Matt Nagy

Chicago Bears: Week 4 wrap up, quick takeaways, and week 5 preview

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justin field, bears

After winning at home in week 4, the Chicago Bears improve to 2-2 on the season with solid performances from rookie quarterback Justin Fields, running back David Montgomery, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and the Bears defense. Let’s look back at week 4.

1) Head coach Matt Nagy admitted after the game that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was calling plays. Guess what? Lazor calling plays should be part of the Bears gameplan moving forward. The Bears were efficient on offense, running and passing the ball effectively, being a threat to score on every single play.

2) Fields deep ball was a thing of beauty. A quarterback capable of hitting any throw, Fields connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 32-yard gain down the sideline with just 10:54 remaining in the third quarterback. The two also connected three times on the Bears first drive for 29 yards. Fields excels at hitting the deep ball and the Bears need to get more explosive on offense, so expect to see more of the Fields-Mooney connection as the season progresses.

3) Shoutout to running backs David Montgomery and Damien Williams. The two combined for 31 carries, 161 yards, and three touchdowns. Montgomery did injure his knee and as we await the results of a scheduled MRI, should the 2019 third-round pick end up missing time, the Bears will turn to rookie running back Khalil Herbert to complement Williams.

4) The Robert Quinn revenge tour continues. Despite being 31-years old, Quinn had five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two quarterback hits. With 4.5 sacks on the season, Quinn has upgraded the Bears pass rush this season, justifying the five-year, $70M contract the Bears dished out to Quinn in free agency during the 2020 offseason.

5) Can we talk about the sneaky good game that inside linebacker Alec Ogletree had? A late training camp addition, Ogletree has quickly emerged as a solid piece for the Bears defense and totaled 12 tackles and one tackle for loss on Sunday. The veteran is making a strong case for keeping the starting ILB job once Danny Trevathan returns.

6) The Bears did struggle on third down, going just 1-for-8. But as Nagy mentioned in his postgame presser, the Bears did avoid multiple third-and-long situations, which should be considered a step in the right direction. Chicago’s offense is still a work in progress and the Bears can’t afford to make many mistakes, so going 1-for-8 is still better than what the Bears have done in the past.

7) Justin Fields needs to get better at protecting the football. His first and only fumble of the afternoon came in the second half but this is the second time at home this season that Fields has lost a fumble. The 11th overall pick lost one against the Cincinnait Bengals in week 2 but recovered it to save the Bears offense.

8) Chicago averaged 6.5 yards per play on Sunday, the most yards per play Chicago has averaged this season and the highest since week 14 of the 2020 season, when the Bears averaged 6.9 yards per play against the Houston Texans at home in a 36-7 win.

9) Fields credited the Bears offensive line on four different occasions during his postgame press conference and Chicago’s front five rightfully earned it. The offensive line allowed just one sack all afternoon, compared to week three, where the entire unit allowed nine sacks.

10) The Bears were better in the redzone too, scoring on three occasions with four total redzone trips. The field gets harder to defend when a defense is back up against the ball and the Bears took advantage with smart playcalling, running the ball every time Chicago converted.

 

What about week five?

Week 5 is sure to be interesting. The Bears will travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, with this being the second time both team’s have met since 2019. It’s another Khalil Mack revenge game, considering the Raiders got the best of Mack in 2019 during the last matchup in London.

Bears fans like to make fun of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden for trading Mack back in 2018 but Gruden also has the Raiders offense averaging 30.0 points per game. The Bears secondary will be tested in this game. Quarterback Derek Carr has passed for 435, 382, and 386 yards in three games this season.

The Bears will need to account for the Raiders skill position players, including tight end Darren Waller, wide receiver Henry Ruggs, and running back Josh Jacobs, who is listed as questionable for Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chicago does enter another must-win game. Win in Las Vegas and Fields, who could start for the third straight week will enter week 6 against the Green Bay Packers at home with a major boost in confidence. The Bears will have a chance to get to 3-2 before having to play Green Bay and then travel to Tampa Bay in week 7 to take on the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.

 

Chicago Bears: What does Sunday’s win over the Lions mean?

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justin field, bears

The Chicago Bears accomplished on Sunday afternoon what many fans hoped: A win against the Detroit Lions at home. In the Bears’ first divisional game of the season, Chicago closed out the Lions 24-14, with rookie quarterback Justin Fields going 11-for-17 and 209 passing yards.

The Bears’ win over the Lions is significant for two reasons. First, Chicago is back to .500 and trying to keep pace in the division with the Green Bay Packers. Second, Fields and the entire Bears offense rebounded, proving that poor playcalling and bad execution was holding the Bears offense back.

While head coach Matt Nagy acknowledged after the game that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was calling plays, Chicago proved in week 4 that the offensive coaching staff could cater the game plan to Fields strengths. Sunday afternoon also showcased what the Bears’ philosophy on offense needs to be: A balanced offense with running back David Montgomery being fed early, setting the tone for the course of the game.

“Scoring on the first drive, that definitely sets the tone for the rest of the game,” Fields said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “I’m just proud of everybody on offense from the o-line to the receivers to the running backs.”

What we saw on Sunday wasn’t just flashes of what Fields could become. We saw the Bears’ offense clicking at a high level, playing complementary football, keeping the defense off the field for extended periods of time. The Bears’ game plan moving forward needs to continue featuring a heavy dose of play-action and Lazor’s playcalling.

What we have to acknowledge is this: The Bears under Nagy want to develop into a pass-first offense. That won’t happen overnight but each week, the Bears can insert just a bit more passing concepts onto Fields plate. For now, however, a balanced approach is what Chicago needs, especially with a shaky offensive line that did look more than solid on Sunday afternoon.

Chicago Bears: What will week 4 tell us about Matt Nagy?

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justin field, bears, matt nagy

With the Chicago Bears, second home game looming this Sunday against the divisional rival Detroit Lions, questions loom about the Bears’ ability to bounceback in front of home fans. For Chicago to have a quick turnaround, head coach Matt Nagy will need to prove that he’s able to have the Bears ready to go.

That means flawless execution, game planning, and playcalling, whether it’s Nagy or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor relaying plays to whoever is under center. Week 4 is Nagy’s opportunity to prove that week 3 ended up being a learning experience in terms of preparation and execution.

Much of the discourse among the Bears fanbase stems from Nagy’s handling of the playcalling and handling of the quarterback position. Fans have been chanting for rookie Justin Fields to start, while Nagy has continued to be persistent, once again doubling down on Wednesday morning saying veteran Andy Dalton is the starter upon returning from injury.

Whoever is under center on Sunday afternoon still matters. If it’s Dalton, Nagy will need to prove that week 4 is different by ensuring the Bears offense is ready to go. If it’s Fields, what Nagy does to put the 11th overall pick in a position to succeed will matter the most and become a key talking point throughout the game.

A win Sunday won’t take a significant amount of pressure off Nagy’s shoulders, the critics will still be out in full swing but if Nagy approaches this week correctly, some of the heat will at least cool off, especially if the Bears gameplan is catered to Fields strengths. Part of developing FIelds throughout the course of the season will include being able to build gameplan’s Fields is comfortable with and running an offense in which the former Ohio State standout excels.

Narratives are apparent each week in the NFL and week 4 will be a perfect measuring stick of Nagy’s ability to adjust on a weekly basis, in a league where the week-to-week approach is apparent. Perfection in the context of game planning, execution, and playcalling may not exist in the NFL but Nagy can get the Bears moving in the right direction by minimizing mistakes and taking a balanced approach to the Bears.

Chicago Bears: Examining who really failed the offense in week three

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justin field, bears, matt nagy

It’s been just over 48 hours since the Chicago Bears lost to the Cleveland Browns in week 3 but debates continue among the Bears fanbase and the NFL community about who was really at fault for Chicago’s offensive woes: Head coach Matt Nagy or rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

Talk to Bears fans and they’ll tell you Nagy was at fault. Listen to some in the national media, and two groups will emerge: Team Nagy and team Fields. Then there’s a third group that is willing to blame both, citing Nagy’s poor game planning coupled with Fields’ inability to get the ball out quickly as a reason for the Bears debacle on Saturday.

The answer is simple: Nagy. Three full seasons and three games into year four as head coach, Nagy has cycled through five starting quarterbacks and has yet to put together a consistent offensive. The Bears have struggled on offense and limped to the finish line each of the last two seasons, which has led to questions about Nagy’s ability to be a head coach.

From Fields’ perspective, there isn’t much that could’ve changed Sunday’s outcome. As a rookie, mistakes are expected, especially from the quarterback position. Smart coaches are able to minimize those mistakes by putting young quarterbacks in a position to succeed. Whether or not you believe that Fields was fully prepared to start, Nagy failed to put Fields in a position to succeed by not game planning around Fields’ strengths.

Considering Nagy was a catalyst behind the Bears’ decision to move up and draft Fields back in April, the fourth-year head coach needs to take the most blame for Fields’ failures. Fields arrival in the Windy City sparked newfound hope throughout the Bears fanbase, as many felt that Fields was as close to a franchise quarterback as the Bears franchise had seen in its 102-year history.

Negative narratives will continue to surround Nagy until the much-lambasted head coach can design and flawlessly execute an offense that fits Fields’ skillset. Nagy’s seat may not be hot but back-to-back losses could make his seat lukewarm, beginning the end of the Nagy era in Chicago.

Chicago Bears: Week 3 wrap up, quick tidbits, and more

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After a week three loss the Chicago Bears will officially turn the page and look forward to week four against the Detroit Lions. But before Chicago welcomes Detroit to Soldier Field for a divisional showdown, let’s look back at week 3.

 

1) First things first, let’s talk about first downs. The Bears had just six, which is the fewest of the Matt Nagy era. Not a good showing for a team that’s led by an offensive guru at head coach.

2) Some positives? The Bears pass rush duo of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn got going, combining for 3.5 total sacks. Quinn now has more sacks in three games with the Bears than he did all of last season. Chicago is finally seeing the returns that the franchise hoped when signing Quinn to a five-year deal worth $70M in free agency in 2020.

3) “I obviously as a head coach did not do a good enough job of getting this offense ready to go, to be able to play and win a football game,” said Nagy after the game. “It starts with me, it ends with me and it’s as simple as that.”

Nagy’s quote is merely a head coach who’s taking the bullet while being open and honest. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. Everything does start and end with Nagy, which means he’ll need to cater gameplans to Justin Fields skillset, something that wasn’t done in week three.

For anyone who’s trying to get #FireNagy trending on Twitter, good luck. Bears ownership has been clear about how firings are handled. They’ll wait till the end of the season to make a decision on Nagy’s future. The Bears are also 1-2 so far, so Nagy has more room to breathe than most people think.

4) By the way, don’t blame Fields at all. For a rookie making his first start in an incredibly tough environment, Fields got no help from the Bears. If any quarterback deserves a pass for a bad performance this week, it’s Fields, who was sacked nine times, while continuing to remain composed and operating with what the Bears were giving him.

5) Figuring out what the Bears are doing with the offensive line is a tough task. Jason Peters and Germain Ifedi aren’t the tackles of the future, that distinction is reserved for Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom but this game showed that the interior of the offensive line (James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, and Sam Mustipher) needs to get better at communication too.

6) Tons of credit to defensive coordinator Sean Desai. After getting punched in the mouth on national television in week 1, Desai and the defense have adjusted nicely, putting together two solid performances. Desai may not have a talented secondary but the defense is looking better each week, a positive for the Bears.

7) No idea what the Bears are doing with the running game. After two strong performances, David Montgomery was shutdown on Sunday, with just 10 carries for 34 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. That’s the lowest mark of Montgomery’s career since week 17 of the 2020 season. Matt Nagy panicked and got away from the running game way too early, something that’s also been an integral part of the offense when everything is clicking.

8) Jaylon Johnson wasn’t bad but he wasn’t great either. Tasked with shutting down Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the second-year cornerback had some bright moments, showing us all why he’s a rising star in the NFL and one of the most underrated players at his position across the league.

9) We’re all still waiting for the big Darnell Mooney breakout game to happen. After 61 receptions as a rookie, Mooney had just one reception for nine yards on Sunday. The fifth-round pick did have six receptions for 66 yards in week two but has yet to find the endzone this season. Hopefully that changes with the Lions coming to town next week.

10) Khalil Herbert has done some nice work as a kick returner on special teams. After averaging 23.8 yards per return on Sunday, the Bears need to get Herbert involved in the running game, hoping he can provide some sort of spark.

 

Looking Ahead to Week Four

The Lions may be 0-3 but there’s a catch: Two of Detroit’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points. Bears fans like to make fun of the Lions on social media but head coach Dan Campbell at least has this team playing hard when it matters the most.

Perhaps the strongest positional group on the Lions is the offensive line, which features two first-round picks in Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow. Watching Detroit against Green Bay on Monday Night Football in week 2, it was clear that the Lions’ OL was good enough to allow quarterback Jared Goff to at least have a fighting chance on every play.

The Bears will need to account for the Lions running back duo, Jamall Williams and D’Andre Swift. Both have impacted games heavily as receivers this season, with the stat sheet on Sunday being a major example. Swift and Williams combined for nine receptions for 85 yards. Detroit may not have a star wide receiver on the roster but Williams and Swift have quickly become Goff’s best friends.

 

Chicago Bears: Change needs to happen for the present and future

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Cleveland, OH- It was an afternoon that included missed opportunities, blown-up plays, and questionable playcalls for the Chicago Bears. Much of the Bears’ struggles on offense were apparent on Sunday afternoon but the past repeated itself. The same issues that Chicago struggled with on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns were the same ones the Bears struggled with throughout 2019 and 2020.

The Bears need some sort of change. That much is apparent. The change fans want is the firing of head coach Matt Nagy, which isn’t realistic, given ownership’s track record includes waiting to fire coaching staffs until the end of the season. The change that can be made includes Nagy relinquishing playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, something the franchise experimented with at one point during the 2020 season that led to some success for the Bears.

“I obviously as a head coach did not do a good enough job of getting this offense ready to go, to be able to play and win a football game,” said Nagy after the game. “It starts with me, it ends with me and it’s as simple as that.”

For Nagy to say that everything starts and ends with him is generic. In the NFL, everything for a team on Sunday starts and ends with the head coach. But for the Bears and Nagy, circumstances are different. The defense has continued to carry the team over the last four seasons. The offense has yet to come up with a decent showing, leading to questions about Nagy’s ability to playcall but also lead an NFL franchise.

“This is not how we wanted it to go,” Nagy said. “You almost can’t even make it up, it’s that bad. But we got to get to the film and we got to make sure we’re hard on ourselves and we understand the whys and really, just go from there.”

Every NFL team moves forward at some point after a loss but for the Bears, questions now linger. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields’ debut was also on Sunday afternoon and part of the Bears evaluation process will include figuring out where Fields excelled and where the 11th overall pick struggled. The Bears know that in order to put Fields in a position to succeed, change needs to happen for both the present and future of the franchise.

Chicago Bears: A forgettable loss in week three means a long week ahead

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bears, matt nagy

It was a forgettable afternoon for the Chicago Bears who marched into Cleveland to take on the Browns with the hopes of pulling off an upset with rookie quarterback Justin Fields making his first NFL start. After an opening possession that put the Bears on the board with a field goal, Chicago’s offense struggled to get anything going throughout the rest of the afternoon.

The running game wasn’t working. The Bears’ offensive line couldn’t block either. Cleveland’s defense totaled nine sacks, with Fields going just 6-for-20 and 68 yards passing, averaging a porous 3.4 yards per attempt. The only silver lining was the Bears’ defense, which sacked Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield five times as pass rushers Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack combined for 3.5 total sacks.

Fields struggles were apparent and as a rookie, 68 yards shouldn’t define his entire afternoon but after the Bears still have a lot of work to do. much of which revolves around Fields. Before week 4, the Bears need to do some serious self-reflection. The offensive line needs to be better. The playcalling needs to be catered to Fields’ skillset. Figuring out the running game and scheming wide receivers open wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Don’t blame Fields for the Bears’ struggles but blame head coach Matt Nagy for not moving the pocket more, using Fields legs to create opportunities. The Bears need to use more play-action as a way of ensuring that wide receivers are able to get open, giving Fields time to make plays.

The Bears’ best plays of the afternoon included a 16-yard run by David Montgomery, 11-yard completion to Cole Kmet, and an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson. Chicago also punted on five straight possessions and came away with just three points in the second half.

What’s next for the Bears? A home game against the 0-3 Detroit Lions with an opportunity to get back to .500 by the end of week 4. The Bears have a lot of work to do and Sunday’s loss against the Browns proved that there is more than just the quarterback position that needs to be fixed on the Bears’ offense.

 

 

Chicago Bears: What message is Matt Nagy trying to send?

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bears, matt nagy

On Monday morning, following a Chicago Bears victory in week 2 that saw rookie quarterback Justin Fields get extended playing time, questions arose regarding the state of the quarterback position. After veteran Andy Dalton left the game due to a knee injury, Fields entered, leading the Bears to a 20-17 win.

With Dalton out for the next several weeks, the opportunity to move forward with Fields as the starter presents itself. Head coach Matt Nagy doubled down on Dalton being the starter under one condition: Only when healthy. The Bears did send a representative from the public relations department to convey a message directly to Chicago media: Dalton would be the starter when healthy.

On the surface, Nagy is merely saying that once Dalton is healthy, the 11-year veteran will once again be named the starter but until then, it’ll be the Justin Fields show. Dive deeper into the entire situation and it’s clear that even Nagy seems to know that Fields will play at some point in 2021.

Let’s be honest, situations and circumstances can change and the Bears are no exception. Fields is expected to start in week 3 when the Bears face the Cleveland Browns. With no set timeline for Dalton’s return, week 4 will see the Bears host the Detroit Lions, followed by week 5, a road showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Fields statistics may not reflect a player who’s ready to be a fulltime starter and averaging 4.6 yards per pass attempt won’t get the job done in the NFL but dropped passes that should’ve been touchdowns by wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson didn’t do the former Ohio State standout favors either.

If Fields lights it up over the next three games, Nagy will have no choice but to keep Fields as the starter when the Green Bay Packers come to town in week 6. As much as Nagy would like to see his plan to develop Fields and keep Dalton as the starter throughout the 2021 season, Nagy’s message on Monday sent mixed results, implying that there isn’t necessarily a surefire commitment to Dalton, despite what words have indicated.

 

 

Assessing the Chicago Bears offense in week two

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Sunday afternoon proved to be fruitful for Chicago Bears fans. Not only did the Bears come away with a victory but Chicago also got an extended look at rookie quarterback Justin Fields for the first time in the regular season with veteran Andy Dalton leaving the game due to a knee injury.

Fields playing a majority of the game doesn’t mean he’ll be the starter moving forward but the Bears coaching staff now has to make a decision to make: Should the Bears continue to roll with Dalton if healthy or start Fields and bring the future to the present? The final call with be made by head coach Matt Nagy but Fields performance on Sunday while leading the offense could be enough to name the 11th overall pick the starter.

Chicago’s offense showed plenty of positives on Sunday, including the ability to consistently move the ball through the air with a vertical passing game but for every positive, there seemed to be a negative. Wide receivers Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney each dropped two touchdown passes that would’ve iced the game by at least two possessions.

Fields’ mobility was apparent throughout the afternoon, as the rookie rushed 10 times for 31 yards, including a 10-yard rush with 2:55 remaining in the fourth quarter to set the Bears up with a first-down to end the game. Chicago did run some RPO looks, ensuring that Cincinnati’s defense would need to account for running back David Montgomery on every play. Montgomery, who rushed 20 times for 61 yards had three receptions for 18 yards, impacting Chicago’s passing attack during a busy afternoon for the third-year running back.

Overall, Chicago’s offense put together a solid enough performance to warrant being able to compete with any opponent. The Bears may not be explosive as Nagy wants to be just yet, something that will come with time but week 2 was encouraging for both the present and future.

 

Chicago Bears: Why didn’t the Bears gameplan on offense work?

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andy dalton, bears

Just over 48 hours have passed since the Chicago Bears‘ week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and with the Bears now looking ahead to week 2, Chicago must figure out what went wrong against the Rams. On the surface, the Bears’ offensive gameplan included short, quick passes designed to get the ball out of quarterback Andy Dalton’s hands in just under 2.5 seconds.

Throughout the evening, the Bears’ offensive line did create solid running lanes for running back David Montgomery. The real reason the Bears left Los Angeles winless is due to the passing attack. Despite throwing 38 times, Dalton completed just 27 passes, with only one pass of 10+ yards being completed.

“I think just the kind of way this defense plays, they limit the big play and they make you just kind of move the ball down the field,” Dalton said via the Bears official YouTube Channel. “I mean you see the drives that we scored on, I mean I don’t know how many plays they were but you had to keep finding ways to get first downs and keep moving the ball all the way down the field. You’re not going to get very many explosives against this team.”

Further dissecting the Rams gameplan, limiting big plays means that wide receiver Darnell Mooney’s speed was accounted for by the Rams defense on every play. Wide receiver Allen Robinson was followed by Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey on multiple plays, limiting Robinson’s impact.

Essentially, as a result of the Rams deciding to defend the deep passing game, Los Angeles was content with giving the Bears quick, underneath throws because Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris knew that players like cornerback Jalen Ramsey were instinctive enough to breakdown what the Bears would be running.

Moving forward, for Chicago’s gameplans to work, the Bears will need to ensure that playcalls don’t look very predictable. Furthermore, allowing Dalton to hit deep passes via play-action could also go a long way towards opening up the Bears’ offense and maximizing talents fo players such as Mooney and Robinson.