The Chicago Bears have some hot seats in the organization, but there’s still time to cool them off before heads roll in the offseason.
The Chicago Bears have reached their bye week sitting at 3-6 and third place in the NFC North. Although they are technically in the thick of a playoff birth with an extra wild-card spot up for grabs, they are just as close to being a bottom feeder in the NFL. Although the defense is in the top half of the league, the Bears’ offense is second-worst in total offense, third-worst in points per game, and dead last in passing, It’s blatantly obvious that if things don’t change, there is no way things can stay the same going into 2022.
Bears: The clock is ticking for Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace
In the four seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Matt Nagy has regressed in each year since getting the job. The Bears won the NFC North in 2018 after an impressive 12-4 season, but has suffered a losing streak of at least four games in each season thereafter, including the one they are on right now.
Matt Nagy’s offense is no where close to being considered productive in the NFL, and his inability to abandon script to adjust to their opponent is inexcusable. Likewise, nobody in NFL history has been given more chances to get things right than general manager Ryan Pace. He has missed on more draft picks and free agent signings than anyone in recent memory. Granted, he has pulled off a couple of franchise-tilting moves such as trading for Khalil Mack and dealing to be able to draft Justin Fields.
But you have to dig through all the mistakes in order to find some light.
The only thing that can save Nagy and Pace is Justin Fields
Speaking of Fields, he’s the only way these guys save their jobs. If he continues to progress and mold into the first franchise quarterback this franchise has ever seen, Nagy and Pace could potentially stay to see it through. In the Monday night loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, Fields had his best start by far. He went 17-29 for 291 yards and a touchdown and was able to escape pressure from the Steelers multiple times to make throws on the run.
If a couple calls go a different way, we might be in a place where we’re talking about a 4-5 Bears team and ways it can sneak into the playoffs.