Matt Nagy Positive He Doesn't Need to Quit Calling Plays
Matt Nagy's positive attitude toward almost everything prevents him from thinking about the possibility he needs to turn play calling over to someone else.
It's a negative to dwell on a reason for letting another coach call plays, Nagy reasons, so he is pushing forward without explaining possible criteria for designating someone else to do the job.
Besides, there are other problems confronting the offense besides who calls plays, such as how they can run the ball on plays that are called by any coach .
"Like I was saying, this is something where we look into everything," Nagy said Thursday about play calling. "We feel very confident with the players we have, with the plays that we're calling, and we realize there's a lot more to it than just that."
Although he admits a change in play callers is always a consideration, it's not one for this time.
"To me, that feels like somewhat of a negative thought I would have in my head," Nagy said. "Like, when are things going to go so bad that I'm going to give up play-calling and when are things going to go so bad that we’'e going to do this or that?
"I know that's kind of where this world is at today. There's a lot of negativity and people feed off of that, and we love all of that stuff right now–negative, negative. That's just not where we're at or where I'm at. We try to focus on the positives. We feel strong about that. I feel strong about it. I understand the question, but I really try hard not to go there."
The Bears offense has a bigger problem than who calls the plays. They can't execute those called, particularly rushing plays.
The Bears essentially are the NFL's worst rushing team. They are 2 yards from being last in the NFL in total rushing yards, but in terms of average rushing yards per game they are dead last. The Colts have 588 rushing yards and the Bears 589, but the Colts have played only six games and the Bears seven.
The NFL average for rushing yards through Monday's game is 777 yards.
The Bears are 29th in total offense, ahead of only Washington and both New York teams. Not all their offensive statistics are negative. They are one of only four teams not to lose a fumble this year.
This week the Bears face a Saints team ranked fourth in the NFL against the run and have to try to get running room as well as hold off pass rusher Cameron Jordan most likely without their two most valuable linemen, center Cody Whitehair and guard James Daniels. Whitehair has a calf injury and hasn't practiced for two days while Daniels is out for the year.
Whitehair has started 71 straight games. He's never missed one. Sam Mustipher would be Whitehair's replacement if he's out.
"(If) Cody's out, man, we're just losing a great leader, a hard worker, somebody who gets us on the right spot," tackle Charles Leno Jr. said. "But if he's out, Sam steps in. I know what type of person Sam is. He's a football player, man. He's one of those guys that shows up every day, does his job to the best of his ability. There's a lot of fight in that guy. So, it'll be fun."
Running back David Montgomery is putting it on himself to get the running attack going.
"I don't think I have played as good as I know I can play," Montgomery said. "I think where I can really improve is being able, like I said, is just trusting it, instead of trying to do stuff on my own, and just trusting the guys in front of me and that the play-call is going to be there and where my pads are going to be are going to hit.
"Really I've got a lot of work to do."
They all do, including the play caller.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
