Bears coaches feel heat, but don’t forget about bad drafts of past
The script of this Bears season is practically writing itself.
One Hail Mary goes horribly wrong and everything falls apart.
Well, true, but there's more to the story. Here's a new theory: The true downturn for the Bears happened when the inactive list was released before the game in Arizona.
It included Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon, so once more let's mention how unfathomable it is that the Bears let Brisker finish the Carolina game after a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit with Tommy Tremble. This is a very concerning injury, now heading into its fourth week.
Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie were on it, the two guys who played left tackle against Washington. Also defensive tackle Byron Cowart, the unsung defensive hero the previous week; and Montez Sweat, the Bears' best player. This report could be summarized with one word: Trouble.
So as faith dwindles in coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, keep in mind this roster needs help badly. The coaches might be a problem, but the horrible draft performance under previous GM Ryan Pace also haunts the Bears.
Besides Jaylon Johnson, Pace's best picks are playing for other teams (Roquan Smith, David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney). Cole Kmet turned out well, it's too bad none of the offensive linemen have followed suit. Or actually, the Bears should have invested more high picks in offensive linemen.
Should the Bears have tried to turn the Rome Odunze selection into multiple picks, maybe landing an offensive lineman and a defensive tackle like, say, Jer'Zhan Newton, who stood out playing for the Commanders last week? Did any columnists suggest such a plan before last year's draft? (Answer: Yes).
Realistically, Odunze could still turn out to be a smart choice. Give it a few years. At the moment, though, Caleb Williams' development is getting ruined by his lack of faith in the pass protection. He's running for his life, bailing out early, unable to get comfortable — the same things Justin Fields experienced.
Drafting a potential star quarterback and stud receiver is all well and good in theory, but a general football rule is offense doesn't work without blocking. So it's difficult to assess accurate blame between Eberflus, Waldron and bad drafts of the past.
After the loss in Arizona, Eberflus suggested one way to slow the pass rush is to run the ball better. Now, that's an interesting dilemma, because the Bears used to do that well. They ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards per game last season.
The offensive line is mostly the same, so what changed? Put it on Fields if you want, but it's also the offense. Waldron has no use for fullbacks or blocking tight ends, so the Bears released run-game spark plug Khari Blasingame and have light-blocking backup tight ends like Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis. If Eberflus is wondering what happened to the run game, start there.
While his job security hangs by a strand of bear fur, Eberflus does have plenty of time to turn things around. The halfway point of the 17-game season won't hit until halftime of next week's game against New England.
The problem is, the final eight games are brutal with all six NFC North games, plus the 49ers and Seahawks. A new haircut may not save Eberflus' job, but the high draft picks that come with a poor finish are exactly what the Bears need.