At the start of the off-season, Shane Waldron was highly regarded as one of the top offensive coordinators in the NFL. The Chicago Bears were fortunate to secure his services, given their need for an experienced playcaller, especially with a significant decision looming at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, there are always naysayers, and some critics argue that Waldron is overrated and one-dimensional. While he did produce impressive results for Russell Wilson and Geno Smith during his three-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks, he struggled to balance the offense with a consistent running game. His ground games ranked 11th, 18th, and 28th, respectively, under his direction, leading some to believe that he lacked the versatility needed for sustained success. However, Pro Football Focus recently released a graphic that contradicts this notion, revealing that Seattle’s running backs excelled when running into intended gaps, but they rarely did so. The issue was not with Waldron’s coaching but rather the personnel at his disposal. Seattle’s GM, John Schneider, has struggled to draft running backs with good vision, a crucial attribute in a wide-zone offense. In contrast, the Bears’ current running backs, Khalil Herbert and Roshcon Johnson, possess excellent vision and lack hesitation when running through holes. If Waldron can continue to provide his backs with premium opportunities to make big plays, this could be an exciting development to watch. Furthermore, if the Bears can retain D’Onta Foreman, who also has above-average vision, it will be a clear indication that GM Ryan Poles understands how to match personnel to the scheme. Waldron is better suited than Luke Getsy to take advantage of this situation.
