Matt Nagy

Chicago Bears: An unnecessary implosion against the Vikings

by
bears, matt nagy

Chicago, IL–If you watched the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in week 15, props to you for sitting through one of the ugliest games of the season. A week after losing to the Green Bay Packers on national television, the Bears returned to Soldier Field to take on Minnesota Vikings in another ugly game that was mirrored by inconsistency all across the board for Chicago on offense.

Rookie quarterback Justin Fields had one fumble on the evening but once again, the Bears failed to get any sort of rhythm established around the 11th overall pick, forcing Fields to once again play with desperation, doing anything to keep the Bears relevant. The Bears had five total redzone trips, with just one ending in a touchdown. Add in a missed field goal from Kicker Cairo Santos and the Bears were once again a dumpster fire throughout the evening.

What the Bears did do correctly was play hard-nosed on the defensive side of the ball. Rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. was a pleasant bright spot who emerged in his first career start. Graham Jr. had seven tackles and three pass breakups, leading an already depleted secondary. Pass rusher Robert Quinn took yet another step forward with four total tackles and two sacks as the 11-year veteran looks to chase Richard Dent’s single-season sack record, which is currently set at 17.5.

From a numbers standpoint, the Bears had 24 total first downs and 370 total yards of offense, compared to Minnesota, which had just 193 total yards and 13 first downs. Despite sacking Vikings QB Kirk Cousins four times, what really hurt Chicago was seven total penalties, some of which could be considered questionable calls by the officiating crew.

With the Bears’ latest loss, Chicago has now lost 10 games on the season and has lost three total divisional games this season against NFC North opponents. Up next for the Bears is a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, where Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks await.

Chicago Bears: Week 14 takeaways, quick tidbits, and more

by
bears, matt nagy

After another loss to the Green Bay Packers, there are just four games left in the 2021 regular season for the Chicago Bears. Before we look ahead to week 15, let’s recap week 14.

1) The Bears haven’t won in Lambeau Field since 2015. That’s right, it’s been seven seasons and Matt Nagy has won just once against the Packers since 2018. At some point, the McCaskey family needs to realize that Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace haven’t done what they were brought in to do: Beat Green Bay and make the Bears relevant again in the NFL’s oldest rivalry.

2) There are a lot of people who are pessimistic when it comes to evaluating Justin Fields play on Sunday night. There was some good, some bad, and some questionable. But overall, Fields had a typical rookie performance and went toe-to-toe with Aaron Rodgers, who already has a spot reserved in Canton, Ohio.

3) Speaking of evaluating Fields, it’s hard to gauge where he’s really at, especially since the rest of the Bears’ offense wasn’t exactly perfect on Sunday night either, especially in the second half. This brings up another important question: Is Fields struggling or does the rest of the Bears offense failed to execute and help Fields?

4) Justin Fields had a pick-six against Packers CB Rasul Douglas and while he’ll learn from this mistake, Fields responded with a 54-yard touchdown pass just a few plays later. The touchdown pass to WR Damiere Byrd is great but what really matters was Fields ability to respond to Douglas interception, something that gave the Packers life. Fields’ response showcases confidence that few Bears’ QB’s have exhibited over the years.

5) Want to know what we saw in the first half against the Packers? We saw exactly what Matt Nagy has wanted since arriving in Chicago: An explosive big-play offense that relies on quick passes to move the ball in big chunks and score with ease. The Bears had the ball for just 25 minutes the entire game and scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter.

6) The Bears’ inability to adjust in the second half is troubling. Few teams are going to score 24 points in the first half with ease against the Packers and the Bears took the foot off the pedal in the second half, which included abandoning the running game. This lack of second-half execution cost the Bears big time, especially in a game that was winnable until the very end.

7) Let’s give some love to CB Jaylon Johnson, who shutdown Packers WR Devante Adams in a way that not many have seen before. Per Next Gen Stats, Johnson allowed just 1.9 yards of separation and 19 total yards. If you want to talk about why Adams two touchdowns, it’s because he beat backup CB Xavier Crawford twice.

8) Sunday night was another indication the Bears WR room needs to be rebuilt and rebuilt badly heading into the 2022 offseason. Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson combine for three receptions and 33 receiving yards, and 11 total targets. Robinson seems mentally checked out while Mooney had an off day which he’ll need to rebound from.

9) Artie Burns had another above-average performance, showing us all why he’s a better option than Kindle Vildor. Burns isn’t a long-term replacement by any means but he’s better than whatever the Bears have on the roster right now.

10) Tight end Cole Kmet dropped a pass in the endzone that would’ve been a touchdown. The Bears have run this exact some play multiple times this season and Kmet has yet to haul a TD in, which is troubling for a player who was a high draft pick and once the future of the TE position for Chicago.

Chicago Bears: Packers spoil Justin Fields return

by
justin field, bears

Green Bay, WI– After an offensive explosion that included 27 points in the first quarter, the Chicago Bears were once again beaten by their rivals to the north on Sunday night football. After two passing touchdowns in the first half too wide receivers Jakeem Grant and Damiere Byrd, the Bears looked to be well on their way towards a victory at Lambeau Field.

Throughout the first half, the Bears looked like a team that came to play in all three phases. After Packers cornerback, Rasul Douglas returned a 55-yard pick-six to the house, Fields confidence as he led the Bears down the field in just under two minutes for a touchdown, retaining the lead.

During the first half, the Bears defense set the tone, with veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn totaling two sacks. Second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson had a strong first half, continuing to neutralize wide receiver Davante Adams, who eventually broke away and totaled 10 receptions for 121 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

Despite another loss to the Packers, the Bears’ young talent did have some bright moments in this game. Rookie offensive tackles Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom had solid outings, with Jenkins taking over for Jason Peters, who left in the first quarter due to an ankle injury and did not return. Wide receiver Jakeem Grant, who was acquired earlier in the season for a 2023 sixth-round pick had a 97-yard punt return in the second quarter as the Chicago’s special teams unit provided a big boost throughout the evening.

The Bears may not be ready to compete with the Packers just yet but Sunday night indicated the Bears have a good foundation in place that will form the core of the team for years to come. While allowing 17 points in the third quarter helped the Packers pull away, Chicago put up a fight in a game that many never gave the Bears a chance.

 

Chicago Bears: Week 13 takeaways, tidbits, and more

by
bears, matt nagy

After losing to the Arizona Cardinals at home, the Chicago Bears have dropped six of the last seven games, and continue to be on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Let’s recap week 13 for the Bears.

1) Running back David Montgomery was the Bears’ best playmaker on Sunday. The third-year pro had 21 carries for 90 rushing yards and one touchdown. Montgomery was also involved in the passing game with eight receptions for 51 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per reception. The weather certainly factored into the Bears using Montgomery heavily but Sunday also proved that for the final five games of the season, the offense needs to revolve around Montgomery, which means shifting to a pass-first philosophy.

2) The Bears led the Cardinals in four key categories: Time of possession, first downs, total yards, and turnovers. Arizona averaged just five yards per play but having a short field on the first two possessions as a result of Andy Dalton’s interceptions is what led to an earlier-than-expected Arizona lead. The Bears’ defense isn’t good enough to overcome mistakes made by the offense, which means both sides of the football need to play a near-perfect game to have a chance at winning.

3) Jakeem Grant being the Bears leading receiver on Sunday shows how much the WR room needs to be overhauled during the 2022 offseason. Arizona locked up Darnell Mooney all afternoon and without Allen Robinson or Marquise Goodwin, the Dalton was forced to throw to the likes of Grant and Damiere Byrd. Chicago traded for Grant to be an impact player on special teams, not in the passing game, despite having some speed.

4) Center Sam Mustipher had two fumbles on Sunday. In other words, the Mustipher experiment needs to end for the Bears. With rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins officially active, the Bears can reshuffle the offensive line, inserting Jenkins into the starting lineup while moving James Daniels or Cody Whitehair to center. The Bears need to see what they have in Jenkins during the final five games of the season as Chicago believes it finally got an OT with the potential to develop into a franchise cornerstone on the OL.

5) Montgomery’s postgame presser was one of the best I’ve ever heard since I started covering the Bears in 2017. “I’m a fighter, I’m never going to stop fighting,” said Montgomery. “I’m never going to stop giving it everything I got.”

Talk about someone who’s a leader of men and is intrinsically motivated. With the chance of making the playoffs bleak, Montgomery’s positive energy should radiate throughout the locker room.

6) For the second straight game, cornerback Artie Burns posted some solid numbers with six tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass breakup. Burns may not be a long-term solution but he’s a good enough security blanket to finish out 2021 before the Bears have to make a decision on his future with the team during the 2022 offseason.

7) The Cardinals’ offense is everything Matt Nagy hopes his offense can be someday. Arizona had the ball for just over 25 minutes but averaged 7.5 yards per pass attempt. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray carved up the Bears’ secondary all afternoon with explosive plays in the passing game to keep the Bears defense on its toes. Kliff Kingsbury has emerged as one of the smartest offensive minds in football and the Cardinals are finding their groove with the postseason right around the corner.

8) The Bears were 3-for-3 in the redzone and 4-for-4 on fourth down yesterday. Rarely does that ever happen but Matt Nagy found a way to get it done yesterday. Nagy is on his way out but at least converting in the redzone and on fourth down mattered in a game that Chicago tried to keep competitive.

9) One way to slow the Cardinals down is creating turnovers. And the Bears’ defense had none on Sunday. While Roquan Smith was hampered due to a hamstring injury, the Bears need to be better in this category to have a chance at being able to play complementary football and give the offense a chance at scoring more points.

10) The Bears had two drives on Sunday that lasted more than seven minutes. While this may not seem noteworthy to some, it is progress for an offense that’s been through growing pains over the last four seasons. Long drives aren’t the issue now but execution is still lacking as the Bears are unable to cap off these drives with touchdowns, instead of field goals.

 

Chicago Bears: Mistakes early derail any chance of a win

by
andy dalton, bears

Sunday afternoon was equivalent to a rollercoaster ride for the Chicago Bears. After snapping a five-game losing streak in week 12, the Bears got back to work against the Arizona Cardinals in week 13, only to lose by 11 points at home. The lone bright spot of the afternoon for the Bears on offense was running back David Montgomery, who had 21 carries for 90 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per attempt.

Despite Montgomery’s strong showing, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton threw four interceptions, including two on the Bears’ first two possessions to give Arizona a short field to work with. From there, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a 20-yard score to get the Cardinals on the board first.

Chicago’s second drive of the game wasn’t bad. The offense was moving the ball efficiently, taking whatever little yards the Cardinals defense was willing to give up. What appeared to be a drive that would end up in a touchdown was halted when Dalton tried to connect with tight end Cole Kmet at the Cardinals eight-yard line, only to be picked off by Cardinals safety Budda Baker, who returned it to the Bears 15-yard line for a 77-yard return.

The Bears’ defense struggled throughout the game. Despite a goal line stop in the fourth quarter which forced Arizona to kick a field goal, Chicago failed to generate any turnovers. A short-handed defense allowed just 257 total yards and 14 first downs but Arizona’s big-play offense proved to be too much for the Bears defense, which saw another big game from linebackers Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn.

With just five games left in the season, the Bears showed us that the talent gap between Chicago and some of the top teams in the NFL is still massive and that the Bears may have moved the ball well today but a lot of work remains to be done if Chicago is to have a chance at being able to seriously compete soon.

Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy noncommital about Teven Jenkins status

by
teven jenkins, bears

When Matt Nagy and the Chicago Bears returned to Halas Hall on Monday, questions regarding the status of rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins arose. After being sidelined since August due to back surgery, the Bears opted to open the 21-day window for Jenkins to return after the team returned the bye week in mid-November.

So far, the Bears have yet to update Jenkins’ status. While he could make his season debut on Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Matt Nagy opted to offer no new updates on Jenkins status, fueling speculation about whether or not the 39th overall pick plays in 2021.

“Probably the biggest thing is, is with Teven’s situation is now that you’re into the season and where we’re at we just keep an eye on how our offensive line is doing and how they’re going,” said Nagy via the Bears official YouTube channel.

Nagy isn’t wrong. The offensive line is a cohesive unit and if everything is clicking, no change is needed. In the Bears case, a change may be needed. Veteran Jason Peters is merely a stopgap whose career has reached its twilight stages. Jenkins is under contract through the 2024 season and 2022 could mark the beginnings of a retooling of the Bears roster, with young talent getting a chance to showcase what’s possible.

“When we brought him into that window and got him going, it was important to be able to kind of see where he’s at physically,” Nagy said. “I think he’s done a great job, I love his mentality right now, working with the guys, and just kind of putting the pads on and getting into it.”

Nagy’s tone indicates that while the Bears are positive about Jenkins’ progress, Chicago is still taking it slow, keeping Jenkins’ short-term and long-term health in mind with the hope that Jenkins’ ceiling is high enough to become a franchise-caliber left tackle.

Chicago Bears: Losing streak ends in Turkey Day snoozefest

by
andy dalton, bears

Detroit, MI– For the first time since October 10th, the Chicago Bears have won a football game. In what was a Thanksgiving Day snoozefest in Detroit, the Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 16-14 on the heels of an 18-play, 69-yard drive that lasted 8:30. The Bears are ready to head home and enjoy Thanksgiving after a tumultuous week that included reports saying week 12 would be head coach Matt Nagy’s final game with the Bears.

Key contributors throughout the afternoon included veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, and pass rusher Robert Quinn, all of whom made an impact at various points in the game.

Lions QB Jared Goff, who made his first start since week 10 went 21-for-25, throwing two passing touchdowns to wide receiver Josh Reynolds and tight end T.J. Hockenson. Despite the Lions striking first, the Bears would score 13 unanswered points in the second quarter, taking a six-point lead at halftime.

From there, the third quarter would be all about the Lions, who rattled off a seven-play, 79-yard drive in just over three minutes as Goff connected with Hockenson for the score. But the Bears would remain in the game, fighting, with the defense continuing to give the offense a chance.

The key moments that defined the Bears’ victory on Thursday afternoon all came on the game’s final possession. Back-to-back timeouts at 1:54 by the Lions have the Bears free yards, and then just two plays later, the Lions would burn their final timeout, giving the Bears an opportunity to run the clock down to just one second remaining in the fourth quarter before Kicker Cairo Santos would hit a game-winning 28-yard field goal.

For the Bears, snapping a five-game losing streak is a positive as are Dalton’s 317 passing yards and one touchdown. Chicago now has just about 10 days to prepare for the Arizona Cardinals, who will be visiting Soldier Field on Sunday, December 5th.

Chicago Bears: Week 11 takeaways, quick tidbits, and more

by
andy dalton, bears

Currently, in the middle of a five-game losing streak, the Chicago Bears now look ahead to week 12 for a Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Detroit Lions. But first, let’s recap week 11.

1) There are two players of the game in this one, both on defense. Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith kept the Bears in this one, especially with the defense missing Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, and Eddie Jackson. Props to Quinn for turning in such a monstrous performance with 3.5 sacks, five tackles, three TFL, and four QB hits. Smith had 17 tackles on the afternoon, the most by a Bears linebacker since 2009.

2) Regarding Justin Fields, who has bruised ribs, the Bears have a decision to make. If it were in Fields hands, he’d be dressing up on Thursday afternoon against the Lions. Ultimately, with seven games remaining, the Bears should play it safe with Fields and sit him in a meaningless game. Give the future of the franchise a little over 10 days to get right before the Arizona Cardinals come to town on December 5th. It’s better for the Bears to have Fields healthy for the final six games of the season, a stretch that includes playing the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Minnesota Vikings (twice).

3) The Bears got away from the running game early in this one and it showed. Khalil Herbert had just one carry for zero yards while David Montgomery had 14 carries for 58 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Keeping the ball out of the Ravens’ hand should’ve been a goal of the Bears but Chicago failed to do so consistently throughout the afternoon. The Bears coaching staff needs to realize that neither Fields nor Andy Dalton can fully the offense, which means knowing your limitations of what skill position players can and can’t do is vital when it comes to offensive philosophy.

4) At times, it may not have looked like it but wide receiver Darnell Mooney had a game. Mooney’s quickly establishing a reputation as a big-play threat in the Bears offense. With five receptions for 121 receiving yards, averaging 24.2 yards per reception, the second-year wide receiver made his presence felt all afternoon, especially on a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton.

5) This was what you could consider the Marquise Goodwin breakout game. Goodwin added to the Bears’ explosiveness on offense, with four receptions for 104 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown pass to give the Bears the lead late in the fourth quarter. This game needs to serve as an example of how the Bears can continue to utilize Goodwin moving forward.

6) The Bears struggled to execute consistently but another issue is playing good situational football. Matt Nagy needs to understand the Bears aren’t getting the job done right now and much of it is due to coaches being able to react in situations. An example of this is when the Bears burned a timeout with 1:41 left to go in the fourth quarter after failing to convert a two-point conversion.

7) The Bears also struggled to get off the field on third down in this game. Baltimore was 7-for-16 on Sunday afternoon, with the game’s biggest play coming on a 3rd-and-12 where Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley hit wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 29-yard gain with just 0:33 left in the fourth quarter. The Bears defense has struggled to consistently get off the field on third down this season and it’s only going to get harder over the final seven weeks of the season with Mack being out.

8) Speaking of giving up a big gain on 3rd-and-12, guess what? The Bears’ secondary isn’t very good without Eddie Jackson but Jaylon Johnson had a nice showing. Second-year CB Kindle Vildor got rocked all afternoon while Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson were beaten as a result of miscommunication. The entire unit needs an overhaul in 2021 with just Jackson and Johnson guaranteed to start.

9) What does this loss mean for the Bears? Well, Chicago’s final seven games are against NFC North opponents. But understand the Bears were on the outside looking playoff-wise heading into week 11. This latest loss digs the Bears even deeper into a hole that’s getting harder to get out of.

10) For the rest of the season, nothing matters for the Bears except seeing what sticks on the wall for 2022 and beyond. Essentially, for the Bears, 2022 has already started despite 2021 not being over yet. The Bears’ future is already on the roster in Fields but the front office needs to figure out who’s staying in 2022 in an effort to build around Fields. That means taking a hard look at players and more importantly coaches.

Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy’s message not being received

by
bears, matt nagy

CHICAGO–After a fifth straight loss, the Chicago Bears appear to be in no man’s land. A Bears team that was above .500 just six weeks ago is now reeling and out of the NFC playoff picture, on the outside looking in. After Sunday’s loss, head coach Matt Nagy had one simple message for his team.

“You just keep fighting,” Nagy said. “You keep believing in each other, and you keep it real simple and you never stop fighting, that’s all you can do.”

Listening to Nagy’s message, there isn’t a lot to takeaway. The Bears had their bright moments on Sunday afternoon but never really showed up to play consistently at a high level on both sides of the ball. At the end of the day, the only silver lining was that Roquan Smith, Jaylon Johnson, Robert Quinn, and Trevis Gipson has strong performances on defense. On offense, with the Bears being forced to switch to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, the offense struggled to find any sort of consistency.

“I just understand in the end we all care a lot and we’re all in this thing,” Nagy said after the game. “Of course, we want to do everything we can to win so that’s our job to do that. I think that everyone is competitive and wants to see the Bears win and that’s exactly what we want.”

Over the last three seasons, a prime justification for keeping Nagy as head coach is his ability to be a players coach. 10 games into the 2021 campaign and it’s clear Nagy appears to be losing the locker room.

In Chicago, as the weather gets colder and the days get darker, the winds of change need to set upon the lakefront. Messages continue to fall on deaf ears and Nagy continues to beat a dead horse, signaling that a new face needs to be sitting in the head coaches office at Halas Hall when the calendar turns to January 2022 for the Bears.

Chicago Bears: Losing streak now at five games after latest loss

by
bears, matt nagy

What seemed to be a relatively competitive game for the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon got away very quickly in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field. After failing to score on the first six possessions, the Bears finally managed to get on the board after wide receiver Darnell Mooney scored a 60-yard touchdown with just 8:12 remaining in the third quarter.

With rookie quarterback Justin Fields leaving the game due to an injury and then being ruled out, the Bears were forced to turn to veteran Andy Dalton, who tossed two second-half touchdowns, including a 49-yard pass touchdown to wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on 4th-and-11.

Veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn, who is in the second year of a five-year $70M contract signed in 2020 made an impact all afternoon. With Khalil Mack sidelined for the remainder of the year due to a foot injury, Quinn totaled five tackles, 3.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits, making his presence felt from the beginning.

Currently, in the middle of a five-game losing streak, the Bears’ final seven opponents will be against NFC teams. However, this latest loss to the Ravens stings merely because Chicago seemed to be in the game until the very final possession when Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley connected with wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 29-yard gain with just 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. From there, running back Devonta Freeman scored a three-yard rushing touchdown to give Baltimore the lead.

Despite being shorthanded with no Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson, or Akiem Hicks, the Bears did all a three-win team could to try and stay competitive but ultimately, a missed field goal in the first half by kicker Cairo Santos and an inability to execute in key situations made the difference in the Bears latest loss. With the Bears scheduled to play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, the opportunity to snap a five-game losing streak presents itself.