The hiring of Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator by the Bears aligns with the strategy set forth by coach Matt Eberflus. Additionally, Waldron’s connection to Trace Armstrong, the agent for Eberflus and GM Poles, may have played a factor. Nevertheless, Waldron has fulfilled a crucial requirement that Eberflus emphasized: the ability to adapt.
Eberflus explained that throughout the year, there have been noticeable differences and an increased number of backup players on the field. He emphasized the importance of modifying the team’s strategy to match the abilities of the quarterback, as well as the receivers and tight ends. This flexibility is crucial for success over the course of a season.
That would be the case. Waldron, as an offensive coordinator, has demonstrated his ability to adapt in several ways. It is not just about adjusting the personnel, but also making changes within the game plan during a specific game. Eberflus mentioned that it is necessary to be versatile depending on the available skills for that game and the strength of the opposing team in defending the run. In such situations, one must find alternative methods to gain yardage.
He believes that it is crucial to find ways to make explosive plays. Scoring points depends on being able to create these explosive plays, and he acknowledges the need to improve in this aspect.
The Bears’ offense, led by Waldron, will have a noticeable change in comparison to the one previously run by Getsy. While there may be alterations in personnel, particularly at quarterback and receiver positions, overall there will be a shift in approach and a focus on adaptability.
The Bears are actively looking for big plays and higher scoring. However, their offensive strategy of focusing on ball possession has not proven to be beneficial. Although Justin Fields occasionally gains larger yardage through scrambling, the team still ranks among the lowest in yards per play. Since Fields became the quarterback, the Bears have never ranked higher than 20th in this category. In 2022, their yards per play ranked 20th (5.3), and in 2023, it ranked 24th (5.0).
Waldron’s Seahawks offenses consistently performed well in terms of yards per play, never ranking lower than 11th. They achieved rankings of 11th (5.5), eighth (5.7), and eighth (5.8) in 2023, 2022, and 2021 respectively, demonstrating their ability to generate significant gains. The statistic of yards per play holds significance, as all of the top nine teams in this category – namely San Francisco, Miami, Detroit, Baltimore, LA Rams, Packers, Bills, Cowboys, and Chiefs – secured a spot in the playoffs.
Despite ranking third in time of possession this season, the Bears failed to capitalize on their opportunities, resulting in them finishing only 18th in scoring. This has been a recurring issue for the team since 2016, when Jay Cutler was the starting quarterback. On the other hand, under the guidance of offensive coordinator Waldron, the Seahawks consistently prioritized big plays and quick scoring, leading them to finish last in time of possession for three consecutive seasons. However, their running game has remained relatively effective during this time.
Even though they ranked third in time of possession, the Bears were unable to take advantage of their chances, which caused them to only finish 18th in scoring. This has been a recurring problem for the team ever since Jay Cutler was their starting quarterback in 2016. Conversely, the Seahawks, led by offensive coordinator Waldron, consistently prioritized big plays and fast scoring, resulting in them finishing last in time of possession for three straight seasons. However, their running game remained fairly successful during this period.
Waldron made adjustments upon joining Seattle from the Rams, as the Seahawks had a plentiful selection of talented wide receivers. Previously, the Rams had utilized 12-personnel and even 13-personnel due to their strong tight end lineup including Higbee, Everett, and Mundt. However, in Seattle, Waldron opted for a slightly reduced usage of tight ends, which was logical given the presence of two or sometimes three exceptional wide receiver threats. Although Everett initially occupied the tight end position, he was eventually substituted with Noah Fant.
An impressive demonstration of Waldron’s adaptability as a quarterback coach is reflected in his handling of Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. Despite Wilson’s struggles and lack of success in Denver, Waldron seamlessly transitioned to Smith, who suddenly displayed the kind of performance the Jets had anticipated when they drafted him in 2013. When Smith sustained an injury this recent year, Waldron promptly switched gears and introduced Drew Lock, who delivered a significant victory against the Eagles.
The Bears have a decision to make regarding their quarterback situation, whether it’s Caleb Williams or Justin Fields. However, regardless of who they choose, they can rely on having a coordinator who can adapt to their quarterback’s needs. In order to strengthen their offense and make big plays, the Bears may need to upgrade their receivers and tight ends. While they do have DJ Moore, they lack the kind of receiver combination that the Seahawks had with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Cole Kmet is a reliable tight end for the Bears, but Robert Tonyan Jr. has potential as well, even though he was underutilized in an offense he was familiar with from Green Bay.
Despite having a remarkable array of wide receivers and a more explosive offensive approach, the Seahawks barely outperformed the Bears in terms of scoring, ranking just one position higher at 17th. Additionally, the Seahawks fell short of the Bears in total yards gained throughout the season, trailing by a mere 5 yards.
Waldron’s versatility is once again demonstrated in the way he successfully addressed the Seahawks’ struggles with the duration of their plays and the limited time available for executing plays at the line of scrimmage. Similarly, the Bears have also encountered challenges concerning presnap penalties such as delays or false starts, which can be quite troublesome.
Seattle Times reported that Waldron had Smith wear a wristband with coded plays to address the team’s issues with confusion presnap. According to the newspaper, Waldron stated that the wristband is particularly helpful for complex calls and aims to facilitate a smooth transition from him giving the play to Smith, eliminating the need for redundant repetition.
According to Waldron, the ultimate outcome was to ensure that the Seahawks had a smooth and efficient functioning.
Although Waldron did assist in Jared Goff’s improvement, he did not have direct involvement in training and developing a rookie quarterback. In Washington, Waldron worked as a quality control coach while a young Kirk Cousins served as the team’s quarterback.
When Waldron joined Goff in 2018, his role was limited to being the passing game coordinator. However, in 2019, he took on more responsibilities by becoming the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. It remains unclear if Waldron’s expertise in developing rookie quarterbacks, as shown with Geno Smith, makes him a better fit for someone like Williams, rather than jumpstarting the career of a player like Fields.
As the Bears approach the draft, one aspect that remains uncertain is how they plan to address this particular issue.
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