Bears team doctors tend to injured Bears guard Lance Louis (Photo courtesy Chicago Tribune)
After Sunday’s 28-10 victory over the Vikings, the big question lingering for the Bears was how the injuries would impact them going forward. One piece to that puzzle fell into place on Monday and not in a good way as the Bears placed guard Lance Louis on Injured Reserve with a torn ACL, ending his season.
Jared Allen ended Louis’ season with a cheap shot block on an interception return. If you’re a Blackhawks fan, it reminds me a little of the chickenshit hit that Raffi Torres put on Marian Hossa.
Here’s the Allen hit.
And here’s the Torres hit:
Notice the way both left their feet to deliver the blow? Torres was suspended for 25 games for his hit, but I highly doubt Allen will get anything more than a slap on the wrist fine.
For the Bears the Louis injury is pretty devastating considering the trouble they’ve had on their offensive line. Louis has been their most consistent lineman this season, so he’ll be hard to replace. The expectation is that Chris Spencer, the other lineman injured on Sunday, will be able to return sooner rather than later. That means Edwin Williams will fill in for Louis at right guard.
Should Carimi be given a chance to step in at guard after his emergency fill in? Jay Cutler thinks Carimi might be a guard. What do you think? Can the Bears survive this injury?