Despite success, Bears offensive line remains unsettled

Despite success, Bears offensive line remains unsettled

Team rushes for 218 yards, most since 1990

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — J'Marcus Webb and Edwin Williams can say that in their first starts as Bears they were part of the biggest rushing effort since Mike Ditka patrolled the sidelines for the franchise.

But nothing is too settled along the offensive line and that could be how things are for the foreseeable future as the Bears look for the right fit. Webb, a seventh-round pick from West Texas A&M, filled in for Kevin Shaffer at right tackle, and Williams, a pickup off the waiver wire, replaced Lance Louis at right guard.

The returns were positive. A week after Bears quarterbacks were sacked a franchise-record 10 times, they were taken down on just three occasions in a 23-6 win over the Panthers. Meanwhile, the offense rushed for 218 yards, the Bears' most since a 223-yard effort vs. the Phoenix Cardinals on Oct. 28, 1990.

"That was a big statement part of the game," center Olin Kreutz said. "It is what we wanted to do, the power of the O-line bouncing back after taking all that (criticism) last week."

Webb said it was more settling being able to start a game. Williams felt he played better as the game went along.

"My initial objective was just no stupid mental mistakes, no penalties, and that is what I wanted to accomplish first," Williams said. "As I get more comfortable I think I can be a lot more aggressive."

What the Bears do moving forward will be interesting. Left tackle Chris Williams missed his third straight game with a pulled right hamstring. He could return to practice this week.

"We are going to still play musical chairs for probably another few weeks until we get Chris back and find out more about some of our younger players," general manager Jerry Angelo said in the pregame show on WBBM-AM 780. "The good news is we like the players. It is just a matter now of getting the same five on the field."

The first question when Chris Williams returns is what happens to Frank Omiyale? He's been playing left tackle and the team will have to choose between him and Webb at right tackle. Omiyale had a holding penalty and a false start. Webb had a false start.

It will be interesting. Offensive line coach Mike Tice has said he'd like his group settled by the open date. He has two more games to find the right mix.

'Old school' works for Bears in this one

QB woes force Bears to run ball, play 'D'; Lovie: 'We know how to win that way'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There was a dull familiarity to it all, a dispirited deja vu effect to the Bears' glorious 23-6 victory against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

We've seen plenty of games like this in the pre-Jay Cutler, post-Sid Luckman era of Bears history. Games in which running the ball and playing solid defense and relying on special teams for field position can overcome the most incompetent of quarterback play.

Call it smash-mouth or throwback or three yards and a cloud of dust, whatever the name, the plan is proven. It didn't take a genius such as Mike Martz to figure out with Cutler down because of a concussion, the Bears had to go retro and run the football.

''Yeah, that was definitely old- school, Bears ball right there for sure,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''We know how to win games that way, and it was good to see we can still do that. I am not saying we are getting off the bus running the ball or anything. I am staying away from those comments.''

It was a playful comment by Smith and a moment of rare lucidity, as was an interesting remark seemingly about the Las Vegas oddsmakers.

The Bears were favored in the game by 2.5 points before Cutler was announced out. The line dropped to minus-1 and rose to minus-3 before kickoff against the winless Panthers.

''To come on the road a 3-1 team and you're underdogs,'' Smith said. ''Kind of a slap in the face a little bit.''
The Bears slapped the Panthers silly to open the game. They made enough explosive plays in the first 10 minutes to secure a victory. Danieal Manning returned the opening kickoff 62 yards to set up an 18-yard TD run by Matt Forte. On the Bears' second drive of the game, Forte broke a 68-yard touchdown for a one-play drive and a 14-0 lead. Julius Peppers blocked a pass from Jimmy Clausen on the ensuing drive and made a diving interception from his knees to set up a 28-yard field goal for a 17-3 lead.

''In every phase it was an avalanche,'' Carolina coach John Fox said. ''The good news is our guys settled in there for a minute and we looked like we might have an opportunity to climb back into the game, albeit just for a minute.''
The rest of the game was all window dressing, albeit more a boarding up of glass than anything pleasing to the eye.
Todd Collins was simply awful, throwing four picks to six completions before getting pulled with a whopping 6.2 passer rating. We haven't seen numbers like that around here since Chad Hutchinson threw up a Blutarsky in a preseason game and was subsequently cut.

With Collins under center and two new starters on the offensive line -- seventh-round rookie J'Marcus Webb at right tackle and street free agent Edwin Williams at right guard -- the Bears looked more like a Spare Bears-style replacement team than an actual NFL lineup. But Forte was up to the task, Chester Taylor was willing and an offensive line embarrassed in New York on Oct. 3 was eager for redemption.

''I just believe that the offensive line had to prove something from last week and just wanted to come out and be that dominant offensive line,'' Taylor said.

Forte had something to prove as well. He's the featured running back in an offense that doesn't feature the running back. The Bears came into the game with the 31st-rated rushing attack, averaging just 68.8 yards a game. Denver was the only team in the league worse than the Bears in that category at 55 rushing yards.

Forte matched the team's per-game average on one run, breaking to his left and picking up a great block by Brandon Manumaleuna before making his patented one-cut against safety Charles Godfrey and outracing everyone to the end zone. He was asked if it was the sort of cut he couldn't have made in an injury-plagued 2009 season.

''Last year I might not have even been able to make the cutback,'' Forte said. ''I was basically on one leg.''
Forte finished with the longest run of his career and the most yards in any game (166 yards, 22 carries). Taylor added 43 yards on 18 carries, and Devin Hester had a 10-yard run. A one-yard loss by Caleb Hanie gave the Bears a total of 218 rushing yards on 42 attempts.

The NFL is geared to pass the ball. New rules or newly emphasized ones limit contact with receivers and prevent hits on quarterbacks. Two teams in the last decade have won a Super Bowl as so-called running teams. The run might be passe, but on the road without the franchise quarterback and with an offensive line quickly losing confidence, it was the perfect remedy for all offensive ills.

Just watched the game, and OL in particular again. Edwin was OKAY but I don't see a real upgrade from Lance there. There was one sack on Collins where both Williams and Garza let their man blow right past them and Olin was standing around getting no one. I think that is case in point for how bad we need at least one solid man in the middle. Webb was quite solid all game and looks like he can be a real monster in the run game while Omiyale did his job on the other bookend, but this middle looks very vulnerable to a good DT.

Ground game proves to be Bears’ Forte

CHARLOTTE N.C. -- Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz normally lives by the forward pass, but Sunday he took a walk on the less wild side by entrusting running back Matt Forte with the football.

The third-year running back produced excitement anyway with career bests of 166 rushing yards and a 68-yard touchdown run in a 23-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

That’s what helps you run the ball, Forte said. “You commit to it and put your mind to it and the offensive line blocks like they did and we can run the ball.

Forte made one cut and broke outside left tackle Frank Omiyale for the 68-yard TD, outracing two defenders straight down the sidelines with 7:35 left in the first quarter. He had an 18-yard TD run with a counter toss to the outside for the game’s first score.

“It felt real good to get out in the open field and go 1-on-1e, said Forte, who ran for 32 more yards Sunday than he had in the season’s first four games combined.

The 68-yard run provided the bulk of the 131 yards on 11 rushes that Forte had by halftime most in a half by a Bear since James Allen burned the Baltimore Ravens for 131 in his 163-yard game of 1998.
“They were coming after us and he did a great job of making a cut and using that good speed of his, guard Roberto Garza said.

After quarterback Jay Cutler got brutalized and suffered a concussion the previous Sunday, the Bears had to do something different. Running the ball might have seemed a bit unlike Martz, but realism won out when the game plan was developed.

“Going into the football game, you know when you lose your quarterback you have to have a little bit different game plan going in, coach Lovie Smith said. “Coming in we wanted to run the football, try to establish the run a little bit to take a little of the pressure off of the passing game.

Forte didn’t stop after the breakaway run. He ran for more yards in a game than any Bear since Anthony “The A-Train Thomas gained 188 on 22 carries in an Oct. 21, 2001, victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Mike, and our offensive staff, we have good coaches over there; you have to bounce back, Smith said. “Some days it’s just not your day, no more than that. But we are committed to the run.

“You have to pass the football, too, and believe me we’re not satisfied with the number of passing yards (29) we had, but you have to take a little bit of what they’re giving you. Once we got the run going of course we had to run.
Forte’s 11 rushes for 35 yards in the second half proved nearly as critical as the 68-yard run, as they let the Bears milk the clock and wind up with a 30:19-29:41 time-of-possession edge. They had struggled with possession time all year.
“We know our defense is good, Forte said. “If we can get up on someone early and continue to run the ball like we did, we know our defense is going to shut them down and hold them off

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Originally Posted by lklrlolnlilklsox

Just watched the game, and OL in particular again. Edwin was OKAY but I don't see a real upgrade from Lance there. There was one sack on Collins where both Williams and Garza let their man blow right past them and Olin was standing around getting no one. I think that is case in point for how bad we need at least one solid man in the middle. Webb was quite solid all game and looks like he can be a real monster in the run game while Omiyale did his job on the other bookend, but this middle looks very vulnerable to a good DT.

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Agree webb Didn't look out of place at all-which for rook Tackle a great compliment. He still struggles with speed rushers- which is to be expected, but his run blocking a big step up. We got a chance t talk with him Saturday at the hotel, a really nice kid, and fricken huge- hoping we have another "big cat" with him.

And think on the Guards, we have to Stick with one solid unit- hard to not have some mistakes or miscomunnications when its different guys each game, heck different quarters. Not saying Edwin didn't make mistakes( he did), but just saying alot of the stuff, like the when the panthers looped their players and Edwin missed both because didn't switch them off is fixable.

Still need a better push at the goal-line though

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Going into the football game, you know when you lose your quarterback you have to have a little bit different game plan going in, coach Lovie Smith said. “Coming in we wanted to run the football, try to establish the run a little bit to take a little of the pressure off of the passing game.

Forte didn’t stop after the breakaway run. He ran for more yards in a game than any Bear since Anthony “The A-Train Thomas gained 188 on 22 carries in an Oct. 21, 2001, victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Mike, and our offensive staff, we have good coaches over there; you have to bounce back, Smith said. “Some days it’s just not your day, no more than that. But we are committed to the run.

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Think this is the key to get back a close to 55-45% pass/run ratio- and if we cna will make the play action much more effective And stop the bull rushes, knowing must repspect the run game

what was nice seeing not only the seal/push on lft side, but the downfield blocking on both plays

Forte 68-yard TD run

Published: Oct. 10, 2010 at 01:35 p.m.
Matt Forte shines in Carolina with a 68-yard TD run, his 2nd touchdown in the 1st quarter.

e scores on 18-yard TD run
Published: Oct. 10, 2010 at 01:23 p.m.
Matt Forte breaks free for the end zone on this 18-yard score in the first quarter.

It will be interesting to see what Happens when Williams comes back

Personally would not suprise me to see Omiyale beocme the 'swing tackle" and go with Williams/webb as the Tackles.

I dunno...I was more impressed with Forte's running and vision then I was the OL's blocking. Not saying they didn't look better, but Forte made some nice moves and showed vision to bounce it outside when nothing was there