Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters Monday at Halas Corridor after reviewing Sunday’s 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.
Listed below are 4 issues we heard because the Bears flip the web page to their Week 5 recreation towards the Minnesota Vikings.
1. Left guard Cody Whitehair will miss a while with a proper knee damage.
Whitehair left Sunday’s recreation within the second quarter and didn’t return. Eberflus wouldn’t put a time-frame on Whitehair’s restoration and didn’t rule out placing him on injured reserve, which might preserve him out a minimal of 4 video games. However Eberflus stated the damage will not be season-ending.
Whitehair has been a gentle presence on the offensive line because the Bears drafted him within the second spherical in 2016. He has performed in 99 regular-season video games over seven seasons — lacking solely two in 2020 due to a calf damage and COVID-19.
“A man that basically exhibits Chicago Bear toughness — that’s Cody Whitehair,” Eberflus stated. “We’re going to overlook him for slightly little bit of time.”
On Sunday the Bears moved veteran Lucas Patrick, who had been rotating at proper guard with Teven Jenkins, to left guard to interchange Whitehair. Jenkins performed full time at proper guard and Sam Mustipher remained at middle.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields was sacked six occasions, and Eberflus stated the safety was good “at occasions.” Giants nostril deal with Dexter Lawrence had two sacks and three quarterback hits.
“Clearly it broke down some within the center at occasions,” Eberflus stated. “One in all their inside rushers had a fairly good day. Now we have to be agency there. Now we have to run off the ball higher, which we all know that. The fellows had been informed that. And in addition the runners must press the road higher. We have to have a greater day there.”
2. Kicker Cairo Santos was again at Halas Corridor after lacking Sunday’s recreation.
Santos was absent from follow final week and the sport as he handled a private concern. However Eberflus stated Santos was again Monday and “squared away.”
Santos is 4-for-4 on discipline targets and 4-for-6 on further factors this season, the missed PATs coming in the course of the moist and sloppy Week 1 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Subject.
Fill-in kicker Michael Badgley, who gained the one-day alternative job at a tryout final week, went 4-for-4 on discipline targets Sunday for all 12 Bears factors. Eberflus was conversant in Badgley from the kicker’s 12 video games with the Indianapolis Colts final season.
“What an important job by him coming in, filling in on a brief discover,” Eberflus stated. “He was regular then (in Indianapolis) and he was definitely regular yesterday.”
3. A number of gamers acquired loafs for the Giants’ strip-sack of Justin Fields.
Giants defensive finish Azeez Ojulari circled round left deal with Braxton Jones to hit Fields’ arm within the second quarter, and Fields fumbled.
The play was made worse as a result of a number of Bears within the neighborhood of the unfastened ball — together with Whitehair, proper deal with Larry Borom and extensive receiver Equanimeous St. Brown — didn’t try to leap on it. Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux recovered.
Eberflus acknowledged the gamers’ issue recognizing it wasn’t an incomplete cross with the play occurring behind them — however he stated they nonetheless have to be higher.
“That’s slightly tougher,” Eberflus stated. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m in cross professional after which swiftly this factor drops from the sky, you already know, over my head, after which it’s there.’ So I believe Cody was caught off guard, as all of the linemen had been. They’ve obtained to be prepared for it and soar on it and have some response there.”
Broad receiver Darnell Mooney stated coaches addressed going after the soccer when it’s on the bottom, regardless of the circumstance.
“The defensive guys are at all times operating to the ball no matter what’s occurring,” Mooney stated. “Anytime you see a ball simply randomly on the market, you’ve obtained to get on the ball regardless.”
4. Matt Eberflus wasn’t second-guessing his determination to punt on fourth-and-2 late within the fourth quarter.
With the Bears down by eight with 3 minutes, 15 seconds to play, the Giants stopped operating again Khalil Herbert for no achieve on third-and-2 on the Bears 45-yard line. Eberflus opted to punt and rely on his protection to get a fast cease moderately than go for it on fourth-and-2. He stated the protection’s second-half changes made him assured within the determination.
That a part of the plan labored. Jaylon Jones downed Trenton Gill’s punt on the Giants 3, and the protection obtained a three-and-out. The issue was Bears punt returner Velus Jones Jr. muffed the catch and the Giants recovered, basically sealing the sport however for the Bears’ last-ditch effort within the closing seconds.
“We did a pleasant job there yesterday and gave ourselves an opportunity to go down and rating and get a 2-point conversion,” Eberflus stated. “Velus clearly has to be taught the basics of it and do a greater job — which he did in the course of the course of the day, simply not on that one.
“He’s obtained to get himself below the ball and squeeze his elbows collectively and get squared away there. He’s an explosive participant and a dynamic participant, so he’ll be taught from that.”
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