The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers collide Sunday in one of the NFL’s biggest rivalries.
Jordan Love has been selected as the Packers’ latest franchise quarterback after Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers – and has the contract to prove it.
But the 4-5 Bears enter the game with question marks remaining over the most difficult position to fill in sports.
When Chicago landed the No. 1 pick, few were left in any doubt that Justin Fields‘ time was up as generational talent Caleb Williams looked too good an opportunity to pass up.
But the former USC standout has endured a rocky ride in the NFL – flashing glimpses of his gifts alongside struggles in a faltering offense.
Since scoring 35 points on the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, the Bears have managed just 27 combined in three straight defeats.
Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden told the Pardon My Take podcast how he would reverse the alarming slump.
“It’s getting late to do that. We’re at the ten-week point of the season,” he said.
“The big thing you do is have a private meeting with the guys you deem to be your leaders.
“The defensive leadership, the offensive leadership. The eight or nine Chicago Bears that you’re really saying, ‘This is the heart and soul of our football team.’
“You say, ‘We’re gonna get behind this quarterback and we gotta spread this news downstairs and publicly. We gotta make this guy a great player, he is gonna be a great player unless we screw this up.’”
Gruden believes Williams has all the tools to be successful but is being let down by his supporting cast on a team lacking identity.
Gruden revealed his plan for fixing the Bears[/caption]
“Let’s be honest, you’ve had a lot of guys come through here but this guy’s a unique talent,” he added.
“He needs support. He needs it the most from his coach and the blue chip leaders we have on this team.
“I don’t know what kind of leadership they have on this football team, Jaquan Brisker’s hurt, they got as bunch of guys from different teams.
“D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, everybody’s the No1 receiver, [D’Andre] Swift is a new player.
“They’re all searching for an identity. But they better figure it out, ‘This is our guy right here, we gotta get him to hand the ball off to Swift, play good defense, win a couple of ugly games.’
“The weather‘s getting s*****, you gotta get excited about Caleb Williams and keep putting your arm around this guy and challenging him and helping him get through it.”
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had seen enough after a 19-3 defeat to the New England Patriots – firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
“I would say just probably he was too nice of a guy,” Allen told the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer of Waldron.
“I think during OTAs, training camp, he kind of fell into a trap of letting things go, not holding people accountable.
“Obviously those things lead to a slippery slope.”
Thomas Brown will take over and hope to ignite an offense which does have plenty of talent.
But Green Bay has a stacked defense and will fancy its chances of taking advantage of a porous offensive line to put the heat on Williams.
