Chase returns to practice

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-25-2022, 07:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Could be a blessing in disguise, the Chase injury. Could of really helped Burrow gain chemistry with everybody else as he 
was kind of forcing the ball to Chase early this season instead of just hitting the open man and taking what the Defense 
gives him. Like you said, could be really fun.

I agree 100%.  Of course we never wanted it to happen, but Chase will be a man possessed when he is back full strength.  He will want to catch up to those of him ahead on the yardage list (he has professed that he looks at this, and, hey, whatever motivates you buddy) and be tough to stop, but if teams decide to use all their resources to try and hold him down, Burrow has shows much more "take what is given" play than ever before. 

It could work the same for Mixon, even though he had his massive game a week BEFORE the bye.  A couple weeks of rest might really benefit him down the stretch as well.  

It all seems to be coming together: 

Tackle play was best it had been all year against steelers

Run game came on against Carolina and even though it wasn't that good against pitt, 24 rushes for 62 yards, I don't remember any of them being for negative yardage.   The point being they maintained some sense of balance.  Another way of looking at it:   A sack for a 10 yard loss is worse than a 2 yard rush.

Hurst, Mixon, Boyd, Irwin, and Higgins all stepping up in Chase's absence

Chase returning

Reader returning

Defensive Ends consistently strong, even if not a ton of sacks, good pressure rate and run-stuffing keeping contain

CTB learning and improving every week.  Might be the best tackling guy in the secondary.

Pratt and Wilson are playing outstanding at the LB position


The one big, looming question heading in to this week is the same one that we had heading in to the draft and season:  Who will play LG?  We know it is Volson, and he is doing pretty well, but this week will be his biggest test yet.  We all saw what Jeffrey Simmons did to the line last year.  If Volson can just hold him down a bit.  I'm sure Perine will be looking to help on passing downs.  But this is a huge test to see how far Volson and the rest of the interior can hold up against probably the best defensive interior in the league.