Bear Digest

Bears will avoid facing key Lions offensive standout in finale

Detroit's injury misfortunes continued and the final injury report has several top players on it including Pro Bowl players.
Gene Chamberlain|
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff gets picked up by Penei Sewell and Brock Wright help Goff after being sacked by the Bears.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff gets picked up by Penei Sewell and Brock Wright help Goff after being sacked by the Bears. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Bears

The Bears won't face one of Detroit's top three players and may not face another one when they host the Lions Sunday at Soldier Field.

Four-time Pro Bowl tackle Penei Sewell is out of Sunday's game with an ankle injury and who the Lions have available to line up across from Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat remains unclear. It will be a gametime decision based on Friday's injury report.

How the Lions will perform without Sewell is uncertain, as well. He hasn't missed a game since his rookie season of 2021, and wasn't the fixture at right tackle then that he has become.

It could be Dan Skipper at right tackle but the Lions could need him to play left tackle. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker is questionable for the game because he has a shoulder injury and has also been dealing with illness this week. In addition, backup tackle Giovanni Manu has a knee injury and another backup tackle, Kayod Awosika, has been missing practice time due to illness. Manu and Awosika are questionable.

A few key players for Detroit's defense are also out. Linebacker Alex Anzalone has been ruled out due to a concussion. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill is out due to an abdomen injury.

The other players out are offensive lineman Trystan Colon (wrist) and safety Thomas Harper (concussion).

Guard Cristian Mahogany is also questionable due to illness.

Although the Lions have listed wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown as questionable with knee and ankle injuries, he said earlier this week the injuries do not seem severe enough that he'd miss the game. St. Brown made three TD catches against the Bears in Detroit.

Bears coach Ben Johnson called St. Brown a favorite of his from their days in Detroit together and expects him to play.

"You could go on and on about that player," Johnson said Friday. "He brings so many unique qualities to the table. And I've been around a number of good ones, I feel like, in the NFL and in college too. I always said for the longest time, when I was at Boston College, Luke Kuechly was probably the most phenomenal football player I'd ever been around, just instinctual and all that.

"I think St. Brown probably tops that list right now. He's just, from a standpoint of as a receiver, strong, quick, fantastic hands, one of the most tremendous work ethics that I've ever been around, extremely tough, willing to do whatever it takes for the team, immense competitor, and I think that shows up when you watch him this season."

The reason Johnson anticipates St. Brown playing is simply that this is his MO.

"He gets hurt and their season's on the line almost at the end of the year there, and he's willing himself to play in the next game," Johnson said. "And to me, that's inspiring to watch him do stuff like that, and I think I can't say enough good things about him as a person and him as a player. I think that's the ultimate compliment."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.