The Chicago Bears might lose another starting linebacker for the season.
Pisa Tinoisamoa, who Lovie Smith brought over from the Rams, is trying to decide whether to undergo season-ending knee surgery. The Chicago Tribune reports that the strongside linebacker will get a second opinion after suffering “articulating cartilage damage” in his right knee during Chicago’s loss to Atlanta.
The Bears can barely miss what they haven’t had. Tinoisamoa has only played in two games; he ruptured his PCL in the same knee during the team’s season opener.
Nick Roach has already replaced Brian Urlacher at middle linebacker, to mixed results. Jamar Williams replaced Tinoisamoa on Sunday, although Hunter Hillenmeyer could be in the mix when he recovers from a cracked rib.
To this point, the Bears defense has played improved football compared to 2008 despite the injuries.
What his loss really means is a terrible hit to the depth chart at that position. If he is gone Chicago is one more injury away from raiding other team’s practice squads or checking out all the car washes and grocery stores for someone who once got a sniff of a look with an NFL team.
Thank God we have remarkable depth at the position. Pisa impressed me in the snaps he played, but anyone who’s followed the Bears close enough knows what kind of a playmaker Jamar Williams is.
You hate to see it happen like this, but I’m excited for him to get his chance. He’s a fast, hard hitter, who has a tendancy to overpursue that I hope is just a product of lack of experience in the scheme. Playing the strong side, his range should be limited and hopefully we’ll see some good things
Derrick Brooks still available???
If the gig in SF doesn’t work out for Singletary…..
Roach got burned in pass coverage but played the run quite well.
Easier to teach pass coverage than run stopping. He is young and athletic and will do well. Also his first game exclusively at MLB isn’t it? Has mostly filled in at OLB, with spurts now and then at MLB.
Urlacher is missed to his great pass coverage and defensive playcalling, but he has lost a step against the run.
Need to get a set group in there so they can deviate from the base cover-2 they used all night Monday.
It shouldn’t belong before Singletary is looking for work… try patching it up for another week or two and then you should have your man (again).
2.5 games back in the standings and you haven’t even played the Vikings yet!?
Go Cubs. oops.
As a Rams fan this is no surprise, Pisa was a great player for the Rams when he was healthy. Problem was, he got hurt all the time, that’s why they let him go. (Orlando’s goal-line false start at the end of the game Sunday was no surprise to us in STL either…)
# MNFANINAZ says: October 21, 2009 11:03 AM
It shouldn’t belong before Singletary is looking for work… try patching it up for another week or two and then you should have your man (again).
2.5 games back in the standings and you haven’t even played the Vikings yet!?
Go Cubs. oops.
_________________________________
I am certainly no Bears fan, but the fact that they havent yet played the Vikings isnt necessarily a bad thing. If the Bears beat MN twice this year, that eliminates 2 of the 2.5 game deficit…. I am not saying it will happen, but the fact that they havent played head to head yet, means that they can get right back into it by winning those games. That is a lot of motivation. Had they already played MN this year, and found themselves 2.5 games back, that would make it even harder to get back into the race…..