The Bears kick off their 2025 campaign on Monday night at Soldier Field, when the Minnesota Vikings come to town. The team opens its season with back-to-back NFC North contests, offering a stark contrast to a 2024 season where the first divisional matchup came in, if you can believe it, in Week 11.

There’s no time for easing in here, with a huge game slated at the starting line. The Bears need to be at their best, or at least good enough to emerge victorious in Week 1. Positively answering these five questions would go a long way in earning Ben Johnson his first win as head coach.

Will D’Andre Swift, Bears run game be Ben Johnson’s bedrock?

Johnson’s creativity is well known, with explosive flash plays being the first things that come to mind from his time in Detroit. It shouldn’t be that way. A strong running back is the backbone of Johnson’s attack, especially when working in tandem with the play-action passing game.

A strong rushing attack was easier in Detroit, which featured a strong offensive line and top-tier ball carriers in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The Bears have part of that recipe on lock. The offensive front is full of quality, especially with an interior-line overhaul. Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman were all imported this offseason and will produce rushing lanes inside.

Can D’Andre Swift break through with regularity against the Vikings and produce the steady churn required to stay on schedule and sustain drives? The jury’s still out despite Johnson’s stated confidence in Swift.

“I have been pretty open since I got here about Swifty,” Johnson said, “and how highly I think of him.”

Swift’s highest per-carry average came while working with Johnson in 2022. Can he hit high marks while avoiding the injury issues that have plagued him? We’ll find out in a tough test, with a loaded Vikings front that’s tough against the run.

If Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai are averaging four-plus yards per tote, the Bears will have a chance to be explosive and dynamic. Without it, the Vikings can focus on pressuring the quarterback. That could spell trouble for Caleb Williams and the Bears.

Can Bears contain Justin Jefferson?

We don’t know yet if cornerback Jaylon Johnson will play on Monday night and, if he does, for how long. He’s a rare talent to can cover all-world Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson one-on-one. Even that ability doesn’t guarantee success all game, so the Bears must account for the explosive playmaker to limit his impact. That’s easier said than done and will require a stout pass rush and good coverage.

Jefferson exceeded 100 receiving yards in four of his first five games against Chicago, but has been relatively quiet since. Last year, Johnson allowed Jefferson to get one 20-yard catch on two targets in Week 12. He allowed Jefferson to get one eight-yard catch in a Week 15 rematch. That’s pretty darn good against Jefferson.

Johnson’s not in peak condition after missing all of training camp – he returned to practice this week – but he has been a Jefferson stopper before and could be again.

In a game that should be close, limiting his explosive plays to zero will go a long way in slowing down the Vikings.

How can Dennis Allen, Bears defense rattle J.J. McCarthy?

The Bears are saying all the right things about 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, who will make his first NFL start on Monday night. The Michigan product missed his rookie season with a knee injury, adding an element of unknown to proceedings.

The Bears don’t have much film on McCarthy in the Vikings offense, but a young quarterback is often prone to mistakes in his first game. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has respect for McCarthy’s game, but his creativity, schematic disguises and unscouted looks should give McCarthy pause and create the discomfort required to make errors in execution or judgment.

Safety Jaquan Brisker said the Bears’ defense should take the ball away from such an inexperienced signal caller. A turnover or two would help the Bears come out of this game on top.

Can Caleb Williams eliminate pre-snap issues?

The Bears struggled mightily with their pre-snap operation during the preseason, with issues getting lined up, getting in and out of the huddle quickly and diagnosing when to kill a play and go to another one.

That has resulted in frequent delays, re-huddles in practice and false starts/motion issues resulting. Those unforced errors are drive killers and simply can’t happen in the regular season. If they pop up in Week 1 and Williams is unable to play within the rhythm and structure of the offense, the Bears will struggle to sustain drives. It’s as simple as that.

The Vikings defense will complicate that with exotic looks designed to trip Williams up. The offense simply must overcome those issues, which Ben Johnson considers improved over training camp’s early days.

The first drive of the Bills’ preseason game showed how efficient the Bears can be when all’s going right. Recapturing that magic would create an excellent first impression on a fan base clamoring for explosive offense.

Can Colston Loveland, Bears rookies make an instant impact?

The Bears will likely feature four rookies in prominent positions on Monday night. Tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III will be active in the passing attack. Running back Kyle Monangai will get a decent number of carries. Ruben Hyppolite II could well start for T.J. Edwards, who is doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Steady play from those four, without making gaffes like a turnover or a blown coverage, would help sustain their team. Explosive playmaking would give the Bears an advantage, considering the veteran talent around them.

It’ll be difficult to account for the Bears’ skill players as it is, let alone if Burden and Loveland are gaining chunk yards and converting third downs. It’s certainly possible considering how good they looked this summer. Solid contributions could make the Bears tough to beat if older members of the team perform to expectation.