Wide receiver DJ Moore, who injured his ankle against the Lions, is questionable for the Bears’ game against the Browns on Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. But he had full participation in practice Friday and is expected to play.
Safety Jaquan Brisker also is questionable for the Browns game after being limited in practice Friday.
“DJ was good,” coach Matt Eberflus said after Friday’s practice. “We’ll see how it goes the next 48 hours. Jaquan [is] looking good, trending in the right direction.”
Elsewhere on the Bears’ injury report, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (pectoral) and back-up linebacker Noah Sewell (knee) are out.
The Bears also will be without starting defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who was put on injured reserve Wednesday and is out for the season after breaking his ankle against the Lions.
Even without Ngakoue, the Bears are in better shape than the Browns, who lost quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb earlier this season and will be missing several additional starters Sunday.
Safety Grant Delpit (groin), the Browns’ leading tackler, was put on injured reserve this week. Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral), safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and center Ethan Pocic (stinger) are out. Rotational defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (pectoral), who had a sack against the Jaguars last week, was put on IR on Tuesday.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder), linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) and rotational defensive tackle Jordan Elliott are questionable.
Edge, rushers?
Even without Ngakoue, defensive end Montez Sweat and the Bears’ defensive front seven could have a decided edge over the Browns’ makeshift offensive line. With Pocic out, the Browns have just two of their Week 1 offensive line starters — guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.
They’ve already lost their top three tackles — former Pro Bowler Jack Conklin, Jedrick Willis and rookie Dawand Jones, who was put on IR this week.
“They’re still a good team regardless of the people they have down,” defensive tackle Justin Jones said. “They have a lot of good players and they’ve got a really good quarterback [Joe Flacco] who’s been good for a lot of years. We all know him. Gotta go out and play our brand of ball.”
Opportunity knocks
DeMarcus Walker was the Bears’ No. 1 pass rusher when he signed a three-year, $21 million contract ($16 million guaranteed) in free agency. But with the addition of Ngakoue and Sweat, Walker was put in a reserve role after starting the first eight games. His snap percentage dropped from 68.7 to 58.0 in the five games since Sweat took his starting spot, but he was unfazed by the lesser role.
“It’s just football. Things are going to happen,” Walker said. “A lot of things might not go your way. That’s just life. It’s about how you respond. It was [an opportunity] for me to sit back and learn, get more healthy, and now I just gotta bring it on the field.”
Walker figures to be back in a starting role with Ngakoue out.
“I’m just thankful,” Walker said. “It’s sad to see [Ngakoue] go out that way, so it’s more just playing for him [and] help continue what we’ve built and keep this momentum going.”
Tip of the cap
Bears coach Matt Eberflus paid tribute to longtime Bears fan and season-ticket holder Don Savage, a Sauganash resident who passed away at 106 on Monday.
Savage also was a member of the Chicago 16-inch Hall of Fame, with a 78-year career from 1935-2013.
“That’s a big deal here in Chicago,” Eberflus noted. “Just a special shoutout to him and his family.”
