Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2016 1:27:45 GMT -6
Bears vs. Texans 2016: Chicago's offensive tackles will be key to game
Aug 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA;
By: Bryan Perez | 14 hours ago
The Chicago Bears have made several moves along their offensive line this offseason with the most notable coming just a week ago with the signing of All-Pro guard Josh Sitton after he was unexpectedly released from the Green Bay Packers.
Back in March, the Bears made another move to strengthen the play of their line with the signing of right tackle Bobby Massie, who started 30 games over the last two seasons for the Arizona Cardinals.
One position that was left untouched by Chicago was left tackle, where Charles Leno, Jr. returns for a second season as the starter despite his oftentimes below-average play in 2015.
In Week 1 versus Houston, both players will be challenged by the Texans’ formidable edge rushers.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Texans recorded 15 sacks from the right side of their pass rush, ranking second-best behind the defending champion Denver Broncos.
While J.J. Watt gets most of the attention in Houston, the Texans have other strong pass rushers on the roster, too. Whitney Mercilus had nine of those 15 sacks, the most for a single 3-4 outside linebacker rushing from the right side. The Texans will be going up against Chicago in their season opener, a team that looks good in terms of interior O-line, but has more questionable play from their tackles. Both Charles Leno, Jr. and Bobby Massie were among the top 20 tackles in pressures allowed last season, with over 40 each. Tackles are the weak point of the Chicago offense, and Houston is in position to attack there.
New Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains will be tested in his first game as the team’s play-caller. Chicago has to go run-heavy versus Houston to have any chance at slowing the pass rush down. Cutler, especially, will need the run game to click early so the play action game can work effectively to give him the extra half-second needed to throw.
If the Bears fall behind in this game and the Texans are able to pin their ears back and get after Cutler, it’s going to be a long day for No. 6. In fact, he might not even finish the game. It’s that much of a mismatch on the edge.
Despite the pessimism, Leno, Jr. has a chance to quickly elevate his reputation as a quality starter if he puts together a good game. The Bears have expressed confidence in the third-year pro’s ability to take the leap to the next tier of offensive linemen this season. We’ll see if the confidence is justified.
Massie, on the other hand, has a lot of bad pass-protection film already on his resume. He’s an asset in the run game, but he’s never going to be an elite tackle in the passing game. I’d expect him to get a lot of help from the tight ends and running backs in passing situations.
For the Bears to have any chance at winning the game, the offensive tackles have to at least slow the pass rush. If not, it’s going to be a long, long day in Houston.
