Emma: Kyle Long Handled Tough Tackle Debut As Best He Could
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In his Bears career, Kyle Long has been a standup guy and locker room leader.
On Monday, Long again showed why. The two-time Pro Bowl guard stood before the media at pointed the thumb at himself for a rough debut at right tackle in Chicago's season-opening 31-23 loss to Green Bay at Soldier Field.
"On a personal level, there were too many things that went wrong in my performance," Long said.
Added Bears coach John Fox: "I thought it was a mixed bag."
To no surprise, Long looked the part at tackle. He stands at a robust 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds, a physical force on the offensive line.
Issues for Long's debut came in the form of Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and so many other Packers who lined up in the vicinity of his right tackle spot, attempting to take Long out of his element. Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Capers clearly had no uncertainty who was playing right tackle for the Bears, despite Fox's greatest attempts to conceal it during the week.
"I'm fresh blood in the water," Long said. "They want to see what the deal is. I embrace the challenge."
Sunday was surely a challenge for Long. Pro Football Focus graded Long -- who allowed a sack and four hurries -- to a -2.7 score. By comparison, he scored a +12.1 in 2014, earning his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl.
Any positives he made Sunday were unfortunately overshadowed by the mistakes. His greatest gaffe came on fourth-and-goal with about eight minutes remaining and Chicago trailing 24-16. Long's right side of the line was blown up by a Green Bay blitz, and quarterback Jay Cutler couldn't make a the strong throw needed. The Bears came up empty.
Sticking to form, Long took the blame -- "That's my guy" -- in a humble tone. He understands that it will get better, and there shouldn't be any doubt of that. But what should be questioned is how Fox handled this move.
Fox wavered when it seemed clear that Jordan Mills wasn't the answer at right tackle. He experimented with Charles Leno before the second preseason game in Indianapolis -- four full weeks before the regular season -- and that failed, too. Long had played right tackle during OTAs in May and seemed to be the best option, but the Bears progressed with Long at right guard.
Rather than making a move that seemed so obvious, Fox waited until the final week of the preseason to try Long at right tackle (rotating with Leno), when it was far too late to get valuable game-like simulation of the exhibitions. Surely, Long could've benefited from playing right tackle in scrimmages with the Colts, then some more during the two preseason games to follow, one of which would've included three quarters against the aggressive Bengals defense.
Week 1 was well past deadline for making the final decision, because it forced Long into an undesirable spot. He had no game-simulated seasoning against an opposing defense. This was like taking training wheels off a bike and riding on Lake Shore Drive.
"I'm not going to sit here and complain about it," Long said. "I'm going to move forward and try to be the best player I can be."
Such an answer can be expected of Long, whose maturity shines through, even in adversity. Long was pressed into a tough situation -- in part because of his coach's miscalculation -- but gave everything he could and then didn't make any excuses.
Long will likely make the move to left tackle in time -- and be very rich as a result -- but for now, this Bears team needs him on the right side, and he's a team-first guy. Long just wants to win, and he can work toward that by learning from a rough debut with a positive demeanor.
"The great thing is we get to play (the Packers) again and we get to play the Cardinals this week," he said. "I get the opportunity to improve and not make the same mistakes."
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.