EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are trying to get a broom collection going. Minnesota (11-2) swept a three-game road trip in November, which ended with its annual trip to Soldier Field before returning home for a three-game homestand.

The Vikings have claimed the past two thanks to a pair of dominant fourth quarters against the Cardinals in a comeback and against the Falcons to turn a close one into a comfortable win.

Now the team will try to sweep the three-game homestand and the season series with Chicago (4-9) in a matchup between a team that's won six consecutive games and a squad that has dropped its past seven contests.

The bright lights of Monday Night Football are heading to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time in 2024, and they'll cast on a completely new uniform visual.

Vikings Uniform

The Vikings are debuting their Winter Warrior uniforms, which were released this fall featuring a cool color palette accenting the white jersey and white pants. Minnesota will wear white helmets for the first time in franchise history. Check out this origin story for the uniforms, which explains the design process and homage to Viking history.

4 Storylines

1. Darnold in "De-Sam-ber"

Sam Darnold's career game logs in the month of December are packed with touchdowns. Call it "De-Sam-ber," which so far has been an impressive follow-up to "Samtember" when Darnold was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and a continuation of previous play in the calendar's 12^th month.

Stats are fungible, of course, but consider this: Since his rookie season in 2018, Darnold is one of six passers in the NFL in December with 25-plus touchdowns through the air and 10 or fewer interceptions.

The Vikings quarterback has a TD:INT ratio of 28:6, buoyed by last week's five-touchdown unleashing.

The other five on the list are a who's who of esteemed players: Aaron Rodgers (40:7), Lamar Jackson (38:6), Matthew Stafford (33:8), Matt Ryan (until his final year in 2022; 30:10) and Joe Burrow (25:8).

In two December efforts so far this year, Darnold has clipped 72.9% of his throws for 291 yards passing per game. His last concluded with “pure joy” and garnered NFC Offensive Player of the Week accolades.

"Sam has really taken heed to all the clichés: 'Be where your feet are planted. Be in the moment. Let's go 1-0 this week. Let's worry about this game plan,'" Vikings Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips shared on Tuesday. "There's been a lot of praise, and he hasn't let that affect him, and when games don't go, necessarily the way we want to or the way he wants to, he hasn't let that affect him either. He's been consistent in his demeanor, in his approach, in his work ethic. And that's where we want to be."

2. Stars aligned for prime time

The stage is set for Justin Jefferson's and Jordan Addison's encore.

In Week 14, the duo became the first in Vikings history to both record 100-plus receiving yards and two or more touchdowns in the same game. Jefferson's line of 7-132-2 on seven targets coupled epically with Addison's 8-133-3 line via 12. They're the seventh NFL duo all-time to surpass 130 receiving yards with at least two tuddys in one game.

The more you know: The Rams tandem of Tom Fears and Bob Shaw did it initially in 1949. Philadelphia's Pete Pihos and Bobby Walston accomplished it next in 1953. Almost 40 years passed before Washington pairing Gary Clark and Art Monk doubled up in 1991. Washington duo Albert Connell and Michael Westbrook replicated the feat in 1999. Tampa Bay's Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin did it in 2021 and Miami's Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle preceded Jefferson and Addison, entering the rarest air in 2022.

Monday Night Football is featuring the Vikings stars at the absolute best time.

Ideally, they're able to rid from fans' minds last year's quiet night (for the Vikings and Bears offenses) on MNF, in which Jefferson did not play, Addison was contained to 39 yards on six catches and former Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs tossed four picks.

3. Clinch with a win

Minnesota controls its fate.

The Vikings are guaranteed a seat at the NFC Playoffs table so long as they win one more game. A tie against Chicago in Week 15 also would do the trick. Actually, it may not take even that long to find out.

Results of two other prime-time games this week could give Minnesota early access to the postseason.

The Vikings are "in" with a Rams loss or tie (they play at San Francisco on Thursday Night Football) or a Seahawks loss or tie (they host the Packers on Sunday Night Football). Peep a fuller view of the playoff picture here.

4. Buckling down in the trenches

Opponents averaged 58.8 rushing yards against Minnesota in Weeks 9-12.

More recently, the Vikings run defense has done a complete 180, surrendering 154 and 158 yards on the ground to Arizona and Atlanta in back-to-back games – very uncharacteristic of a group that's been stout.

Minnesota's run defense remains in the top five in yards allowed per carry (3.9) and per game (87.2), but is searching for better results – not to mention trying to account for the missing impact of injured starting linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., – and thus emphasizing in practice coaching points such as stepping into contact, driving players backwards and swarming to the ball per Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores.

"Thankfully, it's a win where we kind of learn that lesson," Flores admitted. "It's a lesson that we know. It's not that we don't know it, but when you do it consistently for a good chunk of games, it's almost good to have a reminder that when you don't do it the right way – you better right the ship quickly."

A duplicative effort against the Bears would be nice. The Vikings were strong versus the run in Week 12. They held Chicago to 78 net yards on 22 rushes (3.5 avg.) and notched three TFLs on runs by the Bears offense.

3 Things 'Bout the Bears

1. Second game for new head coach

Since the teams last met, Matt Eberflus became the first Bears head coach to be fired in-season in Chicago's 104-year existence when he was let go the day after Thanksgiving. Chicago also fired Shane Waldron earlier this season (Nov. 12).

In both instances, Thomas Brown received an elevation in rank. His debut as head coach, however, provided few reasons worth celebrating as the Bears lost 38-13 at San Francisco.

Chicago totaled fewer than 100 net passing (94) or rushing yards (68). On offense, the Bears were extremely inefficient. They possessed the ball for 28:12 and ran only nine fewer plays than the 49ers but averaged 3.1 yards compared to 7.4.

And defensively, Chicago struggled against Brock Purdy, who completed 80% of his throws for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while reserve running backs Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor combined to rush for 103 yards (4.48 avg.) and three scores.

2. Quarterback mobility

Caleb Williams gained 4 yards on a single designed rush against the Vikings on Nov. 24, but overall contributed 33 yards with his legs and made multiple absurd-level plays, off-script, in the passing game.

Flores confirmed what the masses have quickly realized: Williams' mobility is the real deal.

"Anyone who watched the game, and obviously anyone who played in the game on our side, felt that," said Flores, noting that Williams' quicks coupled with Chicago's skill players creates a major challenge. "He's got kind of an innate feel for pressure in the pocket and how to avoid or evade it, and he's fast."

Williams ducks and spins out of danger, attempts cross-body and backpedaling throws, dekes defenders in space and confuses them with head fakes. He makes unbelievable risks achievable with his athleticism.

Exhibit A: second-and-12 at Minnesota's 41-yard line with 3:35 to play in the first quarter.

Williams took a shotgun snap, started to drop and hit the accelerator to curve past the grasp of a free-running Andrew Van Ginkel and beelined for the bench. Then, with Blake Cashman leaping in front of his face, Williams flicked a pass to running back D'Andre Swift up the sideline that traveled almost 40 yards in the air.

Williams morphed a potential "freebie" sack into a 30-yard hookup that set the Bears up in the red zone.

3. Advantageous defense

Don't be fooled by the 5.9 yards allowed per play – Chicago's defense, namely its secondary, is stingy.

The Bears rank sixth with 20 takeaways; they've permitted the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns (13) and rank middle of the pack in percentage of drives ending in offensive points (39.2%). Furthermore, Chicago boasts the No. 10 scoring defense (21.4 ppg) and has allowed conversions on only 35.4% of third downs. (FYI, opponents are moving the sticks on third down against the Vikings defense at a 36.3% rate.)

Phillips said he has a lot of respect for the Bears defense and highlighted several players that are impacting scheme, play style and execution: Gervon Dexter, Sr., Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson.

Dexter has combined 11 quarterback hits on the year, which is second most among interior defensive linemen according to analytics website Pro Football Focus, with six sacks and 36 total pressures. Gordon was touted as a really good nickel capable of playing against bigger groupings, and Johnson's physicality earned him praise. In the first meeting, the Bears effectively limited Jefferson to a season-low 27 yards.

One big difference in this Black and Blue meetup is the headset switch.

Instead of Eberflus, the Bears' play-calling duties on defense will be handled by Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington. In his audition last week against San Francisco, Washington's unit gave up 38 points.

"I'm sure they'll have a wrinkle or two that he's been keeping in his back pocket," Phillips said. "It was a battle the last time we played them. It's a division game. It's Monday night. I don't expect anything less."

2 Vikings to Track

Jordan Addison: The second-year receiver had a monster game at the Midway on Nov. 24, posting a career-long 69-yard reception and a career-best 162 yards with one touchdown. Including that game, Addison has 20 catches for 349 yards and four scores. Addison ranks sixth on the list of most NFL touchdowns before turning 23. He trails Randy Moss (28), Rob Gronkowski (27), Ja'Marr Chase (22), Odell Beckham, Jr. (19) and Larry Fitzgerald (18). He will turn 23 in late January, so he's got up to four more games to try to climb higher on that list.

Harrison Smith: The longtime safety is positioned to make his 189^th regular-season start, which will move him past Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Randall McDaniel for fourth in team history. The only people who started more games for Minnesota are Ring of Honor members Jim Marshall (270, including the team's first contest and upset of the Bears), Mick Tingelhoff (240) and Carl Eller (201). Tingelhoff and Eller are in the Hall of Fame, as well, as Marshall should be.

1 Key Matchup

Vikings secondary vs. Bears WR Keenan Allen

Allen produced season highs in catches (9) and yards (86) on 15 targets in the Week 12 meeting – as the 32-year-old receiver continued reserving some of his very best action for the Vikings.

Peep these five-game averages against Minnesota: 11.2 receptions and 126.2 yards per contest.

Allen had his finest performance in Week 3 last year with the Chargers, nabbing 18 (not a typo) balls on 20 targets for 215 yards. Allen's fewest catches against the Vikings, for what it's worth, was eight in 2021.

As such, attention to Allen will be imperative on Monday Night Football despite him averaging career lows in receptions and receiving yards per game — and owning a career-worst catch percentage of 56.0.

Williams' bottom-five completion rate (62.2%) among quarterbacks with more than five starts is of course affecting Allen's overall success. (Williams has improved that mark to 65.7% over his past four games.)

Allen predominantly threatens defenses on slant, hitch, out and go routes. He's not a world-beater in terms of his wheels or wiggle after the catch, but he has great spatial awareness and utilizes leverage.

Earlier this year, Allen posted two catches of 25-plus yards against the Vikings and hugged a TD from Williams on a scramble drill in the final 30 seconds of regulation that cut the Bears deficit to a field goal.

The following content was added Dec. 14 after initial publication.

Status Report

The Vikings on Saturday listed Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) as questionable. He was the only player with a game status designation.

The Bears ruled out Dexter, as well as offensive lineman Ryan Bates and running back Roschon Johnson.

Memorable Week 14 Quotes

Wes Phillips on how open Jefferson was for his 52-yard TD against Atlanta

"He kind of threw the mailbox [flag] up there, was about as wide open as you could get. It was a tough pressure that they brought. And for Sam, I mean, just a phenomenal play by Sam. And then again, to keep his eyes up, find Justin. The nickel had a hard time finding where Justin was going to be after that,

but, yeah, just a great play by those guys. Can't say enough about Sam on that play, about guys straining around him, OK, makes a guy miss, but everyone else is fighting and diving and trying to, you know, you've just kind of seen that on some of our bigger plays throughout the year, that extra strain by linemen, by backs, by guys running into Sam's vision. These off-schedule plays sometimes don't happen. Guys have really taken to, 'Hey, he can get out, and he's also going to keep his eyes up.' You've seen guys working, working with him, working toward him or taking it deep and trying to get the big play. So just a great play by those guys. It's hard to get No. 18 that open in this league, and usually it's a bust.

Matt Daniels on the fumble forced by Brian Asamoah II and recovered by C.J. Ham

We work those types of drills all the time, where you call it, 'Are you in the city where it's busy and you're not in position to be able to scoop the ball up, versus are you in the country with no one around so you have the ability to scoop it up?' That was a city situation right there for C.J., 'All right, I've got to find a way to dig, prowl and scratch and claw, and a lot of dirty things happen in those piles. For C.J. to come up out of that is amazing."

Sam Darnold on what he thinks when he sees Jefferson and Addison flash open

"Just, 'Don't miss.' I think that's the biggest thing. When you have guys like that who are able to create a lot of separation — and even when they're not separating, to be able to go up and make a play over a guy, or even just track the ball, even creating a pass interference call or something like that. Those guys are able to just create plays. They've done it all year. So I'm just gonna continue to give those guys — not only those guys, but everyone else in that room — chances to go make plays."

Aaron Jones, Sr., on U.S. Bank Stadium's crowd chanting 'M-V-P!' for Darnold

"I think it's well-deserved. He's answered every call, he's shown up every game and he's led us to where we are right now. He's going to continue to lead us. I don't think he's even worried about that. He's just going to continue to play his ball, and if that's what it comes to, I'm sure he'd be happy to be [named] MVP, but I think he's very deserving of it, and it got me excited hearing that for him."

Byron Murphy, Jr., on growing up playing WR

"That's all I really knew, ball skills growing up, so I just kept that with me, and every time the ball is in the air I try to go get it. … Playing receiver helped my ball skills a lot. … When I got to college, I played DB and just fell in love with it, with the defensive side, a little bit more. The offensive side, you're still obviously having plays, making those touchdowns, but on defense I just fell in love with corner."

Reporter: A lot of times the old cliché is that you become a cornerback because you can't play receiver—

"I'm trying to put that one to bed, for sure. Obviously playing receiver, I worked on my hands a lot, and as a DB I want to have the best hands … on the team. I've gotta pick on the guys on the offensive side, as well."

From the Inbox

What type of coverage do think Chicago will use to try to stop Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson, and Jones? Will they try to stop Jefferson from beating them or try to cover both Jefferson and Addison with some type of zone/man hybrid defense?

— Sherry C.

It seems like this matchup was just yesterday. Only three weeks and a day will separate when the Vikings topped the Bears 30-27 in overtime at Chicago.

The Bears committed extensive resources toward Jefferson, who was tackled in the end zone (without a penalty) while running one route. That opened the door for 100-plus days each for Addison, Hockenson and Jones, as a nice indicator in what things could look like when the Vikings spread the ball around.

Jefferson was asked this week about what he expects this time around.

"Playing against them last time and seeing their plan, the plan we have going into this game is different than the plan we had the first time," Jefferson said. "I'm excited for it. Being at home, in a dome and not worried about cold temperatures is going to be a different vibe.

"Would they rather me go off or would they rather Jordan Addison and T.J. and A.J. to go off? That's something they have to choose. I'm pretty sure they're going to take the second option instead of the first, which is what most people do, but at the end of the day, I'm still going to try to make those big plays and get the ball rolling."

I don't have the words to express how absolutely excited I am for this team! All that they have accomplished so far this season has been amazing. Watching them grow and excel each week has been so inspiring. Much gratitude and SKOL to every single one of you in the Viking organization!

— Cynthia in Randolph, New Jersey

Appreciate the good vibes and so glad you are having as much fun keeping tabs on this team as we are here.

It's hard to believe it is Week 15 already because it has been so enjoyable. Ideally the team is able to keep improving as it keeps winning and provide an even longer season.

It's shown time and time again to be a selfless group that celebrates "individual" success in collaborative ways. It's the results of sincere commitments to building a culture, but ultimately it happens only when players reinforce it the way this team has done.

"It's done long before you get to the competitive environment of games," O'Connell said Saturday. "It's done in the spring, in training camp, how you're building things, how you're talking about what you want this place to be like, and then you just try to give principles to these players, equip our leadership with the type of things we believe that are important to building a team, our way of doing things, and a huge part of that is guys doing things for reasons greater than themselves or their own production.

"We have a total-team mentality here, and that's built by the players," O'Connell added. "We can talk about it all we want as coaches, but ultimately our players deserve the credit for building that mindset. We've leaned in on it and won football games because of it."

It just keeps happening! The best Viking years have happened with the backup QB, which proves the big bucks are not what's required for a great team or season. I'll take [Randall] Cunningham, Case [Keenum] and the Miracle throw/catch and Sam any time!! SKOL Vikes!!

— Marilyn T.

It is interesting that some of the best seasons in team history have been led by Cunningham (1998) and Keenum (2017) as injury replacements. That speaks to the way those quarterbacks played and how good the rest of the squad was. Darnold may have entered Minnesota with external doubters, but the Vikings believed in his talent and the environment they've created to support quarterbacks.

A good scheme and team have allowed Darnold to showcase his abilities when the plays have been on-time and in-rhythm. His ability to elude when an opponent has succeeded in creating some strong pressures — as well as using his legs to move the chains — has added an extra dimension to his arm talent.

Monday's Mailbag will have multiple fan questions about Darnold, and then we'll do a special edition on Tuesday with fans' reactions from the Monday night game.