Vikings will miss Barr, Smith for 2nd straight game

A beatable Chicago Bears team comes to The Bank on Sunday, so the only thing standing in the way is the Vikings themselves. At 5-8 overall and almost eliminated from playoff contention, they face the Vikings in a rematch of their 23-20 loss November 1.

Last week against Washington, Gould’s 50-yarder would have sent the game to overtime but he hooked it left and the Bears lost 24-21.

With the last two frustrating losses at home, the Chicago Bears bid farewell to their 2015 season. LINE: Vikings -5.5. O/U: 43ABOUT THE BEARS (5-8): The much-maligned Jay Cutler threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns last week, but those numbers could take a significant hit should he be without Alshon Jeffery. The Bears have shown improvement in stopping between-the-tackles runs, and they seem to play with an edge on the road, so they’re going to hang in for this one as they always do. Eric Kendricks leads the Vikings with 70 tackles, Everson Griffen has 8.5 sacks and Terence Newman has 11 pass deflections. “I’d say it’s my love of wine”. They haven’t won a playoff game since the 2009 season.

The team announced on Friday that cornerback Bryce Callahan is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, as he continues to deal with a calf injury. But only if the Vikings don’t turn into yo-yos before then.

It was also their second straight setback, which allowed Chicago to still be in the hunt for a playoffs seat at this late stage of the regular season. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised live on FOX.

The Vikings need to contain running back Matt Forte, who had 41 yards on 10 carries and four catches for 28 yards before leaving the first meeting early with a knee injury.

An offensive gameplan featuring more rushing than passing is expected to be utilized by the Vikings in order to expose the Bears weaknesses on defense. The Vikings can be their own worst enemy at times and need to avoid the penalties and turnovers that have derailed their run-heavy approach in most defeats. With the season now coming to a close the Bears have definitely had their fill of injuries, drama and upside. This may seem obvious, but the Bears can not squander opportunities to score touchdowns, especially now that field goals are rather hard to come by considering Robbie Gould’s disappointing season.