Chicago Bears Sackwatch: Week 12 vs Green Bay Packers

Every week I'll break down the sacks allowed by the Chicago Bears in my Sackwatch series and I'll keep a running team and individual total. This week they only allowed 1 sack agaisnt the Green Bay Packers and I'll dissect the play right here.

Think back to the week one meeting between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. The Bears only allowed 2 sacks to the Packers that day, but I gave 1.5 of them to new Chicago right tackle Kyle Long. Long, who was making his first ever start at the position, had his hands full with Julius Peppers all day.

Besides the 1 and a half sacks, Peppers also had 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 2 quarterback hits back in their week one match-up. But during last weeks game, Peppers only had one lonely tackle.

I seem to remember Peppers saying something along the lines of "He's not ready," during their week one game. I wonder if Peppers thinks Long is ready now?

Sackwatch after 11 games
2010 - 41 Martz
2011 - 27 Martz
2012 - 35 Tice
2013 - 17 Trestman
2014 - 27 Trestman
2015 - 19 Gase

The 2015 Bears are hanging with the 2013 Trestman pace. That year the Bears allowed the 4th least sacks with 30, and so far this season the Bears are tied for 8th.

Now let's get down to the Nitty Gritty...

Sack 19 - Third Quarter 11:05 Quinten Rollins
Charles Leno Jr. has been much better than expected this season at left tackle for the Bears, but on this sack he's simply fooled. By alignment, both Leno and left guard Matt Slauson should have been cognizant of the three Packers lined up outside Leno.

Even though Green Bay defensive backs Quinten Rollins (#24) and Sam Shields (#37) appear to be lined up in a press man situation with the Bears Jeremy Langford and Marc Mariani respectively, they are both in a common blitzing position. On a 3rd and 11, with an empty backfield, the Bears have to expect Packer defensive coordinator Dom Capers to dial up a blitz. With the Green Bay linebackers 5 yards off the line of scrimmage, there are four immediate threats to the Bears. The three defenders lined up across the line and Rollins.

The Bears kept tight end Zach Miller in to block on the right side, so if the Packers had sent the linebackers, the Bears were ready with C, RG, RT and TE to pick it up.

Green Bay sends both DBs on the blitz off the Bears left side and they aren't ready.

When #96 Mike Neal crosses Leno's face to the inside, he has to pass him off to Slauson a bit quicker than he did. And by quicker, I mean immediately. Leno's problem wasn't his inside glance, it was with his footwork. If he doesn't step inside, he probably has the angle to cut off Rollins. Eventually Leno will be experienced enough to trust his guard and stay with the edge rusher, especially with the pre-snap look Green Bay gives.

The Bears were running a rub route to get Marani open, but with Chicago needing 11 yards for a 1st down, Cutler probably wanted to give his wide out another step or two before unloading the ball. But unfortunately he has pressure as soon as he sets to throw.

Cutler probably could have sprinted out to the right, but he knew he had Langford open in the flat with Shields also blitzing. If he could have spun away from Rollins he probably would have hit Langford. It was just a bang-bang play and the Pack got the sack.

Earlier this morning former Bears scout Greg Gabriel was on WSCR in Chicago, and he said one of the things he likes about Leno was that he never makes the same mistake twice. I'll bet the next time Leno has a similar pre-snap look, he takes a better angle with his kick-step to cut off the blitzer.

Here's how I have the Sackwatch after 11 games.

Charles Leno Jr. - 4.33
Sacks Happen - 4
Kyle Long - 3.34
Vlad Ducasse - 2.33
Matt Slauson - 1.5
Jermon Bushrod - 1
Patrick Omameh - 1
Hroniss Grasu - .5
Matt Forte - .5
Jay Cutler - .5

What are your thoughts on the Sackwatch this week?