Week 18 - Vikes @ Bears Support Group

What I’m watching
Lewis: The Vikings’ sideline. Who will be standing there and who will be jogging out on the field? Head coach Kevin O’Connell said “it’ll be more subtle” than simply resting starters like Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. But how much will they play against a Nathan Peterman-led Chicago team? The NFC’s No. 2 seed remains attainable mathematically, but for the Vikings to secure home-field advantage, the 49ers would have to lose to the Cardinals. With that unlikely, how will the Vikings approach who plays and how much?

Krawczynski: Cousins and Chris Reed. Normally I would say don’t risk it. The chances of the Vikings moving up to the No. 2 seed are small, so better to just rest your best players and reduce the risk of getting more key players hurt. But I really think it’s important for Cousins and Reed to get some serious reps against the Bears. We saw how sloppy things looked in Green Bay, and that’s not the veteran guard Reed’s fault. I think getting some chemistry built up in Chicago is really important in case Garrett Bradbury isn’t ready to go.

Biggest concerns
Lewis: The offensive line. It was one of my concerns before Sunday and Green Bay. Considering the injuries of right tackle Brian O’Neill and center Austin Schlottmann, the concern only heightens. O’Neill is a pillar of this team both in the locker room and on the field. Is Oli Udoh, a sixth-round pick from 2019, capable of holding down the fort of the right side of the line? Schlottmann was filling in admirably for Garrett Bradbury, who continues to rehab from a back injury. Reed master checks and swiftly develop a rapport with Cousins? Minnesota’s short-term hopes — both with their passing attack and run game — depend on it.

Krawczynski: More injuries. Alec took the offensive line, which is THE issue facing the Vikings. And I know I might be contradicting myself by wanting to see Cousins and Reed get a bunch of snaps. Beyond that though, the major concern is that a team without any margin for error loses another key player. This team has been riding the razor’s edge all season long. The Vikings are already down some important pieces. Losing any more of them could be too much to overcome in the playoffs.

Biggest opportunities
Lewis: The chance to win a game by more than one score. The Vikings have not done this since Week 1, when they beat the Green Bay Packers, 23-7. Minnesota clipped Arizona by eight points. They knocked off the Bears by a touchdown in the teams’ first matchup. This, though, seems like a game fit for something O’Connell has been seeking for months: A game in which the offense, defense and special teams units show up and execute. If they can run the ball effectively early, and if they can eliminate chunks in the passing game defensively, and if they can prohibit missed assignments on special teams, they can win a game by more than one score. Key word: Can.

Krawczynski: Subtle changes or not, I have to think Alexander Mattison is going to get more work than usual. Mattison has roughly half the carries and yardage that he did last season, not helping him put much on tape for opportunities here or elsewhere going forward. Sunday might represent his best chance to show what he can do. For his long-term future in this league, it feels like he needs to make a few plays. He doesn’t turn 25 until June, so age isn’t the issue. Opportunity is.

Most interesting storyline
Lewis: The types of cleats the Vikings decide to wear. Just kidding. (A quick opine: How, after 124 times playing the Packers, did the Vikings seemingly fail to correctly prepare for the slickness of the Lambeau Field grass? I digress.) The most interesting storyline in this one is: Can the Vikings create good vibes as they embark on an attempted playoff run? The season has provided so many memories. Some of these games will stand in NFL lore forever. It would be quite unfortunate, at this point, for the Vikings to reach the playoffs feeling unconfident, uncertain, unprepared. However it happens Sunday, the hope should be for it to create momentum to build upon.

Krawczynski: Just how the Vikings, and every other team, have handled the gut-wrenching situation with Damar Hamlin. Cousins and others were thoughtful and eloquent this week trying to articulate their feelings, fears and so much more after seeing Hamlin suffer a cardiac arrest on the field. I can’t imagine the emotions that so many of them are grappling with, particularly those who know Hamlin personally like Harrison Phillips.