Shane Waldron didn’t exactly arrive with grace in his first few games as Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. His unit looked sloppy, disjointed, and downright lost at times in the first three games. Fans pointed the finger at him for not having players ready. If only they knew how deep that story goes. NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales appeared on 670 The Score with Mully & Haugh to discuss the team. When the topic of the offense came around, she revealed something difficult to absorb at first.
Apparently, Waldron did not script the opening drive of each game during the first few weeks. For anybody who has followed the NFL long enough, using a script of 12-15 plays to open a game is common practice. It helps an offense find an early rhythm, build confidence, and get quick points on the board. Bill Walsh was the first coach to popularize that approach. Waldron refused to do this despite knowing he had a rookie quarterback and a group of players still new to the system.
That is elite-tier negligence.
The player intervention saved Shane Waldron from himself.
It is hard to understand what he could’ve been thinking with that approach. Asking a rookie quarterback to wing it from the game’s opening drive is asking for trouble. Caleb Williams, D.J. Moore, Marcedes Lewis, and others recognized it wasn’t working. That is why they pulled Waldron aside to have a frank discussion. Over the past two weeks, the offense has looked much sharper early in games, and that momentum has carried into stronger overall performances.
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Lewis hinted that Shane Waldron was “walking on eggshells” around guys. He may not have felt comfortable installing a script because he wasn’t yet sure what his players could and couldn’t accomplish. If so, it’s a poor excuse. The job of the offensive coordinator is to exercise control over his unit. That means demanding crisp execution and making sure all 11 guys are on the same page. Waldron wasn’t doing that for almost a month.
@jmscooby — My expectations for Kevin Warren follow the course set by the Detroit Lions and their “non-football man.” The Lions President and CEO, Rod Wood (a former banking executive with Wilmington Trust Company and self-described “businessman”). Wood’s primary purpose is described on detroitlions.com as: “…Following organizational changes at the end of the 2020 season, Wood and (Principal Owner and Chair) Mrs. (Sheila Ford) Hamp set out to establish a new leadership vision for the Lions…” ___________ Personally, I have seen enough of Ryan Poles’ ego to recognize in him, exactly what Shannon Sharpe described, when he said: “Some NFL… Read more »
Dr. Melhus —
…what they said!
…and I want our OL to collect people’s ears.
@Dr Melhus for someone who just wants to “understand what I’m saying” you sure put a lot of words in my mouth. What I’m saying is that not scripting your plays as a historically bad offense’s brand new OC in the NFL with a rookie QB in one of the biggest media markets with a rabid fan base is a fireable offense. Full stop. At least it would be if the management of this organization had any sort of accountability structure. Your guess at his best intentions is based on Lambert’s opinions, and then you operate from that shaky premise…… Read more »
H-hustle I-intensity T-takeways S-smart I want our OC to coach with the above principles in mind. He’s from the Belichick tree. Patricia, Judge, McDaniels, and Daboll, all tried the dictator approach, and turned their locker rooms against them. Chicago is a bigger microscope than Seattle, so the pressure is on the guy. If he is more passive in personality, then I need to see how he adjusts, but at least keep HITS in mind. TGena, how can you praise Warren, and now bash him? Warren is here to be the negotiator for a stadium and big money deals. I do… Read more »