NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
With rumors swirling that Mike Vrabel will be the big-name coach to go after this season, should the Chicago Bears go all-in? There are certainly teams like the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints with interim head coaches that could move in quickly. There are also teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, or New York Giants who have coaches in limbo who might want to play the long game. If the Bears are interested, they can’t afford to wait.
Vrabel was a big presence on the sideline for the Tennessee Titans. He brought the same kind of football to the Titans, which is on the same brand as Chicago football. The Titans had a strong and dominant defense while their offense leaned heavily on the run. That screams Bears football right there alone. Chicago has always employed a defense with a mean streak with an unmatched physicality. D’Andre Swift has been solid for Chicago as well and needs just 106 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark this season.
Not only is Chicago set up like Tennessee but it’s also built for success in the future. The Titans made the playoffs three times with Vrabel at the helm running a similar setup to Chicago but Chicago might be built a little better. Current Bears QB, Caleb Willams, has struggled at times but is having a decent rookie season despite running for his life. Williams could easily be considered an upgrade over, then-Titans QB Ryan Tannehill.
Not to mention the run game is set up for success as well. Chicago boasted a handful of running on the preseason version of Hard Knocks, but D’Andre Swift was the clear favorite to carry the football. It might sound ridiculous to compare him to Derrick Henry, but he has been productive this season. Not to mention that Chicago currently holds the ninth pick overall. Should Vrabel want to lean into the run game to give his new QB time to develop properly, a backfield of D’Andre Swift and Ashton Jeanty would be a solid 1-2 punch. Jeanty strengths and weaknesses are opposing to Swifts and give the Bears a complimentary backfield.
If Chicago can bring back Keenan Allen, they’d have three WRs who had over 700 yards receiving and a dual-threat backfield. In doing so, they’d have just as powerful of an offense in terms of skill players, if not better, and all they would need to do is focus on defenses and the trenches.
One of the downfalls in Chicago isn’t the lack of talent but the lack of direction and accountability. With a coach like Vrabel and the veterans they do have, this team could easily turn a corner and be competitive in the NFC North. It’s time for the Bears to stop trying to find their way into the finesse of new football and get back to physical and overpowering football.
