Mike Martz has a divisive reputation among Chicago Bears fans. Many believe his offense was outdated by the time he joined the team in 2009. Too often, he hung Jay Cutler out to dry with his constant seven-step drops behind a suspect offensive line. However, he also was the last offensive coordinator to win a playoff game for this team. Cutler arguably played his best football in Chicago under his watch, even if the quarterback didn’t like it at times. Alas, one thing people can’t argue is Martz understood what good quarterbacks look like.
He helped develop Trent Green in Washington during the mid-1990s before returning to the St. Louis Rams, where he elevated Kurt Warner to a Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP. Once Warner’s injuries caught up with him, Martz molded 6th round pick Marc Bulger into a Pro Bowler. This history is why Dan McNeil decided to get the coach’s assessment of Caleb Williams on his Danny Mac Podcast. Martz made it immediately clear that he is a gigantic fan of the Bears’ new quarterback.
“I will tell you this, in my opinion. They got this one right with Caleb Williams. This young man is special. I liked him out of college. When I watch him in the NFL, and I know he’s running for his life half the time but, the things I see from him is he’s courageous. He’ll stand in there and make these…he’s got this dynamic, quick release. He’s accurate. He’s tough. He sees things quickly and (can) diagnose it. My goodness, he’s just getting killed back there, physically. They’re not blocking anybody.”
Mike Martz can see the signs others choose to ignore.
People who have watched the tape over the past couple of weeks have noticed Williams’ increasing command of the offense. He is identifying what defenses are trying to do and getting better at countering them. Despite three turnovers against Indianapolis, he made some outstanding plays that kept the Bears in the game despite another no-show from the running game. His concern about the offensive line falls right in line with what others have said. The Bears can’t let this continue if they want him to develop properly.
Getting hit constantly can force quarterbacks into bad habits. Coaches at least recognize that. It is why Matt Eberflus has continued to harp on the running game. Figuring that out would help ease some of the burden on Williams. Ironically, that is what Mike Martz had to figure out during his stint in Chicago. Once it became obvious the line couldn’t block most of his passing concepts, he began feeding Matt Forte. It worked. No doubt, he hopes Shane Waldron learns the same lesson as quickly as possible.
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All true. But Matt Forte was special both running and receiving. He was big and fast and could also take a beating. We don’t have a RB like Forte, but maybe with a combination of the 3 we could at least be effective? Once they can establish that running game, they MUST incorporate more play action as well. This gives Caleb that extra second by the defense and also adds that additional space for the WRs. Bite baby bite!