Chicago Bears: Week 6 awards to give fans a laugh, a cry
By Sam Fels
The “I Learned It From You, Dad!” Award: Matt Nagy
Throughout this season, and perhaps for his entire stay at Hallas Hall, it’s important to remember that Matt Nagy comes from the Andy Reid Tree (a sturdy tree to be sure).
So that means the offense will be extremely creative, they will seize upon mismatches all over the field, and will get the best out of just about every weapon they have. There will be points and fun and laughter and libations shared with friends and memories.
There will also be some woeful clock management and both hands around his own throat when the game is close and on the line.
To wit: After the Bears stopped the Dolphins on their last drive of regulation, Nagy let 20 seconds run off the clock before calling timeout. If Nagy wanted to settle for overtime, fine, I guess. But calling a timeout at all suggests he didn’t.
Bears waited 20 seconds to call their timeout there. Matt Nagy will field questions on that one.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) October 14, 2018
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If the Bears had called their timeout promptly, they would have had anywhere from 50-to-60 seconds to work with, which granted with no timeouts left, isn’t much. But it’s something. Miami was not going for it on 4th-and-6. You’re getting the ball. Your offense has been rolling, Why not take a shot?
Instead, the Bears got the ball with 35 seconds or so inside their own 10 and opted for overtime. If only it ended there.
Now it’s hands-around-my-throat time (an excellent Death In Vegas song you haven’t heard). After the Bears got out of jail with a recovered fumble at their own goal-line, their only overtime drive saw them effortlessly march into Miami’s half. And then they went all yellow and scared.
Three inside runs from Jordan Howard and Benny Cunningham (huh?). No pass, no getting Tarik Cohen outside, no attempt to do better than a field-goal from the parking lot. No confidence, no killer instinct, no swagger that the Bears can do what they want when they want, which they basically had done all 2nd half.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, especially when it’s asphyxiating itself. And not in the good way (INXS forever).