👋 Good morning!
Talk about the Ben Johnson difference …
When’s the last time flexing the Bears into a more prominent timeslot actually made sense?
But the league got it right.
Bears-Packers at 3:25 p.m. at Lambeau Field with potentially massive playoff implications on December 7th?
Sign me up. That’s how football was meant to be played.
Linebacker Uncertainty
For the second day in a row, the Bears were without all of their starting linebackers at practice on Thursday.
Dwindling Options: Tremaine Edmunds (groin) and Noah Sewell (elbow) suffered injuries last Sunday in Minnesota but finished the game. Sewell left the game briefly and was replaced by D’Marco Jackson before returning. T.J. Edwards is still sidelined with hand and hamstring ailments that’ve kept him out of the lineup for the last two weeks.
That left Jackson, Amen Ogbongbemiga and rookie Ruben Hyppolite II as the lone healthy linebackers on the active roster to practice on Thursday. Hyppolite, a fourth-round pick this past draft, has played only 18 defensive snaps this season and none since Week 3.
The Bears also have Carl Jones Jr. and Jalen Reeves-Maybin stashed on the practice squad. Reeves-Maybin signed earlier this week.
Plan B: What happens if Edmunds and Edwards can’t go on Sunday?
Well, first things first: that sounds like an increasingly likely outcome.
Secondly, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen may have inadvertently provided some clarity when he was asked how the Bears would find consistent roles for players like C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Nahshon Wright as Jaylon Johnson (groin) and Kyler Gordon (calf) near returns from injured reserve.
Allen said Thursday: “We'll figure that out. Give us as many good football players as you can give us, and then that's our job to figure out how to get them on the field and put them in positions to make plays. So, we've always been excited about being able to do that and work with those guys.”
If the Bears can add Johnson or Gordon back to the active roster before Sunday, then it would theoretically allow Allen and the Bears to slip into more dime packages, utilizing Gardner-Johnson’s extreme versatility.
Johnson was a full participant on Thursday but could remain shelved for Sunday as he works his way back from groin surgery in September, especially when considering the Bears’ quick turnaround to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday.
Keep an eye out for left tackle Theo Benedet’s practice status on today’s injury report. Benedet was added to Thursday’s report as a limited participant with a quad injury.
The Steelers have 33.0 sacks through 11 weeks. Pass rushers Nick Herbig and T.J. Watt have combined for 12.5.
If Benedet doesn’t participate today and is unable to go on Sunday, that’d be one hell of a test for Ozzy Trapilo, who’d be in line to make his first career start.
Center Drew Dalman (knee) and Darnell Wright (pectoral/back) were also limited on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Kraken 3, Blackhawks 2: Well, that was disappointing. It’d be silly to completely pin the Blackhawks’ loss on the officiating. After all, the Blackhawks led 2-0 entering the third period and were thoroughly outplayed for the final 20 minutes.
But the officials still caused quite a stir with their late-game antics. Tied 2-2 with five minutes left in regulation, Connor Bedard found himself on a breakaway with Kraken defender Ryan Lindgren desperately hooking the Blackhawks’ star to prevent a decent shot.
Clear as day. No call.
Bedard promptly exploded at the nearby official, who tagged him with an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty. The Kraken scored the eventual game-winner on the ensuing power play.
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill defended Bedard after the loss: “I don't know what was said, but it better have been really, really, really personal to be that sensitive about it. Because you're deciding games... It better have been really, really personal if you're not going to have enough thick skin to just keep playing through it."
Blackhawks forward Andre Burakovsky exited the game early after a blow to the head by Lindgren that was also not whistled. Burakovsky did not return.
The hit to the head was the second that the Blackhawks have found themselves on the receiving end of this week, after Calgary Flames forward Adam Klapka crunched a vulnerable Connor Murphy on Tuesday night. That hit was also not penalized.
Bedard said Thursday: “It’s back-to-back games of guys going right to the head… It’s bullshit.”
In Case You Missed It …
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Adam Hoge & Adam Jahns » Insider Analysis: Caleb Williams vs. Aaron Rodgers should be embraced, not feared
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
12:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Pregame at 5:30 on YouTube
🏒 Blackhawks at Sabres
6:00 on CHSN
🏀 Bulls vs. Heat
7:00 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Postgame on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bulls
Postgame on YouTube
Something on your mind? Rate this issue and leave a comment, question or topic to discuss!
Talk to you tomorrow!
– P.N.
