This is my first ever post on my first ever blog and I'm just gonna get right into it. Here are my thoughts on the Chicago Bears linebacking corp after their come-back victory over the Seahawks in week 3:
The Bears are dealing with the loss of Brian Urlacher just fine. I can only think of about half a dozen plays since his season ending wrist injury where his presence was noticeably missed. Many were predicting that the Bears would miss him dearly a la the Steelers and Troy Polamalu. This LB corp has really stepped up to the occasion.
On a similar note, some have noted that the defense actually looked improved after Hunter Hillenmeyer went down with a rib injury. It's hard for me to argue against that stance despite my opinion of Hillenmeyer as one of the most underrated players on the team. Nick Roach played very well and was involved in many key plays including good coverage to clinch the game. As you can see in the plays starting at 2:20 and 4:10 in this video.
The question that now arises is, "who starts at middle linebacker next week against Detroit?" Assuming Hillenmeyer is ready to go (questionable) this will be a difficult decision for Head Coach, Lovie Smith. This is a wonderful 'problem' to have and, I believe, is a testament to both Bob Babich and the tremendous talent Chicago has boasted at the position for years in Urlacher and Lance Briggs; it goes to show what can happen when you learn from the best. In my opinion, even if Hillenmeyer is able to suit up, Roach should start at MLB under the pretense that they want to rest Hillenmeyers ribs heading into the bye week. This will give the coaching staff a chance to see what Roach can do as a starter without upsetting anyone and allow the coaches to make a decision in the off week. At this point it seems that the best possible scenario would be to have Briggs, Roach, and Pisa Tinoisamoa starting coming off the bye week; this group puts the most gifted, aggressive players on the field. We'll have to wait and see if the coaches agree.
Edit: Just read in Kevin Seifert's blog that the Bears signed LB Darrell McClover.
By the way I am (obviously) in no way affiliated with the NFL or the Chicago Bears.
