With the news that Matt Nagy is resuming play calling duties, we take a look at what this means for the Bears in the upcoming season.
Is this the last chance saloon? Can he make play calling work? Will he finally learn how to be the head coach and the offensive play caller, or will he still suck?
The Scoop?
CBS Sports reported it during last week, and there was plenty of debate about it overall, including some tongue in cheek comments:
There has been plenty of discussion in the past about Nagy calling plays for the bears.
Even Pat McAfee has had his say:
Ummm? What? Why? Who? Where?
Last season? Well………it was….ummmm…..interesting, yes, that’s a good phrase.
“Interesting”
He handed over the duties to Bill Lazor during last season, and this proved to be the right call at the time.
We knew that we needed some changes, and this seemed like the right decision for us, and arguably propelled us to the play offs.
As far as calling plays, I’m going to be the one calling plays this year
Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears Coach
The Biggest Questions
Our questions – so many of them – are the following:
- Is this the right decision to make?
- What’s changed to make this decision feel right for coach Nagy?
- Can Andy Dalton execute the game plan more successfully?
Let’s take each question in turn.
Firstly, it feels like a fresh start for the next season and a positive statement is the right thing for the bears. It means that everyone is clear on their jobs and the coach can begin the work of ensuring the team and Dalton know the playbook inside out. This is never a bad thing. Not only that, when the plays have worked, they’ve worked very, very well!
Not only that, but when Nagy is the man, there is no doubt that he’s inspirational to the players, just watch this video to see what I mean:
There is of course some liberal mickey taking of his plays:
NAGY LIVES OR DIES ON HIS DECISIONS
On balance, though, it’s a strong message to send and the right one for this season. Nagy is in make or break mode, so it’s right that he stands or falls by his decisions.
The second question is what’s changed and linked to the third question – can Andy Dalton execute the plays?
Although I’ve written before about Dalton and how disappointed I am that the bears didn’t reach higher to get the right quarterback, there is no doubt that Dalton is likely to be better than Foles and Trubisky.
This breakdown of Dalton is a must watch for any Bears fans:
What’s interesting is that if we can get the right playbook for Dalton, we should be able to get the best out of him. I think that Coach Nagy has the tools and tricks up his sleeve to make this a success.
Conclusions
I think this is the right call. If this is your defining season, then it makes sense to be in control of your own destiny. Add to this the fact that you’ve a QB who you believe has a better chance of executing your vision, then it definitely makes sense if you’re coach Nagy (regardless of your views of Dalton, this makes sense to me!).
Let’s hope that this results in improved play overall and a NFC North Division win, at least!
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