Bears vs. Giants Preseason Game May Not Be a Fair Judge of the Offensive Line
Published by Brett Solesky on August 22, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Apparently the only thing that matters in this Friday’s Bears vs. Giants preseason game is how well the Bears’ offensive line does in pass protection against the formidable New York pass rush.
There’s a problem with putting all your eggs in one basket and then drawing season-long conclusions about how good or bad the offensive line will be, as it’s a preseason game. Not only is it a preseason game, but it’s a game that’s guaranteed to disappoint the fanbase.
The Giants ARE GOING TO GET PRESSURE ON JAY CUTLER.
There is absolutely no way around it—their defensive line is better than Chicago’s offensive line by a long shot.
The Giants have probably one of the best pass-rushing defensive lines in the NFL, and to put a mandate on how the Bears’ offensive line must perform against such a formidable unit is asinine.
Why? This unit got pressure on Tom Brady throughout the Super Bowl; it’s how they won the game. The Patriots‘ offensive line last year was one of the best pass-protecting units in the NFL, and Brady knows how to get the ball out quickly.
In that game the Giants’ four-man front got eight hits and two sacks on Brady. The Patriots’ offensive line, according to the Football Outsiders Almanac, was the eighth best pass-protecting unit in the NFL last year.
This means that the Giants’ four-man rush pretty much dominated one of the best O-lines in the NFL on the biggest stage in the world.
What will likely happen is their offensive line will bring the heat against the Bears, and chances are the Bears are not equipped to stop it.
This offensive line is not equipped to handle such talent even if they are improved from last year. Someday perhaps this unit will be able to better protect Cutler, but the likelihood they are vastly improved from last year with the same basic people is not good.
After the offensive line is exposed, in the same way the Giants’ defensive line has exposed each and every offensive line they’ve faced, Bears fans need to control their rush to judgment.
Lastly, the Bears’ offensive line will still need to be able to handle blitz-heavy defenses. Even more key than being able to handle a talented four-man rush is being able to keep Cutler upright against blitz-heavy teams.
The Bears were the most blitzed team in the NFL last year (also according to FOA), and having that type of cohesion among the five won’t be discovered in this game.
There is absolutely no reason to draw any sort of major conclusions from one preseason game going up against arguably the most formidable pass-rushing defensive line in the NFL.
Doing so will only serve to cause undo outrage and panic that will only become the focus of what could be an otherwise magical season.
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