The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will face off on Monday Night Football to put a bow on Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Bears are coming off a disappointing 5-12 campaign, which included a 10-game losing streak, in-season head coaching firing and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams getting sacked a league-high 68 times. But it also played a key role in their offseason overhaul.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off an impressive 14-3 season, where they finished with the second-best record in the league en route to the postseason (although they had an early playoff exit) and will usher in a new starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy.
Here’s what we’ll be watching in the Bears’ season opener against the Vikings, which includes plenty of eyes on Ben Johnson’s offense.
Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson’s offense
All eyes will be on second-year quarterback Caleb Williams as he makes his debut in this Ben Johnson-led offense. Williams has made substantial growth since the beginning of the summer in this offense, and the hope is he’ll have a breakout season under Johnson. The Bears dedicated resources to build around Williams this offseason, including the hiring of Johnson, a revamped offensive line and even more weapons at his disposal. Look for Chicago to get Williams into an early rhythm and leaning on D’Andre Swift and run game to set up play action and put the Bears in a position to succeed. One of the issues that plagued the offense during the summer were pre-snap penalties, and the hope is Williams and company will have that cleaned up against a dominant Vikings defense.
New-look offensive line
The Bears overhauled their entire interior offensive line this offseason with the additions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as center Drew Dalman. But the biggest test will come off the edge with the Vikings pass rush, most notably the matchup between Bears left tackle Braxton Jones and Vikings defensive end Jonathan Greenard. While right tackle Darnell Wright, entering his third season, has been solid in pass protection, Jones is the biggest question mark along this offensive line. He’s recovering from a fractured ankle and hasn’t appeared 100 percent, but it was still enough to win the starting left tackle job. Unfortunately, his first test this season won’t be an easy one.
Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores
The next great chapter in the Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores kicks off on Monday night, where Johnson is looking to continue his dominance in a new place. Johnson and Flores have met four times during their time with the Detroit Lions and Vikings, where Johnson has emerged victorious with a 4-0 record. In those four games, the Lions averaged 31 points per game. Now, Johnson is looking to continue that streak as head coach of the Bears. But it won’t be easy against a dominant defense and creative defensive mind like Flores as Chicago plays their first regular-season game in this new offense. Johnson will look to get quarterback Caleb Williams into an early rhythm, establish the run and he’ll have to contend with Minnesota’s pass rush amid questions at left tackle.
Bears pass rush vs. first-time starter J.J. McCarthy
Chicago will face a first-time starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, which should give them an advantage. But their pass rush, which remains the biggest concern on defense, needs to step up and find a way to generate pressure on the second-year QB. The Vikings have a solid tackle duo with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, which puts the pressure on Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo to win their one-on-one battles. The Bears might catch a break if Darrisaw, who’s been battling a knee injury, doesn’t suit up at left tackle. But he appears poised for a Week 1 start. Sweat, coming off a down season, needs to step up as he goes against O’Neill while Odeyingbo will face a tall order against Darrisaw.
Can Ben Johnson feed all his horses
Johnson is tasked with leading Chicago’s new-look offense, which has no shortage of weapons for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. That includes returning veterans DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, as well as newcomers Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III and Olamide Zaccheaus. Which is part of the problem for Johnson, who’s worried about getting everyone involved amid his myriad of weapons, including rookie newcomers Loveland and Burden. Earlier this offseason, Johnson discussed the “no block, no rock” mentality that he’s instilled with his offensive playmakers, where they’re going to need to contribute in pass protection and run blocking if they hope to get the ball thrown their way. We’ll see if Johnson can indeed get all of his horses fed.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 storylines to watch in Bears’ Week 1 opener vs. Vikings
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
