Where: Soldier Field, Chicago (grass, outdoors)
When: Sunday, noon (Fox)
Spread: Pick 'em
Forecast: Partly sunny, mid 40s
Records: Bears (7-3, 1-1 in NFC North); Vikings (6-4, 2-0 in NFC North)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Jan. 1, 2012: Bears 17, Vikings 13; Oct. 16, 2011: Bears 39, Vikings 10. Bears have won last five. Vikings lead series 52-48-2.
What matters: The Bears are likely to have QB Jay Cutler available after missing 1 1/2 games with a concussion as they attempt to end a two-game slide that has left them tied with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. The game is the first of two in three weeks between these teams and has big playoff ramifications. The Bears' next four games are against teams near them in the playoff chase. The Bears haven't lost a game at Soldier Field to the Vikings since Adrian Peterson's rookie year of 2007 when he ran for 224 yards. But Chicago comes in off a short work week following a Monday night blowout loss at San Francisco. Meanwhile, Minnesota comes into the game well rested and prepared after a bye week. A state of panic almost seems to have set in with the Bears coaching staff after losing two straight, including 32-7 to San Francisco. Two offensive linemen and two defensive players have been benched as the staff seems to be behaving more like it's handling a 3-7 team rather than a 7-3 team. Nickel D.J. Moore, DE Israel Idonije, G Chilo Rachal and T Gabe Carimi all are out of the lineup.
Who matters: Cutler brings a 100.8 passer rating (121 of 185 for 1,364 yards, 15 TDs, 6 INTs) against the Vikings into this game, although expecting him to perform at that level after missing 1 1/2 games seems to be a reach. And when he came back from a concussion that cost him 1 1/2 games in 2010 his return to the field was caked in rust with a 17-of-39 effort (69.4 passer rating) for 290 yards in a 23-20 loss at home to Seattle. ... WR Devin Hester has been the Vikings' worst nightmare over the years, and not just on special teams. Hester has four of his 17 career punt-kickoff TD returns against the Vikings, but five of his 14 career TD catches came against Minnesota, a team he averages 16.7 yards a catch against. Hester has just eight catches for 51 yards in his last four games, and with Alshon Jeffery out after knee surgery the Bears offense could use some type of impact game from him. ... LB Lance Briggs and LB Brian Urlacher have been big-play run stuffers and are tied for the team lead with six tackles for loss each in a defense that badly wants to rebound from allowing 127 and 123 yards rushing in its last two games. But to rebound, they'll have to stop Adrian Peterson, the league's rushing leader with 1,128 yards.
Key matchups: Bears RT Jonathan Scott vs. Vikings LDE Brian Robison. The Bears will chip block on Vikings DE Jared Allen, and even out-and-out double-team him, so he should not have the kind of 3 1/2-sack game he had against J'Marcus Webb on Jan. 1 this year. However, on the other side that leaves the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Scott, the new RT starter, to face Robison, who has six sacks. Undersized at 6-3, 258, Robison can be had in the running game. Scott's last start was last year's playoff loss for Pittsburgh against Denver, but he's been around long enough to know the offense well. ... Bears DT Henry Melton vs. Vikings LG Charlie Johnson. When Melton has had a big game, the Bears defense has clicked best. It usually works that way with the under tackle in the Bears system. Johnson is a little above journeyman level, a sixth-round pick in 2006 by the Colts who actually is a tackle by trade. The Bears rely on the under tackle to make big plays against the run, and they'll need some to force Peterson to run laterally and keep him from getting started. ... Bears WR Brandon Marshall against Vikings CB A.J. Jefferson. This looks like a mismatch because Jefferson hasn't done much in two seasons with Arizona and one in Minnesota (1 INT, 9 starts). But Marshall is suffering from a shoulder injury. Jefferson isn't going to be playing much one-on-one as the Vikings like running cover-2 as the Bears do. So Marshall isn't likely to get that bracketing 2-man coverage he had against Houston and Green Bay. Look for the Bears to try to hit him with slants and go routes, along with fades and back-shoulder throws.
Injuries of note: Besides Cutler's concussion, DE Shea McClellin is back from a concussion. Marshall is nursing a shoulder injury but is expected to play. TE Kellen Davis is unlikely to play with an ankle injury, which means more time in the offense for both Evan Rodriguez and Kyle Adams. WR Alshon Jeffery is out after knee surgery.
Inside stuff: The Bears offense usually looks much sharper or cleaner in its blocking when going against a 4-3 defense like Minnesota plays. It's the look they work against all training camp. With Jay Cutler starting, they haven't lost a game to a 4-3 defense since Oct. 10, 2011 at Detroit (10 straight wins).
Connections: Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice was a player and coach for the Vikings for 14 years, including head coach for four-plus seasons. ... Bears CB Zack Bowman was with the Vikings in training camp before being cut and returning to the Bears. ... Vikings head coach Les Frazier was a Bears CB from 1981-86 who suffered a torn ACL on a trick punt return in Super Bowl XX that eventually cost him his career. ... The Vikings special assistant to the head coach is Bears Hall of Famer Mike Singletary. ... Vikings LB coach Fred Pagac played TE for the Bears in 1974 and won the Brian Piccolo Award as a rookie. ... Vikings WR Devin Aromashodu was with the Bears from 2008-10.
Stat you should know: Bears RB Matt Forte has failed to hit 100 yards rushing in 12 of his last 14 games and in those 14 hasn't been over 107 yards. ... The Bears are 6-2 since 2008 when coming off a loss of 20 points or more.
Record watch: CB Tim Jennings is only two INTs short of the Bears team record set in 1990 by S Mark Carrier (10). ... Devin Hester remains one behind Deion Sanders for the most combined TD returns (INT-fumble-kick-punt) in NFL history.
Looking ahead: The Bears host the Seattle Seahawks in a noon game on Dec. 2.
Prediction: Bears 19, Vikings 10.
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.
