Sometimes it takes a handful of weeks to get personnel correct, as is the case for the Chicago Bears’ offensive line. The Bears offense was brutal to watch at the beginning of the season. The play calling was too conservative, QB Caleb Williams was going through his rookie growing pains, and the O-line couldn’t stop a trash can from sacking their first overall pick from the 2024 NFL draft.
Bears’ O-line Weeks 1-3
The Chicago Bears’ offensive line had a dreadful start to the 2024 campaign. In week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, they allowed four QB hurries, two sacks, and two QB hits. The Bears also had trouble running the football, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. After week one, Right Guard Ryan Bates, who played much better than starter Nate Davis against the Tennessee Titans, was placed on IR with shoulder/elbow injuries.
In week two, Nate Davis played the whole game (70 snaps) at right guard and got exposed badly by the Houston Texans’ defensive front. The Bears gave up seven sacks, four hurries, and two QB hits. The Chicago Bears offense had an even more difficult time running than in week 1, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry versus the Texans. The primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football showed the league that the Bears still had a long way to go on offense to be competitive.
In week 3 against the Colts, the Chicago Bears made a big change to the starting lineup. Davis was removed for backup Right Tackle Matt Pryor. Making the switch from playing tackle to guard in the NFL takes time. It’s a much different technique with different responsibilities, and guards are usually shorter, lighter, and quicker than the taller, longer, and heavier tackles. The Chicago Bears O-line gave up seven QB hurries, four sacks, and one QB hit. The Bears also had their worst rushing performance, averaging 2.25 yards per carry.
Bears’ O-line Weeks 4-5
After three bad weeks, the group finally showed strength in the run game and cohesiveness in pass protection against the LA Rams in week 4. The offensive line still gave up three sacks, but only two hurries and one QB hit. This was the Bears’ best rushing performance of the season averaging almost 4.7 YPC – rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. Backup OL Doug Kramer lined up at fullback in goal line and short-yardage situations to help get a push. Starting Left Guard Teven Jenkins got hurt after playing just 11 snaps. RG Matt Pryor moved to LG and Nate Davis had to play most of the game at RG.
In week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears offensive line had its best game of the season allowing just three QB hurries, one sack, and one hit. Again in week 5 starting guard Jenkins got hurt as an ankle injury took him out. The difference was that backup OL Bill Murray got the call this time instead of Davis. Though the Chicago Bears’ average per carry went down to 3.2 YPC against Carolina, they put up similar numbers to week 4 with 128 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The reduction in efficiency came from kneel-downs in victory formation and obvious running situations being snuffed out.
Final Thoughts
In week 6 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the Chicago Bears offense will have another outstanding opportunity to take another step forward. The Jaguars defensive line is much better in reality than the stat sheet indicates this season. The game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be a huge test for the Bears’ O-line, which seems to have found its identity over the past few weeks. Another strong performance will be a major confidence booster for the Chicago Bears offense as they head into their week 7 bye.
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