LONDON — Matt Nagy’s had a long year — and it’s only a month old.
In the last week alone, the Bears head coach lost quarterback Mitch Trubisky to a left shoulder injury and was forced answer questions — or, rather, refuse to — about linebacker Roquan Smith’s absence from last week’s game due to personal issues.
He’s had eight starters miss at least one game. His kicker has limped through the past two with a pinched nerve in his right knee.
The Bears have yet to have a normal week of game prep, having played on a Thursday night, Monday night and, on Sunday, a 6 p.m. kickoff, London time, against the Raiders. After his players slept on the plane Thursday night, Nagy held a dance contest to start Friday’s practice in London — anything to eke a little more energy out of his team.
Nagy’s offense — his baby — is averaging the fifth-fewest points in the league, leading him to admit defenses are scheming for him differently than last year.
“We need to figure that part out,” he said.
At least the reigning NFL Coach of the Year can look back on his first season, then, for guidance, right?
Right?
“I learned nothing from last year,” Nagy said. “Because last year went pretty well. It went smooth, and that’s just how it goes sometimes.
“We were fortunate with injuries, we were fortunate with building trust, We were fortunate with building the culture, relationships. We won some games, got on some streaks — and we didn’t have a lot of this stuff that’s going on.”
Nagy has made more late-night phone calls to his mentors than he did last year.
“If I don’t do that, then I’m putting more stuff on me and more weight on my shoulders,” he said. “Which makes me a worse coach.”
Still, the Bears will improve to 4-1 with a win against the Raiders and enter the bye after the easy part of their schedule. While Nagy hasn’t repeated his award-winning performance from last year, his degree of difficulty has been higher.
The Bears went into their Week 5 bye last year with two starters having missed a single game due to injury — cornerback Prince Amukamara and receiver Anthony Miller.
This year, eight players who started at least one game went on to miss at least one start: defensive linemen Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols; guard Kyle Long; inside linebacker Roquan Smith; tight end Trey Burton; right tackle Bobby Massie; receiver Taylor Gabriel; and running back Mike Davis.
Trubisky joins that list Sunday.
“What’s that saying? Anyone can hold the helm when the seas are calm,” said offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, the former Oregon head coach. “A lot of it is easy when [safety] Eddie Jackson is scoring three touchdowns before you touch the ball—or whatever it is—whether it’s on the field, off the field, you’re playing with house money a little bit in some regard.
“And, yeah, you’re the hunter instead of the hunted. And you have to flip that mentality immediately and continue to hunt. But, yeah, it’s different.”
Nagy’s players have told him how important last week’s win — against the Vikings, with so many starters hurt — was to the franchise.
“You build that thing so that when things get uncomfortable, you’re OK with it,” Nagy said. “We’re going through some of that right now. But the part that makes us so strong in the end … Those are the ones when you say next year, ‘Do you remember that game?’”
The reason, Nagy hopes, is the mindset the Bears have built, dating to last year.
“He’s handled things as good as anybody I have ever seen,” said defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, the former Colts head coach. “Our team handles things like this really, really well.
“It’s our culture, it’s our locker room, it’s our environment. It’s everything he’s preached from Day 1.”
.jpg?w=600)
