Bears' Akiem Hicks Sees Different NFC North Without Aaron Rodgers: 'We Got To Go Take It'
(CBS) The Bears walked off the field in Baltimore with a much-needed victory Sunday, and they soon discovered that the dynamic of the NFC North has changed.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone Sunday, and the team announced that he could miss the remainder of the season. The Bears (2-4) are two games back of the Packers and Vikings, who are both tied for first place at 4-2.
Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks reacted to the Rodgers news Monday during his appearance on the Mully and Hanley Show.
"You never want to see a guy go down, and you never want to count anybody out because of injury and things like that," Hicks said. "I'm sure that's something the entire league noticed yesterday, with Aaron Rodgers being such a focal point for their team and being a real playmaker and a real driving force behind the Packers as a whole. Everybody in the league noticed that when he went down.
"You always watching and you're always assessing and seeing where your place is in this league and this division. It's wide open. We just got to go take it. It's as simple as that. We got to go take it."
The Bears took steps forward in a 27-24 overtime win against the Ravens, putting together a strong defensive performance. They forced three turnovers, including a pick-six from Adrian Amos that proved to be pivotal.
Finally, a defense that had high aspirations made strides. Hicks took pride in what his unit accomplished in Sunday's victory.
"It's an awesome feeling to have your defense operate so efficiently," Hicks said. "That's just some of the potential that's been in this. A lot of people have seen that early in training camp, early in OTAs, that this defense was really aggressive and would play lights-out when given the opportunity. I think we did our best to do so yesterday."
The Bears overcame two special teams touchdowns allowed to the Ravens, including a punt returned for a touchdown late in the game that helped Baltimore overcome an 11-point deficit and tie the game.
Left stunned on the sidelines, Hicks and his teammates were ready to respond.
"It's unfortunate and you got to play through it," he said. "You take that on the chin, you get back up, you strap your helmet on and you run back on the field, because nobody else is coming to save you. You get your butt up and you go out there and you play your heart out."