The Chicago Bears suffered a disappointing 15-18 loss to the Washington Commanders thanks to an insane Hail Mary on the game’s final play. Offensively, the Bears couldn’t get into a rhythm in the passing game, as Caleb Williams was constantly harassed by the Commanders’ pass rush, which had 25 pressures, 17 hurries, five QB hits, and two sacks, according to PFF’s tracking. However, their rushing attack had its best statistical performance of the season with 196 yards on 34 carries and the team’s two touchdowns.
Unfortunately, the Bears’ offensive line couldn’t finish the game unscathed. Their key starting offensive tackle exited early.
The Chicago Bears’ talented LT suffered an injury in the first half
Bears’ talented left tackle Braxton Jones suffered an apparent knee injury in the second quarter, and the team initially listed him as questionable to return. Jones would not return for the remainder of the game as they downgraded him to out. He struggled in the running game, posting his second-lowest blocking grade at 58.0 and the lowest overall grade at 52.6 on the season.
#Bears OL Braxton Jones (Knee) has been downgraded to Out. https://t.co/LBYz7ANbjH
— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) October 27, 2024
He appears to have dodged a catastrophic injury
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Braxton Jones appears to have dodged a catastrophic knee injury. As Rapoport points out, Jones’ injury isn’t expected to cause him to miss an extended period and is considered week-to-week. If anything, he could miss a few weeks, which isn’t ideal but is better than not having him back for the season since the Chicago Bears’ playoff hopes are still alive.
#Bears LT Braxton Jones, who was knocked out yesterday because of a knee injury, got good news today, source said. He may miss a week or two, but it’s not considered a major injury. Week-to-week.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2024
For their next three games, the Bears play against the Arizona Cardinals on the road for Week 9, the New England Patriots at home for Week 10, and the Green Bay Packers at home for Week 11.
Who replaces him in the starting rotation?
The Chicago Bears could turn to Kiran Amegadjie to replace Braxton Jones at left tackle if Jones misses time. Amegadjie, their third-round pick from the Yale Bulldogs, served as the swing tackle for the last three games. He played their final 45 snaps of the game but struggled in relief, surrendering four pressures and four hurries and posting a 43.6 pass block and a 48.4 overall grade.
Another candidate the Bears could turn to is Larry Borom. Borom is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, but the team designated him for return last Wednesday. He participated in practice last week but wasn’t activated for yesterday’s game. He has more experience than the rookie and started six games at left tackle in 2023.
