Now that the Chicago Bears made a move by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, his replacement now faces the daunting task of trying to save the 2024 season. No pressure, right?
The Chicago Bears have certainly made some news this week. In addition to dealing with a three-game losing streak and an offense that has scored just 27 points in that time, they also have to find a way to get it together and face their tormentors, the Green Bay Packers.
In order to beat the Packers the Chicago Bears offense has to be at least competent. Waldron’s replacement, passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, is now charged with changing the offense’s fortunes.
The Packers’ offense is top-ten in both points and yards, and the Chicago Bears’ defense is banged up. That means that the offense will have to make some moves to try to keep up. We hope the defense can slow down Green Bay’s offense but that could be a tough task.
There were high hopes for the team this season. General Manager Ryan Poles overhauled the offense, including hiring Shane Waldron. Now it appears that we will see another wasted season.
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To give you an idea of how much hope has already been dashed, take a look at the record. The Chicago Bears have a 4-5 record this season. At the same point last season, they had a 2-7 record. They went on a run, however, and won five of their final eight games, finishing 7-10.
That record gave Chicago Bears Nation hope for this season. Then, with the additions made, many would be upset if the team went 7-10 this season. Now, with all of the struggles and drama, 7-10 could once again make them happy and hopeful for the future.
Brown is asked to save the Chicago Bears’ 2024 season. The team wants a more dynamic offense, with more movement and space between the pass catchers. Additionally, the players wanted a more firm coach.
All the players admitted that Waldron was a nice guy. Some said he was “too nice” to them. He let things slide and the intensity and accountability were lacking. They want that to change.
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Wide receiver D.J. Moore said what most players felt. He criticized the lack of attention to detail during practice.
“I don’t know, man. I can’t put it into words. It’s just the details of things. We have to go back and see what was working (last month) and bring it forth now and run with it… Everybody needs to be held accountable throughout practice. Even if it’s like a little flinch for a false start, you’ve got to come back (and do it over). Or if it’s some detail with me or any of the other receivers, we have to run it back and get on that person.
Brown is ready to take on the pressure
For his part, Brown welcomes the pressure. He is also a hard-nosed coach who will give what the players have asked for — accountability. He says he is pretty direct and feels he can make immediate adjustments to get things going again.
To me, it’s about clear, open and honest communication. I’m not going to dance around certain topics or even (certain) individuals when it comes to addressing specific needs. But I’m also not alleviating pressure off us coaches to get stuff right.
Again, it’s going to be a collaborative effort with all eyes and all focus on going forward to get us better.
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To make matters even more difficult, Brown has not spoken with Williams much. The Chicago Bears had clear chain of command on who was in Wiliams’ ear. Waldron and quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph were the two people who were with Williams the most. Joseph does not feel the transition to Brown will be too difficult.
With Thomas’ command, his voice, his attention to detail, we’re all going to fall in line from that. And Caleb is so strong mentally that he will be able to make that adjustment. He already has.
The fact that Brown has experience as a play-caller gave him an advantage. He was the offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers last year with rookie quarterback Bryce Young. That did not work out, as the Panthers had the worst record in the NFL. However, that could be a learning experience.
The Chicago Bears are hoping that Brown’s experience and his hard-nosed approach will help improve the offense. His penchant for using the running game and tight ends more will add to the offense. Brown is also able to make adjustments under the gun.
Brown expects to hold the players accountable for their mistakes. If he expects that from them, he knows they expect the same from him. He welcomes the challenge and pressure thrown onto him. He will try to give the Chicago Bears everything they want and try to salvage the season.
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