The Bears Can’t Have Kyle Shanahan, So They Have to Go Find One of Their Own
A Lesson Learned from Sunday’s Game
The Bears can’t have Kyle Shanahan, so they have to go find one of their own: an elite offensive play-caller bound to the team by the weight of a head coaching contract. That was clear by the end of Sunday’s shellacking in Santa Clara, Calif., where Bears brass saw first-hand the impact of Shanahan being perfect in an imperfect situation. As a play-caller, he put on an absolute clinic.
A Masterclass in Play-Calling
The 49ers were missing future Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams because of injury Sunday and, by the middle of the first quarter, were down to their third-string left guard. Running back Christian McCaffrey, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and future Hall of Famer, was out too. So was his backup. And, by the middle of the fourth quarter, his backup’s backup. The leading rusher on the 49ers’ active roster entering Sunday’s game was quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 49ers’ head coach had plenty of reasons he could have struggled Sunday. What he did instead was call one of the best halves of football the Bears have seen in years. The 49ers averaged 8.6 yards per play in the first half Sunday. They posted touchdown drives of 70, 64, and 71 yards and marched 69 yards for a field goal. They led 24-0 at halftime and won 38-13.
A Perfect Game Plan
Purdy, who had 94 passing yards in the snow the week before, had completions of 33, 32, 32, 27, 23, 23, and 20 yards in the first half against the Bears. That’s a total of 190 yards on seven plays.
How impeccable was Shanahan’s game plan? When the Bears didn’t blitz Sunday, Purdy posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating. When they did, it was a mere 112.5.
Misdirection and Play-Action
Shanahan used misdirection and play-action to suck in the Bears’ linebackers, then threw over the top of them. He called screens at the best possible moments against Bears coordinator Eric Washington, who was calling a regular-season defense for the first time in six years.
The Bears Need Someone Like Shanahan
The Bears need someone like Shanahan or LaFleur, and the only way to guarantee a play-caller stays for the long term is to make him head coach. It won’t be Shanahan — both he and his general manager shot down any chance his marriage with the 49ers would end anytime soon. The Bears need to find their Shanahan.
It won’t be easy. For every team that thinks they’ve found an elite offensive mind to be their head coach — the Bears’ next opponent, the Vikings, might in Kevin O’Connell — are 10 teams that whiffed. Matt Nagy was supposed to fit the bill. So was Marc Trestman.
Potential Candidates
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson checks those boxes. Like Shanahan, he could be the play-caller on a Super Bowl team that doesn’t accept a head coaching job until the day after the game. Perhaps Commanders coordinator Kliff Kingsbury makes sense too — with the added bonus of having head coaching experience. The Texans’ Bobby Slowik, who mentored C.J. Stroud, is another young offensive play-caller on the rise.
Thomas Brown could be on the list, too, but it would take an act of faith: the interim coach’s debut went about as disastrously as possible.
Conclusion
The Bears could look toward a “leader of men,” a buzzword that, from a practical standpoint, means little else beside “doesn’t call plays.” They could hire a veteran head coach and try to build their team around more amorphous claims of culture. Wouldn’t you rather pick someone with the perfect play call on third-and-7?
A two-time NFC champion, Shanahan is a rare talent. Finding another like him won’t be easy. But the Bears can’t land the next Shanahan unless they at least try.
FAQs
* What is Kyle Shanahan’s current contract status with the 49ers?
Shanahan and his general manager shot down any chance his marriage with the 49ers would end anytime soon.
* Who are some potential candidates to replace Shanahan?
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Commanders coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Texans’ Bobby Slowik, and Thomas Brown are some potential candidates.
* How did the 49ers’ offense perform against the Bears?
The 49ers averaged 8.6 yards per play in the first half and posted touchdown drives of 70, 64, and 71 yards.
