Anybody with eyes and common sense can see something is broken with the Chicago Bears offense. When you score 27 combined points across three games, it is a problem. Sure, you can blame the rookie quarterback. You can blame the banged-up offensive line. However, the Bears still have an assortment of talented weapons at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. It should not look this bad. When it does, the only explanation left is coaching. That rests at the feet of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
He arrived earlier this year with a solid pedigree. He'd spent years as an assistant under Sean McVay and delivered three solid seasons as a coordinator in Seattle. As it turns out, the Seahawks might've masked how limited he was as both a play-caller and leader—especially the latter. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune dropped a fascinating tidbit during his post-game column. It seems the problems with Waldron started long before the Bears even began playing games.
"Waldron hasn’t inspired confidence since he arrived. He doesn’t capture the room when he speaks. He’s not creative enough from a design and play-calling standpoint to produce results. The operation is sloppy from pre-snap penalties to poor execution.
Quite frankly, the Bears would be better had they retained Luke Getsy, who was public enemy No. 1 for pretty much his entire run with the Bears except for a six-game span in 2022."
Shane Waldron was not ready for what he was walking into.
Things probably worked better in Seattle because he had a Hall of Fame head coach to lean on. Pete Carroll always had a strong presence in the locker room. Time has shown that isn't the case with Matt Eberflus. While he tries to be involved with the offensive meetings, it is pretty clear he gave Waldron full autonomy to run the offense. The problem is that it doesn't just require crafting a good scheme. He has to show his players he can command. By all accounts, he lacks the voice or the backbone. Tight end Marcedes Lewis even hinted at this in September after the team's sluggish start.
When players sense weakness in a coach, they're going to lose respect for him. Why should they believe in this guy when he doesn't believe in himself? That is what is happening with Shane Waldron. Offensive players have no respect for him because he can't provide clear answers to their questions. The fact that three of them have come out saying there are issues with a lack of focus and attention to detail in practice speaks volumes. Waldron isn't some new guy learning on the job. He's done this for three years. Carroll isn't walking through that door to save him.
The well is poisoned—time to end this.
