Why Bears won’t change struggling O-line despite pressure on Caleb Williams originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears’ offensive line entered the season as the team’s biggest unknown. In a season with high expectations, the Bears hoped that a unit with four of five returning starters and an upgrade at center would level up in front of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Through two games, that has not been the case.
So far, the Bears’ offensive line has been the weak link. They rank 30th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate stat through two weeks (43 percent) and are the 24th-ranked offensive line in pass-block grade in true pass sets, per Pro Football Focus.
The Bears have only one offensive lineman who ranks in the top 20 in pass-block win rate. That’s center Coleman Shelton, who is tied for 20th among all interior offensive linemen. Neither left tackle Braxton Jones nor right tackle Darnell Wright cracked the top 20 among tackles.
The Bears have also struggled to run the ball early this season. They are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. That number drops to 2.48 if you remove quarterback Caleb Williams’ team-leading 59 rushing yards on scrambles.
The Bears don’t have any players in the top 20 in run-block win rate.
There’s not a good number to be found.
But despite eight straight quarters of struggles, the Bears don’t plan to change up their offensive line.
There’s nowhere for them to turn.
The easiest fix would be to insert Ryan Bates in for center Coleman Shelton or right guard Nate Davis. But the Bears placed Bates on injured reserve last week with a shoulder/elbow issue. He won’t be able to return until Week 6.
Third-string center Doug Kramer isn’t a viable option. Neither is playing third-round rookie Kiran Amegadjie. Amegadjie hasn’t played football since November and missed most of camp while rehabbing from quad surgery. He’s not an option.
Matt Pryor is a valuable depth piece but not the type of player who can be a cure-all.
The Bears’…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-bears-wont-change-struggling-215508466.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-09-18 21:55:08
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