24 Hour Rule: Coaching Costs The Bears Yet Again

A lot went wrong yesterday, and that’s always tough in a loss. But the worst part is that so much of it was avoidable. From the opening drive to the final play, we saw poor offensive play calling, inexcusable defensive strategy, and a pile of mental mistakes.

Worse yet: Much of that loss can be pinned on coaching. And, unfortunately, that’s becoming a reoccurring theme whenever the 2024 Chicago Bears face quality opponents.

Bears vs Commanders Takeaways

• One of the biggest signs of a poorly coached team is penalties. Especially pre-snap penalties. Yesterday, Chicago committed eight infractions for a total of 60 yards. Several calls came on false starts and illegal formations before the snap and were totally avoidable. It’s a trend that’s occurring entirely too often this season and it’s a big, glaring signal that the coaching staff isn’t emphasizing the little things in practice and throughout the week.

• Caleb Williams was really bad for three quarters yesterday. There’s no way around that. He missed some open throws early, took a bad sack that took them out of field goal range, and just never seemed comfortable until the 4th Quarter. Part of that is on coaching, part of that is on the offensive line playing terribly. But also, Caleb Williams needs to be better.

• On the positive side, when push came to shove, Caleb Williams put aside his brutal first three quarters and stepped the hell up in the fourth. He led one scoring drive and one drive that would have been a touchdown if he wasn’t instructed to hand the ball off to an offensive lineman when D’Andre Swift was running fantastically and Roschon Johnson had been money in goal-to-go situations. When the chips were down and the Bears needed points, Williams made big plays. The first three quarters shouldn’t happen. But at the same time, his response/fourth-quarter performance were evocative of a more polished QB (let alone a rookie on the road).

• Another thing from yesterday’s game that makes me so upset – this unreal throw with the game on the line will now be pretty much forgotten and overlooked:

• Why did Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron just seem to forget until the fourth quarter that not only does Cole Kmet exist, but he’s a really good safety valve option for a quarterback? Similar to the early weeks, Gerald Everett seemed to be the tight end of choice for Waldron in the passing game and it just makes no sense. Everett is a fine player. He’s not better than Kmet and should not be featured more. Stop overthinking this.

• There were a couple of positives offensively. The first, Rome Odunze played a strong game. He seemed like he was always open, caught everything thrown his way, and was effective after the catch picking up extra yards and fighting for first downs. The second, D’Andre Swift ran his tail off. He hit the hole hard, fought for extra yards, found daylight when there wasn’t much, and hit a home run when he had the opportunity. Something clicked for Swift after the Colts game, and he’s been outstanding ever since.

• Back to the bad! The offensive line was bad again. Braxton Jones or no Braxton Jones, Caleb Williams was under pressure way too much especially going up against an average defense. Dominating bad teams isn’t enough to keep jobs. I’ll look into it more with the All-22, but Sunday was yet another failed exam for the offensive line. It’s time to go find some help before the trade deadline.

• The defense didn’t play their best game, but for 59 minutes it was most certainly good enough to win. The Bears’ defense took one of the NFL’s hottest offenses and limited them to 12 points until the final play of the game. There was plenty of bend, but almost no break. There were certainly some things they’d like to clean up, but they did their part, especially with two starters in the secondary sidelined.

• One last positive – just name Tory Taylor first-team All-Pro right now. That guy is so good at punting the football. He’s a legitimate weapon. He helped keep the Bears afloat when the offense wasn’t moving and seemed like they’d give Washington a good field position. Flipping the field like he did so often also helps a defense mentally. Taking the field with an opponent downed at the 15-yard line is such a different feeling than the 30 or 35. Round of applause for the NFL’s best punter.

• In case you’re wondering we got into all of the badness of the last two plays of that game right here – the explanations from the coaching staff might be even uglier than the execution:

• The Bears now play two must-win games essentially at Arizona ( come to our free Watch Party! ) and at home against the Patriots. Even if they win those and get to 6-3, the NFC North gauntlet plus games with San Francisco and Seattle will be really tough, and 10-win season is very much an uphill climb.

• Chicago played badly. There’s no doubt about it. But in the end, they had a chance to win the football game. Even with the brutal three quarters, given how the last two plays were handled that’s as inexcusable of a loss as I can remember. Was it bad luck? Sure. But luck is where preparation meets opportunity. The Bears had an opportunity to close out the game, but they weren’t prepared for it.