Matt Nagy’s In-Game Decision-Making Is Something To Keep An Eye On

The Chicago Bears began prepping Wednesday for their Week 4 divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Following a divisional loss to start the season, the team is eying its third consecutive win. Although the team was victorious on Monday night with a 31-15 win over the Washington Redskins, head coach Matt Nagy still made a few questionable in-game decisions.

The offense came to life because of Nagy’s offensive game-planning, which focused on getting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in a grove early. It worked as Trubisky threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter and completed 18 of 21 passes in the first half. Furthermore, Nagy’s playcalling freed up receivers making it easy for his embattled quarterback to find targets with separation. In the two games prior, Bears offensive players failed to get separation from defenders.

For as great as his offensive game planning was, Nagy’s in-game decision-making was odd. His use of kicker Eddy Pineiro, who was playing with an injured kicking leg, was almost alarming. Pineiro kicked with a pinched nerve in his knee. He was one for two with his field-goal attempts; however, Chicago’s hero from Week 2, was visibly limping before and after each of his attempts.

Pineiro’s second attempt came towards the end of the game following a Bears offensive drive that consumed five minutes. The Bears had a fourth and two at the Redskins 20 yard-line. Nagy could have chosen to rest his kicker and allow his offense to pick up the first down to end the game. Had the offense picked up first down, they would have been able to run out the clock and keep the defense from coming back out one last time. The decision was important because the defense had already lost Pro-Bowler Akiem Hicks to a knee injury earlier. Nagy risked multiple injuries by not going for it with the game already decided.

Another questionable in-game decision made by Nagy was not to challenge Trubisky’s interception. With teams being able to challenge for pass interference, the Bears head coach could have challenged for PI on the interception. Trubisky’s intended target was Allen Robinson who came in contact with defender Josh Norman a yard beyond the line of scrimmage. Although the contact wasn’t egregious, given the situation, it wouldn’t have hurt for Nagy to challenge the play.

Up 28-10, the Bears could have gone up 35-10 if the officials ruled that pass interference had occurred. The offense would have gotten the ball inside the Redskins 5-yard line with a new set of downs. Given how bad the league officiating has been to start the season, there was a good chance the Bears could have won the challenge. It also would have gotten rid of Trubisky’s only blemish of the night too.

Although these decisions are minuscule, they are important to remember going forward. It is the small decisions that could lead to a potential injury or the difference in a playoff win or loss. Nagy has shown he can call a great offensive gameplan, but he still needs to improve on the little things as a head coach.