CHICAGO (670 The Score) — After consecutive losses underscored the Bears’ struggles, they bounced back with a 24-18 win over the Rams on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Here are the observations from a much-needed victory on a late September Sunday along the lakefront.
Progress on offense
Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was under fire last week as his unit struggled through three games.
Waldron was pressed in meetings by the Bears, as key leaders on offense called upon him to clean up the game plan and coach them harder. For his part, Waldron seemed to embrace the challenge, and the result was better Sunday against the Rams.
More so, Waldron’s plans for this offense seemed clearer.
“Our desired identity hasn’t changed,” Waldron said last week. “We want the marriage of the run and the pass, we want to be multiple, we want to be able to utilize our personnel in certain situation.”
On Sunday, the Bears' offense was a reflection of what Waldron hopes it will be.
The Bears were well-balanced, rushing 28 times for 131 yards while rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was 17-of-23 for 157 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line was better – though it still has a long way to go – while four of Chicago’s first nine drives (excluding the victory formation kneels to finish the game) resulted in scores.
The 22-year-old Williams took accountability for his need to improve with communication, admitting he needs to be better both during the week and throughout the game. Beyond that, Williams also had his own requests of Waldron.
“Us being on the same page,” Williams said. “Us understanding the flow that we’re in. If we’re in a flow, let us stay in that flow, get going – whether that’s the run game, whether it’s the pass game. Today, we did both pretty evenly, which is great and what we want to do every week.
“That was the main point of emphasis throughout the week, and obviously us having open communication is most important. Us having communication, myself being better at communicating, whether it’s game day or throughout the week, I had to be better.
“Today and throughout the week as a collective, we were better.”
Perhaps the most important breakthrough for the Bears was the strong performance by running back D’Andre Swift, who carried 16 times for 93 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown run. Swift also logged seven receptions for 72 yards as a reliable target out of the backfield.
Swift serving as an effective rusher helped strike the type of balance that Waldron was seeking.
Sunday was how it was supposed to look for the Bears, who believed they could begin Williams’ NFL career as a run-oriented offense and create opportunities in the passing game through that. The Bears' inability to get their ground game going in the first three games hampered those plans. Waldron’s inconsistent play-calling also loomed over the struggles.
Waldron seemed to ride the hot hands in his Bears offense Sunday, and he had options available throughout the game.
There's still much to improve for the Bears, who managed only 264 total yards and punted five times. Early in the second quarter, they walked off the field to boos following an eight-play drive that featured just nine net yards. But after that, the players and coaches put their heads together to make it right.
The Bears made important strides offensively in a victory they needed.
Right frame of mind
Following a disappointing 21-16 loss to the Colts on Sept. 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium, it would’ve been easy for the Bears to simply say it’s still early in the season.
There’s a lot of football left. It was just three games and there are 14 left. Nobody should be fazed by a 1-2 start.
That wasn’t the case inside Halas Hall. Instead of claiming time was on their side, the Bears made it a point to understand that a sense of desperation was needed.
“Really, just getting the urgency across to everybody in the building – players, coaches,” Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “There’s a strong urgency right now. I mean, we can’t wait and say, ‘Oh, we have time’ and things like that. No, we’ll never get this team like this again.
“There are still steps we can take to go in the right direction. Everything is not just fixed in this one week. But overall, just taking steps in the right direction is all you can ask.”
That was important for the Bears given the type of rhetoric that has been commonplace in the past, the type that pushed aside and excused struggles rather than acknowledging them. In 2023, the Bears brushed aside an 0-4 start rather than recognizing how their season was lost from the start.
The Bears believe they're a playoff-caliber team, but their margin for error is thin. By approaching each day with a newfound urgency, the Bears are in a better position to push past their early struggles.
O-line shuffle
The Bears didn’t formally announce this, but it was clear Sunday: Veteran right guard Nate Davis was benched. Matt Pryor was plugged in as the new starter at that position.
But that configuration didn’t last for long. Starting left guard Teven Jenkins exited the game with a rib injury, which forced Pryor into his place at left guard and sent Davis back in at right guard.
That all came after head coach Matt Eberflus said last week that the Bears were re-evaluating their offensive line.
“We're looking for the best five,” Eberflus said last week. “We don't want musical chairs in there. We're not at that point. We want guys to solidify themselves in there by their performance and then keep going in terms of the consistency, having week after week performing at a high level. That's what we're searching for. It's early in the season. We're looking for that. Some of the guys are doing that. We've just got to keep pressing the whole group to do it.”
Jenkins could be forced to miss time after departing the game Sunday. The extent of his injury wasn’t immediately clear.
If Davis is back in the starting lineup, perhaps his benching will serve as a motivator to perform better.
Dexter’s breakout
As a rookie last season, Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter wasn’t in position to be his best. He wasn’t explosive off the snap or confident in his maneuvers. It just didn’t all click.
Dexter returned to the Bears for training camp by showcasing a trim 6-foot-6 frame and his ability to create havoc off the snap. It seemed he was poised for a breakout campaign in 2024, and that has been the case early on.
Through four games, Dexter has three sacks. His goal is to record eight or more sacks this season.
Dexter is comfortable, confident and now producing as a disruptive three-technique for this defense.
Extra points
-- This was a vibe-check game for the Bears. Win, and everything would feel better again. Lose, and panic would ensue around Chicago. Though it wasn't a dominating victory, it was a complementary performance that inspired hope.
-- In the final seconds of the first quarter, Bears defensive tackle Chris Williams fell for a hard count from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. It was an embarrassing gaffe given Los Angeles wasn’t going to run a play. Fortunately for the Bears, Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson jumped for a false start as the second quarter opened. Those five yards were given right back.
-- After failing to record a sack in his first two games, Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat logged a strip-sack of Stafford to give him consecutive games with a sack.
-- Bears receiver Keenan Allen had just three receptions for 19 yards in his return from plantar fasciitis – while playing just 41 of 60 offensive snaps – but it seemed like his presence in the offense opened up options for Williams.
-- Doug Kramer, fullback, was a notable development. He was excellent in paving the way for a pair of key runs by running back Roschon Johnson. Fullback Khari Blasingame was a healthy scratch from the game day lineup.
-- Credit to the Bears for responding offensively in the second half. In the third quarter, they went 12 plays and 74 yards, a drive that was capped by a touchdown pass from Williams to top receiver DJ Moore on a dime in the back of the end zone. That was by far the Bears' best drive of the season.
-- Please, Eberflus, dial up more safety blitzes with Jaquan Brisker rushing off the edge.
-- Indeed, rookie punter Tory Taylor is the “weapon” that the Bears touted all along.
-- That was all just so much more bearable.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.