Ben Johnson and Brian Flores meet again on Sunday, this time with the Chicago Bears hosting the Minnesota Vikings in the home opener at Soldier Field. It is a Week 2 divisional game, but it already carries the feel of a measuring stick: Johnson's offense has been productive against Flores before, and Caleb Williams just opened his second season in that system with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
That is why this Bears Vs Vikings game is drawing attention now. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. EDT on Fox, with both teams entering 1-0 and both coming off lopsided wins. The Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 39-22 last week, while the Bears scored 59 points in a 59-37 win at Carolina, the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history. Chicago piled up 291 yards rushing and 552 yards overall, a reminder that the offense Johnson is building can punish a defense that misses its fits for even a few snaps.
Johnson has reason to believe he can stress Flores again. He is 5-1 when calling the plays against a Flores-coached defense, and those offenses have averaged 27.5 points per game. Flores, though, showed last week how quickly he can turn a game with pressure and disruption. Minnesota trailed 22-10 in the third quarter against Green Bay before sacking Jordan Love four times in the second half, and Love lost a fumble and threw an interception in the fourth quarter. Dallas Turner was credited with a career-high seven quarterback hits, a sign that the Vikings can wear down an offense once they start winning the rush battle.
That is the part Chicago has to solve, because the Bears are not facing a clean matchup at the edges. Brian Flores does not have to win with one look; his defenses are built to change picture after picture, forcing the quarterback to identify pressure, get the ball out quickly and make the right answer before the rush arrives. Caleb Williams already showed he can do damage when the offense stays on schedule, and Harrison Smith said Williams is capable of making highlight play after highlight play. Smith also said Williams is extremely talented and operating the offense well, which is the kind of praise that usually comes with a warning attached.
There is also the matter of how these teams have handled each other at Soldier Field. The Bears beat the Vikings 19-17 on Nov. 16 in Minnesota, but Minnesota has won six straight games at Soldier Field. That is the friction point inside Sunday’s game: Chicago arrives with the more explosive opener, yet Minnesota has the road history in this building and a defense that can tilt the field once Flores starts adjusting. Justin Jefferson also gave Minnesota a steady target in Week 1 with eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and he has 59 receptions for 790 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games against Chicago.
Jaylon Johnson gives Chicago another variable to watch. He missed both Bears games against Minnesota last season, and his availability matters because Jefferson has shown he can punish this defense when given space. If Johnson plays, Chicago gets a cornerback who has one interception in six games against the Vikings. If he does not, the Bears will have to cover one of Minnesota’s most reliable weapons by committee while also dealing with Flores’s pressure packages on the other side.
That is what makes Sunday more than a fast start against a fast start. The Bears have the bigger number from Week 1, but the Vikings have the coach who has already forced Johnson to keep solving new problems, and they have the recent edge at Soldier Field. The kickoff arrives with the same basic question every division game asks early in the season: which side can make its best answer last?
