The obsession with who's play calling is getting out of hand
Oct 14, 2021 16:56:10 GMT -6
AlexM, riczaj01, and 4 more like this
Post by mpbears68 on Oct 14, 2021 16:56:10 GMT -6
I also disagree to an extent.
The other points (true) aside, you can't possibly watch the last two games and not see a difference in protections and formation usage. Nagy absolutely despised running I-formation. He rarely ran out of under-center and clearly liked shotgun better. We also didn't see many heavy packages with him except under obvious goalline and short yardage situations.
What about pre-snap motion? Nagy rarely used it beyond gimmicky jet sweeps and touch passes which stopped working in late 2018.
And how about a general commitment to the running game? Nagy talked about it a few times but rarely stuck with it. You could tell his heart wasn't in it.
All of the above has looked different with Lazor lately.
Mostly what seems to be going on has just been happenstance. When Lazor took over play calling last year it was after tough losses to good teams and he took over right when the schedule softened up. The same scenario basically happened for this year. Unfortunately I expect a drop off when we hit some teams with tougher defenses again regardless of who's play calling.
What do I think Lazor has had an influence?
You said Nagy isn't "some machine incapable of change". Except that he has been incredibly stubborn and unwilling to adapt for a long time now. If he's suddenly "changed", that would be a very recent event he's not shown any interest in before.
This is the same HC who called 27 straight pass plays against a Packers D dropping into zone with Mitch at QB. I was in the stands that night. Trubisky was hopelessly inept in that situation (Packers knew it and bragged afterward how they knew "forcing Trubisky to play QB" would get them a win). Nagy played right into their hands with his scheme and a heroic effort by the defense (only gave up 10 points to Rodgers) was wasted in a 10-3 loss.
This is also the same HC who time after time has lost games by not making any halftime adjustments with the O sucking and the D keeping the team in the game into the 3rd and sometimes even 4th Q.
And the same HC who dismissively said he "wasn't brought here to run I-formation".
Do I think Nagy is still very involved with preparation and game planning (as he should be)? YES
Do I think Lazor is some sort of offensive genius who was just waiting to be given a chance? NO
But I can tell you what Nagy had been doing was NOT WORKING. He was awful at it and he persisted at it for far too long.
Week 3 game wasn't just "frustrating" as you put it--it was HISTORICALLY AND EMBARASSINGLY BAD. Nagy's O put up the 2nd least yardage (47 total yards) in any game in the SB-era of the NFL. He was also incredibly fortunate that he didn't get the future of the franchise hurt with a season- or even career-threatening injury. He got the guy pummeled out there. Yes, that stuff was avoidable even if losing the game might not have been...and BTW, the defense kept us in that game too until late in the 3dr quarter.
If you wanna believe that all of a sudden Matt Nagy had an self-revelatory epiphany all on his own, then go ahead.
We will never know what really happened of course but I gotta believe some calls (and ultimatums) were made.