Chicago Bears cannot rely on Jimmy Graham in this area
The Chicago Bears cannot use Jimy Graham as a run blocker
We all know what Jimmy Graham is. It is fair to say the Chicago Bears know what they have in Jimmy Graham as well. Graham is a not a blocker, the Chicago Bears have not asked him to be one either, at least not often.
However, to maintain his ability as a tight end, he has to do it every once in a while. By week he has been asked to block on 24, 19, 18, and 14 snaps according to PFF. The Bears have only asked him to block for 18 snaps per game, and that number is going down. Last year, Graham was a blocker for 19 snaps per game.
However, while Graham has had some pleasant surprises n the passing game, his blocking ability is a reminder why teams like Green Bay and Seattle have moved on.
On the first play of the game, you can see that he is tasked with sealing the backside against Justin Houston. However, Graham dives, and Houston steps right over him. To highlight his failure, David Montgomery cut back and did not have a lane thanks to Graham.
Another example is the play below where Graham is looking to pull across the line and once again seal off the back end. He fails to be more than a speed bump for Justin Houston again, who makes the tackle.
Those only get exposed if your offensive line does not get an initial push. He is never going to win these battles, though.
0verall, Graham was asked to run block n eight snaps, and the defenders he was tasked with blocking made the tackle on four of them.
This is not what Graham is signed for. He is behind Demetrius Harris in run-blocking snaps. His declining role as a blocker is highlighted by this. Still, Cole Kmet only had 10 snaps as a blocker. Is he that much worse than Graham as a blocker? Do they want to make it a tell that when Graham is off of the field, they are running the ball?
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The big plays in the red zone, and jumping over players is the highs of Graham, and those are impactful. Being one-dimensional and not just a zero, but negative in the blocking game does subtract from the value he brings though. The Bears will have to find the right combination and usage of Graham, Kmet, and Harris, and have to get Graham blocking less than 18 snaps per game.