Oct. 22: Torn Bicep Sends Promising Rookie to Injured Reserve
Jeff Joniak, WBBM Newsradio 780 Reporting
BAD LUCK BOWMAN
It is over just when it was getting started for rookie cornerback Zackary Bowman.
A torn bicep and subsequent surgery sends him to season-ending injured reserve. This after he scored a touchdown and then intercepted Minnesota’s Gus Frerotte to end Sunday’s win. Bowman was named special teams player of the week in the NFC becoming the first Bears player to record a TD/INT in his NFL debut since Gerald Bones Weatherly in September 1950.
Replacing Bowman on the roster is veteran safety Terrence Holt. Waived by Carolina in the preseason, Holt started 16-games for Arizona in 2007, leading all defensive backs with 75 tackles. He also played four years with the Lions, who drafted him in the fifth round of 2003. Holt has started 43 of 69 games with 8 career interceptions, and 4 ff.
K-O IS THE SHOW
National and local attention on Kyle Orton has cranked up significantly.
He acknowledges playing the best ball of his pro career specifically in his accuracy. He will remain level-headed about the play of the offense that before the season was panned by virtually every NFL expert. Orton has made everyone on offense better and so has running back Matt Forte', but it is only a seven-game sample.
There is much to improve and much to sustain.
TEAM PICTURE AND SHORT PRACTICE
It was the annual team picture shoot this morning before practice. And head coach Lovie Smith condensed the session to about an hour.
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN FINAL NINE GAMES
Before suffering a knee sprain, Brandon Lloyd was emerging as Orton's big play speed threat on the outside at receiver. Lloyd still leads the Bears with six catches of 20-yards plus of which Orton has thrown 22 to rank among the league's best. With Lloyd returning soon, it gives defenses one more thing to defend.
Running backs Kevin Jones and Garrett Wolfe at some point will become further integrated in the offense. At a minimum the duo will relieve the work load of rookie starter Matt Forte', who at some point will inevitably hit the rookie wall -- around the ninth-13th game of the season.
Defensively, a return to rookie form by pass rusher Mark Anderson would really give the defense some much-needed pass pressure. Anderson blew up as a rookie collecting 16 sacks in his first 20 games, but has one sack since. He is a guy with the tools to became a productive situational pass rusher as he did in 2006.
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