Vikings vs Bears preview as NFC North rivals face off in NFL Week 2

For the second straight season, the NFC North appears to be a dogfight.

This Week 2 matchup, with the Chicago Bears hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 20, is no exception.

The Vikings rattled off 29 unanswered points in their comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in their opener, while the Bears put up a historic offensive showcase highlighted by 59 points scored and 291 rushing yards.

Here’s an inside look at the matchup, along with predictions, an update on Kyler Murray‘s health and television information.

A 2-0 start for either team would be an auspicious start in a division that had all four teams finish with a winning record in 2025. It’s the Bears’ first game at Soldier Field since the divisional round loss to the Los Angeles Rams in January. The Vikings won in Chicago last September on “Monday Night Football” in J.J. McCarthy‘s first pro start thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback.

Even before he became head coach of the Bears in 2025, Ben Johnson established himself as one of the best offensive play callers in the league. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is certainly a worthy adversary, however.

Johnson will have to keep quarterback Caleb Williams on time as Flores sends wave after wave of blitzers at the mobile Chicago signal-caller. In Week 1, Flores blitzed Jordan Love on nearly 80% of dropbacks. But the Bears’ deadly rushing attack should hinder some of Flores’ aggressiveness. Williams said Flores is elite at creating one-on-one matchups for his defenders by attacking opposing offense’s blocking schemes and is “one of a kind.”

Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the “Monday Night Football” game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.

Week 1: Singer Taylor Swift and actor Tom Cruise attend the “Monday Night Football” game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.

Week 1: Fans arrive ahead of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers won the first NFL game played in Australia, 27-7.

Week 1: Kim Thayil of Soundgarden and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam perform during halftime of the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at Lumen Field.
, Bears TE

Williams will have to get the ball out quickly, and the Bears’ second-year tight end could be a reliable option. Despite the offensive outburst by his team, Loveland had no catches Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. For the Bears offense to have success against Minnesota, that cannot happen again.

Johnson on going against Flores: “You like to think he’s put everything he could possibly do on tape until you play him next and you realize he hasn’t yet. It’ll be something new. There always is with him. That’s what makes him such a good coordinator. It’s a great challenge. It really is. You have a lot of fun on game day. Now the week of preparation is not so much fun, but there’s a lot of back and forth that goes into it.”

Williams on playing the Vikings: “We’re going throughout the week and you’re getting a little less sleep and all of that. This week is not fun during the week.”

Flores on going against Johnson: “What are we getting week to week? It’s hard to know. So a lot of the game is adjustments. … We’re gonna have our own game plan to start things off, and it’s the same thing on his end. … It’s certainly a chess match. … It’s a lot of fun. And it’s a major challenge. That’s what we all signed up for.”

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray won the starting job during training camp only to suffer a concussion Week 1 against the Packers. The former Arizona Cardinals QB exhibited the “fencing” position a player who may suffer a concussion assumes following a big hit. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell did not rule Murray out, and the quarterback was listed as limited on the official injury report entering Friday.

All odds as of Thursday, Sept. 17 and courtesy of BetMGM.

Moneyline: Bears (-210)/Vikings (+175)

The Bears are too dominant in the run game and that will neutralize Flores’ defensive attack. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz played well against the Packers, but he’s no longer a starter in this league for a reason.

Kickoff time: 1 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local)

TV channel: FOX (Joe Davis, Greg Olsen Pam Oliver)

Streaming: FOXONE, NFL Sunday Ticket, RedZone