The Vikings at Bears: One Stat, Quote, and Matchup to Know Ahead of Week 6
K. Joudry
|
Somewhere on the horizon, irrelevance lingers. That’s the foe that’s approaching Minnesota going into Week 6, a game that could result in the Vikings being the NFC North’s worst team after a third of the season.
Giving fans a better understanding of what’s to come for the Vikings at Bears involves PurplePTSD offering up a single statistic, quotation, and matchup to keep in mind. The hope, valued reader, is that the information contained in this piece can function as a bit of a primer for what’s to come in tomorrow’s matchup. Enjoy.
The Vikings at Bears: Week 6
Stat: 91 Attempts, 32nd in the NFL
A piece on PurplePTSD from earlier in the week addressed the issue.
Currently, Minnesota has 91 rushing attempts, last place in the NFL. The 404 rushing yards are coming in at 28th even though their 4.4 yards per carry is coming in at 10th. Did you catch that? Minnesota is actually doing a nice job of running the ball, existing as a top-10 group when it comes to moving the ball on the ground. Even still, the team has stubbornly chosen to keep attacking through the air.
Too often, Kirk Cousins is getting suplexed. Too often, the Vikings are putting the ball in the other team’s hands. Too often, the Vikings are losing the time of possession battle. Getting the run/pass attempts into greater harmony would help. Right now, the Vikings have passed the football 204 times and run the ball 91 times. Put differently, they’re 2nd in passing attempts and 32nd in rushing attempts.
Chicago is allowing just 3.7 yards per attempt, but there have been 4 touchdowns allowed on the ground. Alexander Mattison has a pair of TDs but both came through the air. Seeing Minnesota finish off some drives with scores on the ground would go a long way in avoiding a last place position in the NFC North.
Quote: Byron’s Murphy Confidence
Arguably the most important move of the offseason was the decision to sign Byron Murphy. At 25, the former Cardinal fits the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah vision as someone who helps now and for several years to come.
He spoke with the media during the week, addressing what needs to be done to get back into the season. After being told about the -10 point differential, Murphy expressed his confidence in his team: “That goes to show that we’re really a good team, we just got to find a way to win […] The biggest thing is we know we got the team, we got the guys in this room to get this thing done.”
The basic reality is that Minnesota’s roster boasts quite a bit of talent. Yes, losing Justin Jefferson is deflating, but this isn’t a bottom-of-the-NFL roster. In fact, there’s a pretty persuasive case to be made that they’re one of the more talented groups of players even if there are some clear deficiencies.
Until the wins start piling up, though, players will be left with no recourse but to keep answering questions about how they’re capable of being better.
Matchup: Jaylon Johnson vs. Jordan Addison
How does the rookie adjust to being the WR1? We’re about to find out.
Jaylen Johnson is quietly one of the best corners in the NFL. Chicago brought him to Illinois via the 50th pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. He lives almost exclusively along the outside, picking up 150 snaps out wide and only 7 in the slot. So, O’Connell will have an easy way to get Jordan Addison some easier reps if there are struggles along the outside.
Part of what makes Justin Jefferson so sensational, though, is that he’s seemingly able to overcome any matchup. Indeed, the fourth-year receiver has a reputation as a fierce competitor who is ultra dialed-in during games, especially when going up against the league’s best and brightest at corner.
Addison still needs to prove he’s capable of doing the same.
Johnson has the size advantage at 6’0″, 196, but he did run a 4.50 forty (not disastrous, but not elite speed). Addison should, in theory, be able to shake loose with his crisp route running, but Johnson will probably be looking to get his mitts on Minnesota’s temporary WR1.
If health allows — Johnson missed Week 5 with a hamstring issue — then Addison will have a tough time battling against a corner allowing just 45.5% of passes into his coverage to be completed (small sample size, but still impressive).
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and StatMuse helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.