4. The run game continues to be Matt Nagy’s downfall

There were a lot of reasons why the Bears offense struggled this season — poor quarterback play, questionable play calling, offensive line struggles, no tight ends — but it all comes back to the absence of any sort of run game. The run game has been a detriment to the Bears offense over the last two seasons, but it was even more glaring in 2019 when nothing on offense seemed to work.

The Bears couldn’t run the football in 2019. And there were times that, if they could, we didn’t see it, as Matt Nagy often abandoned the run game at first sign of trouble. Look no further than the seven runs called against the Saints. You can lean towards a heavier passing offense, but there are times when you need to run the football.

Chicago averaged 91.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked 27th in the NFL. Rookie running back David Montgomery had 889 rushing yards (19th in NFL) with 3.7 yards per carry (41st) and six touchdowns (tied for 19th).

One of the main focuses in fixing the offense this offseason is finding an answer for the run game. The Bears have already taken early steps in the hiring of offensive line coach Juan Castillo, who has experience as a run game coordinator. Obviously there are a lot of factors in the success of the run game — offensive line play, running backs and play calling. And they’re all factors that will need to be addressed.