The Chicago Bears have been plagued by two issues this season. They can’t score consistently in the red zone, and they are the second-most penalized team per game in the NFL this season. It is hard to win football games when this is the case. Head coach Ben Johnson has tried several methods to get it cleaned up. He has officials at practice to call drills like simulated games. He’s increased discipline and intensity to keep guys sharp. Most recently, he called out the team leaders not once but twice in the media, telling them they need to hold themselves and their teammates more accountable.
It hasn’t stopped there. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle stated that the coaching staff is using some “unorthodox” methods to fix the penalty problems. There are plenty of examples of this going back years. One coach installed a spinning wheel with exercises that players had to do if they made a mistake. A source told SM that one of the methods involved with the Bears is that every player who commits a penalty is required to help pay for team meals. Coaches are no longer allowed to fine players directly due to the CBA, so this is a way around that.
Time will tell if it has an effect.
Most of the Chicago Bears’ woes are along the offensive line.
Of those 64 penalties committed so far, 17 have come from their blocking units. This is why the Chicago Bears have the longest average distance to go on 3rd down at 8.1 yards. No wonder it’s so difficult for them to sustain drives. It stands to reason they’ll start scoring more points if they can limit the mistakes. Unfortunately, this is often what happens when players learn a new system. Ben Johnson is installing an offense notorious for being complex and difficult to digest. Then again, it may come down to the quarterback.
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Detroit didn’t have significant penalty issues in 2022 during Johnson’s first year as their offensive coordinator. They had Jared Goff, a veteran quarterback who understood how to speak the diverse language of NFL offenses. Williams doesn’t have that advantage. As a result, he’s likely making mistakes pre-snap that lead to cadence issues, and these cadence issues, in turn, lead to penalties. It’s a complex issue that isn’t easy to fix, but that hasn’t stopped the Bears from trying.
@TGena I do wonder how much of what you’re correctly observing about the D-Line is what Dennis Allen and crew are teaching/scheming versus how much is the mindset of the players. They seem to play more like 2 gap guys, playing the run first with a read and react technique versus a blow upfield, one gap concept where you defend the run by being in the backfield, in the proper gap, and play the run on the way to the QB. I suspect there’s some of that 2 gap, read and react deal going on though because of his known… Read more »
@Arnie — I agree with everything you stated — with the exception of the defensive line. I’ve never seen so many guys playing so high in their stance; concern themselves so much with hand fighting; and rarely, if ever attempt to bat the ball down, or disturb the throwing lane/angles. And as fast as Montez Sweat is (10-yd split: 1.54 seconds!!) — he quickly disappears. I don’t know if it’s Dennis Allen’s scheme — but maybe you can explain it to me? I expect Austin “The Predator™” Booker to affect the ball — and go until the whistle stops him.… Read more »
@TGana, a reasonable take that I don’t completely agree with on every point but at least it was an effort to sound normal. Not completely, because you had to go to the dyslexic part that has in no way shape of form been presented in any way during the pre draft process that he went through with every team. He actually did quite well on scenarios where he was asked to repeat. Long pat]y call. It was an insult to him, and that’s the only reason you included it because you don’t know, but are defaulting to the worst possible… Read more »
@TGena Your explanation of the pre-snap processing stuff is good. It’s what always sets guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady apart. A few things I would add include that I’m not sure everyone realizes that things like pre-snap motion and seemingly complex cadence patterns are used mostly to help expose defensive intent pre-snap as well, getting them to shift guys around to expose blitz intent, reveal man vs zone coverage, etc. Not only does the QB need to process this information, but receivers and the line do too because on nearly every play call, everyone has options for their… Read more »
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