Bear Digest

The coming Chicago Bears decision on Theo Benedet and Braxton Jones

Whether the Bears start one of their young tackles as a Braxton Jones replacement doesn't need to be decided yet but it's going to be an issue to be tracked for two weeks.
Gene Chamberlain|
Theo Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo were saddled with the task of keeping the Raiders pass rush away from Caleb Williams. Will it continue?
Theo Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo were saddled with the task of keeping the Raiders pass rush away from Caleb Williams. Will it continue? | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

After Ben Johnson looked at the game film he decided on a good word for his team's 25-24 win Sunday over the Raiders.

He called it "a mess."

Now he faces another potential mess and it's at left tackle.

Braxton Jones got benched for ineffective play and replaced by Theo Benedet after Benedet had problems facing Maxx Crosby as replacement for injured Darnell Wright at right tackle. Ozzy Trapilo then came on for 40 plays on the right side with Benedet at left tackle, and performed admirably against pass rush ogre Maxx Crosby. He definitely wasn't flaw free.

So what do they do in two weeks if Wright returns from his arm injury? Is Jones  done starting? Is it Benedet at left tackle or possibly even Trapilo or would Wright move to the left side with Trapilo taking the right side? Ben Johnson wouldn't answer any of this Monday since there's two weeks until the team plays again.

No one really handled Crosby well but they probably needed chains, a cage and tranquilizer darts for that. Still, Johnson didn't complain Monday about the way Trapilo performed in his debut with the offense.

"I think he is a really good run blocker first and foremost," Johnson said. "I think it  probably took him just a minute to settle in.

"It didn't matter which side it was going to be on, right or left. I think he's equally proficient at either one. He's just had such a good spring and summer for us that I've got a lot of confidence there. There are just a few times there in pass protection that we got out of our balance just a little bit where we got a little top heavy and our head was out in front of our rear end there."

Pro Football Focus graded Jones as the Bears' worst run blocker in the game at any position but did give him respectable marks as their second-best pass blocker among offensive linemen while hhe faced mostly Malcolm Koonce.

It was the combination of both edge rushes that gave the Bears' passing game fits in the first half and part of the second half. Trapilo did his work on Crosby in the second half when they pulled out the win.

"I mean, you talk about a tough situation," Johnson said. "You get thrown into the fire against a guy like Maxx Crosby. That’s a welcome to the NFL moment right there if there ever is one.  A ton of respect for Crosby. He was the game wrecker we thought he could be early on in that game.

"And so Ozzy didn’t bat an eye. He went out there. He competed his  tail off. You know, I’m sure there’s a couple of plays he would like back but I was really pleased with the way he went out there and I think it’s a good foundational piece for the future for him."

Even so, PFF gave Trapilo the Bears' worst pass blocking mark and Benedet next worst, which wasn't surprising considering the way Crosby looked like the Hulk minus the green.

According to the depth chart, it would most likely be Benedet as Jones' replacement. But depth charts can change. The pass blocking says Benedet has work to do.

"We gotta clean that," Johnson said of Benedet's pass blocking. "But no,I really think he's going to continue to learn. The more reps he gets, the better he's gonna get—him, Ozzy, Braxton, all of them.

"We're just going to continue to ascend that way. Went out thee, competed, didn't bat an eye. Some really good edge rushers there for that particular opponent."

The real key might be getting Wright back to full health. He's the eighth-best run blocker in the league according to PFF, despite playing for a team averaging only 3.8 yards per rush.

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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.