Welcome to another season of Sackwatch! My 16th year writing this weekly in-season column! Shout-out to WCG O.G. Kev H. for suggesting I write it to show that not every sack allowed deserves fans screaming at the offensive linemen. Back then, there wasn’t a sacks-are-a-quarterback-stat discourse or much understanding among fans of how nuanced an offense’s pass protection was.
Back then, it was: Jay Cutler is sacked, blame J’Marcus Webb!
Okay, fine, Webb deserved his fair share of blame, but not when
Cutler took a 7-step drop, worked through a few reads, stepped up, scrambled around, then ran into Webb’s guy, who shook free once Jay tried to sneak past.
Pass protection is the five big guys working together up front, with the tight ends and running backs also playing a part. Sometimes that part is a chip to redirect, and other times it’s being locked up on a defender. It’s also the quarterback knowing where every possible pressure could come from, who is responsible for it, and when no one is, that responsibility falls on him to either evade it or, more likely, hit his hot read.
The wide receivers, backs, or tight ends in the pattern need to know when they are the hot read and whether they need to deviate from the called play and be ready sooner for the ball.
The offensive play caller needs to know when his tackle has a hard time with a speedy EDGE that he better get him some help on occasion.
And sometimes the opposition just has the perfect play called at the right time to beat an offense, because the defense gets paid to make plays too.
The Chicago Bears allowed 2 sacks to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, so let’s take a closer look at what happened.
- SACK 1: 2nd Quarter: 1-10-CHI 20 (2:31) (Shotgun) C.Williams sacked at CHI 14 for -6 yards (J.Phillips)
This looked like a zone read, but I think it was a play-action pass all the way. Panthers’ outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (#5) was lined up outside tight end Cole Kmet, and after one step with Cole, he fired across towards Caleb Williams. The hope is the playside EDGE on this call is influenced by the play action, but Phillips played pass all the way, so he either read it or keyed on something in prep that had him ready when he saw this look.
My guess is that Kmet was the clear out, and they were going to hit TE3 Sam Roush coming under the line and popping out into the right flat. But Phillips was on Caleb so fast, taking away the throwing window, so the right play was to protect the ball and brace for the sack. Good call by the Panthers and good play by Phillips, so this is a sacks happen.
- SACK 2: 3rd Quarter: 3-7-CHI 23 (12:09) (Shotgun) C.Williams sacked at CHI 21 for -2 yards (P.Umanmielen)
Outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen (#3) cleaned up the play, but it was a right-place, right-time sack as Williams ran into him after the spin. What forced him into scramble mode was the stunt in front of him.
Chicago center Garrett Bradbury stayed with Carolina defensive tackle Derrick Brown (#95) too long, and also turned his shoulders too far, creating a gap. He was in no position to pick up the stunting Devin Lloyd (#55) coming back around. Brown quickly crossed Bradbury’s face into the opposite A-gap and set a pick on right guard Jonah Jackson, giving Lloyd a free run.
Had Bradbury not opened up so much, he may have been able to get Lloyd, so this one is on him.
Here’s the individual Sackwatch tally after one week:
Garrett Bradbury – 1
Sacks happen – 1
And here are the total Bears sacks allowed in Week 1, going all the way back to the Mike Martz era:
2010 Sacks – 4 (Martz)
2011 Sacks – 5 (Martz)
2012 Sacks – 2 (Tice)
2013 Sacks – 0 (Trestman)
2014 Sacks – 2 (Trestman)
2015 Sacks – 2 (Gase)
2016 Sacks – 5 (Loggains)
2017 Sacks – 4 (Loggains)
2018 Sacks – 4 (Nagy)
2019 Sacks – 5 (Nagy)
2020 Sacks – 1 (Nagy)
2021 Sacks – 3 (Nagy)
2022 Sacks – 2 (Getsy)
2023 Sacks – 4 (Getsy)
2024 Sacks – 2 (Waldron)
2025 Sacks – 2 (Johnson)
2026 Sacks – 2 (Johnson)
