Watch Bears' Braxton Jones annihilate Packers defender on D'Andre Swift TD
The Chicago Bears have had several issues in 2024 with their offensive line at the top of the list. Left tackle Braxton Jones made a point to change that in Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers.
In the third quarter, running back D'Andre Swift broke free for a 39-yard touchdown along the left sideline. However, Swift's run was not the most impressive part of the play. Jones cleared the way for Swift, pulling from his position on the line to pancake Packers safety Evan Williams on the outside.
Jones out-weighs Williams by over 100 pounds and showed off his size on the play. Williams appeared to not see him until it was too late, allowing Jones to humiliate him with a devastating lead block.
After hitting the hole opened up by Jones, Swift shook the Packers' other safety, Xavier McKinney, out of his shoes en route to the end zone. The result of the play frustrated McKinney, who threw his helmet on the sideline and slammed a tablet into the bench.
Swift's score put the Bears back on top of the Packers for the time being. Chicago entered the game as sizeable underdogs in their first game since firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron . The touchdown run gave the Bears a 19-14 lead and recorded the team's most points since Week 6.
Bears' offensive line holding up against Packers
With Jones leading the way, the Bears offensive line has responded well to the criticism they faced in recent weeks with a formidable performance through three quarters in Week 11. After ceding 10 sacks to the New England Patriots in Week 10, Chicago has only allowed Caleb Williams to be taken down once through the first three quarters.
The Packers' pass rush is led by Rashan Gary, who led the team with nine sacks in 2023. However, Week 11 is their first game since trading away Gary's running mate, veteran Preston Smith. Smith had 2.5 sacks on the year before the trade, tied with Gary for second on the team behind nose tackle Devonte Wyatt.
Without Smith, the Packers started former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness at defensive end. Van Ness' inefficiency early in his career has led to a mere 44.7 PFF grade on the year, making him one of the site's lowest-rated edge rushers.
Regardless of the state of Green Bay's defense, the performance from the Bears' offensive line has been encouraging. Williams has also been more consistent in the game than he has been in previous weeks, leading to the team's best offensive performance in a month.
