A Bears Win Brings Relief, But Won't End More Questions For Nagy

Chicago IL

03 October, 2021

7:58 PM

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CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears needed a victory and Lord knows, so did Matt Nagy. The Detroit Lions showed up just in time. After a week when Nagy's every move was questioned and the Bears made it clear they are serious about moving, a visit by perhaps the NFL's most inept teams was all it took to silence the noise, albeit temporarily. A win is a win, but all things being honest, Sunday's 24-14 victory only matters if it signals better days lie ahead. And as long as Nagy is the head coach, the direction-setting remains up to him and Sunday represented a step in the right direction. But the fourth-year coach will have plenty to answer for moving forward. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields looked more comfortable and managed to stay off his back. The Bears offense, which benefitted from a change in play-callers showed the ability to effectively blend David Montgomery's legs and Fields' arm before Montgomery left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. The Bears defense also did enough by causing two Red Zone turnovers to erase some of the bad taste in Chicago's mouth left by last weekend's woeful showing in Cleveland. But all of that came against a winless Lions team that made the Bears' 47-yard offensive performance the Browns look respectable. Yes, wins in the National Football League all count the same, but whether this one actually matters in the bigger picture will only be determined by time. And Nagy. Nagy, who kept secret who would be calling plays against the Lions until after Sunday's game, finally acknowledged Sunday that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor had taken over those duties. Whether that remains the case will remain in-house, but Nagy has to admit there was a noticeable difference. But that being said, Nagy told reporters that his answering questions about the subject after the victory would be the last time he'd discuss the matter. Just for kicks, a reporter immediately followed up with an inquiry if Lazor was the guy moving forward. Sometimes, timing is everything, but Nagy didn't appear to want to play along. "Ultimately it goes through me, everything that we do, regardless of anything else, who's calling this, who's calling that, it goes through me. That part I appreciate because we do it together, and then there's a collaboration of how we do it," Nagy told reporters. "But I thought that our coaches did a great job today. I thought our players executed, which is what we asked for, and quite honestly, again, like I know — with all due respect, I understand the questions, but that's what it is, and that's what it's going to be the rest of the year is just knowing that whatever happens, it goes through me, and we've done it together." Sunday's win gave Fields his first home win as a Bears starter. But considering that Nagy has said that when veteran Andy Dalton is healthy enough to return, he will resume his role as the starting quarterback. While Fields remains the face of the future, Nagy's insistence that this year is all about development only means that what fans got a glimpse of the last two weeks could come to an end any time now. Like with the play-calling, Fields' play on Sunday and Nagy's allegiance to Dalton leaves the door open for more questions. Whether the answers will come is a different story. But whether he admits it or not, Nagy has to know this is now Justin Fields' football team whether he likes it or not. The Bears face a difficult stretch of upcoming games against the Las Vegas Raiders, the rival Packers, the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and the San Francisco 49ers. While it's not exactly Murderer's Row, the next months' worth of games will show what Nagy is made of and how just how much he is willing to roll with the punches when the heat again gets turned up. For now, Nagy should enjoy the peace and quiet, take the win for whatever it's worth and move forward knowing it's only go get harder from here. Hopefully, he's ready with more answers for more questions because God knows, there will be plenty — especially when the Lions aren't there to kick around.