From One Bears Line Change to Another

The Bears can pretty much be assured they'll have their fifth different offensive line on Sunday against Dallas due to the toe injury to Lucas Patrick

The fourth Bears starting offensive line this season worked out fine for 10 plays.

Then Lucas Patrick left after getting 10 snaps off at his natural position of center, and even on Tuesday Bears coach Matt Eberflus didn't want to reveal the exact nature of the toe injury Patrick suffered.

So the Bears played with Sam Mustipher most of the game at center with Michael Schofield starting at left guard for the first time this season and they definitely couldn't say the line or their left guard and center struggled in a 33-14 win.

Pressed for more information on Patrick's health, Eberflus insisted he didn't know more about it. What he does know is Mustipher at least is experienced at center.

"Like I said at the podium (Monday) night, Sam is a true pro, a consumate pro," Eberflus said. "When we made the switch, he just went to work cause in this business it's one snap and you're back in. One snap and you're starting for several games, which he did.

"He's a tough guy–mentally and physically tough. He came in there and did a nice job for us."

Although Mustipher was being benched in favor of Patrick for the game, he has a 65.1 grade as center on the year from Pro Football Focus, a career-high. He has an outstanding 73.6 run-blocking mark but 37.5 blocking the pass. For Monday's game, PFF gave him an overall 83.8 mark, definitely strong and second-highest on the line behind Teven Jenkins at 88.3.

Schofield moved in when Patrick was moved from left guard to center, after he had moved from right guard to left guard due to Cody Whitehair's knee injury.

Schofield had been cut from the team after preseason but returned and now has a starting role.

"I thought he was solid," Eberflus said. "He was solid in there for his first time back. Again, he's played a lot of snaps so it's not his first time he's been playing, obviously.

"He's a true pro. He works at it diligently and a very smart guy."

The fifth different starting Bears offensive line will be on the field Sunday at Dallas, unless there is some sort of drastic turnaround in health by Patrick.

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