Running back Dalvin Cook wants to turn Monday night into a heavyweight fight.
But Cook knows a surging Vikings offense needs to live up to the nationally televised billing against a Bears defense that has bullied them through four losses in two years.
The difference, the Vikings hope, is an offense confident in its identity, which is focused on Cook as he runs like an MVP candidate and sets up an explosive play-action passing game. It's the Vikings' best hope of emerging from this matchup with the more competent offense in the game.
"This year, it's about something different," Cook said. "It's about us knowing our identity, knowing who we is and going out there and playing football. I give the utmost respect to the Bears, but I think we're going to have a good week of practice, a solid week of practice, and it's going to be about us.
"We got to go in there and match their physicality. Not shying away from anything," he added. "We got to bring our lunch pail Monday night."
Cook, the NFL's rushing leader in yardage and touchdowns entering Sunday, generates that kind of confidence for a Vikings team that hasn't earned much of it against the Bears. But oddsmakers still have the Vikings as three-point favorites while the Bears are losers of three straight and just changed offensive play callers. Bears coach Matt Nagy said their backs are against the wall.
Lights, camera, "Monday Night Football."
"It's for real," Nagy said. "Not that the other ones aren't. But we're at the point right now, 5-4, and have a division game against a good football team. Right now, with the way things have gone, with losing three games, we're willing to do whatever we need to do collectively together to get that win."