On a dreary afternoon, after the Chicago Bears’ fifth consecutive loss, the vibe contained in the visiting locker room at MetLife Stadium felt predictably glum. For starters, a 31-10 pummeling by the New York Jets triggered a distinct type of disappointment inside a last-place staff that had misplaced eight occasions earlier than Sunday.
“I thought we got our asses kicked, honestly,” tight finish Cole Kmet stated.
But there was way more to this newest dejection: the anguish that comes with watching staff leaders fall by the wayside. Safety Eddie Jackson hobbled out of the locker room with a strolling boot on his left foot. He was damage within the second quarter, his foot giving out as he tried to chop on what turned out to be a 54-yard Jets landing go.
Almost instantly, Jackson’s absence was felt.
“He’s a (bleeping) leader, bro,” defensive deal with Justin Jones stated. “He’s a hell of a player. I hope he’s OK and I hope he can come back soon. Because we need him on defense. We really do.”
Added linebacker Nicholas Morrow: “It’s hard to replace a guy like that.”
In the third quarter, receiver Darnell Mooney exited with a left ankle harm, his day ending when Jets security Jordan Whitehead landed on the again of his leg as Mooney engaged in a block throughout a David Montgomery run.
Mooney couldn’t put an oz. of weight on his leg as he was assisted to the locker room. His exit additionally hit teammates onerous.
“It stinks,” quarterback Trevor Siemian stated. “As a player, (losing him) is terrible. But if you’ve spent any time with Darnell, he’s one of the best dudes in our locker room. That’s the part of the game that stinks.”
Added Kmet: “You hate to see a guy like Moon go down. He’s just a bright, vibrant guy in the huddle and obviously a big playmaker. When you lose him, it’s tough for sure.”
From the look of issues, it might be beautiful if both Jackson or Mooney is on the market for subsequent Sunday’s sport towards the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Until extra is understood concerning the specifics of both harm, the prospect of 1 or each gamers touchdown on injured reserve can’t be dominated out.
NFL Network reported Sunday evening that Mooney seemingly would require season-ending surgical procedure.
“When you lose the production of those guys, number one, that always hurts,” coach Matt Eberflus stated. “But then also it’s the leadership part. Those guys have been great in the locker room. They’re great teammates.”
For the Bears, Sunday will go into the books as one of many worst days in a tough season. In addition to the accidents to Jackson and Mooney, proper deal with Riley Reiff left with a shoulder subject and his substitute, Larry Borom, additionally was unable to complete due to an harm the staff didn’t disclose. Reserve security Dane Cruikshank suffered a hamstring harm.
Rookie defensive backfield starters Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker had been inactive due to concussions suffered every week earlier in Atlanta. So, sure, the Bears had been considerably short-handed of their try and sidestep a winless November.
About the one good to come back out of Sunday was the staff’s resolution to maintain beginning quarterback Justin Fields inactive with a separated left shoulder. Fields, who wasn’t formally dominated out till 90 minutes earlier than kickoff, by no means gained clearance to play from the Bears medical workers.
Even after that decision was made and Siemian acquired the inexperienced mild to start out, he, too, had his personal onerous luck, straining an indirect muscle throughout pregame warmups.
Yep, you learn that appropriately. The backup quarterback strained an indirect — in warmups.
That triggered the Bears to announce that Nathan Peterman would begin. Until Siemian acquired some pain-relieving help, fought by way of his discomfort and acquired clearance to play lower than quarter-hour earlier than kickoff.
“Honestly, I’m more embarrassed,” Siemian stated. “You’ve got a room full of guys in there playing in Week 12, going through hell, and I have a non-contact thing show up. Yeah, not ideal.”
As for Sunday’s sport, the Bears’ fifth consecutive loss was their most lopsided this season, each in margin of defeat and aggressive struggle proven. Jets quarterback Mike White, making his first begin of the 12 months, threw for 315 yards with three landing passes and a 149.3 passer ranking. At occasions he regarded like Aaron Rodgers, working calmly from the pocket, discovering completions, then mixing in a flurry of well timed large performs.
Garrett Wilson (5 catches, 95 yards) caught two of White’s landing passes, the primary after breaking free from a maintain by Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor.
The Jets additionally acquired a 32-yard landing run from backup working again Ty Johnson that got here with not less than three Bears defenders — linebacker Jack Sanborn and safeties DeAndre Houston-Carson and Elijah Hicks — failing to complete pretty routine deal with makes an attempt.
The Jets averaged 7.5 yards per play because the Bears protection didn’t provide you with a takeaway whereas producing just one sack.
“I know we probably had a lot of guys playing who were surprised to be in there,” Jones stated. “But we have to make sure those guys are ready.”
Without Fields, in the meantime, the Bears offense lacked any important pop. They scored 10 factors on their first two possessions, then went scoreless for the ultimate 44 minutes, 20 seconds.
The offense’s 292 whole yards marked the fifth time this season that unit failed to succeed in 300. Over the ultimate three quarters, the Bears managed solely 156 yards and eight first downs.
Eberflus couldn’t even lean on his staff’s aggressive tenacity as a shiny spot.
“No excuses, no explanations,” he stated. “It just wasn’t good enough. I told the guys in the locker room, ‘We’re better than that.’”
Right now, although, the 3-9 Bears aren’t higher than many groups. The solely staff with fewer wins is the 1-9-1 Houston Texans.
Still, 5 video games stay. And with the losses and accidents piling up, the Bears have to seek out additional reserves to retain their focus and dedication by way of the end line.
“It comes down to the individual,” Eberflus stated. “We have men of character in that locker room. They’ve been battling the whole way. And we’re going to continue to rely on that for sure. And then it comes down to daily practice and daily habits. What are you doing every single day to get better?”
At this level, the Bears’ “get better” calls for embrace a worrisome checklist of notable gamers working to get better from important accidents.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
