With the Chicago Bears, second home game looming this Sunday against the divisional rival Detroit Lions, questions loom about the Bears’ ability to bounceback in front of home fans. For Chicago to have a quick turnaround, head coach Matt Nagy will need to prove that he’s able to have the Bears ready to go.
That means flawless execution, game planning, and playcalling, whether it’s Nagy or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor relaying plays to whoever is under center. Week 4 is Nagy’s opportunity to prove that week 3 ended up being a learning experience in terms of preparation and execution.
Much of the discourse among the Bears fanbase stems from Nagy’s handling of the playcalling and handling of the quarterback position. Fans have been chanting for rookie Justin Fields to start, while Nagy has continued to be persistent, once again doubling down on Wednesday morning saying veteran Andy Dalton is the starter upon returning from injury.
Whoever is under center on Sunday afternoon still matters. If it’s Dalton, Nagy will need to prove that week 4 is different by ensuring the Bears offense is ready to go. If it’s Fields, what Nagy does to put the 11th overall pick in a position to succeed will matter the most and become a key talking point throughout the game.
A win Sunday won’t take a significant amount of pressure off Nagy’s shoulders, the critics will still be out in full swing but if Nagy approaches this week correctly, some of the heat will at least cool off, especially if the Bears gameplan is catered to Fields strengths. Part of developing FIelds throughout the course of the season will include being able to build gameplan’s Fields is comfortable with and running an offense in which the former Ohio State standout excels.
Narratives are apparent each week in the NFL and week 4 will be a perfect measuring stick of Nagy’s ability to adjust on a weekly basis, in a league where the week-to-week approach is apparent. Perfection in the context of game planning, execution, and playcalling may not exist in the NFL but Nagy can get the Bears moving in the right direction by minimizing mistakes and taking a balanced approach to the Bears.