Chicago Bears Limp Out Of New Jersey After Loss To Jets

In addition to losing their fifth game in a row, the Chicago Bears lost a number of players due to injuries.

The Chicago Bears had a rough day Sunday. The New York Jets clobbered them 31-10. More importantly, they lost several players due to injuries.

The Bears were already thin before the game. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker were inactive because of concussions. Quarterback Justin Fields was also ruled inactive because of a shoulder injury. Then, while the players were warming up, backup Trevor Siemian hurt his oblique. Suddenly, his availability was in question.

Nathan Peterman was ready to come in. However, Siemian went back to the locker room and had some treatment (he may or may not have received a shot). After a while, he felt well enough to play.

That was just the beginning, though. As the game progressed, the bodies kept falling. Offensive lineman Riley Reiff got injured in the first quarter and Larry Borom replaced him. Late in the game, Borom himself got injured and left the game.

In the second quarter, safety Eddie Jackson went down with a foot injury. He went down without contact and that led to a long Jets touchdown.

Things got worse in the third quarter when wide receiver Darnell Mooney went down with an ankle injury. His injury is particularly concerning. The NFL Network reported that he suffered torn ligaments in his ankle while he was blocking. He likely requires season-ending surgery.

Jets had little resistance on their way to victory

With all the injuries for the Bears, they provided little resistance to the Jets. Yes, they got off to a good start. Siemian was 6/8 for 116 yards in the first quarter. Then, early in the second quarter, he threw a touchdown pass to Byron Pringle that gave the Bears a 10-7 lead.

Things went downhill after that. Siemian was 8/11 for 127 yards and a touchdown in the first half. However, he went just 6/14 for 52 in the second half.

The newest Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool had a big first quarter as well. He had two catches for 51 yards. He failed to make a catch the rest of the game, though.

A struggling defense that had its trouble before the injuries suffered greatly with the injuries piling up. The Jets had backup quarterback Mike White start in place of Zach Wilson. Wilson was inactive after a dismal stretch. After a press conference last week following a 10-3 loss in which the Jets had just 103 total yards of offense, Wilson seemed like he wasn’t taking any responsibility. That did not sit well with some players and the fans. Head coach Robert Saleh decided to make a change.

White finished the game 22/28 for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Jets, under his direction, had 466 total yards of offense.

Next man up philosophy

With all the injuries piling up, the Chicago Bears need the “Next man up” philosophy. With Fields and Khalil Herbert (injured reserve) out, the Bears’ top two runners were not available. That was a blow to the leading rushing attack in the NFL.

The Bears activated Darrynton Evans and he had a good game. He had 34 yards rushing and 33 yards receiving. Additionally, David Montgomery had a big game. He had 113 total yards from scrimmage (79 rushing and 34 receiving).

With Mooney likely out the rest of the season, Claypool needs to step up. He wants to be a WR1 and has the tools to be one. However, he has struggled to pick up Luke Getsy’s offensive system. He now has to speed things up and be more consistent. The first quarter he had gives people hope. Let’s see what happens going forward.

At safety, the Bears could now have two rookies start at the safety positions. Seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks made his professional debut after Jackson went down. There were a couple of plays in which he reacted a bit slowly but held his own once he got his bearings. We’ll see what happens once he has a full week of practice with the starters.

A dismal season just got worse for the Chicago Bears. There are some fans who may not feel good about the injuries but do feel good about the team’s draft position. They now own the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That, and the over $125 million in cap space, offer great hope for the rebuild going forward. We just have to suffer through the rest of the 2022 season.