Bear Digest

Thomas Brown Approaches New Assignment as Bears OC Head-On

Players should know where they stand with the new Bears offensive coordinator as Thomas Brown comes across as a direct person who plans to coach his players hard.

Gene Chamberlain

Thomas Brown, new Bears offensive coordinator, describes his plans for the attack Wednesday at Halas Hall.
Thomas Brown, new Bears offensive coordinator, describes his plans for the attack Wednesday at Halas Hall. / Photo: Chicago Bears Video
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New Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown told Bears players and the assembled media what they needed to hear, although probably not what they wanted to hear.

The players would no doubt like to think they can turn around the season, but at 4-5 and with eight games left again teams who could all be in the playoffs at year’s end it’s going to be anything but a pleasant fight back into it after the offense broke down.

“I don’t know what’s a quick fix and I’m not really looking into quick fixes,” Brown said. “I want long-term solutions to kind of get us going in the right direction. The goal, again, is to have success and have success immediately. I’m not doing anything to be a loser or have a loser’s mentality.

“My players don’t either. Those guys are focused, they’re excited. Again, we’re all in this thing together, so we’re rocking and rolling, getting ready for practice.”

Brown became Panthers offensive coordinator in a somewhat similar situation and his team averaged only 11.4 points for 10 games but they did win twice and scored 30 points against the Packers in a loss.

Brown comes across as very direct and says he makes it a point to be this way with players.  Unlike Shane Waldron, he plans to call plays from up in the coaches’ box.

The key point for Brown will be getting Caleb Williams and the attack working the way they did against the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars in a three-game stretch when the team rose to 4-2.

"I think he does a lot well,” Brown said. “I think when it comes to his natural ability from throwing the football, is clear and obvious. I think being able to understand how to get the ball out of his hands as fast as possible when it comes to the concepts we kind of dial up but also being able to let him use his natural God-given ability at times, when it's relevant. Not every play but when it comes to especially situational ball, third down, red zone, and come alive with that."

There will be no magical spells to change the offense. He can’t simply gut the offense and put in a new one from the halfway point in the season because they’ve spent since April learning this attack.

"I think at this point, when it comes to where we are in the season, you can't reinvent the wheel,” Browns said. “I'm not going to try and do that at all. That would be kind of setting us in a spiral going backward in my opinion.

“ But it's about being able to try and find the best way to be effective with our playmakers. To be able to mirror what we do with our formation and motion standpoint. Everything for me starts up front, starts with the run game, how we attack, knock it forward mentality and we will build off that."

One of the problems earlier this season the players spoke about was the need to be coached harder, especially on details. From the sound of it, this won’t be a problem with Brown. This applies to everyone, including Williams, and he made this clear in his talk to the rookie.

“Talked about what he can fix and be better for our offense,” Brown said. “Clearly, obviously, quarterback’s the most difficult position, so we gotta be better all around him, but it also starts with how we coach it, being more detailed, being more demanding with just him, but also with the entire staff as well.”

The bottom line is how players take his direction and use it.

"I mean it's a fresh perspective," tight end Cole Kmet said. "Thomas is a direct dude and he coaches in a direct manner and I think guys can respect and appreciate that.

"I know after Thomas got done talking quite a few guys were fired up and excited about what he had to say."

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.