View images of the key contributors for Chicago Bears on offense, defense and special teams this season.
Barkley was teammates at Southern California with Vikings DE Everson Griffen in 2009.
2016 is Fox's 15th consecutive season as a head coach in the NFL. Fox is 128-111 overall and 9-22 in his two seasons with the Bears.
Jeffery is one of the Bears leading targets this season with 811 receiving yards.
The Bears drafted Whitehair out of Kansas State as a guard in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Whitehair has been filling in at center since the Bears offensive line lost Hroniss Grasu.
McPhee underwent left knee surgery in the offseason and returned for his first game of the season against the Packers Week 7. He has 4.0 sacks in nine games this season.
The former Detroit Lions defensive end leads the Bears in sacks this season (7.5) as an outside linebacker.
The Bears 2016 first-round draft pick has 7.0 sacks and 33 cobined tackles this season.
In his first season with the Bears, Barth is 17-of-22 in field goal attempts so far and 30-of-31 on extra point attempts.
Langford played at Michigan State with Vikings CB Trae Waynes from 2012-14. Langford is another option for the Bears out of the backfield behind Jordan Howard.
Meredith leads the Bears in receptions (62), and receiving yards (827).
Royal is tied with Meredith for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (4) and is 10 in the NFL in punt return average this season (8.7).
With the Bears on their third starting quarterback of the season, there's been a recent stretch of growing pains for Matt Barkley.
Mark Craig of the Star Tribune took a look at the quarterback's last game against Washington and offered what the Vikings defense could expect Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Craig wrote:
It's hard to evaluate Matt Barkley's five-game stretch as a starter when the Bears' season is in such shambles. He can make all the throws, but is inconsistent and has also has thrown eight interceptions the past two weeks.
*His third-quarter possessions the past two weeks ended this way: fumble, interception, interception, interception, interception, interception. *
Barkley has completed 112 of 202 passes (58.9 percent) for 1,486 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
While five of those picks came in Sunday's loss, Craig noticed Barkley also has the potential for big plays.
Barkley's first interception on Saturday was thrown deep to the goal line in the first quarter. There were three defenders around one receiver. Two of the defenders ended up fighting for the ball.* *
In the third quarter, Barkley's second interception came with him in a defender's grasp in the pocket. He just flung a floater to the middle of the field, hoping that Alshon Jeffrey would beat Josh Norman to the wobbler.
Then again, right before the half, Barkley threw back-to-back deeper balls that were spot on for 37 yards to Jeffrey and a 21-yard TD to Cameron Meredith.
Vikings struggled in key moments on road
The 7-8 Vikings won't be going to the playoffs this year, as they were partially doomed by a 3-5 record away from U.S. Bank Stadium.
John Holler of Viking Update took a look at big moments in six games that hurt Minnesota this season. Four of the games that hindered the Vikings playoff hopes were on the road.
After starting 5-0, the Vikings suffered their first loss of the season in Philadelphia in Week 7. Holler highlighted two crucial moments in the defeat.
*Second quarter – After taking a 3-0 lead with nine minutes to play in the first half, the Minnesota special teams allowed a 98-yard kickoff return to Josh Huff. The Eagles went for two and took an 8-3 lead. *
*Third quarter – With the score 11-3, the Eagles fumbled twice on the same drive – one by Carson Wentz and one by Darren Sproles. They came away with both fumbles and went in to score to take an 18-3 lead. *
Holler noted that Minnesota's 26-20 loss in Washington was also painful.
*Second quarter – The Vikings scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half to head into halftime with much-needed momentum, but (the Vikings) missed an extra point, turning what should have been a 21-14 lead into a 20-14 lead. It sucked the momentum out of the lead and the Vikings defense allowed four second-half field goals while the Vikings offense was unable to sustain drives, eventually losing 26- 20. *
Holler also wrote that there were big opportunities in Chicago, home against Dallas and in both games against Detroit that could have helped push the Vikings into the playoffs.
*These games were all ones the Vikings could have won. Win one of the six and the Vikings likely still have a pulse. Win two of them and they're in the thick of the playoff chase. Win three of the six and the Vikings are controlling their own playoff destiny. But, they went 0-for-6 and are the team their record says they are. *
