Tag: matt nagy

Matt Nagy holding everyone accountable after Bears miss playoffs

Now that the Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention, Matt Nagy is holding everyone accountable for that — including himself.

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.

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Bears vs. Chiefs, Week 16: How to watch, listen and stream

The Bears will host the Chiefs in their regular-season home finale on Sunday Night Football.

The Chicago Bears (7-7) will face the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) on Sunday night at Soldier Field, where the Bears won’t be playing for playoff contention.

There will be no shortage of storylines in Sunday’s game, including Mitchell Trubisky vs. Patrick Mahomes and Matt Nagy vs. Andy Reid.

Here’s how you can tune into the game on Sunday:

Game Information

Chicago Bears (7-7) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)

Date: Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019

Time: 7:20 p.m. CT

Location: Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)

Television

NBC

Announcers

Al Michaels (play-by-play)

Cris Collinsworth (analyst)

Michele Tafoya (reporter)

Stream

FuboTV (try it free)

Radio

WBBM 780 (Chicago) and 105.9 FM

Satellite Radio

Bears feed: XM 805

Chiefs feed: XM 815

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Bears DT Akiem Hicks, CB Prince Amukamara questionable vs. Chiefs

The Bears released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Chiefs, and DT Akiem Hicks and CB Prince Amukamara are questionable.

The Chicago Bears released their final injury report ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and two defensive starters are questionable.

Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who returned last week against the Packers after battling a dislocated elbow suffered in Week 5, seemed to reaggregate the injury last Sunday.

Hicks was a full participant in practice all week and wasn’t listed on the injury report. He was designated a questionable status on Friday, but Bears coach Matt Nagy expects him to play against the Chiefs.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara is also questionable for Sunday as he deals with a hamstring injury suffered against the Lions in Week 13. Amukamara started last week’s game against the Packers, but reserve Kevin Toliver also saw playing time in his place.

Amukamara was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, and his status is in question for Sunday. If that’s the case, Toliver would make his third career start.

Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols was limited Friday, as he usually is when the Bears practice indoors.

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Bears vs. Chiefs: 4 storylines to watch in Week 16

While the Bears aren’t fighting for playoff contention, there’s still plenty left to watch in their primetime game against the Chiefs.

When the Chicago Bears (7-7) square off against the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) on Sunday Night Football, there won’t be playoff hopes on the line for Chicago. But there will be plenty to play for.

Whether it’s Mitchell Trubisky looking to continue his streak of positive performances (and against the MVP quarterback taken after him in the NFL Draft) or Matt Nagy facing off against Andy Reid or young guys playing for starting jobs next season, there are no shortage of storylines heading into this primetime affair.

Here are four storylines to watch as the Bears face the Chiefs on Sunday.

1. Mitchell Trubisky vs. Patrick Mahomes

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This isn’t necessarily a new storyline in the NFL world — the Mitchell Trubisky/Patrick Mahomes or Trubisky/Deshaun Watson comparisons. The comparisons are inevitable, and they’ll follow Trubisky through his entire NFL career.

But those comparisons will be even louder and more prominent as Trubisky and Mahomes face off for the first time on an NFL football field. And the NFL gods couldn’t have scripted it any better than on a primetime stage where all the NFL world will watch and discuss.

While the outcome of this game will have no bearing on the bigger picture — Mahomes is a special talent with a bright future in this league and Trubisky is a mixed bag whose future has yet to be determined — you’d have to imagine if Trubisky can come out and outperform Mahomes — if only once — it’ll be a source of confidence heading into 2020.

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There’s nothing but respect between Matt Nagy and Andy Reid

Bears coach Matt Nagy and Chiefs coach Andy Reid will face off for the first time in a regular season game, and they remain close friends.

When Matt Nagy and Andy Reid meet at Soldier Field on Sunday night, it won’t be the first time these former colleagues have met on opposing sidelines.

Their first meeting came back in 2018 in the third preseason game. Nagy opted to rest his starters while Reid played his starters well into the third quarter.

Nagy got the best of his mentor in that contest — as the Bears’ second team had their way with the Chiefs. But you can’t put much stock into preseason, which is why the real test will come Sunday night in Chicago’s regular-season home finale.

It’s the classic student versus teacher story. Nagy, who studied under Reid, facing off against his mentor. Both are incredibly similar — both in coaching style and offensive philosophy — so it’ll be a matter of who can outsmart the other. And, just as you’d expect, there’s nothing but respect between the two coaches. Even as they’re headed in different directions in the next couple of games.

While Reid will prepare his team for another playoff run, Nagy has to deal with the repercussions of a disappointing season and missing the playoffs after winning the NFC North just a season earlier.

“[Nagy] is so mentally tough,” Reid said. “He tries to get the best out of his guys. The guys know that. And so, he’ll be fine. …

“He’s not going to hang his head. You know how he is. I mean, he just keeps going. He’s going to try to fix the issues and go with it. And that’s how he rolls. That’s the sign, I think, of a good coach.”

Nagy admits that, during difficult times like these, Reid is the person he goes to for some assistance.

“He’s just a calming presence,” Nagy said. “He’s somebody that I trust as a friend, as a mentor. The amount of trust that I have for him and the experience — the life experiences and the coaching experiences that he’s been through, and the experiences we’ve been through together for so many years — he’s taught me to be who I am as a coach. And taught me to be myself as a human being.

“And so when those times arise, where you need a little bit of advice from somebody whose been through something, he’s the guy I go to.”

When the Bears and Chiefs kick things off on Sunday Night Football, Nagy and Reid will be standing on opposing sidelines. And we’ll see exactly if the student has what it takes to best his mentor.

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Andy Reid sees ‘something special’ in Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky has struggled this season. But it’s been his response to adversity that has impressed Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

While Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will spend this week — and the rest of his career — being compared to the likes of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the only thing the third-year signal caller is worrying about is his own development.

“It’s just the nature of the beast,” Trubisky said. “But I’m in competition with myself and just trying to be the best version of me to go out there and win games for the Chicago Bears. It’s just something I can’t control.”

This season was supposed to be another year of development for Trubisky where he showed that he has what it takes to be the Bears franchise quarterback. Instead, Trubisky has been inconsistent and there are legitimate questions about his future in Chicago.

But over the last month and a half, Trubisky has mustered six solid games — with two really impressive ones that highlighted his potential to be a good quarterback in this league. Not that it’s enough to erase all of the valid question marks earlier in the season. Flashes aren’t enough anymore, Trubisky needs to have consistently solid games, which is why these final two games are important for him.

Trubisky has faced plenty of adversity in his third NFL season, where he’s struggled with inconsistencies in a Bears offense that has been idle for most of the season. But it’s been his response to that adversity that has impressed Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

“His resilience there to keep battling like he did through the year, that’s something special,” Reid said. “And how he’s been playing good football.”

While Trubisky has been more frustrating than anything this season, the fact that he’s been able to string together six consecutive solid games is certainly encouraging. And if he’s able to continue that in these final games against the Chiefs and Vikings, maybe he’ll head into the offseason with more confidence and something to build on for 2020.

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Chicago vs. Kansas City: Which Chiefs player would you want on the Bears?

The Bears and Chiefs will face off on Sunday Night Football. If you could have any Chiefs player on the Bears, who would it be?

There will be no shortage of storylines when the Chicago Bears (7-7) host the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) at Soldier Field on Sunday Night Football.

From Mitchell Trubisky vs. Patrick Mahomes to Matt Nagy vs. Andy Reid, there will be no shortage of storylines heading into this game.

Following a 12-4 season where they won the NFC North, the Bears have  flat-lined this season in the midst of offensive struggles that have, unfortunately, defined their season. They’ll miss the playoffs for the eighth time this decade.

But the Chiefs, on the other hand, have continued their dominance and look primed to return to the AFC Championship under the leadership of Mahomes and a defense that’s beginning to find its footing.

Which begs the question — which Chiefs player would you want on the Bears? (Although, I’m pretty sure what the consensus will be.)

VOTE!

[polldaddy poll=10480239]

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4 bold predictions for Bears’ Week 16 matchup vs. Chiefs

Mitchell Trubisky tops Patrick Mahomes? Matt Nagy gets the best of Andy Reid. Our bold predictions for Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 16.

The Chicago Bears (7-7) will host the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) in their regular-season home finale on Sunday Night Football, where there are still many questions that need to be answered for a Bears team that is headed home after their final regular season game next week.

While there’s nothing left to play for with the Bears officially eliminated from playoff contention, there’s still plenty to watch as young guys battle for roster spots in 2020 and Mitchell Trubisky has two more games to show the Bears he can be the guy in 2020 and possibly moving forward.

Here are four bold predictions for the Bears’ meeting against the Chiefs:

1. The student bests the teacher

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The only time that Matt Nagy and Andy Reid have faced off was during a third preseason game back in 2018, where Reid played his starters into the third quarter and Nagy rested his. Nagy got the best of Reid — as his second team led by Chase Daniel marched down the field on the Chiefs and the second-team defense contained Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s offense.

But you can’t put much stock into preseason, which is why this game will be a good gauge on exactly if Nagy, the student, can best the teacher, Reid. It’s not a surprise that both coaches are very similar, considering Nagy learned from Reid. But it’ll be interesting to see how they approach their gameplans.

Nagy is coming off one of his worst games as a playcaller against the Packers, so he’ll be challenged to get back to the basics that make this offense work, including establishing the run game, rolling Mitchell Trubisky out of the pocket and utilizing the up-tempo offense.

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Mitchell Trubisky not worrying about comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky will forever be compared to Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, the two QBs selected after him in the 2017 draft.

For the entirety of his career, Mitchell Trubisky will be compared to the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, the two quarterbacks selected after him in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Those comparisons will be even louder this week as the Chicago Bears host the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field, where Trubisky will face off against reigning MVP Mahomes, the quarterback still on the board when general manager Ryan Pace traded up one spot to draft Trubisky at No. 2.

While Mahomes and Watson, the third quarterback selected in the draft by the Houston Texans, have been lighting up the league over the last two years, Trubisky has been flashing inconsistency — those bright spots where he looks like he could be special and then those frustrating moments that are cause for concern.

But Trubisky insists he isn’t in competition with Mahomes or Watson — despite what the media says — he’s competing with himself.

“The comparisons are out there and they are never going to stop,” Trubisky said Wednesday. “It’s kind of me, Pat and Deshaun all grouped together because we were in the same draft class, drafted in the first round and all that. But there are no do-overs. We are where we are. Our careers are going on different paths and they will for the rest of time. And (we’ll) be compared against each other.

“It’s just the nature of the beast. But I’m in competition with myself and just trying to be the best version of me to go out there and win games for the Chicago Bears. It’s just something I can’t control.”

While Mahomes and Watson recently earned Pro Bowl honors and are headed to the postseason, Trubisky is fighting to save his future in Chicago after an up-and-down season.

“Don’t worry about that; it’s the Bears versus Chiefs,” coach Matt Nagy said. “That’s the easiest way (to approach it). The second you start getting into individual comparisons, whether it’s me and Coach (Andy Reid) or it’s the quarterbacks or it’s their D-linemen and our D-linemen … All that stuff? That’s trouble. That’s how I handle it.

“We don’t even talk about it. It’s important for our guys to worry about the unit. Otherwise, if you start worrying about the individual stuff, it doesn’t normally go too well.”

While Trubisky and Nagy insist that they’re not worried about individual comparisons, that’s not going to stop those comparisons from happening, especially this week.

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What is Matt Nagy’s message now that Bears are out of playoff contention?

Bears coach Matt Nagy has him team focused on using the frustration from this season heading into an important offseason.

Matt Nagy will face a new challenge in his second season as head coach of the Chicago Bears: How to lead a team when there’s nothing left to play for.

Shortly after Sunday’s brutal loss to the Packers, the Bears were eliminated from playoff contention and any dreams of a magical, Super Bowl season were officially dashed.

Through all of the struggles this season, Nagy has done a great job keeping morale high. They’ve continued to fight through adversity — and remain together in the process. And things were pretty bad there at 3-5, then 4-6.

So as the Bears prepare for their final two games of an otherwise forgettable season, Nagy has him team focused on using the frustration from this season heading into an important offseason. He’ll also have his team ready to play in these final games — as if they did mean something more.

“I really am looking forward to our team finishing and playing really hard these last two games,” Nagy said. “We can do that. So my message to the guys is, we’re rolling. There’s nothing that changes. It stinks that we can’t get to the playoffs, but that’s on us. We made this. Hopefully we learn from it and remember this feeling. But these next two games to us are very important and we’re going to play them hard.”

While there’s nothing to play for in regards to the playoffs, Nagy said that he will indeed play his starters in those last two games.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Yeah. Yep.”

There will be plenty of guys playing for jobs — both veterans and the young guns. Cornerback Kevin Toliver is one to watch, as he looks to fight for a starting job next season over Prince Amukamara, who could very well be on his way out of Chicago. Receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley will be looking to prove they can be reliable options to go along with Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, which could mean the end of Taylor Gabriel’s time in Chicago.

So while the Bears won’t be playing for playoff contention in these final two games, these final two weeks are important in determining the direction of this team heading into 2020.

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