Even though it was an uneven performance by the Chicago Bears on Sunday, they were able to head into the bye week with two straight wins and a 2-2 record. Considering the schedule and the way the team has played so far, not too many Bears fans will be upset about the team's record after four weeks.
While some will feel as if they got away with one against the Raiders, there were plenty of positives to take away. Perhaps the biggest one was the shakeup in the offensive line that turned the game around and slowed Maxx Crosby down. The fact that the turnaround happened immediately after Ozzy Trapilo entered the game shouldn't be seen as a coincidence by the Bears' coaching staff.
Ozzy Trapilo Likely Earned More Snaps After Bye Week
After the game, head coach Ben Johnson discussed why he felt like finally giving the rookie a chance. Johnson said that despite knowing that Trapilo was going to get some snaps, he saw that "we were just at the point where we weren't doing a whole lot on offense and we felt like that might give a little spark and ignite us on offense," per CHGO Bears on X.
Johnson's plan of using Trapilo as a spark plug clearly worked as Crosby was a non-factor in the second half after completely overwhelming Chicago's offensive line in the first. The Bears were finally able to get their offense going after halftime and came away with the win.
Trapilo will almost certainly get more of a look from now on, but whether he has done enough to earn a starting role is another question. The second-round pick took over at right tackle as Theo Benedet moved to left after Braxton Jones got benched on Sunday. Yet, that lineup may not work once Darnell Wright returns from his injury absence following the bye week. Plus, is Ben Johnson really ready to bench Jones for good? That may also be a difficult decision to make this early in the season.
The organization clearly expects big things from Trapilo. A second-round investment is a significant one, and sooner rather than later, the team will want to see the fruits of their investment in action.
Trapilo has some experience at left tackle from his Boston College days, and maybe the coaching staff can use the bye week to get him more practice reps as an option there. Even if Benedet may seem like he is ahead of Trapilo in the pecking order, that is not expected to sustain, especially after he finished the Raiders game as the worst-graded offensive player with 38.7 for the Bears in Week 4. How long it will take for Trapilo to be the full-time starter will be one of the more fascinating storylines to follow in Chicago.