Chicago Bears: Kyle Long return would be big boost for offense

The Chicago Bears think offensive lineman Kyle Long may play in the regular season finale. Having him back on the field gives the offense a big boost going into the playoffs.

This has been a dream season for the Chicago Bears. After four consecutive last-place finishes in the NFC North, they captured the division title and punched their ticket to the playoffs. While doing that, they’ve become one of the NFL’s most fun team.

Of course, as with any team, the Bears needed to overcome injuries. Linebacker Khalil Mack, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and wide receiver Allen Robinson each missed two games. Safety Eddie Jackson likely misses his second straight game this week.

In addition to those players, offensive lineman Kyle Long suffered a right foot injury on October 8th. The Bears placed him on the Injured Reserve list with a designation to return.

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After being out 8 weeks, the Bears are “confidently optimistic” that Long plays in this week’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. He’s practiced with the team since Friday (December 21st). The coaching staff wants to have a look at how he plays in a live game before deciding on having him appear in the playoffs. Head coach Matt Nagy spoke about Long this week, via the Chicago Sun-Times:

"I like to use this word and I do believe in it – ‘cautiously optimistic’. I think that he’s doing a good job right now. He feels good. It would be nice to get him out there. We’ll see how he does and how he feels each day. But last week I thought when he was in there he looked good. But we gotta just kind of keep an eye on it, day by day."

If Long does play and plays well enough to go for the playoffs, it gives the offense a big boost. Long is a three-time Pro Bowl player and a leader both on the field and in the locker room. He does a good job of keeping his teammates grounded and his presence on the offensive line makes the unit so much better.

While the pass protection is pretty similar without Long as it is with him (17 sacks in eight games he missed against 16 sacks in seven games he played), the yards per game average is different. With Long in there, the Bears average 382.7 yards per game.

Without Long, that average is down to 311.4. An extra 71 yards a game is a difference between a punt or a score or hitting a field goal as opposed to getting a touchdown. With the uneasy feeling fans have over Cody Parkey, they’d be happy with having him hit extra points.

Having the best players on the team gives the Chicago Bears a better shot at making noise in the playoffs. Let’s hope that Long is healthy enough to not only play this Sunday but also perform well enough to contribute to the team’s playoff success.