Chicago Bears offensive line could catch break vs Panthers

The Carolina Panthers defensive line may not be healthy, which would benefit the Chicago Bears offensive line

We have learned pretty quickly into the 2020 season that the Chicago Bears offensive line is average. When they play weaker pass rushers, they are good. When they face tougher defensive lines, they struggle. They are average.

So, when looking at the Chicago Bears performance each week, it is easy to assume that the opponent helps dictate their success. The Carolina Panthers defensive line has been average as it is. However, it was fair to say that it was trending in the right direction. That could be until this week, though.

Early practice reports have listed Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos on the sidelines. Burns left the game on Sunday with a concussion while Gross-Matson has an ankle injury. These are not known names yet in the NFL community, but draft followers know that Burns was a first-round pick and Gross-Matos was gone not long after.

Burns is entering year two and was starting to string together big games. Overall, he leads the Panthers with 15 pressures, three hits, and two sacks. Gross-Matos is second on the team in pressures with eight. The duo has 23 of the team’s 62 total pressures according to PFF. They are relying heavily on their young studs, and may not see either on Sunday.

Stephen Weatherly and Efe Obada would slide into bigger roles. This would be a much lighter task for Charles Leno and Bobby Massie.

Beyond that, Kawaan Short is out for the season. He was helping on the interior, and now the line will rely on Zach Kerr, Derrick Brown, and Bravvion Roy. Kerr is a rotational veteran, while Brown and Roy are rookies.

Roy was a light round pick and a nose tackle who does not move too well. Whitehair struggled with Grover Stewart, who is a pure nose as well, but Stewart is an experienced veteran. Whitehair should be fine against Roy.

Derrick Brown was a top ten pick and has been thrown into the fire early. He has shown flashes, but you can find him on the ground more often than you can find him wrapping up running backs early into his career.

A line of Roy, Brown, Gross-Matos, and Burns sounds scary in a year or two. For now, it is up and coming, and on Sunday, it maybe half of what they want it to be. If the Panthers do miss this many bodies on Sunday, the line has to take advantage.