When something like last Sunday happens, changes usually follow. There is no hiding from the disastrous offensive performance the Chicago Bears put up against Cleveland. Nine sacks allowed. Just six points. Less than 50 net yards. It was a historically bad afternoon of football. Blame for it went to a number of areas, but nowhere more so than head coach Matt Nagy. Experts everywhere couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to accomplish in that game.
The entire plan was nonsensical. Putting a young quarterback in his first start in constant straight dropbacks with five-man protections against one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. Justin Fields had no chance. There was limited commitment to the running game. Few bootlegs, moving pockets, or screens. All things that could’ve helped a rookie in a tough situation. Nagy instead ran the same scheme that was meant for Andy Dalton, a 10-year veteran.
No coach who understood his job would’ve done what Nagy did.
Now the calls for him to get fired are louder than ever. When asked if changes might be coming to the offense after that game? The head coach admitted “everything is on the table.” This led many to wonder if he might consider surrendering the call sheet like he did last year to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. When asked about it during his weekly mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune had some interesting comments.
Yes, I think something shifts this week. I don’t think Nagy would introduce the idea that everything is being inspected and weighed, knowing the message that sends, and then do nothing…
…We’ll see if the team has an announcement Wednesday or Thursday, but a shift to Lazor as the play caller would not surprise me. If Nagy wasn’t willing to seriously consider this, I doubt he would have said “everything is on the table.” It’s possible when he said it, a move was already in the works.
This was made more intriguing when Nagy held a press conference on Wednesday. Things started with him revealing that Dalton was returning to practice after just one week recovering from a bone bruise. The veteran remains the starter if he’s healthy. Then when asked about the play calling, that was when the head coach chose to deflect. Rather than provide a clear answer, he said this instead.
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Matt Nagy says “he’s going to keep it internal” when asked who the play caller will be for Sunday’s game vs #Lions. Said there have been amazing conversations over the last 48 hours. “The criticism is fair.”
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 29, 2021
Chicago Bears head coach already in survival mode
One shouldn’t forget how close he came to losing his job back in January. George McCaskey ended up giving him another chance despite the disappointing finish to 2020. He sold ownership that he could get this thing turned around on offense and make this team a playoff contender. Now the offense is dead last in the NFL and the Bears are 1-2 with teams like the Raiders, Packers, and Buccaneers looming on the horizon.
If he wants to save his skin and remain the Chicago Bears’ head coach? There is no room left for ego. He must accept that he doesn’t have what it takes to conduct even a serviceable NFL offense. Nagy needs to hand that call sheet to somebody who can. Otherwise, they’ll all be out of a job by January. At the latest. Bill Lazor may not be the ideal candidate, but he proved last season he could at least make the offense functional.
That is what the Bears need.
Something Nagy couldn’t and hasn’t provided for over three years now. If he does end up keeping the call sheet, then it won’t be much fun watching his inevitable demise. It’ll be sad more than anything. Not just because watching a man lose his job is never fun, but also because there were so many opportunities to avoid it.
