We are just two games into the 2024 NFL s♔eason, and the Chicago Bears offense is alre🔯ady problematic.
This group has scored just one offensive tꦍouchdown in eight quarters,🌞 for crying out loud.
Admittedly, I am not someone who likes to go out and play the blame game. And I don’t want to play it this early in the season. Instead, I am the type of person who wants to diagnose the problem, find its roots, and identify any common threads. So, let’s dive into Chicago’s offensive issues.
How much is this on Bears Offensive Line Coach Chris Morgan?
Bears Offensive Line Coach Chris Morgan is straight-up not having a good time right now. Not only is the offensive line a mess from a pass protection standpoint, but the run game is also spinning its wheels and going nowhere fast. And when you ha🐽ve the Run Game Coordinator title a𝕴ttached to your business card, there is going to be a hefty amount of blame that will fall at your feet. That is just the nature of the beast.
On top of all that, Bears fans were treated to from Pro Football Focus’ account that covers the New Orleans Saints:
Lucas Patrick, who struggled mightily during his two years playing guard and center with the Bears in 2022 and 2023, was PFF’s highest-graded Saints player in the team’s Week 2 win against the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, that Lucas Patrick. The same Lucas Patrick who was brought in because he understood Luke Getsy’s offense and protections but couldn’t stay on the field (and didn’t do much when he was available) was thriving on Sunday against Dallas. This will likely be seen as an indictment of Morgan’s ability to coach up the line. And, frankly, I wholly understand why folks are making that connection.
Patrick thriving elsewhere wouldn’t be such a big deal if Bears fans hadn’t seen this movie. Last year, we watched Sam Mustipher play well at center for the Baltimore Ravens — at least by PFF’s standards. Mustipher, who was the Bears’ starting center for 40 games from 2020-22, put together a 67.0 overall grade in nine games (including two starts) for Baltimore. To be fair, I don’t think having Mustipher or Patrick elevates the Bears’ current offensive line. However, it feels like an indictment that two of the most maligned offensive linemen I can remember were better immediately after leaving Chicago. That stings.
Because he is a branch off the Kyle Shanahan tree, I’m not ready to put Chris Morgan in front of the firing line just yet. But I am on high alert.
How much of the blame should General Manager Ryan Poles wear?
Sure, Ryan Poles did a heckuva lot of cooking to get the Bears to this point on the timeline where this team is expected to make a push for a playoff berth. Poles should be commended for the roster turnover and salary cap cleanup he has done since arriving in 2022. But with that being said, Poles is also a main culprit in Chicago’s offensive line problems.
A college offensive lineman who protected Matt Ryan’s blindside at Boston College before joining the Bears as an undrafted free agent, you’d think Poles would have a better feel for offensive line upgrades. But that hasn’t been the case so far.
Right guard Nate Davis looks like a free-agency whiff. Center Coleman Shelton doesn’t look much better. The Ryan Bates trade is very much up in the air — mostly because Bates is hurt right now, and it is impossible for me to fairly judge a player whose snaps have been this limited in the early going. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Lucas Patrick is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded guard (92.2), and former Bears offensive lineman James Daniels (who was here from 2018 to 2021 before not being re-signed by the Poles regime) is No. 3. I don’t want to do too much hand-wringing over these moves, but it certainly feels like this front office missed out on some opportunities.
The silver lining when it comes to Poles is that it isn’t all bad when it comes to his offensive line decisions.
Right tackle Darnell Wright has looked worthy of being a top-10 selection and is an anchor on this line. Braxton Jones is a n♒ice story whose climb from Day 3 pick to starting-caliber starter has been fun to follow (even if we are starting to see his limitations in Year 3). Not dumping Teven Jenkins when things were going off the rails in 2022 and finding a home for him at guard is a sign that Poles can make the most out of an unsavory situation. And the accumulation of depth this offseason was a welcome sight. But it feels like none of it matters when two pieces in the interior of the line are getting bullied at every turn.
What’s up with Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron?
The first-year Bears offensive coordinator has done no favors for quarterback Caleb Williams in the early going. Personnel usage has been highly questionable and analyzed to the finest detail. There are several things you can pick from the first few weeks. Cole Kmet’s limited snap share in Week 1 was a popular talking point. The same can be said about the deployment of fellow tight end Gerald Everett. I got a kick out of 40-year-old Marcedes Lewis lining up in the slot, but I know not everyone shares my sense of humor.
For me, it is the predictable running back usage that stands out the most. Early trends are a small sample, so I don’t want to go overboard right now. However, I am concerned that it feels like an outside run is coming every time D’Andre Swift is in the game. When I see Khalil Herbert in the backfield, it feels like a run between the tackles is being dialed up. And when Travis Homer is back there, you can almost lock in that a pass play is in the works.
MORE: How Does the 🅰Bears Offense Stack Up Against the Colts Defense?
The only running back whose deployment is unpredictable at this point is Roschon Johnson — and that is because the second-year University of Texas product hasn’t even played an offensive snap to this point. This is the same problem that Luke Getsy had last year. Sigh. I thought we were done with this nonsense.
The Bear🌺s have an offensive problem🔜 with no easy fixes. But at least Waldron has this going for him:
Waldron’s placement on the graph above, his previous track record, and the talent his general manager has given him give me real reasons to believe that the Bears can turn it around. Because hope can take you only so far.
