The Chicago Bears fired former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from their OC position on Tuesday, hoping to shake up a unit that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

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Offensive passing game coordinator Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator.

The moves come with the Bears (4-5) mired in a three-game losing streak and the offense in a free fall after an offseason overhaul highlighted by the arrival of Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Waldron spent the previous three seasons as the OC for the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll. Waldron was not brought back after the Seahawks moved on from Carroll in January, and landed with the Bears shortly after.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday that changes were coming in the wake of a 19-3 loss to New England at Soldier Field, though he wasn’t ready yet to announce them. He said the decision on whether to retain his offensive coordinator would be “mine alone.”

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said Tuesday in a statement. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Eberflus said.

Waldron lasted just nine games. He was hired in January to replace Luke Getsy, who was let go after two seasons. Getsy was subsequently hired as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator and fired in November.

The Bears rank 30th in the NFL in total offense and 24th in scoring. Chicago has gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004. It’s been 23 consecutive possessions without a TD for the Bears since they scored in the final minute at Washington in Week 8, when they lost on a Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels. Williams was sacked a whopping nine times against New England, which came in tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.

The offense has produced just two touchdowns in 34 drives in the three games since Chicago’s bye. The Bears won three in a row prior to their off week, and Williams and the offense looked like they were finding their rhythm, even if they were doing it against struggling teams.

Williams completed 74% of his passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception during that run. In the past three games, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed just 48 of 95 passes without a TD.

Williams has often been under siege behind an offensive line that has played poorly and been hit hard by injuries. He has also hung onto the ball too long at times, rather than check down or throw it away to avoid a sack.

Waldron, meanwhile, seemed to abandon the run in some games. He was also urged by players to coach the team harder following a loss at Indianapolis in Week 3.

The Bears then went on their winning streak and headed into their bye with a 4-2 record. They’ve unraveled since then, and the schedule is about to get tougher. Six of the final eight games are against the NFC North, starting with Green Bay’s visit on Sunday.

The recent struggles have also turned up the heat on Eberflus, with fans chanting “Fire ‘Flus!” during the New England game. Chicago is 14-29 in his 2 1/2 seasons. It’s not what the Bears envisioned after going from 3-14 in 2022 to 7-10 last year.

General manager Ryan Poles gave the offense a big makeover in the offseason.

The Bears cleared the way to draft Williams by dealing Justin Fields to Pittsburgh. They made a blockbuster trade for a playmaking receiver for the second year in a row, acquiring six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers after sending the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina for DJ Moore. Chicago got the Panthers’ 2024 first-rounder in that deal for Moore and used it to take Williams.

The Bears also added running back D’Andre Swift and veteran Gerald Everett to form what looked like a potent tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. But the offense hasn’t come together the way the Bears hoped.

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One of the primary buildings at the historic Camp Long in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle caught fire Monday night, causing an amount of damage that still needs to be determined.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) reported in a thread published on X just after 8 p.m. Monday a fire had been reported at the 5200 block of 35th Avenue SW. Nine minutes later at 8:17 p.m., the SFD stated the fire was reported on the first floor of the lodge. It also had a second floor and a basement. In its coverage of the fire, the West Seattle Blog confirmed that is the address of Camp Long.

Several minutes later, the SFD explained crews had to move to a “defensive attack” because a hole was found in the floor of the first story of the building.

The fire was out by 9:16 p.m., the West Seattle Blog reported, citing the SFD. That was also when the SFD published its final X post about the fire, saying there were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Most of the crews who reported to the scene returned to service at that time, but several remained at the scene to monitor.

The West Seattle Blog also has multiple photos and videos of the scene detailing what members of the SFD had to endure to put the fire out and the aftermath once the fire was put out.

An SFD spokesperson told KIRO 7 crews were still assessing the damage late Monday night. The Seattle outlet also confirmed the SFD had parts of 35th Avenue Southwest and Dawson Street shut off as crews worked the scene.

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More about Camp Long in West Seattle

A city of Seattle property near the West Seattle Golf Course, Camp Long is a 68-acre park that has multiple uses. Among them, it “offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature” and “learn about natural history,” the city’s website explains.

Going further, Camp Long has multiple structures on the property, including 10 “rustic cabins” and the main hall that is an “ideal setting for ceremonies, parties and other special events.” The West Seattle Blog noted the lodge is more than 80 years old.

That main hall includes a brick fireplace and a tall ceiling and has a maximum capacity of 72 people.

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The response brought out several people who live near the park who were in shock about what saw at the site.

“We love Camp Long. We’ve lived here for almost 25 years. We’ve spent a lot of time here with our dog and families and this is just heartbreaking to see this happening today,” Carrie Antezana, who lives near the park, said to KIRO 7.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

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