Justin Fields was the star of the Chicago Bears‘ big win in Cleveland for the preseason finale. That isn’t a surprise. He played outstanding. However, it wouldn’t have happened without his offensive line. The Bears’ front had their best game of the past month too, giving Fields good pockets most of the night. At the heart of their successful effort was the unlikeliest bright spot of all: Teven Jenkins.
His story is one of the craziest seen in some time. He went from starting tackle last season to playing on the third-team offense in training camp. The coaching staff moved him to guard on short notice, saw potential in his debut against Seattle last week, and so let him start against Cleveland too. He then rewarded them with an even better performance, showcasing both the athlete and the bully he could be.
Teven Jenkins is looking more and more like the real deal.
Jenkins demonstrated his athleticism on this first play. It is an outside zone run to the left. His job is to reach the second level and pick off any defender that might get in the way of David Montgomery. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is the unfortunate recipient of the lineman’s wrath. Jenkins immediately gets his hands on him and takes the defender for a ride almost entirely off the screen. That block helped spring Montgomery for a big run. Sadly it was called back due to a holding penalty. Still, a great play.
Next is an example of how sharp Teven Jenkins is getting with his hand-fighting in pass protection. Big defensive tackle Jordan Elliott tries to generate pressure off the snap. Jenkins hits him with a quick punch and then jerks Elliott forward, causing the defender to hit the turf face first. Then for good measure, the guard lands him for a full pancake.
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Showcasing the physicality is always great, but Jenkins also had decisive execution moments. Late in the 2nd quarter, the Bears were in Browns territory. Fields throws a quick screen to Khalil Herbert. Watch #76 sell the protection at first, then slip to the second level where he perfectly cuts off the Browns linebacker, giving Herbert a clear lane to the first down.
Jenkins has plenty of room to grow. He is far from a finished product. That doesn’t make his accomplishments over the past two weeks any less impressive. It will be a considerable shock if the Bears don’t make him the starting right guard on opening day. Despite everything that happened, he remains their most talented player up front.
