Mark Potash at the Chicago Sun-Times has a relevant point:
“Maybe Earl Bennett is more of a security blanket for [Bears quarterback Jay] Cutler than it appears. Bennett, who has been a clutch third-down receiver during the Bears’ resurgence, missed Sunday’s game with a leg injury.”
Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune would seem to agree:
“Yes, the Bears were playing without Earl Bennett, who has become almost a starter. He sat out with a tweaked ankle that has been a lingering issue, but the expectation is he will be fine for the playoffs. Without Bennett, this group was throttled.”
The Bears wide receivers got physically handled at the line of scrimmage. Its possible that Bennett’s size would have prevented them from manhandling him had he been there. We’ll likely find out in a couple weeks.