TAMPA – The Bears went into Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feeling, literally and figuratively, about the best they have since week two of the season about their football health. They left Raymond James Stadium with a new spate of concerning injuries to key individuals.
Right guard Kyle Long left the game on a cart and with his right ankle in an air cast during the first half of the Bears’ 36-10 loss to the Bucs. He was on crutches afterwards with his ankle in a clean white wrap but no cast, at least not for the time being, as coach John Fox said only that Long had an ankle injury.
Shortly after Long went down, right tackle Bobby Massie left to be evaluated as part of the concussion protocol. Long was replaced by Ted Larsen, Massie by Mike Adams.
But Fox’s announcement that running back Jordan Howard had an Achilles/ankle injury came as a shock, after Howard had played late into the game and finished with 100 rushing yards, his fourth 100-yard games in the last six, all starts. Howard walked out of the locker room without any visible wraps or other aids.
“We’re not sure of the exact injury yet,” Fox said.
The defensive line was buoyed by the return of nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who collected a sack and four tackles. But Goldman did come out of the game with an ankle injury, as did fellow nose tackle Will Sutton.