Opinion: Matt Nagy using Nats to inspire slumping Bears seems like just another gimmick play
A quick glance at items of interest as Week 9 rolls on in the NFL:
Pressure’s on: Matt Nagy. With his slumping team mired in the funk of the three-game losing streak it will take to Philly, the Bears coach showed his players clips of the freshly crowned World Series champion Washington Nationals. The point was clear: The Nationals had a path to glory despite a 19-31 record after 50 games. The Bears (3-4) have dropped to last place in the NFC North after starting 3-1 but can still hope for a magnificent finish. Now if only Nagy had Stephen Strasburg or Max Scherzer throwing the pill.
Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky – whom the braintrust traded up to pick No. 2 overall in 2017 rather than Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes – has regressed. Nagy, whose offensive background got him the job, has hardly coached him up. Nagy’s penchant for creative gimmick plays has waned, too, as he directs one of the NFL’s most ineffective offenses. And it’s open season on his game-management decisions, magnified with the moves (and non-moves) in crunch time that contributed to the heartbreaking loss against the Chargers last Sunday. Trying to extract inspiration from the Nats seems like another gimmick. If it doesn’t work, they can try "Remember the Titans." Or better yet, "Titanic."
Key matchup: Lamar Jackson vs. Patriots defense. The Ravens star has a chance to become the first quarterback in NFL history to produce four 100-yard rushing games in a season … and this campaign is just at the halfway point. That underscores an intriguing subplot for Sunday night, when Jackson and the Ravens put their unconventional offense to the test against a Bill Belichick defense that is performing to historic proportions.
New England, allowing just 7.6 points per game, has thrived with an NFL-high 25 takeaways and discipline that typically flows across the board for a unit playing with remarkable cohesion. Jackson thrives with designed runs and improvisation injected with blazing speed that can stress a defense. But Jackson hasn’t had a 100-or-better-rated passing game since Week 2. To beat New England, he’d better bring his multi-dimensional game, meaning one arm must be as dangerous as two feet.
Who’s hot: Deshaun Watson. You know you’re hot when the opposing coach compares you to Michael Jordan, hot when you get inadvertently kicked in the eye and can still finish the play with a touchdown pass. Houston’s electrifying quarterback is being outfitted with a helmet visor for the match against Jacksonville in London, but even better protection must come from the O-line as the Jaguars sacked Watson 10 times in their past two games.
Next man up: Dwayne Haskins. The supposed quarterback of the future for Dan Snyder’s dysfunctional franchise (who went to high school in the DMV with Snyder’s son) was in way over his head in two appearances off the bench (0 TDs, 4 INTs, 34.5 passer rating). But Case Keenum’s concussion has forced the first-round rookie into his first NFL start at Buffalo. Maybe the practice reps with the first unit and reality of cracking the lineup will offset the look of needing extended development time for the former Ohio State star. Or maybe not.
If the playoffs were today… The Colts would have a bye as the No. 2 seed in the AFC. That’s what a three-game winning streak can do, coinciding with Kansas City’s 1-for-October stretch that began with Indy’s upset at Arrowhead. Now comes a Bermuda Triangle test on Sunday at Pittsburgh, where the Colts are 1-10 since moving to Indianapolis in 1984. The more recent factor to emerge for the Colts (5-2) was the calf injury sustained by T.Y. Hilton during Wednesday’s practice that is projected to sideline the big-play receiver for three to four weeks. Hilton has missed just five games in his eight-year career, but the Colts are 0-5 without him.
Stomach for an upset: Vikings at Chiefs. Sure, Dalvin Cook leads the NFL in rushing and Kirk Cousins had a sizzling October to fuel Minnesota’s four-game winning streak. And Mahomes is doubtful for the Chiefs, still on the mend from dislocating a knee. But what are the chances that Kansas City, a 1 ½-point underdog, will lose a fourth consecutive game at Arrowhead? The Chiefs played Aaron Rodgers and the Packers tough, and fill-in QB Matt Moore has had another week to mesh.
Rookie watch: Devin Bush. The inside linebacker from Michigan has surely provided the juice in the middle of the defense that was desired when the Steelers traded up to land him with the 10th pick overall. Bush has been all over the place, leading Pittsburgh with 59 tackles (38 solo) and tied for the NFL lead with four fumble recoveries. He’s also had two picks and a sack. And chances are he’ll keep getting better.
Did you notice? A pair Jaguars – Leonard Fournette and D.J. Chark -- head into Sunday’s game across the pond vs. Houston leading the AFC in rushing (791) and receiving (660) yards, respectively. How rare is that? They have a chance to become the first set of teammates to lead a conference in rushing and receiving through nine weeks since 2013, when Philly’s LeSean McCoy (777) and DeSean Jackson (823) topped the NFC.
Stat’s the fact: Two of the top six rushers in NFL history will share the field in Buffalo, when Frank Gore (15,170 yards) will be 100 yards shy from surpassing Barry Sanders for the No. 3 slot all-time. Washington’s Adrian Peterson (13,701) is 401 yards from passing Curtis Martin at No. 5. Emmitt Smith’s crown is safe with 18,355 yards. And the cast members at the top of the charts won’t change anytime soon. Besides Gore and Peterson, just two other active runners – LeSean McCoy (22nd) and Mark Ingram (75th) – crack the top 75.