For a few years now, it has been hard for Chicago Bears fans to stay aboard the Ryan Poles train. Many times, fans have been ready to jump right off in hopes that the team would find someone more capable.
And, the fan base is more than justified in doing so. Poles has had his fair share of swings and misses. He's had some low moments -- moments that would raise blood pressure by even the thought of them.
Yet, this season, it's been a different story. Finally, the Bears are seeing Poles' moves reap the reward. And, ahead of their matchup with the Green Bay Packers this weekend, head coach Matt LaFleur even acknowledged Poles' success.
"I think Poles has done a hell of a job collecting a bunch of talent," he said.
Matt LaFleur might get Bears fans to start thinking differently about Ryan Poles
It isn't something Bears fans have wanted to admit, maybe, ever. Did Poles do a good job? He made several good moves? He made the best hire he could've made as head coach?
Maybe all of that really is true.
"Offensively, they're doing a great job taking care of the football. Defensively, they're doing a great job of getting takeaways," LaFleur went on.
"The quarterback's playing a lot better, their run game is humming right now," he added.
Well, if you look at the team and how it's currently constructed, a lot of the Bears' success has come straight from moves that Poles made in the last two years. Forget the huge whiffs over his first couple of seasons. Poles has done a masterful job.
The biggest feather in his cap has to be the offensive line, of course. Without the improved offensive line, this offense would be nowhere near where it is right now. Like LaFleur pointed out, the Bears have the NFL's No. 2-ranked rushing attack, and that's with D'Andre Swift and a seventh-round rookie.
No disrespect to Kyle Monangai or Swift, because they have played very well. But no one would've seen this coming from the two of them. It's a collective effort, and the entire effort is thanks to every single move Poles has made so far.
Johnson is obviously the catalyst. Caleb Williams was a Poles masterpiece after pulling off the trade with the Carolina Panthers previously. Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright ... those are all Poles guys.
Heck, even Theo Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo -- Poles' guys.
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LaFleur isn't wrong. For all of the rightful questioning he has received since taking this job, Poles has answered the bell in a very, very strong way.