It’s incredible how much things can change in a year. Just one year ago, the Bears had won the NFC North for the first time in eight seasons and were playoff-bound under first-year head coach Matt Nagy.
The future couldn’t seem brighter for a team loaded with defensive talent and a young quarterback that was making strides. Even if they didn’t achieve their Super Bowl goal, it seemed but a forgone conclusion that they’d be in a prime position to do the same in 2019.
Only, that wasn’t how this season turned out. One year later, the Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention with virtually the same roster in place.
“I’ll always look back to this year and the fact we didn’t make the playoffs and give ourselves a chance for a Super Bowl attempt, I’ll always be frustrated with that,” Nagy said. “I’m going to hold everybody accountable, including myself.”
In terms of accountability, most of that should fall on the offensive side of the ball, starting with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. He’s not the only issue on offense, but his early-season struggles, poor decision-making and inaccuracy hurt the Bears. But an offense is more than just the quarterback, and Chicago was hurt by a non-existent run games, ineffective tight ends and receivers that either dropped the ball or ran the wrong routes.
But Nagy is someone else that deserves a large chunk of the blame, if only because he’s the head coach. But he also deserves the blame because of his role as offensive play-caller. Whether it’s his abandoning the run game or not adapting the offense to Trubisky’s strengths, Nagy certainly has some reflection to do this offseason about how to find his offense’s identity for 2020.
Heading into 2020, the Bears won’t have the pressure of Super Bowl expectations riding on their shoulders. Many won’t believe this team will go far, especially with Trubisky at quarterback. But it’ll be Nagy’s job to have his team ready to do the impossible.
