Getty Chicago Bears defender Akiem Hicks has been the subject of trade rumors this offseason.
The Chicago Bears will likely have to take on the Minnesota Vikings and the league’s top rusher in Dalvin Cook without one of their stalwart defensive linemen. Or will they? Akiem Hicks, who is dealing with a sore knee, was not expected to play according to Dan Graziano.
Bears DT Akiem Hicks, a key part of Chicago’s run defense, is not expected to play today against Dalvin Cook and the Vikings, sources say. Hicks injured his knee in Monday Night’s game and didn’t practice all week.
Hicks has not missed a game with the Bears since coming over from New England and signing with Chicago in 2016. If Graziano’s report is accurate, Hicks’ absence will test this Bears defensive line in a crucial divisional matchup both teams feel is a must-win.
Graziano later reported that Hicks was out on the field warming up with a trainer, which may be a hopeful sign. Jason Lieser also shared video of Hicks running with a knee brace:
Akiem Hicks just came out on the field with a member of the Bears’ training staff. Doing some light warmups. Still being told he’s unlikely to play, but maybe that indicates some hope there.
So will Hicks end up playing against Minnesota? That’s as yet to be determined. Here’s what will happen if he doesn’t suit up Sunday:
Dalvin Cook is Going to Attack the Bears
GettyDalvin Cook will attack Khalil Mack and this Bears defense with Akiem Hicks out.
Mike Zimmer and his Vikings have been a run-first offense this season, and that will not change against Chicago, especially with Hicks out. Zimmer will likely look at how the Patriots beat the Bears in 2018. The Pats ran for 108 yards on the ground against this same Bears defense, and Khalil Mack, who was injured during that game, wasn’t a factor. Look for the Vikings to attack Mack straight up.
Cousins knows what he’s facing in this defense, and he’s more than ready to take sacks and throw incomplete passes against the Bears . “I remember a play last year early in the game and Adam (Thielen) was coming on a shallow cross and I felt (Mack) around my back side and I realized if I take a full stroke here with my arm, he’s going to get the ball,” Cousins said in a recent interview.
“So I short stroked it and missed the throw, but I walked off the field after that drive saying I’ll miss that throw all day if it’s just an incompletion and we punt. If he gets my arm and it’s a fumble and now they’re going in at the plus-20, that changes the game. Those are the moments when your instincts are telling you, ‘He’s right there, let’s get the ball out of our hands and if I miss the throw by a couple of feet so be it.”
Cousins has played this team before, so he may be a bit more aware than he was against them last season. It will be up to the Bears defense to adjust and execute the next-man-up mentality.
Nick Williams, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Others Will Have to Step Up for Chicago
GettyBears defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris will be one of the Bears defensive stars who will have to step up with Akiem Hicks missing the game with a knee injury. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Bears waived tight end Bradley Sowell and signed defensive lineman Jonathan Harris to the practice squad this week, presumably to add depth to the defensive line in anticipation of Hicks missing this week’s game against Minnesota. Harris had a solid preseason, and his action will likely be limited. Linebacker Nick Williams has been excellent in limited action this season, and he will likely be called upon to do more against the Vikings.
Whomever may step in to fill Hicks’ shoes today would have huge ones to fill. Hicks had two sacks against the Vikings last season, and was a constant harasser of Minnesota running backs. With second year defensive lineman Bilal Nichols also out with a broken hand, the question isn’t whether the Bears will miss their injured stars. The question is whether or not Chicago has enough quality depth on their defensive line to stop the hottest running back in football in a game they need to win.