12-07-2006, 03:56 PM
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Rep Power: 2  | Bears DT Harris will miss first start in 45 games
Quote:
Chicago defensive tackle Tommie Harris will miss the first game of his three-year NFL career on Monday night when the Bears play at St. Louis.
Harris suffered a sprained left knee in last Sunday's victory against Minnesota and, while the injury is not as severe as originally feared, it will snap his streak of 44 consecutive appearances. Compounding the knee injury is a strained left hamstring, an injury that wasn't originally noted until the Bears issued their injury report on Wednesday afternoon.
It is expected that six-year veteran Alfonso Boone will replace Harris at the "under" tackle position in the starting lineup.
Neither the team nor Harris has elaborated about the knee injury, but the suspicion is that the standout tackle suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament. Such injuries do not require surgery but typically take two to four weeks to heal.
Coach Lovie Smith announced earlier this week that Harris' knee injury is not season-ending. But with the best record in the NFC and likely to have home-field advantage through the playoffs, Chicago might err on the side of caution and keep Harris out of the lineup until the postseason. Certainly the accompanying hamstring injury complicates the issue.
Harris was injured early in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over Minnesota when he tackled Vikings tailback Chester Taylor. He was taken from the field on a cart and was on crutches after the game. Several Vikings players said Harris told them he feared he had torn the anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that would have sidelined him for the balance of the season.
An MRI exam on Monday, however, revealed the more benign sprained knee ligament.
The team's first-round choice in the 2004 draft, Harris has started in all but one of his 44 appearances. The former Oklahoma star has 103 tackles, 11½ sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three recoveries. In 12 games this season, Harris has 28 tackles, five sacks and one pass defensed.
A dominating interior force early in the season, Harris posted five sacks in his first four outings but has gone eight games without a sack.
| This is horrible news but hopefully he can bounce back from the injury and be back soon to help out that strong bears defense.
Thoughts? |
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