Bears' offensive line looking like a much different bunch

Bears' offensive line looking like a much different bunch



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November 30, 2010
BY RICK MORRISSEY Sun-Times Columnist

But good enough? Absolutely. And that's not faint praise. Do you know how many miles away from ''good enough'' the offensive line was two months ago? On Oct. 3, the Giants sacked Cutler an NFL-record nine times in the first half, knocking him out of the game with a concussion.

It was the low point for the line, the team and Cutler's brain cells. There didn't seem to be much reason for hope.
How did the offensive line get from down there to up here, a 31-26 victory over the Eagles? There are several explanations, but the best seems to be continuity. When Roberto Garza moved in to the right guard spot after missing back-to-back home losses to Seattle and Washington with a knee injury, the Bears began to see consistency in a line they had cobbled together.
Chris Williams, once the left tackle of the future, turned out to be the left guard of the future (uh, maybe). Frank Omiyale stayed at left tackle, having started the season at right tackle. Rookie J'Marcus Webb continued feeling his way at right tackle. And crusty Olin Kreutz was where he always is, running the show from center.
Together at last, the group took some baby steps against Buffalo and hasn't stopped moving forward. The Bears have won four in a row with this unit, and although the five beefy ones are not the reason for the streak, they get some of the credit. Cutler, after all, is still standing.
''Guys are getting used to each other,'' tight end Greg Olsen said Monday morning. ''People don't realize offensive line is something [where] you need to know what the guy next to you is doing. That familiarity, just the comfort level with those guys is huge.''
There were times this season when it looked as if Bears linemen were meeting each other for the first time. Or wearing earplugs and blindfolds. Or making a conscious effort to get Cutler killed.
Line's 'signature moment'
But then Sunday came, and there were some stunning sights, none bigger than a 17-play, third-quarter drive that wiped 10 minutes off the clock. Cutler called it ''a signature moment in the game.''
It was. It gave the Bears' defense more time to rest after chasing Philadelphia's Michael Vick. It certainly gave the offensive line more confidence. Matt Forte served as a running and receiving threat as the Bears pushed the ball down the field.
Cutler had a 12-yard run during that ridiculously long drive. Never mind the offensive line; he might be the Bears' best weapon against a defensive rush. He's not a lamppost in the pocket. He is electric, though. He doesn't have Vick's speed or ability to avoid tacklers -- who does? -- but he can get from Point A to Point B better than most quarterbacks.
That sort of thing can mask a lot of shortcomings in an offensive line.
If the Bears had been using a less mobile quarterback Sunday, the game might have looked different. It might have looked messier, more gruesome. But the line gets credit, and so does Cutler for his running ability.
''I do it as a last resort,'' he said. ''... [The line was] protecting well. They were giving up some running lanes, giving me some time to look downfield. If it's not there, I'm going to take off trying to make something happen.''
There are other reasons for the improved line play. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz listened to reason and cut down on the number of seven-step drops by Cutler. He called plays that moved the pocket, taking full advantage of Cutler's athleticism. And he got Forte more involved, which at least gave defenses pause. They couldn't attack the quarterback at will.
But we do need to be clear here. There were times Sunday when you weren't sure whether Cutler would get up after the pocket collapsed on him. And even when he did get up, you wondered whether he would need to be fitted for a prosthesis or two.
Whatever works
If you're looking for positives, it's that Cutler didn't try to make a reckless pass when he was under attack. Nothing wrong with swallowing the ball. He seems to have learned that.
Webb was fourth in the NFL in penalties (10) going into Sunday but made it through the game without adding another to his collection. Williams, however, got flagged for holding. What, you thought both of them were going to go a game penalty-free?
Offensive line coach Mike Tice did the mixing and matching this year, and he continues to teach his players how to block. The truth, though, is that very few of us civilians have any idea what goes on in the O-line meeting room. Does Tice get the credit for what is happening now? Martz? Kreutz?

Who knows and who cares?

It's working.

Yikes, when people are saying good things about this team it's usually followed by a loss! *knocks on wood*

I say Cutler scrambling is what makes this oline look better. Got to admit running game has been a surprise. But seriously we had DTs running in untouched. Never thought that was ever possible lol

They've still got along way to go. Garza doesn't get as much credit as he deserves at times. He may not be an All-Pro but he's fairly consistent in his game and the Bears do seem to win when he's healthy even going back a few seasons.

I'm way not sold on the Omiyale/Williams combo on the left side but since Omiyale has already proven that he absolutely can't play OG and Williams has been anything but a stalwart at protecting Cutler's blind side we might just as well get some use out of them until they either improve dramatically or replacements can be found.

Webb, on the other hand intrigues me. He could be another "Big Cat" in the making. He's got the size and at least some athleticism to him and remember, "Cat" had some stupid penalty issues early in his career too.

Webb appears to have a good future. Whatever happened to L. Louis who was said to have everything im the preseason. He was said to have the temperment and toughness needed to be an excellent offensive lineman.

They HAVE improved on their pass protection, but its still far from perfect. Chris Williams seems lost at times, and Jamarcus Webb has committed unnecessary penalties. What they still need to improve on is Run blocking...especially up the middle. Everyone thinks because the running game has improved, so has the blocking, but this is false. If you look at all of our big runs, they occur when Forte bounces to the outside, makes moves to make defenders miss, then takes off. Thats more attributed to Forte's skills then the OL. When we try to run up the gut...its disastrous, defenders typically run right on in and eat up the RB before he even hits the LoS. Id say more then anything, they need to improve their run blocking

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Originally Posted by rockyr

Webb appears to have a good future. Whatever happened to L. Louis who was said to have everything im the preseason. He was said to have the temperment and toughness needed to be an excellent offensive lineman.

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He just needs more seasoning in my opinion. I think that he may be the guy to eventually replace Garza on the right side. The guy was an OT and TE in college so he has to make some adjustments and gain a little more experience inside.

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Originally Posted by Jimmors

They HAVE improved on their pass protection, but its still far from perfect. Chris Williams seems lost at times, and Jamarcus Webb has committed unnecessary penalties. What they still need to improve on is Run blocking...especially up the middle. Everyone thinks because the running game has improved, so has the blocking, but this is false. If you look at all of our big runs, they occur when Forte bounces to the outside, makes moves to make defenders miss, then takes off. Thats more attributed to Forte's skills then the OL. When we try to run up the gut...its disastrous, defenders typically run right on in and eat up the RB before he even hits the LoS. Id say more then anything, they need to improve their run blocking

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Agreed Jimmors. Our inside running game isn't good at all and poor blocking doesn't help but Forte has never proven himself to be an effective inside or short yardage runner. He's been especially poor around the goal line and the Bears need to think about someone else to handle those responsibilities besides him.

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Originally Posted by soulman

Agreed Jimmors. Our inside running game isn't good at all and poor blocking doesn't help but Forte has never proven himself to be an effective inside or short yardage runner. He's been especially poor around the goal line and the Bears need to think about someone else to handle those responsibilities besides him.

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Yeah...its just embarrassing to watch. They cant get any push..none whatsoever. Everyone keeps saying taylor sucks...but if you watch it, we use him on "run up the gut" type plays, and he inevitably gets tackled as soon as he gets the handoff...its just a poor excuse for Run Blocking that may hurt us down the stretch.

We need someone who can run with a low center of gravity and either get over or through the pile. Neither Taylor or Forte can do that. They should either move up Bell whom I think may have that ability or use QB sneaks with a yard or less to go. Cutler is big enough and sturdy enough to handle that. We should have drafted Jacob Hester (LSU/SanFran) when we had the chance. He's not fancy but he can block and he gets the tough yards with consistency.