Braxton Jones Deserves More Love For Preseason Opener Showing

The offensive line as a whole performed well above expectations for the Chicago Bears in the preseason win over the Tennessee Titans. They allowed only three pressures all day, consistently giving their quarterbacks respectable pockets. Most of the love on the starting unit went to 1st round pick Darnell Wright. He showcased his athleticism and power on two key blocks during the game, proving he's every bit the top 10 talent he deserved to be. Teven Jenkins also looked good, getting in one of his signature pancake blocks. However, people haven't given enough credit to Braxton Jones.

After all the talk about how much the big left tackle needed to improve, people didn't bother to stop and appreciate what he showed. Yes, he didn't play a ton of Titans starters. That didn't stop him from having a strong showing. Three plays, in particular, illustrated how valuable he is for this team.

Braxton Jones play #1: 11-yard throw to Khari Blasingame

The first play of the game. It's a simple design. Justin Fields takes a quick five-step drop and hits the fullback on a leak route for an 11-yard gain. All of the blocking is great, but Jones especially. He's the only one that went from start to finish without any help. It's not like he faced a scrub, either. Rashad Weaver (#99) had 5.5 sacks last season. Jones demonstrated great hand technique and footwork to completely shut him down. That is a textbook win for an NFL tackle.

Play #2: The 62-yard bubble screen to D.J. Moore

It was the only catch more made the entire day and nobody was unhappy with that. The receiver corralled a slightly off-target pass from Fields, saw a lane and hit it with remarkable speed and acceleration. What is crazy about the play is he was never touched. The downfield blocking was outstanding, but none of it happens without Braxton Jones. Defensive back #29 Josh Thompson is in a position to blow the play up. He's got a direct line to Moore. At the last second, Jones that athleticism and long arms to knock him to the turf. Moore took care of the rest.

Play #3: Khalil Herbert's 56-yard screen TD

This screen play almost faltered due to a delayed blitz by Tennessee. Herbert took longer than expected to get out into his route. Wright got primary credit for his block on the right edge rusher, ensuring Fields didn't have to face pressure from that side. What people overlooked was how Jones engaged the left edge rusher and basically drove him out of the play to the right. That gave Fields a wide open path to scramble left, finding Herbert for the eventual long touchdown. That demonstrates his newfound savvy. Jones knew who his quarterback was. The more space you give Fields to scramble, the better. A smart play with a great finish too.