Week 10 of the NFL season ends with a big NFC North matchup. The Minnesota Vikings take on the Chicago Bears in front of a national audience on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. The game will air on ESPN starting at 8:15 p.m. ET. Viewers can stream it on the ESPN app as well as the Yahoo Sports app.
The Vikings (3-5) have gotten off to a slow start but have won their last two games thanks largely to the return of running back Dalvin Cook, who was injured at the beginning of the year. In the wins against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, Cook tallied 478 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. According to ESPN, Cook became the first player in NFL history to score a touchdown on each of his team’s first four possessions against the Packers. He joined Jim Brown and Deuce McAllister as the only players to post 225 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in consecutive games.
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“I think it’s good for us up front,” Cook said when talking about the Vikings offensive line. “Getting that confidence going into the back end of the season, knowing what we’re trying to get done, knowing the identity of who we [are]. I think that’s key for us up front, for the guys up front. It’s always good to be out front in statistics, it just shows the hard work you put in, but I’m big on letting my guys know up front that this thing can be done.”
While the Vikings are trending upward, the Bears (5-4) are struggling as they have lost their last three games. The offense has struggled to score points, averaging 16.6 points per game in the three losses. One of the Bears’ changes is head coach Matt Nagy handed over playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
“It’s just kind of where we’re at,” Nagy said on a video call after Friday’s practice as reported by ESPN. “You get a feel, and you understand, ‘OK, this is where our offense is at right now,’ and we’ve been struggling and for different reasons. I don’t think it’s one particular reason, but if there’s something that can help spark us, or sometimes it’s just a changeup.” The winner of tonight’s game will put themselves in a position to make a run for one of the final playoff spots.
