Maybe it’s best to begin late in the fourth quarter of Week 15 with the Seattle Seahawks behind 17-13 and stuck inside their 10-yard line. The two-minute warning just passed after the Philadelphia Eagles downed a punt at the Seahawks 8.
After scoring a field goal two possessions earlier, the Seahawks had a chance but faced a high-pressure challenge against a strong opponent in the late stages of a crucial game. On the sideline at Lumen Field, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron approached quarterback Drew Lock — an emergency starter that night due to Geno Smith’s groin injury — and got to work.
The spotlight was on in Seattle for a 6-7, playoff-contending team in need of a big moment on the “Monday Night Football” stage.
The next drive started with an incompletion — a Lock pass over the middle that bounced off tight end Noah Fant’s hands and was almost intercepted. Over the next nine plays, there were a few other close calls. But the series also included five Lock completions, including a third-and-10 play up the right sideline to DK Metcalf for 34 yards.
Then, facing another third-and-long from the Eagles 29, Lock identified rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba in single coverage, had the perfect play call from Waldron, and threw a game-winning pass into the end zone with 28 seconds left.
Seahawks 20, Eagles 17.
This was a somewhat insignificant moment in a disappointing season for the Seahawks. But for everyone involved, it was a game-deciding victory and showed the kind of resilient, calm, and fearless football Waldron wants his team to play.
Six days later, with Smith back at quarterback, Waldron guided another game-winning touchdown drive that ended in the final minute, this time a grinding, 14-play, 75-yard march resulting in Smith’s 5-yard pass to Colby Parkinson in a 20-17 road win over the Tennessee Titans.
This was only the second time in NFL history — and the first since 1999 — that a team had two quarterbacks throw game-winning touchdown passes in the final minute of regulation in consecutive weeks. And it provided more evidence of Waldron’s ability to adapt and prepare his players for success in critical game stages.
The Chicago Bears aim to capitalize on those abilities and more with Waldron as their new offensive coordinator. This partnership became official Tuesday. Waldron, 44, will start the next phase of his football journey at a potentially significant time in Bears history.
He will be the offensive visionary responsible for driving the team’s championship pursuit and bringing out the best in whichever quarterback(s) the Bears choose to lead them into 2024 and beyond.
Waldron will also step into an offensive coordinator’s office at Halas Hall where — other than Adam Gase — the occupants almost always depart through a trap door rather than on an upward escalator.
The quest for consistency
Within league circles, Waldron is seen as a rising offensive designer, an intelligent and innovative coach with strong teaching abilities. His work with Smith in Seattle in 2022 is particularly noteworthy as the once-overlooked quarterback had a career year (4,282 passing yards, 30 TDs) on the way to earning Pro Bowl honors and the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Waldron has worked under some of the sport’s coaching greats — Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots (2008-09), Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams (2017-20) and Pete Carroll for the last three seasons in Seattle.
He was the Rams passing game coordinator for three seasons and Jared Goff’s quarterbacks coach in 2019. He spent one season with Russell Wilson in Seattle before preparing Smith to be a productive starter for a playoff team in 2022.
When it's time for the Bears to officially introduce Waldron, he will probably discuss three important principles in his offensive philosophy. Ball security is critical. Fundamentals need daily attention to stay sharp. Getting everyone to buy in will be the key to making everything successful.
Waldron will likely emphasize the importance of pursuing consistency. He aims for a balanced offense, aiming to establish a strong running game while also being aggressive when opportunities for big plays arise.
And just like in the two late comeback wins last month, Waldron undoubtedly wants his offense to be known for composure, determination, and high mental toughness.
As a play caller, he will need to establish a strong connection with his quarterback, aiming to consistently bring out the best in whoever it may be.
It's assumed that, at the very least, he will have a say as his new bosses at Halas Hall work to solve that puzzle in the coming weeks and months. This will involve pre-draft research and internal discussions on the progress of Justin Fields.
Fit process
Similar to any coaching hire, it's natural to first feel hopeful and envision significant improvements. Waldron's experience calling plays is definitely a positive for the Bears. This removes some uncertainty for general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus as they consider how Waldron will handle his duties in Chicago and what level of productivity they can anticipate.
However, Eberflus and Poles hired their last offensive coordinator less than two years ago — in January 2022 they added Luke Getsy, which sparked excitement at Halas Hall.
Similar to Waldron, Getsy was praised as an up-and-coming, young offensive coach with high intelligence, proven teaching skills, and impressive creativity. He was with the Green Bay Packers for six of the previous seven seasons, including three under Matt LaFleur in a Kyle Shanahan/McVay-style offense. Getsy was endorsed by players and coaches as a strong communicator, steady leader, and relatable team builder.
He had been Aaron Rodgers’ quarterbacks coach for MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021 and, while serving as Mike McCarthy’s receivers coach in 2016 and 2017, had been credited by Davante Adams for his breakthrough.
“He’s been on my radar for a while,” Eberflus said after hiring Getsy, later emphasizing his attraction to the timing-based, quick-decision passing attack Getsy was likely to bring.
For the next two seasons, Getsy was seen as a creative football thinker with good teamwork skills and a full understanding of all the parts of an offense. However, the Bears, under his leadership, also experienced significant inconsistency issues, and were not able to help Fields make the progress the team was hoping for.
All the positive qualities the Bears saw in Getsy didn't matter much when his offense often struggled.
Fields did his best to learn a system that wasn't ideal for him. Getsy's attempts to fix problems sometimes led Fields away from concepts and plays that he was most comfortable with.
It became a frustrating back and forth situation. The quarterback was frequently adjusting to the play caller, and vice versa. The offense also had to make a lot of adjustments, hindering the opportunity to build momentum or improve, especially in the passing game.
It was a problem with the fit, and a big one at that. Eberflus and Poles need to learn from this as they try to help Waldron succeed.
Waldron's experience and ability to adapt should help. But with the Bears potentially making a big change at quarterback, it's important to prioritize aligning the offensive vision with the personnel.
For what it's worth, Waldron's Seahawks had worse rankings than the Bears this season in total offense, first downs, touchdowns, third-down conversion percentage, and red-zone efficiency. They also had one of the worst rushing attacks.
Waldron needs to find ways to make his next offense much more powerful. Whatever it takes, he must have solutions and ideas for maximizing his quarterback's talents while also playing to the strengths of the supporting cast.
And when the pressure mounts? When the Bears face crucial moments in close games? Waldron will be expected to consistently bring out the best in every player in his offense.
Naturally, the Bears are hopeful for the future. Ultimately, the results Waldron achieves and his ability to help the team's quarterbacks shine will define his time in Chicago.
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