Bears vs. Vikings: DJ Moore is the key to victory for Chicago in Week 6

Last week, I highlighted Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus’ matchup against Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera as Week 5’s matchup to watch. To my surprise, coach Eberflus was victorious, pulling off a surprising 40-20 win over the Commanders on Thursday night.

Complete with some stellar offensive highlights and a career game from wide receiver DJ Moore, the Bears looked like an entirely different football team in Week 5. Justin Fields was a leader and appeared poised for the second straight week. And the defense made a statement on a day that saw the passing of Bears legend Dick Butkus. They won the turnover battle with two takeaways and had five sacks of Commanders QB Sam Howell.

The offense has been clicking since Week 4, but a Week 5 win was always contingent on Eberflus’s defensive game plan and strategy. And it worked. It finally worked. I have to give credit where credit is due. The Bears’ defense played lights out against a sneaky-good Commanders team.

While I’m likely getting ahead of myself, should the Bears continue to play with this kind of intensity, it’s not hard to envision a .500 record (or something close to that) when their bye week rolls around, given their next handful of opponents. Sure, it’s a stretch, but it’s not impossible.

All of this starts with a Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Also boasting a 1-4 record, Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings have played tough football, keeping all of their games within one score. However, the latest news on Justin Jefferson being placed on injured reserve makes Minnesota’s next four-game stretch daunting.

With Jefferson sidelined this Sunday, all eyes will be on another receiver, Chicago’s DJ Moore.

DJ Moore vs. Minnesota secondary

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy finally cut DJ Moore loose. He’s accumulated 360 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his last two games. If his current trajectory indicates how his chemistry is growing with Justin Fields, the Vikings secondary will have a problem containing Moore on Sunday.

It’s not a guaranteed favorable matchup for Chicago. The Bears’ backfield is beyond banged up, leaving a lot of attention to be directed to Moore and his expected targets. Fields must use his legs to keep the Vikings’ defense honest so that Moore can get open and continue dominating with chunk plays and yards after the catch.

Vikings cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Andrew Booth Jr. are early in their NFL careers. And while both have promising potential, Minnesota’s defense has given up 27 or more points in three of its last four games (excluding the Vikings’ win over the struggling Panthers).

It’s a recipe for success on the Bears’ sideline, barring Getsy doesn’t get conservative after halftime. Aggressive play-calling and expanding the field is what has generated all of this recent success for DJ Moore in a Chicago Bears uniform.

The Bears are back home for the first time in three weeks. It’s time for Moore to show his dominant WR1 abilities at Soldier Field, and it’ll happen this Sunday against the Vikings.

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