6 thoughts following the Chicago Bears 25-20 loss to the Eagles
Chicago Bears Thought No. 3: Offensive line was a major letdown
The offensive line had a rough game as they could not handle the twists and stunts up front by the Eagles’ defensive line. They gave up six sacks and multiple pressures throughout the game. It got to a point where many people on Twitter were asking if Justin Fields should be playing at all.
Two players who stood out are Cody Whitehair and Alex Leatherwood. Leatherwood finally made his debut two weeks ago against the Packers. I wrote in my previous article about Leatherwood showing some promise on ten snaps while rotating with veteran Riley Reiff and should be given more opportunities the rest of this season to determine if he can be one of the key contributors that the Bears can count on in 2023.
Unfortunately, he failed miserably. He played three consecutive series and a total of 17 snaps. In the last two series, he was beaten badly by Haasan Reddick. He did not return to the field after that. Looks like the Bears probably have to add a proven veteran RT like Jack Conklin or Elgton Jenkins in free agency this offseason.
Meanwhile, Cody Whitehair was constantly abused by the Eagles’ defensive line and could not handle their stunts and twists. By all accounts, he gave up three sacks in the first half alone. This game made him look like he regressed a lot and was clueless.
However, reports came out that he suffered a significant knee injury during the game, which perhaps explains why he gave up three sacks on Sunday. He could miss significant time.
Per @thekapman, Cody Whitehair hurt his knee in the game yesterday, and he could miss some time with what Kap says is a "significant" injury. #Bears #NFL https://t.co/ch9VkTRJXG
— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (@wiltfongjr) December 20, 2022
As for Teven Jenkins, it looked very scary when he was face-down in pain on the opening drive. Considering he missed significant time with a back injury as a rookie last year, there was every reason to fear the worst.
Fortunately, Matt Eberflus offered more encouraging news on his status after the game, though it is premature to determine his availability. My hope is that he will be given enough time to heal and if he’s cleared to play again this season, he will finish strong.