The Chicago Bears are about to do something no team ever has before. At least not based on known NFL history. They will conduct an actual football game without all three of their coordinators. This became a reality when Bill Lazor, Sean Desai, and Chris Tabor landed on Reserve/COVID list. Expectations are none of them will likely be able to return before the Bears’ Monday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
Thus Nagy was forced to take steps to correct the issue. That meant assigning interim coordinators for the upcoming game. Two of the choices ended up being unsurprising. John DeFilippo takes over the offense. He’s the quarterbacks coach and brings previous coordinator experience. Brian Ginn is Tabor’s right-hand man, so he’ll handle the special team. The big surprise came on defense.
Mike Pettine will take over for Sean Desai.
In the event that our coordinators are not cleared to return by Monday night, the following coaches will step in:
– John DeFilippo as OC
– Mike Pettine as DC
– Brian Ginn as STC@dunkindonuts | #DaBearshttps://t.co/1BcXBtCcGR— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 18, 2021
Keep this in mind. Pettine arrived as a senior defensive assistant this offseason in Chicago. He wasn’t even running a particular position group. Deshea Townsend, the Bears’ defensive backs coach, has been on the staff longer than anybody. One would think he’d have made more sense. Instead, Nagy opted to go with Pettine. Most likely because the man has previous coordinating experience.
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He did so for four years in New York, one year in Baltimore, and then three years in Green Bay. The guy understands all the demands of the job. He’s also familiar with the Vikings’ offense thanks to his time with the Packers. The question is will he be able to run the Bears’ scheme without any issues? Remember he has only been with the organization for a few months.
Chicago Bears must hope Pettine can create some magic
He almost has to. The defense has been marred by health issues for weeks now. Khalil Mack is out for the season. Key contributors Mario Edwards Jr. and Duke Shelley are on the COVID-19 list. Roquan Smith is battling a hamstring problem. The only bit of good news at this point is the anticipated return of Akiem Hicks to the lineup. Is that enough to help curtail the Vikings’ 4th-ranked offense?
Let’s just say Chicago Bears fans aren’t optimistic. If nothing else, Pettine has plenty of motivation to do well. This is a big chance for him to show other NFL organizations he still has value as a coordinator. If he can frustrate Minnesota despite awful circumstances? He’s bound to get an opportunity somewhere else. It would be a great silver lining to this season if he helped the Bears stick it to Minnesota one last time.
Maybe Justin Fields can help with that.
The elevation of DeFilippo also brings an interesting subplot. Will he be the one calling plays or is that Nagy? One thing about DeFilippo in his brief stints as a coordinator was his ability to get strong performances from his quarterbacks. It would be great to see what he can do for Fields even in a brief stint at the job. Maybe that could be a way for him to cement a spot on the coaching staff despite the upcoming regime change.
