With the NFC North being the best division in football last year, it’s no surprise the NFL schedule makers had all four teams playing each other in Week 1. Let’s take a trip to the Windy City and talk about this Vikings/Bears tilt at Soldier Field.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Soldier Field; Chicago, Illinois
- Date: Monday, September 8th, 2025
- Kickoff: 8:15 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy (2024 – N/A)
- Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams (5-12; 2024 – 208.3 YPG | 20 TD | 6 INT)
Betting Odds
Odds via BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
New Quarterback, who this?
J.J. McCarthy is going to be the Vikings third starting quarterback is three years. In 2023 we saw Kirk Cousins play out his final year with Minnesota, the team went 7-10, missed the postseason and that was the end of Kirk’s tenure with the Vikings. Minnesota signed Sam Darnold to a 1-year, $10 million deal and drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
During the team’s 2024 pre-season, J.J. McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus and underwent season ending knee surgery. Darnold stepped in as the team’s de facto stater and played beyond even the craziest expectations.
The Vikings went 14-3, two of their losses being to the eventual division winners; the Detroit Lions. Darnold averaged a career best 254.1 pass yards per game, threw 35 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He finished the year with a QB rating of 102.5 and the Vikings let him walk, turning to McCarthy as this team’s starter.
Despite limited play time during the pre-season, training camp reports have been cautiously optimistic. Reports have highlighted his poise, accuracy and ability to bounce back after a bad drive or a bad practice. The Vikings made this choice knowing full well what they have in McCarthy. They’ve got a stacked receiving core, even with Jordan Addisson’s suspension.
Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson and the team just brought back Adam Thielen. Last year at age 35, Thielen caught 48 passes, averaged 61.5 yards per game, caught five touchdowns and played just 10 games. He was a huge reason for Bryce Young’s late season success and I believe it’s why the Vikings brought him back; to help facilitate the development of their young QB.
Bear Down
The vibes could not be higher in the Windy City. Caleb Williams finished last year with 20 touchdowns, threw just six interceptions and flashed moments of elite play in an otherwise bad year. The Bears went 5-12, the offensive line struggled mightily and their run game never got off the ground. The Bears’ started the season 4-2, showing promise early in the year. They proceeded to lose six straight games and that marked the end for Head Coach Matt Eberflus.
Chicago finished the year with their Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown taking over as the team’s interim Head Coach. The team finished 5-12 and knew exactly who they wanted taking over on the sideline. Ben Johnson got the call and without hesitation, took the job here in Chicago. After spending the last six seasons with the Detroit Lions, he brings his insane offensive mind to a Bears team that desperately needs it.
Outside of the new coaching staff, the Bears added some weapons in the draft. The team used their 10th overall pick on Colston Loveland out of Michigan. The young tight end finished as a finalist for the John Mackey Award last year, finishing with 584 receiving yards and five touchdowns. With the departure of Keenan Allen, Chicago then used their 2nd round pick on Luther Burden III, a speedy wide receiver out of Missouri.
Can the Bears live up to the hype?
Monday Night’s Best Bets
Adam Thielen o26.5 Receiving Yards (+100)
The Vikings brought back a 35-year old Adam Thielen because of what he can provide their young quarterback. Thielen’s play in the slot has provided countless QBs a release valve, the type of receiver that you can throw to you when the pressure begins to peak. Thielen did that exact thing for Bryce Young last year, leading the team in targets per game (7.2) with Young under center.
Today will be J.J. McCarthy’s first career NFL start, it’ll be on the road and against a divisional opponent. His team’s coming off a 14-win season and the pressure could not be higher for this young quarterback. When the pressure begins to peak, you hit the release valve.
Caleb Williams o22.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
Caleb Williams is a mobile quarterback. He’s got the ability to move in the pocket, extend plays and even pick up first downs when needed. We’ve seen it all week, quarterbacks that can do that have had huge success, especially late in games. This week we saw Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields, and Daniel Jones run in touchdowns. We saw Justin Herbert, Jayden Daniels and Baker Mayfield pick up huge first downs for their teams, icing the game and helping all three teams walk away with the win.
Head Coach Ben Johnson is an offensive mastermind. He was the OC behind Jared Goff’s best year’s as a quarterback, he was the mind behind the high powered Lions’ offense over the last three years and he wanted this job because of Caleb Williams. He’s designed this offense around his quarterback and highlighting his mobility has to be in the gameplan.
Last year, Williams cleared this line in 10 of his 17 games, averaging 28.8 rush yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry. At home, Williams hit this line in six of the team’s nine home games, recording 33+ rush yards in six of their last seven home games. This Vikings team is one of the best in the NFL in generating pressure, so look for Williams to get out of the pocket and get a little creative today.
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