The Chicago Bears offensive line was widely called one of the worst in the NFL leading up to the 2022 season. Experts were convinced it was going to be terrible. They had no talent and no direction. So imagine the surprise on people’s faces when the Bears rushed for over 460 yards in the past two weeks. They have the 2nd-best running game in the league, and it’s not because their backs are superstars. Most of the success belongs to excellent blocking.
A.Q. Shipley played in the NFL for over a decade. He started 72 games and played in 110. He finished his career winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2020. The man has a pretty good idea of what great line plays is supposed to look like. He went on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss some top moments from Week 3. He came away stunned at how impressive the Bears looked on the ground. They didn’t run through the Houston Texans. They ran over them.
The Chicago Bears aren’t a finesse group.
That is evident from their inconsistent pass protection. Larry Borom and Sam Mustipher remain weak points in that regard. This group is more of a throwback to the 2000s. What they lack in precision, they make up for in pure brutality. It is a collection of big and strong dudes like Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, and Braxton Jones. Lucas Patrick also brings extra nastiness to the mix. This is a brand of football the team hasn’t played in years. They never had that mentality under Matt Nagy.
It is the identity that GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted. They envisioned a line built with violence, aggression, and mobility in mind. It appears this group has embraced the identity shift. Credit must go to offensive line coach Chris Morgan for quickly whipping them into shape. Nobody can say the blocking is perfect, but they’ve found something they do well and are taking full advantage of it.
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One can only hope Justin Fields can make use of their decent-at-times pass protection. Maybe then they’ll start getting more respect.
