Ryan Pace is busy trying to save his job. It’s way too late for Matt Nagy. Monday night against Minnesota was simply a reminder of that. However, the Chicago Bears GM at least seemed like he might still have a chance to save his job. All it would take is the right players making some positive plays on the field. Instead, the loss to the Vikings underscored exactly how atrocious of a job Pace has done with the offensive roster.
Going into the game, the Bears receiving corps had 17 dropped passes on the season. Not a good number to have under any circumstances. What followed had to be the magnum opus for this group as they proceeded to drop six more. Yes, you read that correctly. Six dropped passes in one game, most of them well-thrown by Justin Fields. None exemplified the madness more than Jimmy Graham letting a sure touchdown slip through his hands in the 4th quarter.
Jimmy Graham has to catch this man…#Bears pic.twitter.com/hinZaoQmph
— TimeoutSPORTS__ (@TimeoutSPORTS3) December 21, 2021
This is the same Graham the Bears elected to keep on an expensive contract.
Despite salary cap problems. Why? They felt even at 35-years old he was a valuable pass target. Not based on his performances this season. His fellow tight end Cole Kmet was even worse, dropping two passes on the night as did Damiere Byrd and Darnell Mooney. It’s so easy for people to criticize Fields and his pedestrian numbers up to this point. Sure he has issues taking too many sacks and fumbling the football.
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Yet nobody can deny the kid can throw it. His passing has been impressive for the past month now. Yet his numbers continue to suffer because nobody in this receiving corps can make a play for him. That falls at the feet of Pace. He is the one that put this group together. When looking back at his tenure as GM, arguably his biggest failure is evaluating and acquiring weapons in the passing game.
Visual representation of Cole Kmet: pic.twitter.com/TCPVLoYepV
— Matt Eurich (@MattEurich) December 21, 2021
Here is a recap of what Ryan Pace has done at both WR and TE
- Kevin White
- Daniel Braverman
- Javon Wims
- Anthony Miller
- Riley Ridley
- Darnell Mooney
- Dazz Newsome
- Adam Shaheen
- Cole Kmet
- Eddie Royal
- Markus Wheaton
- Dontrelle Inman
- Allen Robinson
- Taylor Gabriel
- Dion Sims
- Trey Burton
- Jimmy Graham
That lineup is as close to indefensible as it gets.
Robinson is the only true standout Ryan Pace has acquired going back to 2015. The primary job of a general manager is to find his quarterbacks enough weapons to work with. In no way shape or form has he done that. It is clearer than ever. Most of the Bears’ receivers and tight ends would be backups on other teams. That is the sad reality of their situation. If they want Fields to excel, they have to find him help.
One thing is clear. Pace absolutely can’t be the man trusted to find it. He’s had seven seasons to build a proper receiving corps and he has horribly mismanaged it. Blaming the coaching staff only goes so far. This team doesn’t have enough playmakers. That falls at the feet of the man making the picks and handing out the contracts.
