This Eddie Jackson Quote Raises a Big Concern about Matt Nagy

Eddie Jackson is just as lost as the fans are as to why the Chicago Bears fell off the rails so completely this season. A team that was 12-4 in 2018 suddenly is 3-5 with one of the worst offenses not just in the NFL but arguably in franchise history. That is saying something. It’s also not a good look for head coach Matt Nagy. This is supposed to be his offense and it’s getting worse with each passing week. Does this offer a bad impression to Jackson?

Not really. During his appearance on 670 The Score with Mully & Haugh, the Bears safety spoke out in defense of his head coach. He made it clear the team is behind Nagy and there is absolutely no question about it. However, one interesting part of his statement came at the end. One would think it’s harmless, but Jackson pointing it out does raise a concern about the reality of what the Bears have in their head coach.

A players’ coach. What exactly does that mean? Well before getting into the details, here’s an explanation courtesy of the website Workopolis.

“A Players’ Coach is known for giving his players more latitude, trusting them to police themselves. The idea behind this management style is to create an encouraging environment where players are free to be themselves and excel in the game.”

Eddie Jackson confirms what could be Nagy’s flaw

Nobody questions that Nagy is an excellent motivator and comes across as a leader. However, when a man is tagged as a player’s coach, it raises one glaring concern. An inability to bring harsher discipline to those players when times get tough. There are plenty of players out there who have excellent self-discipline, but they are in the minority. Motivation isn’t enough to get the best out of them lots of the time. They need that hard edge from a coach to keep them sharp during a season.

This 2019 run is a perfect encapsulation. Though the Bears continue to play hard, they are no longer sharp in any sense of the word. They lead the league with 15 dropped passes through eight games. A total of 60 penalties, putting them on track for 120 which would be 20 more than they had in 2018. This is not a team playing with any sort of discipline and that falls at the feet of the head coach. One who seems to possess the carrot but isn’t willing to use the stick.

People can say what they like about Lovie Smith and Mike Ditka. They weren’t perfect, but they were willing to bring the hammer down when the situation called for it. Whether that was making a change on the coaching staff or in the starting lineup. Nagy remains unwilling to go that far, and it could be what ends up getting him fired.