After a three-game losing streak in which the Chicago Bears offense struggled to move the ball and score points, the dysfunction surrounding the team this season is coming out as they start dumping their troubles and rumors about key players.
After the Chicago Bears lost their third consecutive game and failed to score a touchdown in their last two, we are starting to see the dysfunction surrounding the team this season. The team spent the last two days dumping a player and coach many felt were underperforming badly.
On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears fired embattled offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Waldron came in to do what former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy could not—get the best out of his players and have a functioning offense.
Waldron was unable to do that. General Manager Ryan Poles overhauled the offense and gave Waldron what many felt should be a high-flying scoring machine. While the offense showed flashes of that, it has, for the most, part, struggled. It ranks 24th in points scored and 30th in yards.
The Chicago Bears have had a two-game losing streak and now a three-game losing streak. For the rest of the season, they now face the toughest schedule in the NFL. That starts this week with the hated Green Bay Packers. They already struggle against them, not having beaten them since 2018.
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A day before the firing, cornerback Jaylon Johnson railed on the lack of effort from some of the Chicago Bears players. He was on 670 The Score’s Spiegel and Holmes Show Monday. His response raised a lot of concern.
That’s not really even a question…Like they say, you can take the horse to the well but you can’t make them drink. At the end of the day, we got to have a lot of guys who are thirsty. I feel like there’s definitely an area of improvement for everybody, players, coaches.
The next day, the Chicago Bears fired Waldron.
That was not the only move, however. Offensive guard Nate Davis has taken a lot of criticism for not being in the lineup consistently. When he is on the field, though, he struggles. The fans were fed up with that. Apparently, so was the team. On Wednesday morning the Chicago Bears announced that they cut Davis.
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Of course, other players might not be giving 100 percent effort. However, it is likely that the bigger moves will not be made until the offseason.
Another bombshell dropped, though. It had to do with a possible fractured relationship between rookie QB Caleb Williams and some of the veteran players.
Williams came in with a reputation of having a confidence that bordered on cocky. Even Johnson warned him publicly about it before the Chicago Bears even drafted Williams. He said WIlliams had to be humble and that he “can’t bring that Hollywood stuff into the building.”
Before the Chicago Bears fired Waldron, some veterans called for Waldron’s head. Additionally, and shocking to some, they also called for the team to bench Williams in favor of second-year backup Tyson Bagent. Bagent was an undrafted rookie in 2023 who won the backup job and started four games in place of injured quarterback Justin Fields.
After talking to a few people with knowledge of the situation, players went to Matt Eberflus & Ryan Poles asking them to make a change at offensive coordinator.
There have also been a few veteran players requesting Bagent starts. https://t.co/h3QSrhZjQ1— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) November 12, 2024
So far this season, Williams completed just 60.5 percent of his passes for only 1,785 yards. He has 9 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. To be fair, he has been playing behind a bad offensive line that has given up 38 sacks, the most in the league.
However, even when Williams has a clean pocket, he has had trouble finding the open receiver. One criticism of him in college was that he tried to play too much hero ball. He was always looking for the big, flashy play. That seems to have followed him at the pro level.
On many occasions, Williams passed up opportunities for shorter gains in favor of trying to hit a receiver deep downfield. He has yet to accept that the quarterback has to take what the defense is giving him and check down to a short or medium pass.
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There might be a lot more going on beneath the surface that has not come out yet. If the players feel that Williams is just trying to look good with the big plays, that could cause a lot of frustration. There are already concerns about Williams’ relationship with star wide receiver D.J. Moore.
Moore and Williams have struggled to connect this season. Moore had a career year with Fields last season and lobbied for the Chicago Bears to keep him. Now he has Williams and it has not worked out yet.
Bagent would be the opposite of Williams. While Williams has a lot more talent, Bagent does all the little things to win. He doesn’t have the rifle arm Williams does so he won’t go for the deep ball too much. However, he is very accurate and will scan the field and usually make the right play. He is fundamentally sound and has a high football IQ.
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The veterans may feel that going back to the basics would be a good way to get back on track.
At his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Matt Eberflus shot down that idea, though. He was forceful in his defense of Williams and said there were no plans to bench Williams.
That could indicate a large schism between the Chicago Bears players and coaches/front office. Williams is Poles’ guy. He got rid of Fields, who played with a lot of bad talent and was popular both with teammates and fans. The Chicago Bears could have gotten another king’s ransom for the number one pick. It would have been nice to see Fields succeed behind a great offense.
It looks as if things will get worse before they get better for the Chicago Bears. There is also the question of Eberflus’ situation. He has also taken a ton of criticism but the McCaskeys have never fired a head coach in the middle of the season. With two years left on Eberflus’ contract, he seems to be safe.
That would be another point of concern for fans and players. The players are always asked to be accountable. Shouldn’t the coaches be as well? Certainly, Waldron was not the only problem on the coaching staff. Let’s see how the second half of this already disastrous season plays out.
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