Has Nagy's Offense Been Figured Out...?

IE · Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:08 am

I don't know how you can't have super bowl aspirations for a team with this defense and offensive weapons including a really good Oline.

10 really only has to be average and protect the ball for this team to win more often than not. Including going all the way. The list of average QBs who win a ring behind a great D is actually quite impressive. This is my mentality, and has been since last season. Then if 10 improves (which I do think we'll see even if it is fairly limited)... it will be gravy.

Nagy's in-game decisions last week and the similarities to the Philly game threw some water on that fire, though - and that's why I'm so hot about it. If he is going to make a habit of digging a hole and expecting 10 to climb out of it, we're fooked.

Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:38 am

Dan Durkin of The Athletic did a great breakdown. Here's a couple notes since it's paywalled:

James Daniels really struggled. He's not used to identifying the MLB to set the protection calls. The Packers ate this up and constantly threw off Daniels inability to adapt the entire game and it stymied the offense as a whole.
Nagy's reaction to the Packers defense exploiting this was to over-rely on RPO, but the Packers figured out that Nagy's formations revealed the type of RPO play the Bears would run. They read it easily, particularly in the second half.

https://theathletic.com/1198089/2019/09 ... breakdown/

Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:47 am

IE wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:08 am I don't know how you can't have super bowl aspirations for a team with this defense and offensive weapons including a really good Oline.

Just as someone with not a great technical knowledge of position play, I've heard it said that we have a great O-line but then others say our O-line play was abysmal against the Packers. Personally, just from reading and listening to podcasts before the game, I knew a matchup to watch was James Daniels going up against Kenny Clark, and it looks like that was one Daniels lost. So was this just a case of the O-line not playing up to their level? Or are they possibly not as good as advertised?

IE · Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:03 am

Xee wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:47 am
IE wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:08 am I don't know how you can't have super bowl aspirations for a team with this defense and offensive weapons including a really good Oline.
Just as someone with not a great technical knowledge of position play, I've heard it said that we have a great O-line but then others say our O-line play was abysmal against the Packers. Personally, just from reading and listening to podcasts before the game, I knew a matchup to watch was James Daniels going up against Kenny Clark, and it looks like that was one Daniels lost. So was this just a case of the O-line not playing up to their level? Or are they possibly not as good as advertised?

I think there are two things:

First, the switch of Cody and James was definitely something to watch. Clark is one thing, and then I'll guess Pettine also planned to exploit their position newness (and succeeded). But both guys are excellent Olinemen and they'll get it together at game speed.

Second, Nagy called 50 passes. This can't be emphasized enough. Yes, Olinemen look lost when the D knows the other team has given up running & oh boy, they're coming & coming fast. There are some fundamental truths when it comes to OLine play and one of them is the Olines prefer to run the ball a fair amount because going forwards is more pleasant than going backwards. Its true and keeps the D more honest. So instead of Nagy putting the LG and C in more of a position of strength in their first game, he threw them under the bus either deliberately or lack of awareness (I don't know which is worse).

Mikefive · Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:07 am

Xee wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:47 am
IE wrote: ↑Tue Sep 10, 2019 9:08 am I don't know how you can't have super bowl aspirations for a team with this defense and offensive weapons including a really good Oline.
Just as someone with not a great technical knowledge of position play, I've heard it said that we have a great O-line but then others say our O-line play was abysmal against the Packers. Personally, just from reading and listening to podcasts before the game, I knew a matchup to watch was James Daniels going up against Kenny Clark, and it looks like that was one Daniels lost. So was this just a case of the O-line not playing up to their level? Or are they possibly not as good as advertised?

It's one thing if Daniels was trying to do the right thing and got overpowered or simply out maneuvered by a better player. But there were times when Daniels was standing there unaware of what was happening and guys ran right by him. Daniels was really awful in the game, which was entirely unexpected for a college C switching back to his more natural position. He's young and it was his first NFL start at C, so there's reason to think he'll benefit from this learning experience. But it was a rough one.

IE · Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:29 am

I think Daniels, Whitehair and the others deserve a break for that game. In new positions of course some mistakes should be expected. But I see the Oline as a victim here more than anything. Maybe Daniels was just shellshocked and thinking WTF.

AZ_Bearfan · Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:46 am

Daniels and Whitehair were both problems Thursday night. That said, I think they both have enough pride and professionalism to learn from this game. Let it fester and drive them to never get embarrassed like that again.

AZ_Bearfan · Tue Sep 10, 2019 11:47 am

Leno shouldn't get a pass either. He was terrible too.

IE · Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:50 am

50 called passes, dude. The best Olines can't withstand the rush from even an average D when they're back on their heels every single play. Give them a fighting chance.

AZ_Bearfan · Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:16 pm

In a 1 score game, that's just crazy. I thought for sure at the start of the third quarter, we were going to just run the ball down their throats and score. Then kick back and watch the defense dominate. But whatever Pettine was doing out there fucked up all their plans.

G08 · Wed Sep 11, 2019 2:46 pm

What's funny is the Tribune got wind that the game plan going into Thursday night was to rely heavily on the run. Nobody seems to know why it was abandoned the way that it was.

Methinks Nagy got too pass happy... That simply cannot happen again against Fangio's Broncos.

Bears Whiskey Nut · Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:04 pm

G08 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 2:46 pm What's funny is the Tribune got wind that the game plan going into Thursday night was to rely heavily on the run. Nobody seems to know why it was abandoned the way that it was.

Methinks Nagy got too pass happy... That simply cannot happen again against Fangio's Broncos.

Hmmm...

Word on the street is that Nagy called A LOT of RPO's and run plays, but a certain someone kept checking out of them. Part of his presser keyed in on the idea that it won't be happening again.

Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:20 pm

Yeah, he said something to the effect of "what you guys don't see is all the RPO plays that are called, and it just happened that most of them turned out to be passes".

Bears Whiskey Nut · Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:39 pm

wab wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:20 pm Yeah, he said something to the effect of "what you guys don't see is all the RPO plays that are called, and it just happened that most of them turned out to be passes".

I don't care if Nagy gives Trubisky two plays at the line (a run play, and another run play), or if he has to limit Mitch to reading half the field on a bootleg. Don't care. Put him in a position to succeed. I have no interest in wasting this defense.

G08 · Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:04 pm

wab wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:20 pm Yeah, he said something to the effect of "what you guys don't see is all the RPO plays that are called, and it just happened that most of them turned out to be passes".

That was the first thing that popped in my head when I heard the report today so it was weird all around.

Still, if it's 3rd and 1 or 2 I'd have no problem with just putting the run on and removing the pass option. Or tell Mitch unless it's crystal clear to you, hand the ball off.

AZ_Bearfan · Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:07 pm

It's like they figured out what defensive looks will trigger an audible to a pass and exploited it.

The Marshall Plan · Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:02 am

AZ_Bearfan wrote: ↑Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:07 pm It's like they figured out what defensive looks will trigger an audible to a pass and exploited it.

That's a great point. I think you're right. But what would make the offensive line look horrible?

How is an offensive line supposed to handle an RPO? Aren't pass blocking and run blocking methods totally different?

So then Nagy went all in on the RPOs to confuse the defense. Pettine responds by disguising the looks, Biscuit couldn't handle the confusion coupled with the offensive line blocking like crap. Then we have our disaster. Makes sense.

Hopefully the fix is as simple as not calling so many RPOs.