For just about every film session I’ve been a part of, usually, you end up leaving with the opposite feeling of how you came in. When you come into a film session feeling high and mighty thinking you played great, usually there are some things you end up realizing that need cleaning up and you weren’t perfect.
Often when you come into a film session thinking “This is going to be brutal” you end up leaving with the realization that if you can clean up the little things here and there, the big picture will improve.
That’s how I ended up feeling after watching the Bears OL film from Sunday. There are a lot of basic technique and footwork mistakes that are being made and repeated. That is not ok, that is not acceptable. But at the same time, those are correctable mistakes.
I’m not absolving anyone of their unacceptable performance from Sunday night, but what I am saying is I do think it can be fixed. It’s not as if the Texans were just consistently bigger, faster, stronger, and overpowered the Bears up front (though, sorry Coleman Shelton, that happened to him probably too much). It’s on Chris Morgan to clean up those issues. It’s on the veteran offensive linemen in that huddle to put their foot down and figure it out.
You can make change just to make change, but that usually doesn’t work. It’s very likely that the solution (for this season at least, clearly the offseason will need some issues up front addressed) will have to come from inside that locker room. The Colts game will be a great opportunity to fix some of those glaring issues.
I’ve done my telling and screaming at the TV and computer for the most part, so I’m not going to do that really again here. Let’s get to the tape and break down what happened, at least from my eyes. And again, as always, no one for the most part breaking down film online knows exactly what each assignment is on each play. We can take educated guesses from our experience, but none of us can be perfectly certain.
Play #1
Darnell Wright’s technique atඣ times is regressing, though it’s still VERY e⛄arly on this season
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
Darnell Wright had a fantastic rookie season. It’s early in this one, and the Bears OL has had two very difficult matchups, but so far there hasn’t been quite as much progress as I’d hoped. Having said that, I’m still very high on him long-term.
However, this is just an example of p𓆏oor footwork that results in a play breaking ဣdown.
We have another outside zone here, the DL is just inside of Nate Davis. Davis takes his zone step left, realizes his DL isn’t coming with him, and even slants a bit toward Wright. Correctly, Davis passes his man off without burying him or turning his shoulders and keeps moving onto the second level. Wright is unable to get over there in time because of a bad first step and a bad angle.
This would have been a tough block for Wright to get his head across that defender’s shoulder, but squaring him up and driving him isn’t impossible either. On Wright’s first step, he does not move his left foot. He just picks it up and puts it down. That can’t happen on outside zone. The first step has to gain ground. Wright gains zero ground, so his second step takes him farther upfield than it should. Therefore, the DL is able to get penetration.
Wright’s mistake isn’t why the play doesn’t work, however, if he’s able to at least square that DL up or take a better angle for a drive block, maybe Swift is able to cut it upfield for 2-3 yards instead of being forced outside and losing 2-3 yards.
Play #2
More bad footworꦅk, this time from the left tackle
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
A few plays up, I pointed out Braxton Jones’ good footwork on the wide edge rusher. He took two good kick slides, got himself in position, and from there was capable of handling an outside or an inside move.
The Bears have two backs helping out in protection, one on each side. While there was a backer walking up in between Jenkins and Jones on the left side, judging from everyone’s steps, Jones’ man was always going to be the wide rusher Anderson.
The footwork is similar to the one from a few plays ago but with a couple of subtle differences. First, it’s Will Anderson. If he’s lining up wide, you have to get out there faster, and you have to get depth faster. He’s one of the best edge rushers in football. Faster feet, bigger kick-slides. Knowing who his opponent is, Jones probably has to plan on three kick-slide steps off the snap, especially knowing he has plenty of help inside.
Second, on that second kick-slide, he starts to turn his shoulders a little early – because of the lack of depth. This play might be a bit nitpicky because it was a one-on-one matchup with a top edge rusher in football, but at the same time, better technique results in maybe not him squaring up Anderson perfectly, but at least possibly getting enough of that inside shoulder to run him upfield.
This mistake was nowhere near as egregious as others we saw Sunday night, but it is one from a now-veteran left tackle that should be played better. Also, Travis Homer needs to recognize who is going to need more help as soon as the Texans’ LB drops back into coverage. Right away Jenkins has his man squared up and Anderson is too wide to really run an effective stunt. Get back and help your tackle out on the biggest threat.
Play #3
Mor♐e bad footwork, this time from the left tackle
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
There were a lot of folks up in arms on this play call, and while I don’t agree with it I also don’t think it was executed well at all. It was 3rd and 1, or maybe a short two yards, but I would have liked to see the Bears just give the ball (twice if need be) to Khalil Herbert and try to pick up the short distance.
However, Shane Waldron calls a play-act🌠ion that simulates a TE kick out of the defensive end, wh😼ich is also on Will Anderson.
Now, from what I believe, this isn’t an RPO this is a straight-up play-action given how Caleb doesn’t really simulate a handoff. Cole Kmet’s job, if it’s straight-up play-action, is to cover up Will Anderson and let the throw get out quickly. What Kmet should do once he approaches his man is slow the feet, widen his base, and cover him up. Essentially, you’re playing basketball with him there and just not letting him by.
MORE: Nate Davis Went Viral in Week 2 … For All the Wrong Reasons
It would have been one thing if Anderson was screaming down the line and you have to match his intensity. Anderson saw Braxton Jones block down, so he stepped down with him like most DL are taught. He was reading and reacting, which meant Kmet didn’t have to go a million miles an hour to try and blow him up, he just had to cover him up.
So here, Kmet lowers his head and tries to kick out the DE like it is a run block. Anderson is easily able to sidestep the block because Kmet’s head is down, and it’s an easy sack.
Do I agree that drawing up protections for Cole Kmet to go in motion and pick up Will Anderson one-on-one is probably not the wisest choice? Absolutely. However, Kmet is a more than capable blocker in both the pass and run and his execution is what cost the Bears. It’s not like he did everything perfectly and got beat, he just made life very easy on Will Anderson.
Play #4
Watching them bury themselves in stunt🎃s might be the end of me.
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
Another simple stunt, another example of burying into the drive man. Davis’ man very clearly slants inside off the snap. Coleman Shelton is actually there ready to pick up the drive man, but Davis’ facemask is buried into his side which allows Mario Edwards Jr to come around untouched and sack the quarterback. I know stunts happen fast, but these are day-one mistakes that just keep happening for the Bears.
Play #5
Footwork. Footwork. Footwork.
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
This is another example of a zone scheme with poor footwork, though this appears to be inside zone instead of outside zone. Nate Davis has an outside shade. His aiming point should be the play-side sh🌺oulder of that defensive lineman. While his first step is fine for a double team (assuming he does know Wright is coming down to help), he needs to keep his play-side shoulder and arm free to come off for a backer potentially. Wright and Davis are responsible for the down lineman over them, and #39.
Instead of attacking the outside shoulder, Davis attacks Edwards straight up. Again, Wright doesn’t gain enough ground with his first step which throws off his angle. Wright makes an admirable recovery effort to try and drive Edwards’ hip through the flowing backer, but it’s too late and #39 makes the play.
Just basic technique and footwork probably make this a nice run. Now, D’Andre Swift has the chance to cut this back to the right side, but still, if it’s blocked correctly there’s most certainly a hole right up the middle to hit.
Play #6
Free rushers are never ok, but also this was a veryꦫ tough decision for Jenkins
— Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
So this play I wanted to talk about, not because anyone really did anyt💎hing wrong, but more of an example as to why I think the Bears should avoid empty backfields for a bit.
Pre-snap, the Bears have five offensive linemen to block six defenders. Already, they’re behind the 8-ball. When you don’t have any backfield or TE help, usually that just means all the down linemen are man-on-man. In this case, while #0 is showing blitz, Teven Jenkins can’t leave his man for him, and Coleman Shelton has to account for the LB in the middle first, even if it doesn’t look like he’s showing. Walking up LBs only to drop them back happens all the time, so you can’t just abandon the MLB responsibility and create a hole up the middle.
Could you make the argument that when the three-technique over Jenkins slanted inside, he should have tried passing it off? Maybe? But at the same time, he’s very likely in a man-on-man situation and he doesn’t think he’ll have help from the inside. So yes, he does bury himself in the DL, but that’s just a tough ask altogether. Maybe Shelton can bump Jenkins off quicker, but also if you bail from the middle maybe the MLB comes screaming. It’s a bit of a lose-lose situation there in my opinion.
With the OL struggles, I think the Bears will continue to get a lot of looks like this until Caleb Williams and the receivers start winning one-on-one matchups consistently. Until then, I’d like to see more help for the OL and as few empty looks as possible.
Play #7
More technique issues. Easier said than done, but the RG and RT both punch and grab their man’s shoulders, defender gets hands inside which makes it incredibly difficult to stop momentum — Matthew Rooney (@mrooney23)
This one isn’t the most glaring mistake, and it’s quick protection so the linemen are just trying to more cover up their man. However, the punch/hand placement by Nate Davis and Darnell Wright can be better. It’s a quick hitter, and those two defenders get a little too close for comfort to Caleb.
Both Davis and Wright don’t really even punch with their hands, it’s more just getting hands on the DL’s shoulders which gives them zero power to put a stop to any momentum. It’s easier said than done, and these things happen fast, but the most powerful punch comes with inside hand placement to the numbers, and there you can get hands on the shoulder pads and control your man.
Noꦰt only does that outside hand placement not really provide much power, but it also makes you significantly more susceptible to holding calls being thrown at you.
The good and bad news are the same: The Bears’ mistakes are CORRECTABLE. So be professionals, stop making day-one mistakes, and clean things up in Indy. It’s a much more favorable matchup than last week, and things need to improve.
