Chicago Bears: Offensive Line Has First Opportunity To Change Perception

One of the biggest concerns for the Chicago Bears in 2022 is the performance of the offensive line. They look to change their negative perception.

It is game week. What a great statement to make. The Chicago Bears open their 2022 season this Sunday when they host the San Francisco 49ers.

The national media don’t give the Bears much of a chance to win very many games, if any. Many of them feel Chicago will end up with the worst record in the NFL and obtain the top pick in the draft. Heck, some compared this team to the 2008 Detroit Lions. That team went winless.

To be fair, new general manager Ryan Poles inherited a bad situation when he took over. There were some bloated contracts, old players, little salary cap space, and few draft picks. That is a recipe for disaster.

There is a lot of talk about Justin Fields having his talents wasted in Chicago. They wish that somehow he finds a way to leave.

There is a lot of negativity surrounding the Chicago Bears. However, they are united in trying to end that perception. One thing that we saw during training camp and preseason games is how close this team has become. Perhaps they took an “Us vs. them” attitude. You can’t help but have that when your team is beset with criticism and mockery.

The offensive line is the biggest key to the rebuild

One of the biggest subjects of criticism is the offensive line. The Bears have had trouble finding the right combination of players on the line. With the line struggling, the passing game cannot get going. Additionally, the running game cannot succeed. How many times have we seen David Montgomery take a bunch of hits before he even gets to the line of scrimmage? Some of his better runs were him juking and making defenders miss multiple times on his way to a three-yard gain.

For the rebuild (that’s what it is even if Poles doesn’t say it outright) to succeed, the offensive line has to perform well. Yes, it is important to have the right receiving targets. However, you can have eight players on the level of Jerry Rice running around but if the quarterback doesn’t have time to find them nothing will happen.

Poles, being a former offensive lineman himself, realizes the importance of the unit. With the future in mind, he drafted four offensive linemen. Two of them are on the roster while one is on the practice squad and the other is on injured reserve.

Poles also signed Lucas Patrick to be the quarterback of the line, the center. Patrick was last snapping the ball to future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He will give Fields some tips on how Rodgers handles himself and his thinking on the field.

Poles wants this line to perform well so the offense can do what offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wants. As great as Rodgers is, he has very good protection that allows him to make those incredible plays.

The unit underwent an overhaul

The only starter from last year on the line is Cody Whitehair. Sam Mustipher might start in Week 1 but that is because of an injury to starter Lucas Patrick. If Patrick feels comfortable enough to snap this week he’ll start.

The Bears are starting rookie Braxton Jones at the all-important left tackle. Yes, it is a gamble. However, he had an enormously successful offseason. He went from fifth-round rookie hoping to find a spot to starter.

Riley Reiff is behind Jones. Should Jones not be ready for primetime, Reiff is a great option. This is a better situation than what happened last season. Teven Jenkins was the starting left tackle but once he had back surgery there was no good option. The Bears ended up having to get Jason Peters out of retirement to become the starter.

Speaking of Jenkins, he had an up-and-down offseason. He went from starting left tackle to third-string tackle. There were reports of the Bears looking for a trade. However, with the right guard starter still not decided, the coaches decided to try him out there. He did well and ultimately won the job.

There still is a chance Jenkins doesn’t start this week, though. Patrick’s injury might prevent him from snapping. During practice, however, he has been taking snaps at right guard. He could end up starting there on Sunday.

Larry Borom has his spot at right tackle. He hasn’t been flashy or elite, but he has been steady. Sometimes slow and steady gets the job done.

Poles and the Chicago Bears hope that these changes are a good step forward. This unit won’t be elite, but if it is decent, that will be a big upgrade.