Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinators change, but concepts sure look the same.
Avert your eyes if you were hoping a high-octane offense would emerge when Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, and D’Andre Swift were added to the playmaking tandem of D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet.
Check out the Jackson Smith-Njigba route tree that Shane Waldron coordinated last year in Seattle.
In 2023, Smith-Njigba had 63 receptions, 628 yards and four touchdowns. While those Anthony Miller circa 2018 stats won’t blow the doors off any defense, just glance at the route tree the former Ohio State star was running.
Sure looks a lot like the peak Matt Nagy route tree which always seemed to run just short of the sticks. While Smith-Njigba came from The Ohio State University offensive scheme, where 7 and 9 routes reign supreme and track stars with good hands leave haplessly slow defenders in their taillights, surely there had to be a better way to deploy him than short crossing routes.
It lends credence to the warning that Smith-Njigba may have had for Bears' fans during Super Bowl week last February.
Will D.J. Moore Fall Victim to Waldron’s Route Tree?
Let’s look at D.J. Moore and see Waldron’s offense's impotence on full display. Moore has eclipsed 1,000 yards in four of his seven seasons. Three of those instances came in Carolina, where the Panthers' ineptitude at the quarterback position doesn’t have the decades of decay to rival the Bears. It’s a meat grinder that churns out player after player.
Last year with Justin Fields and backup quarterback/folk hero Tyson Bagent at under center, Moore set career highs with 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. The biggest difference is the depth of routes in which Moore has run.
The Waldron route tree, or more appropriately the Waldon route bush, has Moore running routes at an average of 2.31 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. His average target depth in 2023 under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who will never be mistaken for a field-stretching maestro who can scheme his best players open, was 15.3 yards, again, according to PFF.
It’s been a small sample size for Waldron and the Bears’ offense. Maybe they are just hitting their stride, the Mini-Fridge running package with center Doug Kramer in the backfield suggest adjustments can be made week-to-week.
Moore set a career-high with 25 catches over 20 yards in 2023; thus far, he has one. But, he did have a touchdown last week. Maybe he and Williams just have to get on the same page. Plus, Keenan Allen returned from injury, and his intermediate-route running expertise could let Moore and Rome Odunze take the top off the defense and get downfield more often.
As per usual, the offensive line has been a mess, both injured and inept. Let’s hope Nate Davis remains benched, Matt Pryor settles in at right guard, Darnell Wright’s bulky back holds up and Williams has a few seconds before defensive linemen are sitting in his lap.
Maybe then Waldron will let all the cool toys the Bears acquired this offseason out of their packaging. It would be a shame if they just sat there and were never played with.
