EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Of all the opponents to expose the holes in the Minnesota Vikings' secondary last season, perhaps none did it more effectively than the Chicago Bears. The Vikings 31-30 loss to the Bears in Week 2 at Soldier Field was capped by Jay Cutler's touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett with 10 seconds left, when confusion reigned in the Vikings' secondary. Last December, wideout Alshon Jeffery torched the Vikings for 249 yards at the Metrodome, frustrating Chris Cook so thoroughly that he was ejected from the game for bumping an official while arguing a call. The Vikings will face the Bears for the first time this year on Sunday, and if anything, the matchup is a chance for Minnesota to show just how drastically its secondary has changed since last year. Cornerback Josh Robinson is finding his comfort zone as an outside cornerback in nickel situations after flailing in the slot last year. Second-year man Xavier Rhodes continues to develop as a cover corner, and third-year safety Harrison Smith is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Captain Munnerlyn has a pair of interceptions in his past two games, and the Vikings have eight as a team this year, after picking off just 12 passes all of last year. "Everybody's starting to work together," Robinson said. "That's what's really helping everyone look great, as a secondary, as a front, as a linebacker corps." Robinson, in particular, is in a different spot than he was a year ago, when quarterbacks often targeted him half a dozen times a game early in the 2013 season. He's been thrown at just 13 times in the Vikings' past four games, according to Pro Football Focus, allowing seven completions for a total of 95 yards, and the 40-yard pass he allowed to Mike Evans against Tampa Bay is one of just two he's given up over 20 yards this season. "[The outside] is where I'm comfortable. I made that known last year, and I said the same thing this year," Robinson said. "It's really simple to just cover the guy in front of you. That's something I did a lot at [Central Florida]. I'm trying to do it more here, and do it well." Robinson credited coach Mike Zimmer with helping him improve his technique in press coverage, and against the Bears' two big receivers (Jeffery and Brandon Marshall), the Vikings will have to be ready for a physical matchup. Their confidence in their own ability to match up with a passing attack like Chicago's, however, is in a different place than it was last year. "[Facing them last year] just helped me realized I can go against great players," said Rhodes, who broke up three passes while covering Marshall at the Metrodome last year. "I can go out there and compete against anyone. I played great against those guys, and it let me know to never doubt myself."
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