People felt the offensive line was the biggest problem for the Chicago Bears last season. That is hardly a surprise. When you give up 58 sacks in a season, such statements are going to happen. Most chalk it up to a simple lack of talent. They had a rookie 5th round pick at left tackle, a backup at center, a career tackle at guard, and a right tackle in his mid-30s. It wasn't hard to understand why Justin Fields didn't get the protection he needed to function at a high level.
However, one expert thinks talent wasn't the primary issue. It was an issue, yes, but not the one that hampered the Bears more than others. Tape specialist Ted Nguyen of The Athletic dug into Fields' tape last year to determine what went right and wrong for him as a passer. When the offensive line came up as a topic, he realized over the course of each game that they had a consistent problem.
"Fortunately for Fields, the Bears upgraded the talent on their offensive line, so the group looks like it could be a strength this season, especially if Wright plays up to his potential. Still, the group will have to build chemistry and that can take some time. Overall, they simply need to be better than last year’s group, which too often struggled to pick up blitzes and stunts and forced Fields into tough situations...
...The failure to pick up blitzes and stunts is almost always the result of a breakdown in communication or chemistry, rather than a talent issue. So while the Bears have significantly upgraded the talent upfront, they’ll need time to jell to reach their potential."
This is true.
When looking back at games where Fields was sacked the most, it was almost always against teams that loved running stunts like Philadelphia, New York, and Detroit. The Bears offensive line had no answers for it. Knowing this, one must applaud GM Ryan Poles. It is clearer than ever that he recognized the problem right away. Both of his biggest offensive line acquisitions this off-season have the same thing in common. Both have good reputations for handling stunts and blitzes.
The Chicago Bears are far better equipped this year.
Not only did they add two quality pieces to the front five, but they also have more experience within the offense as well. Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, and Cody Whitehair all enter their second season in Luke Getsy's system. The wide-zone scheme is notoriously difficult to learn for offensive linemen. Their heads were likely swimming at times last season, and that can lead to mental mistakes. Now that shouldn't be a problem. They know the playbook far better and won't have to think as much.
It will also help that Fields himself is better prepared. He knows the right protections to call and is more confident about making audibles at the line of scrimmage. Guys won't be hung out to dry nearly as often. This is why people say experience in the offense matters so much. The Chicago Bears offensive will need some time to jell. That said, it is now made up of players that are capable of handling the complex pressure packages opposing defenses will throw at them.
