5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears season finale, including Matt Nagy’s ending and Jaylon Johnson’s coveted combo – plus our Week 18 predictions

The Chicago Bears will wrap up the season on Sunday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, facing the Minnesota Vikings in a game of no playoff significance. The Bears were hoping to end the year with a three-game winning streak but entered the weekend as 5½ points behind the Vikings who beat them 17-9 three weeks ago.

With Sunday’s game about to begin, here’s a snapshot of the game.

Chicago Bears (6-10) at Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

• Begin: Sunday noon at Bank of America Stadium in Minneapolis.
• TV and radio: FOX-32, WBBM-AM 780, WCFS-FM 105.9, WRTO-AM 1200 (Spanish).
• Current: Vikings equals 5 ½. On lower: 44 yen.

1. Press question

Is this the end for Matt Nagy’s Bears?

Probably. It’s hard to find anyone in the league who didn’t expect Nagy to be sacked after Sunday’s game. This is likely to lead Nagy to follow in the footsteps of his two predecessors John Fox and Marc Trestman, who each ended the Bears’ coaching tenure in Minneapolis.

Nagy was 34-30 in the regular season during his time in Chicago and lost both playoffs. After a five-game losing streak in October and November that dropped the Bears to 3-7 this season, it looks like Nagy’s days with the organization are over.

However, whether or not Nagy has been thinking and lamenting more privately, he has publicly steered around discussing his coaching fate and instead trying to focus on preparation. for the next match every week.

On Friday, after leading what many believe will be his last full training session as the Bears coach, Nagy once again expressed pride at how his players They continue to sharpen and invest in their preparation even as the team hasn’t competed for the playoffs since mid-December.

“When things don’t go as well as you’d like, how do you react?” Nagy said. “Have you changed? Do you treat people differently? Are you another head coach? Are you a different type of player? Because as they say, it reveals your true personality.

“In the end, we can all look back and say, ‘How did we react during a difficult time?’ And I think everyone in this building can tell you, ‘We reacted pretty well.’ ”

For Nagy, it’s worth it. And the Bears have a chance to end their season on a three-game winning streak.

2. Players in the spotlight

On Friday, Andy Dalton admitted that a thought pops into his head quite often.

What if I’m not injured?

Who knows how different the Bears’ season could have been if Dalton hadn’t bruised his left knee in the second quarter of the second game? That injury changed the plans of the influential back four that the Bears carried out for the season, eventually moving rookie Justin Fields into the starting XI for 10 of the next 12 games. The Bears led 2-8 in the game Fields started. And while Fields has gained valuable experience in a season where the Bears probably won’t be title contenders in the first place, Dalton can’t be blamed for wondering if he can take this team. exceeded the expectations of many bystanders.

There was no such unfortunate injury…

“I think about that all the time,” Dalton said. “Unfortunately, the whole trauma that happened (to me) wasn’t really emotional. Everything changed from that point on. So I think about that. But I understand that everything happens for a reason, and I trust God’s plan more than mine. I may not understand why it happened or when it happened and all that. But I know I can trust that good things come out of it. And there has been a lot of growth for me as a person and as a player since then. ”

Dalton, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Bears in March, will have one final warm-up on Sunday, pushed back into action after Fields tested positive for COVID- 19 midweek. The Bears are leading 3-2 in the match Dalton started.

At the end of what he called “a sublime season,” Dalton enjoyed making some positive finishes by ramping up his attack against a solid Viking defence.

This week, Dalton took the razor to shave.

“New year, new look,” he said. “New begining.”

3. Keep an eye on…

Jaylon Johnson vs. Justin Jefferson.

Three weeks ago, Johnson was really looking forward to a showdown with the Vikings star receiver, talking about his preparations and eager to do his part to help contain Jefferson. Then, the day before the game, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to play.

“I missed (that game) a lot,” Johnson said on Thursday, “considering the preparation I had that week — watching movies, practicing, watching a few things. Having that thing taken away from me at the last minute was quite painful. I want that match. That’s what I was expecting. ”

Sunday presents another opportunity. Jefferson is second in the NFL for yards with 1,509. He also had 103 catches, including 9 touchdowns.

Jefferson hit an early touchdown 12 yards from Kirk Cousins ​​at Soldier Field in Week 15 but was controlled by a Bears defense that lacked all five of its usual starts in the second game. He finished with four catches in 47 yards.

Johnson wants his rift at Jefferson, eager to end the second season strong on a high note.

“This week has been no different,” he said. “Just go out and prepare properly. Watching movie. My preparation will take care of itself.”

Johnson said he is looking forward to his release after Sunday and undergoing a thorough self-assessment of his 2021 season. What is undeniable is that he remains confident in his skill set, has developed confidence in his preparation routine and has made both of those things a respected leader in defence. .

“I want to be better, so I want the people around me to be better,” Johnson said. “I want to put guys in the best way that I can, there are even guys who push me to be the best version of myself. I’m very interested in everyone being on the same page and pushing each other to be better. ”

4. Odds and ends

With their secondary significantly depleted three weeks ago, the Bears somehow managed to keep the Vikings at just 61 yards past the net, the lowest yield in the Mike Zimmer era. A week later, the Bears’ defense held the Seattle Seahawks goalless in the fourth inning to help spark a 25-24 win rally. Then, in Week 17, the Bears put together the most perfect defensive effort of the season in a 29-3 loss to the New York Giants.

Yes, the level of difficulty of that performance must be considered. But the Bears still scored four bags and a safety, forced four return turns, kept the Giants 155 yards total and the first 13 kills on 12 possessions and didn’t allow for an explosive match. any.

“It was just a total team effort,” said coordinator Sean Desai. “A lot of energy and juice from the sidelines and from the players on the pitch. And it’s really just good execution of the plan and the techniques and details of what we’re trying to accomplish. When we do that, we can become quite special. And it was a special performance. ”

Desai was asked to explain his unit’s powerful finish and what it told him.

“It just tells us the personalities of our boys and the personalities of our coaches that we have here,” he said. “Our defensive mentality has always been a 1-0 approach. We don’t change that. ”

More outside laner Robert Quinn: “We’re finally playing to our standards. We have been inconsistent over the years. And we put ourselves in a bad position. But as men, as men of pride, we have to accomplish strong and create something positive for ourselves in the coming year. ”

5. Injury Update

Defensive midfielder Akiem Hicks was the only Bears player announced on Friday on the official injury report for the finale. Hicks has faced an ankle injury since November and Sunday will mark the eighth game he has missed this season and the 20th in the past three seasons.

Robert Quinn (shoulder), Eddie Goldman (finger) and Duke Shelley (heel) are listed as questionable, but all three trained fully on Friday and are set to compete.

The Bears on Saturday raised wide recipient Dazz Newsome from the workout team. The selection for the sixth round of 2021 took place in two matches.

For the Vikings, Michael Pierce’s defense (illness) was questionable while Mackensie Alexander (ankle), Kris Boyd (rib) and Wyatt Davis (illness) were questionable. doubt.

Guess

Brad Biggs (March 13)

The Vikings were knocked out of the playoff race with a heavy 37-10 defeat to the Green Bay Packers last week. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and Bears counterpart Matt Nagy will most likely enter the final game before receiving the pink vote. The Vikings are predicted to finish second in the NFC North even if the Bears win and both teams finish with a 7-10 record. So there’s really nothing at stake at Bank of America Stadium. Vikings defender Kirk Cousins, who returned from missing last week on the reserve/COVID-19 roster, had tough times against the Bears but was solid against them in Minnesota. This number should give the Vikings a slight edge as the Bears end the season on a three-game winning streak.

Vikings 20, Bears 17

Colleen Kane (14-2)

The last time the Bears and Vikings met – the Vikings’ 17-9 win in Week 15 – the Bears were 14 players short with COVID-19. Justin Fields plays injured. And the Bears made some costly mistakes. Now the teams meet in a game that has nothing to do with the playoffs. The Bears resigned to that fate for weeks and still won their last two games behind Nick Foles and Andy Dalton. So I guess the Bears and Matt Nagy have momentum for one more win left in them.

Bears 20, Vikings 17

Dan Wiederer (January 15)

Neither team will play in the post-season period. Both teams could face significant changes to their coaching staff and direct offices once the game is over. The level of frustration around each organization is similar. However, the Vikings are still just a better whole. And this is how it will end.

Vikings 26, Bears 24