Bears receiver DJ Moore grimaced as he stood at his locker on Sunday night after yet another offensive display fell flat.
He remarked, “Together, we’re assembling the puzzle.” “It will be an up-and-down journey until we solve that puzzle.”
When asked what was lacking, Moore answered tactfully that the Bears needed to play consistently and without getting penalized. Cole Kmet, the tight end, stated, “I don’t want to freak out because it’s only Week 2,” but he wants the squad to concentrate on being unified. Caleb Williams, a rookie quarterback, identified the ineffectiveness as the cause.
19–13. 1 to 1. Following a disheartening but expected Week 2 loss in Houston, those are the figures. Few expected the Bears to win, (Adam Hoge lost his mind and did) but most thought the offense would look at least a bit better in their second week of play.
After the game, Caleb Williams reminded us that the season is still young. Williams doesn’t appear to be anxious about the play. I’ve heard worse suggestions, so let’s take his lead.
With cheery, hopeful Bears hearts and hopes, it’s on to the Colts and the grades.
Williams, Caleb: D
The rookie quarterback for the Bears, who spent the most of the evening fleeing for his life, does not seem to deserve a lot of the blame. Not a lot of quarterb…
One lesson from Week 2 of the Chicago Bears
Despite all the talk that the Chicago Bears offense was destined to succeed once Shane Waldron took over as offensive coordinator in place of Luke Getsy, the setup has remained mostly unchanged through the first two games of the 2024 NFL season.
The Bears offense did find the end zone on Sunday night when running back Khalil Herbert scored at the end of the first quarter during their loss to the Houston Texans. This came after they were unable to score a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first week of the 2024 season.
Bears fans are a little irritated this season because DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D’Andre Swift are all offensive playmakers on the team. Though Allen did not participate in Sunday’s defeat, the Bears’ offensive strategy seemed to prioritize side-to-side passes from Caleb Williams to DeAndre Carter above any of the previously listed playmakers.
Let’s get one thing clear before we continue: the offensive line for the Bears needs to improve.
Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson combined for 17 pressures per @NextGenStats. The Texans had 36 (!) overall
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) September 16, 2024
The fact that the Bears attempted 37 passes during the game makes the Texans’ 36 pressures noteworthy. As long as the offensive line keeps failing to protect the throw, there is no way that the Bears offense will succeed.
However, the offensive line’s problems are also affecting run protection. This season, the Bears have not been able to run the ball effectively at all.
127 rush yards in 2 games with Swift accounting for ONLY 48 of those yards is not being talked about enough
Our O line can’t run block or pass block
— Austin (@BadTakeFuges) September 16, 2024
Again, this is going to be a very risky season for the Bears to attempt to nurture a rookie quarterback if the offensive line keeps losing its protection fights.
The offensive line is masking Shane Waldron’s troubles.
During this season’s first week, Waldron’s largest problem was personnel utilization. Against the Titans, Cole Kmet didn’t usually see the field, but last night things changed. Kmet played primarily as a protective end yesterday night despite being the Bears’ main tight end. For Waldron, it would have been more sensible to employ Kmet as a safety blanket for the passing game rather than for protection, as Williams is a rookie quarterback still gaining experience.
The play calling is the other problem. Waldron doesn’t appear to be familiar with any of the Bears’ players yet. Carter was the center of attention for the Bears’ offense last night, as opposed to concentrating on getting the ball to Moore and Odunze. The Bears seemed to have overlooked a chance to attack the Texans vertically yesterday, emphasizing their side-to-side passing game.
By the end of the season, Waldron might surpass Getsy, but for now, the offensive coordinator is still a serious worry.
