Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy showed a key specialty vs. Chiefs

Fixing the offense was the primary reason Matt Nagy was hired to coach the Chicago Bears, but that’s an overly general way of putting it.

There are a lot of potential benefits that come with his hiring. One of the most overlooked was on display in the teams’ 27-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. One of the biggest things that stuck out about Nagy during his time as offensive coordinator with his former team was an ability to get his offense off to a fast start. In 2017 alone, the Chiefs scored at least 14 points in the first half 10 times.

Why is this such a big thing? The Chiefs were 7-3 in those 10 games. Fast starts can be a big deal when it comes to winning football games. The Bears wouldn’t know about this. Last year they managed that feat just four times. They were 2-2 in those games with both losses being by a combined four points. They were 3-9 when failing to do so. Nagy began to show off one of his best attributes, which was crafting a good game plan against the Chiefs.

The result was self-explanatory. The Bears backup offense, going against the starting Kansas City defense, scored 14 points in the first quarter. They would put up 24 points in the first half.

Nagy understands that scoring points early sets the tone for games

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The thing about this is that it matters. People always say it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Well too often in the NFL how you start can impact how you finish. Care for an idea? In 2017, nine of the 10 teams that led the league in first half points scored made the playoffs. The only one who didn’t, the Baltimore Ravens, finished 9-7. The world champion Philadelphia Eagles were 3rd and their Super Bowl opponent New England Patriots were 2nd.

The Chiefs were 7th. So it’s clear Nagy has developed an understanding of how effective the quick strike can be in the NFL. Few things are more effective than putting an opponent in an early hold, forcing them to play from behind. This increases the likelihood of them making mistakes, having to fight to get back into the game. Not every team is capable of that. When the mistakes happen, it can often cause the game to get out of hand.

If nothing else, this establishes a rhythm for his team. They’re able to get comfortable, reaching a realization that they can play with this opponent. Once that happens, it’s a lot easier to win football games. This isn’t the only solution for the Bears, but it could make life so much easier moving forward.

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