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Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Sport
Dan Wiederer

Bears assignment: Lions DE Ziggy Ansah

Oct. 18--The assignment: Blocking Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah

Ansah's measurables: 6-foot-6, 279 pounds

Assigned: Bears left tackle Jermon Bushrod or Charles Leno

Notable numbers: Ansah's five sacks have him tied for the NFL lead with Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap. ... With 20.5 career sacks, Ansah is one of two Lions to surpass 20 as early as his third season. The other was Ndamukong Suh.

Scouting report: After missing two games with a concussion and shoulder injury, Bushrod hopes to be active Sunday. But whether he or Leno starts at left tackle, the Bears' game plan will have to account for Ansah, who operates mostly as a right defensive end but moves around. Ansah came into the league in 2013 as an incredibly raw prospect who first took up football as a sophomore at BYU. Now, however, it's clear his feel for the game has sharpened. Ansah's length makes him disruptive and he'll make a handful of plays downfield on hustle alone. His ability to convert speed into power makes him a major threat off the edge.

"Power, speed -- he embodies those two characteristics. And he's quick. For a guy who's around 280 pounds, he really has that. So when you have that kind of mass moving at that kind of speed, he can create problems. It's not only with the bull rush and inside rushes, but outside he can turn the corner." -- Lions coach Jim Caldwell

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