One week after two sacks, Bears' Roy Robertson-Harris blocks punt

One week after two sacks, Bears’ Roy Robertson-Harris blocks punt

By Patrick Finley

Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota scrambles away from Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris. (AP)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris might have found a new way to make the team.

After getting two sacks last week, he blocked a punt Sunday against the Titans.

He bull-rushed his blocker into the backfield, leaped, reached out his right hand and blocked Brett Kern’s kick in the second quarter. The ball went through the back of the end zone, and the Bears got a safety.

“We were hoping for a TD,” Robertson-Harris said, “but we at least got points.”

The special-teams success — the Bears didn’t have a special block play on, so it was brute strength — should help Robertson-Harris’ ever-improving odds to make the team.

“I’m trying to get in wherever I can fit in,” said Robertson-Harris, who went undrafted in 2016. “I’m just trying to find a role and make this team this year, wherever it’s at.”

Sowell steps in

Offensive tackle Bradley Sowell was the emergency long snapper for the Cardinals and Sea-hawks. That prompted the Bears to declare him theirs, too, even if he never snapped in practice.

He was forced into action when Patrick Scales left with a knee injury two minutes into the second quarter. He snapped the rest of the game without incident.

“I think I’m decent enough to know I can get a catchable ball out there,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to snap it hard, but I was just trying to get it to [punter] Pat O’Donnell and the holder on the field goal.”

Putting those snaps on film can only help his value, showing that “if something were to happen, I can get us through a game.”

Jaye Howard tossed

About four minutes into the second quarter, Bears defensive end Jaye Howard and Titans guard Quinton Spain were ejected for throwing punches at each other.

Howard is trying to prove to the Bears that he’s healthy after having hip surgery in the offseason.

“He has continued to improve, coming off an injury from a year ago,” coach John Fox said. “I think he’s made good progress.”

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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com