Bear Digest

Eagles make for tough Bears call on Ozzy Trapilo as tackle starter

Analysis: The Bears could keep Ozzy Trapilo in at left tackle Friday even after Theo Benedet got past his quad injury, but is this really the opponent to experiment against?
Gene Chamberlain|
Kyle Monangai cuts outside a block by Theo Benedet (79) in the Bears' win over the Raiders.
Kyle Monangai cuts outside a block by Theo Benedet (79) in the Bears' win over the Raiders. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It could be until shortly before gametime Friday before the direction the Bears turn at starting left tackle becomes apparent.

Ozzy Trapilo's performance against Pittsburgh last week drew high praise from coach Ben Johnson but now Theo Benedet is healthy and available to return as starter. Whether he's given his starting status back against the Eagles was left unannounced by Johnson.

Many interpreted his comments about Trapilo's play to mean the rookie second-round pick from Boston College would start over Benedet, an undrafted player from Canada.

"Ozzy did a great job last week," Johnson said. "He did a great job last week and he was a big reason why we were able to win that game.

“I don't know what it was, over probably the last four weeks or so, but it's almost like things have slowed down for him. I feel it around the building, not even on the practice field as much. I feel it in the building with him where there's a little less stepping on eggshells and it's like he's coming out of his shell a little bit. He's not a rookie anymore as far as I'm concerned."

The problem with playing Trapilo and benching Benedet is the opponent. It might not be the wisest week to experiment further at left tackle.

"Having not played a lot of ball yet this year, he (Traplilo) played a really solid game for us," Johnson said the day after they beat Pittsburgh. "I thought it was really good.

"Our run game wasn't quite as efficient as we'd like it to be, and yet, our pass game, we're able to find enough plays there to somehow score 30 points."

There's your answer in Johnson's comment why it might not be a good week to play Trapilo.

Going into last week's game, the Bears had run for 140 yards or more in five of their previous six games and won five times.

In the one loss, they couldn't hit the 100-yard rushing mark at 96 against Baltimore. Then came Sunday and even though they won, they failed to get to 100 with 99 against the Steelers. It was enough of an issue that Johnson pointed it out, but Benedet had been playing previously when they were running for 100 or more in the five games.

Benedet's run blocking was impactful. In fact, he ranks fifth in the NFL among all tackles in run-block win rate according to ESPN.

So what this has to do with Sunday is Philadelphia's three losses all came in games when they were giving up too many yards on the ground. Denver ran for 130 yards on them, the Giants for 172 and Dallas last week for 125.

The ground game could be huge in this one and it seems counterproductive to keep a player benched who was a key to their running game when it worked well. That would be Bendet.

Benedet is graded only 62nd overall among 79 tackles and 62nd as a run blocker. Still, there is no denying the line operated more effectively as run blockers prior to the Pittsburgh game when Benedet was playing.

Trapilo did have solid run-blocking marks from PFF last week and was fourth-highest as a run blocker among the five starting offensive linemen.

A key game with a chance to make a statement about playoff viability is hardly the time to start going away from what works.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.