Bears Finally Realize Benefits of Playing Together

The Bears paid a price for the stretch of bad health they experienced in training camp and even earlier.

It's not always clearly understood but their injury situation in training camp and the offseason, with players sitting constantly, came about not from extreme overcaution or the belief preseason games mean nothing. They had actual injuries.

It's just their own policy of not reporting or commenting on training camp injuries made this all unclear, so they got little sympathy for a self-generated problem. The league may not require injuries to be reported then, but it doesn't mean they need to be shuffled under the rug like some dirty little secret.

The end result of all those may have been a team not ready to hit the field when they played the Green Bay Packers in the opener.

It's different now as they reach the grind of the season. While many teams—the Browns this week included—fight through the kind of stuff the Bears experienced earlier, what goes around in the NFL comes around.

It's the Bears with great health except for this week's season-ending injury to Yannnick Ngakoue.

Coach Matt Eberflus seemed to bristle a bit Friday at the suggestion they sat some players when they didn't need to do this prior as they were trying to get players well together before the season began.

"We didn't hold them out," Eberflus said. "Those guys were injured and the training staff decides when they're out. It was unfortunate that they were out but they were.

"What you lose is consistency there. You don't have the consistency of Tremaine (Edmunds) was out or Eddie (Jackson) was out. Whatever it was. (Jaquan) Brisker was also out. We had several other guys on offense out. Nate (Davis) was out."

DeMarcus Walker was among those out for a while, add on Teven Jenkins, then later Braxton Jones.

They brought in Ngakoue later in camp and didn't have Montez Sweat until halfway through the season.

Consistency and Continuity

"But you don't have that consistency that you can build during that time," Eberflus said. "And you've got to find ways to figure it out. So for us it was the walk-throughs, get 'em in the ITC. Get 'em out and do the walk-throughs and try to get continuity that way. That's the best you can do."

Now they are healthy except for Ngakoue. It's a big injury but now the thought is players have been together, know the defense and each other. So they are better equipped to get through with a change of this type.

"It's great to have continuity on the lines," Eberflus said. "On the offensive line, we finally have continuity there.

"And also on the defensive line, too. Really throughout the whole football team. It's been great."

This is the fourth straight game the same offensive line will play together. They couldn't have a better time to have continuity working on their side than against Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith and the Browns defensive line.

The defensive line could use a strong push to get after veteran backup QB Joe Flacco, who has little experience in this offense. It's possible they'll get assistance from rookies Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens as they shuttle newer players into their rush.

"Both guys inside are really starting to come on," Eberflus said. "You can really feel their take-off, their get-off, the pad level. The length at which they play and then obviously the hits on the quarterback. And those are all starting to pick up.

"Again, those are first-year players that we brought on. And again, they'll be better next year. It's important for those guys to get more reps and get experience. really learn from the veterans."

The surging defensive front was apparent to the trained eye before it happened. At least that's what Eberflus says.

“I would say that most of it is really about the energy and the passion that you see," Eberflus said. "When guys know what to do and know how to do it, you can feel the speed, you can feel the physicality and you can start to feel that.

"The guys know what to do and know how to do and you can definitely feel that coming on. A few of my mentors have texted me and talked to me and said they see it too. So that’s always a good thing."

Eberflus' team has been knocking down one bad streak or challenge after another over the last nine weeks as they've put together a 5-4 record following a dreadful 0-4 start.

Step by Step

The next one is winning a game on the road against an unfamiliar, stronger opponent.

First it was ending a losing streak, then ending a divisional losing streak in a road setting, then beating the division leaders convincingly.

In between they had to prove they could finish after blowing leads to the Broncos and Lions.

Now it's winning a road game in a tough setting against an unfamiliar, stronger opponent. The Browns look like a playoff team even without their starting quarterback because of their top-ranked defense. They haven't fared well in similar situations against weaker unfamiliar teams on the road like the Chargers and Saints.

"Again, it's always one week at a time," Eberflus said. "We got a big challenge ahead of us this Sunday and it's going to be big for us and we’re going to have to play one at a time. One play at a time."

It can be easier knowing they're healthier and have been through a great deal together as a team. This much is easier for all to see now.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven