The masses are restless in the Chicago Bears kingdom. Matt Nagy seems to be their target of ire these days. After over a year of hiding the deficiencies of this offense behind the erratic play of Mitch Trubisky, they were made to believe a switch at quarterback would solve a lot of the issues. Well, it hasn’t. Nick Foles has struggled just as much.
This has shifted the finger of blame to Nagy himself. This is his offense. His baby. He came in offering promises that the Bears would finally be able to look like a 21st-century offense. Instead, they currently rank 29th in the NFL. That matches the same ranking they had last season and it doesn’t look like it’s about to get any better.
Nagy’s low point may have hit on Monday night in Los Angeles.
Towards the end of the game where his offense would score just three points, commentator Brian Griese dropped a bombshell when he stated Foles told him that sometimes Nagy would call in plays the quarterback would immediately know weren’t going to work. To many, this was a clear indictment of the coach’s play calling. Something many have harped on for over a year.
Where it gets really interesting, depending on interpretation, is what happened while that was being said. As the cameras were fixed on Nagy who was in the middle of calling a play for a 4th and 3 late in the 4th quarter, Trubisky was spotted in the background. He had an earpiece in which meant he was listening in on the conversation between the coach and Foles.
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When the camera pans a little towards him, his head appears to cock back in surprise at the call being sent in. Is it a coincidence or a genuine reaction?
Check out Mitch hearing the Play call as this is being reported 🤣 pic.twitter.com/n2Z1yZAMVU
— Robb (@R_DoroJr) October 27, 2020
Mitch Trubisky has expressed frustration with the offense before
One thing about the 26-year old quarterback is he’s a loyal soldier. He won’t stir the pot in the locker room. That being said, his misgivings about Nagy’s offense are on record. Last year after losing to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, Trubisky praised the offensive line for their work but indicated more could’ve been done to help them against a really good pass rush. Not enough moving pockets, screens, draws, or simply running the football.
This issue has persisted ever since and was on full display in Los Angeles. There wasn’t a lot of creative run calls, not enough play action, and just ways to diffuse that Aaron Donald-led pass rush. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise Foles was sacked four times and pressured on over 37% of his drops. That play call on 4th and 3 was one such example.
So one can understand why Mitch Trubisky might’ve been taken aback. Maybe it’s just a coincidence but it’s interesting nevertheless. One has to wonder if frustration might be building in the locker room with how the offense is being run. Everything the Bears have tried in terms of personnel hasn’t worked. The only common denominator left is Nagy.