Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s the Bears’ injury report from Thursday’s practice, where Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson DNP but Eddie Jackson was limited.
The Chicago Bears released their second injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, which featured some updates on outside linebacker Khalil Mack, receiver Allen Robinson, safety Eddie Jackson and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks coming off the bye week.
Here’s a look at the full injury report from Thursday’s practice:
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson missed his 2nd practice as he deals with a non-COVID-related illness ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bears.
As the Chicago Bears (3-6) prepare to host the Baltimore Ravens (6-3), the Bears defense will have to contend with one of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers in Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
But there’s something worth monitoring in regards to Jackson, who’s missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices due to an illness. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said the illness wasn’t COVID-19 related.
Although, this isn’t the first time this has happened with Jackson this season. This is the fourth time this season Jackson has dealt with an illness. Jackson has missed six practices in the first 11 weeks this season, with only two of those due to a sore back.
But Jackson has played in all four instances where he’s been sick, and there’s no reason to believe that won’t be the case Sunday at Soldier Field.
While Jackson’s status isn’t a concern for Sunday, rebounding from the Ravens’ worst offensive performance of the Lamar Jackson era, in a 22-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Thursday, certainly is a focal point.
The Dolphins laid out a blueprint for how to slow down Baltimore’s offense — particularly Jackson — with some well-timed blitzes and containing Jackson in the pocket.
Chicago’s defense has struggled over the last few weeks, and it’ll be a challenge facing Jackson and the NFL’s best rushing offense.
Jackson’s top receiving targets, Marquise Brown (thigh) and Rashod Bateman (undisclosed) also didn’t practice Thursday.
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The Bears host the Ravens on Sunday, where Chicago will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Chicago Bears (3-6) are hosting the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) on Sunday, where Chicago is looking to snap a four-game losing streak coming off their bye week. But it’s not going to be easy against a talented Ravens team, especially considering Chicago hasn’t won a game coming off the bye since 2013.
The Bears didn’t lose a fifth straight game last week thanks to a much-needed bye week, where some injured players got an additional week to rest up. Although there are still concerns about the availability of Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson and Akiem Hicks.
But the encouraging news is that rookie quarterback Justin Fields took a huge step forward in his development in their last game against the Steelers, where he stepped up in a big moment on the road in prime time and led the Bears on what could’ve, should’ve been the game-winning touchdown drive. The offense will be looking to build on that momentum against an inconsistent Baltimore defense.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are coming off a brutal loss to the Miami Dolphins last Thursday night, where Baltimore had their worst offensive showing of the Lamar Jackson era. But Jackson is still on their team, and this is a talented Ravens team that is among the AFC’s best.
Can the Bears get back on track with an upset win over the Ravens? Or will Baltimore send Chicago to their fifth straight loss?
Who wins on Sunday?
VOTE!
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Lamar Jackson has faced his share of critics, but he’s proven them wrong, which is something Bears rookie Justin Fields admires.
When the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens face off Sunday at Soldier Field, it’ll feature two of the NFL’s young, exciting quarterbacks in Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson.
While Fields is just seven starts into his young career, where he’s looking to build off his best game to date, Jackson has already established himself as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league.
That starts with Jackson’s ability as a runner, where he’s the most dangerous quarterback with his legs. The key for Chicago will be to bring the pressure on Jackson and prevent him from extending plays with his freakish athleticism. But lost in his mobility is his ability as a passer.
Jackson has faced his share of critics coming out of college, where many classified him as a running back or wide receiver rather than a quarterback due to his mobility. Since then, Jackson has proven everyone wrong, and it’s something that Fields has admired about the Ravens QB.
“There’s not many guys who are like Lamar Jackson,” Fields said. “He does stuff that some receivers, running backs can’t even do. … Just all of the backlash he got coming out of college saying he was a running back and stuff like that, he’s just proving everybody wrong and, of course, he’s one of the best in the league right now. So just seeing that young Black quarterbacks can get the job done — and we don’t have to be old-fashioned Pro-style passers to get it done — it just shows that it’s kind of a new wave coming and that athletic guys can play quarterback also.”
Count Fields among the new wave of athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, where he’s already shown he can use his arm or legs to torch opponents, but there’s still plenty of growth on the way.
In his final year at Ohio State, Fields would try to learn from watching Jackson.
“I would turn on his highlights and study how he ran the read option, how his feet were and how he kind of got a running start,” Fields said. “When he runs the read option, he staggers his feet so he can be already in a running position to run the ball after he’s reading the defensive ends.”
When Fields and Jackson meet on the field Sunday, get ready for some sparks.
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On this edition of Throwback Thursday, the Bears defeated the Ravens 23-20 in overtime in harsh conditions back in November 2013.
Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.
Soldier Field is often criticized for its poor playing surface but eight years ago, the turf had never looked worse when the Chicago Bears welcomed in the reigning Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. Inclement weather threatened the area, but the game got underway as scheduled.
The Ravens took the early 7-0 lead on a touchdown run from Ray Rice and added a field goal before the weather became a major issue. Storms and strong wind forced players, coaches, and fans to take shelter and play had to be halted for nearly two hours. When the weather cleared and the game resumed, Soldier Field looked like a mud pit. But the delay might have been what the Bears needed.
After a promising offensive drive that ended up resulting in just three points, the Bears defense came alive. Defensive end David Bass intercepted Joe Flacco near the line of scrimmage and took the ball back for a touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. Baltimore didn’t dwell on the turnover for long, though, as they marched downfield and found the endzone on a quick strike from Flacco to Torrey Smith. The Bears were once again down by seven.
Another defensive interception, this time by linebacker Jon Bostic, led to more points for the Bears. Robbie Gould added a second field goal to trim the deficit to 17-13 to close out the first half. The Bears were able to carry that momentum into the final two quarters.
Baltimore got the ball to start the third quarter and were driving, but elected to go for it on a long fourth down while in field goal range. The Bears defense clamped down, however, as Flacco was sacked by Cheta Ozougwu to turn the ball over on downs. It didn’t take long after that for the Bears offense to finally wake up.
Josh McCown, starting in place for the injured Jay Cutler, got the ball moving with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery to get into Ravens territory. Matt Forte then did the rest, catching a 14-yard pass for the touchdown and the lead early in the fourth quarter. The score would stay that way until the Ravens mounted a potential game-winning drive late in the game.
The Bears were pushed to the limit as the fourth quarter wound down. Flacco and the Ravens were driving and had the ball at the Bears five-yard line with over thirty seconds left. But a valiant effort from the Bears defense prevented a touchdown, leading to the tying field goal from Justin Tucker to force overtime. A marathon game was about to go the extra mile. Fortunately for the fans still in attendance, it would be worth it.
The Ravens got the ball first and promptly went three-and-out, opening the door for the Bears to get the win. They busted it down. McCown found Martellus Bennett for a deep pass to move within field goal range and Gould did the rest, drilling a 38-yard field goal to win the game 23-20. McCown had his second win in a row as a starter and the Bears improved to 6-4 on the season.
The two teams play again at Soldier Field this Sunday afternoon for the first time since this game. Hopefully this one doesn’t last nearly six hours, though.
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Here’s the Bears’ injury report from Wednesday’s practice, where Khalil Mack, Allen Robinson and Akiem Hicks didn’t practice.
The Chicago Bears released their first injury report ahead of Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, which featured some updates on outside linebacker Khalil Mack, receiver Allen Robinson, safety Eddie Jackson and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks coming off the bye week.
Here’s a look at the full injury report from Wednesday’s practice:
The Ravens have a ton of talent on their roster, from Lamar Jackson to Marquise Brown. Which player would you want to steal for the Bears?
The Chicago Bears (3-6) will host the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) on Sunday, where Chicago will be looking to upset Baltimore for their first win in the last month.
The Bears are coming off a much-needed bye week, where some injured players were able to get an extra week of rest and the team was able to regroup after losing four straight games.
Despite Week 9’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s reason for optimism following the performance of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who had his breakout game in Pittsburgh on a prime-time stage. Now, it’s about continuing to build on Fields’ success and the offense’s fourth-quarter production, where they scored 21 points against the Steelers.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are coming off a brutal loss to the Miami Dolphins, which marked the worst offensive performance of the Lamar Jackson era. While Baltimore has been a bit of a mixed bag this season, this certainly won’t be an easy game, especially for an angry Ravens team looking to rebound.
The Bears are early 6.5-point home underdogs against the Ravens, according to Tipico Sportsbook. Which isn’t really a shock considering Baltimore is one of the AFC’s best teams. But the Ravens have also been inconsistent, and they can be beaten.
If Chicago hopes to upset Baltimore, there’s going to have to contend with a ton of talent on their roster, from quarterback Lamar Jackson to wide receiver Marquise Brown to defensive end Calais Campbell.
Which Ravens player would you want to steal for the Bears?
VOTE!
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The Bears have opened as 6.5-point home underdogs against the Ravens, per Tipico.
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The Chicago Bears will host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, where they’ll be looking to snap a four-game losing streak coming off their bye week. But it won’t be easy, especially considering the Bears are 0-3 after the bye week during the Matt Nagy era.
The Bears have opened as 6.5-point home underdogs against the Ravens, according to Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 45.5 points.
It’s not a surprise that the Bears are underdogs considering they’ve lost four straight games and are about to face an angry Ravens team coming off a loss to the Dolphins in Week 10. While Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields took a huge step forward in his development in Week 9, there are still questions surrounding the defense and other pieces on offense.
Chicago has been underdogs seven other times this season against the Rams, Browns, Raiders, Packers, Bucs, 49ers and Steelers. The Bears have been favorites in Week 2 against the Bengals and Week 4 against the Lions this season, both wins.
Can the Bears get back on track with an upset over the Ravens? Or will Baltimore send Chicago to a five-game losing streak ahead of Thanksgiving? We’ll see when the Bears and Ravens kick things off Sunday at Noon on CBS.
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