Bears' Season-Ending Blowout: Achilles Tore During Win Over Bengals
In a season of high expectations, the Chicago Bears have been dealt another bitter blow with defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo being ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering an Achilles tendon tear during Sunday's 47-42 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Odeyingbo had just finished playing 75% of the defensive snaps, but was unable to continue due to the severity of the injury. According to coach Ben Johnson, Odeyingbo had been making a significant impact as a run stopper and was starting to find his footing after a slow start to the season.
The Bears' defense has been a major concern all year, ranking 20th in the league with just 17 sacks. The team's injury woes only seem to be piling up, with rookie defensive end Shemar Turner suffering a torn ACL last week and backup Dominique Robinson nursing an ankle injury.
Now, without Odeyingbo for the rest of the season, Johnson faces the daunting task of finding a way to boost his depleted defense. Austin Bookers, who returned from a knee injury on Sunday with a sack, is expected to start in place of Odeyingbo, while Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah, and Jonathan Garvin are all options from the practice squad.
Coach Johnson expressed confidence in the team's ability to "step up" despite their current roster deficiencies. When asked about Bookers' readiness for a starting role, Johnson was optimistic: "Book played a nice game... so I do have a lot of confidence there."
While the loss of Odeyingbo is undoubtedly a blow, it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have on the Bears' overall season. One thing is certain, however - the team's defense needs to find a way to come together if they hope to make a push for the playoffs.
For now, though, Johnson and his coaching staff will focus on trying to get every last bit out of this battered and bruised roster. As he put it: "We're turning over every stone to make sure if there's a way that we can improve this roster... but I feel good about the guys we have on the roster currently."
In a season of high expectations, the Chicago Bears have been dealt another bitter blow with defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo being ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering an Achilles tendon tear during Sunday's 47-42 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Odeyingbo had just finished playing 75% of the defensive snaps, but was unable to continue due to the severity of the injury. According to coach Ben Johnson, Odeyingbo had been making a significant impact as a run stopper and was starting to find his footing after a slow start to the season.
The Bears' defense has been a major concern all year, ranking 20th in the league with just 17 sacks. The team's injury woes only seem to be piling up, with rookie defensive end Shemar Turner suffering a torn ACL last week and backup Dominique Robinson nursing an ankle injury.
Now, without Odeyingbo for the rest of the season, Johnson faces the daunting task of finding a way to boost his depleted defense. Austin Bookers, who returned from a knee injury on Sunday with a sack, is expected to start in place of Odeyingbo, while Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah, and Jonathan Garvin are all options from the practice squad.
Coach Johnson expressed confidence in the team's ability to "step up" despite their current roster deficiencies. When asked about Bookers' readiness for a starting role, Johnson was optimistic: "Book played a nice game... so I do have a lot of confidence there."
While the loss of Odeyingbo is undoubtedly a blow, it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have on the Bears' overall season. One thing is certain, however - the team's defense needs to find a way to come together if they hope to make a push for the playoffs.
For now, though, Johnson and his coaching staff will focus on trying to get every last bit out of this battered and bruised roster. As he put it: "We're turning over every stone to make sure if there's a way that we can improve this roster... but I feel good about the guys we have on the roster currently."
. Bears' defense is already struggling and now they lose Odeyingbo for the rest of the year? That's just great. And what's with all these new guys trying to step up? Bookers showed some promise on Sunday but can he keep it up? I'm not convinced. And the fact that they're relying on guys from the practice squad is just a sign of how much trouble they're in.
Omg, what a bummer for the Bears! 
Dayo Odeyingbo was literally the one guy who could've made a difference in their defense. And now they gotta rely on Austin Bookers? 
I mean, he did have that nice game on Sunday, but can he do it consistently? 
Fingers crossed for them though! 
! One minute you're feeling hopeful, and the next you're losing another key player. Dayo Odeyingbo's injury is a huge blow, especially since he was starting to make an impact on defense 
. And now they gotta find a way to step up without him? It's like, they already have injuries piling up with Shemar Turner and Dominique Robinson... it's tough to see the team struggle 
. The playoffs are looking super unlikely now 
So, bears are having a tough season and now they lost another key player in Dayo Odeyingbo. That's like, 25% of their defensive line down... 
Not good for a team that was already struggling to get sacks. 
Defensive rankings? 
20th in the league is not exactly the best vibe. 
But here's what I found out: if Austin Bookers starts in place of Odeyingbo, they might just see some improvement... 
So, will this team find a way to come together? 
According to Pro Football Focus, teams with 20+ injuries on their roster have a 15% chance of making the playoffs... 