This really could be described as a make or break game for both teams this Sunday, as the Minnesota Vikings (3-5) travel to Soldier Field in Chicago, to take on the Chicago Bears (5-3). If the Vikings were to lose this game, they would only be one game ahead of, or tied with the lowly Detroit Lions in the NFC North, pending the outcome of Sunday’s games. They would also fall a whole 3 games behind the 2nd place Chicago Bears in the standings. Its also very possible that the Vikings could lose their suddenly embattled head coach Brad Childress as well.

The Chicago Bears started out this 2010-2011 NFL season with a mark of 3-0, and were among one of the last unbeatens in the league this year. The bears have gone 2-3 in their last 5 games since to get to where they are currently. The Vikings are currently 2-3 in their last 5 games as well, and both teams currently own a one game-winning streak. At quarterback, both of these teams are almost a mirror image of each other. Both quarterbacks have been hurt in games this season already, and both have also underachieved immensely. Ironically, they both have also only thrown 9 touchdowns.

Brett Favre has thrown 9 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 75.7, while Jay Cutler owns a passer rating of 84.1, while throwing 9 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. Favre is currently playing on a hurt ankle, which was surgically repaired during the off-season, while Jay Cutler was knocked out of a game earlier this season with a concussion. Cutler has been putting up some pretty good yards rushing in the Bears last couple of games, basically because he’s been running for his life, due to breakdowns in blocking assignments on the offensive line, where Chicago has had injuries.

If Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress wants to keep his job and has any common sense at all, he will keep repeating to himself, “Don’t kick the ball to Devin Hester.” Chicago’s Devin Hester is arguably the most dangerous punt returner in the NFL, and is also arguably the best punt/kick returner of all time in the league. Hester has 17 returns for a 16.7-yard average this season with 2 touchdowns. If teams are stubborn enough to keep kicking him the ball, Hester will usually end up making them pay, by burning them with a long return for a touchdown.

The Vikings hold one big edge over the Bears in this match up, and that would be the fact that Minnesota has one of the best running attacks in the league, while Chicago has been pretty much nonexistent at that position. Minnesota’s running back Adrian Peterson currently ranks 2nd in the NFL in rushing with 857 yards on the ground and 7 touchdowns. The Bears defense will have their hands full trying to contain Peterson, who believe it or not, just gets more powerful and averages more yards, later in the game than he does at the start of games. Peterson is a constant threat to break a long run every single time he touches the ball.

Both of these teams sport defenses that are capable of getting after the quarterback, and the one-two punch of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs that Chicago has at linebacker, is arguably one the best combinations at linebacker currently in the game, if not the best. Minnesota’s defensive end Jarred Allen is coming off a 2.5 sack performance against the Arizona Cardinals, and the Vikings had 6 sacks collectively as a team last week.