The Vikings and Bears Have Been Here Before
Kevin Gendron
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We’re not so different, after all. With the 2018 season in the books, it’s time for each team to look forward. Interestingly enough, for the Bears and Vikings, with 2018 in the rearview, we may already know how 2019 ends. The 2018 Bears season ended with a missed kick at home in the playoffs, while the 2018 Vikings missed the dance after a high-profile offseason quarterback acquisition. Sound familiar? Let’s look the comparable teams and how they fared the next season.
The 2018 Bears are… The 2015 Vikings
| Team | 2018 Bears | 2015 Vikings |
| Record | 12-4 | 11-5 |
| Division Place | 1st in NFC North | 1st in NFC North |
| Playoff Position | 3 seed | 3 seed |
| QB Situation | 1st rounder in his second season | 1st rounder in his second season |
| Playoff Elimination | Missed FG in Wild Card Round | Missed FG in Wild Card Round |
The Bears came into the 2018 season hoping Mitch Trubisky would take the next step. He took one, and did enough when it mattered most, setting up Cody Parkey for a game-winning field goal against the Eagles that hit the upright. An unproven Teddy Bridgewater did much of the same in 2015, and while he mostly relied on Adrian Peterson and the Vikings defense, he brought the Vikings down the field against the league’s best defense, only for the season to end with Blair Walsh pulling a 27-yard field goal wide left. Even though Bridgewater has a very different playing style than Trubisky, both signal callers were unproven youngsters that showed up when the game was on the line… only to be undone by their kickers.
How did the next season go?
Look away, Bears fans. This was basically the last the Vikings saw of Teddy Bridgewater, who had a catastrophic knee injury in the 2016 pre-season. Minnesota inserted Sam Bradford, who led the Vikings team to an 8-8 season.
Bears fans are unlikely to suffer this same fate, but an 8-8 season could be in the cards. 12-4 will be difficult to repeat with limited cap space and draft capital. They’ll need to depend on Trubisky and a repeat of their defensive prowess to buck the trend the 2015 Vikings laid out for them.
The 2018 Vikings are… The 2009 Bears
| Team | 2018 Vikings | 2009 Bears |
| Record | 8-7-1 | 7-9 |
| Division Place | 2nd in NFC North | 3rd in NFC North |
| Playoff Position | Missed Playoffs | Missed Playoffs |
| QB Situation | 1st season for high-profile acquisition | 1st season for high-profile acquisition |
| Playoff Elimination? | N/A | N/A |
With a strong defense led by Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, the Bears decided it was time to end their search for a franchise quarterback, sending two first-rounders and a third-rounder to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler. In Cutler’s first season, the Bears never found their groove, finishing a disappointing 7-9 and missing the playoffs.
With a strong defense led by Mike Zimmer and Co., the Vikings decided it was time to end their quarterback carousel by giving Kirk Cousins a fully-guaranteed 3-year $84 million contract in the offseason. A rollercoaster of a season ended with an 8-7-1 record and no playoffs.
How did the next season go?
Don’t give up hope Vikings fans, a trip to the NFC Title Game is on the way, but eerily, another QB injury ended this season. The Bears went 11-5 in Cutler’s second season, which was good enough for a first round-bye and a trip to the NFC title game, only for an MCL injury to end Cutler’s season. Caleb Hanie was forced into action against Aaron Rodgers and company, as the Bears fell 21-14.
If there’s a positive here it’s that Cutler, who likely drew the same ire as Cousins in his first season, led the Bears to the NFC Title Game the ensuing year. Unfortunately, he was unable to see that season through. The Vikings can only hope they’re on a similar path as Cutler’s Bears, but if history repeats itself, the key to 2019 may just be Kyle Sloter.