One can only feel bad for Dennis Allen at this point. The Chicago Bears defensive coordinator thought he was inheriting a unit stacked with talent at all three levels. Yet the defense has been snakebit with injuries since before the season even began. Jaylon Johnson didn't even attend training camp and has missed most of the year. Kyler Gordon only played in two games. Terell Smith is out for the season. Grady Jarrett missed time. Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner suffered season-ending injuries. It's just one thing after another.
Sadly, the bad news won't stop. Just when it looked like Johnson and Gordon were nearing a return, the Bears were hit from a different direction. All three of their starting linebackers have not practiced yet this week. Their status for Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers is feeling increasingly in doubt. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offers pretty clear hints about which directions it's trending. Put simply?
Best not wear your Tremaine Edmunds or T.J. Edwards jerseys to the game.
The Bears’ top three linebackers — Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell — were held out of practice Thursday for a second consecutive day, and the possibility Edmunds and Edwards will miss Sunday’s meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field appears to be moving toward a likelihood. Sewell’s uncertain status adds to the dilemma.
Team officials haven’t speculated about the possible return of cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin) or nickel back Kyler Gordon (calf) in time for Sunday’s game, but neither can be ruled out. That would provide the defense more options on the third level as things are getting thin at linebacker.
The multitude of linebacker injuries could push the Bears into a scenario in which D’Marco Jackson and rookie Ruben Hyppolite II start against the Steelers. That would create an entirely new set of challenges for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has been juggling the lineup every week.
Dennis Allen faces a brutal task if this is true.
They had the 25th-ranked run defense in the NFL, even with Edmunds healthy in the lineup. Without him and Edwards, it threatens to expose them even further. Not only that, but the Steelers have found success frequently with their tight ends, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. There is no question that Aaron Rodgers will look to exploit those matchups at every opportunity.
It leaves Dennis Allen in a dilemma. How in the world does he counter such an approach? One possibility is to go heavy at defensive back with more dime packages. If Johnson and possibly Gordon suit up for this game, the Bears could run a defense with those two, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kevin Byard on the field together. Brisker, Gordon, and Gardner-Johnson are all capable of acting as linebacker/defensive back hybrid.
They'd be giving up some size, but not too much in physicality, and would create more coverage problems for Rodgers. One can only hope the plan, whatever it ends up being, is good enough.
