Brad Biggs talks Bears’ health, previews matchup against Commanders | Mully & Haugh

Big Z. Morning, Brad. Morning, boys. What’s going on? So, we got to look at the injury report. And I get it. It’s a It’s an imagined report. They did not practice yesterday. So, it’s a projection of who would be in and who wouldn’t be in uh based on whether they had practiced. But man, you know, coming off a by-week, it seemed like you were just kind of surprised like, wow, I mean, that is uh that’s quite a few uh injuries there. Brad, did do you uh expect that list to be as prominent as it was when you uh when you saw it come out? Well, they practiced once last week during the buy and they practiced on the Tuesday and in that setting I didn’t see uh Jonah Jackson or um you know Colston Loveland and you were wondering about the status of Austin Booker and the guys that were on injured reserve for a potential return this week. So what what really changed? I think we had two guys pop up. That’s Jaquan Brisker. Yeah. And Kyle Manungi. uh everybody else you you know was either um in that injury status where you knew there’d probably be something for them this week or you’re you’re not surprised. It’s a it’s an ongoing thing for them. Uh so the Brisker situation told you guys yesterday I didn’t think it was concussion. Looks like that’s a quad. Uh Grady Jarrett like he was really hobbled on that knee when we last saw him out there on the field. Uh but today’s today will be a little bit more telling as they’ll actually practice so it won’t be an imaginary uh injury report and then you get the game designations uh on Saturday in preparation for Monday night. Good news uh Kairo Santos was listed as a full p full participant with that right thigh uh that flared up for him in the second half of the game in uh Las Vegas. said, I was actually surprised to see Booker and Homer on the report. I don’t think they technically have to um put those guys on the injury report because they’re they’re not on the 53man roster right now. They’re still uh considered part of IR. But for both of them, Homer and Booker to have a full participation uh was uh good news. Brad, just speaking for myself, the juxtaposition of seeing Kyle Manungai’s name on the injured list and Cam Scatteraboo doing what he did on Thursday Night Football made me think, oh my gosh, you know, this is another situation where the one that got away and the Bears still looking for a compliment to DeAndre Swift. And I just wonder what that is going to look like. Do you think Monday night? What’s the running game going to look like? And we can’t tell how injured Manungai is or isn’t. Roshan Johnson, I don’t know where he is or isn’t, but he’s not in the back field getting carries. What do you think the state of the running game is, and what does it lack? Well, the state of the running game is it hasn’t been good enough. Uh Scotto was a fourth round pick. like I don’t I don’t see that guy’s playing style being uh conducive to a u long-term contract or long-term um career. I I’d love to be wrong. It is uh fun to watch, but uh boy oh boy, I I don’t know how you you keep that up uh in the National Football League, but the you know, Commanders have got themselves as a second round uh pick at running back Jakori Kroski Merritt. I think he goes by Bill now, which is a lot easier to say. Um and he was round seven out of the University of Arizona. Kind of a bizarre situation. only played one game his senior season because of eligibility issues. Apparently, when he was at another school earlier in his college career, he was going to red shirt and then some other player started wearing the same jersey number that he had when he had played. And so he spent pretty much all last season in Tucson uh practicing and watching from the sidelines. Just crushed his uh whatever draft stock he had, but performed well at the East West Shrine game. Washington takes him in the seventh round. And now he’s uh become the lead back for the early in the season, but the league’s number one ranked rushing offense. doesn’t catch the ball real well out of the back field, but uh they’ve got guys that uh can do that. And uh late round pick that’s that’s pitching in for Dan Quinn’s team. Um I I am uh curious, Brad, when we um talk about um uh different injuries like, you know, Grady Jarrett you mentioned, I is this would that have been a veteran day off? Is he just not going to practice or not? Or if coming off missing a game and then being on an does that hint at a bigger problem with his knee than anticipated? I I think it’s a situation where they’re trying to give him an ex, you know, as much time down as they can. Now, again, today’s practice report tell us a little bit more. Listen, he’s been going at this a long time. Yeah. So, it’s not like he’s the kind of player that needs an entire week of practice to be uh ready to to uh strap on the shoulder pads and go at it uh Monday night. Uh but they’ve got to they need him to to get back healthy. Uh because he’s he’s got to be explosive to be the player that you’re paying him to be. Like he’s not a a big guy when you think of a defensive tackle. So, he needs, you know, that that those athletic traits and skills that have made him a really good player for a long time in the NFL. He needs to be able to tap into those and playing on one leg, uh, that’s not going to be possible. They’re going to need the other uh, defensive tackles to play better. like, you know, I maybe we’ve moved beyond the like breakthrough Javon Dexter season stories because it didn’t happen last year and it sure as heck didn’t happen uh in the first quarter or so of uh of this season, but they’ve got to be better on the interior to stop the run and to aid a pass rush that has been uh entirely underwhelming to this point. What’s the right level of confidence to place in TJ Edwards return and how that might improve a run defense that has been abysmal and maybe even an overall defensive effort that needs some showing up. Yeah, I I think um I think TJ Edwards is the kind of guy that that impacts the the guys that are around him, because of uh because of his intelligence, because of his ability to sort of be a coach on the field uh to, you know, in in the rare instance get a player um lined up in the right spot. Hey, no, you got to be over here. um cuz he’s a guy that’s going to be in the right spot at uh every time. And Noah Su has improved, right? He’s gotten better. Uh the number one thing he’s done is he’s managed to stay healthy, which we weren’t able to see in his first two seasons in the league, and he’s second on the team in tackles right now, is the guy that’s played in TJ’s absence. But I think Su is the guy that you want to be your third linebacker. I think he’s the guy that you want to be your backup. You know, he lacks the kind of speed and change of direction where you want him out there as a starter every Sunday. He can be exposed a little bit in pass coverage. And uh not that TJ’s the uh most fleet of foot for linebackers that are out there, but a a ton of experience. Uh you’re not going to fool him uh when he’s out there. And so I would have a level of hope that TJ’s return and Kyler Gordon hopefully being in the mix would uh improve the defense in a number of different ways. Brad, I know that both uh Travis Homer and Austin Booker have a three-w weekek period uh where they can be added to the roster. Um I I’m curious if they were would have practiced full board, does that mean they’re ready to be added to the roster? And I’m just very curious. I I with Travis Homer in particular, he’s a special teams guy. If he comes back, what does that mean for Roshan Johnson, who is not even a backup running back really? He’s more of a special teams guy. Yeah, Roshan’s played well on special teams though. So, okay. I would you like he’s I think he’s played relatively well for them. So, I would think that they would want to keep him in the mix, but I don’t know. You know, the Booker thing’s going to be interesting that because he was listed as a full participant yesterday on the again imagined uh injury report because the players were off. That’s a good first step. If he gets a full today, again, I don’t think he has to be on the injury report. In the past, I’ve asked, “Hey, what’s the status for so and so?” And I’ve told, “Oh, we don’t have to put him been told we don’t have to put him on the injury report because he’s still technically on IR.” So seeing his name on there yesterday, you watch it’ll like disappear from the report today maybe. But that’s a that’s a positive. And if Booker can can look the part that he’s a full participant in practice today and tomorrow, considering where their pass rush is it is at right now. Why wouldn’t you activate him? That’s not something they’d have to do until 3:00 Monday afternoon. Uh why wouldn’t you get him up? knowing he’s not going to give you a full game. You’re not going to ask him to. Maybe maybe you’re asking him to to give you 15 snaps in pass rushing situations. They need the help getting after the quarterback. Brad, quickly before we let you go, scary. Terry McLaren did not practice Thursday for Washington. His absence or presence certainly would change the game. What do you know about that situation and how equipped are the Bears for him if he plays and how difference will it make if he doesn’t? Well, it’s a huge difference if he can’t go. You start looking at the uh depth chart that they’ve got at that position and no murin um means no like big time threat like he that’s a that’s a really good player. a guy that Jaden Daniels is uh is absolutely uh dialed into. Uh if McLaren’s not out there, maybe you’re seeing more action for, you know, Luke McCaffrey. Like that’s that’s kind of where it turns. Um Debo Samuel has has played well in a couple of the games for them. Uh but he’s a complimentary guy. you’re not asking him to replace Mclloren, but it it’s reports are sounds like uh he may need some more time uh before he’s able to get back on the field. And if that’s the case, that would help um the Bears out uh in trying to slow down uh that Washington offense, which at times this season has been absolutely cooking. remember they hung like 41 or 42 I think it was on Vegas with Marcus Mariota playing the whole game at quarterback.

On the Mully & Haugh Show, Tribune reporter Brad Biggs discussed the latest Bears storylines ahead of their matchup against the Commanders on Monday Night Football in Week 6.

#ChicagoBears #Bears #BradBiggs #nfl #commanders

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6 comments

  1. Dexter and wright are just two more players added to the list of lineman poles missed on.

    TJ should dramatically improve the run defense

  2. For the Bears to prove they aren't the same Bears we've been seeing for over a decade:
    1. Don't let an injured McLauren have a great day.
    2. Don't let the run game destroy them by a low level pick (that the Bears could have had BTW).
    3. Don't come out flat, making bone-headed mistakes and looking like they are still on the bye week.
    4. Don't give up pressure on the not-Redskins.

    Many of us very old hands are still in the "prove it" category when it comes to these Bears. PROVE IT !

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