Press Coverage: Bears Coaches Discuss Colts Loss, Prepare for Rams

Chicago Bears coaches met with reporters Thursday to discuss last week's loss to the Indianapolis Colts and what's ahead for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Here's what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, defensive coordinator Eric Washington, and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower had to say ahead of Week 4.

Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron

Tremendous Leadership

Shane Waldron began his session by praising the Bears' leadership group on the offensive side of the ball.

He was impressed with how tight ends Mercedes Lewis and Cole Kmet, wide receiver DJ Moore, and quarterback Caleb Williams were in the same positive mindset as the coaching staff and were ready to get back to work when they met on Monday.

There's a belief that their inner confidence can spread throughout the offense, breeding success through constant communication and attention to detail.

Fixing the Running Game

Waldron fielded a lot of questions about the running game and what went wrong against the Colts. Whether it was about having wideout DeAndre Carter blocking Tyquan Lewis, who outweighs him by 70+ pounds, or the team's use of Khalil Herbert instead of Roschon Johnson for three straight carries inside the opponent's five-yard line (the game plan was for Herbert to handle all short yardage and goal line opportunities), Waldron stressed it's about communication and execution.

“Our part as coaches is putting guys in the best positions for success. That’s one of those moments where we can be better.”

Waldron said the Bears are working relentlessly to get the run game going with the goal to improve enough so they can play a balanced game, "a marriage of run and pass."

It boils down to the rhythm of the run game in Waldron's eyes. The offensive line has to stay connected on their first- and second-level blocks. He's seen it in practice reps dating back to the preseason but the team has yet to perform up to its standards in-game.

Caleb Williams Staying Aggressive Without Turnovers

With any quarterback (rookie or seasoned vet), there's a constant push and pull between being aggressive and limiting turnovers.

Waldron broke it down to having Caleb Williams take the easy completions when available, utilizing his ability to maneuver in and keep a pocket clean versus those moments when there’s a free rush lane, to take it and work the special talents he has to make big plays come to life.

In Matt Eberflus's H.I.T.S. principle, limiting turnovers is the No. 1 point of emphasis besides scoring points. Waldron's goal is to keep emphasizing "the ball." Running backs coach Chad Morton is even involved. He's talking to the offense every Wednesday about what the important points are in protecting the football and how to best attack opposing defenses.

It's also about Williams wanting to be comfortable. For him, it’s the operation — how he operates down in, down out, in and out of the huddle, and owning the play calls. The more reps Williams sees, the more his comfort levels will increase, which will lead to extra time within a play to make the right decision. And that leads to more time to attack the defense.

Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington

Respect for Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford

What comes to mind regarding a Sean McVay offense? "Big plays." The Rams are a team capable of executing home-run plays. That was evident in their 10-point come-from-behind victory against the San Francisco 49ers last week.

Eric Washington noted that the Rams are creative pre-snap and they do a good job with alignments and their assignments. Within that, he pointed out that pre-snap motions help a quarterback and if the Bears' defense isn't on of top things or careful with the details, they can end up tipping what they're trying to accomplish.

And how does Matthew Stafford continue to be a threat as he enters his 16th season in the league? Washington says the veteran's arm talent hasn't waned at all. He can make every throw on field and knows exactly what coverage the defense is in, how to get the ball out of his hand, and how to get the Rams into an ideal play.

Washington proceeded to call out Stafford's experience, poise, command of the offense, and ability to communicate to all 10 players on offense. "A lot of experience. A lot of accomplishments. He’s seen a lot."

To Washington, disguise will be critical for the Bears to have success this Sunday.

Respect for His Players

“We have great character,” Washington said when assessing his defense through three weeks. In watching his unit since he joined the team, Washington has seen that they're hard-working and dedicated with a lot of humility.

Preventing Big Plays

Maintaining leverage is the key to limiting big plays. Washington emphasized the importance of maintaining the ability to stay over the top. And even when an explosive play occurs, the defense can't just look at one particular position.

"Rush and coverage have to work together," Washington explained. When the film comes on, the defense looks at how all of its pieces are functioning.

Washington mentioned linebacker Jack Sanborn and his ability to make plays when called upon. Though Sanborn was mainly playing in base formations the past two weeks, he recorded a sack against Houston and helped prevent a scoring opportunity when he tipped a football that Tremaine Edmunds picked off against Indianapolis.

Speaking of Sanborn, Washington had high praise.

"[He's] ready to play. Great equalizer. Versatile. Extremely intelligent. Smart and works his tail off."

Special Teams Coordinator Richard Hightower

On Facing the Rams

Richard Hightower said the Rams are coached really well in all three phases. He knows from experience as he worked with Rams' coach Sean McVay during his time in San Francisco. Hightower even shared an offense with him and spent many a late night "grinding" with McVay.

He stressed that McVay is a great coach and that the Rams were coming off a big win in which they rallied in regulation, which special teams helped propel.

Specifically, the Rams got a 39-yard punt return from wideout Xavier Smith. Hightower commended Smith for doing a good job getting up the sideline, pointing out that he’s been doing it all preseason.

"They’re doing a nice job on teams so it will be a big challenge."

Kickoffs

Hightower was asked about the Bears opting to kick off to the Colts after scoring with 2:01 left in this past week's game. The team had to decide whether to conserve time with a deep kick versus an onside kick and the low success percentage that comes with the latter.

“Thank god they took a knee. That worked out well for us.”

Hightower also believes that punter Tory Taylor is ready to handle kickoffs. "He’s been working on kickoffs since training camp and really since the offseason," Hightower said with a slight smile. "We’ll sprinkle it in when we need to."

Teaching Moments

After an offsides penalty by defensive end Daniel Hardy gave the Colts a new set of downs, Hightower made it a teaching moment. He teaches his players to key on the back tip of the ball as it's the part of the ball on the ground. Regardless of any act of gamesmanship that any opponent does, coaches and players pointed to Colts center Ryan Kelly bobbing his head, and Hightower pointed the finger at himself.

"I've got to do a better job coaching it," he said. "I never point the finger at players because it starts right here at all times."

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