It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears are reeling, having lost four games in a row, two of which came in absolutely brutal fashion — one on a Hail Mary, another on a blocked field goal — and the other two in blowout losses. They have a coach on the hot seat, a new offensive coordinator, and a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams who is being beat to hell behind a catastrophically bad offensive line.
Oh, and then there are the injuries. Fortunately, two players who have been on the Bears injury list throughout the week are trending upwards as we approach kickoff for Chicago’s must-win home matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport:
“The Bears are confident that both RB D’Andre Swift (groin) and WR Keenan Allen (ankle) will play today. Both are listed as questionable.”
D’Andre Swift has been hit-or-miss all season long, with a four-game stretch in the middle of the season in which he was one of the most productive backs in the NFL. In the three games since Chicago’s last-second loss to the Washington Commanders, Swift has failed to top the 100-total-yard mark, and last week, Swift only logged four more carries than backup running back Roschon Johnson.
Related Chicago Bears NewsArticle continues below
Keenan Allen hasn’t been nearly as much of a factor as Bears general manager Ryan Poles likely envisioned he would be when Chicago traded for the veteran receiver back in March. But the Bears offense has been a disaster for much of the season, and the 32-year-old Allen is showing his age, hauling in just 30 receptions for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns this year. It’s fair to say that he’s become the fourth option in Chicago’s passing attack behind DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet.
Against a Minnesota Vikings defense that blitzes the hell out of quarterbacks and has picked off more passes (16) than any other unit in the league, Caleb Williams will need all of the help he can get.
Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University.