With the Green Bay Packers losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a potentially season-ending collarbone injury, the NFC North has truly become a four-team race.That includes the Chicago Bears.I know, I know.These are the same Bears fielding a rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky who is on just his 16th start between college and the NFL combined.The same Bears fielding an injury-ravaged wide receiver unit that has produced only 45 catches in six games.The same Bears that are 11-27 since John Fox became head coach in 2015.DIAMOND: Giving up on Packers could be foolishYet these also are the same Bears that enter Sundays home game against Carolina just two games out of first place in a division with two teams (Green Bay and Minnesota) trying to navigate through uncertain futures at quarterback and a third (Detroit) that has lost three of its past four outings.The same Bears that rank No. 3 in run offense and No. 6 in overall defense.The same Bears that have gotten a spark from Trubisky replacing an ineffective Mike Glennon.And the same Bears that enter the Panthers matchup with confidence after last Sundays 27-24 overtime win at Baltimore.From the outside, people probably look at us and think
Chargers Customized Game White Jersey were not a good football team, Chicago tight end Zach Miller told co-host Solomon Wilcots and me earlier this week on SiriusXM NFL Radio.In our building, we believe were a good team. We have just done things at inopportune times that havent put us in position to win.Whether it stemmed more from the early lo s of his top two wideouts Cam Meredith (knee) and Kevin White (shoulder) or feeling the pre sure of knowing that Trubisky was waiting in the wings, Glennon had
Men's Derwin James Game Jersey become more of a liability for the Bears than a set at the time of his benching after committing eight turnovers in his first four starts. Glennon also was taking most of the heat for his teammates by not coming close to playing like a quarterback collecting an $18 million salary in 2017 as a free-agent addition from Tampa Bay.But as Miller points out, Glennon wasnt the only Bears player struggling as Chicago opened 1-3 for the third straight season since Fox was hired. The mistakes were putting too much stre s on a defense still playing soundly despite injuries that have riddled the inside linebacker corps.When we turn the ball over as much as we had early on, have penalties that get you out of scoring range, all those things that we were doing. We were really killing ourselves, Miller said.We kind of just wanted to clean things up, stick together, and just go out and at least give ourselves a chance.MARVEZ:NFL fights back against President TrumpThe Bears took advantage of one last Sunday against a Ravens squad having its own i sues. Jordan Howard spearheaded a 234-yard
Joey Bosa Navy Game Jersey rushing effort, which was the most ever surrendered by Baltimore in the franchises 22-season history.Thats something to say because thats a heck of a defense and heck of a team, Miller said. [Howard] is our guy. Hes our anchor. To just be able to handoff the ball to him and trust him in key moments to make plays for us, you cant say enough about him.Howard, whose 118 carries rank second in the NFC, is receiving some help on an offense that has run the football more than any other team this season (48.7-percent clip) besides Jacksonville (52.5) and Buffalo (50.6). Rookie backup Tarik Cohen has proven a multipurpose threat as a rusher, receiver, returner andpa ser.Yes, pa ser. Cohen, who is 5-foot-6, became the shortest NFL player to throw a touchdown last Sunday since Wee Willie Smith in 1934. Miller was the recipient of that 21-yard score, giving him a team-high two TD catches among his 18 overall receptions for the season.I dont even know if (Cohen) could see me because I couldnt see him, Miller said with a laugh. That lollipopped in the back of the end zone where nobody else would get it. Perfect throw.When you get him on the football field, hes electric. He really can do anything with the ball.MORE: SN's Week 7 NFL Power RankingsAnd of course, theres the impact Trubisky is making. Although the Bears are limited in the pa sing game because of his inexperience, Trubiskys mobility, arm strength and accuracy helps make amends. They also serve as a reminder of why Chicago moved up to make Trubisky the No. 2-overall selection in this years draft despite having only one season as a college starter at North Carolina.He can beat you with his arm and his legs, Miller said. Hes made a number of plays for us to extend plays. Nothing has been too big for him. Hes only going to get better in time as well.The same goes for Aaron Rodgers physically as his recovery proce s begins from Thursdays surgical procedure. With no guarantees A-Rod returns this season, Chicago has a better chance of ending a playoff drought that dates to the 2010 campaign.You never want to see anybody go down, but especially a guy like Aaron Rodgers, Miller said. Hes good for the game. I enjoy watching him play football just because hes that great at it.But as far as our division and where were at, its up for grabs. We havent started the way we want but we still have opportunities to move forward, stack
Lance Alworth Jersey some wins and get this thing going in our direction.A direction that might finally be heading up with arguably the NFLs best player going down.
