The matchup to watch during the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football won't be on the field, but on the sidelines.
Two of the brightest minds in the NFL, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson, will be entangled in a high-level chess match that will likely have the heaviest swing in determining the game.
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Johnson has bested Flores handily during his time as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, averaging 30.5 points per game in their four matchups in the past two years.
Addressing his Week 1 matchup with Johnson, Flores was honest that there isn't just one thing Johnson does that makes him difficult to stop.
"What doesn't make (facing his offenses) tough?" Flores said Thursday. "It's the run game. It's the pass game. It's the play-action game. It's the screen game. Gun runs. Under runs. Under play-action. Gun play-action. Third down. Red zone. He does a good job of putting it all together."
Since 2023, no Vikings opponent has had a higher success rate via pass than the Lions did under Johnson, converting a success rate of 65% of pass plays from Jared Goff, per The Athletic.
However, Johnson's offense with the Bears is unproven and looking for Caleb Williams to take a step forward in his second season.
Flores has a revamped defense, welcoming Pro Bowl defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, that ranked fifth in scoring last season.
Meanwhile, Johnson will need to orchestrate his offensive brilliance while handling all the other game-day responsibilities in his first game as a head coach.
DraftKings Sportsbook has set the Bears' total points over-under line at 21.5 points with the expectation of a lower-scoring affair than Flores and Johnson's past matchups.
For more on the Bears and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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