WHAT TO WATCH 4
Key matchup
Vikings rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson has 65 receptions for 1,078 yards ( 16.6 average) with seven touchdowns. He’s seventh in the NFL in receiving yards and third in yards per catch among receivers with 60 or more receptions. Jefferson already has more 100- yard games as a rookie ( five) than Randy Moss did in 1998 — including eight catches for 135 yards ( 16.9 average) against the Bears on Nov. 16 at Soldier Field.
“This guy’s a beast,” Bears safety Tashaun Gipson said. “He’s having a hell of a year for a rookie receiver. He’s long. He’s athletic — 50- 50 balls, he comes down with almost 100% of those things. He’s very, very competitive. He’s very quick at the line when you get up and try to press him. He can make guys miss up there, get on top of you. Excellent route runner. The guy looks like a seasoned vet when you watch him.’’
Impressive Bears rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson, tied for fourth in the NFL with 15 passes broken up, won’t get a chance to even the score — he’s out with a shoulder injury. Fellow rookie Kindle Vildor is the likely starter. With Duke Shelley replacing slot cornerback Buster Skrine ( concussion), the Bears will be short on experience in the secondary. Kyle Fuller is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. But somebody also has to cover Adam Thielen, who had two touchdowns against the Bears in Week 10.
“You have to be on your game, whoever’s on this dude,” Gipson said of Jefferson. “You have to be locked in. You have to be focused. You have to compete at the same level.”
Trending
The Bears’ offense has rallied with Mitch Trubisky, with 369 yards and 30 points against the Lions on Dec. 6 at Soldier Field and 410 yards and 34 points against the Texans last week, also at Soldier Field.
The Lions are 29th in the NFL in total defense. The Texans are 31st, so the Bears still have something to prove.
The Vikings are tied for 19th in total defense. Against Minnesota last month, the Bears gained only 149 yards — the lowest in the Matt Nagy era — and did not score an offensive touchdown.
Player to watch
Bears rookie tight end Cole Kmet has become a much bigger factor in the passing game since catching one pass for seven yards against the Vikings. Kmet had seven receptions for 86 yards in 10 games at the time. He has had nine receptions for 78 yards in the last two games.
X- factor
The Bears, who always feel good about themselves, are feeling especially good about themselves — and their offense — after snapping a six- game losing streak last week. The Vikings, a talented but vulnerable team that has beaten the Packers and lost to the Cowboys this season, are a good test of the value of that momentum.