NEWSLETTER
“All right, you rag-tag bunch of misfits. You hate me, and I hate you even more. But without my beloved ringers, you’re all I’ve got. So, I want you to remember some inspiriting things that someone else may have told you in the court of your lives, and go out there and win.”
It’s an overlooked pep speech in the classic “Homer at the Bat” episode of The Simpsons. But it is one that speaks to me today. The end of the Matt Nagy era is coming soon. GM Ryan Pace might be joining him in being on the outs. And while I don’t think Nagy’s pre-game speech will mimic what noted wordsmith C. Montgomery Burns gave to the Springfield Nuclear Plant softball team, there might be similar sentiments. Several key Bears contributors that you would hope would be available for a season finale won’t be playing. But Chicago’s football team still has a game to play. So whichever players are left might as well go out and win it.
As for the aftermath, we’ll sort through it later.
Hopefully, no one falls into a bottomless pit like Ozzie Smith between now and when this game ends.
Game Info
Chicago Bears (6-10) at Minnesota Vikings (7-9) on FOX-TV (Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib, & Megan Olivi), WBBM-AM 780 and WCFS-FM 105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote)
Kickoff time: Noon CT
Site: US Bank Stadium; Minneapolis
Referee: Brad Allen
Odds: Bears +3.5 (-110), O/U 45 (via DraftKings Sports Book)
Game Thread (Week 18 Preview)
Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun. And, hopefully, we can do this again when things start up this summer.
Hype Video
Coaches
Bears Matt Nagy (34-30) vs. Vikings Mike Zimmer (71-56-1)
Starting Quarterbacks and Projected Game Stats
BEARS: Andy Dalton: 20/36, 242 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, 15 rushing yards
versus
VIKINGS: Kirk Cousins: 21/32, 230 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 carries, 8 yards
Projected stats via ESPN projections
Bears Offense (Projected Starters in Bold)
QB Andy Dalton
Reserves: Nick Foles
RB David Montgomery
Reserves: Khalil Herbert, Damien Williams
WR Darnell Mooney, Allen Robinson II, Marquise Goodwin
Reserves: Damiere Byrd, Dazz Newsome
TE Cole Kmet
Reserves: Jimmy Graham, Jesse James, Jesper Horsted
LT Jason Peters
LG Cody Whitehair
C Sam Mustipher
RG James Daniels
RT Larry Borom
Reserves: Teven Jenkins, Germain Ifedi, Alex Bars
Bears Defense
DT Angelo Blackson
NT Eddie Goldman
DE Bilal Nichols
Reserves: Mario Edwards Jr., Khyiris Tonga, Margus Hunt
OLB Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson
Reserves: Bruce Irvin, LeDarius Mack
ILB Roquan Smith, Alec Ogletree
Reserves: Caleb Johnson, Christian Jones, Joel Iyiegbuniwe
CB Jaylon Johnson, Artie Burns
Reserves: Kindle Vildor, Thomas Graham Jr.
S Deon Bush, Eddie Jackson
Reserves: Deon Bush, Marqui Christian
Bears Special Teams
Cairo Santos (kicker), Pat O’Donnell (punter), Patrick Scales (long-snapper), Dazz Newsome (punt returns), Khalil Herbert (kick returns)
Bears Inactives
Inactives for #CHIvsMIN: pic.twitter.com/yMkhCUJbjm
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 9, 2022
Vikings Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Kirk Cousins
• RB Dalvin Cook
• WR Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Dede Westbrook
• TE Tyler Conklin
• LT Rashod Hill, LG Dakota Dozier, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Olisaemeka Udoh, RT Brian O’Neill
Defense
• LE Kenny Willekes, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, NT Armon Watts, RE D.J. Wonnum
• WLB Nick Vigil, MLB Troy Dye, SLB Anthony Barr
• LCB Patrick Peterson, RCB Cameron Dantzler
• FS Xavier Woods, SS Harrison Smith
Specialists
• Greg Joseph (kicker), Jordan Berry (punter, holder), Andrew DePaola (long snapper), Ihmir Smith-Marsette, K.J. Osborn (kick and punt returns)
Vikings Inactives
#Vikings inactives
QB Kellen Mond
CB Mackensie Alexander
CB Kris Boyd
RB Wayne Gallman
TE Zach Davidson
G Wyatt Davis
DT Michael Pierce— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 9, 2022
