Open Thread Question of the Day: How can the Bears improve internally?

The past week has been (understandably) filled with questions about player focus, coach preparation and how the Bears can make big moves to improve their team.

Let's pause these grand ambitions for a moment and think about what small steps can be taken to get this team on the right path for the playoffs.

So I'm wondering: What steps can the Bears take internally to improve their team?

My answer? Sometimes the simplest answer is the right answer. Lead the offense with DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.

A few weeks into the season, after a poor offensive performance against the Indianapolis Colts, the team's veterans called a meeting with Shane Waldron to express their frustration with the offensive play. It paid off immediately and led to a 24-18 victory over the Rams:

During the Colts game, the Bears struggled to score in goal line situations despite strong performances from Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet and despite amassing 395 yards of total offense. The Bears were famously interrupted by a terrible speed option call on 4th down and made a major adjustment in the following weeks to go back to basics and pass the ball to their best goal-to-go-back, Roschon Johnson. to pass on.

I think the Bears need to use this latest painful loss as another chance to take stock of how they can improve. By realigning your best offensive players.

In a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet combined for a meager 5 scores and 41 yards receiving. That's just not good enough.

DJ Moore's route tree has been limited so far this season, with a large percentage of his routes being screens or comebacks/hits. I would like to see the Bears use him more in the post, slants and wheel routes. In his best game as a Bear, two of his three touchdowns came on wheel routes:

In another of his best games, Moore shined in the middle of the field and in the deep posts:

It's clear that Moore's effort needs to improve and Waldron needs to focus more on getting the ball in his hands as he's truly special after the catch.

Cole Kmet has also been woefully underutilized since Waldron's arrival. He had some absolute duds early in the season, most recently a reception on a score for 14 yards against the Commanders. In the defeats against the Commanders, the goal share between Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett was 6:4. For a player in Kmet who you recently gave a big extension to and who has defined himself as a top 8 TE in this league, you need to find a way to get him the ball early and often.

It's no secret that some of the best quarterbacks in league history have had a strong connection to a TE as they provided a security blanket when everything else went wrong. For clear examples, you can look at Dallas Clark with Manning, Gronk with Brady, and Kelce with Mahomes. The Bears have a very talented player in Cole Kmet who can help Caleb Williams settle into games more easily – and he just doesn't get the attention he deserves.

Shane – stop thinking about it. Being the smartest guy in the room isn't about coming up with crazy plays in the moments that matter. Sometimes getting the ball to your best players makes you look your smartest.

Now it's your turn – What steps can the Bears take internally to improve their team?

Sound off in the comments!