Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE
The Chicago Bears offensive line surrendered seven sacks to the Green Bay Packers in last Thursday’s loss. While Quarterback Jay Cutler and his group of Wide Receivers could be blamed for some of those sacks, the offensive line did overall have a horrible game. One of the main culprits is Left Tackle J’Marcus Webb, who might have single-handedly helped put Clay Matthews in the Pro Bowl.
This is Webb’s second year at the starting LT position. The same problems he came in the league with (bad footwork, hand technique, and mental lapses) are still there in his third season in the NFL. This past Thursday, Webb was simply out-played by Matthews and was proven to still have trouble with speed rushers.
Offensive coordinator Mike Tice is enamored with Webb’s attributes at 6’7″, 333 pounds. He has prototypical elite LT size, but still lacks proper technique and has too many mental lapses to develop into one.
So what can the Bears do about the problem they have at LT? The first name that will come up is Chris Williams, who just this past month lost the training camp battle with Webb. Williams proved in preseason that he is just as bad if not worse than Webb out there. If Williams makes his way back into the starting line-up, it would more than likely be at Left Guard for the struggling Chris Spencer.
The Bears can always try newly signed veteran Jonathan Scott there, but he’s likely not up to speed with the playbook yet, so can’t be trusted at that position. Right Tackle Gabe Carimi has LT experience, having played the position in college, but he himself is having a hard time on the right side with pass rushers.
Whoever ends up playing at LT for the Bears, Tice will have to scheme to not put that player in a position to fail. Against the Packers, Tice left Webb out there on an island with an elite pass rusher when it was clear he needed help. That simply cannot happen again no matter who is starting at LT.
