Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy continues to face harsh criticism for his removal of starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky late against the Rams Sunday Night. His team lost their sixth game of the season and are on their way to being the biggest disappointment of 2019. In a year that was supposed to be Super Bowl season, Nagy’s team has regressed similarly to that of Marc Trestman’s team in 2014.
Nagy’s regression as a coach is frighteningly similar to that of Trestman from year one to year two. When the Bears hired Trestman in 2013, The Bears had the second-best offense in the league and were less than a minute away from winning the NFC North division crown. Due to the offensive success in 2013, Fans and the media believe the Bears would contend for Super Bowl title in 2014. Unfortunately, the team would disappoint winning just five games and had arguably the worst season ever in Bears’ history.
Trestman was to blame as his innovative offense in 2013 lacked any continuity and shrank instead of expanding in 2014. A lot of signature plays that worked to success in 2013 were not being seen. For example, the Bears offense used slant passes, end arounds, tight end crossing routes, and underneath routes for running backs that worked to success. The following season these staple plays were hardly ever seen.
Matt Nagy’s second season in the league has been strikingly similar to Trestman’s second season. Where many thought his offense would expand, the opposite has occurred. Many plays that were successful in 2018 have not been used this season. Shovel passes to tight ends, fly patterns to Taylor Gabriel, and wheel routes to Tarik Cohen were consistently seen throughout the season in 2018. This season those plays have only been used sparingly. The offense as a unit lacks any rhythm and can rarely stack good plays together.
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Another way in which Nagy has become Trestman is his inability to hold the locker room together when things are not positive. There have been several times this season where Bears players have taken to social media to vent their frustration game or the fans. Wide receiver Anthony Miller has had more negative moments than good moments this year. Against the Rams, he was flagged for offensive pass interference, used one hand to catch a pass which was tipped for an interception, and provided to then got into a verbal fight with a Rams defender all on the same play.
In 2014, Trestman had his issues holding players in check and accountable for their actions. Tight end Martellus Bennett, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and defensive tackle Jay Ratliff all had moments off the field that highly unprofessional. Trestman only punished Bennett, which happened during pre-season.
What led to Trestman’s demise outside of the embarrassing losses was his continual embarrassment of the franchise with off-field stories about his coaching decision. There were multiple times late in the season where stories broke that put the coaching staff in an unfavorable position. The first incident was when offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer talked to the media about quarterback Jay Cutler’s struggled. Following that incident, Trestman than benched Cutler to make it appear as if his quarterback was to blame for the team’s poor season.
Nagy’s decision to pull Trubisky Sunday night felt eerily similar to Trestman’s decision to pull Cutler until it was announced later that Trubisky hurt his hip. What’s worst is that it happened on a national stage to where it was one of the most talked-about storylines Monday morning. Nagy could have handled the situation so much better to make it clear that he was pulling his embattled quarterback due to an injury instead of for poor play.
Bears ownership can handle losing, but one thing they do not tolerate is being embarrassed on a national level. The 2019 season was supposed to be a Super Bowl season for the Bears, but nothing has gone right from the start. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong including significant injuries, poor plays, and controversies. Trestman holds a dark place in Chicago Bears history, but he may soon be joined by Nagy following the 2019 season.
