Holding the line: Bears were solid blocking in run game, but must improve pass rush
Before closing the book on the 2022-23 campaign, let's take a moment to acknowledge the fact that these Bears broke the franchise's single-season rushing record.
That's certainly no small feat - and came in large part to Justin Fields' feet.
The lightning-fast QB racked up 1,143 of the Bears' 3,014 yards on the ground. Fields showed an uncanny ability to bust out of the pocket and make defenders look silly as they tried in vain to pursue him, but he also picked up massive chunks of yardage on designed runs.
Meanwhile, tailbacks David Montgomery (801) and Khalil Herbert (731) combined for 1,532 yards.
None of this would have been possible without solid blocking, so it was hardly surprising to hear GM Ryan Poles heap praise upon on his big men during his season-ending news conference at Halas Hall on Tuesday.
"The run game stuff was outstanding," Poles said. "(The offensive line) did a good job. I talked earlier about putting guys in positions to succeed; I thought Teven (Jenkins) was successful moving to guard. That was fun to see him go through that."
Indeed, Jenkins made quantum leaps after dealing with trade rumors and missing weeks of training camp practices. Rookie Braxton Jones also took huge strides and played 100% of the snaps this season, an incredible feat for a fifth-round pick.
"I was proud of Braxton," Poles said. "He's got a long ways to go to reach his ceiling but ... not many people look at the schedule for a player who goes into the off-season,
"Senior Bowl, combine, comes in as a fifth-round pick, battles through camp, gets a spot and then plays every single snap. That's an accomplishment right there. That tells me he's wired right."
On the flip side, Poles knows the line was subpar in pass protection. Fields and the Broncos' Russell Wilson, who both missed two games, were the most-sacked QBs in the league (55). The Vikings' Kirk Cousins (46), the Seahawks' Geno Smith (46) and the Giants' Daniel Jones (44) rounded out the top five.
Some of the blame for Fields' number can be attributed to his weak receiving corps. When a QB drops back and can't find anyone open for three, four, five or six seconds, he is going to go down.
Still, the line could have done a much better job creating consistent pockets.
Looking forward, the Bears have Jones and Alex Leatherwood signed through 2026; Larry Borom, Cody Whitehair and Jenkins signed through 2025; and Lucas Patrick signed through next season. Doug Kramer and Ja'Tyre Carter could also be in the mix.
It's not a terrible group, but is one that desperately needs more reliable pass protectors. Poles figures to bring guys in that can help in this area, but he's also hoping to see improvement from Jenkins and Jones. It would also help if Patrick stays healthy.
Finally, let's acknowledge how much veteran Riley Reiff brought to the table. The 34-year-old was on a one-year contract and is unlikely to return, but the young players will benefit from his expertise for years to come.
"That guy did more than a lot of people think for that O-line room and the mentality," Poles said. "He's a reason why we ran the ball so well. We finished. We had an attitude. We had an identity and that's because of guys like him."
By the numbers
The Bears set a record for most rushing yards in season with 3,014. Here were the top eight rushers:
Player Yards
Justin Fields 1,143
David Montgomery 801
Khalil Herert 731
Velus Jones Jr. 103
Darrynton Evans 64
Trestan Ebner 54
Equanimeous St. Brown 54
Dante Pettis 37
Here were the top eight contributors from the 1984 squad that now sits in second place with 2,974 rushing yards:
Player Yards
Walter Payton 1,684
Matt Suhey 424
Jim McMahon 276
Calvin Thomas 186
Rusty Lisch 121
Steve Fuller 89
Dennis Gentry 79
Donald Jordan 70