The Chicago Bears lost to the Redskins on Sunday and that puts the already slim playoff hopes for the team even more out of reach heading into Week 15. The team is dealing with a number of injury issues heading into the final weeks of the season, as Martellus Bennett and Marquess Wilson have both been placed on IR, while rookie Kevin White is not expected to be activated.
The Bears have had a very inconsistent season and now the team is 5-8 after losing to the Redskins, allowing Washington to earn their first road victory of the season. The Redskins were up 24-21 and the Bears had a chance to tie things near the end of the fourth quarter, but kicker Robbie Gould could not covert on a long field goal, sealing the win for Washington. Jay Cutler spoke about the close loss and said to ESPN that "it's Groundhog Day" for the team this season.
The Bears have lost a number of close games this season and while they have gone 5-5 since starting the season with three straight losses, the team is not really in the mix for a playoff spot. The Seahawks and the Vikings have the wild card spots heading out of the weekend and now the Bears have multiple teams between them and those spots, including the Buccaneers, Eagles and Falcons. The team has not played well at home this season and that has been a major issue and now Chicago will try and end the season on a positive note, as they can still clinch a non-losing season with three straight wins.
The Bears offense has been battling injuries all season and the team now is moving forward without two key players, as Martellus Bennett and Marquess Wilson were both placed on injured reserve. The Bears have dealt with Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery missing time earlier in the season and now Wilson and Bennett are out for the rest of the year. Wilson was placed on IR with a foot injury and he finishes off the season with 28 catches for 464 yards and a touchdown.
Bennett has been dealing with injuries over the past few weeks and he missed Week 12 with a rib issue and now he is done for the year after being placed on injured reserve. Zach Miller has emerged as a solid option with Bennett banged up and the tight end has also dealt with some frustrations about his role in the offense. Bennett had 53 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns and those numbers were down from what he did last season.
Bennett could be a cap casualty this year, as he is making a base salary of over $5 million next season. Alshon Jeffery, Zach Miller, Matt Forte, Eddie Royal and Jeremy Langford could see increased work over the final weeks of the season with Bennett and Wilson out. The team also added Rob Housler after putting Bennett on IR. Kevin White is not expected to be activated this season, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. The rookie likely will be placed on IR after dealing with a shin injury that has kept him out this season.