Should Bears kick themselves for passing on Klint Kubiak as their OC?

Should Bears kick themselves for passing on Klint Kubiak as their OC? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Scoring 18.5 points per game through two weeks, Bears fans aren’t overly excited about the team’s offense.

They have just one touchdown on the season, while setting up Cairo Santos for five field goals. Because they brought in the elite likes of Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams, fans are expecting much more out of the offense.

You can point fingers in every which way. The offensive line has been horrid, evidenced by the 36 total pressures they allowed from Williams’ 48 dropbacks on Sunday. Not to mention he was sacked seven times for 40 yards.

The wide-receiver separation isn’t there. And it doesn’t help when Allen is already sidelined by Week 2. Plus, DeAndre Carter and Gerald Everett are seeing the field a heckuva lot more than they probably should.

MORE: Bears’ plan to support Caleb Williams threatening to devolve into nightmare

Which brings us to the next shortcoming on the offense: Shane Waldron.

The Bears’ newly hired offensive coordinator hasn’t shown he can cultivate an offense fit for the team at hand. It’s an offense filled with empty sets, slow-developing dropbacks and an oddly called RPO where Will Anderson Jr. was able to get free instantaneously. Not to mention, it has all the talent in the world.

Naturally, Bears fans remember the team interviewed the mind behind the league’s hottest offense in New Orleans: Klint Kubiak. Should the Bears have hired Kubiak instead of Waldron?

Bears fans: https://t.co/cA3e3tYcWj pic.twitter.com/plxdHGmKPJ

— Sam Sherman (@Sherman_FFB) September 16, 2024

The Saints are unrecognizable from their woes last season, as they own the hottest offense in the NFL through two weeks. That may be an unfair statement, considering they faced the lowly Panthers in Week 1. But their dominant, 44-19 win over the Cowboys last Sunday turned heads.

The Saints now rank first in points per game (45.5), first in scoring margin (+31), third in rushing yards per game (185), 11th in passing yards per game (220), third in yards per game (405.5) and third in punts per play. Moreover, they rank 22nd in plays per game, evidence of their offensive efficiency.

The Bears are playing a movie fans have seen before. Through two weeks, it looks like they have an elite defense acting as a crutch for their bottom-tier offense. Certainly, their win over the Titans in Week 1 would back that claim. The Bears’ defense and special teams scored two touchdowns while keeping the Titans to 17 points.

Against the Texans, the Bears kept C.J. Stroud and Houston‘s strong offense to 19 points. Stroud was left with 260 passing yards and one touchdown; a fair amount of damage for a signal caller of his caliber. Mixon, who ran all over the Colts in Week 1 for 159 yards and one touchdown, was kept to 25 rushing yards. (He also left the game due to injury before returning later.)

This is all to say, the Bears have their hands full in correcting the offense.

The Bears offense has a handful of gaps. The offensive line is performing at a league-worst level. The wide receivers are having difficulty finding separation. And the play-calling hasn’t helped support their first-year quarterback, who has also struggled navigating the pocket and delivering with accuracy.

It’s early in the season. Naturally, Bears fans are looking to assume the worst. But if their offense doesn’t prove — while the Saints’ attack continues posting elite numbers — fans will only look back on the Waldron hire with angst.

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