Sitting at 2-2 after a win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears still have some room for improvement offensively. They rank in the bottom half of the league in multiple offensive categories, including 1st quarter points, touchdowns, rushing yards and total yards per game.

Former Chicago Bear Tom Waddle provided his progress report and what the Bears should focus on heading into Week 5 of the NFL season on Bear Essentials.

Offensive line

Through the first 4 weeks of the NFL season, the Chicago Bears rank near the bottom of the league when it comes to average rushing yards a game, sitting at 29th with 87.3 yards a game. While the running backs carrying the football need to deliver, Waddle also calls on the offensive line to step up for a game against the Carolina Panthers.

“It just hasn’t been good enough in the first four weeks,” Waddle said. “Keep running the football, but you have to stay committed to running the ball. Better pass protection as well. You have to give Caleb time.”

Quicker starts

The Chicago Bears have only scored 3 total points in the first quarter across their first 4 games, ranking 31st in a league of 32 teams. With a rookie quarterback still getting settled in the pros, striking first and playing with a lead early is something that Waddle wants to see out of the team moving forward.

“You have a young quarterback who’s chasing from the very beginning,” Waddle said. “You don’t want to have him playing from behind.”

More of the long ball

As Williams starts to get comfortable in the pocket, he also needs to get comfortable showing off the arm with deep throws. His completion percentage of 10 yards or fewer has stayed consistent and productive through 4 games. However, Williams has only completed 23% (12-41) of passes that are 10 yards or more with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions.

“That’s got to get better,” Waddle said. “It’s a lot to ask of a young quarterback, but he has to discern whether or not he has the time and has the capacity to push the ball down the field based on what he’s seeing. It’s got to get better.”

Check out the full clip with Gould from Bears Den on the Marquee Sports Network app.