NEWSLETTER
It was looking like Bears Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy was finding his groove in late September. Sure, the Bears’ offense was struggling to put up points. And there were plenty of clunky moments. But after three weeks, the Bears’ 23 explosive plays tied them for fourth most in football.
Some guffawed when they saw it. And while I can’t say I blame them, the Bears’ offense was showing signs of life from time to time. Moreover, it was worth noting it then to see how the rest of the season would shake out. As it turns out, it was a sign of things to come.
The math doesn’t lie, the Bears have one of the NFL’s most productive big-play offenses:
Not bad, first-year play caller!
OK, so quarterback Justin Fields is doing a bunch of heavy lifting. Obviously, we see it in the passing game — even though the 31 “big play” receptions is comfortably in the bottom half of the league. But we also see it in the running game. Fields’ rushing exploits can’t be overstated or shared enough. Then again, we can’t just ignore what David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert have done. That rushing attack is pushing this thing forward.
However, it should be known that it isn’t just Fields doing damage. All in all, Getsy should be proud of the progress the Bears have made in this aspect of the game. I’m keeping it real when I say I never thought I’d write this post about the Bears. But here I am, pleasantly surprised.
In the end, whenever the Bears go out on free-agent recruiting trips this offseason, they should bring a laminated version of this chart with them. Especially if they finish at (or near) the top of it when the dust settles. But as it stands right now, Getsy’s Bears offense has come up with the most “big plays” in the NFL this season. In fact, their next big play will be their 100th of the 2022 season. I can’t remember the last time a Chicago offense was able to generate 100 big plays. Let alone nearly 100 before with still four games to go in the regular season.
