The Vikings will host the Chicago Bears in the 2016 season finale, with kickoff slated for noon CT on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings will look to avenge and earlier-season defeat at Soldier Field and end the season on a strong note.
Here are five storylines to watch in the buildup to the Vikings-Bears matchup on Sunday…
1. Bradford zeroing in on completion percentage record
QB Sam Bradford is having the best statistical season of his career and one of the areas where he's been the sharpest is completion percentage. He's been so sharp in this regard that he's poised to set a NFL record with another quality outing against the Bears on Sunday. Bradford has completed 370 of 519 passes on the year, good for 71.3%. The NFL record for single-season completion percentage is 71.2, held by Drew Brees. Bradford also has seven games with a passer rating of 100 this season, a career high, and he's nine completions away from setting a Vikings franchise record for most in a season (Daunte Culpepper, 379, 2004).
2. Vikings look to close season on a positive note
The 2016 season will not end the way the Vikings had hoped, particularly after opening the season with five straight wins. But that won't cause head coach Mike Zimmer to lower his standard for the team in the season's final week. Much of this year's Vikings team will be back in 2017, and the group can start building momentum for next year by winning this year's final game and ending the season on a positive note.
3. Thielen races toward first 1,000-yard season
Adam Thielen has never recorded 1,000 receiving yards in a NFL season and the last time a Vikings receiver has done so was 2009 (Sidney Rice). All of that can be changed on Sunday if Thielen is able to tally 40 receiving yards. He has 960 on the season after putting up 202 last week in Green Bay.
4. Is this it Greenway?
LB Chad Greenway has not made it known whether he intends to retire after this season or not. The 2016 season was thought to be a "one more year" type of campaign, but the 11-year veteran had a quality season and stayed away from a serious injury, so there may be opportunity and reason to come back for another season. Or Greenway may opt to call it career and Sunday could be his final game in what has been a remarkable career both on and off the field for the Vikings.
5. Rudy reaches for records, too
Bradford and Thielen aren't the only offensive players looking to get into the record books on Sunday. TE Kyle Rudolph is eight catches shy of setting a new single-season record for Vikings TEs. Joe Senser holds the mark currently with 79 catches in 1981, with Rudolph sitting at 72 entering Sunday's season finale.
