A lot has changed for the Chicago Bears in the past three weeks. 4-2 to 4-5, for instance. This subpar performance is due to the Bears’ offense significantly struggling week after week. They have tallied the third-fewest total yards in the league over the past ten weeks. They are also 30th in passing and 24th in rushing. NFL insider Tom Pelissero believes that these are the reasons why the Bears decided to part ways with their OC, Shane Waldron, and then some.
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On ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ Pelissero asserted that the Bears were simply “not good enough” in the last few weeks. The team has made significant changes to the offense this year to avoid such poor performance. Be it the selection of Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, or the trade for D’Andre Swift. They made notable changes in the coaching lounge as well.
Yet, game after game, the team fails to put up points. Against Arizona, they scored just nine points, while the Cardinals tallied 29. The same trend followed when the Bears hosted the Patriots last Sunday. The NFC North team was able to score just one field goal against a 2-7 team.
“You heard it from the fan, the boos being out in the first half. They didn’t score enough. When you’ve got the expectations that you have, you’ve put so many resources into the offense and adding personnel, and adding the receivers, and use the number one pick for Caleb Williams; the bar is set at a certain level.”
Now, one might argue that Caleb Williams is to blame, not just the offensive coordinator. However, Pelissero believes that the rookie quarterback has shown splashes of brilliance in the past ten weeks, even against the Commanders. He nearly won against the Jayden Daniels-led team, until cornerback Tyrique Stevenson tipped to ball to the opponent for a game-sealing Hail Mary touchdown.
Events led to Shane Waldron’s ousting
Pelissero, at first, believed that Waldron wouldn’t get sacked. He thought he would probably be moved upstairs, with some changes to the chain of command for the offensive unit.
This seemed likely, especially since head coach Matt Eberflus had shown faith in Waldron’s play-calling after the Bears’ loss to Arizona. However, after the loss to the Patriots at home, Eberflus stated that he would embrace some “changes.” Those changes included Waldron no longer being part of the offensive staff, which didn’t necessarily mean firing.
However, on Tuesday morning, around 7:30 a.m. central, the head coach had a discussion with Waldron, which led to the “changes” Eberflus had promised — the change in offensive coordinator.
Thomas Brown has now been promoted to OC in Chicago. He previously served as the passing coordinator for the team. Since Brown has already shown his coaching prowess, even securing an OC job with the Panthers last year, Pelissero believes it will be a great opportunity for him. If he can turn things around, as he should with a roster filled with star prospects, Brown will surely keep the job, as will Eberflus.
