Ben Johnson was clear on Friday: Not every job is safe.
“Each week, we evaluate everybody on the roster,” he said two days before the Chicago Bears took on the Dallas Cowboys.
This answer came when he was asked about the offensive line.
The Bears’ offensive trenches have been under a microscope in the early goings of the season. Penalties, a four-sack game allowed vs. the Lions and a run game that’s been a non-starter led to a question about how the Bears are evaluating the offensive line.
Johnson reiterated what he said before the season began.
“If a guy’s playing well, we let them know that and say that they’re playing winning football for us,” Johnson said. “If guys aren’t doing well, then we have to look into how we help them and put them in a better spot to succeed. Or, do we need to get somebody else in there? That’s a conversation that we have for every player on the roster.”
Still, the general feeling around the Bears’ locker room this week wasn’t low. Although the urgency is there with a 0-2 team, morale wasn’t dismal.
On the offensive line, there’s a clearer focus on where the starting five can improve going into the third week of the season. Like the other parts of this offense, the offensive line is staying patient as it comes together entering Week 3, even as the constant evaluations are ongoing.
“We’re doing the things necessary to continue to improve that,” Bears center Drew Dalman said. “Our minds are at ease as far as like, there’s nothing else left that we could be doing.”
Big picture view:
Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar has a clear eye on where his offensive line is.
Of all the linemen on his starting five, left guard Joe Thuney has been the most solid, which isn’t a shock considering his status as a consensus and consistent All-Pro player.
Roushar spoke about how both his tackles – Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright – need to be more consistent. Wright has his moments of fundamental brilliance, where he centers himself and throws his hands when he’s in his slide, but he needs to make that consistent.
Thuney is the most consistent lineman. Roushar wants to see that across the rest of his starters.
That doesn’t mean improvements aren’t there, or that there isn’t a solid base to work with. Roushar said right guard Jonah Jackson improved from Week 1 to Week 2. Dalman has been consistent in identifying defenses.
“I’ve really liked Drew with what he’s done in terms of declaring our mike points and getting us where we’re going,” Roushar said.
Still, the Bears need to improve. Roushar has specifics to go one, such as a moment during the Lions game he used as a teaching point for Dalman.
“The other day we gave up a pressure when he’s in the slide,” Roushar said. “Then, he starts to do too much and he goes back to help to the right side when Joe’s right there and he shouldn’t have left.”
Dalman sees that as a way to improve his preparation.
“It’s more a failure of inaccurate anticipation,” Dalman said. “For stuff like that, better preparation can lead to me making better decisions in those situations.”
What gives the Bears confidence is that their to-do list is in front of them. They know what facets of their game they have to improve. After all, the coaches have been blunt about replacing players if improvement isn’t consistent enough.
Before the season, Johnson said the bye week was a moment where the Bears could revisit a starting lineup if they needed. That’s now two weeks away.
For the offensive line, Dalman said the challenge isn’t coming together as a complete unit. That’s because the challenges they face weekly will change as their opponents change.
“We might do better this next week, but then there will always be new things that you can improve on,” Dalman said. “I don’t think there’s like a stage where you reach where you’re like everything is fully coalesced and it’s all smooth now.”
What’s next:
This week, the Bears get a chance to attain the consistency the coaches are looking for. The Bears have seen the flashes of success in each of their starting five linemen.
Those flashes mean they can get there. Staying there is the next step.
It’s why the Bears’ offensive line fits into a team locker room that had high energy and raised spirits. There’s no point in showing critical concern, especially when the Bears are doing what they need to do to improve.
“I think more than anything, worrying doesn’t really do anything for us,” Dalman said. “If you were really worried and you were trying to fix it, you would practice every day, you would meet every day and you would hang out every day, which is what we’re doing anyway.”
With the Cowboys in town, the offensive line will face another challenge. In Week 1, it was a consistent barrage of blitzing. In Week 2, it was a defense that had a consistent mix of the two. This week, the Cowboys’ defense features zone coverage schemes that have been inconsistent through two weeks.
The Bears’ offensive line could find success this week. The Eagles and Giants have in their own way. After that, the Raiders are the next test. Then, the bye week.
Whether changes come to the Bears’ offensive line remains to be seen. Right now, the line is patiently working to correct early season miscues. That patience can lead to bigger and better things once each individual hits their stride.
“Harder and harder challenges will become possible,” Dalman said. “Then, that will test new rules and kind of push us further.”