Luke Getsy faced a brutal first test as Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. Not only did he have to coach against an elite San Francisco 49ers defense, but he’d have to do it in a Category 1 hurricane. Things did not go well in the first half. The offense managed just 84 total yards with three first downs. More than a third of those yards (32) came on the last drive of the half. It was not an enjoyable experience to watch. One would understand if Getsy was frustrated watching it, especially since the coaches had spent two weeks preparing the players for that game.
The young coordinator didn’t do that. Instead, he apparently gave a strong speech to the players about what everybody was going to do to win that game. Justin Fields even said it brought players to their feet. It was a moment that would’ve made Jason Heyward proud. For those who may somehow not remember, Heyward iconically gave a passionate speech to the Chicago Cubs during a rain delay in Game 7 of the World Series. The Cubs won the game not long after that. Getsy took a page out of that book with unwavering confidence and positivity.
The results certainly reflect what Luke Getsy assured.
Chicago racked up 134 yards on 27 plays, including three touchdowns coming out of halftime. Fields finished with a 145.8 passer rating during that stretch and also ran for a first down. It is evident the offense made significant adjustments to counter what the 49ers’ defense was doing. San Francisco said the collapse was due more to their bad string of penalties. While that certainly helped, it was obvious Getsy found better ways to attack them.
His challenges aren’t over yet. The Green Bay Packers are up next. This is a team he knows well, having coached there for seven seasons. Their defense is one of the most talented in the NFL. It will take every bit of inside knowledge Luke Getsy has to score points against them. The Bears don’t have the same level of talent Minnesota did last week. If the young coach can help engineer a second upset, there is no telling how high his star may rise in the coming weeks.
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The last time I remember the Bears making drastic halftime adjustments was under Ditka.
When an offense can make adjustments like the Bears did in the second half to win the game you have the right coaching. They never had that with Nagy.
There is talent and then there is something known as belief….and this Bears team believes in themselves, Coach Eberflus, OC Getsy, and DC Williams. Sometimes belief trumps talent and Sunday it will.
@Ghost Tomahawk as long as fields “street ball” wins games I dont really care. If the bears committed all the penalties and still won the game then what would your excuse be?
Keep hearing how good GreenBays defense is………..when did San Francisco’s defense become a slouch, did we not just beat a defense considered to be BETTER than GreenBays?