PAIN BY NUMBERS
Injuries continue to pile up for 1- 6 Bears, but quirk in scheduling gives wounded team respite
If the Bears took any speck of solace limping out of Lambeau Field on Thursday night, it was this: While their opponents and injuries have been unrelenting this season, the schedule, for once, won’t be.
Friday marked the start of a 23day period in which the banged- up Bears will play one game.
“To get some time would be nice,” said guard Kyle Long, who exited the Packers game in the second quarter with an arm injury. “But you know how it is — once that break ends, there’s gonna be eight more of them. You gotta be ready to play.”
More so than most, the 1- 6 Bears are suffering through the NFL’s harsh injury reality. Only three teams have sent more players to injured reserve than the Bears’ 10 — and that doesn’t include quarterback Jay Cutler, who has missed five consecutive starts with a right thumb sprain, or his backup, Brian Hoyer, who broke his left arm Thursday and likely is done for the year.
It doesn’t include Pernell McPhee, who spent the first six games on the physically unableto- perform list with knee issues before returning against the Packers. Or receiver Marquess Wilson, who remains there, nursing a foot problem.
“We’ve got a lot of guys banged up,” tight end Zach Miller said.
Hoyer will be the 12th starter to miss at least one game because of injury. Long, who has been playing despite a shoulder injury and a casted left wrist, could be the 13th if the arm injury proves serious before the game against the Vikings on Oct. 31.
He has been as close to a stalwart as the Bears have. Amazingly,
only three players on their roster have started more than eight consecutive games in a Bears uniform: Long ( 23), safety Adrian Amos and left tackle Charles Leno ( 19).
It would be human nature to wonder whether the Bears are snakebitten, Long admitted.
“But it’s not human nature to run into people,” he said. “It’s not human nature to go out in 10 degrees and play football.
‘‘ Injuries are part of the game. We understand that. A lot of guys play hurt. A lot of guys tough it out.”
He said the Bears have to try to stay healthy in practice and focus on rehab — “taking the other stuff out of your life, maybe, and putting maybe more proactive treatment stuff in your life.”
Health is the Bears’ fastest — perhaps only — way to crawl out of the NFL’s basement.
Cutler could return on Halloween — and if not, then after the Bears’ bye for the Nov. 13 game at Tampa Bay — though coach John Fox stressed Thursday he hasn’t been cleared yet. Nose tackle Ed- die Goldman and running back Jeremy Langford, who have high ankle sprains, won’t be far behind.
“I think we can get some guys healthy,” said Miller, who hasn’t missed a game despite nursing a rib injury. “We got some time to recuperate, time to self- scout, selfreflect, see where we can dig out of this thing and regroup.”
Ka’Deem Carey, the leading rusher the last two games, is one of many bench pieces — alongside outside linebacker Lamarr Houston, cornerback Bryce Callahan and others — to miss time because of injury.
The hamstring Carey hurt in Week 2 still hasn’t healed fully.
“This rest is going to bring this back pretty good,” he said.
He hopes his teammates take similar advantage of the schedule.
“I mean, we need it,” Carey said. “We’re gonna get a lot of people back and come out and throw our final punch.”
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