The Bears lost for the fifth time in the last six games against the Packers last Sunday, eliminating them from contention for the division title and leading wide receiver Brandon Marshall to call for more accountability from the offense in order to halt their skid.
Marshall apologized for those comments, which also included a call for people to pay with their jobs if it doesn’t happen, on Wednesday, saying that they rubbed some people the wrong way and that he shouldn’t have gone public with his thoughts. Interestingly, Marshall also said that he’s seen more of what he was looking for from his teammates while reiterating that he included himself among those on the team who have to be accountable for themselves.
“People are responding in a positive way. You’re hearing the word ‘accountability’ thrown around. You’re hearing guys start to look at themselves,” Marshall said, via the Chicago Tribune. “That’s what it is about, especially this time of the season when we’re sitting where we’re sitting. You can look in the mirror and figure out what you need to get better. So for me I have to do a better job of being consistent in the run game. I have to do a better job running routes. Can’t just go out there and get the 10 yards. It has to be crisp, it has to be fast. It has to be technically sound.”
Marshall might have been better served by sharing his thoughts privately to the team, but he wasn’t wrong. When a team goes from 7-1 to 8-6, people do need to be held accountable or you can’t have any confidence that the necessary changes are going to be made to get the team moving back in the right direction. Whether that is coaches, players or both remains to be seen, but no one should be surprised to see heads roll in Chicago if the team winds up short of the playoffs.