A Chicago Bears virtual reality setup sounds wrong. Especially for a franchise built around tradition. No team understands football history better and how to still execute it to this day. That’s nice for casual fans, but it’s proven a detriment to their overall success. The truth is this franchise is at its best when it is at the forefront of pioneering new things. There was the T-formation and film study in the 1940s. The “46” defense of the 1980s. That takeaway-prone methodology of the 2000s. All were innovations that helped the Bears win.
Now it seems they’re ready to embrace the new again. Not only have they overhauled the quarterback position in a big way, something that never happens, they’re also looking to technology as a way to get an edge. At this point the enemy of Chicago offensively is their quarterbacks’ inability to understand the offensive scheme. Worse still the NFL has rules in place that prevent extended practices. That means reps are in limited supply.
So how can they skirt around that rule to get the QBs extra mental reps? Virtual reality may hold the answer to that. The team is in collaboration with a tech company to supply the Bears practice facilities with VR equipment. The layout of which is an education in ingenuity.
Chicago Bears virtual reality investment already paying off
Rich Campbell got an explanation about what exactly the team is trying to accomplish. It started with a breakdown of what the VR tech can do and how it will help Mitch Trubisky, Mike Glennon and the other quarterbacks.
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“Here’s how it works:
The 360-degree cameras are placed around the field during practice. For the quarterbacks’ sake, they’re in the backfield.
After practice, memory cards are plugged into a computer, and the footage is uploaded in about 45 minutes. STRIVR software then divides the video into individual plays and classifies it per team specifications.
Then it’s ready for the Bears’ quarterback meetings with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and position coach Dave Ragone. One quarterback puts on the VR headset over his head and eyes and holds a small controller, actually an Apple TV remote, Glennon said. He runs through plays that either he or one of the other quarterbacks actually ran in practice.
What the player sees inside the helmet is displayed simultaneously on a laptop or big screen for the others in the room. From there, collaborative evaluations begin.
Said Sanchez: “If I’m looking left and I’m supposed to look right, Dowell can pause it and say, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s not what we want. Remember, on this concept versus this specific look, see the corner, see the leverage — boom — we want to look right.'”
They say one of the biggest assets a team could have is an offensive coordinator on the field. That way he can see how things are developed and then just call plays from the line. It’s why quarterbacks who’ve mastered a system and make their own calls is so effective today. It sounds like this method is that vital bridge to getting the eyes of the coach on the field where he can instruct the most difficult part of a quarterback: his head.
Bears are sprint ahead in the VR tech race
One of the most underrated aspects of a good quarterback is his vision. The ability to go from his first read to a second, third and fourth until he finds an open receiver. Most young QBs are content to do one of two things. Either throw the pass to their first read if he’s open or tuck the ball and run. Colin Kaepernick is among those who made this style all the rage five years ago.
Problem is defenses can adjust to that because it’s too simple a formula. The Bears want Trubisky to operate like a surgeon. That means patiently scanning until he finds the proper place to cut. Doing that requires trusting his eyes. This technology would help with it. STRIVR representatives are impressed with how accepting Chicago has been of the idea.
“The Bears are very, very much on the leading edge, even though we’re in Year 3 as a company,” Belch said. “This is still something that scares people. It’s still something that’s going to take time to permeate every part of the NFL. Chicago is one of the teams diving in. It’s a perfect storm with the quarterback situation, but it’s going to be so much bigger there.”
VR training isn’t going to be the decisive factor in whether Mitch Trubisky becomes a great quarterback. The point is he has another valuable tool at his disposal. One that can get him accustomed to the speed and complexity of the NFL game at a high rate. At the same time it helps Mike Glennon absorb the offense faster. There just isn’t much of a downside to this approach.
