Matt Nagy Has Nick Foles' Back No Matter Who Complains
Bears coach Matt Nagy is nowhere close to backtracking on his quarterback switch, regardless of huddle confusion, play wristbands, wasted timeouts or the wishes of former Bears players.
Nagy bristled Monday at the suggestion he might want to turn back to Mitchell Trubisky after the usual third-quarter Bears offensive problems in Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Former Bears tight end Zach Miller expessed a desire on Twitter to see Trubisky playing again.
"I didn't see the tweet, I don't know anything about that, but I think we all understand that we as a team, we watch tape, we watch video and we do what's best, we make the best decision based off of how we do as a team not just one position," Nagy said. "And that's what we do. I appreciate everyone's opinions and thoughts, suggestions, but I think there's a lot more to it right now than that."
Nagy pointed out Miller is also friends with Trubisky. Miller's career ended due to a horrific leg injury the year before Nagy arrived, in 2017.
After the game Nagy appeared somewhat critical of Foles regarding confusion over a play or plys.
"There are issues there," Nagy said after the game. "That's what bothers me. And that's what pisses me off, is that is that there is that issue still's going on. Excuse my French.
"But, you know, we're reading it from a wristband."
Confusion in the third quarter over a play led to a delay-of-game penalty and a third-and-9 instead of third-and-4, and a sack then followed. The Bears had been at their 32 and went backward to the 13, depriving them of field position. Then Deonte Harris broke a punt return 42 yards to set up a tying 27-yard field goal.
"This one I think is, this one is more in the play, in the moment, just being able to get lined up in a certain position, get to a certain spot," Nagy said Monday. "And so I think that's where we want to make sure that, hey, all 11 players—Nick included—all the coaching staff, when we're running these plays in practice, are we repping these plays to where they know where to line up and how to line up? And then we roll with it.
"Yesterday was unfortunate."
Nagy said he actually could have called timeout rather than take a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty, and exonerated Foles.
"I think that's something you go back and forth on," Nagy said. "It's more of a philosophical view. I generally tend to like what we do, too, like to hold on to the timeouts in the second half because they can be so valuable at the end of the game, especially when it's a close game.
"So, it's unfortunate because you know that that probably shouldn't have happened yesterday on third down."
The penalty on Javon Wims for sucker-punching Chauncey Gardner-Johnson followed on the next drive and then an interception as the meltdown continued.
The Bears have enountered several offensive injuries, including a knee injury to right tackle Bobby Massie. Center Cody Whitehair missed Sunday's game and left guard James Daniels is out for the year.
It could have contributed to a season-high five sacks allowed to the Saints. But Nagy said it would be wrong to assume a more mobile quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky could have avoided them. He added Foles probably had a chance to throw away only the final one of those.
"And so, I just think that for us we have to make sure that we look at the whole big picture with this," Nagy said.
The lack of experienced linemen on the field now makes for some of the problems going on, at least with pass blocking.
"I would say this, when you, whether it's the offense or the defense, a lot of things start up front and they know that, the players know it, our coaches know it," Nagy said. "When you have a little bit of a lack of consistency, and I'm talking more health-wise, you've got different guys up there on that front line, it can become more difficult.
"We've got guys that there’s some guys in there that don’t have a whole lot of experience."
Nagy also backed off on using Foles' wristband as a focal point for digust about the offensive struggles.
After the loss he referred to the wristband Foles wears on his left wrist as a reason they shouldn't be having problems getting plays off or delay-of-game penalties.
"That's what bothers me and that's what pisses me off, is that is that there is that issue still going on," Nagy said. "Excuse my French. But, you know, we're reading it from a wristband. So, you know. I just I'm struggling with that right now, and it's it's getting you in a hole, it's called, you know, in and so that has to."
Foles afterward explained the wristband's significance when he was talking about the delay-of-game on third-and-4 against the Saints.
"And then the wrist band basically is for unique plays that maybe there are different tags that become little stories unto themselves to where it’s just easier to have it on the wristband to make sure," Foles said. "I like it because it allows me more time at the line of scrimmage to see things instead of waiting. So there is a purpose for it.
"I believe in the wristband. I've done it for several, a lot of my career. The communication thing, great teams communicate well and that is something we’re working toward."
Nagy on Monday agreed it does help, particularly now with so many different players coming into the offense who weren't there initially.
"We have a wristband," he said. "Well, actually the head set went out last night a couple series after that and we have the wristband for different reasons, whether that’s certain hashes we’re on that makes the play easy to call or if it’s a unique formation or something. But we also have other plays on there that are very simple.
"That just happened to be a play right there where we used the wristband for the call and there was reasons for it. Which I’m not going to get into."
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
