Will Bears’ latest quarterback change stick?
Potential turbulence warning as Bears stand pat at starting QB
As Chicago prepares to take on Tampa Bay at Solder Field, it’s unclear just how long Nick Foles will remain the Bears’ starting quarterback.
Matt Nagy has put it out there with as much emphasis and forewarning as he possibly can. This latest quarterback change? This transition with Nick Foles taking over in the cockpit for the Chicago Bears offense?
Well, the journey won’t be entirely smooth. Turbulence is inevitable. A few anxious moments are likely to arise. The flight pattern might even need to be adjusted at some point.
So while the end goal remains the same — to land safely in the playoffs when the regular season ends in January — the captain has illuminated the “fasten seat belts” light. At least temporarily.
“This is not going to happen overnight with Nick,” Nagy said Sunday evening, less than an hour after the Bears scored only one touchdown in a 19-11 home loss to the Indianapolis Colts. “This is going to take a little bit of time as he gets going.”
The following morning, Nagy again stressed the need for his offense to get calibrated.
The Bears, Nagy said, need to find their identity in the running game. They must improve the timing between Foles and his teammates. They have to sharpen the midweek preparation process and game-day synergy between the quarterback and his play caller.
And on Tuesday, Nagy acknowledged the challenge in still seeing the big picture while assessing the offense’s week-toweek results. He also stressed his responsibility to push for production ASAP while not becoming disproportionately frazzled when
the growing pains with Foles feel particularly sharp.
“Could we have played a lot better on Sunday? Without a doubt,” Nagy said.
“We know that. Is this going to take a little bit of time? Yes, it is. It is going to take some time. So that is where, for us as coaches and as players, as long as we understand that (we’ll be OK). But we should also know that we need to get on this as soon as we can.”
This is a difficult spot for Nagy, Foles and the Bears to be in, with the energy of a 3-0 start potentially transforming into intense 3-2 anxiety in a span of five days. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 5½-point favorites Thursday night at Soldier Field and will arrive in Chicago with momentum after a 484-yard outburst Sunday in a 38-31 defeat of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Much of the city, it seems, is already bracing itself for the worst.
Patience in short supply:
The Bears certainly haven’t looked like a team capable of keeping up in a shootout or chasing a Tom Brady-led offense from behind. In Foles’ first start Sunday, the Bears averaged only 1.8 yards per rush, failed to cross midfield on seven of their first nine possessions and had more punting yards (313) than total offense (269).
Thus, the Bears’ vows to forge a new identity and their requests for patience are being met with agitated resistance from a fan base that has heard these pleas and promises before.
At some point, it shouldn’t be a fantasy for an offense in the modern NFL to consistently score in the high 20s and 30s.
Win or lose Thursday night, the Bears will wake up Friday on the third anniversary of Mitch Trubisky’s first career start. Remember the hope-filled energy of that moment? Remember the built-in patience and tolerance for mistakes? Remember the mesmerized intrigue to see Trubisky’s encouraging moments of brilliance, even if they were only occasional flashes?
Well, this isn’t that.
Foles isn’t a rookie who was drafted with the No. 2 pick. He isn’t a raw and athletic youngster with an unknown ceiling. He’s a 31-year-old journeyman who has changed teams five times. So he won’t be afforded the same level of forgiveness and understanding if his first month as the Bears starter is as rocky as Sunday’s loss was.
In a similar way, Nagy shouldn’t expect much leniency from the outside world either, still very much connected to the offensive struggles that ended Trubisky’s run as the starter. Many of those ugly numbers attached to Trubisky’s failed breakthrough come with a direct link to Nagy, who now prepares for the test he has truly wanted — to prove that as an offensive overseer and play caller, he can take the Bears offense to new heights.
Back to the drawing board:
Remember the last time the Buccaneers visited Soldier Field, two short years ago? That was the beautiful fall afternoon during which a young franchise quarterback lit up the scoreboard with 38 first-half points and six touchdown passes in all as the Bears pummeled the Bucs 48-10.
And that wasn’t a total anomaly either. It was the start of a six-game stretch during which the Bears averaged 34 points per game.
It seemed during that run as if they were turning a corner, picking up speed, joining the modern era of the NFL in which end-zone trips are made with great frequency.
Now, two years and one week since that last visit from the Bucs, the Bears are again reeling on offense, regrouping at quarterback, trying to unlock some secret code that will allow them to realize the potential they believe they have.
Yet to this point, the hoped-for advances have been minimal.
Since the start of 2019, Nagy’s Bears have averaged just 1.9 offensive touchdowns and 18.3 points per game.
Since Week 13 of 2018, Nagy’s offense has failed to top 20 points 19 times in 28 games.
With that context, the temptation to treat Thursday night’s performance as a referendum on the offense is undeniable. And understandable.
Truthfully, though, Nagy, Foles and the rest of the offense deserve the remainder of October and perhaps the first day of November to show progress and demonstrate they’re climbing.
But they also should be aware the passengers are growing restless.