Darnell Wright Was Better Vs. Packers Than He Got Credit For

The offensive line is often referred to as a single unit. That is why the entire group gets blamed when things go bad for a quarterback. It's the nature of the position. Even so, the truth is all it takes is one bad apple to ruin it for everybody else. People were quick to jump on rookie Darnell Wright after yesterday's offensive eyesore of a performance. However, it's important to get context. Upon reviewing the film, the truth doesn't fit the initial narrative.

The 1st round pick had some tough moments. There were times when the Green Bay Packers caught him with a complex look or beat him because of his inexperience. However, he seemed to improve by significant margins as the game went along. While the protection breakdowns continued, most didn't come from the edges, and Wright deserves credit for that.

Let's take a look at some of those moments. In the interest of fairness, we'll first cover a few of his lowlights.

Darnell Wright wasn't perfect, but he showed big flashes.

Bad #1 vs. Devonte Wyatt

The Packers run a stunt. It appears Wright hesitates on his reaction to #55 (Kingsley Enagbare), allowing Wyatt to cross his face. The rookie doesn't get a full extension with his arms until it's too late. Wyatt is around the edge and forcing Fields to unload the ball. That is a typical rookie mistake, having not seen defenses run those types of plays at him in college. He has to be quicker with his diagnosis and more technically sound.

Bad #2 - vs. Rashan Gary

This is the one play where Wright was flat-out beaten. Gary (#52) explodes up the field. Wright is too slow getting out of his stance and doesn't have enough recovery speed to deflect the rusher before he's already on line to the quarterback. Sack. That was a true "Welcome to the NFL" moment for the rookie. He now understands this is the kind of explosiveness he could see on a regular basis.

Good #1 - vs. Lukas Van Ness

Darnell Wright does a great job here. He starts with a quick jab of his left arm, helping Nate Davis to slow down Kenny Clark. Then he's able to disengage and square up against Van Ness, the Packers' 1st round pick. Van Ness is known for his power. It didn't matter. Wright anchors down and completely stonewalls him. Van Ness didn't even get close to Fields, who unloads an easy completion to Cole Kmet.

Good #2 - vs. Kingsley Enagbare

It was amazing how many times the Bears didn't give Wright any help in protection. Yet the rookie didn't get dismayed by that. He rose to the occasion more times than you'd think. This was another example. Enigbare has a golden opportunity for the one-on-one matchup. The rookie meets him with quick, sharp hands and uses that impressive anchor to render the Packers rusher completely ineffective.

Good #3 - vs. the blitz

Green Bay got a free blitzer on Fields earlier in the game. It's hard to tell if that was Wright's responsibility or not. Either way, he seemed to keep that play in mind. Sure enough, the Packers tried it again. This time, he was ready. Wright does a good job of making sure #55 is passed off to Davis. He then shuffles his feet to meet the blitzing #20 (Rudy Ford). Of course Davis got beat anyway, but that's a great heads-up play by the rookie.

Good #4 - Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt

Remember that stunt that got Wright earlier in the game? Again, Green Bay was almost sure to try it later on. As before, the 10th overall pick wasn't getting fooled twice. Gary sets up as if he's going to the outside and then crashes inside. Wyatt again loops around. Wright drives Gary into the scrum with his arms and then shows great reflexes and recovery speed to pick up Wyatt, allowing Fields to get the throw off.

Good #5 - The two-point conversion

Run blocking wasn't great for the entire offensive line in this game. Still, Wright had his moments. This was his best. After finally scoring a touchdown to eat into Green Bay's lead 24-13, the Bears chose to go for two. Darnell Wright fires into Kenny Clark, turns his hips, and shifts his feet to completely wall off the lane for Khalil Herbert to walk in untouched. Rest assured, guys don't do that to Clark very often.