The only thing that could stop the Chicago Bears’ offense last week was the game clock turning to all zeros.
Chicago (1-0) will try to pick up where it left off when it faces the visiting Minnesota Vikings (1-0) on Sunday afternoon. The early NFC North showdown marks the home opener for the Bears, who will return to Soldier Field after a 59-37 win at the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.
The scoring barrage only leaves quarterback Caleb Williams wanting more in Week 2.
“Scoring every drive is our mindset,” Williams said. “I think that’s the potential for us. That’s an internal expectation. That’s an internal feeling of what we have up front, our pass catchers and in the backfield. It’s an expectation from ourselves to be able to go out there and score every time and figure out ways to help the defense.”
Minnesota also is looking to start the season with back-to-back victories. The Vikings rallied for a 39-22 home win against the Green Bay Packers last week, stunning their division rivals by scoring the final 29 points.
The victory came at a cost for Minnesota, which lost quarterback Kyler Murray to a concussion in the first quarter. Veteran Carson Wentz stepped in and guided the offense to the comeback win.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Murray was a limited participant to start the practice week.
“(He’s) working through the protocol,” O’Connell said. “We’ll see how he responds, and we’ll continue to rely on the medical folks in that regard.”
If Murray cannot go, Wentz is in line to get the start under center.
The Vikings also are dealing with injuries at running back. They placed Jordan Mason on injured reserve Wednesday because of a right thumb fracture, which means that Aaron Jones Sr. could share the backfield with rookie Demond Claiborne instead.
“I think Aaron is part of our lead-back, 1A-1B rotation,” O’Connell said. “He’s going to be heavily involved. And at the same time, we want to keep him fresh.
“We ask a lot of him as it is, but we know we’ve got some guys that can handle some carries, handle some situational snaps on third down, and we’ll use our gameday (operation) to the best of our abilities.”
For the Bears, Williams is healthy and happy heading into his home debut. He posted a 124.1 passer rating last week while completing 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 65 yards and two more scores.
A scary fact for opposing defenses is that Williams did all that damage without completing a pass to one of his top playmakers, tight end Colston Loveland.
Williams said the key against the Vikings was to play smart.
“When the big (plays) show up, you take them and find them,” Williams said. “Part of my job is when those things happen, is finding the big ones. Then when it’s not, it’s finding the completions. That’s a big challenge for us and myself this week. I’m going to take it up and we’ll see how it turns out on Sunday.”
D’Andre Swift, limited at practice Wednesday due to an ankle/knee issue, also provides the Bears with a weapon out of the backfield. He led the team with 124 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground in the season opener.
Bears right tackle Darnell Wright (knee) did not practice Wednesday, along with defensive lineman Neville Gallimore (illness). Running back Kyle Monangai (hamstring), left tackle Ozzy Trapilo (knee), defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo (shoulder), safety Xavier Woods (groin) and cornerback Malik Muhammad (ankle) were limited.
On defense, Montez Sweat and Kentavius Street have one sack apiece for the Bears. The Vikings are led by Andrew Van Ginkel with 1 1/2 sacks.
For Minnesota, Van Ginkel (chest), linebacker Blake Cashman (wrist) and offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) were listed as limited participants. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings missed practice for what O’Connell told the media was “a personal family matter.”