Minnesota Vikings: Five things we learned in the win over the Chicago Bears

5. Sam Bradford is going to miss at least another couple games.

This is speculative, but if you watched the game, I don’t know how Bradford is able to start any time soon. Bradford looked like his knee hadn’t progressed one bit since the knee issues started following a Week 1 game against the Saints. A scary sight for Vikings nation.

In my view, the Vikings shouldn’t throw him out there until he’s close to 100 percent ready to go. Sure, they want him out there when the Packers come to town this week. On the other hand, they shouldn’t force it like they seemingly did against Chicago. As a result, expect to see much more of Case Keenum in the coming weeks, allowing Bradford time to rest his knee.

To Keenum’s credit, the Vikings offense has been in good hands. The backup quarterback has 895 yards passing on the year, along with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also ranks tenth among NFL quarterbacks in passer rating at 97.6.

But, the impressive statistics are heavily due to fantastic performances against beat up Tampa Bay and Chicago defenses. Against the Lions and Steelers, the numbers were far worse, although he still protected the ball well against those defenses.

Heading into Week 6, Keenum could have a solid week against the Packers given their defense has been exposed plenty this season. Yet, it’ll be interesting to see how he performs if pressed into action against another top NFL defense such as the Baltimore Ravens in two weeks.

Making matters even more interesting, Teddy Bridgewater is expected to return off the PUP after Week 6. While no one expected the young quarterback to make any starts this year, could the Vikings consider it if Bradford is out long-term and Keenum can’t sustain this level of play?

Only time will tell, but based on how Bradford looked against the Bears, I’d be shocked if he’s in the Vikings’ short-term plans. Awful luck for a team already plagued by significant knee injuries over the last couple of years.

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As already stated, the Vikings head home to face the division rival Green Bay Packers in a Week 6 showdown. The matchup has first-place implications, although the season is still early. Nevertheless, the Vikings look to build off the win against the Bears and get the W over their border rivals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Skol Vikes!