Shane Waldron is out, only nine games into his stint as offensive coordinator with the Bears. Fine. Swell. Now what?
Literally, now what means passing game coordinator Thomas Brown becomes offensive coordinator. As if making one of the former offensive coordinator’s top lieutenants the next coordinator will matter.
Maybe it will. The Ravens became a Super Bowl winner 12 years ago, after coach John Harbaugh fired Cam Cameron and replaced him with Jim Caldwell. Still, the Ravens were already contenders. The Bears aren’t.
It feels like a half measure. A step before making a bigger change, with Matt Eberflus out and a young offensive coach in.
Frankly, the Bears should have just gotten it started now. The wind is already gusting in that direction.
They also should have done a better job of managing preseason expectations. All too often, a team’s P.R. and marketing departments embrace hype until it gets out of control. And it sets up the football team for failure.
Eberflus should have mobilized when the bullish-on-the-Bears train started chugging. He should have reminded colleagues of the quality of the NFC North. Of the team’s protracted history of non-dynamic offenses. Of the challenges when it comes to developing a young quarterback. He should have insisted that the Bears work to lower external expectations.
Look at the Vikings. Their best-case scenario this year would be to lose in the divisional round. Given their low expectations, however, fans would regard that as a massive success.
At 4-5, the Bears come off as a failure, given the expectations. And the team felt compelled to give the mob a pound of flesh in the form of Waldron’s job.
Fine. Swell. Now what?
