Chicago Bears: The good, bad and ugly from Packers game

Matt Nagy

As good as the first fifteen plays for the Bears’ offense looked, the rest of them were as bad. While the offense looked clean, crisp and sharp on its opening drive, those plays had all been scripted in preparation for this game. Matt Nagy has had months to decide what he was going to run. So it makes sense that the offense looked its best.

However, it is what came after those planned plays that was the biggest cause for concern coming out of the loss to Green Bay. The last time Nagy was on a football field coaching a game that meant anything, it was a playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans while calling plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In that game, Nagy seemingly abandoned the running game despite having the NFL’s leading rusher, and it cost them dearly. During his initial press conference with the Bears, he referenced that moment and wore to learn from it. One game into his coaching career, it does not appear that lesson stuck.

With a 20-point halftime lead, one would have expected a healthy dose of Jordan Howard in the second half. However, that never came, as Howard finished the game with a paltry 15 carries. To further compound the mistake, Nagy failed to give it to him when it mattered, in third and short situations.

Had the Bears gone to Howard late in the game and he was able to pick up a first down on 3rd and 2 with just over two minutes left in the game, he could have salted it away. But he didn’t, and here we are.

The other puzzling move from Nagy was his playcalling in the passing game. At times, there seemed to be an overreliance on swing passes and screen passes. Perhaps Nagy saw something on film he thought he could exploit, but once it became apparent that opportunity wasn’t present he needed to adjust — and he didn’t.

Speaking of things he could have exploited, where in the world was Trey Burton last night? During the preseason, we heard and saw him exploit the middle of the field against opposing defenses. So with a depleted inside linebacking corps for the Packers, you expected to see more of that last night. And yet, we saw Dion Sims flailing about incapable of making a tough catch or getting beyond the first down marker on a third-down pass.

The one thing you have to remember is that it is still Week 1. So while it’s completely valid to be critical of this team where warranted, also remember a lot can change from week to week. So for now, Bears fans have to hope the good gets great, the bad gets better, and the ugly gets prettier.