Left tackle J’Marcus Webb once again becomes part of the difficult decisions the Bears must make Monday night when they face the Dallas Cowboys.
Schematically, the Bears must pick when they choose to provide help for Webb, who squares off against Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. If the Bears operate out of max protection on most passing downs, they can’t send as many receivers out on routes. If they decide to leave Webb in one-on-one situations, the Bears run a greater risk of Ware coming off the edge and sacking Jay Cutler, which potentially could lead to turnovers.
Offensive coordinator Mike Tice has already said the Bears can’t always provide help for Webb. So the club needs to be smart about when it chooses to provide assistance, meaning details such as field position and down and distance will come into play.
Having already run out of chances, Webb could be pulled from the starting lineup if he performs poorly. That’s another difficult decision head coach Lovie Smith or Tice will have to make.
That decision becomes more difficult because the Bears don’t have many alternatives on the roster. The Bears could decide to insert Chris Williams for Webb, or it could opt for Jonathan Scott, who was added on Sept. 10, and has started 28 games throughout his career at both left and right tackle with the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s unknown whether the staff feels comfortable with Scott, who has been with the team for fewer than three weeks. So if the Bears decide to make a switch at left tackle, Williams would seem to be the most likely option.