Halloween is upon us, and the vaunted “Zim Reapers” will be out for blood tonight as they take on the division-rival Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
Following their first loss of the 2016 season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Head Coach Mike Zimmer will undoubtedly have his squad fired up to get a crucial division win. Hoping to slow down the amped up purple defense will be veteran Jay Cutler, making his first start since week two due to a sprained thumb. He picked a bad week to make his return. Here is a preview for tonight’s matchup.
Jay Cutler’s return
It’s hard to think of a more volatile quarterback in the NFL than Cutler. His arm-strength is undeniable and at times he can look about as good as any quarterback in the NFL when on his game. Unfortunately those instances are few and far between. Instead we have seen a career marred by inconsistency and bad decisions, namely at the most critical moments of games.
Jay Cutler is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of NFL quarterbacks, which begs the question which version will show up for tonight’s game? My money is on Mr. Hyde as Cutler should have his hands full trying to move the ball against this defense.
Slowing down Jordan Howard
On a team with very little to get excited about, rookie running back Jordan Howard has become a bright spot on an otherwise dim Bear’s season. Filling in for an injured Jeremy Langford, Howard has taken the workhorse role and ran with it since getting his first real opportunity to shine in week four against the Lions.
With Langford doubtful for tonight’s game, it will be up to Howard to once again carry the load against a stingy Vikings defense that prides itself on stopping the run. This will be the hardest test of Howard’s budding career.
Jayron Kearse gets the start at strong safety
With Andrew Sendejo going down with an ankle injury during last week’s game against the Eagles, it will be up to rookie seventh-rounder Jayron Kearse to pick up the slack opposite Harrison Smith at the strong-safety position. The 6’4″ giant is hoping to leave a strong impression with Zimmer and the coaching staff as he could become the long-term solution at the position given his freakish athleticism and overall potential.
It’s clear by now what the Vikings have with Sendejo, a solid strong safety with limited upside. With Kearse, they are only scratching the surface as his ceiling is that of an elite safety. Tonight’s game will say a lot about Kearse and could be a determining factor in the direction that the coaching staff chooses to go for the remainder of the season. Will they play it safe with Sendejo, or let the young rookie build up his confidence and potentially see him shine?
Offensive-line hoping to get back on track
After a disastrous outing last Sunday that left quarterback Sam Bradford hung out to dry, we should see a much-improved offensive-line unit in tonight’s game. The Bears have struggled to get to the quarterback, ranking 17th in team sacks this year, making this a much easier assignment then the one dealt to them last week against an Eagles defense currently ranked fourth in that statistical category.
Although the Bears do not have the most talented defensive line, they will still provide a challenge for an offensive-line unit that has failed to play cohesively through the first six weeks. For the sake of the Viking’s future and Super Bowl aspirations, maybe this will be the game where they finally turn things around.
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