Post by Deleted on Oct 1, 2016 3:40:30 GMT -6
Inside the Huddle: Is the Bears’ offensive line coming together?
Adam L. Jahns
@adamjahns | email
Allowing one sack (when the quarterback trips) on 49 pass attempts is good news for most offensive lines, but right guard Kyle Long doesn’t want to hear it. Not when the Bears are 0-3.
The problem is that the Bears attempted 49 passes in their loss last Sunday to the Cowboys in the first place. And it’s a major problem that the Bears rank 30th in the NFL in rushing after three weeks. That starts with Long and the line.
‘‘Anytime you throw the ball 49 times, you know something’s not going well,’’ Long said. ‘‘So we definitely don’t want to get into that situation.
‘‘But if we can do what we’re supposed to do in the running game and take some pressure off of the quarterback, we take some pressure off of ourselves instead of having to pass-block all these guys.’’
Still, keeping quarterback Brian Hoyer from frequently being thrown to the turf last week matters. It’s progress.
When the season began, the Bears’ offensive line was defined by its moving pieces. Everything was in flux after the team signed left guard Josh Sitton and moved rookie Cody Whitehair to center just before Week 1.
Now it’s one of the few position groups that hasn’t been ravaged by injuries. Since changing on the fly before Week 1, the line has had continuity. Now comes the chemistry.
With injuries forcing changes at quarterback and running back, the line needs to be a strength Sunday against a Lions defense that has yielded plenty of points and will be without two starters in end Ziggy Ansah and linebacker DeAndre Levy.
Long suggested success in the running game will be a true sign of the cohesiveness of the line. After all, zone-blocking runs require the line to move in unison.
But coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains saw progress in the ability of the line to protect Hoyer when it was evident the Bears had to pass to avoid being completely embarrassed against the Cowboys.
In a similar situation — albeit against a better defense — Jay Cutler was sacked five times by the Texans in Week 1. All five sacks came on third down, including two in the fourth quarter, when the Texans took the lead.
The Eagles sacked Cutler three times in Week 2, so the performance of the line against the Cowboys was a much-needed sign of improvement.
‘‘Anytime that you’ve got to hold up in a game like that and the game gets lopsided, you start playing left-handed and throwing it,’’ Loggains said. ‘‘They did a nice job. Each one of them as a group stepped up and played better.’’
Chemistry affects coaching, too. Loggains has a better grasp for what his line does well after three games. His play-calling can accentuate the protection.
‘‘It definitely helps when you get the ball out quicker and you can incorporate your quick game and three-step stuff in it,’’ Loggains said.
As for the running game, there have been glimpses of success. Jeremy Langford had a 23-yard gain and Jordan Howard a 36-yard burst against the Cowboys.
But negative runs have plagued the offense. Howard, who will start against the Lions, had two runs in the second half against Cowboys that went for minus-three yards and two others that went for no gains.
‘‘[The line is] a chemistry position,’’ Fox said. ‘‘You’ve got to have guys operating pretty on top of it. That’s offensive football. One guy makes a mistake, and the whole play goes to you-know-what.’’
The hope is that the Bears can build on what they did last week, but there is no guarantee they can.
‘‘You can see the light in the dark right there,’’ left tackle Charles Leno Jr. said of the game against the Cowboys. ‘‘We did lose the game, but we’re trying to build every week. That’s what it comes down to. Just progress.’’
