NEWSLETTER
It was late in a hectic fourth quarter when the Chicago Bears deemed running back Tarik Cohen’s return as questionable due to an ankle injury.
But it sure sounds like he’s gonna be okay, doesn’t it?
Bears HC Matt Nagy on RB Tarik Cohen (ankle): “He’s in there (the locker room) dancing. He’s fine.”
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 18, 2018
The @ChicagoBears had a @Cubs-like dance party after their MNF win last night. It included a disco ball.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 18, 2018
DANCE PARTY! YES. Also, where is that video. I *need* it.
I absolutely love the idea that the Bears are going to be this kind of team under Matt Nagy, because, as a Cubs fan who knows that there’s an entire dance party room (complete with a smoke machine) in the home dugout at Wrigley Field, I can attest to the utility of silliness. It helps. I really does. These Bears looked pretty darn good last night and deserve a dance party celebration after the fact.
And more to the point, reading that Cohen was fine after the game is a relief, as he is a key cog in the Bears’ big-picture plans. He was a standout performer on special teams on Monday night, returning four punts for 58 yards, including this 32-yard return in the first quarter:
Tarik Cohen had 2 punt returns for 45 yards, including a 45 yarder. This one is 33 yards pic.twitter.com/yfSpg2qEcf
— Bears Barroom (@BearsBarroom) September 18, 2018
Cohen’s efforts have brought his total return yards to 103 on the season, which is the third most among the league’s punt returners. It’s just a two-game sample, but Cohen’s 17.2 yards per return average is nearly double the 9.4 yards per return he averaged as a rookie in 2017. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks one and takes it to the house.
Cohen probably would have been on the field for more offensive snaps had he not been injured in the fourth quarter. Overall, his snap share on offense dipped from 40 percent to 31.8 percent, but it looks like he would have been around the same number had he not left the game in the fourth quarter due to an ankle injury.
We’ll continue to monitor Cohen’s progress this week, which brings a shorter turnaround as the team prepares to head on the road to face the Arizona Cardinals in search of back-to-back September wins for the first time since 2014.
