Can offensive coordinator Shane Waldron fix the Chicago Bears early season issues?

LAKE FOREST – Caleb Williams is up for the challenge. If nothing else, Chicago Bears fans should be relieved by the confidence that their rookie quarterback shows in the face of adversity.

The Houston Texans sacked Williams seven times last weekend. Williams had no time to throw the football and he has yet to throw a passing touchdown.

While Williams admitted to being “a little bruised up” three days after the game, he didn’t shy away from the challenges ahead.

“You sign up for this position,” Williams said. “You sign up for games like that. That was a playoff team last year, and to be down six with a chance to go win with the ball in your hands, that’s all you can ask for.”

You sign up for this position. You sign up for games like that. That was a playoff team last year, and to be down six with a chance to go win with the ball in your hands, that’s all you can ask for.”

—  Caleb Williams, Bears quarterback

The Bears defense played well enough to keep the team in the game. Williams had a chance to drive the length of the field and score a game-winning touchdown. In a fitting end, the Bears offensive line whiffed on a pass rusher and Williams suffered his seventh and final sack. It all but ended the game. Williams threw an incompletion on fourth down two plays later.

“Offense, we got a touchdown in there. We’re going to need more obviously,” Williams said. “But it felt great to be in the game, be in that type of game, that type of environment. And I’m excited for more.”

Players talk about their “welcome to the NFL moment” when they’re rookies. Sunday might’ve been Williams’ welcome to the Chicago Bears moment. He certainly could’ve played better, but he was let down by a struggling offensive line ahead of him.

It’s on everybody to fix the issues up front, especially head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Eberflus will probably be spending more time in the offensive line meeting room with O-line coach Chris Morgan this week.

“Whenever there’s an issue on any side of the ball, I’m always going to go directly to that issue and work on that, and put energy, time, attention to that,” Eberflus said. “So that’s no different, if it was special teams. If it was offense, or defensive line play, whatever it is, that’s my job as the head coach.”

The fact is, the Bears don’t have reinforcements coming. Their best backup offensive lineman, Ryan Bates, is on injured reserve with shoulder and elbow injuries. Bates will miss at least three more games.

[ How did Chicago Bears offensive line get here? And how can Matt Eberflus, Ryan Poles fix it? ]

The Bears have to figure this out with the starting five they have right now. Eberflus still has a strong belief in Waldron, who spent three years as the offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks before taking the same job in Chicago last winter.

“I would say his strengths are the same that started the season,” Eberflus said of his OC. “Great communicator, great teacher, really has a good feel for the game, works well with his staff and the players.”

That’s all fine and well, but at some point the results have to follow. In January, the Bears made former OC Luke Getsy the scapegoat after a rough 2023 season. Eberflus can’t afford to have a second OC disaster on his hands.

Bears fans might have to settle for incremental improvements over the first couple of games. September football these days is almost like an extension of the preseason. Veterans hardly play in preseason games and the first few regular season games are always rusty.

NFL teams have averaged 21.4 points per game through the first two weeks of 2024. That’s down several points from a 2020 high of 24.8 points per game through the first two weeks. Most teams (except maybe New Orleans) are going through some offensive struggles right now.

The Bears take on the Indianapolis Colts at noon on Sunday. The Colts defensive line isn’t really scaring anybody right now, especially after top defensive tackle DeForest Buckner went on injured reserve this week. The Colts also rank dead last against the run through two games.

If there’s ever an opportunity to get right, this might be it.