Five months since the Minnesota Vikings convened in Mankato, Minn. for training camp, they will close the 2014 season in their new, temporary home at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday.
The first season under new coach Mike Zimmer has been a difficult one, filled with losses on the field and distractions off it. There has been progress in Zimmer's first year and Minnesota wants to head into the offseason with a strong finish Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
With no chance at the playoffs, which seemed an unlikely situation for much of the season, there is still much to play for in the season finale.
Here are five things to keep an eye on during Sunday's game:
1. Staying out of the cellar
Finishing with on a high note would include many positives. Asked what he wants to see most Sunday, Zimmer's simple answer was "a win." A win could send the Vikings into the offseason feeling good about some of the strides made in Zimmer's first year.
Minnesota is 6-9, has lost two straight and four of the past six games. But the past five losses have been by a total of 16 points. A win Sunday, avenging an earlier 21-13 loss at Chicago in Week 11, would keep the Vikings out of the bottom of the NFC North. Minnesota is a game ahead of the Bears heading into Sunday, with division leaders Green Bay and Detroit both bound for the playoffs and playing for the division title this week.
Beating Chicago would also give Zimmer his first win in the NFC North. The Vikings were swept by Green Bay and Detroit this season, but improved in the second game against both teams. After losing 42-10 in Green Bay, Minnesota lost 24-21 to the Packers at home. The Vikings took a 17-3 loss at home to Detroit before nearly beating the Lions two weeks ago on the road in a 16-14 final.
The target for Zimmer is clear: staying ahead of Chicago and keeping sights set on getting to the same level as Green Bay and Detroit in the future.
2. Matchups on the outside
The Bears' win against Minnesota earlier this season was based much on one aspect of the game: quarterback Jay Cutler passing with ease to his tall receivers against the Vikings' smaller cornerbacks. Minnesota's Captain Munnerlyn was targeted a few times and much of the damage was done against cornerback Josh Robinson, who was in coverage on each of Cutler's three passing touchdowns.
However, Brandon Marshall won't play Sunday for the Bears, which could alter the outlook quite a bit from the first game. Chicago won't have a pair of elite, lengthy receivers. Instead, unproven Marquess Wilson draws Marshall's spot opposite Alshon Jeffery.
Also, Minnesota has been more willing to allow top cover cornerback Xavier Rhodes to shadow receivers. Rhodes was still staying on his right side of the Vikings' defense when the two teams met earlier this season. Cutler often attacked the other side, away from Rhodes. With a pair of top receivers, Minnesota couldn't even make the switch.
Now, Rhodes has shadowed Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Miami's Mike Wallace in back-to-back weeks and could potentially follow Jeffery on Sunday. The matchups could even out a bit Sunday from the season's first meeting. Wilson is 6-foot-4 and still has a size advantage over Munnerlyn or Robinson. But Wilson has 17 career catches. Marshall has 773 receptions in nine seasons and has been Cutler's favorite target.
3. Recipe for a rookie
Going into the offseason with a strong finish is particularly significant to rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater has been on an impressive run in the past few games and will go into the season as the Vikings' unquestioned starter at quarterback. Another positive outing before the offseason would have Bridgewater's confidence soaring and his development is the most important aspect of this season for Minnesota.
Bridgewater has had four straight games with at least a 70 percent completion rate. His 64.19 completion percentage this season currently ranks as the third-best mark for a rookie in NFL history. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger holds the record at 66.44 percent. Washington's Robert Griffin III is second at 65.65 and Seattle's Russell Wilson is fourth at 64.12 percent.
Three of Bridgewater's past four games have featured a quarterback rating over 100. He's had at least 259 passing yards the past three games and has been over 300 yards twice in that span.
Meanwhile, Chicago ranks 31st in the NFL in pass defense, giving up 269.3 yards per game. The Bears have allowed the third-highest completion percentage in the league at 66.7 percent and are tied for giving up the most passing touchdowns in the NFL with 33. Quarterbacks have a 102.2 quarterback rating against the Bears, the third-highest total in the league.
Chicago was without cornerback Charles Tillman and defensive end Lamarr Houston in the first meeting against Minnesota. The Bears lost linebackers Lance Briggs and D.J. Williams since the first game and placed defensive end Willie Young, who had a sack in the first meeting, on injured reserve Friday. Defensive end Jared Allen is also questionable for Sunday's game with an injury to his ribs.
4. Who plays linebacker
Even if the Vikings are able to score, they will have to perform better defensively than they did a week ago in the loss to Miami. Coincidentally, Minnesota has allowed more than 400 yards in two of the past three games with rookie linebacker Anthony Barr out of the lineup.
Barr is out again Sunday, finishing his rookie season with 70 tackles and four sacks in 12 games. The Vikings could be extremely short-handed at linebacker. Chad Greenway is questionable with a knee injury. He was held out of practice all week, but the team is holding out hope he can return.
Rookie linebacker Brandon Watts has been declared out. Minnesota only had three healthy linebackers on the active roster practice Friday: Jasper Brinkley, Gerald Hodges and Audie Cole. Zimmer said the team might add a practice squad linebacker, Josh Kaddu or Justin Anderson, to the active roster for the game.
The linebackers, whoever they are, will be responsible for slowing down Chicago running back Matt Forte, who had 175 total yards in the first game against Minnesota and is seven catches away from the all-time, single-season receptions record for a running back. Forte enters Sunday with 987 yards rushing, 94 catches for 785 yards and 10 total touchdowns.
Brinkley isn't known for his coverage ability but can stand up against the run. Hodges has shown flashes in his opportunities this season, and has some speed to go with physicality. Cole has played sparingly on defense. Greenway is familiar with tracking Forte over the years.
5. The final test
Above all else for Minnesota, this week will be the final time for the players on the current roster to impress Zimmer heading into the offseason. Many changes were made last offseason when Zimmer was named the head coach and more changes could be in store with a second offseason and a better understanding of the personnel on the team.
Twice this week Zimmer has mentioned having one more chance to evaluate his team in Sunday's game.
"It's important for the players and for myself that I find out each and every little bit about these guys as I can as we go forward, because it will help on a lot of decisions at the end of the season," Zimmer said Friday.
Sunday will be one final test for the players to improve their grades and their standing in Zimmer's eyes.
The defense has slipped at times in recent games, most recently last week in giving up 493 yards, while the offense has come around by scoring more than 30 points in three of the last four weeks.
Zimmer and the Vikings' staff will be watching closely Sunday.
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