Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2017: Week 14 vs Cincinnati Bengals

Only two sacks allowed to breakdown for the Chicago Bears this week, but the overall Sackwatch is still trending higher than we’d like to see. With three games to go, the Bears will really need to tighten up their pass protection if they don’t want their highest sacks allowed since 2012.

Sackwatch after 13 games

2010 - 47 Martz
2011 - 38 Martz
2012 - 38 Tice
2013 - 22 Trestman
2014 - 30 Trestman
2015 - 23 Gase
2016 - 24 Loggains
2017 - 31 - Loggains

Sack 30 - Second Quarter :22 - Michael Johnson
With around thirty seconds left in the half I was shocked that head coach John Fox was going to let his offense try and get another score before the half. Has he done that at all this season?

This is what the big boy offenses do, so hopefully this is what happens these last three games. Regardless if it works or not, it’s valuable experience for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

On this sack, the Bengals run a twist inside with Michael Johnson (#90) and Carlos Dunlap (#90). Johnson lined up a yard off the ball, so the Bears should have been wary that something was awry. Right guard Tom Compton locked on his guy (Dunlap) so aggressively, that he drove him down the line into his center, Cody Whitehair. It was Whitehair’s job to pick up the stunting Johnson, but he was caught up in the traffic.

Compton probably could have been in position to get Johnson, but I’m not sure he was expecting Johnson to cross all the way over to his B-gap.

Benny Cunningham actually passes Johnson on his way out of the backfield, but as soon as he sees that the Bengals are only rushing four, his job is to get through and become a receiver. Trubisky tired to spin out of trouble, but Johnson had a bead on him.

This is just one of those sacks that happen.

Sack 31 - Third Quarter 13:29 - Michael Johnson
Johnson picked up the daily double, but this time he was rushing off of Chicago’s left edge. This was a play action off of the read option fake, which means the Bengal getting optioned was Johnson. Left tackle Charles Leno squuzes down to give the illusion that this is a read option and it’s up to Jordan Howard to block the defensive end.

I’m not a fan of small on big blocking, but that’s what has to happen to sell this particular play. Had Trubisky rolled to his left (which would have really sold the read option) he would have had time to throw. Him dropping straight back is by design, and if Howard makes his block, Trubisky would have had time to throw.

This sack is on Howard.

Let’s go to the individual Sackwatch through 13 games

Sacks Happen - 9
Mitchell Trubisky - 4
Charles Leno - 3.5
Bobby Massie - 3
Mike Glennon - 2
Josh Sitton - 2
Hroniss Grasu - 1.5
Jordan Howard - 1.5
Kyle Long - 1
Cody Whitehair - 1
Benny Cunningham - 1
Bradley Sowell - 1
Zach Miller - .5