Monday Night Football open thread: Vikings at Bears

It’s not often this early in the season in which Detroit Lions fans are treated to a “Monday Night Football” game that actually matters. That’s the case this week as the 1-3 Chicago Bears host the 2-2 Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears may be 1-3, but the (somewhat) good people over at Windy City Gridiron are treating Monday as a holiday they’re dubbing “Mitchmas”

Yes, tonight Mitchell Trubisky will start his first career NFL game, and he’s got no easy task. He’ll face an intimidating Vikings defense under the bright lights of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” But as Lions fans know, having a new potential franchise quarterback is rightfully exciting. A new era is beginning in Chicago, and Monday they’ll finally get to unwrap their new present.

In Minnesota, they’ll be enjoying a new quarterback as well, as it appears Sam Bradford is set to rejoin the lineup after missing the past three games. In that span, the Vikings went 1-2, including a loss to our very own Detroit Lions.

Both teams enter this game 0-1 in division games, meaning a loss would put either team in a pretty big hole for their 2017 hopes in the NFC North.

For Lions fans, it’s hard to know who to root for. On one hand, it seems unlikely the Bears will compete for a playoff spot this year, so a Chicago win would be harmless. On the other hand, you know Bears fans are going to be insufferable if Mitch looks impressive in his debut. Plus, the Lions are already up a key game on Vikings after their win in Week 4.

Here’s how to watch tonight’s game:

When: Monday, October 9—8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Soldier Field—Chicago, IL
TV: ESPN
Online Streaming: WatchESPN
Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden
Odds: Vikings 3.5
SB Nation blogs: Daily Norseman (Vikings) — Windy City Gridiron (Bears)