National Football League

5 keys to victory in week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Minnesota Vikings head to Chicago to play the Bears in week 8 of the NFL season, but what do they need to do in order to win on Monday Night Football?

Losing during week 7 of the NFL season isn’t fun, but the Minnesota Vikings season is still looking great. Sitting at 5-1 on top of the NFC North for now, there is no reason for the team start panicking.

However, the Vikings will face another unique challenge on Monday Night Football’s October 31, 2016 broadcast. They will travel to Chicago to take on a Bears team that is getting their star quarterback returning from injury and has been finding unique ways to pressure the quarterback.

The Vikings will need to figure out some of their issues, particularly a struggling offense with an injury depleted offensive line. But with a great coaching staff and willing players, there is hope that can turn around.

But what will the Minnesota Vikings need to do to beat the Chicago Bears on primetime television? Here are the 5 keys to victory, starting with some containment on defense.

Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) drops back to pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

#1. Don’t let Jay Cutler air it out

Fans can joke about Jay Cutler’s inconsistency and turnovers all they want, but the strong-armed quarterback has made himself a reputation of getting long plays against the Minnesota Vikings in recent history.

Even without Jay Cutler, the Chicago Bears are #11 in the NFL in passing yards per game according to ESPN. If they had him for the entirety of the season instead of just a game and a half, that ranking might be even higher.

When you sprinkle in big, experienced targets for Cutler to throw to and the confidence to make short throws to bring the defense in, you have a dangerous Bears passing game that will test the discipline and ability of the Vikings secondary.

Oct 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Willie Young (97) sacks Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) in the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

#2. Stop Willie Young!

If you’re reading this and saying “Who the heck is Willie Young?”, that’s understandable. He doesn’t make a lot of headlines on a Bears team that is struggling in a big way during the 2016 NFL season.

However, Young has accumulated 6 sacks for Chicago through 7 weeks from the linebacker position. 5 of those have come in the last 3 weeks against the Colts and Jaguars, showing that he feasts on struggling offensive lines.

T.J. Clemmings (or maybe Jake Long…who knows what is going on with that weird rotation at offensive tackle for the Vikings) will have his hands full with Akiem Hicks, so bringing Young on a blitz is something Chicago will likely do early and often. Hopefully, Minnesota keeps extra protection to help out Sam Bradford.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on prior to the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

#3. Defend the NFC North

It is week 8 of the NFL season and the Minnesota Vikings have yet to really dive into their division schedule. So far, the team has only played the Green Bay Packers in their week 2 home opener, which means 5 division games remain out of the 10 regular season matchups on the schedule.

As fans know, winning your division ensures that you get a home field game in the playoffs. Whether you end up with a bye in the Wild Card round or not, the Vikings have proven that they play better at home, with a 9-2 record between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Not only are division wins great for bragging rights and positioning in the standings, but there is a chance it could come down to who won the most games in the NFC North when determining who will be called the division champions and who is a Wild Card team. That should be extra motivation for Minnesota.

Oct 23, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles middle linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) reacts to a goal line stand against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 21-10. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

#4. Bounce back after the loss

One of the most important things for a professional athlete is believing they can do their job at a high level. That kind of confidence leads to a winning mentality that spreads throughout the locker room and franchise.

Sadly, the Vikings experienced a game against the Eagles last week where nothing could go right for the purple and gold. The offensive line got shredded, calls weren’t going the Vikings way, and balls were bouncing the opposite direction.

Minnesota needs to get that confidence back and stop trying to be so cute with rotations on the offensive line. Returning to the formula that got them to this point is important for the Vikings, and alterations to the game plan should be kept to a minimum whenever possible when victory has been the result.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (21) catches a pass against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

#5. Establish the run game

Every week, this has been a key for the Vikings. And every week, it will continue to be one of the keys until the Vikings can prove they can run the football to keep opposing defenses on their toes.

The combination of Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata are a good one-two punch which has received solid marks in the past, but this year seems to be tough for them to get on track. Asiata got some nice stats against the Eagles, but they didn’t quite represent how the running backs have played to this point.

Getting on track to shake up the offense will likely be a top priority for the Vikings, since running the ball can also freeze blitzers or cause split second hesitation from defenders. It also opens up Bradford’s beautiful play action, which fans are probably tired of hearing about in these keys to victory pieces.

Don’t miss the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football on October 31, 2016. It should be one heck of a great time for fans and another interesting test for the boys in purple hoping to bounce back after a hard loss to Philadelphia.