Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron discusses three years of NFL play-calling experience, success working with Geno Smith and his system's strengths
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00:07 As a play caller or anything you're doing for the first time, are you ready for it?
00:11 You don't know until you do it.
00:13 And then once you've done it, you've been exposed to it.
00:15 I think it's all about reps, just like no different for a player.
00:18 The more reps you accumulate, the more situations that are put in front of you,
00:23 the more and more natural it becomes to react
00:26 with a positive decision in those scenarios right there.
00:29 And so for me, I'll look back at this past season and
00:33 take away the amount of game winning drives that we were able to accomplish.
00:37 And thinking about it from the calmness as a play caller in those scenarios,
00:41 taking the information in from all the other coaches.
00:44 Everything's always gonna be a collaborative effort in those regards.
00:47 But being able to understand those situations and react in those split
00:52 seconds and making the best decision for the team as many times as you can
00:56 throughout the course of the game.
00:57 And then also realizing it's the NFL, everybody's good.
01:00 So there's defenses that are gonna be great every single week.
01:03 And they might make a play here and there.
01:05 And being able to move on just like a player would, hey,
01:08 if you make a bad play, let's move on right to the next play.
01:10 That next play might be the best one of the game right there.
01:12 But don't let the previous play call impact the next play call
01:16 from an emotional standpoint.
01:18 And so I think the more and more reps you get at something,
01:21 the more and more you do it, the more and more comfortable I feel like I've become
01:24 in those scenarios. >> I totally believe that.
01:25 I think in the past experiences, like I said, with different quarterbacks,
01:29 different experience levels, whether I was in the coordinator role or
01:34 in a role as a position coach, I felt that way.
01:37 I felt different quarterbacks have been able to step foot into the system,
01:42 be able to learn it quickly.
01:45 And that starts with us being able to teach it in a good and
01:48 efficient manner where they understand it.
01:51 And then being able to go and again adjust,
01:52 cuz each guy's gonna have a different skill set.
01:55 So what direction does it go?
01:56 It's the players really take ownership and control that.
01:59 >> My experience with Gino was unbelievable.
02:01 It started with him as a player.
02:02 And I think you talk in terms of what guys can learn from him was a unique
02:07 ability to have a positive mindset no matter what the scenario was.
02:11 And when I got a chance to start working with him, there was an unwavering mindset
02:15 that he was a starting quarterback in the NFL, which I think is part of the process
02:19 or part of the thought process that every quarterback and
02:21 every player in this league is gonna have.
02:23 And so to be lucky enough to work with a guy like that that had that mindset.
02:28 And then to be able to start to develop that relationship with him,
02:31 that rapport, where we can get into game day and feel like, hey,
02:35 we're on exactly the same page on everything that's going on.
02:38 I think that was something that I would take from that moment with him.
02:42 And again, looking forward to it, and you'll hear me refer to it a good amount
02:45 of times, but to me, the teaching, the coaching,
02:49 it all starts with how well you're getting to know these guys.
02:51 What's the relationship like with them?
02:54 And not to say that everyone's gonna have the exact same relationship with every
02:57 single player, and I think, but having that understanding of their why.
03:02 And really, like I said, seeing Gino, how he worked, how he was totally dialed in,
03:07 no matter what the scenario was, whether he was gonna be the starter that week,
03:10 whether he was a backup when I was first around him.
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