It was predictably inhospitable at Lambeau Field on Sunday night for the Chicago Bears. For them to still somehow score 30 points felt like a minor miracle. Justin Fields played quite well. Despite three turnovers, he amassed 298 total yards and threw two touchdowns. Another was dropped by Cole Kmet. He managed all of this despite one of the worst performances of the season by his offensive line.
It was ugly. All told the unit allowed 31 total pressures on Fields, including two sacks. Considering the rookie was already playing with three cracked ribs? That performance felt like straight malpractice. Nobody seemed to feel the disappointment more than Brian Baldinger. The NFL Network analyst, a former offensive lineman himself, couldn’t believe what he was watching when he turned on the tape.
Especially on the first four snaps of the game.
.@bears @justnfields hit the deck the first 4 times he dropped back to throw. #daBears gotta do better They just gotta do better #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/FOVFC5DrYD
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 13, 2021
It was another brutal night both for the offensive line and the coaching. Where were the bootlegs, moving pockets, and play action? David Montgomery ran the ball 10 times the entire game. Ten times. This after rampaging Arizona the week prior. This is the sort of thing that continues to drive Bears fans insane about Matt Nagy and his coaching staff. The stubborn refusal to stick with what works and what his players can actually do.
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This doesn’t absolve Ryan Pace either. As GM, he’s responsible for the state of this Chicago Bears offensive line. At this point, it can only be called a failure. His two prominent rookie draft choices in Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom struggled. Sam Mustipher continues to look overmatched at center. Cody Whitehair has regressed considerably from last season. There just aren’t a lot of nice things to say.
The two men at the top have not set up their young quarterback for success. This is why they’re far closer to getting fired than keeping their jobs. It wouldn’t be a shock if major changes come up front presuming a new regime takes over. This can’t continue if Fields is going to survive moving forward.
