Changes didn’t wipe out injury bug
Meredith, White, Freeman might be lost for year
@Meuglynerd: How are the Bears going to solve the WR problem? Why do the Bears have so many injury problems the last year?
A: If you knew the answer why, the Bears would make you richer than Akiem Hicks. What has to concern the Bears is that their rash this season— starters Cam Meredith, Kevin White and Jerrell Freeman all might be lost for the year— came after they made offseason changes to their training and practice schedules. GM Ryan Pace said last week that “we’re going to see that pay dividends this year,” but no luck so far.
@brianmccoy: What did ( Mike Glennon) do ( Sunday) that ( Mitch Trubisky) couldn’t do or do better? What are the mistakes MG8 avoided MT10 might have made?
A: Glennon didn’t turn the ball over. Do you know how rarely that happened last year? In 16 games, the Bears’ starting quarterback threw at least one touchdown and committed zero turnovers only four times. Glennon also seemed poised in the fourth quarter, marching the Bears to one touchdown and coming close to a second.
“From the first snap to the last snap, Mike was Mike,” tight end Zach Miller said.
@ oc_ sports: Is Kyle Long ever going to play again?
A: Presumably soon. He returned to practice last week, albeit on a limited basis, but didn’t make any timeline promises. Returning to Raymond James Stadium, where Long shredded his ankle Nov. 13, would be fitting but might be a stretch.
@kladage: Is there a position on the field Tarik Cohen can’t play?
A: The Bears scored as many touchdowns when he took a snap from center as they did with Glennon. Cohen didn’t play running back until his junior year of high school. He was a defensive back and— get this— an outside linebacker in high school, too.
@BrianSandalow: Are the Bears concerned about Cohen’s durability? What kind of packages can they create to use him and Howard at the same time?
A: The belief before Sunday was that Cohen was elusive enough to avoid vicious blows. That didn’t happen against the Falcons, but he popped up quickly.
“Not only does he take the hit, but he takes the hit, and he’s juiced about it,” Hicks said. “I don’t know if that says there’s something wrong with him. But he likes it.”
The Bears have two offensive playmakers— Cohen and Howard — and need to get them on the field at the same time. Can they split Cohen out, the way the Chiefs do Tyreek Hill?
@The1Tab: Where the hell was Adam Shaheen?
A: He played eight snaps and wasn’t targeted— hardly the impact the Bears hoped for when they drafted him in the second round. It will take Shaheen awhile to adjust to the NFL. The Bears need his size in the end zone because of their thin receiving corps.
@mjrusso2008: What are the Bears’ options for new receivers?
Eddie Royal? Cecil Shorts? Trading ( Hroniss) Grasu for a WR? No options?
A: If the Bears thought Royal could contribute, they wouldn’t have cut him. Shorts won’t play football this year after having his third knee surgery in seven months this summer. It’s unclear if Grasu has any trade value; he hasn’t put a regular- season snap on tape since 2015.
In any trade, Pace must weigh whether he wants to move future assets. The Bears, after all, should be more focused on succeeding in 2018 and 2019 than this year.