Chicago Bears: Kyle Long injury leaves questions amidst playoff run
The Chicago Bears announced that offensive lineman Kyle Long would miss significant time due to the foot injury he suffered during the team’s Week 8 victory.
The Chicago Bears had a good news, bad news game in Week 8. The good news was they beat the New York Jets and with all the other NFC North rivals losing, they got back to first place. The bad news, however, was that they lost offensive lineman Kyle Long, possibly for the season.
Late in the game, Dion Sims rolled onto Long’s leg and his foot turned in a bad direction. Long had to be helped off the field and was carted to the locker room from the sideline.
The news was a continuance of Long’s injury history over the past few years. After only missing one game in his first three seasons, he missed 14 games in the past two seasons. He came into the season as healthy as he has been and played well in the seven games he played. Now, this puts a cloud over the Bears and possibly his career.
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Long’s absence not only hurts the Bears on the field, but also in the locker room. He was a tremendous leader who wasn’t afraid to say what his teammates wouldn’t.
The Bears are in the midst of a playoff run. As I mentioned, they are currently in first place. They still have five division games and a matchup against the currently undefeated Los Angeles Rams. If he returns, it will be for the final game against the Minnesota Vikings. That game may decide the division or may decide if the Bears make it to the playoffs as a Wild Card.
The Bears did not make a move at the trade deadline to help the line. They did, however, work out some linemen. Rookie James Daniels may be called upon to start for Long. Eric Kush, the starting left guard, would move to right guard and Daniels, who was the backup left guard, moves up to full-time starter.
However, the Bears may go with Bryan Witzmann at right guard. Witzmann played with the Kansas City Chiefs when Nagy was the offensive coordinator so he knows the system.
Sources: #Bears standout G Kyle Long is out 6-8 weeks with a foot injury suffered on Sunday. He’s getting more info, but that’s best estimate right now. A tough loss for that offense on the field and in the locker room.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2018
The Chicago Bears offense has become a high-octane one, and the offensive line is one of the reasons why. The unit ranks 11th in sacks allowed (16) and seventh in quarterback hits (29). They need to keep playing well so the Bears have a chance to get into the playoffs. They do have Harry Hiestand, who is an offensive line guru who developed Pro Bowl linemen in his first tenure with the Bears.
Next. 20 Bold predictions for NFL Week 9. dark
Every team goes through some trials and tribulations on their way to the top. The Chicago Bears need to have that “Next man up” philosophy so they can keep their momentum going.