CHICAGO (WGN) — Six weeks in and five games down, the Chicago Bears have four solid offensive linemen, and the fifth one who needs to pick up the most slack may not be the obvious suspect right off the bat.
At this point in the season, tape and reps are allowing teams to take shape. Players are finding their roles, floors and ceilings for position groups are being revealed, and future needs to improve rosters are becoming more obvious.
Among the position groups showing the most growth for the Bears is the offensive line. Joe Thuney has been every bit the master mind and technician the Bears needed to lead the unit. Darnell Wright and Drew Dalman have proven to be athletic, capable run blockers who hold up in pass pro. Theo Benedet has even started to perform admirably at left tackle.
But the one position along the offensive line that still remains a hole is right guard, currently occupied by free agent acquisition Jonah Jackson.
Jackson was brought in to be part of a three-headed monster in the middle of Chicago’s offensive line, but whether it’s been in the pass or run game, Jackson has shown stretches where he is the Bears’ weakest lineman on the field this season.
Struggles against the Commanders
Jackson did not have a great game against Washington, but luckily enough for Chicago, the rest of the offensive line did.
A good example of Jackson’s struggles against the Commanders happened on play no. 2 of the game.
The second play of the game against the Commanders is a good example of Jackson’s struggles, not just against Washington, but of the first six weeks of the season too.
Caleb Williams ended up completing a 10-yard pass over the middle to Olamide Zaccheaus, but Jackson lost his 1-on-1 matchup in pass protection against outside linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Against this defensive front from Washington, the Bears attempted to use a slide concept for pass protection to the right. Essentially, the idea is for the center, Drew Dalman, to slide right to pick up DaRon Payne (no. 94), leaving Luvu (no. 4) for Jackson to handle, while Wright kicks back and deals with the wide 9-technique, Dorance Armstrong (no. 92).
Dalman picks up Payne and pushes him into a double-team with Thuney. Wright gets out of his stance quickly and picks up Armstrong, but Luvu left Jackson in a spin cycle and beat him to the inside. Fortunately, Williams was quick to get rid of the ball, but this play could have easily been a sack based on how easily Luvu got past Jackson.
Minutes later, Jackson missed an opportunity to turn a good screen pass, into a top-tier explosive play.
D’Andre Swift had his best game of the season by far, running and catching passes behind Chicago’s offensive line. 16 total touches amounted to 14 carries for season highs in yards rushing (108) and yards per attempt (7.7), and two catches for 67 yards, one of which was a 55-yard TD pass from Caleb Williams.
But those numbers could have been even more inflated if not for Jackson on a handful of plays like this.
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The Bears come out in 10 personnel. -
Pre-snap motion sends Zaccheaus out right, with Swift coming in behind for the screen pass. -
After Swift catches the pass, there are two options for what could happen. The first is Jackson and Dalman could wall off Wagner and Luvu for Swift to go up the middle of the field. -
The second option is for Swift to bounce it outside, with Jackson forcing Wagner inside. -
Instead, Jackson does nothing and lets Wagner slip past him to make the play. -
Down goes Swift. A 12-yard gain, that could’ve been much more. Womp womp womp.
On first-and-10 from Washington’s 47-yard line at the 12:36 mark in the first quarter, Chicago came out in 10 personnel out of the shotgun with Zaccheaus and Swift lined up in the backfield. Zaccheaus motions out right pre-snap, which sets up Swift to tail in behind him for the screen pass.
After Williams completed the pass to Swift, Jackson and Dalman were in position downfield to take on Bobby Wagner (no. 54) and Luvu, but Jackson once again missed his block and let Wagner slip past him for the tackle.
The result of the play makes it an interesting case study, given the Bears got 12 yards and a first down, but if Jackson puts his foot in the dirt and gets upfield to displace Wagner—either to the outside or inside of the field—it would have potentially been a 20-30 yard play, instead of a 12-yard gain.
The Good Tape against Washington
I’m also here to say that Jackson wasn’t unilaterally horrible. He did put good plays on tape.
My favorite happened with 2:11 left in the third quarter. Chicago came out in 10 personnel with Williams under center and Swift lined up alone in the backfield. The Bears ended up going with a weak-side, outside zone run sprung by Dalman and Jackson for a 14-yard gain.
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The Bears come out in a singleback formation in 10 personnel. -
The play ends up being a weak-side zone run to the outside. In order for this to work, Dalman (no. 52) needs to shoot out right, or reach right, and lodge the 2i technique defensive lineman into a double team with the right guard, Jackson. -
Dalman accomplishes this, which allows Jackson to get to the next level to attack the linebacker, Frankie Luvu (no. 4). -
Jackson does just that and bulldozes Luvu out of the way for Swift, who now has a massive running lane up field.
On the snap, Dalman reached right to Jer’Zhan Newton (no. 95) and pushed him into a double team with Jackson, who handed Newton back to Dalman before getting to the second level to bulldoze Luvu out of Swift’s way.
Dalman and Jackson executed their roles perfectly, which allowed Swift to dart upfield for a 14-yard gain on the ground.
The Conclusion
Weather conditions on Sunday at Soldier Field are trending toward low 50-degree temperatures, with the possibility of rain and consistent wind gusts of 15-30 miles per hour.
If the Bears want to avoid a letdown, they’re going to have to rely on their offensive line like they did against Washington, and Jackson will have to look more like he did in the second half last Monday, than he did in the first quarter.