clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2016: Week 12 vs Tennessee Titans

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 didn’t allow any to the Tennessee Titans so I’ll go over some interesting numbers.

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
Tennesee Titans v Chicago Bears Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

I was expecting the worst with Ted Larsen and Eric Kush filling in at guard, and with Matt Barkley under center for the Chicago Bears. The status of right tackle Bobby Massie was also in question last week, meaning Chicago could have had Mike Adams out there after he allowed 2.5 sacks the previous week.

Chicago’s pass protection has been really odd this season, in the six games started by Brian Hoyer or Matt Barkley, the Bears have allowed only 5 sacks. In the five games started by Jay Cutler the Bears have allowed 17 sacks. Some of this is the talent the Bears were facing, and some of it is the scheme by offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, but that’s just a really weird stat.

Cutler does hold onto the ball a little longer than Hoyer does, partly because the gameplan is designed with shorter passes in mind for the dinker and dunker Hoyer, but also because Cutler tries to keep plays alive much longer, which leads to more sacks. It will be interesting to see if the scheme they use with Barkley leads to longer developing plays.

I was asked via Twitter if Cutler simply had more passing attempts that skewed the sack totals, so I dug up the sack percentage.

In Barkley’s 1 start, he had 54 pass attempts.

In the 4 games Hoyer started and finished, he averaged 44 passing attempts per game.

In the 4 games that Cutler started finished, he only averaged 30 passing attempts per game.

What do you guys feel is the leading contributor to the variance in sacks allowed this year?

Sackwatch after 11 games

2010 - 41 Martz
2011 - 27 Martz
2012 - 35 Tice
2013 - 17 Trestman
2014 - 27 Trestman
2015 - 19 Gase
2016 - 22 - Loggains

On the season Chicago ranks 12th with a 5.1 sack percentage and they are tied for 10th fewest sacks allowed with 22. So overall the pass protection has been solid this year.

Here’s how I have the individual Sackwatch after eleven games.

Jay Cutler - 5
Charles Leno - 3.5
Sacks Happen - 3
Mike Adams - 2.5
Brian Hoyer - 2
Bobbie Massie - 2
Cody Whitehair - 1.5
Logan Paulsen - 1
Ted Larsen - 1
Jeremy Langford - .5

What are your thoughts on the Sackwatch so far?

Next Up In News