All Chicago Bears fans were hearing the entire offseason was how this defense was great but it just would not be the same without Vic Fangio. He was the entire reason they were the best in the NFL last season. It had nothing to do with the array of talent they’d assembled. There was no way another coach could come in and keep things going. Sure, Chuck Pagano is a nice guy and has experience but he’s no Fangio. No way. Not a chance.
Where are all those people now? Pagano needed exactly one game to do something Fangio never did. That is hold Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense to 10 points. Fangio also needed seven games before he managed to sack Rodgers five times. Pagano did it on his first try. It also would’ve been six if not for an iffy penalty on Kyle Fuller. The run defense? Right where it left off, allowing 47 yards all night. There can be no question Pagano had no issues getting that unit off and running.
Yet the media isn’t saying anything. Suddenly their praise has shifted away from Fangio to the Bears players. How mysterious. It’s almost like they didn’t want to admit they were wrong. Maybe, just maybe the Bears found a good coach who knows defense. Perhaps his brief great work in Baltimore wasn’t a fluke. It’s fine if they don’t want to eat their crow. The Bears will be satisfied with eating offenses moving forward.
Chuck Pagano orchestrated a terrific game under woeful conditions
Think about this. The Bears defense held the Packers to just 2-of-12 on 3rd down. When one has a quarterback like Rodgers and a receiver like Davante Adams, that is saying something. They held Green Bay in check without the benefit of a single turnover, forcing nine punts. Even the lone TD drive by the Packers was aided by some fortunate breaks. One can’t ask for much more than what Pagano did.
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He even got dominant performances out of traditional underachievers. Leonard Floyd had two sacks and should’ve had a third if not for that Fuller penalty. Roy Robertson-Harris had a sack and two tackles for a loss. Suddenly a front seven that was already dangerous enough looks even more frightening. All of it thanks to the work put in by Pagano and his staff. If they could do this to Green Bay, it’s hard to imagine what might happen when they run into less able quarterbacks in the future.
Fangio was and still is a tremendous coach. One the Bears will have to deal with next week. That said, Pagano is pretty good too and he proved it.
