Durkin: Offensive Line Shuffles For Both Bears, Packers
By Dan Durkin-
(CBS) Heading into Sunday night's game, both the Bears and Packers are dealing with injuries along the offensive line.
The Bears will play without left guard Matt Slauson, their best run blocker, and Eben Britton, who is frequently used as the Bears' sixth offensive lineman in jumbo sets.
Bears coach Marc Trestman previously mentioned Jordan Mills could be in the mix to play left guard in place of Slauson, but that won't be the case against the Packers.
"We're going to go with Jordan (Mills) at (right) tackle and play Mike (Ola) inside (at left guard)," Trestman said. "We think that's in the best interest of our team right now. Michael's moved around, Jordan's been at that position for a long time. He's healthy and ready to go and has played well. So, that's the way we will go."
In their first game against the Packers, the Bears' running game got on track, piling up 235 yards for an average of 5.7 yards per attempt. The Bears attacked the Packers with inside traps and zone plays, so Ola will play a critical role in getting movement at the line of scrimmage.
The Bears use six offensive linemen more than any team in the league, with Britton filling that role. Against the Packers, that job will be handed over to rookie seventh-round draft pick Charles Leno Jr.
"Charles Leno will be in a position to handle that, so we'll move him into that position," Trestman said. "He'll be up. So that shouldn't take away some of the things we're doing in that regard."
The Packers are uncertain about the availability of their top two guards -- left guard Josh Sitton and right guard T.J. Lang -- who are both listed as questionable.
A second-team All Pro in 2013, Sitton is dealing with a torn ligament in his left big toe, while Lang is dealing with an ankle injury. Both were able to complete Friday's workout, per Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy.
"They both completed it," McCarthy said, according to Packers.com. "The workload they were asked to do, they exceeded it. That part went well. Their evaluation tomorrow is the next step we have to get through."
Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @djdurkin.
