Anybody with common sense didn’t expect the Chicago Bears offense to bust out of the gate. They knew the team had a rookie quarterback to break in and were installing a new system under Shane Waldron. Things might look a bit clunky at first. However, nobody expected it to look this bad through two weeks. The Bears are 32nd in passing and 28th in rushing. Williams has been sacked nine times behind an offensive line plagued by mental errors. Running back D’Andre Swift has not helped despite his healthy contract in free agency. Injuries have already struck their revamped receiving corps. Nothing is going right.
Much of the blame is falling on Waldron. Former players and film experts have pointed out his inability to get everybody on the same page to help Williams. New data released by analytics expert Steve Patton alluded to a key problem. One thing good offensive coordinators do is spam what is called the “easy button.” This is where they incorporate a large portion of run-pass options, play action, motion, and screens in order to avoid having their quarterbacks do straight drops.
Waldron has been among the league’s worst at doing this through the first two weeks.
Shane Waldron isn’t living up to his reputation.
Throughout his time in Seattle, he was known for experimenting with different ways to attack defenses. He wasn’t afraid to get creative. In 2023, the Seahawks had the fifth-most passing attempts off of play action and 14th in run-pass option plays. Even more baffling is that Seattle also ranked 7th in motion percentage before the snap. Where has all of that stuff been the past two weeks? He has instead asked his rookie quarterback to take several straight drops behind an offensive line that clearly can’t block effectively that way.
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The good news is the season is young. Chicago is 1-1 despite such an ugly start for the offense. Shane Waldron has time to make adjustments and figure out what his players do best. The schedule also appears to soften, with four straight winless opponents over the next month. If ever there was a time to make adjustments and figure out the kinks, it is now. If Waldron can’t do that, the Bears may have to re-evaluate what exactly he brings to the table.
