Alright, so I decided to spend some real time digging into Luke Getsy’s offensive schemes lately. Not just reading articles, but actually watching the tape myself. Felt like the only way to really get a feel for it, you know?
Getting Started
First thing I did was pull up a bunch of game film from his time calling plays. Mostly focused on the Bears stuff since that’s freshest. Grabbed my notepad, pen, and settled in. Didn’t have a fancy setup, just my laptop and a decent internet connection. The goal wasn’t to be some pro analyst, just to see what I could see with my own eyes, figure out the patterns myself.
The Process – Hours of Watching
Man, it took a while. I started just watching drives play out, trying to get the rhythm. Then I got more specific.
- Focusing on formations: I started pausing before the snap. Looked at where guys lined up. Saw a lot of bunch sets, some motion trying to get defenders to show their hand. Made notes on what kinds of plays came out of which looks.
- Tracking play calls: Kept a rough tally. Run vs. pass on first down. What they did on third and short versus third and long. Lots of screens, tried to get the ball out quick sometimes. Then other times, these longer developing pass plays. Felt a bit all over the place occasionally.
- Looking at personnel usage: Tried to see how different players were used. Who got the targets in key moments? How did they use the tight ends? Was the run game setting up the pass, or the other way around?
Honestly, it was pretty grinding work. Rewinding, pausing, making scribbles on my pad that barely made sense later. My eyes definitely started to glaze over after the third game or so. It wasn’t always exciting stuff, just methodical.
What I Found (Or Didn’t)
So, after all that watching? I wouldn’t say I cracked some magic code. It’s complicated stuff. I saw things that looked smart on paper, good concepts. But then I’d see plays break down because of protection, or maybe a receiver not being where he needed to be. Execution matters, right?
The biggest thing I noticed was the inconsistency. Some drives looked smooth, like they knew exactly what they wanted to do. Other drives felt like they were just throwing stuff at the wall, hoping something would stick. Maybe that was adapting, maybe it was struggling. Hard to tell from just watching film without being in the building.
Overall, I spent maybe 8-10 hours really looking closely over a couple of days. Didn’t come away thinking Getsy was a genius or a total bust. Just felt like I understood the attempt a bit better. Saw the ideas he was trying to implement. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it really didn’t. Felt like I got a more grounded view than just reading stats or hot takes online. It was worth the effort, even if my notepad looks like a mess.
