Jalen Redmond’s timely forced fumble silenced a surging Chicago offense, proving Brian Flores’ aggressive defensive unit can keep Minnesota competitive even as Carson Wentz takes the reins.
The Minnesota Vikings took on the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Like hardly anybody expected, the game was 6-3 at halftime.
The Vikings got off to a great start to the year with a 39-22 win over the Green Bay Packers but entered the day with low expectations. After all, the Vikings were set to take on a Bears offense led by one of the NFL's best offensive minds in Ben Johnson and one of the league's most dynamic young players in Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears seemed to start to get things going in the third quarter despite a nonexistent first half on offense. Chicago lined up at the Minnesota one-yard line facing 1st and Goal and staring down what looked to be a sure touchdown opportunity.
At the time, Williams had completed 10 of 17 passes for 68 yards and an interception. Despite the rough day, the Bears had a chance to render it all meaningless and take a 10-6 lead.
At worst, the Bears were confident they would either get three points or get four shots at the end zone from the one-yard line or closer. With just under 9:45 left in the third quarter, Chicago went to the ground game with their first attempt to score a touchdown. Then chaos ensued.
Vikings defensive lineman Jalen Redmond knocked the football out of the Chicago running back's hands and defensive back Isaiah Rodgers promptly gained possession of the football. In a play, the Bears went from a sure touchdown to leaving the possession empty handed.
The Bears will look at the play as their own failure, and certainly the fumble was a mistake that cannot happen at the one-yard line. The reality, however, is that the Vikings' aggressive and opportunistic defensive style of play had as much to do with the result as anything that Chicago did or did not do.
The play was just another reminder of what a great defense Vikings defensive play caller Brian Flores leads in Minnesota. Flores' defense caught the Bears with careless ball security and took advantage.
Whether or not the Vikings can win consistently without starting quarterback Kyler Murray is up for debate. Murray's concussion looms large on the team's immediate odds of winning. However, if the team can bring more defensive plays like the one above, Minnesota has the ability to beat any team it faces.
The Vikings will hope to continue their dominant defense as they navigate games with backup quarterback Carson Wentz leading the offense.
