Matt Nagy was already formulating plans for how he wanted to attack the Tennessee Titans defense today. It’s an important game. One where the offense has to show up if they want a chance of beating a good football team like this. Looking at the matchup? The plan should be pretty straightforward.
Tennessee has one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. They’re 27th in the league and now will be without top pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney who is nursing a knee injury. A normal team would immediately look to take advantage of that. However, circumstances beyond the Bears’ control have changed things.
Those circumstances being a COVID-19 outbreak.
In the space of the past week, the Bears saw not one, not two, but three offensive linemen contract the virus. They being Cody Whitehair, Jason Spriggs, and Lachavious Simmons. This has left the front five dangerous thin with multiple new starters up front. Arlington Hambright, their 7th round rookie gets his first action at left guard. Former undrafted free agent Alex Bars will fill in for Whitehair at center.
This is not what Nagy and the Bears had hoped to go with in this game. So as the picture came into focus, they apparently scrapped the gameplan and crafted a new one in the past couple of days. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, it’s a straightforward adjustment. One that will hopefully ease the pressure on Nick Foles.
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Matt Nagy likely to feed David Montgomery
Common sense always dictates that when an offensive line is riddled with injuries, the best thing to do is have them going forward instead of backward. It’s a good way to build confidence for a young unit that has zero familiarity with each other. It also prevents the defense from teeing off on the quarterback. Something the Titans would love to do against the largely immobile Foles.
Experts and fans alike have begged Matt Nagy to get David Montgomery more involved. That means a steady dose of carries each week. Through the first seven games, the second-year running back had 15 or more carries just twice. His game against New Orleans last week was probably his best of the season and involved 21 carries. The Bears offense seemed to function a little better as a result, scoring 23 points.
Montgomery can be a workhorse.
Better still, the Titans run defense isn’t exactly stellar either. They rank 22nd in the NFL against the run, allowing at least 92 yards in every game this season. They have 52 missed tackles. So this game could be a big one for Montgomery who is well-known for not going down easily on first contact. The obvious question is will he even have a chance?
Blocking is still crucial. Can this ragtag group of linemen give him a few lanes to work with? That is what Nagy and the coaches are hoping. Obviously doing so would allow Foles the use of play action, something he’s been consistently good at all year. It might not be the fanciest gameplan in the world. Yet it’s the right one for this situation.