Chicago Bears: 5 things Matt Nagy did wrong in 2019
By Ryan Fedrau
4. Matt Nagy’s play-calling.
Coach Nagy isn’t a great play-caller. In 2018, the Bears offense seemed to improve a lot week-to-week. Nagy’s play-calling was exciting and was different week-to-week. In 2019, it’s the complete opposite.
For half of the season, Nagy refused to run the ball. Instead of using David Montgomery and Mike Davis, he threw the ball a ton and ran with Tarik Cohen. Cohen is 5-foot-6 and isn’t full-time running back. Cohen is perfect for trick plays, screens, swing passes, etc. He just isn’t a great running back. Cohen is a special player though and should be used.
Montgomery has shown how great of a player can become. He’s totally revamped the Bears’ running game in such a short time. He brings back Matt Forte memories. Looking around the league, every successful team runs the ball.
Lamar Jackson will be the league MVP and even he relies on a running game. Tom Brady in his prime would rely on a run game. Every successful team runs the ball well. It’s not a bad thing to run the ball. Nagy needs to see that.
Nagy doesn’t use Trubisky the right way. He is looking at Trubisky and thinking about Patrick Mahomes. What he should be doing is using Trubisky’s strengths. Trubisky will never be a guy that throws 50-times a game. A great balance of running and passing will help him succeed. In the third quarter of every game, this offense is unreal. The other three-quarters the play-calling is poor.
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Trubisky still has a chance to take his game to the next level. What’s holding him back is poor play-calling. Trubisky is best when he’s moving in the pocket. He is an athletic quarterback that needs to use his legs. He has a rare-talent of extending plays.
In 2020, Nagy needs to use Trubisky’s strengths more. Stop trying to turn him into the “perfect” quarterback. Use him in the best way. Nagy needs to build a system around Trubisky instead of Trubisky having to learn a system that he doesn’t fit in.
Also, someone else needs to call plays in 2020. Nagy needs to find an offensive coordinator that he likes to call plays for the team. Nagy can’t handle it as we’ve seen. It’s not a bad thing to give up play-calling. He still will be just as involved, he just needs someone else’s opinion. He’s a smart guy, stop trying to prove it and go out there and do it.