Tice says offensive line 'on task,' getting better
Tice says offensive line 'on task,' getting better
Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice isn't buying the sentiment that his unit had a poor preseason.
''According to who?'' Tice said after practice Wednesday. ''According to me, we're on task, we're getting better. Are we as good as some of the offensive lines in the league right now? No. Definitely not.
''But are we a work in progress and getting better? Absolutely.''
Besides, Tice, a veteran offensive line coach, doesn't put stock in the opinions of outsiders.
''Everything that we did in preseason was a test for our guys, to see what we actually do have,'' he said. ''I don't really listen to other people's judgment of the guysbecause they don't sit in the room with me and watch the tape and understand what we're asking the guys to do.
''It's just the norm for the average Joe or people who don't understand the concepts to, right away when something gets leaky in protection, say, 'It's the offensive line.'''
Tice said there are numerous elements to pass protection, from the quarterback to running backs and tight ends.
His focus has been on his unit learning his ways and toying with different plays and concepts.
''Going into the first game, we would have loved to have a couple of W's under the belt,'' he said. ''But the biggest challenge was getting the new offense in, getting the timing on our combination down, understanding the language, how we would practice and make adjustments on game days.
''We got a lot of that accomplished; now we got to go out and play.''
Tice said he and the offensive coaches now have a better handle on what the players -- not just linemen -- can and cannot do.
'We haven't had any bullets fly yet -- any real, real bullets -- so we'll see where we're at Sunday,'' he said.
The Detroit Lions had 26 sacks last season, the fourth fewest in the NFL. The league average was 34.4.
But the Lions are expected to have a much better pass rush after replacing three starters on the defensive line. The interior linemen are Ndamukong Suh, the second overall pick in the NFL draft, and Corey Williams, who had seven sacks for the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and 2007. The team also added veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch, a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Asked if his team will be ready for the Lions to bring pressure, coach Lovie Smith said, ''We should be ready for it.''
Center Olin Kreutz acknowledged his unit has something to prove.
''We by no means think we're at our best yet,'' Kreutz said. ''Hopefully, we'll go out there Sunday and show you what we've got.''
