Souhan: Are the Bears a challenge for the Vikings, or just challenged?

Four ways to look at Monday’s Vikings-Bears game, whether you’re looking through rose-colored glasses or beer goggles:

That has happened only once since 1998, when the Vikings finished 15-1 and their only regular-season loss was 27-24 at Tampa on Nov. 1, against a team with an excellent coach (Tony Dungy), running game and defense.

I will always remember that as the quietest regular-season postgame locker room I’ve ever experienced. That team expected to go undefeated.

The 2024 Vikings have two losses — by two points to the Lions at home, and by 10 points in Los Angeles against the Rams.

The Lions might be the NFL’s best team. The Rams have been one of the hottest NFL teams since that Thursday night when they got Puka Nacua back from injury and won a well-played game against the Vikings.

The 2000 Vikings, who would make it to the NFC Championship Game? They lost their last three regular-season games, including 31-10 at Indianapolis in the finale.

The 2009 Vikings, who should have won the Super Bowl? They had three bad losses in December — 30-17 at Arizona, 26-7 at Carolina and 36-30 in overtime at Chicago.

The 2017 Vikings, who made it to the NFC Championship Game, were the last to go a full regular season without a bad loss. Their three losses — at Pittsburgh, home against Detroit and at Carolina — all came to winning teams.

To be clear: This year’s team losing at home to this edition of the Bears would be an embarrassing stain on what has been an almost unimaginably successful season.

Simple, yes. Easy to get right? Not in the NFC.

The Bears chose Caleb Williams with the first pick in the draft. Not only has he been mediocre and erratic, he might wind up being the fourth- or fifth-best quarterback in his draft.

Jayden Daniels is better. Drake Maye and Bo Nix look better. Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy have a chance to be better.

Of the seven teams in position to make the playoffs in the NFC, including the top five seeds entering the weekend, only two are playing a quarterback they chose in the first round — Green Bay and Washington.

The Lions traded for Jared Goff. The Eagles took Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick, in the second round, in 2020. The Seahawks signed Geno Smith to compete for a backup job. The Bucs’ Baker Mayfield is with his fourth team, as is the Vikings’ Sam Darnold.

Drafting a great young quarterback to work with an excellent head coach and coordinator remains the most direct way to improve, but it’s not the only way.

4. The Vikings and Bears have this in common: Both are unfortunate to be in the NFC North.

The Vikings’ pursuit of a division title and a playoff bye is hampered by the difficulty of playing four games against the Lions and Packers — two of which are scheduled for the last two weeks of the season.

The Bears’ rebuild is hampered by six games scheduled against the Vikings, Lions and Packers.

How good are the Vikings? Entering the weekend, they had the best record in the NFL against opponents from outside the division — 9-1.

What remains to be seen, for the Vikings, is whether playing in the NFL’s best division toughens a team or wears it out.

What remains to be seen, for the Bears, is whether a job in this division, with an unproven quarterback and a struggling franchise, will be attractive to the most desirable head coaching candidates.