Hot Seat Watch: How hot is Matt Nagy’s seat after 16 games?
With one game left in the 2021 NFL season, it’s believed that Week 18 will be Matt Nagy’s final game as the Bears’ head coach. After four years, a 34-30 record, and a total collapse after starting 5-1 in 2020, the Nagy era is “likely” over.
After 16 games this season, the Bears are 6-10, in the midst of their first losing season since 2017. The decision-making from Nagy plays a key role in the poor record this team has posted. Some of those decisions include play-calling, not taking field goals when given the chance, and creating a quarterback carousel.
This season, Bears quarterbacks have 15 passing touchdowns and 17 interceptions throughout 16 games. David Montgomery has thrown an interception too, which would total 18 interceptions overall for the 2021 Bears.
In reference to last season, in nine games, Mitchell Trubisky had 16 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions. What a difference one year makes.
Even though the Bears are on a two-game winning streak, the page on the Matt Nagy era is going to be closed after next week. If that is true, the team can move on and build a winning culture, with the right coach for Justin Fields.
Like always, Nagy’s hot seat will be on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the coolest and 10 being the hottest seat for Nagy.
Week 17 Hot Seat: 10
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Just like last week, and weeks prior, Matt Nagy’s hot seat ranking is at a 10. Even with back-to-back wins, nothing has changed the collapse of the Bears under his direction. In 2018, the future looked bright. In 2021, this team is back to where they were before Nagy, maybe worse.
With how poor the passing game has been up until this point, it’s a surprise that Nagy made it to Week 17. Almost every other NFL team would have fired him weeks ago.
The Bears have won just three of their last 11 games. That has been the story since they started 5-1 in 2020. They’ve won just nine games since then, with a 6-10 record this season. That’s terrible.
How does Nagy's seat get hotter?
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
It’s fair to assume Matt Nagy’s seat is as hot as it will get. With just one game left in the 2021 season, how much worse can things get?
Coming off of back-to-back wins, things have improved for the Bears, but it isn’t enough to save his job. The decision on whether Chicago will keep Nagy or not has already been made. It was likely made a month ago, we’re just waiting for the official announcement.
Another bad loss to the Vikings would end his career in Chicago on a bad note. Hopefully, he learned from their first meeting. Kick field goals when given the chance. Chicago wins that game if they do.
How does Nagy's seat get cooler?
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
How does Matt Nagy’s seat get cooler? For the very small minority of fans who want to give Nagy one last chance in 2022, it likely doesn’t get cooler. It’s hard to imagine any scenario where he’s retained in 2022.
If the Bears do in fact win out, it would be the first time since Week 3 where they won three straight games in a row. The only argument Nagy can make, if he is pushing to keep his job, is his (would be) 35-30 record as the team’s head coach.
In fairness to Nagy, he did win a division title in 2018, was Coach of the Year in 2018, and has made the playoffs twice. That is better than their last two coaches. Still, winning just nine of the team’s last 27 games, including the playoffs, is unacceptable.
It’s not the overall record that is what has hurt Nagy, it’s the poor decision-making and bad offensive play. He was brought in to coach up and develop Mitchell Trubisky. That didn’t work. Some argue that he didn’t give Trubisky much of a chance after 2018.
In 2020, he pushed for Nick Foles. That didn’t work, as he is 3-5 as the team’s starter. In 2021, he pushed for Andy Dalton and drafted Justin Fields. That hasn’t worked either, with the team having just 15 passing touchdowns in 17 games.
One more season with Nagy is a hard sell. The only two things he has going for him is his winning record and the fact that he has one more season left on his contract.
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