Interim coach Thomas Brown is trying to find a way to fix one of the most maddening parts of the Bears' season -- slow starts. In 13 games this season, the Bears have managed just two field goals in their first drive of the game. They've gone three-and-out an amazing eight times.
"I think it's more psychological than it sounds when it comes to the approach overall. ..." he said Saturday. "Plays are on paper until you bring them life. There's an understanding of how to get guys going earlier in games, but that's just making plays and being efficient, being detailed and not just hunting for big plays all the time, which I don't think we do that, for the most part, in the first half of games.
"I take a big part of the ownership aspect of it, of how I call a game early on and get us in a flow and a rhythm."
Keenan Allen posted the greatest performance of his career last year against the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores, catching 18 passes on 20 targets for 215 yards and even throwing a 49-yard touchdown on a trick play.
In his first game against the Vikings this year, he had his best game with the Bears, setting season highs with nine catches, 15 targets and 86 yards. He caught a touchdown, one of five on the year.
Offensive coordinator Chris Beatty said Allen's intelligence is an advantage against Flores' blitzing defense.
"This defense is so complicated with all the different looks that they give you -- all the different ways they drop guys in and drop guys out," he said. "And Keenan just has a knack for being able to see those things before they happen. Like a lot of receivers see them as they happen. He can sit back and tell you what's happening before it happens."