The Chicago Bears never really got their offense going in their Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, managing only three points in a 9-3 defeat. After scoring 59 points in Week 1, the Bears struggled against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, while the difficult weather conditions made things even tougher.
Things got worse in the fourth quarter when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams left the game with an injury. Williams finished 15-of-26 for 138 yards and an interception, along with a 56.2 passer rating.
Williams’ injury came at a costly moment, with Chicago already inside the red zone and looking for a touchdown. Without Williams, the drive ended without a touchdown, as the Bears eventually had their field goal attempt blocked.
After the win, Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner stated that he put the rivalry aside and shared an emotional message when he saw Williams down.
“I took a knee and I prayed for him,” Turner told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales postgame. “I didn’t like to see a guy like that down.”
Moreover, Turner spoke about what made Williams such a challenging quarterback to contain before the Bears star went down with his injury.
“He probably has the best escapability in the NFL,” Turner added. “But it’s definitely a fun challenge going against a guy like that, and I hope he gets healthy.”
Vikings’ Brian Flores Gets Strong Words From Dallas Turner
Turner continues to show that he’s an emerging star, recording two sacks and five tackles in the win over Chicago. Nonetheless, the spotlight is on Flores for his playcalling, showing that he’s arguably the best defensive coordinator in the NFL. Turner shared what makes the Vikings coach special.
“Man, I love him,” Turner added. “He might want more for us than we want more for ourselves and stuff like that. I love him. I appreciate it. He’s the same guy every day, high standards. So if you’re a high-standard player, you’ll love playing for a guy like that.”
Kevin O’Connell on Containing Caleb Williams Before Injury
Meanwhile, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell highlighted several things he liked about the team in the win over the Bears. Nonetheless, he gave the most praise to the defense for containing Williams before his injury.
“I thought the tackling, a couple times in space, that surface can be tough for guys to close space, come to balance, make a tackle, and they were able to make a couple loose plays to get new first downs like that,” O’Connell told reporters after the win.
“But for the most part, in between the trenches, I thought our guys answered the bell against a team we knew wanted to run it and try to get some plays off of [Williams]. Caleb is such a unique talent. Even when you think you got him, I give our guys a ton of credit for chasing him around all day, but we did keep him in there enough.”
Minnesota will look to go 3-0 to start the season, as they’ll face the 0-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 27 at Raymond James Stadium.
Vikings’ Dallas Turner Gives Emotional Caleb Williams Message After Injury