The Bears are a heavy 7.5-point underdog in this week’s contest, likely creating an extreme passing game script.
This game will be played in a dome—meaning no wind, higher pass volume, higher touchdown potential, and increased passing effectiveness.
Opposing offenses have averaged 37.5 pass attempts per game against the Minnesota Vikings defense this year: 10th-most in the league.
THE BLITZ projects Cole Kmet to notch 4.8 targets this week, on average, ranking in the 84th percentile among tight ends.
Cole Kmet’s 36.9 WOPR (Weighted Opportunity Rating—a volume stat that measures high-value offensive involvement) grades out among the league leaders: 92nd percentile for TEs.
Cons
The Chicago Bears boast a new play-caller this season in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to tilt 5.3% more towards rushing than it did last season (adjusted for context).
THE BLITZ projects the Chicago Bears as the 4th-least pass-heavy team among all teams this week with a 52.5% pass rate, given their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects the Chicago Bears offense to be the 6th-slowest paced team in the NFL (context-neutralized) at the moment, averaging 29.41 seconds per play.
Cole Kmet has notched significantly fewer air yards this year (10.0 per game) than he did last year (44.0 per game).
The Chicago Bears offensive line grades out as the 3rd-worst in football this year in protecting the passer, which has a negative impact on all passing attack statistics across the board.