The Chicago Bears will look to end a three-game losing streak this Sunday when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles. Head coach Matt Nagy has been the focal point for much of the criticism during the losing streak. With their season on the line and the chance to avenge last season’s playoff loss, the way the Bears play against the Eagles this weekend will show whether the team still supports their embattled coach.
There are too many reasons for the Bears not to play motivated when they take the field on Sunday to play the Eagles. Philadelphia upset Chicago in the Wild Card playoffs back in January when Cody Parkey missed a game-winning kick making the final score 16-15. The Eagles have beaten the Bears each of the last three seasons, including a 29-14 win in 2016 and a 31-3 blowout victory in 2017. Many of the Bears core players have played in those losses including Eddie Goldman, Leonard Floyd, Kyle Fuller, and Danny Trevathan.
Another reason why Nagy needs a quality performance from his team is that good coaches know how to pull their teams out of a tailspin. Last season, the Bears were 3-3 following two consecutive tough losses. Nagy’s team responded with a commanding 24-10 win over the New York Jets that began a five-game winning streak for the team. Chicago not only needs to end their losing streak against the Eagles, but they also need to have a dominant victory to reassert how talented they are.
If the Bears come out unmotivated and fall to the Eagles, it may signal that the head coach’s message is not getting through to his players. In 2014, Marc Trestman was fired following a five-game losing streak by his Bears team to end the season. In several of those games, Chicago players look disinterested and unmotivated to play for their head coach.
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From a game-planning standpoint, there are some weaknesses the Bears offense can exploit against the Eagles. Philadelphia’s pass defense ranks 21st in the league and could be what the 24th ranked Bears’ passing attack needs. In half of their games this season, the Eagles defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to pass for over 300 yards. If Nagy cannot develop a game plan to help jumpstart his team’s passing attack this week, it may not happen at all this season.
When times are tough for a team, good coaches can rally and drive their players to want to be better. Nagy was able to do just that last season and needs to do that for his team this upcoming Sunday. If his team failed to fight against a team that has plagued them the last several seasons, the season is all but over at the halfway mark with job security questions warranted for Nagy.
