Something had to happen. The Chicago Bears’ offense was so clearly broken. Reports kept indicating the players were frustrated with its direction. After a dismal performance on Sunday against the 2-7 New England Patriots, the breaking point was finally reached. After spending Monday going over scenarios, head coach Matt Eberflus reached his decision. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been fired. He will be replaced by passing game coordinator Thomas Brown moving forward.
Moving to Brown was the likeliest option for the Bears. He was the only one on the staff with considerable experience as an offensive coordinator. He held the job for three years in college for Miami, getting a great season out of former quarterback Brad Kaaya. Then he held the job last year for the Carolina Panthers, taking over play-calling for a three-week stretch for former head coach Frank Reich. He is by no means a proven commodity, but he was the only option head coach Matt Eberflus had.
Brown should bring one thing Shane Waldron couldn’t.
Energy. The young assistant coach is known for having a fiery temperament, which no doubt comes from his background as a former running back. That might be enough to give the Bears offense a jolt. One of the biggest criticisms of Shane Waldron from the moment he arrived was his passive personality. He never seemed unable to fill up a room when he spoke and refused to coach guys hard. That is likely one of the reasons guys started tuning him out. They didn’t respect him. It is impossible to say whether Brown can reverse the damage with so little time to prepare, but his leadership has been praised many times in the past. Lots of people around the NFL see him as a future head coach. Unlike in Carolina, he will get a chance to call plays the rest of the season. Perhaps he can work some magic. Otherwise everybody else on that staff will be out of a job.
