Are the Critics Too Harsh on Matt Nagy?
Bears coach Matt Nagy continues to be a sell nationally rather than a buy.
At least there are some among the sellers who realize his plight.
Nagy, who has third-best odds to be fired first this year according to BetOnline.ag (17-2), is ranked the NFL's 18th best coach according to Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated in SI's coaching power rankings.
It's a bit better ranking than many of the other ratings to pop up throughout the offseason.
The ranking was of 25 NFL coaches who have led their teams in games. The rookie coaches were graded separately, which makes an infinite amount more sense than the polls that lump them in with those who have experience.
Orr points out something many haven't been able to explain either with their coach rankings or with analytics.
"He made the playoffs with (Mitchell) Trubisky twice," Orr wrote. "He elevated an offense that had no earthly business being as good as it was."
The Nagy critic would be quick to point out he didn't exactly elevate the offense anywhere. They've been mired for two years, but trying to coach with Trubisky as quarterback had to be a test of patience.
Pro Football Focus has the Bears graded as having only the 23rd best roster. So if Nagy had Trubisky as his quarterback and the 23rd best roster, yet he made the playoffs twice, how is it he deserves such a mediocre ranking? No one really has a concrete answer for that one.
Nagy ranked just ahead of 19th-ranked Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who oddsmakers have as the favorite to be fired first.
The 18th ranking is as good as it gets for Nagy in these sort of things.
CBS has him ranked 19th, behind Carolina's Matt Rhuhle, who is rated 24th in the SI poll.
"He's clearly on the hot season (and deserves to be) thanks to sputtering offense and two straight 8-8 finishes," CBS' Cody Benjamin writes, while also acknowledging the handicap working with Trubisky had to be.
Nagy had been ranked 22nd by Pro Football Network.
Pro Football Focus came out with coaching rankings but only rated the top seven, and Nagy obviously didn't rate a spot in that crowd.
Even when he was NFL Coach of the Year, Nagy wouldn't have found so lofty a place.
So, what does it all mean?
Before last season Doug Pederson was ranked fifth and sixth in two polls like these. And look where he is now.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
