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Bears' O-line should see improvement from Week 1

How much difference can one week make?

For the interior of the Bears' offensive line, a lot.

Right guard Kyle Long, left guard Josh Sitton and center Cody Whitehair are in much better places than they were on opening day.

"He didn't practice in two weeks," Bears coach John Fox said of Long, who was still limited in practice the week before the opener, even after his two-week absence because of a shoulder injury. "We signed a guy (Sitton) that hadn't been on our team except for that week, and you use a guy at center (Whitehair) that had never started there before - as a rookie. (Considering) the combination of all those things, hopefully we'll improve this week."

The Bears have come to count on Long's excellence, which should remain a constant, but the progress from the newest members, Sitton and Whitehair, will determine how much the O-line can improve.

Quarterback Jay Cutler stands to benefit as much as anyone from a more in-sync middle of the line. It starts with Whitehair getting the ball into Cutler's hands. That was a problem on just one snap last week, but it loomed large because it led to a failed fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak in the Bears' 23-14 loss to the Texans.

But it's a hurdle cleared.

"Once you get over that first game, get over that hump, you know what to expect," Cutler said of Whitehair's indoctrination. "You get into a little bit of a routine, the nerves die down a little bit."

Whitehair's second game is Monday night's nationally televised clash with the Philadelphia Eagles, which offers its own challenge. Cutler believes the second-round pick is up to it.

"He battled last week, and he's been really good in practice," Cutler said. "He owns everything he does out there, which is fun to watch."

Fox doesn't deny that, at times, Whitehair looked like an inexperienced player in Houston. But he also saw improvement from a rookie who never started a game at center for Kansas State and hardly took a snap there in training camp and the preseason.

"There were a couple (pass) sets that looked like a rookie, or first time (player) at the center position," Fox said. "But even in that game you saw growth and development. So I look for him just to continue to get better every day in practice and every game in the season."

The greatest assets Whitehair possesses as he deals with the challenges of the NFL and the transition to a new position are the teammates who bracket him - Long and Sitton. Both have made the Pro Bowl three times, and in Long's case he's 3-for-3.

"Your supporting cast is always critical, regardless of what position you play," Fox said. "There is experience around him (and) that helps. Whether it's in practice and their communication or in meetings. The offensive line might be the most communicative position there is."

Sitton has had a chance to take a deep breath after last week's cram session to learn the playbook after signing as a free agent, so he'll have more opportunities to share his nine years of experience with Whitehair and the offense.

"He's really smart," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. "He's very quickly becoming a veteran leader on our team, especially in the offensive line room. He's very patient. It's the best thing that Cody Whitehair has going for him is playing between those two guards."

Cutler says Sitton brings the experience and leadership expected from a decorated veteran player but also intangibles and a unique perspective.

"You can't teach some of the stuff that he knows and some of the little nuances (he has) coming from a really good offense in Green Bay," Cutler said. "He's able to give us some ideas of what they did and what's worked well for him, and he's not afraid to voice his opinions, which is good."

The way Sitton stepped in on opening day with less than a week to prepare earned him instant credibility, especially on an O-line that was forced to change on the fly.

"It's unbelievable," Cutler said. "To come in here and have to play that quickly and play as well as he did, it's a testament to how good of a player he is, how hard he studies and how important it is to him."

The Bears believe the offense will only improve as Sitton and Whitehair grow more comfortable in their new roles.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

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