After a brutal loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson emphasized one issue the offense continues to face: a lack of consistency.
With Caleb Williams sidelined, Johnson noted the unit’s struggles have varied from week to week, ranging from red-zone issues to three-and-outs and turnovers.
“As a whole, it’s just consistency. Our play style needs to show up on a regular basis,” Johnson said. “It’s getting back to what we did all through camp and how we started
the first week of the season. I don’t know that we’ve done that at a consistent level since then.”
After scoring 59 points on 552 total yards of offense, including 291 rushing yards and eight touchdowns Week 1, the Bears followed it up in Week 2 with just 297 total yards and a single field goal.
One could point to the weather or the eight penalties the Bears committed in Week 2 as reasons for the drop-off, but a similar pattern emerged between Weeks 4 and 5.
In Week 4, the Bears ran 89 plays, recorded 492 total yards, didn’t punt once, and had a time of possession of 42:45. A totally dominant performance from the offense. The following week, however, the Bears managed just 246 total yards and seven points.
Of course, having backup quarterback Tyson Bagent standing in for Caleb Williams plays a significant role in the offense’s struggles. Still, Johnson expects more from this unit despite the circumstances.
Johnson acknowledged that the offense struggled to find a rhythm on Sunday and took responsibility for his role in getting the group going.
“Certainly, as a playcaller, I got to help get these guys in a better rhythm to move the ball down the field,” Johnson said.
The Bears conducted a walk-through on Wednesday instead of a full practice. Johnson explained that this was the plan going into the season, allowing the team to take a big-picture look at the first five weeks before their bye in Week 10.
The goal was to focus on the fundamentals by simplifying things offensively as the team looks to reset and regain consistency.
“It’s a little bit more back to the basics for us as a unit,” Johnson said. “Taking the volume down in terms of the plays going into the game plan here for a base day a little bit, and just make sure we get really good at the little things. I think sometimes when things go haywire, that’s usually the best reaction, is to make sure that we’re going back to what we believe in and what we’re about.”
Can the Bears find the consistency they need heading into Week 6?
