6 thoughts following the Chicago Bears 27-17 loss to Tampa Bay Bucs

4. The offensive line continued to struggle and got the worst news possible.

So far, the investment made by Ryan Poles on offensive line has not panned out. We all know by now about the personal stuff that Nate Davis had been dealing with off the field. We can all hope that Davis finds peace and he is mentally and physically ready to play soon.

Meanwhile, the center position has been a constant problem even after parting ways with Sam Mustipher. Instead, Poles decided to stick with holdovers Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick while adding veteran center/guard Dan Feeney before the start of the season. Feeney’s first snap exchange with Justin Fields in the Tampa Bay game was a fumble. Poles could have drafted a young center like John Michael Schmitz and solidified the position. Instead, the decision to stick with veterans made this unit even worse as they gave up six sacks in Tampa Bay, and a total of ten sacks in two games already.  

Meanwhile, both tackles struggled mightily through the first two games. Left tackle Braxton Jones committed 4 penalties (2 false starts and holdings each) against the Packers and 2 penalties (false starts and holdings consecutively). He has already committed half of his total penalties from last season in just two games.

https://twitter.com/SwiftyNetwork/status/1703479928145031439

As for rookie Darnell Wright he has held his own through his first two games though he has admitted he has made his share of rookie mistakes.

https://bearstalk.com/bears-rookie-darnell-wright-offers-honest-assessment-of-his-first-two-games/

And then, somehow the news of Braxton Jones going on IR with a neck injury the same day Alan Williams abruptly resigned got overshadowed. This news though, is much more significant because this injury not only hurts his development, but the Bears will likely have to invest one of their first-round picks in a left tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft rather than selecting mid to late-round tackles like Jamarcus Webb, Charles Leno, and Jones.