The Chicago Bears defense already suffered some big losses earlier this season when Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith were traded. Since then, the team has relied on many of their younger guys to pick up the slack. Few more so than rookie 2nd round picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. Both had played well a week ago in Atlanta. People looked forward to seeing them build on that in New York against the Jets. Sadly that won’t be the case, as each suffered a concussion. On Friday, the team made it official that both will be out for the game.
This especially hurt because the secondary was the lone bright spot for the Bears defense. Their defensive line has struggled all season when it comes to pressuring the quarterback or stopping the run. With Brisker and Gordon out of the picture, the playmaking potential drops even further. DeAndre Houston-Carson figures to replace Brisker at the safety spot. Lamar Jackson and Jaylon Jones will likely get looks at cornerback in place of Gordon. Perhaps they’ll elevate veteran Justin Layne from the practice squad.
The Chicago Bears have one thing going for them.
Their upcoming opponent faces significant offensive issues. Quarterback Zach Wilson was benched this week in favor of backup Mike White. Breakout running back Breece Hall was lost to a season-ending injury. Their offensive line is also banged up. So it’s not like that unit is equipped to take advantage of every weakness. Still, the Bears are dangerously short-handed now. Their only two proven playmakers are Eddie Jackson and Jaylon Johnson. There is also a chance Justin Fields may not play, which hurts the chances of scoring points.
It could end up being an ugly, low-scoring game. Then again, opponents haven’t had to struggle to put up points on this defense, even with Brisker and Gordon available. Without them, it may get worse. The Chicago Bears are who they are at this point. They’re a rebuilding team trying to play out what’s left of their string. Everybody has turned their gaze to the 2023 off-season. Nobody expects them to win on Sunday. Then again, this is the NFL. Nobody can predict it.
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Embrace the tank
DHC has started before so its not like he’s a rookie. CB has been an issue anyways so it’s next man up and see what they got.
@GrinBearIt
Houston-Carson has played pretty well when he has been in the lineup. But the reason he has spent 7 seasons with the Bears is he is an exceptional special teams player. The reason he has never been as starting safety is just that– three different coaching staffs have decided he is *not* a starting safety. It’s reasonable to expect him to play well, but he’s not a starter for a reason.
If Houston-Carson starts in Brisker’s place, he’s been around long enough to start playing like a starter. He has no excuses.
Perfect time to evaluate who will be back-ups, if they can stick in 2023. Make Lemonade while we can. Gotta see them in real-game situations instead of #1s on practice field.