It was reported on Wednesday 27th October, that Khalil Mack would not be expected to play this week against the San Francisco 49ers, due to an ongoing injury with his foot.
Mack played against the Buccs in Sunday’s demolition of the Bears, failing to register a sack in a game for the first time this season. That’s a 5-game streak that was halted and people wouldn’t be ridiculed for thinking that it was because of fatigue, with the defense not being supported by the offense and having more time on the Field.
The reasoning now however, could be in addition to just a poor performance, that the foot is giving Mack some aggravation. The power required to break a block en route to a QB could be lost, nullifying a huge threat and asset on the Bears’ team. The worry that this could continue, or the injury worsening, is definitely a possibility.
The idea of losing Mack is a big problem but if you keep him in the team and the injury gets worse, then that would be an even bigger issue to have. The Bears are already without Robert Quinn due to Covid-19 and Akiem Hicks who has missed the last 2-3 games with a groin injury. That’s already big shoes to fill, without Mack.
KHALIL MACK INJURY COULDN’T COME AT A WORSE TIME
This comes at a point when Nagy is very much under pressure and over the fire regarding his job. The game against Tampa Bay being ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ for many fans who want to see him out before the season end. Some saying a 3-4 win-loss record after two 8-8 seasons is not enough.
It’s not just the records but also the manner in which the Bears have let team’s go over them. The OLine didn’t do enough on Sunday to stop the Buccs from literally running all over Justin Fields. That treatment of such a potential star, after the starter fiasco at the beginning of the season, has taken some to breaking point.
And it’s a point where only our Defense has kept people from jumping into the abyss of losing hope for the season. Now that the holes on the DLine are getting wider and wider, it does feel like the wheels – if they haven’t already – are starting to come off the bad wagon. If they do, you would suspect change to come at the top.
For me, fingers crossed that if Mack is out, that he is only out for 1 week and that he will be joined or leapfrogged back into the starting team by Hicks and Quinn. I would much rather see the Bears fight every week than see my team go with a whimper just to get rid of the head coach, which the results will do for him anyway.
No doubt then, that with opinions at a low and apathy towards Nagy at an all time high, Nagy will be desperate to get his rushers back on the Line to stop himself from falling off the edge
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