On The Mend: The Return of the Wounded
Josh Sitton and Kyle Long
Josh Sitton went out of the lineup in the Bear’s game against the Jaguars and has missed just over two games. His counterpart, Pro Bowler Kyle Long, hurt his arm against the Packers and was out of the lineup up until the Tampa Bay game.
If you look at the Bears game against the Vikings, a game in which both Sitton and Long were out, saw the team was actually able to overcome their absence in a pretty efficient manner. They protected the quarterback and the running game flourished behind the patchwork offensive line. The performance was just a testament to how much depth the Bears have at a majority of their positons, including the line.
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Both Sitton and Long came back for the Tampa Bay game and solidified the offensive line. Unfortunately, early in the game Long went out with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. He was seen on the sidelines with a large wrap around his leg. Now it’s been indicated the Long will be out for the remainder of the season. His loss will be huge.
The loss of Long brings up an interesting question. With the season sliding away, was it smart for the Bears to keep Long in the lineup even though he was injured? Granted, the injury he suffered this Sunday was not related to the one that he was dealing with through the first few games of the season. Maybe they should have shut him down with their record the way it was. It’s too late to second guess them now.
Another injury of note, to the offensive line, came again on Sunday as tackle Bobby Massie left the game with a concussion. He did not return.