The Chicago Bears offense is more talented. That much is obvious. They've had a much better start to training camp this year than they did last season. Justin Fields has looked sharper. His weapons are making more plays. Everything clicks a little better. Unfortunately, Wednesday's practice on August 2nd raised concerns when the defense beat them to the punch all day, bringing far more hustle and intensity. There were interceptions, drops, missed blocks, and so on. Fields admitted later that the offense came out too "flat."
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney said there wasn't enough "juice" from everybody. He even admitted there were times that Fields could get so locked in with what he was doing that he forgot his job to keep guys in the huddle motivated. This speaks to something that may have gotten overlooked by GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.
The lack of an emotional leader.
Look at the defense. Guys like Jaquan Brisker, Eddie Jackson, and new arrival DeMarcus Walker are known for being vocal trash talkers. They're not afraid to get in guys' faces, firing them up with energy and passion. Now think about the Bears offense. Who is filling that role? Fields, Mooney, Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair, and D.J. Moore are all talented players. They also have something else in common. They're not known for being the most fiery types. All have a somewhat even-keel personality. That isn't a bad thing on an individual basis. However, it can be a problem in a group setting. They need some firebrands of their own.
To be fair, the Chicago Bears are trending in that direction.
Darnell Wright brings a reputation from Tennessee as somebody not afraid to be vocal or a "prick" as Poles put it. The problem is he's a rookie. They rarely assume leadership positions. He's not ready to be that alpha the offense needs. Think about the best offensive seasons the Bears have had over the years. It's not a coincidence that each version always seemed to have at least one talker in the bunch
2013 Bears:
- Brandon Marshall
- Martellus Bennett
- Kyle Long
2006 Bears:
- Thomas Jones
- Olin Kreutz
- Muhsin Muhammad
1995 Bears:
- James "Big Cat" Williams
- Curtis Conway
- Jerry Fontenot
The Chicago Bears' offense should be better this year. They're too talented not to be at this point. However, if they want to sit among the top half of the league, they need guys willing to step into that role of emotional leader. Maybe someone on the roster will do it. If not, that has to be a priority next off-season.
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