Chicago Bears fans have had a hard time determining how to feel about Matt Nagy. While the guy delivered their first winning season in six years back in 2018, his failure to fix the offense since he arrived has made him unpopular among many. Some view him as a fraud. A coach who inherited a great defense at the perfect time and rode it into the ground rather than taking proper advantage of it while the opportunity was there.
By that same token, others believe he got the absolute most out of what he was given. He didn’t do anything to mess with the defense. He let Vic Fangio and then Chuck Pagano have total control on that side of the ball. All while being saddled with a quarterback in Mitch Trubisky that wasn’t living up to his draft billing. Not to mention some questionable voids in talent across the rest of the offense.
This has created an ongoing debate.
Who was the bigger problem? Nagy or the quarterback? Former NFL guard and longtime analyst Ross Tucker doesn’t understand the hate. He gave a passionate speech on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast about it. Nagy is 28-20 in his first three years. He went to the playoffs twice. One of those appearances would’ve ended in a win if not for Cody Parkey. All of this with a quarterback the league thought so highly of that the best he could do was $2.5 million to be Josh Allen’s backup.
Nagy has plenty of supporters around the NFL. People who feel he got the absolute most out of what he had. The coach himself seems to think the same. This evidenced by his decision to resume play-calling duties in 2021. Remember he relinquished them to Bill Lazor last year. It isn’t hard to see that decision as a clear indication Nagy felt Trubisky was the bigger problem.
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Matt Nagy sounds determined to prove something this year
When asked about the situation at quarterback, the fourth-year coach didn’t beat around the bush. Andy Dalton is going to be the starter. There will be no competitions this time. Every meaningful snap in training camp will be put towards getting Dalton ready for the season. It seems Nagy learned a few lessons from last year. The competition between Trubisky and Nick Foles had the right idea, but it ultimately may have done more harm than good.
This time there will be no confusion. Matt Nagy had his quarterback in mind and got him. He likely sees Dalton as his version of Alex Smith. While he was never a star in Kansas City, Smith proved to be a capable veteran who functioned well in that style of offense. One that centers around reading the field and throwing to the favorable coverage. Trubisky couldn’t do that. Smith could and so can Dalton.
We’re about to learn a lot about who Nagy is.
People may not agree with Tucker’s assessment. They’ll argue the Bears head coach was aided by a fortuitous expansion of the playoff format. That he was bailed out by a great defense keeping them in so many games. That is a fair argument, but so is Tucker’s. Normally coaches who don’t have a losing season and make the playoffs twice in three years shouldn’t get fired. George McCaskey preached a little more patience.
The 2021 season will provide answers on who Nagy really is.