Bears to deal with Allen, Odunze as game-time calls

LAKE FOREST, Ailing. — The Chicago Bears‘ injury-depleted vast receiver corps obtained a lift of optimism Friday, as Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze have been designated as questionable for “Sunday Night time Soccer” towards the Houston Texans and coach Matt Eberflus stated they’d deal with each as game-time selections.

Allen (heel) didn’t apply for a 3rd straight day on Friday whereas Odunze (knee) was a restricted participant after two days as a DNP.

“We’ll take all of it the best way as much as the sport to see if they’ll go,” Eberflus stated. “We’ll take all of it the best way as much as the sport, probably work them out earlier than the sport after which see the place they’re previous to the sport. That is the place these guys are.”

Allen, 32, injured his heel on the finish of the preseason however performed within the Bears’ season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans. He was on the sphere for 38 of Chicago’s 53 offensive snaps and caught 4 of 11 targets for 29 yards, ending the sport regardless of showing to reinjure his heel within the third quarter, which led to a quick go to within the medical tent.

Requested whether or not Allen being a veteran participant and having already performed by means of the harm provides him a greater probability of being obtainable in Houston, Eberflus agreed.

“I imagine that is true,” Eberflus stated. “I additionally imagine that with an skilled participant that he is in a position to, and he is performed so many video games, that you just’re in a position to enter him into the sport plan lots simpler than say a rookie.”

Odunze, the No. 9 decide on this yr’s draft, stated he felt a “pop” in his knee when he was hit behind his left leg by Titans linebacker Harold Landry III as Landry tackled Bears operating again Velus Jones Jr. within the fourth quarter. Odunze grew to become twisted up and went to the bottom awkwardly. He wore a sleeve on his proper leg at apply this week and was seen with a wrap round his proper knee Friday.

Having by no means sustained a knee harm earlier than, Odunze famous elevated soreness Sunday night and Monday morning. That prompted him to endure medical analysis and an MRI, which revealed an MCL sprain.

Eberflus labeled the rookie as daily however stated Odunze’s harm was “nothing critical” earlier within the week. Odunze stated docs advised him his knee doesn’t have any structural harm.

“I believe it is similar to any harm in the truth that it is a ache stage, ache tolerance factor,” Odunze stated. “I believe once you’ve answered the query whether or not it is structurally sound and whether or not or not you are vulnerable to additional injuring it, I believe that is the No. 1 query it’s good to reply. Then after that, it is are you able to be your self on the market? Are you able to play by means of the ache?”

Odunze, who was focused 4 occasions in his NFL debut and caught one move for 11 yards, stated he felt “fairly strong” in his restricted apply motion Friday.

Eberflus stated the Bears base their participant utilization on whether or not “the man [is] 100% or not 100%,” which is one thing the crew must decide over the following 48 hours because it will get a greater sense on Allen’s and Odunze’s availability. With three wholesome receivers — DJ Moore, DeAndre Carter and Tyler Scott — the Bears might look to advertise Collin Johnson or Samori Toure as normal apply squad elevations.

With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams aiming to place collectively a greater efficiency in his first NFL street sport after throwing for 93 yards with zero offensive touchdowns towards the Titans, getting the Bears’ finest gamers on the sphere on the identical time is a focus for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Moore, Allen and Odunze, Chicago’s high three receivers, have been on the sphere collectively for 25 snaps towards the Titans. That quantity dropped to 9 when the Bears’ high three wideouts shared the sphere with operating again D’Andre Swift and tight finish Cole Kmet.

“I believe we get in a few of these video games the place we get in a bit of little bit of an up-and-down rhythm all through the course of a sport, a few of these personnel pairings that we’re seeking to get to actually did not play out the best way we have been hoping to so far as the course of the sport,” Waldron stated Thursday. “And it should be powerful every week, clearly, to have an ideal distribution of everybody’s reps proper there, however it’s one thing we have a look at as a workers to how we are able to do a greater job to assist our guys, get in that rotation and get these guys on the market collectively extra usually.”