Chicago Bears Face Steelers Without Starting Linebackers, Nickel Defense Possible
The Chicago Bears' linebacker corps took a significant hit as they ruled out T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, and Noah Sewell due to injuries sustained over the past week. Edwards continues to recover from a hand injury and hamstring issue, while Edmunds (groin) and Sewell (elbow) were hurt in their last outing.
With no starting linebackers available, the team is likely to start D'Marco Jackson and Ruben Hyppolite II at two of the three spots. However, coordinator Dennis Allen may opt for a nickel defense, similar to what he employed last week when slot cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson played every snap. This could also mean that Gardner-Johnson sees an expanded role in the lineup.
Hyppolite acknowledged the importance of veteran advice but emphasized that no one can prepare him better than himself. The team is also considering special-teamer Amen Ogbongbemiga, who is already part of their linebackers room, or signing former Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin from their practice squad.
The Bears' injuries continue to mount as running backs Roschon Johnson (thumb) and Travis Homer (hamstring/knee) were ruled out. Several other key players are questionable, including left tackle Theo Benedet, safety Jaquan Brisker, and cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson. If any of these players need to be promoted to the active roster, it would likely require a change at least one of them.
The Chicago Bears' linebacker corps took a significant hit as they ruled out T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, and Noah Sewell due to injuries sustained over the past week. Edwards continues to recover from a hand injury and hamstring issue, while Edmunds (groin) and Sewell (elbow) were hurt in their last outing.
With no starting linebackers available, the team is likely to start D'Marco Jackson and Ruben Hyppolite II at two of the three spots. However, coordinator Dennis Allen may opt for a nickel defense, similar to what he employed last week when slot cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson played every snap. This could also mean that Gardner-Johnson sees an expanded role in the lineup.
Hyppolite acknowledged the importance of veteran advice but emphasized that no one can prepare him better than himself. The team is also considering special-teamer Amen Ogbongbemiga, who is already part of their linebackers room, or signing former Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin from their practice squad.
The Bears' injuries continue to mount as running backs Roschon Johnson (thumb) and Travis Homer (hamstring/knee) were ruled out. Several other key players are questionable, including left tackle Theo Benedet, safety Jaquan Brisker, and cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson. If any of these players need to be promoted to the active roster, it would likely require a change at least one of them.
The Bears are getting destroyed on defense... literally! No starting linebackers means they gotta go with some scrubby backup dudes 
and now they're even considering playing a special teams guy in the lineup? 
I mean, what's next? Playing a defensive back from the practice squad at safety? 
And with all these injuries piling up, it's like the team is playing musical chairs... except instead of chairs, it's their entire defense. 
and now they're gonna have to get creative with their defense. I don't know if nickel defense will work out but hey, Dennis Allen's tried it before so let's see how it goes, right? Interesting that they're considering Amen Ogbongbemiga for the extra spot... hope he can bring some stability to that unit 
and honestly, i don't blame allen for considering amen ogbongbemiga - dude's been grinding in practice and showing some promise 
. I'm not worried about C.J. Gardner-Johnson getting more snaps, he's got the skills to make it work 
. And who knows, maybe having a nickel defense will give them an edge in certain situations? It's time for the Bears to think outside the box and stop relying on the same old scheme 
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... so they're gonna try out that nickel defense again? okay, got it 
... hope they find some stability soon 
... anyway, gotta keep an eye on the running back situation too - can't afford to lose Johnson and Homer at the same time 
like do they really think Amen Ogbongbemiga is ready for that kind of pressure? 
i feel bad 4 T.J. Edwards, he was lookin good too 
. they're gonna have to switch up their defense, maybe go with that nickel defense and let C.J. Gardner-Johnson get more snaps 
. Hyppolite seems confident in his own abilities, but it's always good to have some veteran guidance 
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. they're also trying out Jalen Reeves-Maybin from their practice squad... gotta keep an eye on this one 
. running backs Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer are out, which is a bummer 
.
. I mean, I know it worked last week, but can't we try something new for once? And what's up with all these guys being out? Roschon Johnson has a thumb injury? That's like getting hurt on the first day of school 
. And Travis Homer's hamstring and knee? Sounds like a never-ending cycle of injuries to me 
it would def make c.j. gardner-johnson's role way bigger 
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. If they go that route, C.J. Gardner-Johnson's role would definitely get a boost 
. The problem is, who's gonna step up at running back? Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer are both out, so I'm guessing one of the other guys will have to fill in 
...
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️. I mean, where's the depth in that? And what about all these injuries piling up?