Brian De La Puente Has Proven He Deserves to Be the Bears’ Starting Center
Published by Matt Eurich on September 17, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
After starting 44 of 48 regular-season games from 2011 through 2013 for the New Orleans Saints, center Brian de la Puente found himself looking for a job this offseason.
Despite already having veteran Roberto Garza in place at center, the Chicago Bears signed de la Puente to a one-year deal for the 2014 season.
Prior to this season, de la Puente finished as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-highest graded center over the past three seasons, via Pro Football Focus’ Pete Damilatis:
The Bears were adamant the job was still Garza’s, and an injury to de la Puente in the preseason foiled any opportunities he would have to try and unseat the 14-year veteran.
He entered the regular season as the No. 2 center, but after Garza went down with an injury in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, de la Puente has proven in the past two weeks he deserves to remain as the team’s starter once Garza returns from his high ankle sprain.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), de la Puente currently sits as the second-highest graded center in the NFL with a plus-5.4 grade.
His former offensive line coach in New Orleans, and current offensive coordinator in Chicago, Aaron Kromer, knew de la Puente would be unfazed when he entered in relief of Garza in Week 1.
“He showed up as a practice squad player in New Orleans, and he was a calm, kind of an ice-man player,” Kromer said, via Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. “When he goes in the game, nothing fazes him. He doesn’t get affected by things mentally. When you have that attribute, it allows you to just focus on your job.”
He did not waste any time against Buffalo proving he is comfortable in the Bears’ system.
On a 2nd-and-3 in the third quarter in Week 1, Buffalo’s Brandon Spikes crept down in the box and came at de la Puente on a blitz:
He picked up the blitz perfectly and drove Spikes to his left:
Spikes was able to spin and work his way up field before de la Puente was able to seal him to the outside and help open up an inside hole for running back Matt Forte to pick up a first down:
Not only has de la Puente shown an ability to make an impact in the running game, he has also shown off his athleticism in pass protection, particularly on screen passes.
Against Buffalo on a 1st-and-10, the Bears ran a screen play with Forte to the left of the formation. De la Puente‘s responsibility was to snap the football and get into the second level:
He showed off his speed and athleticism by getting to the second level and, tripping up Bills linebacker Keith Rivers, which enabled Forte to pick up 18-yards on the play:
De la Puente‘s easy transition can be attributed to him reuniting with Kromer, something he knows is rare in this league.
‘‘The opportunity to get back with a coach that you’ve had a lot of success with is unique in this business,’’ de la Puente said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘Lucky for me, it’s a similar offense that I’ve been in the last few years.’’
Between 2011 and 2012, while playing under Kromer, who was then New Orleans offensive line coach, de la Puente improved to become one of the league’s top centers, via Pro Football Focus (subscription required):
Without Kromer, who had moved on to take the Bears coordinator position, de la Puente‘s grade in 2013 dropped to a 5.8, but he maintained his ability to be a dominant force in the screen game, finishing the season tied for sixth among centers with a 1.5 grade.
On the flip side, Garza finished last season with a higher overall grade with a 9.1 mark, but his screen grade of minus-0.5 left him tied for 26th.
At 35 years of age, Garza simply does not possess the speed and athleticism to get to the outside like de la Puente.
Before his injury in Week 1 against Buffalo, Garza was already receiving criticism for his play, evident by these tweets from 670 The Score’s Dan Bernstein and Bleacher Report Radio’s Jason Goff:
While it does not seem fair that Garza could lose his job due to injury and one poor performance, de la Puente has shown in roughly six quarters that his smarts and athleticism are an upgrade. With an offense relient on explosive plays and athleticism up front, de la Puente has proven he deserves to remain as the team’s starter at center, even when Garza returns healthy.
Statistical information provided via NFL.com and Pro Football Focus.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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