The Green Bay Packers return from their bye week refreshed, recuperated, and ready to take on their long-time division rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field this Sunday. Chicago is coming off a lackluster offensive performance against the New England Patriots that led to the firing of Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. With former Panthers offensive coordinator and Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown filling Waldron’s shoes in the meantime, will Jeff Hafley and the Packers defense be able to construct an effective plan for all the tricks up Browns’ sleeve? Here is an overview of what to expect in the 209th matchup between Titletown and the Bears in the Windy City.
Will the New Bears Offensive Coordinator Surprise the Packers’ Defense?
Bears QB Struggling
The Chicago Bears are coming off three straight losses where the offense has scored a total of just 27 points since their 35-point outing in their win against Jacksonville. Caleb Williams has thrown just 11 deep balls under Waldron and has been sacked a league-high 39 times, making it clear that the Bears pass game is limited due to their mediocrity at offensive line. Despite Williams not throwing the deep ball often and averaging just 3.4 air yards per attempt, he still has 66 poor passes in 2024 which falls into a league-worst.
Waldron’s Scheme
To sum up these statistics, Williams has been the product of a horrid offensive scheme that restricts big play potential and limits the offense to a tiny box on a big field that opposing defenses are able to predict. Ultimately, receivers do not have many options as far as routes are concerned, and getting open becomes difficult.
This is why the Bears have a bottom three passing offense (170.2 YPG), bottom three offense overall (277.7 YPG), and are the worst on third down, converting just 28.9% of attempts. The Bears red zone offense is also significantly more efficient because there is no big play threat and the field has no choice but to be a tiny box. However, just getting into the red zone to even have the opportunity to score has been an issue.
In firing Waldron and hiring Brown, the goal should be to address these limitations in the offense and extend the playbook to bring out the best from Williams as a passer. If Brown can do that, Hafley and the Packers’ defense are in for a treat.
Packers Defense
As a secondary, the Packers have been nothing short of miraculous. Xavier McKinney has been lights out as a playmaker. Jaire Alexander and Evan Williams were lock down before injury, and are eyeballing a return to the field after returning to practice in a limited fashion this week. But no matter how much talent is present in coverage, success can not be achieved consistently without steady pressure from the defensive line.
Packers Defense Struggling Up Front
Two first-round draft picks for Green Bay have yet to apply this sort of pressure on offenses from the edge. Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness have yet to make a statement and have the chance to do so against an extremely worrisome Bears pass protection. With Preston Smith gone, Hafley has to find a way to give these two lots of opportunities to get Williams off the edge.
Blitz Mode
So far this season, Hafley has opted out of implementing a defense that is heavily designed around the blitz. Green Bay has sent extra defenders on just 19.8% of snaps, the sixth-least in the NFL, and production up front has plummeted as a result.
In a game where the Bears offense will inevitably be experimenting with new knowledge at the helm of play calling, a perfect chance to experiment with the blitz arises. With more defenders for the Bears offensive line to worry about, Williams will have to force throws into tight windows in a short amount of time against a talented secondary. This is a recipe for disaster for an offense that may be looking to get Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and Rome Odunze more involved downfield. A confident boost in Green Bay’s edge rushers can also result from teams not being able to double a particular player.
Main Photo: David Banks-Imagn Images
