Overlooked Issue With Chicago Bears Offense? “Too Many Cooks”
People have searched for answers as to why the Chicago Bears offense continues to be such a disappointment. It started with the quarterbacks not being good enough. Then it was having a poor offensive line. Now the blame has shifted squarely to head coach Matt Nagy. First as a play caller and now as a schemer. That last part is the most interesting of all. There is evidence to suggest Nagy is actually a solid play designer. Somebody who can craft creative plays to get guys open.
According to experts Robert Mays and Nate Tice of The Athletic, the problem isn’t in the specific plays themselves. It’s how all of the plays are being thrown together. On the Hoge & Jahns podcast, Mays explained that one of the issues with Nagy’s offense is it doesn’t really know what it wants to be. It lacks a clear identity. One reason for this? The possibility is that too many voices have a direct say in how it’s shaped.
This is something not a lot of people have addressed.
One thing about Nagy’s coaching staff is its size. It is rather large, particularly on the offensive side. Think about this. There is Nagy himself, then offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, passing game coordinator John DeFilippo, and then they hired former Texas head coach Tom Herman as an offensive analyst. So that is four guys at least who have a direct hand in shaping this offense. Not to mention offensive line coach Juan Castillo who basically serves as their run game coordinator.
So make that five. While it’s normal for a staff to work together to make an offense go, it isn’t normal for that many men to have direct say in how the scheme is crafted. It should usually be the head coach and offensive coordinator who have the vision and then everybody else works to implement it.
This also explains other issues with Chicago Bears offense
Namely the constant sloppiness and lack of discipline. Such as getting delay of game penalties or false starts coming out of timeouts. Receivers not always knowing where the routes are supposed to go or even which personnel is supposed to be on the field. It seems like the Bears are willing to try everything but as a result, are good at nothing. This is why they can never seem to execute against opponents that are well-coached.
It is because the Chicago Bears offense is so bloated and so thrown together that they often get in their own way more than any opposing defense does. This goes back to all the criticisms about Nagy and how he never had a true grasp of what it is to establish an offensive personality. Too often there isn’t enough common sense involved with how the Bears run things.
The best offenses always know exactly who they are.
This is why Nagy is likely gone after this season. Chicago has to find a coach who not only can lead men and build a culture but also understands what it takes to build team identity. There will be no shortages of potential candidates. Especially knowing they might be inheriting a future star QB in Justin Fields.