Chicago
Bears
0-0
7
FINAL
17
Minnesota
Vikings
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive opening clash of the 2028 season, the Minnesota Vikings secured a solid 17-7 victory over the Chicago Bears. Both teams entered with high hopes, but the Vikings showcased their offensive prowess, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season ahead.
Leading the charge for Minnesota was quarterback Jack Hettsfield, who threw for an impressive 290 yards, while Tyrell Moss emerged as his favorite target, racking up 85 receiving yards. The ground game was less dominant, with Mike Washington Jr. contributing 47 rushing yards, but it was enough to keep the Bears' defense on their toes throughout the matchup.
Defensively, the Vikings made critical plays that shifted momentum in their favor. Rich Richard recorded 1.5 sacks, consistently pressuring the Bears' offense, while Emmanuel McNeil-Warren's interception proved pivotal in stifling any potential Chicago comeback. With strong defensive performances and key offensive executions, Minnesota successfully held off Chicago and began the season on a high note.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Hettsfield | QB | 41 | 32 | 78% | 290 | 0 | 0 | 96.1 |
| Juan Hardin | QB | 30 | 13 | 43% | 153 | 0 | 1 | 45.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 19 | 47 | 2.5 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Nick Chubb | HB | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 11 | 33 | 3.0 | 17 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Juan Hardin | QB | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Jack Hettsfield | QB | 7 | 12 | 1.7 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tommy Wheatley | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Tyrell Moss | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrell Moss | WR | 7 | 85 | 12.1 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Luther Burden III | WR | 6 | 80 | 13.3 | 32 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 23 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Kairo Voss | WR | 7 | 58 | 8.3 | 19 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Colton Hayes | TE | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Will Patterson | WR | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | WR | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Tommy Wheatley | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Justin Joly | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Chris Bell | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Trigg | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Mike Washington Jr. | HB | 5 | -2 | -0.4 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Cisse | CB | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nolan Smith Jr | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jevon Holland | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Bartolozzi | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Hamilton | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jared Verse | REDG | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rich Richard | DT | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon Fitzsimmons | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mansoor Delane | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nakobe Dean | MIKE | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monke D. Luffy | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sean Taylor | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gracen Halton | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Steven McIntyre | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clifton Towns | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dickson | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

