Welcome to our coverage of Monday night’s Week 1 showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears in a matchup of NFC North rivals.
Both teams have relatively lofty expectations this year after having extremely busy offseasons. This is the head coaching debut for Chicago’s Ben Johnson, who, among other things, has been tasked with getting the most out of 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Chicago gave Williams several new weapons this offseason, including Colston Loveland, the first tight end selected in this year’s draft.
The Vikings, fresh off a 14-3 regular season, invested in the trenches during free agency when they acquired defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave and offensive linemen Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. All eyes, however, will be on the quarterback position with J.J. McCarthy making his first career start after an injury sidelined him for the entire 2024 season. Expect McCarthy to look early and often to Justin Jefferson, the NFL’s leading receiver since the start of the 2020 season.
Which team will come out on top?
To find out, check out our live blog below, where we’ll be providing updates, highlights and analysis throughout the evening.
Where to watch Bears vs. Vikings live
Date: Monday, Sept. 8 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
TV: ESPN/ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Vikings -1.5 OU 43.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
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