Thomas Brown Sent A Clear Message To Bears Offense In Opening Presser

As the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron couldn’t last more than nine games. Things got that bad. Only scoring one touchdown and 27 points in three games. Constant accusations of no creativity or understanding of personnel. No leadership presence. Players grew restless. The 19-3 loss to New England last Sunday was the breaking point. Head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles were both approached about needing a change. After 24 hours of deliberation, Waldron was fired. Passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to fill the void.

It is not an enviable situation to be in. Brown had to do the same thing last year in Carolina, taking over play-calling for embattled head coach Frank Reich. It didn’t go well. Still, that doesn’t seem to have dampened the young coach’s expectations. He sent players a clear message during his Wednesday introductory press conference. To fix the problem, it starts with guys bringing the necessary attitude and effort. From there, it is about being detailed in their approach.

The goal isn’t to be perfect. It is to chase excellence every day. Nothing more, nothing less.

Thomas Brown is planning to change some things up.

For one, he will deviate from Waldron’s decision to coach from the sidelines and instead operate from the booth upstairs. This should help him get a better view of what is happening on the field and decrease the clutter on the sideline. Next is introducing solutions to the scheme that has ailed the offense for weeks. One of them, in his words, is getting the ball to the playmakers by any means necessary. It doesn’t matter whether short, intermediate, or long throws. Among those goals is trying to get the ball out of the quarterback’s hands quicker.

One thing is certain. Thomas Brown is not the same passive personality the Bears had with Waldron. He is outspoken, energetic, and blunt. He has plenty of self-confidence and appears to hold players to a high standard. Maybe he can provide the necessary wake-up call the locker room needs to get guys back on the same page. It certainly won’t be easy. He’s taking over in the middle of the season, and the team is spiraling out of control. If he has any magic, he must work it fast.