
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Cashman → ask → what
“He’s asking the front, ‘Hey, if we’re bringing a backer, what rushes are you guys confident in?’
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guys → ask → rushes
We’re having that conversation on the sideline so we’re all on the same page.”
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we → have → page
What’s working
Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels can be proud of the way his units have performed.
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units → work → way
Rodgers blocked a field goal attempt by the Bears that would’ve tied it with 6:21 left.
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that → block → 6:21
Rookie punter Brett Thorson was also a big help for the defense with an average of 49.5 gross yards per punt, including a 62-yarder that helped keep the Bears out of scoring range late in the second quarter.
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that → include → quarter
What needs help
The Vikings converted just three of 13 third downs, and they failed on all four third-and-short plays of 3 yards or fewer to go.
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they → need → yards
Blake Brandel’s high snap through Wentz’s hands led to a 22-yard loss on third-and-2 from their 34 in the first quarter.
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snap → lead → quarter
Wentz was sacked on third-and-2 from their 32 in the third quarter.
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Wentz → sack → quarter
He not only produced his first 100-yard rushing game in 22 months since the Vikings won at Chicago in Week 12 of the 2024 season, but the 31-year-old also was on the field more than he’d been since Week 16 of that season by logging 42 of 52 snaps (80.8%) by the offense.
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he → produce → offense
Though this wasn’t a game for featuring the passing attack, the second-year wide receiver didn’t get any snaps on offense.
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receiver → feature → offense
He nearly cost the team with a special teams mistake early in the fourth quarter when he tackled Bears punt returner Kalif Raymond after he’d gone out of bounds, but Felton wasn’t flagged.
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Felton → cost → bounds
With Jauan Jennings out last week for a personal matter, punt and kickoff returner Myles Price moved into the No. 3 wide receiver role behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
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Price → move → Jefferson
Injury report
Kyler Murray will return at QB this week after clearing the concussion protocol. ...
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Murray → return → protocol
Starting DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was sidelined by a hip injury on Sunday, creating more opportunity for first-round draft pick Caleb Banks, who made an impact as a run-stopper.
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who → start → stopper
... Thorson strained his hamstring in the game, too, and was being evaluated on Monday.
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Thorson → strain → Monday
Key number
23 — Will Reichard’s streak of consecutive field goals made is the longest active run in the NFL and third-longest in team history.
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streak → make → history
Up next
The Vikings will face a frustrated team on Sunday at Tampa Bay, which has opened with one-score losses to Cincinnati and Cleveland.
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which → face → Cincinnati
The Vikings are just 2-7 against the Buccaneers since the league realignment in 2002, after going 31-17 against them as NFC Central opponents between 1977-2001.
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Vikings → go → 1977
The Aporia
