What to make of Bears' struggles on offense in first padded practice

Beat reporters who attended Tuesday's practice made it clear: Fields, and the offense, wasn't good.

Here's an ode to a late-90s Bears team:

Yucky, while not a term often used in football, was described the offensive line play:

Finally, some perspective:

Still, it was nearly unanimous: the Chicago Bears' offense was a train wreck Tuesday:

Don't overreact to first padded practice of Bears training camp

It's important to keep a few things in mind before reading too much into these reports.

First, Tuesday was the first time Chicago Bears players have been in pads since last season. That matters. Players are rusty, and it's usually the case that defense is ahead of offense this time of year.

Second, Fields and the rest of the offense are learning a new playbook. They're being coached by a completely new coaching staff. Essentially, they're learning while doing. And whenever that's the case, mistakes happen.

Third, the offense is a collection of several new players. Darnell Mooney is the only wide receiver Fields is familiar with. The offensive line will feature as many as four new starters. It takes time to build chemistry, and that's what we're seeing play out in real time.

In the words of a much-hated rival quarterback, Bears writers (and some fans) have to R-E-L-A-X. It's August 2. We're still more than 10 days away from the Chicago Bears' first preseason games. We're nearly six weeks away from the season opener. In the meantime, the Bears will gel. The offense will find its rhythm. And the results on the field will be better than they were Tuesday.

At least, they better be.