The struggles of the Bears offense through the first three weeks of the season reached their nadir on a fourth-and-1 from the Colts’ 1-yard-line in the second quarter of last Sunday’s loss.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron called a speed option to running back D’Andre Swift, who lost 12 yards on the play to cost the Bears a chance at scoring points. At a Thursday press conference, Waldron said he would like to see the team get to the line faster in order to see how the defense is set up and that “all those things start with me.”
Waldron said he’ll be better in similar situations in the future and that he knows “we haven’t lived up to what we want to be in our building right now.” He expressed confidence that the whole team will improve as the year continues to unfold.
“We’re built the right way,” Waldron said. “The players are built the right way. I think seeing that keep improving as we move forward is something that will show.”
The Bears are 31st in the league in running the ball and Caleb Williams has thrown the second-most passes in the league, which is counter to the kind of balanced attack Waldron talked about having before the season started. Waldron said on Thursday that the “desired identity” has not changed, but it’s clear that the Bears haven’t found the right way to implement it.
