The Chicago Bears' season hasn't gone as planned to this point, and one awful play against the Indianapolis Colts in particular stands out as a metaphor for their shortcomings.
On 4th and goal from the one-yard line, the Bears ran a speed option for quarterback Caleb Williams and running back D'Andre Swift. Four Chicago linemen ended up on the turf, the entire Colts front seven ended up in the backfield, and Swift was stopped for a 12-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs.
A play like that can not only cost a team a game, but spoil their momentum heading into future weeks. And one insider was quick to point fingers for the Bears' most miserable moment thus far.
Adam Jahns of The Athletic broke down the play in his column on Tuesday, and mainly blamed embattled offensive coordinator Shane Waldron for the failed play, but also acknowledged head coach Matt Eberflus's role in the fracas.
"That’s on offensive coordinator Shane Waldron for designing and then calling the speed-option play in the first place, but also coach Matt Eberflus for not getting out of it," Jahns said.
"The Bears practiced that play against a 6-1 defensive front, but the Colts came out with five defensive linemen and two linebackers. Eberflus should have been aware of that look and called a timeout. Waldron should have requested that he do it, too."
Not only was the play a complete miscalculation in terms of personnel, but according to Jahns, the Bears gave themselves no time to get out of it.
"The play also needs to come in quicker for Williams. That’s also on Waldron," Jahns said. "Williams apparently repeated what he said to the media Sunday night later to Eberflus: he didn’t believe he had enough time to change the play. He broke the huddle with 10 seconds on the play clock and the ball was snapped with five."
Waldron, the first-year coordinator and play-caller for this highly touted Bears offense, has worn a heavy brunt of the blame for the team's 1-2 record thus far. The offensive line is in shambles, and first-overall pick Williams has been under siege, exactly what a team doesn't want for a star quarterbacking prospect.
If the Bears continue their losing ways in weeks to come, calls for Waldron's job, and perhaps Eberflus' as well, will begin to gain traction.
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