DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Bears at Vikings
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · U.S. Bank Stadium

CHIvsMIN

Bears offensevsVikings defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Bears, 7 for Vikings. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

CHI offenseMIN offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Ground game edge

Bears average 4.3 yards per carry (11th). Vikings allow 4.5 (25th).

02
Opportunity

Deep middle is open

Vikings are worst against deep middle throws, allowing +1.12 EPA per attempt. Bears send 5% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Field goals, not touchdowns

Bears score a touchdown on 59% of red zone trips (18th). Vikings allow 27% (1st).

04
Wash

Explosive play rate

Call this one even. Bears create explosive plays on 10% of snaps (10th). Vikings give them up at 9% (14th).

Players to watch

CHI Bears

18Caleb WilliamsQB · 112/158 · 1267 yds · 6 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.29 · 3rd4D'Andre SwiftRB · 143 car · 545 yds · 10 TD · 24 recEPA per touch -0.01 · 22nd10Luther Burden IIIWR · 42 rec · 547 yds · 3 TD · 56 tgtEPA per target +0.3184Colston LovelandTE · 33 rec · 309 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target -0.0699Jeffery SimmonsRight Defensive Tackle · 44 tackles · 5 sacks · 4 PD5 sacks · T-12th in the NFL31Dillon ThienemanStrong Safety · 51 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 INT · 5 PD1 INT

MIN Vikings

1Kyler MurrayQB · 100/154 · 1022 yds · 5 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.06 · 26th27Jordan MasonRB · 38 car · 147 yds · 1 TD · 0 recEPA per touch -0.2618Justin JeffersonWR · 28 rec · 335 yds · 4 TD · 40 tgtEPA per target +0.54 · 16th87T.J. HockensonTE · 31 rec · 295 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target +0.67 · 3rd43Andrew Van GinkelWeakside Linebacker · 21 tackles · 6.5 sacks · 1 INT · 1 PD6.5 sacks · T-5th in the NFL51Blake CashmanRight Inside Linebacker · 62 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 5 PD4.5 sacks · T-17th in the NFL
The series · Bears and Vikings since 1999, and this season's records55 meetings

The Vikings lead the series 29–26 since 1999. Sep 20, 2026, at Soldier Field: the Vikings won 9–3. Caleb Williams started at quarterback for the Bears and Carson Wentz for the Vikings; Ben Johnson and Kevin O'Connell coached.

Bears at home16–12the Bears' record
In Minnesota10–17the Bears' record
Most pointsBears 48 · Vikings 412008 · 2008
Biggest winBears by 29 · Vikings by 282011 · 2016

The last 5

2026 · Wk 2MIN 9 at CHI 3
2025 · Wk 11CHI 19 at MIN 17
2025 · Wk 1MIN 27 at CHI 24
2024 · Wk 15CHI 12 at MIN 30
2024 · Wk 12 · OTMIN 30 at CHI 27

2026 records

BearsVikings
Overall6–26–1
Division0–22–1
Conference4–24–1
Other conference2–02–0
Home3–13–0
Away3–13–1
Last 5WLWWWWWWWL
StreakWon 3Lost 1
Points a game26.8 – 20.020.0 – 13.3

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Bears' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Bears offense against the Vikings defenseDepth charts
Vikings defense · 3-4 DBears offense · 3WR 1TE79Benedet62Thuney67Bradbury73Jackson58Wright84Loveland18Williams4Swift15Odunze14Raymond10Burden61Redmond95Banks50Rodriguez43Ginkel15Turner51Cashman55Wilson23Pierre2Rodgers7Murphy44Metellus22Smith

Bears offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBCaleb Williams#18 · 112/158 · 1267 yds · 6 TD · 1 INT
  • RBD'Andre Swift#4 · 143 car · 545 yds · 10 TD · 24 rec
  • WRRome Odunze#15 · 28 rec · 468 yds · 0 TD · 44 tgt
  • WRLuther Burden III#10 · 42 rec · 547 yds · 3 TD · 56 tgt
  • WRKalif Raymond#14 · 28 rec · 258 yds · 1 TD · 34 tgt
  • TEColston Loveland#84 · 33 rec · 309 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgt
  • LTTheo Benedet#79
  • LGJoe Thuney#62
  • CGarrett Bradbury#67
  • RGJonah Jackson#73
  • RTDarnell Wright#58

Vikings defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEJalen Redmond#61 · 22 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • NTCaleb Banks#95 · 12 tackles
  • LDELevi Drake Rodriguez#50 · 14 tackles · 1 sack
  • WLBAndrew Van Ginkel#43 · 21 tackles · 6.5 sacks · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • SLBDallas Turner#15 · 18 tackles · 6 sacks
  • RILBBlake Cashman#51 · 62 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 5 PD
  • LILBEric Wilson#55 · 41 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 PD
  • RCBJames Pierre#23 · 24 tackles · 2 INT · 4 PD
  • LCBIsaiah Rodgers#2 · 22 tackles · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • NBByron Murphy Jr.#7 · 34 tackles · 3 INT · 6 PD
  • SSJoshua Metellus#44 · 50 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 4 PD
  • FSHarrison Smith#22 · 15 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 INT · 4 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · CHI offense against MIN defense
StatCHI CHI offFavors CHI · Favors MINMIN MIN def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.06#8
-0.17#1+0.00
Success rate
47%#8
37%#144%
Yards per play
5.5#15
4.7#25.4
Explosive play rate
10%#10
9%#149%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.11#12
-0.24#1+0.03
Sack rate
6%#17
11%#17%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.02#11
-0.11#9-0.08
Yards per carry
4.3#11
4.5#254.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
44%#7
31%#241%
Red zone TD rate
59%#18
27%#161%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
166#8
123#6147
TE yards per game
54#18
39#455
TE targets per game
8.8#6
6.3#67.6
RB receiving yards per game
34#11
18#332
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Bears: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.015% of throws
+0.215% of throws
-0.088% of throws
Short
+0.0924% of throws
+0.4024% of throws
+0.1434% of throws

Vikings: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.2111 throws
+1.1211 throws
+0.1614 throws
Short
+0.0262 throws
-0.1737 throws
-0.2567 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.