Retooling Bears Offensive Line an Option
Ryan Fitzpatrick, a newcomer to spouting off for dollars but a wise QB nonetheless, said from the secrecy of Amazon Prime Video and Home Delivery after Thursday's Bears telecast that Justin Fields is no pocket passer.
When you see how Fields ran in the open field to set up the chance for a Bears win, this is very easy to say.
Still, how would Fitzpatrick know whether Fields can pass from the pocket when he hasn't had one to pass from this year?
Bears blocking is going to land Fields in traction yet.
They have 23 sacks allowed already. Fields took 36 all last year and those came in 12 appearances, 10 starts. He's headed for 55 or 60 sacks if nothing improves. He has taken 20 hits besides the sacks, according to official NFL stat partner Sportradar.
Thursday night Fields took a massive hit when he got off the 40-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. He takes hits all the time on scrambles and has a sore left shoulder. Those hits on scrambles aren't included in his quarterback hits total.
Fields is not the most pressured QB, as Daniel Jones has been pressured 33.7% of dropbacks and Fields 31.2%, but close enough.
Fields would easily be a candidate for David Carr syndrome at this rate.
Like any head coach, Eberflus isn't about to lay this beating Fields takes entirely on his line, receivers or Fields himelf for holding the ball too long. And he does hold it too long as NextGen Stats says. However, he has improved at this and is no longer slowest to the draw and is faster than Zach Wilson, Daniel Jones, Lamar Jackson and Marcus Mariota.
Eberflus is doing his mini-bye analysis of pass blocking this weekend with an open mind to various changes, he says.
"I mean the rhythm and timing of the passing game is all predicated on the movement passes, the pocket when you are dropping back, and those are all things that we're going to keep looking at, at terms of helping guys inside or outside more," Eberflus said. "Doing more things that can help the offensive line, that can help the receivers, that can help every group. So that's what we're looking at."
Eberflus does coachspeak with the best of them in less than half a season as Bears boss.
So let's get down to actual brass tax and decide who it is that's failing up front? Surely, it must be the rookie, Braxton Jones.
Not necessarily, says Eberflus.
"I would say that's all-encompassing," Eberflus said. "That's everybody. It's not just one person.
"There's everybody needs to be evaluated at this point. How we're going to get better is by evaluation."
Actually, Jones has a respectable Pro Football Focus grade, if that means anything. He is graded 36th among tackles, and teammate Larry Borom 39th. For two players yet to start a full season of games—Borom started only eight last year—these are good rankings. Borom has an excellent 77.4 pass blocking grade, 15th best at tackle.
Sam Mustipher is the weak link for this line, at least in PFF pass blocking grades. Not that PFF is the only expert, but there just aren't many independent sources for offensive line grades.
They grade Mustipher 34th among 38 centers in pass blocking with a poor 31.1 mark. However, Mustipher's overall grade is not horrible, and is very close at 58.3 to what he had as a rookie (58.8) when he started part of the season. Mustipher has a solid run blocking grade of 68.3 after he struggled blocking the run in 2021. So his play hasn't been entirely bad, even if PFF rates his pass blocking low.
PFF has no one else graded poorly on the line, and this can't really be the case considering the pounding Fields is taking and the fact the line overall is better than only six other lines in pass blocking.
This mini-bye self-scout being conducted through Monday could mean lineup change. Presumably, this would mean the long-promised return of Lucas Patrick to center, now that his thumb has healed.
"If it might be a lineup change or might be technique, fundamentals, all that, scheme, how we're running certain plays, who we're getting ball to, what we're doing well, what we need to improve on, so that's going to be (what) we're going to look at, all that, for sure," Eberflus said.
What that means to Mustipher no one knows. Could he be moved to guard until Cody Whitehair returns from a knee injury in a few weeks?
It would seem more likely they would turn to Michael Schofield because he has been a guard, but no one knows.
What is apparent is whatever they do, the offensive line needs to be addressed above all else because Fields needs a pocket before he can develop as an actual pocket passer.
This much is certain: He's not going to develop at anything if he is on injured reserve.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
