The Chicago Bears did a good job against Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the two teams’ last meeting in Week 12.
Jefferson, a three-time Pro Bowler, caught two passes for 27 yards; both season lows.
However, Jefferson has been quick to note the impact teams paying so much attention to him has on the Vikings’ offense. Vikings receiver Jordan Addison had eight receptions for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson had 114 yards on seven receptions.
Asked about balancing guarding Jefferson and his teammates, Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown went on to rave about the former.
Bears HC Thomas Brown Gets Honest About Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Bears’ Thomas Brown: Justin Jefferson a ‘True Problem’
“He’s a problem. I don’t think anybody in this league has a true answer how to stop elite players. So I’m not going to act like we have some magical formula because there is none. I think understanding of owning those matchups, winning 1-on-1 battles, but also the mix of coverage is going to be a big part when it comes to how to try to keep those guys off balance,” Brown told Clocker Sports about Jefferson during his press conference on December 12.
“Understanding how to mix up coverage but also affect quarterback is gonna be a big part of trying to slow him down. But he’s a true problem, so. Not gonna say he’s not.”
.@JJettas2 was all by himself down there Sunday.
📺: https://t.co/dvdDEXE0gx pic.twitter.com/RGGgmXvWuJ
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 11, 2024
Jefferson has caught 75 passes for 1,170 yards and 7 scores this season.
It is his fifth straight 1,000-yard season to start his career. He snapped a six-game TD drought in the Vikings’ Week 15 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Jefferson had caught a touchdown pass in five of the first six games this season.
Thomas Brown’s Comments Put Sam Darnold on Notice
Brown went on to highlight the importance of not letting Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold sit back and distribute the ball to Jefferson and the Vikings’ other weapons.
“Anytime you talk about the passing game, the more you can impact the front and affect the quarterback that, obviously, negates what a receiver can do,” Brown said. “Obviously, I think there’s some independent spots on the field – like D-lineman – where he’s not depending on anybody else to have success. A receiver can’t play well without his quarterback.”
Darnold completed 64.7% of his passes for 330 yards and 2 TDs in Week 12.
Unfortunately for the Bears, it did not matter whether or not they pressured Darnold in the first meeting.
He completed 66.7% of his passes when kept clean, per Pro Football Focus. But he still completed 61% of his throws when under duress. And he was better against the blitz (66.7%) than a standard rush (64%).
Early preview of the Bears vs. Vikings matchup. Can the #Bears win this time? @clayharbs82 | @ruthiepolinsky | @DavidHaugh | #BigPFBShow pic.twitter.com/iQo3UPdMgz
— Bears on CHSN (@CHSN_Bears) December 11, 2024
The Bears already struggle to generate pressure.
They will once again find themselves in a “pick-your-poison” scenario against Darnold and the Vikings’ offense.
Vikings Beat Offers Ominous Take on Bears Exec
Bears general manager Ryan Poles is under a microscope. Year 3 of his rebuilding effort has gone awry. The Bears have set historic precedents not once but twice for firing coaches during the season, something they have done every year of Poles’ tenure.
The intensity of the focus on Poles’ performance ratcheted up after he appeared alongside Bears president Kevin Warren to announce the coaching change to Brown from Matt Eberflus.
One could have equated it to a parent (Warren) making a child (Poles) apologize for a mistake (Eberflus).
There have been reports, however, that Poles wanted to part with Eberflus last offseason only to be shot down by ownership. He is also rumored to be dissatisfied with having to report to Warren. Poles was the Bears football czar during his first two years.
Skor North’s Judd Zulgad offered a brief but damning take about the team and the current top non-McCaskey voice at Halas Hall.
“These Bears games are always odd. Now, I will say … Caleb Williams has shown me enough that he could play a good game. But, yeah, it feels like the Bears – the effort that they put forth last Sunday [versus the San Francisco 49ers] was a total just cashed-in effort,” Zulgad said on the “Purple Daily” podcast on December 11.
“The biggest thing with the Bears into the future is root for Kevin Warren to be there as long as possible. Because I think he’s way more of a problem than Ryan Poles is.”
BIG report on Waddle and Silvy today that Ryan Poles is frustrated having to report to Warren and might not have taken the job if he knew about this power dynamic.
Wowza. Keeps getting worse at Halas hall. Not a situation a sought after coach would want to enter. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/WeD3vOsEwU
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 10, 2024
Warren’s reputation for being a shrewd negotiator preceded him in his role with the Bears.
His 23 years of NFL experience include stints with Jefferson’s Vikings, Detroit Lions, and then-St. Louis Rams. He was also commissioner of the Big Ten. It was there that his cold standing with Jim Harbaugh began. That standing seemingly precluded the latter from the Bears head coaching job last year.
Time will tell if the relative newcomer to the organization, Warren, is indeed a bigger issue than Poles. The latter’s aggressive moves have been lauded but also missed plenty.
Notably, Williams expressed his confidence in Poles on Thursday.