The need to bury everything from the last regime, including their own individual mistakes, is strong for players at Halas Hall.
They are taking refuge behind coach Ben Johnson's attention to detail as they do their digging.
Last year's body language problems within the offense during games, whether from Caleb Williams, DJ Moore or anyone else, is an example. They've taken the opportunity of a new regime to let it all go and start over. Johnson's coaching and the staff's teaching doesn't allow for anything else.
Asked about his own poor body language, Moore said he has taken out his bud nippers and nipped it.
“I’m going to be honest right now, and then we aren’t going to talk about it," Moore said. "I did it once and then we nipped it in the bud, and it never happened again.”
Johnson's made it clear he understood and took it to heart.
“Just don't do it," Moore said. "Just keep it inside.
"We talked about it later, and just don't put it on film. Don't put it on TV. So you (media) guys can't run with it. So that's how it is.”
For his part, Johnson sees only an accomplished veteran striving to please coaches.
"What we've seen the last, call it six, seven weeks, has been a guy that's highly motivated," Johnson said. "He wants to be as complete of a receiver as he can possibly be, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get there."
When you're trying to get down the complexities of a new offense and compete for positions, it's really not so hard to do. Problems can come later, if the team struggles at some point.
Paying attention to detail is the theme at Halas Hall and if they're doing this, then any defeatism on the sideline would never even be necessary because winning ensues. Or so the thinking goes.
Three interim head coaches aside, Moore is now with his fourth NFL head coach. Regime change is not something new to him. Learning this offense and being so committed to each detail isn't easy but definitely does drive out negativity.
“It’s fun, but intense," Moore said. "A lot of hard work goes into it. You’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs and you got to know the play playbook.”
Definitely at this point in the reformation of the Bears offense, there is no questioning the authority. There is only doing when Johnson barks out some orders or there is being so sharp they don't need to hear from the coach.
"I don't think it gets on your nerves," Moore said. "It's just more like, dang, you’ve got to look at deep down in yourself and be like, did I really mess up? Did I execute the play at the highest level that I can? Was I slacking or was it perfect?
"So that's what he (Johnson) wants, perfection, but we know we all can't be perfect every play, so just being as close we can is the best thing.”
While Moore doesn't think the offensive system is necessarily more complex than what he's been through before, it is change and demands attention.
It was necessary change after last year.
“Yeah, to shake things up, keep everybody motivated and going," Moore said. "You never know what you’re going to get the next day (from coaches)."
The coaches are not shy to find out how much of it is getting through with occasional questions for players, even vets like Moore.
Uncertainty and educating himself on the system have even kept Moore from looking ahead too far. He's been lining up more in the slot than in the past, but that's how Johnson does things with all receivers during offseason work as he tries to be entirely certain of the hand he's been dealt.
“Right now, I don't have any goals because I'm still learning everything," Moore said. "I don't even know if I'm going to touch the ball as much as I did some years or if I'm going to be used the same way.
"So I mean, I just go from there.”
There's no need for bud nippers when everything is completely new and sprouting under the control of a new gardener.
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