Chicago Bears: 3 crucial actions Matt Nagy must take vs. Bucs

3. Stop the confusing, overthought play-calling

This season feels a lot like last year, with Matt Nagy continuing to try and outsmart his opponent. Instead, the only person he’s outsmarting is himself.

On 3rd-and-1, run it up the middle with Montgomery instead of a jet sweep. If you’re attempting a long gain, maybe don’t send Montgomery streaking down the sideline.

If you feel like calling a screen, keep two things in mind. First, don’t call a wide receiver screen on 3rd-and-14. Second, if there’s two yards to the down marker, Demetrius Harris is not the correct player to use in a screen.

It all seems far too simple, but to Nagy, it must not be. The play-calling is just silly. It’s borderline psychotic at times. In addition to the hilarious things Nagy is calling, the thing he isn’t calling is what stands out the most.

Take the first point of running the football and add in play action. Foles is not the type of quarterback you can deviate from play action with. He benefits immensely from giving the defense that half-second freeze. Foles isn’t a mobile passer. He needs play action. It should be a monster part of this offense.

Nagy has a history of outsmarting himself, and it’s been on full display thus far. It doesn’t matter who his quarterback is if he continues to call mind-numbing games. That has to change, and it has to change immediately.