Injury Report & Implications: MIN @ CHI

[Noots]

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS

Minnesota Vikings (3-3) at Chicago Bears (3-3)

By

Michael Nudo

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Minnesota is 3-1 since Gus Frerotte took over at quarterback (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt).

BEARS OFFENSEcolor> vs. VIKINGS DEFENSEcolor>

Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has missed the last two games with a knee injury. The Bears are not optimistic about Lloyd’s return for this week’s game, either. Devin Hester (11/153, TD) and Rashied Davis (10/138, TD) have played well during Lloyd’s missed time. Marty Booker has also made some big contributions. Running back Matt Forte has a mild thumb injury but isn’t expected to miss any time. Reserve guard Terrence Metcalf has been suspended for violation of the league’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. His absence could mean either rookie offensive tackle Chris Williams or recently acquired guard Dan Buenning are active on game day. Punter Brad Maynard (hamstring) is on the report this week as well.

Tyrell Johnson has been starting at free safety all season. Madieu Williams (neck) is starting to make progress, but might not be ready in time for this week’s game. Defensive tackle Kevin Williams had double digit sacks in his first two years as a pro. After three subsequent down seasons, he has returned to the upper echelon of pass rushing interior linemen, with six sacks in six games. The acquisition of speed rusher Jared Allen (3 sacks) has no doubt had a trickle-down effect.

Center Olin Kreutz will renew acquaintances with mammoth tackle Pat Williams. The battle between these titans will be worth the price of admission on its own. This will be one of the biggest challenges for the offensive line in both run blocking and pass protection. The Vikings are 4th in the NFL allowing just 73.7 rushing yards per game. However, opponents are averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Kyle Orton will need another consistent performance, mixing up short and intermediate routes to all of his receivers. He’ll need to get rid of the ball quickly.

VIKINGS OFFENSEcolor> vs. BEARS DEFENSEcolor>

Quarterback Gus Frerotte twisted his ankle last week against Detroit but didn’t miss any time. Former Bears Bobby Wade (25/287) and Bernard Berrian (22/436, 2 TD) are Minnesota’s leading receivers. Berrian has had some aches and bruises but has played through them. Sidney Rice (knee) has been injured and ineffective this season. Run blocking tight end Jim Kleinsasser (foot) usually saves his best for the Bears. Defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown need to be prepared to take on blocks at the point of attack from the tackle, tight end and fullback.

Bear cornerbacks were dropping like flies last week against Atlanta. Charles Tillman landed badly on an already sore shoulder. It would come as a big surprise if he’s ready to return this week. Tillman’s backup, Trumaine McBride, injured a shoulder as well. Corey Graham started at corner the last two weeks for Nathan Vasher, who missed because of a thumb/wrist injury. The Bears are hopeful for Vasher’s return this week. If he can play, Graham is expected to start for Tillman. Marcus Hamilton (heel) saw quite a bit of action last week in the loss as well. Practice squad player Zackary Bowman was placed on the active roster this week to add depth. Nickel back Danieal Manning tweaked a hamstring and is likely to miss some time. The Bears play their nickel defender up in the box, which requires a physical player who can also turn and cover (Brandon McGowan, Danieal Manning). It will be interesting to see who gets that assignment this week if Manning cannot play, or if the personnel will dictate a change in philosophy. Perhaps rookie safety Craig Steltz will be pressed into action or even speedy linebacker Nick Roach, who is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered a few games ago. Defensive tackles Marcus Harrison (ankle), Israel Idonije (ankle) and Tommie Harris (knee) are all on the report. It might be a good week to have Anthony Adams dressed and ready for action.

The mission last week was to stop Michael Turner to put Matt Ryan into predictable situations. It didn’t work because of coverage breakdowns and a lack of pass rush. This week the challenge is similar with superstar running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson has lost three fumbles this year. The Bears will look to sell out to stop Peterson. They’ll need better coverage, schemes and pass rush to bottle up Berrian and Wade. Detroit was able to get to Gus Frerotte with a variety of blitz packages. It will be interesting to see if the Bears can contain Peterson, who ran wild on them last season, as well as generate a pass rush, which has been missing much the year. Look for Bobby Wade to exploit the inside routes against a defense that has struggled in pass coverage for a majority of the season. If the Bears stack their linebackers in the A gaps against the Vikings, expect them to run power plays off tackle, where they’ll seek to challenge the edges of the Bears’ defense.

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[AZ54]

Great game prep material Noots, thanks.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Great stuff as usual Noots!