Theo Benedet was a forgotten backup when training camp started in late July. Two months later, he has replaced Braxton Jones as the team’s starting left tackle going into the big rematch against the Washington Commanders. Nobody saw it coming. While the idea that Jones might not survive as the starter this season, Benedet was not at the top of the list of plausible replacements. Those were Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo, the Bears’ two high draft picks from the past two years. It left people curious how that happened.
The simple answer is that Benedet excelled at something specific that the Bears needed. Center Drew Dalman told the Marquee Sports Network that many of the problems with the team’s rushing attack stem from the offensive line.
“It’s certainly no one thing,” center Drew Dalman said in an interview with Marquee Sports Network. “That would be a much easier fix, if it were just one issue and we could work on that. There are many facets to the run game, and we need to be 10 percent better at all of them. That’s a closer summation of the issue…
…As an offensive line, we need to do a better job creating removal, playing with more consistent technique, playing in a way that’s cohesive and responding to what the defense is doing,” he said. “That’s how I view it. What can we do better?”
How does Benedet factor into those comments? Shortly after, the article suggested that the second-year man would be a boost for the running game. It proved to be his strength in college and the preseason two months ago.
One fault can destroy a run and make it inefficient, which is a sticking point for those operating it. A move to Theo Benedet at left tackle should help the rushing operation overall, but it’s no quick fix.
Theo Benedet certainly can’t be worse.
For all the talk about Jones’ struggles this season in pass protection, it was his run-blocking that was a real issue. He had the lowest rating of all offensive linemen on the team and one of the lowest for any starting NFL offensive lineman. Olin Kreutz mentioned last week that Jones had three missed assignments in the game against Las Vegas alone. Keep in mind, he didn’t even play the entire first half. That should give you an idea of why Ben Johnson finally benched him.
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Nobody is saying Theo Benedet will solve all the problems, but there is a feeling that he should at least be better than Jones. That shouldn’t be difficult after what the Bears saw through the first four games. Benedet is tough, physical, violent, and by all accounts a smart and detailed player. If he can elevate the run-blocking even to a level of average, things should improve considerably.