Tag: Ben Braunecker

WR Taylor Gabriel, TE Ben Braunecker among 6 Bears ruled out vs. Lions

The Bears have released their final injury report ahead of Thursday’s game against the Lions, and they’ve ruled out six players.

The Chicago Bears will be without six players when they face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.

The Bears released their final injury report ahead of Thursday’s game, and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion), tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion), right tackle Bobby Massie (ankle), cornerback Sherrick McManis (groin), tight end Adam Shaheen (foot) and linebacker Danny Trevathan (elbow) have all been ruled out against the Lions.

Gabriel, Braunecker, Massie, McManis and Shaheen will not make the trip to Detroit.

The Bears, who were already thin at tight end, are even thinner at the position with Braunecker and Shaheen’s injuries. That leaves Jesper Horsted and JP Holtz as the Bears’ tight ends heading into Thursday’s game against the Lions.

With Gabriel’s absence, expect to see a lot more of receiver Anthony Miller, who is coming off his best game this season with six catches for 78 yards, and Javon Wims. Rookie Riley Ridley might even see his first action this season.

With Massie being out for the next few weeks, expect to see Cornelius Lucas in his place, which makes the right side of that offensive line vulnerable. Rashaad Coward has been filling in for Kyle Long at right guard after he was sent to season-ending injured reserve. Expect rookie Alex Bars to also be active tomorrow with Massie’s absence.

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Week 13 Injury Report: 6 Bears miss Tuesday’s practice

WR Taylor Gabriel and TE Ben Braunecker remain sidelined with concussions in the Bears’ Tuesday injury report ahead of Thursday’s game.

The Chicago Bears released their injury report following Tuesday’s practice, and it wasn’t encouraging news for those injured Bears.

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (concussion) and tight end Ben Braunecker (concussion) were among six Bears that did not practice Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Right tackle Bobby Massie, who suffered a high-ankle sprain against the New York Giants, is expected to miss several weeks with the injury. Cornelius Lucas is expected to relieve him in his absence.

Tight end Adam Shaheen missed practice again with a foot injury that’s expected to sideline him for the third straight game, which leaves the Bears thin at tight end. Jesper Horsted and JP Holtz will lead Chicago at tight end for Thursday’s game.

Special teams standout and cornerback Sherrick McManis also missed his second straight practice after suffering a groin injury against the Giants. Linebacker Danny Trevathan remains sidelined with an elbow injury.

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Don’t expect to see Bears WR Taylor Gabriel or TE Ben Braunecker on Thanksgiving

Matt Nagy says it will “probably be a stretch” to see Bears WR Taylor Gabriel or TE Ben Braunecker play Thanksgiving vs. Lions.

As the Chicago Bears prepare to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, they’ll likely do it down two offensive weapons.

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker remain in concussion protocol, and both aren’t expected to play Thursday against the Lions.

Bears coach Matt Nagy said that it “would be probably a stretch” for Gabriel or Braunecker to play on Thanksgiving.

The Bears are already thin at tight end before Braunecker’s concussion, as Trey Burton is on injured reserve and Adam Shaheen is sidelined with a foot injury. Now, it’ll be the Jesper Horsted and J.P. Holtz show.

Gabriel’s absence could open the door for rookie receiver Riley Ridley, who’s been inactive this season on the 53-man roster. With Gabriel inactive, look for Anthony Miller, Javon Wims and Ridley along with Allen Robinson on offense.

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Bears Injury Report: Taylor Gabriel and Ben Braunecker sidelined with concussions

There were 2 surprises on the Bears’ injury report ahead of Thursday’s game against the Lions in WR Taylor Gabriel and TE Ben Braunecker.

Following Sunday’s victory over the Giants, the Bears have a quick turnaround ahead of Thursday’s meeting against the Lions.

While Monday wasn’t an official practice day — it was a walkthrough, as the team played yesterday — there were several concerns on Monday’s theoretical practice injury report.

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker were among six Bears that did not practice on Monday. Gabriel and Braunecker suffered concussions, which makes their status for Thursday iffy at best.

This is Gabriel’s fourth concussion of his career and the second this season. Gabriel was sidelined with a concussion for two games earlier this season after injuring his head against the Redskins in Week 3.

Right tackle Bobby Massie suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Giants, which is expected to sideline him for a few weeks. The status for special teams standout and cornerback Sherrick McManis isn’t much better, as he sustained a groin injury.

Adam Shaheen remains sidelined with a foot injury, which leaves the Bears thin at the tight end position considering Trey Burton’s placement on injured reserve and Braunecker’s concussion. That leaves Jesper Horsted, J.P. Holtz and Bradley Sowell as the Bears’ tight ends.

Linebacker Danny Trevathan remains sidelined with an elbow injury, which many expected to send him to injured reserve and end his season. But he remains on the active roster as the team looks for any positive signs of a potential return this season.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ 19-14 win over Giants

Here are five takeaways we learned from the Bears’ 19-14 victory over the Giants, including the return of Khalil Mack.

The Chicago Bears (5-6) followed up a disappointing loss with a 19-14 win over the struggling New York Giants (2-9), although it certainly was anything but pretty.

While the Bears were plagued by the same self-inflicted mistakes and missed opportunities that cost them last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, this time they were struggling against a stumbling Giants team that had issues of their own.

The Bears defense has held opponents to 17 points or less in four of the last five games, and this time their offense was able to take advantage despite the sheer amount of missed opportunities left out on the field. But a win is a win, even if it’s an ugly one against a Giants team going nowhere.

Here are my five takeaways from the Bears’ 19-14 win over the Giants.

1. Mitchell Trubisky shines in hurry-up offense

Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

While Mitchell Trubisky certainly didn’t have a great game, he stacked another solid performance, even if the statistics don’t necessarily indicate it. Trubisky certainly had some ugly moments — including two interceptions — but it was during the Bears’ hurry-up offense where the young quarterback stood apart from his struggles.

Trubisky is at his best when he’s in up-tempo situations where he doesn’t have to think and just plays football, and he certainly shined in those moments where the Bears ran their no-huddle offense.

While Trubisky’s statline isn’t anything to marvel at — 25-of-41 for 278 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, as well as one rushing touchdown — it was definitely another step in a positive direction for Trubisky in a struggling offense.

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Bears’ Jesper Horsted shows promise, but not ‘a full-on tight end yet’

Jesper Horsted has only been playing tight end for just six months, but the Bears are giving him a shot as they’re thin at the position.

With the Chicago Bears thin at the tight end position, they’re taking every opportunity to evaluate preseason stud Jesper Horsted to see if he’s got a future on this team.

Horsted, who’s only played tight end for six months, insists that it’s going to take him time to truly learn the position. But he did prove to be the Bears’ most promising prospect coming out of preseason.

‘‘Even though I’m a fast study, it’s going to take time — more than a few months,’’ Horsted said Wednesday, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘I’m going in the right direction, but by no means am I a full-on tight end yet.’’

Trey Burton, the Bears’ primary “U” or pass-catching tight end, is on injured reserve with a calf/groin injury, and the Bears are exploring their options with Horsted at the “U” position. Aside from Ben Braunecker, who played 50 offensive snaps against the Rams, Horsted is the only healthy option at the “U” position.

Horsted, an undrafted rookie out of Princeton, impressed during the preseason, where he had the Bears’ only two touchdown receptions. But it was his ability to make contested catches that certainly drew heads.

Horsted said that Burton and Brauncker, among others, have helped him learn the position.

‘‘They’re extremely good at it — like, so much better than I expected coming into the NFL,’’ Horsted said. ‘‘They’ve been so helpful. Not only when I go to them to ask them a question, but they will be on my case on the sideline: ‘So what do you have on this play? When are we killing this play?’ Maybe to a point where I’m like: ‘All right, leave me alone. I’m trying to watch.’ ’’

While Horsted isn’t expected to play a full-time role, as Braunecker will fill that spot, he serves to get some reps on offense and special teams.

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Bears promote TE Jesper Horsted to active roster

With the Bears thin at the tight end position, they promoted preseason stud Jesper Horsted to the active roster.

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After waiving linebacker James Vaughters on Monday, the Chicago Bears have promoted tight end Jesper Horsted to the active roster on Tuesday.

Sitting at 4-6 with any shot at the playoffs essentially over, it’s time for the Bears to start looking at their young roster to see what they have moving forward in 2020.

So with the Bears thin at the tight end position, activating Horsted is a move that makes plenty of sense in more ways than one.

 

Trey Burton was placed on injured reserve last week while Adam Shaheen has been a healthy scratch against the Lions and missed the Rams game with a foot injury, which you have to figure is indicative of his performance this season.

The Bears have gotten no production from their tight ends this season. Though you could argue that in two games Ben Braunecker was more effective than Burton and Shaheen.

Horsted, one of the Bears’ undrafted rookie free agents, will get a chance to show what he can bring to the table this week against the New York Giants. During the preseason, Horsted had eight receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, which was enough to draw the eyes of other teams.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Horsted had opportunities to go elsewhere, but the Bears offered him “a substantial pay raise to remain on the practice squad — $15,000 per week, nearly double the minimum of $8,000 per week.”

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Was benching TE Adam Shaheen was the right move for Bears?

The Bears benched TE Adam Shaheen for Sunday’s game against the Lions, and it appears that he’s in Chicago’s doghouse.

Prior to the start of Sunday’s Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Bears made some moves on the offensive side of the ball.

Not only did they decide to switch Cody Whitehair back to center and James Daniels back to left guard, but they opted to make a change at tight end by benching tight end Adam Shaheen, who was inactive as a healthy scratch.

“We want all of our players to be able to be completely detailed and play hard and do everything they can to be the best player they can be,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said Monday.

While Shaheen was a healthy scratch in Week 10, don’t expect an immediate return to the lineup Sunday against the Rams.

“We’re still working through all of that,” Nagy said.

Reserve tight end Ben Braunecker seemed to have more success in one game than Shaheen and Trey Burton have had all season. Braunecker caught his first career touchdown pass — an 18-yard reception from Mitchell Trubisky in the waning minutes of the first half to give the Bears a 7-6 lead. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Expect to see more of Braunecker moving forward as he’s a better receiver than Shaheen and a better blocker than Burton. The Bears have also utilized tight end J.P. Holtz in their offense, especially as a fullback.

Much has been made about the performance of Bears tight ends this season, and rightfully so. They haven’t been productive in this unit, but then again, who has? Chicago’s offense has struggled mightily in its first eight games, and they seemed to get a glimpse of a spark at the end of the first half leading into the third quarter.

Shaheen, a former second-round draft pick, has been ineffective and costly at times. His special teams fumble on the final play of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles ended any hope of a last-second miracle comeback by the Bears offense.

But even when Shaheen is on offense, he hasn’t done a whole lot. He has just nine receptions for 74 yards this season.

Matt Nagy seemed to send a message to his team by benching Shaheen and switching a struggling Daniels back to left guard: Do your job or we’ll find someone that will.

Shaheen’s benching and the switch on the offensive line likely won’t be the last changes we see on this Bears offense moving forward in the final seven games of the season if the struggles continue.

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