Through three weeks, the Chicago Bears had massive problems needing to be fixed on offense. And, some of them were beyond fixing, at least for the 2024 season.
Take, for example, the offensive line. The Bears don't have a whole lot they can do to improve multiple positions during the season, up front. That'll be addressed more so in the coming offseason.
But, when it comes to other areas that need to be fixed? There's certainly a path to address something such as the poor play calling by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Whether it's been less-than-stellar play calls, not getting the plays in on time or just not having the entire unit well-prepared, Waldron has been under fire.
Following the Bears' winning performance against the Rams on Sunday, wide receiver D.J. Moore was especially vocal in regards to the changes this offense made over the course of a week. Specifically, Moore spoke highly of Waldron:
"He listened to our thoughts and really went out there and tried to execute within the game plan ... He heard what we said."
Shane Waldron is doing something recent Bears offensive coordinators have not done
Much has been made about the meetings that went on between Waldron and the Bears' offensive leaders over the last week, and rightfully so. Waldron had been getting called out on a national level, at times, and change had to happen.
Come kickoff against the Rams, change did indeed take place.
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Waldron was getting calls in on time, stayed committed to the run while exercising D'Andre Swift's strengths and also allowed Caleb Williams to run the no-huddle offense at times. Specifically in the no-huddle, Williams looked mighty comfortable. His performance against L.A. was easily the best of his season, thus far, as fans saw him take another significant step forward in his development.
Previous play callers such as Luke Getsy, Bill Lazor or even dating back to when Matt Nagy would call plays for the Bears, weren't able to make these kinds of adjustments. Even when there was outrage on a grand scale, we didn't see such drastic change from leadership and on such short notice.
Waldron made noticeable changes and he made them quickly. He listened to guys like Moore and veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, who spoke out about the meetings that took place last week.
Lewis' message, specifically, seemed to resonate not only with Waldron but the entire team. When head coach Matt Eberflus gave Lewis a game ball after Week 4, you could tell he was well-respected by everyone in that locker room. Lewis' leadership is a huge reason why he was re-signed.
For a guy who struggled with penalties early on this season, Lewis finally made a staggering impact, and in a way we might not have seen coming. Maybe, Lewis' words were exactly what this team needed at the time.
Here's to hoping for more positive postgame press conferences from Moore, Williams and all going forward.