Good morning, Bears fans!

Cheers to everyone who snagged a free Bears hat at Dunkin’ Donuts yesterday. I wanted to get one for both of my daughters, but the only thing worse than walking away with no hats for your two children is walking away with only one hat for your two children.

Also, two Dunkin’ coffees might’ve kept me up through Week 5 …

— Kevin Kaduk

Darnell Wright returns to practice The right tackle was listed as “limited” one day after missing practice with a knee. Full injury report

Kyler Murray remains limited It’s still unclear who the Bears will see under center on Sunday. Murray was concussed during Sunday’s game and was limited the last two days of practice.

Bills beat Lions 41-31 The Bears-Bills Alliance of 2026 won its first game of the season, but DJ Moore left the game with a shoulder injury. The Lions loss gives Sunday’s winner early sole possession of the NFC North.

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The Bears and Vikings play each other during Sunday’s Week 2 and then not again until Week 18 on January 10, 2027— a spread of almost four months.

If 112 days between two regular season divisional matchups isn’t a record, it has to be close.

Time will tell where these two teams are in the new year, but this early season meeting is still packed full of storylines.

Here are three of them …

The Bears rode their run-blocking dominance to a second-half beatdown in the fierce Carolina heat. Sunday’s challenge will be a different one with Minnesota’s front seven capable of getting in Caleb Williams’ face more frequently.

The Vikings defense pressured Jordan Love on 52 percent of his dropbacks, so we might guess the Bears to use their 13 personnel set (1 receiver, three tight ends) even more than last week. Johnson used the 13 on 15.7 percent of snaps against Carolina, fifth highest in the league.

That should mean that Colston Loveland will finally put a mark in the receptions category and maybe many times. It would also mean fewer carries for D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.

Also: I wonder if Zavion Thomas gets his first offensive snap? While special teams coach Richard Hightower talked about getting the ball into the rookie’s hands on special team, how great would it be to see him blaze something deep over the top of a blitzing Vikings defense?

(I would also accept Luther Burden in that scenario, I’m not picky.)

If Murray can’t go, Wentz will be looking to win his first start on the road since the final week of the 2023 season.

His last road win before that? A 12-7 win with the Commanders at Soldier Field in 2022. (Shoutout to Velus Jones and Darnell Mooney, whose big miscues eventually helped the Bears land Caleb.)

Wentz was up to the task in relief of Murray last week, completing a workman-like 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers. He leaned on Justin Jefferson for half of those completions, two of which went for touchdowns.

Wentz likely won’t have to put on a Superman cape against this Bears defense, but the firepower of the Bears offense may require that he keep up. Whether the 33-year-old still has that in him while playing in front of a hostile crowd is a big question mark for me.

No bulletin board material here. The Vikings pressure is real and it is to be feared. Minnesota’s blitz rate of 78.3 percent against the Packers was the league’s fourth-highest total since at least 2018 and linebacker Blake Cashman’s seven pressures was the highest by an off-ball linebacker in the same time frame.

Against the Packers, Brian Flores’ Vikings defense sacked Jordan Love four times and forced an interception off a blitz.

At the same time, bringing the heat with that many defenders means someone is always open and the Bears have the coach, quarterback and pass catchers to exploit that. It should give all Bears fans confidence that Johnson is obsessed with winning this mental chess match against Flores.

Kevin Kaduk: Bears 41, Vikings 27
Yep, that’d make an even 100 points over the first two weeks for the Bears offense … and a touchdown of improvement from the defense. I already looked; this wouldn’t be a Scorigami.

Ryan Droste: Bears 35, Vikings 31
The Bears get some revenge for last year’s season opening loss to Minnesota at Soldier Field. Chicago’s defense makes just enough plays with the home crowd behind them, and Caleb and company continue to light it up on offense, albeit less points than last week.

Kacper Rajwa: Bears 34, Vikings 23
I think Brian Flores is simply too good to hang 60 on, but Ben Johnson is a sick man. 34 against this Vikings defense is still pretty great.

Researched by Kacper Rajwa
Source: Next Gen Stats

• “Dr. Moe Has To Go” Dan Bernstein brings the goods on the guy behind Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson’s rehabs. Not a great situation and if you’re looking for the source of the Bears’ iciness toward Gordon … this might be it. (312 Sports on YT)

• Bill Zimmerman summarizes Bernstein’s findings in an article and offers some conclusions of his own. (Windy City Gridiron)

• Kevin Fishbain goes inside the Bears’ quest to improve Caleb Williams’ completion percentage. (The Athletic)

• A top Bears official not named Kevin Warren and a top Pritzker official talked about a stadium in late August. (Capitol News Illinois)

• Jeff Agrest talked with Dan Orlovsky, who says he has the notes to prove he doesn’t hate the Bears. (Sun-Times)