Every week, we’re digging into the trenches, offense and defense, because that’s where the real action happens. This installment, we’re shining a spotlight on the offensive line, who’s holding it down, who’s opening holes for the running backs, and who’s keeping Dak Prescott clean. Let’s get to it.
Left Tackle
Tyler Guyton
2025 Stats: 150 Total Snaps, 102 Pass Blocks, 9 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 2 Penalties
The headline threat this week for Tyler Guyton is Montez Sweat coming off the edge. Sweat hasn’t cashed
big sack totals yet, but he’s still the Bears’ most explosive rusher and biggest threat to Guyton. Chicago’s pass rush has been quiet to start the season with just three sacks, nine QB hits, and a 20.8% pressure rate, which ranks 28th.
What that means for Guyton is he gets a theoretically friendly matchup this week. Chicago’s pass rush has been quiet, so he can play calm and trust his technique instead of rushing into mistakes.
This is also a good week to let the run game set the tone and lean into Guyton’s run blocking. When tackles get movement and seal the edge, Chicago’s front can lose contain. Early outside zone will let Guyton fire off the ball, land first hands, and climb to the second level. A few clean first downs on the ground will make Sweat think run first, slowing his get-off when it’s time to throw.
So what does Guyton need to watch here? Inside counters and twists. The Bears’ best pressures often come from movement, so Guyton doesn’t want to overset the outside. As long as Guyton stays patient in pass pro, win with length, and help the run game stay on schedule he should have a solid day.
Left Guard
Tyler Smith
2025 Stats: 150 Total snaps, 102 Pass Blocks, 3 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 1 Penalty
Riding into Week 3, Smith gets a matchup that definitely suits his game. Chicago’s pass rush has been more bark than bite so far, and that lets a powerful left guard play on schedule instead of in survival mode. On the inside, Chicago rolls out Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett like a two-song playlist. Dexter brings the fast tempo upfield, Jarrett hits you with the crafty remix and slick hands, Smith is built for both tracks. With a cement-truck anchor and heavy mitts, he can sit on the bull rush, re-center the pocket, and give Dak a clean ladder to climb. Keep his inside hip spotless, and those Bears interior moves turn from highlights into humdrum stalemates.
The ground game is where Smith can flex here. When teams hit Chicago downhill with purpose, seams appear. Stack those early combos and suddenly play-action has teeth and the Bears run stopping loses on every level. With Smith’s torque on doubles and his knack for sealing the B-gap, Dallas can script a steady diet of second-and-shorts, right where the Bears feel the least comfy.
Center
Brock Hoffman
2025 Stats: 16 Total Snaps, 10 Pass Blocks, 0 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 0 Sacks, 0 Penalties
Ignoring the fact Cooper Beebe will miss time with a high ankle sprain, let’s key in on the positives here. Hoffman’s superpower is turning traffic into timing. He’s a clean communicator, which matters against a front that likes to shade, slant, and walk linebackers into the A-gaps. If he sets the points early and keeps the calls crisp, Dallas can live in the plays it wants. That rhythm sets up play-action and keeps the pocket on schedule.
Now the cautions. The offensive line loses cohesion this week with a new line formation. Chicago loves to use late movement along with nose slants paired with a twisting end, that dares centers to turn their shoulders. Hoffman has to stay patient, keep his hips square, and make sure he communicates. Watch the snap operation, too. If crowd noise becomes a factor being on the road and the cadence goes quiet, the timing window tightens. A beat early or late and those interior games look faster than they are. Hoffman is the key this week on the offensive line and a lot of how the rest of the line performs hinges on how he manages the game this week.
Right Guard
Tyler Booker
2025 Stats: 150 Total snaps, 102 Pass Blocks, 6 Pressures, 2 QB Hits, 1 Sacks, 0 Penalties
Booker’s calling card is power with control. He rolls off the ball with real displacement and keeps his pads down, which is exactly how you dent a front that lives on slants and quick hands. When he locks in on defenders the line moves on his timeline. He should be excellent on combos this week. Pair his torque with Hoffman and you get doubles that actually travel defenders and the linebackers have to fit late which in time tires them out and demoralizes them. if Booker wins early in the run, the Bears’ edges hesitate and Dak’s launch point stays clean for play-action.
In pass pro, Booker’s length and anchor play out here. His best answer this week is make the inside defensive tackles run through his chest, not around it. That means play with a little more finesse and stay away from lunging.
Booker can be the tone-setter this week in the run game, calm in protection, and ruthless on doubles. If he protects his inside hip and keeps the hands disciplined, the right side becomes a conveyor belt, not a construction zone.
Right Tackle
Terence Steele
2025 Stats: 150 Total snaps, 102 Pass Blocks, 6 Pressures, 0 QB Hits, 1 Sacks, 0 Penalties
Steele’s superpower is functional strength. Chicago wants to win with speed-to-power off the edge and slants inside, Steele is perfectly built to sit down on that. When he plays square with a firm base, he turns the Chicago pass rush into a stalemate and gives Dak a clean ladder to climb. In the run game, he’s looking to control outside zone, collapse the end, and suddenly second-and-four will come with regularity.
Chicago loves baiting tackles wide, then spiking the tackle inside. This means Steele needs to keep the inside half clean and strike with independent hands. If loses half a step, has to reset, then start to reach things could go bad for him. Also mind the snap operation, if the cadence goes silent on the road, he needs to be early with his eyes, not his feet. False starts and holds are Chicago’s best friends.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott
Dak can make life easier up front by playing on schedule and changing the picture. Get the ball out with accuracy and use play-action to bait defenders to make them second guess, that gives his offensive tackles more time to hold up the pass rush. Use cadence as a weapon and hard counts, freezes, and tempo to slow the rush and bait freebies. Build in chip help calls to show aggression, plus a couple of draws and screens to punish overaggression, and decisive kill checks will do more for protection than any hero throw.
