The protection the Bears' offensive line provided quarterback Jay Cutler in the season-opening, 23-14, loss to the Texans wasn't very impressive, but there is reason for optimism.

Cutler was sacked five times and hit so hard and so often that, after the game, he admitted: “I don't feel great.” He quickly added: “I'll bounce back pretty quickly, though.”

The Bears are counting on the same type of rebound from an offensive line that had a major shakeup just six days before the opener.

Pro Bowler Josh Sitton, the former Packer, started at left guard after signing as a free agent the previous Sunday night. He had just one week to learn the offense and to mesh with his line mates, who included rookie Cody Whitehair. The second-round draft pick from Kansas State ceded his spot to Sitton and was transplanted to center, where he had almost no practice time before the opening week.

“I think he did pretty remarkable,” Bears coach John Fox said of the nine-year veteran Sitton, “especially on the road, silent count, all the things that go into playing in an indoor, noisy stadium on foreign soil. He did an outstanding job, and he’ll just get better. He’s everything as advertised.”

Whitehair had his struggles, including a bungled exchange with Cutler that led to a failed quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 at the Texans' 31-yard line that left points on the field.

rue to form, the diligent Whitehair accepted the blame.

“That's the type of guy he is,” Cutler said. “He's a team guy. The game means a lot to him.”

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Whitehair is certain to benefit down the road from being bookended by Sitton and right guard Kyle Long, who have three Pro Bowl appearances apiece.

“It's great,” Whitehair said. “Josh brings the experience. He's a smart player, and he's where he needs to be at all times.”

The rookie had the extra challenge of making the line calls, in addition to the presence of Vince Wilfork. The mammoth nose tackle had three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt on one side and 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick, Jadeveon Clowney, on the other.

“(That's) a pretty talented front,” Fox said. “They’ve been together, they obviously have created some havoc over the last few years. All-in-all, we got our quarterback hit more than we’d like. We need to clean that up, and I think we will.”

As the O-line continues to jell, it should be better at handling stunts that veteran defensive fronts utilize to their advantage, as the Texans demonstrated. But despite being cobbled together at the last minute, the Bears' front did a better job run-blocking than it would appear from the stats.

The Bears had 73 yards on 20 rushing attempts, a 3.7-yard average. Starter Jeremy Langford (57 yards on 17 carries, 3.4-yard average) admitted he left some yards on the field, and Fox agreed.

“I think we blocked up some runs pretty well,” the coach said. “That's not an easy defense to run against, but I think there were some yards there, yards after contact that we can get, and I'm sure that's what (Langford) was referring to.”

Of the five sacks the Bears allowed, four came in the second half. That's when the Texans got more creative with their pass rushes and they grabbed the lead, which forced the Bears into more obvious passing situations.

“Those struggles occurred more in the second half,” Fox said, “especially when you get into backyard football, where you've got to throw it to catch up. Whenever you get one-dimensional like that, it's problematic for most anybody.”

With more time together, Sitton's talent and experience and Whitehair's on-the-job training, the Bears' O-line expects to do a better job of solving its problems in the future.