(2) Pressure Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
Generating a consistent pass rush against Kirk Cousins’ replacement will be crucial for the Bears, who have registered five sacks in their last two games.
Since being acquired Oct. 31 in a trade with the Cardinals, Dobbs has accounted for seven of Minnesota’s eight touchdowns over three games. After Jaren Hall exited with a concussion Nov. 5 against the Falcons, Dobbs led the Vikings to a 31-28 comeback victory by throwing two touchdown passes and running for a third score despite not taking any practice reps during the week leading up to the game.
“It’s very impressive,” said cornerbacks coach/passing game coordinator Jon Hoke. “Guy gets hurt. He had been there since Wednesday and then he does what he does. He’s very mobile. We all know how smart he is. What he has been able to do for their team right now is really remarkable. You have to give the guy a lot of credit, and you have to give their coaches a lot of credit for getting them ready.”
Unlike Cousins, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Dobbs is a dual threat who leads both Minnesota and Arizona with three rushing TDs this year.
“It stresses your defense in different ways,” Hoke said. “Now your rush lanes have to be really, really good. We always say, ‘four equals one,’ and you have to have that mentality with the rush lanes. You have to be smart with how you play man coverage when you do because now you have [defenders] running with people and they’re going to have their eyes back to him. So you have to have people who are responsible for him as best you can and still be able to rush the passer. That always complicates things, that’s for sure.”
The Bears produced a season-high four takeaways last Sunday against the Lions—including three interceptions—and hope to create more against Dobbs, who leads the NFL this season with 14 fumbles and seven lost fumbles. In three games with Minnesota, he has been sacked six times and fumbled six times.
The Bears defense hopes to replicate its performance from the Oct. 15 game at Soldier Field, when it held Minnesota’s offense to season lows in touchdowns (1), total yards (220) and first downs (12).