The Chicago Bears entrusted Luke Getsy with finally turning the offense into something respectable after years of mismanagement. His first season was encouraging. While the passing game struggled due to inadequate weapons and protection, the young offensive coordinator redesigned the scheme to produce a fearsome rushing attack. Chicago finished #1 in yards on the ground, led by Justin Fields, Khalil Herbert, and David Montgomery. While expectations are the Bears will remain a consistent ground threat, it is hoped they take a big step forward through the air.
To that end, Getsy has worked hard to prepare his players for the 17-game grind to come. Part of the problem he ran into last season was the inability of his young offense to handle the highs and lows of a season. When they were too prone to streaks, both good and bad. They didn’t know how to get out of funks when they happened. So his message from the start of training camp was straightforward.
Understand there will be hard moments during a season. That is inevitable. Their job throughout that is to remain consistent. If you make a mistake, come back on the next play or the next series and forget about it. A short memory can make all the difference. Getsy’s speech was caught on 1920 Football Drive.
Part of their problem last year was being unable to sustain drives. The Bears ranked 30th in offensive plays per game at 58.4. That means they suffered a lot of 3-and-outs and too many turnovers. Such things can be a regular occurrence for brand-new offenses. That must change this year. It is the second season in Getsy’s system, and they’ve stockpiled more talent. Sustaining more drives is a must, both for scoring points and easing pressure on the defense.
His message is a good one. Young players have a bad tendency to linger too long thinking about mistakes they made. Luke Getsy can’t afford that. He needs them focused on the next play. That is why having Justin Fields as his quarterback is so fortunate. Nobody on the Bears roster is better at rebounding from mistakes than him. If the offense takes after him, this will be a much better unit.
