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The Chicago Bears have finally decided they have seen enough of Sam Mutsipher as their starting center.
According to Bears sideline reporter Mark Grote, Chicago is planning to start veteran Lucas Patrick in place of Mustipher at center against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 7. The Bears will also move Michael Schofield over to left guard to cover for the injured Cody Whitehair, while Braxton Jones (left tackle) Teven Jenkins (right guard) and Larry Borom (right tackle) will all remain at their spots.
Mustipher has been one of the roughest spots of the Bears’ below-average offensive line through the first six games of the 2022 season. According to Pro Football Focus, he has only allowed one sack and 10 pressures in that span, but the tape of him getting regularly bodied by opposing defenders tells a much bleaker story about his play. Mustipher has also made a few key mistakes snapping the ball, including plunking his quarterback in the chest with a snap while he was stepping up to call an audible.
Now, the Bears will see if Patrick can give them a boost at the center position. He was originally expected to slot into the role when the Bears signed him back in March after he played both guard and center for the Green Bay Packers over the past few seasons, but he broke his hand early in training camp and forced Chicago to pump the breaks on any plans involving him snapping the ball. While he has missed no games thus far, he has played all 259 of his snaps at either left or right guard.
The Bears will kick off against the Patriots at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Patrick Was Steady at Center for the Packers in 2021
The Packers found themselves in a bit of a crisis in 2021 when second-round pick Josh Myers — who had been drafted to take over for All-Pro Corey Linsley as their starting center — suffered a knee injury in Week 6 that caused him to miss the next 10 games. What could have developed into a major problem for the Packers, though, turned out to be salvageable due to Patrick and his high-level versatility.
Over 822 snaps at center, Patrick allowed just one total sack and kept the pocket mostly clean for his quarterbacks. His worst game of the season saw him yield four pressures and three quarterback hits in Week 9 against Kansas City, but it is worth noting that he was protecting a less-decisive Jordan Love instead of Aaron Rodgers that week.
“When he’s playing with confidence, he can be an elite player at center,” Rodgers said last season, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “I really believe that.”
The Bears will have to believe, too, considering they have no other viable options to consider if Patrick cannot get the job done. The good news is that Luke Getsy — who coached Patrick in Green Bay — is well-versed in his capabilities and should have a good idea about how he can put Patrick in a position to succeed with Fields.
Patrick Seeking ‘Higher Level’ of Play for Bears
While it had become obvious that Mustipher needed to be benched, Patrick hasn’t always given the Bears a reason to feel confident in their switch to him. He allowed a season-high six pressures and four quarterback hurries in Week 6’s loss to Washington and has already given up more sacks in 2022 (two) than last season for the Packers. Even on a relatively affordable contract, Patrick is not getting the job done well enough for the Bears up to this point — and he understands that heading into Week 7.
“I personally need to be better for this team,” Patrick told reporters after Thursday’s practice on October 20, via 670 The Score. “What I was brought in here to do and perform, I have not been playing to my standard, point blank. Just trying to work at it. I do commend this offense for how we work day in and day out, week in and week out. There’s a ton of juice and practice and so much want-to. There’s a lot of things we’re doing right. Sometimes, breaks don’t come your way.
“It’s a different approach, but there’s no excuses in this game. If I’m in there playing, the guy I’m going against doesn’t care. Whether I’ve had 1,000 snaps, one snap, playing left, right, whatever, I have to perform. I’m going to work at performing at a higher level.”
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