Bears May Have Caught Not One but Two Big Breaks vs. Panthers

Chicago Bears luck may have struck via Panthers injury report

The first half of the Bears schedule was considered pretty brutal by experts. It included several teams that had made the playoffs within the last two years. One of them was the Carolina Panthers, whom they play this Sunday. The Panthers are 4-2 this season and seem to have regained the form they showed when marching to the Super Bowl in 2015.

That said their odds for winning this week may be taking a significant dip. Not just because the Bears won but also because two of their biggest stars may not be available. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin are now nursing injuries and it’s unclear if they’ll play.

“Given where Kuechly is in the (concussion) protocol, it seems unlikely he would be cleared before Sunday’s game at Chicago.

While Kuechly rode the bike, one of the Panthers’ other star players – wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin – left practice early.”

Both players have a history of injury problems. Kuechly has suffered multiple concussions in his career. It’s little wonder the team is taking things slow through the protocol. They can’t afford to rush him back and risk him getting another, worse one. As for Benjamin he tore his ACL during practice in 2015. He also has a history of weight issues, which can lead to muscle strains. Time will tell whether his removal from practice was precautionary or not.

If even one of those guys misses the game, it’s a huge break for the Bears. If both do? There is no reason they should not be able to get their first back-to-back victory in two years.

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**************************UPDATE****************************************

It appears Kelvin Benjamin has been battling a knee problem the past few weeks. Seems he may have aggravated it during practice according updates from the Pantehrs. It’s not clear how severe it is or his status for Sunday. Odds are whether he practices or not over the next couple days will determine that.