CHICAGO _ As Matt Nagy left the United Kingdom on Monday, he did so with an appropriate blend of agitation and optimism. The Bears coach was still seething over a 24-21 loss to the Raiders a day earlier _ and rightfully so after his team fell into a 17-point first-half hole, then blew a lead in the final minutes.
But Nagy is by nature an optimistic and energetic leader. Thus he had no intent of letting his competitive ire fester, of becoming overly frustrated at the many deficiencies restricting his team.
For better or worse, the open date on the Bears schedule had arrived. And in the middle ground between Nagy's aggravation and positivity was a chance for him to exhale, to zoom out, to formulate an honest assessment of who these Bears really are.
What exactly is it that they do well? And what is it that they don't?
Where do they ultimately want to go this season? And what detours must they make certain to avoid?
"It's not about complaints," Nagy said. "It's about answers."
One could imagine the driven coach fighting to remain resolved and self-assured, like an '80s sitcom character at a crossroads, listening to differing opinions of imaginary characters floating above each shoulder.
To Nagy's right, there's the nagging naysayer, worn down and raspy and taking a drag from a cigarette as he contemplates the doomsday scenario of the 2019 Bears missing the playoffs.
To his left, there's the unwavering believer, hopped up on life and wearing an ear-to-ear "Be You" grin that sparkles like the "Club Dub" disco ball overhead.
The impassioned tug-of-war should give Nagy a golden opportunity to identify the proper mindset for the next leg of this journey, a chance to weigh all of the assertions from the two illusory Nagys.
