The Chicago Bears will report to training camp one week from Tuesday and begin prepping for their 2022 season. First-year head coach Matt Eberflus will lead Chicago as the team enters a rebuild and isn't expected to due much this season. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields' development is the most important individual aspect of this season as the new offensive coordinator will oversee an offensive scheme built around his quarterback's strengths.

The Bears Offense Has The Pieces To Have A Successful Rushing Attack

Getsy's desire on offense is to highlight Fields' strengths as a quarterback, which include an ability to scramble and deep ball accuracy. Chicago's new offensive coordinator will implement a scheme similar to Kyle Shanahan's offense with the San Francisco 49ers. Shanahan's play design is predicated on play-action and boot-leg passing plays. The goal of the passing-scheme is to give a quarterback easier passing targets while providing the option to run with the ball if no one is open downfield.

The additional benefit of Getsy implementing a boot-leg/play-action passing style is that Fields was more successful in 2021 when throwing outside of the pocket. For the Bears' offense to be successful with this specific scheme, it will be vital for the team to establish their running game to sell the play-action handoff. Chicago has multiple talented running backs needed for a productive rushing offense, as they have David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Montgomery is entering his fourth season with the Bears and has proven to be a reliable running back, averaging 936 rushing yards over his first three seasons in the league. Herbert, last season, proved to be an explosive running back as he averaged over 86 yards per game during the four games he was the lead ball-carrier. Both running backs are more than capable of creating explosive plays in the running game and reliable in consistently generating rushes for positive yardage.

Another aspect of Getsy's offense will be the utilization of pre-snap motions in the backfield, which will feature wide receivers motioning from one side of the field to the other with the hope of having the opposing defense tip their defensive assignments. Chicago's run-blocking will be better than expected as the offense currently features two wide receivers that excel in run-blocking. Byron Pringle and N'Keal Harry were rated as two of the best run-blocking in the NFL in 2021. With having talented running backs and multiple wide receivers that are proven run-blockers, the Bears' rushing offense has a chance to be extremely productive in 2022. If Montgomery and Herbert can become a one-two punch in the rushing offense, it will lead to Getsy and Fields having a better opportunity setup passing-plays.

Fields and the Passing Offense Can Be Explosive Because Of The Rushing Offense

With a successful rushing offense, the Bears' offense will be better able to sell play-action passing plays as the fake handoff will freeze opposing defenders. The defenders being frozen and deciding whether Chicago's offense is executing a rushing or passing play will give Fields added time to find a passing target and provide the passing target more separation. The other added benefit of selling the boot-leg passing play is that Fields will have a more significant ability to rush for the first down as he can beat opposing defenders to the edge with his speed. If the rushing option isn't there for the second-year quarterback, he will be able to pass the ball as he will have one or two passing-target on the same side of the field he is rolling out to.

The beginning of the Bears' schedule will enable the offense to establish their rushing attack out of necessity, given the difficulty of the team's first two opponents. Chicago's first two opponents will be the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, both of who are very talented teams with explosive offenses that can generate a lot of points. It would be in Eberflus and Getsy's best interest to have the Bears offense play complementary football, which would result in Chicago's running the ball as much as possible to keep the opposing offenses off the field and limit their scoring opportunities. Having an additional reason to rely heavily on Herbert and Montgomery to start the season will help give the Bears' passing offense a chance to be more successful later in the season. If Chicago's offense can run the ball successfully in their first two games, it will force their opponents in Weeks three, four, and five to focus heavily on trying to stop the run on defense, enabling Fields to have better success with play-action passing. The Houston Texans, New York Giants, and Minnesota Vikings will be geared up to stop Montgomery and Herbert in the running game, only to be beat when Chicago's quarterback fakes the handoff and pass to a receiver downfield or scrambles for the first down.

Getsy has a chance to create a very efficient offensive scheme for Chicago's offense as the team can utilize their two running backs to help set up passing plays. Getting Fields more open targets and an ability to avoid sacks will lead to more productivity from the second-year quarterback. The Bears' offensive coordinator understands what it will take for the passing offense to be explosive and knows that it will begin by having a productive rushing attack.