The Bears’ season is officially over after the crushing defeat at the hands of their bitter rival, the Green Bay Packers. The Sunday night massacre of 41-25 put the Bears at 5-6 and gave them their fifth loss in a row. The Bears are now the second team in NFL history to have a five-game winning streak and a five-game losing streak in the same season. There was a distinct lack of effort on the field despite going up against their biggest rival in primetime. This game proved this team is done, and major changes need to be made for this franchise to start moving forward.
Head coach Matt Nagy is about to decline in win total for the second season after winning coach of the year in 2018, his first season with the Bears. What I’ve seen in the last five games is a coach who has lost the entire locker room. The Bears had a bye week to get ready to beat the division-leading Packers; instead, they came out with zero energy or a gameplan. Nagy’s lack of leadership is only a part of the Bears’ issue. General manager Ryan Pace is not without blame.
Not one of Pace’s offensive skill players he has drafted has worked out in his tenure as the Chicago Bears GM. Running Backs Tarik Cohen, Jeremy Langford, and David Montgomery both have never fully lived up to what this offense needs from its running backs. The wide receivers he has drafted, such as Kevin White, Anthony Miller, Javon Wims, and Riley Ridley, are not even serviceable pass catchers. For some odd reason, the tight end spot has been a focal point of Pace as well, but Adam Shaheen and Cole Kmet have not lived to the hype of their draft-day price tags.
Pace has hit on many of the defensive players he decided to draft, but he didn’t improve the line, which should be the starting point for any NFL team. He missed on his only top-three pick, quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Pace’s free-agent signings haven’t been that great either, but he has made at least one big trade. He did get pass rusher Khalil Mack, but now, this trade looks like more of a win for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bears are wasting all of Mack’s talent on the field.
Both Pace and Nagy deserve to lose their jobs for what the Bears have become. The Bears have to make a complete overhaul in the management department if they ever want to become competitive in the NFC North division against organizations like the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
In week 13 they will take on the reeling Detroit Lions, who decided to part ways with their underperforming head coach and general manager after their Thanksgiving loss to the Houston Texans. The Bears will stick with Mitch Trubisky, undefeated against the Lions. But with how the Bears are playing, I wouldn’t hold your breath.