LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones didn’t score on a 39-yard run against the Green Bay Packers. Running back D’Andre Swift did. But making a pancake block like Jones did on safety Evan Williams is his version of scoring.
“As an O-lineman, that’s kind of what we live for is seeing our skill guys succeed in space and that’s kind of how I find my excitement,” Jones said. “It’s amazing to see — and that’s my touchdown.”
The touchdown was one of new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown’s best play calls. It was a pin-and-pull run from a condensed trips formation to the left.
Tight end Cole Kmet and receiver Rome Odunze pinned the defensive end and linebacker with their outside leverage, and receiver Keenan Allen and Jones pulled to the outside. Allen blocked cornerback Carrington Valentine before Jones put Williams on his back.
“His (block) is just as key as mine is,” Jones said.
Just beautiful 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8gDIhotQ2G
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 17, 2024
Their blocks sent Swift into the open field against safety Xavier McKinney, and he danced around him on his way into the end zone.
“Obviously, it’s a (defensive back), but it’s still a shot to make D’Andre in open space and give him time to get a touchdown there,” Jones said of his block. “It’s execution of a play, and then when it comes to life, it’s the most exciting thing for me. Obviously, I feel pretty good in the open space and making space blocks like that. I feel like that’s one of my strengths.”
Playing to players’ strengths is also a sign of a good play caller. From quarterback Caleb Williams to Kmet to Odunze to Jones, Brown did plenty of that, starting with game planning, scripting and installs, and then extending into Sunday.
“Just the way the flow of the game was going, TB did a good job of just calling it,” receiver DJ Moore said.
The Bears lost to the Packers again, but the consensus among offensive players afterward was that Brown’s first game in charge of the offense was a positive step for a group that needed and wanted change.
“It felt like a turning point during the week for us,” Kmet said. “I felt really good about the plan coming in. Credit to TB for kind of getting things together and asking a little bit more of everybody this week, and I feel like that showed out on the field.
“I thought his commitment to the run game was awesome to see and using Caleb and his legs and then to be able to do some play-action stuff downfield (was) all really good stuff. And I thought Caleb also did a really good job. Those two just did a really good job of stepping up this week, and I thought it showed on the field.”
It’s too early to know whether the Brown-Williams pairing has staying power. The Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores have game film to work with after Sunday. The blitz-happy Vikings defense is among the top five in the NFL in sacks, QB hits, opposing QB passer rating and scoring.
But there’s also room for Brown to add more to the Bears offense.
His first game was a clear return to his Sean McVay-system roots. The Bears turned to more condensed formations, including the one that sprung Swift for his touchdown. More quick throws were built into Brown’s game plan. And the Bears used pre-snap motion — widely seen as a positive in the locker room — on a majority of their plays.
“They get people displaced for runs and lanes and blocking assignments or if it’s in the passing game … sometimes it gives you leverage,” Williams said. “Then sometimes it also mixes up people’s eyes, safeties, to be able to hit explosives. To be able to gain easy-access throws with maybe (defensive backs) backing off, once you get a motion going their way — maybe a fast motion or a slow motion going their way — they’ll back off and (receivers) get a free access for 5 yards, maybe more, with the type of guys we have. So those motions help us.”
Here are three more notable changes in the Bears offense from Mike Sando’s Pick Six column.
• “Brown had Williams under center on early downs 36 percent of the time, a season high and twice the Bears’ rate for the season.”
• “Moore set a season high with 56 yards after the catch, including two receptions with 15-plus YAC, double Moore’s previous season total.”
• “Williams set season highs for designed rushes (four), scrambles (five) and combined rushes/scrambles (nine).”
Players noted after the game that Brown got the plays in quicker than Shane Waldron did in his nine games running the offense. Coach Matt Eberflus saw that as a positive, too.
“I do like the tempo in which we operated in terms of play caller to the quarterback, quarterback to the offense, getting on the line of scrimmage,” Eberflus said Monday. “That was way better in terms of the energy and the timing of it. That’s going to be good going forward, too.”
The next step is scoring more than 19 points. Williams hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in more than a month. But the energy Brown provided as the offense’s new architect appears to be more than a one-game spark.
“Early in the week, he came in (and) told us we’ve got to be on our details,” Jones said. “It starts with us. It starts with the energy. It starts with Wednesday practice, Thursday practice, into Friday and continuing that through Saturday and letting it loose on Sunday.
“That’s kind of what he started with, and … that’s what I did. Coming back off an injury, trying to be able to give the juice where I could, being on my details, being as good as I could. And I think every player — all 11 — took that seriously.”
(Top photo of D’Andre Swift: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
