When you lose a game 52-21, it makes you question everything about the state of a football team. The Chicago Bears are in a bad place right now. Head coach Ben Johnson faces his first crisis on the job. Many wonder if he’ll mirror Matt Eberflus and maintain the status quo, hoping it gets better, or if he might consider some changes in hopes of giving his team a jolt. Johnson hinted that such a possibility was on his mind, having sent a message in the media about determining which guys wanted to play in practice this week.
While sweeping changes are unlikely, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes it’s possible Johnson might enact at least one big one.
The most obvious possibility is at left tackle. Would the Bears pull Braxton Jones after two games?
I thought he was OK during the opener against the Vikings. Certainly other members of the line had a tougher time in that game. It wasn’t as good against the Lions, and Aidan Hutchinson can be a tough matchup. Theo Benedet played the final two series, getting 11 snaps.
That’s one to keep an eye on this week. Otherwise, it’s difficult to forecast a major move.
Braxton Jones may have won the left tackle competition, but it was apparent Johnson wasn’t fully set on the idea. It was more of a case of him feeling like the safest option at the time. Jones has allowed 13 pressures and two sacks in the past two games. The rest of the offensive line has allowed 15 pressures and two sacks combined.
The Chicago Bears have to consider alternatives.
Jones hasn’t played like himself since his ankle injury last season. He doesn’t look healthy and cannot move like he usually does. Until that changes, the Bears have to consider other options. Second-year man Theo Benedet came on strong in training camp and looks like the primary backup at the moment. Maybe give him a week or two to see how he reacts to live bullets. That would at least give Jones some extra time to heal the ankle. Outside of that, you still have two high draft choices, Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo, waiting for their opportunities. They can’t possibly be that much worse than Jones has been through the first two weeks. Sometimes, all a young guy needs is a shot to prove themselves in actual games. This week against Dallas feels like as good a time as any with their questionable pass rush.
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