Like Matt Nagy before him, Shane Waldron is not an idiot.
“Obviously, the run game is something every single week that we want to be able to lean on. So we’ve got to get that going,” the Bears’ offensive coordinator said Thursday.
Just two games into his tenure as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Waldron finds himself in a similar predicament as so many of his predecessors — with an underachieving offense that needs to get its footing.
Sure, it’s early. But for Waldron the stakes are higher. Not only have the Bears scored just one offensive touchdown in the first two games, but rookie quarterback Caleb Williams — the best quarterback prospect in franchise history — was under siege in a 19-13 loss to the Texans on Sunday night at NRG Stadium.
Williams was sacked seven times, hit 11 times and under pressure on almost every drop-back. When Williams was mauled by defensive end Danielle Hunter in the fourth quarter for the seventh sack, you could almost feel even Texans fans shuddering at the impact, fearing the worst.
It’s only two games. But when the franchise quarterback is in peril as Williams was against the Texans, it’s going to set off the fire alarm no matter what point of the season it is, or how early it is in the process. Especially in Chicago.
And the solution is the same as any other time a Bears offense has been distressed — establish a running game that gets the offensive line in a groove and gives the offense a chance to breathe and allow the quarterback to play with the wind at his back.
It’s too obvious against a Colts team that is last in the NFL in rushing defense after allowing 261 yards on 53 carries in a 16-10 loss to the Packers.
For Nagy, that moment came in 2019, when he was dodging arrows after the Bears had a franchise-low seven carries for 17 yards in a 36-25 loss to the Saints (“I know we need to run the ball more. I’m not an idiot,” Nagy said after that game.) The following week, the Bears rushed 38 times for 162 yards against the Chargers, using an I-formation at times to get the job done — and the Bears still lost, 17-16.
But the matter is never more urgent than when the quarterback is in danger. The litany of those moments is yet another indictment of the Bears’ abysmal history of disappointing offenses:
In 2021, Justin Fields was sacked nine times in his first NFL start — a 26-6 loss to the Browns. The next week, the Bears rushed 39 times for 188 yards against the Lions — and won 24-14.
In 2010, Jay Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half against the Giants, suffered a concussion and did not return in a 17-3 loss. The next week, with Todd Collins starting, the Bears rushed 42 times for 218 yards against the Panthers — and won 23-6.
In 2012, Cutler was sacked seven times in a 23-10 loss to the Packers. The next week, the Bears rushed 34 times for 103 yards against the Rams — and won 23-6.
Later in 2012, Jason Campbell was sacked six times and was under siege on almost every drop-back in a dreadful 32-7 loss to the 49ers. The next week, the Bears rushed 39 times for 113 yards against the Vikings — and won, 28-10.
So here we are — again — with Waldron singing a familiar tune. “It comes back to our fundamentals, our belief in the basics,” he said when asked about the running game issues. “Starting up front, where we’re hitting our blocks, we’re staying in phase, in a good rhythm with our backs, the tights the receivers. … Through great fundamental work and the practice preparation, I feel we are heading in the right direction.”
It seems like a major challenge for a struggling Bears offensive line that can’t seem to do anything right. The Bears are 28th in the NFL in rushing yards (77.5) and 29th in rushing average (3.5) through two weeks.
But it’s not over yet. Even in a passing league like the NFL, nothing invigorates offensive linemen like a run-oriented game plan. “Every o-lineman wants to run the ball,” Bears left tackle Braxton Jones said. “I love running the ball, leaning on the run and taking those deep shots when you can.
“You can’t just be a run-blocker or just a pass-blocker. You gotta be crisp in both. But I still look forward to running.”
And when offensive linemen are in a groove in the run game, the pass blocking seems to get better — and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Or it can.
“I think there’s a direct correlation,” Waldron said. “The better you hit run blocks the more you can wear out and lean on a defensive line, those are body blows that accumulate throughout the course of the game that can help you. Those two things go hand in hand.”
Truth be told, most of those previous episodes did not end well. For the Bears, the run game has been a salve more than a solution. But it gives you a chance, and the Bears still have the best quarterback prospect in franchise history — with upgraded weapons — to make the most of it.
But first things first. The Bears’ priority is establishing a consistent, efficient run game. Only then can the magic happen.