Pace willing to give Foles time
As coach Matt Nagy did earlier in the week, general manager Ryan Pace preached patience when talking about his expectations for the Bears’ offense under quarterback Nick Foles.
Pace at least sounded willing to give Foles that time, too, after he replaced Mitch Trubisky as the Bears’ starter last week.
‘‘[ Quarterback changes] are never easy or seamless,” Pace said on the Bears’ official pregame show Thursday on WBBMAM before the team hosted the Buccaneers. ‘‘ This is the first time Matt’s called plays with Nick. I think with a shortened offseason, the competition process, some reps were limited. We’re doing everything we can to expedite this.
‘‘ Nick’s a pro. I’m super- confident that the rhythm will come as he gains more reps as the starting quarterback.’’
Despite Foles’ flurry of three touchdown passes in relief of Trubisky against the Falcons, Pace said it wasn’t particularly surprising that the Bears’ offense struggled in Foles’ first start with the team Sunday against the Colts. Foles posted a 76.4 passer rating in the Bears’ 19- 11 loss, and his lone touchdown pass came during garbage time, discounting the accomplishment in Nagy’s mind.
Pace said he thinks ‘‘ there will be positive growth’’ for the offense under Foles.
‘‘ It’s a natural progression as he acclimates into the offense,’’ Pace said. ‘‘ There’s just timing with the receivers and little things to get in sync with our players. And I think as each day goes by, you feel that getting better and better as he gets more comfortable.”
At 31, Foles is no stranger to the pressure that comes with being a starting quarterback. Pace, however, said he’s more likely to give younger players time to prove themselves after a bizarre offseason. NFL teams weren’t allowed to gather for training, and the preseason didn’t feature a single exhibition game. Ordinarily, teams play four — the same number of games the Bears had logged heading into their matchup against the Buccaneers.
‘‘ It’s such a unique environment,’’ Foles said. ‘‘ More than ever, with no preseason and no offseason, we’re just all very mindful, especially when we’re evaluating our younger players . . . that sometimes it’s a process.”