WEEK 18
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (12-4) @ CHICAGO BEARS (3-13)
DATE: Sunday (1/8/23)
STADIUM: Soldier Field
TIME: 1:00 PM ET
REFEREE: Brad Allen
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER Vikings lead all-time series, 64-56-2
STREAKS Vikings have won past 3
LAST GAME 10/9/22: Vikings 29 at Bears 22
LAST GAME AT SITE 12/20/21: Vikings 17, Bears 9
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
LAST WEEK L 41-17 at Green Bay
COACH VS. OPP. Kevin O’Connell: 1-0
PTS. FOR 25.8
OFFENSE 353.9
PASSING Kirk Cousins: 407-623-4,322-28-14-91.0
RUSHING Dalvin Cook: 253-1,136-4.5-8
RECEIVING Justin Jefferson: 124-1,771-14.3-8
PTS. AGAINST 25.9
DEFENSE 396.8
SACKS Danielle Hunter: 10.5
INTs Harrison Smith: 5
TAKE/GIVE +2 (23/21)
PUNTING (NET) Ryan Wright (R): 47.5 (42.6)
KICKING Greg Joseph: 107 (38/43 PAT; 23/30 FG)
VIKINGS NOTES
• MINNESOTA clinched NFC North for 1st time since 2017. Have 11 one-score wins (8 points or fewer), most by any team in single season in NFL history.
• QB KIRK COUSINS has 28 TD passes in 2022 & became 5th QB ever with 25+ TD passes in 8+ straight seasons. Has 4,322 passing yards this season, his 7th-career 4,000-yard season. Has 19 TDs (15 pass, 4 rush) vs 7 INTs in 10 career starts vs. Chi.
• RB DALVIN COOK is only player with 1,100+ rush yards (1,136 in 2022) & 1,300+ scrimmage yards (1,431 in 2022) in each of past 4 seasons. Has TD in 4 of his past 5 on road. Had 2 rush TDs in Week 5 meeting.
• WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads NFL with 124 catches & 1,771 rec. yards in 2022, 7th-most rec. yards in single season ever & can become 6th player ever with 130+ catches in single season. Has 24 games with 100+ rec. yards in 1st 3 seasons, most by player in 1st 4 seasons ever. Can become 4th player in NFL history with 11 games of 100+ rec. yards in single season. Had 12 catches for 154 yards in Week 5 meeting & has 100+ rec. yards in 4 of his 5 career games vs. Chi.
• TE T.J. HOCKENSON ranks 2nd among TEs in catches (career-high 85) & rec. yards (career-high 898) in 2022. Aims for his 5th in row on road with 6+ catches.
• LB DANIELLE HUNTER has 4th-career season with 10+ sacks (10.5) in 2022. Had sack in Week 5 meeting. Has TFL in 4 of his 5 career games at Chi.
• LB ERIC KENDRICKS has 134 tackles in 2022, his 7th-straight 100+ tackle season.
• LB JORDAN HICKS is only player with 125+ tackles (127) & 10+ PD (career-high 10) in 2022.
• S HARRISON SMITH is 1 of 2 (Minkah Fitzpatrick) with 85+ tackles (85), 10+ PD (10) & 5+ INTs (5) this season. Has 34 career INTs, tied-most among active players.
CHICAGO BEARS
LAST WEEK L 41-10 at Detroit
COACH VS. OPP. Matt Eberflus: 0-1
PTS. FOR 19.6
OFFENSE 310.9
PASSING Justin Fields: 192-318-2,242-17-11-85.2
RUSHING Justin Fields (QB): 160-1,143-7.1-8
RECEIVING Cole Kmet (TE): 46-487-10.6-6
PTS. AGAINST 27.1
DEFENSE 369.3
SACKS Jaquan Brisker (R): 4
INTs Kyler Gordon (R): 3
TAKE/GIVE -2 (21/23)
PUNTING (NET) Trenton Gill: 46.5 (40.5)
KICKING Cairo Santos: 89 (26/31 PAT; 21/23 FG)
BEARS NOTES
• QB JUSTIN FIELDS had 207 yards (132 rush, 75 pass) & TD pass in Week 17 & 1,143 rush yards in 2022, 2nd-most by QB in single season all-time. Became 4th QB in SB era with 3 games of 100+ rush yards in single season & has 4 career games with 100+ rush yards, tied 3rd-most by QB in SB era. Has 90+ rating in 4 of his past 5 home starts & 70+ rush yards in 5 of his past 6 at home. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Min. with TD pass vs. 0 INTs & 95+ rating.
• RB DAVID MONTGOMERY has 1,096 scrimmage yards in 2022, his 4th-straight season with 1,000+ scrimmage yards since entering NFL in 2019. Had rush TD in Week 5 meeting & has 4 rush TDs in his past 5 vs. Min.
• RB KHALIL HERBERT has career highs in scrimmage yards (739), rush yards (681) & rush TDs (4) this season.
• TE COLE KMET had career-high 6th rec. TD of season last week, tied 4th-most among TEs in 2022. Had 6 catches for 71 yards in last home meeting.
• LB NICHOLAS MORROW has career highs in tackles (109) & TFL (11) in 2022. Had 10 tackles in Week 5 meeting. Aims for his 6th in row with 6+ tackles.
• LB JOE THOMAS led team & tied his career high with 12 tackles last week & aims for his 4th in row with 6+ tackles.
• DB JAQUAN BRISKER had 8 tackles last week & ranks 4th among rookies with 94 tackles. Ranks tied-2nd among DBs with 4 sacks in 2022.
• DB KYLER GORDON had 7 tackles last week & ranks 4th among rookie DBs with 71 tackles. Had career-high 10 tackles in Week 5 meeting.
• DL TREVIS GIPSON had 3rd sack of season in Week 17.
