It might be better to start late in the fourth quarter of Week 15 with the Seattle Seahawks losing 17-13 and stuck inside their 10-yard line. The two-minute warning had just passed after the Philadelphia Eagles downed a punt at the Seahawks 8.
After scoring a field goal two turns before, the Seahawks had a chance but faced a tough challenge against a good opponent in the late stages of a crucial game. On the sideline at Lumen Field, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron got quarterback Drew Lock — an emergency starter due to Geno Smith’s injury — and began working.
It was an important moment for a 6-7 team in playoff contention that needed a big play on “Monday Night Football.”
The next drive started with an incomplete pass — a strong throw by Lock that bounced off tight end Noah Fant’s hands and was almost intercepted. Over the following nine plays, there were a few other near-disasters too. But the series also included five Lock completions, including a third-and-10 throw to DK Metcalf for 34 yards.
Then, facing another third-and-long from the Eagles 29, Lock found rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba in single coverage, had the ideal 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 small victory in a disappointing season for the Seahawks. However, it was a triumph under pressure showing the kind of resilient, poised and fearless football Waldron wants his team to play.
Six days later, with Smith back at quarterback, Waldron influenced another game-winning touchdown drive that finished in the final minute. This time, it was a tough, 14-play, 75-yard march ending with Smith’s 5-yard pass to Colby Parkinson in a 20-17 away win over the Tennessee Titans.
This was the second time in NFL history — and the first since 1999 — a team had two quarterbacks throw game-winning touchdown passes in the last minute of regulation in consecutive weeks. This showed Waldron’s ability to adapt and prepare his players for success in critical game situations.
The Chicago Bears are hoping to utilize those skills and more with Waldron as their new offensive coordinator. This partnership became official Tuesday. Waldron, 44, will begin the next phase of his football career at a potentially significant time in Bears history.
He will be responsible for leading the team's championship pursuit as the offensive visionary, while 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, apart from Adam Gase, most coordinators have left on bad terms.
The search for consistency
Within the football community, Waldron is seen as an up-and-coming offensive architect, an intelligent and creative coach with strong teaching abilities. His work with Smith in Seattle in 2022 is particularly notable as the previously overlooked quarterback had a career year (4,282 passing yards, 30 TDs), earning Pro Bowl honors and the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Waldron has worked for some of the great coaches in sports — 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 getting Smith ready to be a productive starter for a playoff team in 2022.
When the Bears formally introduce Waldron, he will likely explain three key principles in his offensive philosophy. Ball security is essential. Fundamentals need daily attention to stay sharp. Full group commitment will be the catalyst for everything.
Waldron will probably emphasize the importance of consistency. He aims for balance in his offense, wanting to establish a strong running game while having an attacking mindset when big-play opportunities arise.
And just like in those two late comeback victories last month, Waldron surely wants his offense to be characterized by composure, determination and high-level mental toughness.
As a play caller, he will need to build a strong connection with his quarterback, aiming to consistently bring out the best in whoever that may be.
The assumption is that he will at least have a say as his new bosses at Halas Hall work to solve that puzzle in the coming weeks and months. This work will involve both pre-draft preparation and in-house discussions on the progress of Justin Fields.
Fit process
Similar to any coaching hire, it’s natural to first feel hopeful, to have optimistic visions of the significant improvements that can lead to a meaningful breakthrough. Waldron’s experience calling plays was definitely a positive for the Bears. For general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, that eliminates some of the uncertainty that comes with trying to predict how he might handle those duties in Chicago and what level of productivity they can expect.
However, Eberflus and Poles hired their last offensive coordinator less than two years ago — the January 2022 addition of Luke Getsy that sparked significant excitement at Halas Hall.
Like Waldron, Getsy was praised as an up-and-coming, young offensive coach with high intelligence, proven teaching skills and impressive creativity. He had been with the Green Bay Packers for six of the previous seven seasons, including three years under Matt LaFleur in a Kyle Shanahan/McVay-style offense. Getsy was endorsed by those who knew him best — players and coaches — as a strong communicator, calming leader and genuine, 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 as influential in 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 considered to have a creative football mind with strong teamwork skills and a thorough understanding of all the moving parts within an offense. However, the Bears, under his leadership, also experienced significant inconsistency issues, and the expected progress for Fields never reached the level the team hoped for.
The good qualities the Bears saw in Getsy didn't matter much when his offense too often found itself struggling.
Fields tried his best to learn a system that was not ideal for him. Getsy’s efforts to solve problems sometimes led Fields away from concepts and plays he was most comfortable with.
It became a frustrating situation. The quarterback was frequently adapting to the play caller. The play caller was adapting to the quarterback. The offense, in turn, was adjusting, readjusting, then adjusting yet again for large chunks of two seasons, hindering the opportunity to build momentum or expand, particularly in the passing game.
It was a problem with fitting in. A significant one. And it’s a lesson Eberflus and Poles must learn as they try to set up Waldron for success.
Waldron’s experience and flexibility should help. But with the Bears potentially at a turning point at quarterback, striving to align the offensive vision with the personnel must remain a priority as well.
For whatever it’s worth, Waldron’s Seahawks ranked behind the Bears this season in total offense, first downs, touchdowns, third-down conversion percentage and red-zone efficiency. They also had a bottom-five rushing attack.
Waldron must 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 rises? When the Bears reach those critical stages of close games? Waldron will be expected to consistently be at his best, bringing out the best in every player in his offense.
The Bears, naturally, are hopeful for what’s ahead. Ultimately, the results Waldron produces and his ability to help the team’s quarterback(s) shine will define his time in Chicago.
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