DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Bears at Vikings
Updated Nov 3, 7:02 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

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

MINvsCHI

Vikings offensevsBears defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Vikings, 8 for Bears. 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

Tight ends feast

Bears give up 52 yards a game to tight ends (14th), against a league average of 55. Vikings' tight ends produce 61 (13th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Bears are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.65 EPA per attempt. Vikings send 11% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Vikings take a sack on 10% of dropbacks (29th). Bears get home on 9% (2nd). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Vikings gain 4.9 yards per play (24th). Bears give up 6.1 (29th), with the league at 5.4.

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 · Vikings offense against the Bears defenseDepth charts
Bears defense · 4-3 DVikings offense · 3WR 1TE71Darrisaw60Huber64Brandel76Fries75O'Neill87Hockenson1Murray27Mason18Jefferson14Jennings3Addison97Lynch99Simmons50Jarrett98Sweat12Bush53Edwards48Jackson29Stevenson1Johnson6Gordon31Thieneman21Lewis

Vikings offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBKyler Murray#1 · 100/154 · 1022 yds · 5 TD · 3 INT
  • RBJordan Mason#27 · 38 car · 147 yds · 1 TD · 0 rec
  • WRJustin Jefferson#18 · 28 rec · 335 yds · 4 TD · 40 tgt
  • WRJordan Addison#3 · 16 rec · 249 yds · 1 TD · 33 tgt
  • WRJauan Jennings#14 · 6 rec · 54 yds · 0 TD · 10 tgt
  • TET.J. Hockenson#87 · 31 rec · 295 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgt
  • LTChristian Darrisaw#71
  • LGJoe Huber#60
  • CBlake Brandel#64
  • RGWill Fries#76
  • RTBrian O'Neill#75

Bears defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEJames Lynch#97 · 18 tackles · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • RDTJeffery Simmons#99 · 44 tackles · 5 sacks · 4 PD
  • LDTGrady Jarrett#50 · 13 tackles
  • LDEMontez Sweat#98 · 9 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBDevin Bush#12 · 44 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 PD
  • MLBT.J. Edwards#53 · 17 tackles · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • SLBD'Marco Jackson#48 · 21 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • RCBTyrique Stevenson#29 · 28 tackles · 4 PD
  • LCBJaylon Johnson#1 · 24 tackles · 2 PD
  • NBKyler Gordon#6 · 8 tackles · 4 sacks · 1 PD
  • SSDillon Thieneman#31 · 51 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 INT · 5 PD
  • FSCam Lewis#21 · 29 tackles · 1 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 · MIN offense against CHI defense
StatMIN MIN offFavors MIN · Favors CHICHI CHI def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.10#28
-0.03#12+0.00
Success rate
37%#31
40%#444%
Yards per play
4.9#24
6.1#295.4
Explosive play rate
9%#15
10%#249%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.08#24
-0.03#10+0.03
Sack rate
10%#29
9%#27%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.21#28
-0.09#12-0.08
Yards per carry
3.8#21
4.1#194.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
39%#20
24%#141%
Red zone TD rate
59%#16
60%#1361%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
105#30
150#19147
TE yards per game
61#13
52#1455
TE targets per game
7.6#14
6.4#77.6
RB receiving yards per game
19#28
33#1832
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Vikings: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.3111% of throws
+0.783% of throws
+0.307% of throws
Short
-0.3132% of throws
+0.3716% of throws
+0.1431% of throws

Bears: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.6519 throws
+1.408 throws
+0.4815 throws
Short
-0.0770 throws
-0.0241 throws
+0.0574 throws

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