In light of having five out of their top-six offensive linemen either dealing with injuries or in the process of recovery, the Chicago Bears confronted a challenging decision leading up to the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field.
The dilemma centered on whether to deploy quarterback Justin Fields behind an untested offensive line, risking potential setbacks to the offense’s progress for the regular season, or to keep him on the sidelines and risk entering Week 1 with insufficient momentum.
Ultimately, Option A was chosen.
Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus declared on Thursday that Fields, along with other healthy starters, will participate in specific snaps during the upcoming game against the Bills.
Eberflus and the coaching staff took into account the state of the offensive line when making this determination. Despite the offensive line’s challenges, the Bears recognized the immense value of in-game repetitions, particularly after Fields and the starters were withheld from the second preseason game.
When questioned about the decision to play Fields, Eberflus responded, “Game, get him in the game, get him game experience in there… to get him the game feel. He obviously has game experience, but we just want to be able to do that with the unit.”
Among the Bears’ starting offensive line, left tackle Braxton Jones is the sole member in good health. Left guard Teven Jenkins is recovering from a leg injury and might be sidelined well into September. In Jenkins’ absence, the Bears shifted starting center Cody Whitehair to left guard. Whitehair, who injured his hand during joint practices with the Colts, has been practicing with a wrap on his hand. Right guard Nate Davis returned last week but missed some practices due to his ongoing recovery. Right tackle Darnell Wright sustained an ankle injury and has been absent from recent practices. Reserve lineman Lucas Patrick also returned to practice recently but remains listed as “day to day.”
Considering the offensive line’s predicament, Fields will likely find himself with an offensive line comprising Jones, either Whitehair or Alex Leatherwood, Doug Krame, Ja’Tyre Carter, and Larry Borom on Saturday.
Buffalo Bills’ coach Sean McDermott confirmed that his starters will play, presenting a challenge for the makeshift Bears’ offensive line to protect Fields effectively.
While opting to keep Fields on the bench would have been justifiable given the offensive line’s circumstances, the Bears’ coaching staff, after identifying a range of execution, detail, and precision issues within the offense last week, believe that game reps are crucial to ironing out these challenges.
Eberflus explained that the main objective for Fields in the finale is “Getting the reps in the game… being able to function with his teammates and with his receivers, the offensive line and tight ends. Just to get that efficiency down, if it’s for a short period of time or a longer period of time, just for that time.”
Last preseason, the Bears played Fields and the first-team offense for the entire first half in the final game. However, it’s unlikely that a similar scenario will unfold this time.
In terms of how much playing time Fields will receive, Eberflus stated, “I would look at everything there… the depth chart, the people available, where we are as an offense, where we are as a defense relative to scheme, and all that needs to be looked at to make that decision.”
With the Green Bay Packers’ kickoff just 17 days away, Fields and the first-team offense require live action to establish a rhythm following a somewhat uneven training camp. The Bears are convinced that practice on the training grounds alone won’t suffice to address the challenges that have arisen during camp. Consequently, Fields will take the field against the Bills, with the Bears placing their trust in the offensive line’s resilience and recognizing the significance of time on the field before the regular season.