(2) Which young players will take advantage of expanded playing time?
A rash of injuries will give several inexperienced players an opportunity to impress in a regular season game. At cornerback, for instance, Breon Borders, Harrison Hand and Michael Ojemudia all could see action on defense.
Hand has appeared in three games this season and made the most of his chance to play 40 defensive snaps last Sunday in Detroit, registering three tackles and one pass breakup. The Bears claimed Hand off waivers from the Giants Sept. 13. He was selected by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2020 draft out of Temple. In his first two seasons with Minnesota, he appeared in 23 games with one start and registered 22 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception.
Asked if an unheralded player can make an impression in the season finale, coach Matt Eberflus said: “Yes, I think that’s true. But it’s also for the other guys. We want to see guys finish. We want to see them do things the right way and play the right style.”
Another young player expected to see expanded action is Dieter Eiselen. Last Sunday in Detroit, the third-year pro played stepped in at right guard after Teven Jenkins and Michael Schofield III both exited with injuries in the first half. With Jenkins and Schofield now on injured reserve, Eiselen likely will make his first NFL start.
Eiselen originally joined the Bears in 2020 as an undrafted free agent from Yale. Growing up in South Africa, he was an acclaimed rugby player and Olympic weightlifter who was introduced to American football via television shows and movies such as “Friday Night Lights” and “The Waterboy.”
