Bears play caller Thomas Brown spoke to the media Tuesday at Halas Hall. Here are five things we learned from that session:
(1) Brown lauded his players for their mental toughness and resolve in rallying from a 27-16 deficit to force overtime last Sunday against the Vikings.
"We often talk about competitive greatness in meetings, team meetings, offensive meetings, and competitive greatness is being at your best when your best is required," Brown said. "I want to just say how much I appreciate the response by the players, how much they battled. Talked about during the week, 'before the game, no matter what happens, nobody flinch,' [and] nobody flinched. They stayed aggressive, staying in attack mode."
The Bears scored 17 points in the final 7:22 of regulation, including 11 points in the last :22 to force overtime. Caleb Williams completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore midway through the fourth quarter, then threw for a 1-yard TD to Keenan Allen and a two-point conversion to Moore with :22 to play.
“It was very obvious he had no fear at all, which is the way we want to have him play.” Thomas Brown on Caleb Williams
After the Bears recovered the subsequent onside kick, Williams rifled a 27-yard pass to Moore, setting up Cairo Santos' 48-yard field goal that tied the score 27-27 as time expired in regulation.
"Seventeen points in the fourth quarter," Brown said. "Eleven points under two minutes with no timeouts, which is not normal. Doesn't happen all the time. I get we didn't win, though. The whole point is to be able to have a shot to win games, put ourselves in a spot to go execute at a high level, and I'm more committed to presenting more opportunities for our guys, continue to find matchups, continue to be aggressive and give them a shot to go win on game day."
(2) Brown loved the aggressiveness that Williams displayed in throwing for 340 yards with two TDs, no turnovers and a 103.1 passer rating versus Minnesota.
"It was very obvious he had no fear at all, which is the way we want to have him play," Brown said. "I think about being aggressive and taking calculated risks, so aggressive is not being reckless. It's two different things. So not putting the ball in jeopardy. Did a really good job taking care of the football. Making some tight-window throws, which is why you get drafted No. 1 overall, to make those big plays.
"And when it comes to end of the game, end of the half, he's delivered in a big way, which I think sometimes goes unnoticed because of the result, which I get. But that's a rookie quarterback who, in my opinion, hasn't even scratched the surface of how good he can be. And it's my job, my focus to continue to try to find ways to make him the best he can be. Hold him accountable, but also the entire group. It's not just about him. It's not a one-man show, myself as coach or him the quarterback, but it's about us all kind of working collectively together to get the best result on game day."
(3) Brown revealed that his family has helped him learn how to communicate better as a coach.
Players have praised Brown for his direct approach and candor, but the 38-year-old conceded that his communication skills have changed since he first became a coach.
"I think everything about personalities—myself or anybody else—is developed over time," Brown said. "Being in specific roles, being in front of groups, you learn to find your voice, you learn to figure out what words work for you, but also it's ultimately about the audience: How do you bring the best out of people you're communicating with and talking to?
"Being a husband of 16 years, there's forced communication between me and my wife, Jessica, so I've grown with that because I was a huge introvert before growing up. I didn't talk. Never really shy; would just keep to myself. And then having three boys who are all different personalities made me a better coach because when I first got into coaching, I was probably 24 years old, and I was kind of a one-size-fits-all, you're-going-to-get-it-how-I-give-it-to-you [type] and if you don't like it, that's your problem. [But] it's the wrong approach.
"It's about still being my authentic self but also how to deliver a message. I'm never going to lie to you. I'm going to tell you the truth, but how I deliver it is based on what brings the best out of you."
(4) Brown explained why he likes to get the ball in Moore's hands in space, even if it's behind the line of scrimmage.
The veteran receiver has caught all seven of his targets each of the last two weeks against the Packers and Vikings and picked up 13 yards on a rush last Sunday. Moore is known for his ability to gain yards after the catch and has been likened to a running back when he has the ball in his hands.
"It's easy to get him involved in the game," Brown said. "I think regardless of what people kind of play coverage-wise or try to play against him to take away possible throws, if you hand it to him, give him a bubble behind the line of scrimmage, you've got to tackle him in space and that guy's pretty dynamic when you get the ball in his hand. So whether it's screens, quick-game throws, vertical down the field throws, any way to get that guy in space, I'm all about."
(5) Brown knows firsthand how difficult it is to cover veteran receiver Keenan Allen when he lines up in the slot.
"It's funny," Brown said. "Before I was presented with the opportunity to be the coordinator, during the week I would play scout-team nickel, which plays in the slot. And I think I'm a pretty athletic dude. I'm still kind of cocky in some ways. And obviously I can't guard him even though I've told him that to his face that I can. But I think watching the guy, the one-on-one matchups, how he moves, the nuance of route-running is obviously elite. It's been elite for a long time."
Allen led the Bears with nine catches for 86 yards versus the Vikings. Brown likes to line up Allen and other receivers in different spots to create favorable matchups and keep defenses off balance.
"You use formation variations, using motions to … marry things for us offensively, to give us access and also to give us coverage indicators," Brown said. "So [you're] using the illusion of complexity, formation variation, motions and shifts to force communication from a defensive standpoint but also hiding where certain guys are."
