The Chicago Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings within the regular-season finale Sunday at Soldier Field.
The 12-4 Vikings clinched the NFC North on Dec. 17 however might seize the No. 2 seed within the NFC with a win and a San Francisco 49ers loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, the 3-13 Bears might keep away from setting a workforce document for losses if they arrive out on high.
As kickoff approaches, right here’s our snapshot take a look at the sport.
1. Pressing query
Where will the Bears decide within the first spherical of the 2023 draft?
Bears gamers are going to be targeted on successful. But with Fields not enjoying, the main focus for a lot of followers shall be how the Bears can land the best draft decide attainable.
If the Bears lose to the Vikings and the 2-13-1 Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts, the Bears would get the No. 1 decide within the 2023 draft. If the Bears and the Texans lose, the Texans will decide No. 1 and the Bears No. 2.
And if the Bears win, they may drop to No. 3 or 4, relying on whether or not the Cardinals or Denver Broncos — each 4-12 — lose.
The Vikings might assist the Bears’ draft standing in the event that they play their starters. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was requested early within the week whether or not he would sit starters akin to quarterback Kirk Cousins or extensive receiver Justin Jefferson or whether or not lineup adjustments could be extra refined than that coming off a 41-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
“It would probably be more subtle than that, just knowing the 2 seed is still available for us,” O’Connell stated. “We still have a lot to play for, just from a momentum standpoint of a football team that has kind of had some highs this year for sure and then one of our low moments of the season (against the Packers), where you’d like to be able to rely on a lot of things we’ve built here to come back together and make sure we rectify some of the issues that contributed to (the Week 17 loss).”
In the groups’ Week 5 assembly, Cousins threw for 296 yards and Jefferson had 12 catches for 154 yards.
2. Player within the highlight
Nathan Peterman
Peterman didn’t know till Wednesday morning that he could be the Bears’ Week 18 starter, a little bit of a shock twist after coaches, front-office leaders and the workforce’s medical employees made a collective choice to not tempt destiny by enjoying Justin Fields in a meaningless finale.
Fields, Matt Eberflus stated, reported discomfort in his hip Monday morning, underwent an MRI and was identified with a hip pressure the workforce didn’t wish to idiot round with. So now Peterman will get his first begin since 2018, when he was a second-year participant with the Buffalo Bills. He went 31-for-49 for 188 yards with three interceptions in that sport, which coincidentally was a 41-9 loss to the Bears.
Sunday shall be his fifth profession begin.
“(I’m) extremely confident,” he stated. “I’m excited. It’s been a little bit. (It’s) just be great to get out there with the guys and play some football and have some fun.”
Don’t be stunned, although, if Tim Boyle, who joined the Bears in Week 13, additionally sees time Sunday. That has been mentioned.
For a sizzling minute in Week 12, Peterman appeared like he could be the Bears’ emergency starter towards the New York Jets after Trevor Siemian — filling in that day as Fields handled a separated left shoulder — suffered an indirect damage throughout pregame warmups. But after the workforce introduced Siemian was out within the hour earlier than kickoff, he pushed to play and located a option to intestine by way of his ache in a 31-10 loss. The Bears positioned Siemian on injured reserve three days later.
Peterman was requested this week concerning the chaos of that day in New Jersey.
“Crazy time,” he stated. “I don’t really want to go into it too much. Yeah, a lot of crazy stuff that day.”
Instead, Peterman has turned his focus towards giving his greatest effort Sunday towards the Vikings. He would be the forty third quarterback to start out a sport for the Bears since they gained Super Bowl XX.
3. Keep a watch on …
Chase Claypool
The Bears extensive receiver stated the frustration he confirmed on the sideline Sunday through the Bears’ 41-10 loss to the Detroit Lions stemmed from not eager to accept such an unsightly displaying.
“I was all fired up because we can’t lose that bad ever,” Claypool stated. “We have to have a little bit more pride, a little bit more heart, so it doesn’t happen again.”
Claypool stated he had “a good little back and forth” with Fields about find out how to deal with such frustrations, which the extensive receiver stated got here after the Bears went three-and-out on two straight drives.
“Something’s got to change in that moment,” Claypool stated. “We’ve got to realize the drives where we have to score. We have to realize when it’s not OK to go three-and-out. We’ve got to act that way. If we go three-and-out, it can’t just be OK. And it isn’t. But we’ve got to really have that fire and energy and realize that, yo, it’s time to go. We went three-and-out two times in a row. They’re scoring points. The lead’s getting bigger. What are we going to do about it?”
Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert stated he instructed Claypool that he liked the fervour — “but channel it the right way.” Claypool hasn’t had a really perfect begin with the Bears since becoming a member of the workforce by way of commerce in November. He has 12 catches for 111 yards and missed a few weeks with a proper knee damage. So if he’s wholesome and capable of play Sunday, it’s an opportunity to move into the offseason on a optimistic observe.
“I’m not really trying to show any particular thing, just be a ball player and let the rest take care of itself,” Claypool stated. “People might count me out, count the rest of the guys out. That’s OK. They can think what they want. This game we’re going to come out strong, and next year we’re going to come out stronger.”
4. Thinking of Hamlin
Buffalo Bills security Damar Hamlin’s well being continued to enhance this week after he suffered cardiac arrest on the sphere throughout a “Monday Night Football” sport towards the Cincinnati Bengals.
Doctors from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center stated Thursday that Hamlin was awake and responsive, was capable of transfer his palms and toes and communicated with them and members of the family by way of writing.
Bears coaches and gamers have supplied their properly needs and prayers to Hamlin all week whereas additionally processing their feelings of getting again on the soccer discipline after witnessing a traumatic reminder of the violence of the game. Coaches have pressured that each participant will deal with that in a different way and supplied psychological well being providers for many who want them.
Tight finish Cole Kmet stated the Bears had their trainers stroll them by way of the entire medical personnel who’re readily available at a stadium on sport days and the protocol they observe earlier than a sport to arrange for emergencies.
“If something were to happen, the one place you’d want to be is on a football field because you’ve got all these professionals there ready to help,” Kmet stated. “That stuff makes you feel better about it and you’ve got a lot of people looking out for you.”
Kmet stated he’s praying for Hamlin but in addition stated he must block out the feelings from the incident when he performs Sunday.
“Those are the things you think about in the offseason and really evaluate in the offseason,” Kmet stated. “You can’t be going into a game on Sunday thinking about the things that may or may not happen to you on the football field. Obviously an unfortunate situation and we’re all praying for Damar. But guys have dealt with it in their own ways.”
5. Injury report
Along with Fields sitting out, the Bears shall be with out guards Teven Jenkins (neck) and Michael Schofield (knee) and cornerback Josh Blackwell, all of whom they placed on injured reserve this week.
Cornerback Jaylon Jones (concussion), lengthy snapper Patrick Scales (neck), defensive lineman Angelo Blackson (sickness) and linebacker Sterling Weatherford (sickness) missed observe Thursday. Cornerback Kyler Gordon was restricted with a groin damage.
For the Vikings, middle Garrett Bradbury (again) and defensive lineman James Lynch (shoulder) didn’t observe Thursday. Linebacker Brian Asamoah (knee) was restricted.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (10-6)
I’m unsure if the Vikings will contemplate resting some key gamers with little likelihood they’ll achieve the No. 2 seed, which might require an enormous highway upset by the Arizona Cardinals towards the San Francisco 49ers. Injuries have crushed the Bears during the last 5 weeks. It’s an opportunity for extra younger gamers to point out what they’ll do on the end line.
Vikings 27, Bears 10
Colleen Kane (10-6)
The Vikings beat a full-strength Bears workforce by a landing in October, and now they’ll face a depleted Bears squad that’s sitting one other handful of gamers due to damage, together with quarterback Justin Fields due to a hip pressure. Vikings extensive receiver Justin Jefferson had 154 receiving yards within the first sport, and now, if Jefferson performs, the NFL’s high receiver might be going towards a Bears secondary that’s taking a look at enjoying third-stringers. The Bears gamers on the sphere — together with backup quarterback Nathan Peterman — aren’t going to be excited about how a loss would assist the Bears’ first-round draft decide, however the circumstances arrange properly for it anyway.
Vikings 27, Bears 13
Dan Wiederer (11-5)
For many Bears followers, this would be the good 10, the ultimate stumble in a franchise-record 10-game dropping streak that may give the workforce its 14th loss, one thing no squad within the earlier 102 years of the franchise has skilled. If you’re not into the Nathan Peterman Show — or perhaps a attainable small dose of Tim Boyle — flip your consideration to the sport in Indianapolis, the place a Houston Texans victory towards the Colts might give the Bears the No. 1 decide on this spring’s draft.
Vikings 24, Bears 13
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Source: www.bostonherald.com