Vikings make Kyler Murray’s status official for Week 2 and give the Bears one less question to worry about entering the weekend
The Minnesota Vikings have ruled out quarterback Kyler Murray for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, making the matchup slightly easier for Dennis Allen’s defense.
The Chicago Bears have their answer on who they’ll be facing at quarterback ahead of Sunday’s Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Kyler Murray is officially out due to a concussion, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed to reporters Friday when the final injury report was released. Murray is expected to clear the concussion protocol ahead of Week 3, but the Vikings opted to make the decision now to rule Murray out rather than drag it into the weekend.
Carson Wentz will start in Murray’s place. The veteran quarterback had a solid showing in Week 1, leading Minnesota’s comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers in the season opener. His presence under center instead of Murray changes the complexion of this game for the Bears, who now have less than 48 hours before Sunday’s 1 p.m. CT kickoff to adjust their game plan for a Wentz-led offense.
Minnesota’s offense remains just as dangerous, even without Kyler Murray
The quarterback change is the headline, but the Vikings will also be without two other offensive starters. Running back Jordan Mason was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings is out due to a personal matter. That’s three starters total missing from Minnesota’s offense going into Sunday.
Still, the Bears cannot afford to take this group lightly. Three players in particular demand attention heading into this game.
The first is running back Aaron Jones, who has a history of punishing the Bears. Whether it was earlier in his career with the Packers or his last four matchups with the Vikings, Jones has consistently put work on Chicago’s defense.
“I really think it starts with the running game,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen explained. “If you date back all the way to last season, they’ve won six in a row. Really, it’s been a lot about being able to run the ball effectively, and they’ve done a really good job of that over the course of the last six games and I think it starts with that.”
Then, there’s the two weapons in the passing game in the Vikings’ wide receiver tandem of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, arguably one of the better wide receiver duos in the NFL. Preparing for those two is a tall order, and it sets up a tough outside test for cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson, regardless of who plays quarterback.
Both veteran cornerbacks had a rough performances in Week 1, and this game will reveal whether they can bounce back and match up against that caliber of talent.
“Our corners, they gotta hold up,” Ben Johnson said. “Against guys like Justin and Addison. Really good players there on the outside. Huge, huge, challenge when you go against a team like this.”
The good news is, the Bears are avoiding the dual-threat element Murray brings to this offense. Chicago now has a clear look at what this Minnesota offense can do with Wentz at the helm and a chance to take advantage of a banged-up Vikings offense on Sunday. As long as those three threats are contained in some capacity.
