Houston, the Chicago Bears have a problem. It’s only the second week of the regular season. Yet, the Bears are already grappling with the same issues on offense—inability to protect the quarterback, questionable play-calling, and an added inability to establish the run game.
Yes, they faced a Houston Texans team with Super Bowl ambitions, but the offensive struggles were even worse than in Week One. Numerous false starts and the staggering fact that Caleb Williams was pressured 36 times is mind-blowing. The Bears can fix it, but it begins with addressing the interior offensive line.
Caleb Williams was pressured 36 times out of the 44 times he dropped back.
He was pressured 81.8% of the time (!!) and was sacked 7 times. pic.twitter.com/Jw0ALdKSN1
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) September 16, 2024
Bears’ Major Weakpoint Causes a Chain Reaction of Problems
Bears Offense Starting on the Wrong Foot
If the Bears expect Williams to develop into the franchise quarterback, having at least a competent offensive line that can provide him with enough time to make plays is crucial. Unfortunately, the OL—particularly the interior OL—has been disastrous. Center Coleman Shelton is quite literally at the center of it all, constantly getting blown up and allowing defenders to pressure Williams. Not to mention all the drama with Nate Davis and his struggles.
Last week against the Tennessee Titans, the Bears averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and things got even worse against the Texans. The running game was virtually nonexistent, with only 71 yards on 22 carries. Without an effective run game, life on the field became much more difficult for Williams.
What’s truly baffling is that Ryan Poles, a former offensive lineman turned general manager, has failed to address this long-standing problem. Poles has received praise from fans for reshaping the roster, but his biggest shortcoming has been his inability to fix the offensive line. Having weapons like Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, and Rome Odunze is cool, but not giving the quarterback enough time to throw to them is disappointing.
Williams was sacked seven times and hit 11 times against the Texans. No matter how talented a quarterback is, numbers like these will never lead to success. The Bears’ offense looked like it was finally ready to take that next step, Yet it almost looks worse so far than last season.
Same Old Play Calling
Hiring Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron was supposed to be a relief for fans who endured Luke Getsy’s poor play-calling. Unfortunately, Waldron hasn’t brought much improvement. His decisions were questionable in the game against the Texans, with an over-reliance on screens, short dump-offs, and a failure to establish the run game.
How much of the blame Waldron deserves will become more apparent in the coming weeks. Yes, the offensive line’s struggles aren’t entirely his fault. However, Waldron failed to work around the interior offensive line’s struggles. Great OCs usually have a good sense of how to control the flow of the game. Waldron doesn’t seem to have that trait at the moment.
A separate issue goes to whoever is handling the Bears’ challenges. Two failed challenges on obvious plays were shocking. Mistakes like these could cost the Bears future games, and it’s something that must be addressed.
The good news is there’s still time to fix these problems. The Bears are 1-1 and face weaker opponents in the upcoming weeks. What’s vital is not to hinder Williams’ development and give him time to operate in the pocket, or else this chain reaction of problems will continue to spiral.
Main Image: Thomas Shea – USA Today Sports
