Here are 3 adjustments Chicago Bears could make over 'mini-bye' week

The Bears are in the midst of a nine-day layoff between games. Following Thursday's win over the Washington Commanders, they don't take the field again until Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.

Head coach Matt Eberflus likes to refer to these long layoffs as “mini-bye” weeks.

Last year, the Bears used their mini-bye week between Week 6 and Week 7 to revamp their offense. They adjusted the scheme to better suit the skillset of quarterback Justin Fields. They debuted that improved offense in a Monday night win over the New England Patriots in late October. Fields and the offense went on to have their best stretch of success over the next month or so.

It's all but certain Eberflus and the Bears are using this layoff to make adjustments. The Bears finally picked up a win last week, beating the Commanders, 40-20, on Thursday Night Football. It was their first win in nearly a full calendar year, since that win over the Patriots.

The Bears are 1-4. Their offense has looked better over the past two games, albeit against poor defenses. Chicago's defense has holes and is riddled with injuries.

So what adjustments can the Bears make right now? Here are a few friendly suggestions.

1. Bring in some help defensively

Eberflus already hinted that the Bears are considering adding a defensive analyst to their coaching staff. Given that it is already without a defensive coordinator, the defense could use another experienced voice in the room.

Eberflus said Rod Marinelli, one of his coaching mentors, is happy in retirement. Marinelli last coached in the NFL in 2021. Other potential candidates could include Gary Pinkel, another Eberflus mentor, who retired from Missouri after the 2015 season. Lovie Smith is available, although nobody knows if Smith would want to come back to Chicago. Leslie Frazier, a member of the 1985 Super Bowl team, split with the Bills after six seasons as defensive coordinator. Frazier isn't coaching currently and has said that he hopes to return to the NFL in 2024.

A senior advisor won't fix all the Bears' problems defensively. The pass rush still has to prove it can be effective against good offensive lines. The secondary has a long way to go, too.

Let's also note here that getting healthy is not necessarily an adjustment the coaching staff can make, but it is paramount. That's especially true in the secondary. Cornerback Kyler Gordon could return this week. Safety Eddie Jackson has been sidelined by a foot injury since Week 2. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has missed two games with a hamstring injury. The Bears desperately need them back.

2. Find a way to unlock Darnell Mooney

Look, DJ Moore was amazing on Thursday and played one of the best games a Bears receiver has ever had. The Bears should – in fact, must – keep throwing Moore the football. He's the best playmaker this offense has. Throw him the ball.

But throwing almost exclusively to Moore isn't going to work against good defenses. The Commanders defense is not a good defense. With Chase Claypool now traded away to Miami, Darnell Mooney becomes the clear No. 2 receiver in this offense (although he probably was that already). So far, Mooney has had a quiet start to the season. Through five games, he has eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. He has had three games where he did not catch a single pass.

There were times Thursday where Mooney created space, but he and Fields couldn't connect. The Bears need to clean that up, and they need Mooney to emerge as a solid second option behind Moore. This passing attack can't be one-dimensional. The offensive line has looked much better the past two games. Now it's time to find another weapon.

3. Fix the pass rush (or blitz more)

The Bears sent some timely blitzes at Washington quarterback Sam Howell last week. The blitzes, and an improved success rate from the front four, led to five sacks for the Bears' defense. The Bears need to keep up that pressure moving forward.

It will be harder against better offenses. (Howell leads the NFL with 29 sacks allowed.) The Bears need to create more pressure from their front four when they aren't blitzing. Yannick Ngakoue leads the team with two sacks through five games. Defensive ends DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green have one sack each, while Dominique Robinson has half a sack. The Bears need to find creative ways to create more pressure off the edge.

Thursday was the perfect example of how blitzing the quarterback creates havoc. The Bears entered the game with the league's lowest blitz rate. On Thursday, they blitzed linebackers T.J. Edwards five times (he had six previous blitzes in four games) and Tremaine Edmunds four times. Eberflus sent slot cornerback Greg Stroman Jr. blitzing seven times. Edwards and Stroman each had a sack in the game.

“We have to get creative,” Eberflus said Monday at Halas Hall. “Sending different pressure players, I think, is important, as you saw the other night. Again, it's got to be done with the right kind of guys. The pressure player that's coming matters.”

The blitzing worked. It was easily the most extra defenders Eberflus had sent toward an opposing QB all season. It might not work against Patrick Mahomes or other elite quarterbacks, but the Bears can't completely abandon the blitz when they face good teams.