The Chicago Bears have been adjusting well to the altered offensive schemes under new offensive coordinator Mike Tice, as tight end Matt Spaeth tells Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. Tice was promoted during the offseason after the team fired Mike Martz following a disappointing two-year run with the team.
Spaeth, a five-year veteran that's also played for Pittsburgh, thinks that Tice's simplified planning will prove to be beneficial:
I can only speak for last year and it was, at times, very confusing. You were still kind of second-guessing yourself as to what you were supposed to be doing. And when you’re doing that, you’re never playing full-speed. ... We have pretty much our whole offense in already, and guys get it. It makes sense.
Calls for Martz's ouster got louder as last season went on, especially after the team's unfortunate breakdown following the season-ending injury of quarterback Jay Cutler. With the new offense in place and additional weapons like Brandon Marshall, Michael Bush and Alshon Jeffery adding new layers, expectations should be high for that unit this year.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. And drop by SB Nation's NFL news hub for more updates and commentary from around the league.