(670 The Score) Chances are, the very specific gripe you have with Matt Nagy was on display Sunday night. The Bears were really only playing to prove that they weren't actually two touchdowns worse than the Packers and, even after putting up 30 points for the first time all season, still ended up leaving Green Bay with a 15-point loss.
Aaron Rodgers doesn't need help beating the Bears, which is what makes Nagy's familiar self-sabotage all the more difficult to reason with at a point in the season when people are already just looking for moral victories. "Be You" has been a punchline way longer than it ever was a mantra, but it probably shouldn't be surprising that Nagy is coaching his (technically probable, whatever) final month the exact way he has coached every other.
"Let's face it, there's been difficult times this year," he said. "For everybody, for the players, for the coaches, because you know what we can be. When these guys play like that, that's why we do it. Our message was, that's great, but we've got to do that for quarters three and four. We've got to finish."
In quarters three and four, the Bears were outscored 24-3. Nagy's approach to fourth down has always lagged behind the league's as a whole, but on a more basic, kinda meathead-y level, there's just something about conservative play-calling against your biggest rival on the road in a meaningless game that feels like such a wasted opportunity. What's the harm of trying to see if an offense that was averaging six yards per play can get five on fourth-and-goal in a 0-0 game in the first quarter? I can't think of a single Bears fan who cares whether they turn it over on downs, literally anywhere on the field, by now. Situational football aside, when does it ever make sense to give the ball back to Rodgers when all your offense has to do is get one yard? The Bears don't fire coaches in the middle of the season, but I bet the thought crossed some minds when Nagy, down two scores, punted on 4th and inches with 13 minutes left in the game.
"Thought about it, but then thought, at that point in time, you are a little backed up," Nagy said. "You could be aggressive and go for it, I don't think you're wrong if you go for it, but I don't think you're wrong either … You saw what happened when we punted it."
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It wouldn't be a high-profile Nagy loss without some sort of running game controversy, and "giving 10 carries to your very talented running back who just happens to be one of the team's vocal leaders during a miserable season and recently gave an impassioned postgame speech about not giving up" is an inspired addition to the Nagy Cinematic Universe. The fact that nine of David Montgomery's 10 rushes came in the first half is a detail that's almost – almost – too good to be true.
"It wasn't on purpose, I wouldn't say that," Nagy added. "We didn't have many plays in that second half. And when you get behind, you're obviously throwing the ball."
There were also some of the more niche Nagy experiences Sunday, like hitch routes in front of the sticks on third down, 4th quarter field goals in an 18-point game, and even one last goofy, harmless quote that almost immediately backfired. Deep down, it's not that anyone was really expecting differently at this point, but then again, it was Packers week. Expectations always get a little wacky by kickoff.
"When you're 4-9, it stings," Nagy said. "You want to be better … This game meant a lot to us -- to get out here and get a win. When you go back and watch the tape and go, 'OK, where did it go wrong?' I think it's pretty simple. It's not hard to tell in the second half."
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
