A year ago, the Chicago Bears gave up an NFL-high 68 sacks. Today, the numbers behind their offensive line turnaround are staggering:
- Tied for fourth in the NFL in sacks allowed (17)
- 73% pass block win rate (No. 1 in the NFL)
- 73% run block win rate (No. 5 in the NFL)
And just this past week against Pittsburgh, the offensive line had an 85% pass block win rate (second highest mark of the season) and a 22% pressure rate allowed (lowest Caleb Williams has faced all year).
For context, Williams went 1-of-6 for 4 yards under pressure, but all three of his touchdown passes came from clean pockets.
Against a Steelers defense that entered the week with 33 sacks, Chicago allowed just two total pressures, zero sacks, and zero quarterback hits over 37 pass plays.
The performance pushed the Bears’ offensive line up to No. 4 in PFF’s Week 13 rankings. Head coach Ben Johnson didn’t hide how much it meant.
“Was really proud about the pass pro,” Johnson said. “That’s a really good unit, their front is, in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback. I thought across the board, for most of that game, our guys kept them as at bay as I had seen on tape so far this year.”
Rookies Deliver Under Pressure
GettyChicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson
What made the dominance even more striking was who was on the field
With Braxton Jones on IR and Theo Benedet ruled out late in the week, rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo made his first career start at left tackle.
And across 65 snaps, he allowed only a single pressure, locking down his side against a front that entered the week with a league-leading 145 pass rush wins.
Johnson praised the rookie’s maturity and execution:
“Credit to Ozzy for stepping up,” Johnson said. “Having not played a lot of ball yet this year, he played a really solid game. I thought it was really good.”
“He didn’t miss a beat here. Communication was really good between him and [left guard] Joe [Thuney] … Just the full understanding of the game plan and what we’re trying to get done, it’s a great start for him to build on.”
But Trapilo wasn’t the only young lineman thrust into action.
Sixth-round rookie Luke Newman logged 22 snaps at right guard while Jonah Jackson was momentarily sidelined with an eye injury, giving Chicago two fresh faces in the trenches against T.J. Watt and one of the NFL’s most aggressive fronts.
Why the Transformation Happened So Fast
GettyChicago Bears Offensive Line
When Ben Johnson arrived, he didn’t take long to make changes to Chicago’s offensive line.
The Bears landed elite interior pieces in Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, added a stabilizing anchor in center Drew Dalman, and invested premium draft capital in versatile, high-ceiling rookies.
But according to Johnson, the biggest catalyst isn’t star power, it’s cohesion.
“More than anything, it’s probably just the gelling of those guys.”
“They certainly understand the schemes that we’re running at a higher level,” he added. “We do try to help out sometimes with our backs or our receivers or our tight ends, whether it’s presence or chips and nudges… But I think the communication aspect is at a high level.”
Chicago doesn’t just look like a top-tier offensive line. The advanced analytics reveal they are one.
And for a franchise long defined by instability at quarterback and inconsistency up front, this might be the clearest sign yet that the Bears’ rebuild is finally being built the right way, starting from the inside out.
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