Chicago Bears: Focusing on the offense under Matt Eberflus
The Chicago Bears plan is coming into view. There is still much work to be done yet, but the plans Matt Eberflus laid out to Ryan Poles and Bill Polian are starting to take shape. There is a reason Eberflus was hired, and in a passing league, I doubt he plans to stop Aaron Rodgers, Justin Jefferson, and TJ Hockenson. You don’t stop those players completely. You contain them.
The defensive-minded coach likely had an excellent plan on paper to make the Chicago Bears offense hum under Justin Fields. Ryan Poles had a plan to turn the Chicago Bears offense into something relevant with Justin Fields. If you didn’t watch the AFC Championship game (ongoing as I type), you could see precisely what Ryan Poles has helped build.
The Chicago Bears have started to move forward with a new regime and plan
Try not to focus on the superstar talent on the team like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. Those three are on another level of skill. Focus on the role players and young risers like Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Andrew Wylie, and Mecole Hardman. The Chicago Bears will be built around Matt Eberflus’ vision but with an offense created by OC Luke Getsy.
Whether the offensive passing game is a vertical threat or west coast, the offensive line will need to be addressed. Accountability can only go so far regarding Sam Mustipher’s lack of size and power. While Mustipher has plenty of heart, the center position will need to be addressed. I hope that James Daniels is retained and moved back to center. Pressure up the middle is a quarterback’s worst nightmare.
This time, the offensive line needs to be addressed with talent instead of trying to coach them up. The Chicago Bears have some names to work with:
- Dieter Eiselen
- Tyrone Wheatly, Jr
- Teven Jenkins
- Larry Borom
- Cody Whitehair
That is a solid start, but more depth and star power are needed. Most fans don’t like seeing teams draft and sign free agents as a priority, but I can’t stress enough how vital the trenches are when building a foundation. The Cincinnati Bengals are doing everything possible currently to counter that argument, but let’s not forget that Jamar Chase is the best young receiver we have seen in years. No offense to Justin Jefferson, but Chase is on another level. Either way, both were clearly the top receivers of their class.