It appears all but over for the Chicago Bears following their 34-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The team let a 10-point lead slip away with four minutes left in the game as they now have lost six consecutive games. Head coach Matt Nagy’s flaws that have manifested during his three-year coaching career were on display as the team’s playoff hopes now appear all but over.

Nagy’s Maddening Ability To Run The Ball

One of the most significant issues with Nagy’s as head coach has been his inability to design quality running plays. In the Bears’ first three games this season, the team rushed for over 100 yards. Over the next seven games with quarterback Nick Foles as the starter, the offense failed to rush for 100 yards. With Mitchell Trubisky as the starter for the previous two games, the Bears have been very successful in running the ball as they have gained 261 yards.

Shake & bake! ♨️@MontgomerDavid makes 'em miss.

📺: FOX#DETvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/dPGSkDqANT

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 6, 2020

The large discrepancy that is frustrating is that the Bears can run the ball when they make an effort. Running back David Montgomery has averaged over six yards per rush in the last two games and has three total touchdowns. The run designs that have been called with Trubisky are vastly different from the ones that were called when Foles was under center. Nagy has always had an issue making an effort to run the ball as he has favored short-passes in short-yardage situations leading to a very unhealthy imbalance on offense.

Today's #Bears offense is such a reminder of *how* one-dimensional they've been for the last 3 years.

They're running the ball well today and it's lifted their passing game up with the tide. Hope to see things continue.

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) December 6, 2020

Against the Lions, the Bears were able to rush for 100 yards in the first half and scored three rushing touchdowns. Chicago was able to effectively move the ball on the ground with Montgomery and Cordarelle Patterson with several innovative run designs. It is maddening because Nagy himself, or his coaching staff, could develop quality rushing plays this entire time.

Nagy Has Consistently Been Inconsistent

For as successful the Bears were running the ball in the first half, especially with Montgomery, they got away from in the second half. In the second half, the Bears’ second-year running back only carried the ball six times for ten yards. On the team’s first possession of the second half, Chicago’s drive consisted of four passing plays and one running play with Trubisky that netted one-yard. On the Bears’ next offensive drive, they would start with six consecutive running plays, which would later result in a touchdown.

David Montgomery carried 11 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

With the Bears leading through most of the second half, he carried six times for 10 yards.

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) December 7, 2020

The issue here is that even though Bill Lazor is the play-caller, Nagy allows for the flow of the offense to take place. This was apparent on the team’s possession that resulted in the Trubisky fumble. Up by three and coming out of the two-minute warning, Chicago’s offense chose to pass the ball twice instead of running the ball. Had Chicago ran the ball twice and not picked up the first down, Detroit would have gotten the ball back after the punt with no timeouts and needing to drive a good portion of the field for a field goal or a touchdown.

Mitchell Trubisky was strip-sacked. The Lions recovered. Disaster brewing for the Bears.

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) December 6, 2020

Nagy, who has demonstrated an ability to develop several short-yardage passing plays, put Trubisky in harm’s way with a drop back pass that didn’t give him an option to run or a quick target to throw to. It was also as if the Bears’ head coach, who has called screen passes and shovel passes in short-yardage situations, was unaware of the risk of having his quarterback drop back deep in their own territory with a suspect offensive line.

No Go To Play When One Is Needed

After falling behind 34-30, the Bears offense moved down the field quickly to get into Lions territory before failing to convert on fourth and one. The Bears called a run play from shotgun formation instead of lining up and calling a quarterback sneak. It was a terrible play call because the situation and formation away what type of running play was coming. Had Trubisky been under center for the snap, Chicago would have a better chance of converting as the lions may not have known who was getting the ball.

Wow. #Bears lose. On third-and-4, Allen Robinson catches pass, but inexplicably goes out of bounds a yard short of first down. Had an easy first down. Then David Montgomery gets stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Lions' 19 with :11 left. Absolutely heartbreaking loss.

— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) December 6, 2020

It is just one of many instances where the Bears have failed to convert this year on fourth and short. In the team’s first offensive drive against the Tennessee Titans back in week nine, the offense did not convert on fourth and one when Montgomery was stopped short on a play that took too long to develop. The Bears would lose the game by seven points as they were stopped at the Titans’ 34-yard-line early in the game.

Furthermore, On the last drive against the Lions, the Bears’ offense was playing for the first down and not the touchdown. The two plays leading up to the fourth and one were both passes that were not just short of the end zone but short of the first down marker too. With less than 30 seconds left and with the ball outside of the Lions red-zone, the Bears didn’t have any deep passes targeting the end-zone. All NFL coaches have a set of deep passes they trust for the situation the Bears found themselves in late on Sunday.

I still can't figure out how Allen Robinson didn't get past the first down marker before jumping OB on third down with 16 seconds left. Bears should have had three shots at the end zone. They got zero.

— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) December 6, 2020

Although the defense deserves a majority of the blame as they could not hold several nine and ten-point leads throughout the game, Nagy deserves blame as recurring flaws were shown again. His inability to stay with a working running game allowed more time for the Lions to come back, while his lack of late-game awareness led to a gift turnover late in the game. The Bears have four games remaining in their season, but Nagy’s Bears coaching career all but ended on Sunday against the Lions.