Vikings' Week 17 scouting report: Chicago Bears

Sunday: 3:25 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium (Ch. 9, 100.3-FM)

• Chicago (11-4) survived a late scare during a 14-9 win in San Francisco on Sunday. 49ers QB Nick Mullens threw three incompletions in the closing minutes, stalling a comeback attempt that ended at the Bears' 45-yard line.

• Chicago has won eight of the past nine in the series and still has a chance at the NFC's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Bears need a win against the Vikings and a Rams loss to the 49ers.

• Mitchell Trubisky has thrown four touchdowns while committing four turnovers (three interceptions, fumble) in the past three games since returning from a shoulder injury suffered after a hit by Vikings safety Harrison Smith on Nov. 18.

• CB Bryce Callahan became the Bears' first defensive starter on injured reserve when he went down two weeks ago. His replacement is 31-year-old career reserve Sherrick McManis, who likely will line up across from Adam Thielen.

• The veteran defensive tackle had a game-leading five tackles for losses during the Vikings' 25-20 loss in Chicago last month, including one of the two sacks on quarterback Kirk Cousins.

• Hicks, a 332-pound wrecking ball, leads all NFL interior defensive linemen with 33 run stops this season, according to Pro Football Focus. For comparison, the Vikings' Linval Joseph has 21 run stops (17th).

• Bears coach Matt Nagy on Hicks: "He's so underrated in how he practices every day, how he handles game day. He's a big guy, now, and for being such a big guy he can move quickly. He's a leader for us on defense."

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Hicks: "Power. He's a big, powerful man — great bull rush. Really good, for a big man, his quickness from side to side."

• With at least 11 wins, Nagy became the only head coach in Bears history besides George Halas (1920) to win double-digit games his first season.

• Nagy, the former Chiefs offensive coordinator, has overseen a 21-spot leap by the Bears scoring offense, which jumped to eighth from 29th last year under John Fox.

• Nagy on changes to the Vikings offense under interim OC Kevin Stefanski: "You understand obviously there's more of an emphasis [running the ball], so you got to understand that and respect it."

• Nagy on the possibility of facing the Vikings again in NFC wild-card weekend: "There are so many different situations that can happen. … That's where we as coaches have to make decisions in these unique, weekly formats. That's why, I think, if you just keep it simple, play the way you can play and you don't try to overthink things too much."

Andrew Krammer