Bear Digest

Three Bears Keys to Regaining Momentum by Beating Commmanders

The Bears are trying to regain what they had before their bye week and there are three keys to beating Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota and the Commanders.

Gene Chamberlain

Getting D'Andre Swift and the running game going like before the break will be important for the Bears offense.
Getting D'Andre Swift and the running game going like before the break will be important for the Bears offense. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
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Achieving true momentum lets teams get past mistakes.

It can be a great deodorizer when there are small mistakes or even mistakes at the wrong times of games.

A team on a roll can always knows they've done it before, not long ago, and can fall back on those successful ways. Confidence comes with momentum.

The Bears had this roll going when they left London. They needed the schedule break to heal up, but better health comes at the expense of momentum in this case.

Momentum needs to be achieved all over again when they resume play in Washington Sunday and the venue makes it even tougher to accomplish.

Coach Matt Eberflus sees the right blend to quickly regain it.

"They trust each other, believe in each other, have faith in each other," he said. "Just that. Guys are really working towards a common goal one week at a time and get the job done for that particular week. This week has been no different.

"The guys have worked really hard, I can see the trust and belief in each other, and they just keep working that way and trying to improve each week."

It's a good way to start out when the goal is to win one in a row after the break to re-establish momentum. Then it would actually be four in a row.

Here are the three keys to winning at the restart.

GUESSING GAME ON JAYDEN DANIELS EXPECTED TO GO UNTIL GAME TIME

MATT EBERFLUS MORE INTERESTED IN HIS GUYS THAN JAYDEN DANIELS' HEALTH

THE BEARS BEST POSITIONED TO DO DAMAGE TO COMMANDERS

THE BEARS GIVE THE BOOT TO VELUS JONES JR.

https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/the-bears-best-positioned-to-do-damage-to-commanders

1. Don't Overthink It

During the process of their second win, after they lost to the Colts, Bears players tried to get offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to be more of a "stick with what works" type of play caller.

"We had multiple meetings where we would sit down and talk about things that were working for us, things that I like, things that I don't like, things I talked about before, like staying in the flow of–whatever the case may be," quarterback Caleb Williams said. "If we were running the ball 5 yards, 4.5 a pop, just keep handing the ball off. Obviously, mix in but stay in the flow of that and things like that.

"Those were the meetings that we had, the sit-down talks that we had and I think those moments that we had helped us progress."

A week off leaves coaches with time to self-scout and the Bears did, but the fear of paralysis through analysis is always present. Waldron had that week off in Seattle three times and his team went 0-3 coming back from it. Once they got shut out.

If they're going to pick up where they left off after their bye, they need to keep the offense "flowing" the way it was before the break and that was simply by going with what is working.

2. Strong Start

The Bears never led against Tennessee in the opener until 7 1/2 minutes remained in the game. They never led against Houston and Indianapolis and both of those were road games. When they finally learned to come out early and get a lead, they had no problem.

Scoring in the first quarter isn't always essential and, as Waldron often points out, games are decided in fourth quarters. However, games on the road cane become extremely difficult to win once a team falls behind early. Northwest Stadium can become a very difficult place for Williams to play even if he is from that area originally.

The Bears need the fast start and then a strong game throughout to finally win on the road.

And that game in London doesn't count as the road because it was officially a home game.

3. Space Force

The Bears defense needs to make certain there is no open space. It becomes a game of spacing when facing the Kliff Kingsbury air-raid style offense.

"They get their athletes in space and they do a really good job at that and they've hit some good runs, too," Eberflus said. "They do a really good job with that. They're top in the league in both run and pass in terms of explosives. Their scheme has done it. And also just putting people in space."

The way to shut down space is talk or communicate. They know the assignments, make certain everybody is aware of what needs to be done. It isn't as easy as this, however.

The Commanders and Jayden Daniels like to get going in no-huddle or tempo. It makes communication difficult, then they break a big play and the defense is in tatters, on their heels and when they don't communicate then more big plays follow.

"When you do no huddle–or on the ball like that–it's just about the communication and being ready on defense," Eberflus said. "That's what the intent is of the offense.

"I was in college football as a coordinator and four years at the other place I was at, we've seen it. You just have to be really good at getting lined up, communicate and make sure you're right. It's going to be about what you’re doing first. Then being able to execute a multitude of things at that speed."

Communicating lets them shut down where the gaps are, the space, within their defense and it leaves no room for the offense to operate.

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.