The end of the 2019 NFL regular season is here, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the Minnesota Vikings handle things as they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Because of their loss on Monday Night Football, the Vikings are now locked into the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs, which will kick off on the weekend of 4 and 5 January. The Vikings have several players that are dealing with injury concerns, notably running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison and linebacker Eric Kendricks, that they will likely sit down for the season finale, but the Vikings could end up treating this game as a bit of a bye week to give some players rest before their first playoff game.
For the Bears, this game represents an opportunity to get back to .500 in a season where they failed to meet expectations. After winning the NFC North in 2018, they were expected to be a Super Bowl contender this season, and that never materialized. They also don’t have a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, as it’s part of the Khalil Mack trade they made with the Oakland Raiders, so they’re about to embark on an interesting offseason.
This game is scheduled for kickoff at noon Central time. . .likely the last noon Central time kickoff we’ll see for the Vikings this season. . .and will be aired on the FOX family of networks.