The Chicago Bears offensive line knows a lot of the upcoming season rests on their shoulders. They have a rookie quarterback to protect. Caleb Williams is talented but can’t be expected to get the ball out fast all the time. It falls on them to give him solid blocking and also avoid costly penalties. That latter part became more difficult this season since the NFL made a change to its rules involving illegal formations on offense. In this case, they are putting much greater emphasis on offensive tackles not getting away with lining up too deep in the backfield. The Baltimore Ravens found that out the hard way in Kansas City, as they were flagged multiple times. Left tackle Braxton Jones took careful note of that.
He admitted to Courtney Cronin of ESPN that it has forced him and Darnell Wright to pay closer attention to their alignment on every snap. Such penalties can quickly kill drives.
“I definitely saw that. I watched that and I saw Baltimore’s tackles – they’re a little more upright in their stance. I think they just had to maybe lean forward just a little bit. That’s all that was. I saw that he said they were using him [Ronnie Stanley] as an example and I felt the same way. Three of them in a row or whatever it was, it was excessive. It’s definitely something to look at and me and Darnell [Wright] are definitely looking at, making sure that we’re good going into our game.”
The rule dictates that tackles’ helmets must line up with the center’s waste. If they drift further back, it’s a penalty. The NFL seems to think such tactics give blockers an unfair advantage. Pre-snap penalties were a problem for the Bears last season. Jones knows they must be disciplined about this.
What people have overlooked about him is how much more fundamentally sound he’s become since his rookie year. While he may not have the best anchor against power rushers, he’s rarely caught off guard by any fancy moves defenders try to pull. That comes from his work ethic and discipline. The fact that he is already aware of the rule and its potential impact and is studying ways to make sure it doesn’t hurt the team is a great sign of his maturity. It also reflects on how well-coached the group is.
One could say it’s a good thing the Bears suffered from pre-snap issues for the first half of training camp. It was false starts, illegal formations, and snap problems. Some were concerned that the offensive line lacked focus. However, the issues virtually disappeared by the end of last month. Braxton Jones and Wright were great in the preseason, allowing only one pressure between them. If that carries over into the regular season, the Bears offense is in great shape.
