The quick turnaround from Sunday to Thursday always gets me thinking about the little things. Part of the reason is because there isn’t much time to dive deep into how to make positive change. But sometimes, it’s as easy as simplifying things and doing the simple stuff better.
So while I want to make grand requests about what I’d like to see from the Bears tonight, I won’t. Instead, I come with a simple request: Block somebody.
If I see this again tonight, I’m jumping through the television set:
9 million guaranteed and a 2nd round pick and combined they can't block ONE guy. Complete waste of resources. pic.twitter.com/uRq3HkevxI
— Brandon Robinson (@BRobNFL) October 6, 2020
It’s inexcusable. Can’t happen. Not from someone with Jimmy Graham’s size. And definitely not from a prospect with Cole Kmet’s pedigree. That sequence above should not have happened. Full stop.
Blocking is as much about skill as it is about technique and effort. There are so many times when an effective block can be delivered by being in the right place and giving a little extra try-hard. Heck, sometimes all it takes is just being in the way for a split second. Do simple better.
And for what it’s worth, the Bears’ offensive line — under the guidance of new position coach Juan Castillo — has performed admirably:
Through 4 games here is the ranking of the Offensive Line Coaches, which is based on offensive performance through 4 games in ‘20 compared to the same rankings in ‘19. Great job by the @Browns! pic.twitter.com/gWlL4etasU
— Mike Tannenbaum (@RealTannenbaum) October 8, 2020
Castillo’s crew is off to a strong start. Admittedly, Sunday’s performance against the Colts was a step back. And things won’t get any easier against the Buccaneers tonight. But speaking objectively, Chicago’s blockers have performed better than expected and are far better than what they showed last year. Now comes the hard part in sustaining their success.