We’ll start today’s Bears Essentials with injured linebacker Lance Briggs discussing his injury Tuesday night for the first time on Comcast SportsNet’s “The Lance Briggs Show.”
Like quarterback Jay Cutler, Briggs expects to return to action sooner than the doctor-prescribed four-to-six week timeframe for recovery.
“The doctors said I’m supposed to be (out) four to six (weeks). I feel more like I’m gonna be 2-3,” Briggs said. “We’ll meet somewhere in the middle.”
Briggs sustained a fracture in his left shoulder during the third quarter of the team’s 45-41 loss at Washington on Oct. 20, and prior to the injury, the veteran had collected eight tackles, including one for lost yardage and two pass breakups. Briggs currently leads the team in tackles (64), in addition to contributing two sacks.
Briggs has produced 100 tackles or more in eight of his first 10 seasons in the NFL.
“The roughest part for me was when I went down and the guy was laying on me and my arm was separated," Briggs said. "When I stood up I kind of knew something was wrong. I tried to go get it taped up and come back out, but right before I was gonna try to go back out on the field, I couldn’t put my helmet on. If I can’t put my helmet on, I don’t need to be out on the field.”
ESPNChicago.com’s Jeff Dickerson gives you the latest regarding Jay Cutler’s recovery. The quarterback says the goal is return before the end of the four-week minimum recovery period.
Newcomers on the defensive line are hoping to make meaningful contributions alongside some of the mainstays up front such as Stephen Paea, Corey Wootton, Julius Peppers and Shea McClellilin writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
All four of Phil Emery’s top four picks of 2013 could be starting against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night if linebacker Khaseem Greene cracks the lineup, writes CSNChicago.com’s John Mullin.