Bears continue their O-line shuffle
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Because of Matt Slauson's season-ending chest injury, Michael Ola and Jordan Mills alternated between left guard and right tackle last week during practice — which didn't seem to make sense on the surface.
Mills started the first 23 games of his NFL career at right tackle before missing the last game with a foot injury. Ola, an NFL rookie who played two seasons in the Canadian Football League, started Games 2-4 at left guard when Matt Slauson was out with a sprained ankle.
The shuffle also was done with the knowledge that top O-line backup Eben Britton would be unavailable against the Packers because he was still recovering from an appendectomy, and Brian de la Puente also got some first-team snaps at left guard.
“The most important thing is we set ourselves up to win the game,” said Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer. “If that requires someone moving positions, it's important that they understand that what's best for the team is best for him.
“Usually with an offensive lineman, they feel that anyway. You have some apprehension when you have to move to a different position when you're comfortable with one. But guys usually will move wherever you want because that's the kind of guys they usually are.”
Mills was back at his customary right tackle spot Sunday night with Ola at left guard. But Mills left in the second quarter with a rib injury, so Ola moved to right tackle with de la Puente taking over at left guard.
Team effort:
In the first meeting in Week Four, Packers wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb each topped 100 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. They combined for 17 receptions and 221 yards.
Bears coach Marc Trestman said during the week that containing them requires a full-team effort, which the Bears did not get in a blowout loss.
“You put your hands on guys, (and) the pass rush has got to be a factor because you can only hold up so long,” Trestman said. “It's not just what the corners are doing or what the nickel (corner) is doing or what the safeties are doing, it's complementing that with the pass rush that can force the quarterback to get rid of the ball quicker, so we don't have to hold up as long.
“That's the ebb and flow, that's the give and take of playing zone or man and mixing it up to create some disruption with footwork, with decision-making and so forth.”
None of it worked, as Nelson had 5 catches for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first 18 minutes of the game.
Run for it:
Matt Forte went over 100 rushing yards in each of his previous three games against the Packers, averaging 5.2 yards per carry (69 carries, 357 yards) with 3 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 150 yards (10.7-yard average) and another TD.
But Sunday night he carried four times for 6 yards in the first quarter and didn't get his fifth carry until the Bears trailed 28-0.
Making moves:
Tight end Blake Annen was promoted from the practice squad to the the 53-man roster when guard Matt Slauson (chest) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Annen, who will wear No. 84, was inactive vs. the Packers. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles this year out of Cincinnati. The 6-foot-4, 247-pounder had 19 career receptions for 218 yards in four seasons with the Bearcats.
Other inactives Sunday night were linebackers Khaseem Greene, Darryl Sharption (hamstring), DeDe Lattimore, guard-tackle Eben Britton (appendectomy), defensive end David Bass and cornerback Terrance Mitchell.
Extra points:
The Bears and Lovie Smith's 1-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only NFL teams without a home victory this year. ... Bears defensive end Jared Allen had 16 sacks in his previous 13 games against the Packers. In just three previous games against the Packers, linebacker Shea McClellin had 4½ of his 7½ career sacks. Neither one got to Aaron Rodgers on Sunday night.