What Should Happen if Mitch Doesn't Develop

[Broc]

STEP DOWN OFF THE LEDGE!!!

 

[Chris Sojka]

You should see if you can run the ball... then see if that takes the pressure off of your QB and opens up the offense for him...

Then if he still cant win games you know its him.

Asking QBs on any team to throw 50 passes a game is unbalanced. Rarely does it end up as a winning endeaver.

Mahommes threw 33 times... Less was more
Watson threw 30 times... Less was more
Dak threw 32 times... Less was more
Lamar Jackson threw 20 times.... Less was more


Losing teams
Indianapolis 33
Atlanta 17 rushes
NY Giants 17
Jacksonville 16
Chicago 15
Cincinatti 14
Washington 13
Pittsburgh 13
Miami 12

Winning teams
Baltimore 46 Set franchise records
Minnesota 38
San Fran32
LA rams 32
Philadelphia 31
Dallas 30
New England 29
Oakland 28
Tenessee 28
Kansas City 26
Seattle 25
Chargers 21

A couple of games pop out where the teams had less runs and still won... HOF QB drew Brees against Houston. However Houston only ran 23 times. Saints 21. Phillip Rivers against Jacoby Brissett, Chargers vs Indy.

If we are understanding something about this league it is this. If you have a QB not named Brees Brady or Mahommes establish a run game.... Commit to a run game. Even HOF QBs benefit from a solid run game and can make big plays even bigger plays.

Rivers got away with one playing Brissett. and only won by 6. I don't expect he gets away with that every game.

 

[Aquineas]

Well on the bright side, if Trubisky doesn't pan out, then it makes the salary cap a lot easier to manage. Contracts that the Bears will need to address in the next couple of years:
RRH, Cohen, EJ, Roquan Smith as soon as possible-dude was all over the field, Danny T, Trubisky(?), Deon Bush or HHCD, I'm sure I'm missing somebody.

 

[legendxofxlink]

Well on the bright side, if Trubisky doesn't pan out, then it makes the salary cap a lot easier to manage. Contracts that the Bears will need to address in the next couple of years:
RRH, Cohen, EJ, Roquan Smith as soon as possible-dude was all over the field, Danny T, Trubisky(?), Deon Bush or HHCD, I'm sure I'm missing somebody.

Yep. I wouldn’t mind OL and QB with those two 2nd round picks in 2020 if draft falls that way. Even if Mitch picks it up and plays overall “average”. Why not allow Nagy to pick another? Just like he did with Montgomery.

 

[Chris Sojka]

Yep. I wouldn’t mind OL and QB with those two 2nd round picks in 2020 if draft falls that way. Even if Mitch picks it up and plays overall “average”. Why not allow Nagy to pick another? Just like he did with Montgomery.

The O line looked like shit.

They are all 300+ athletic guys.... yet never were allowed to use it. If you have people saying Whitehair is a stud and Daniels could be an All pro... Run the fuckin ball behind them... take the guy in front of you, use that great technique and athleticism and move his ass out of the way. Get an all pro pay day.

 

[Ej63090]

Sign Alex Smith.

Thread\

 

[Mdbearz]

I know we were having this similar discussion last year at this time, and it is even more relevant this year considering he should be able to take the team on his back when needed.

BUT, I went back and watched the game again looking at O-line, and man they were bad at pass protection, and I mean terrible.... and the opposite on run blocking they were fairly decent and Davis and Montgomery could have taken over that game, and I am completely confident we would have won.

I wish we had a line like Dallas or the Pats, but we don't, so they need to remain balanced and even tend to run the ball more because they seem to be better at it.

I really have a sneaky suspicion that if we had established the run and slowed down the pass rush, Trubisky might have not only looked better but possibly a lot better.

Call me a homer, but I'm not ready yet to throw in the towel and start talking about Trubisky's replacement

 

[Outlaw Josey Cutler]

With mounting evidence that Mitch is not progressing to the heights that we were hoping for it is probably time to think about what the Bears should do to get out of this mess.

I am not saying that they are going to dump Mitch or that they should flush him, I am saying a plan should be put in place if he is simply an average/inconsistent QB.

My Plan

1. Take Ryan Pace behind the wood shed and beat him, but you do not fire him.

The media, fans, George McCaskey should destroy Ryan Pace for his conviction on Trubisky, for the organizational "consensus", for the trade up, all of it. You cannot miss on the 2nd pick in the draft and simply shrug your shoulders and move on. Pace went all in on Trubisky and even traded up for him, his failure while not life threatening, should be a body blow to Pace.

On the flip side he is drafting too well right now for the team to move on from him.

2. Empower Matt Nagy.

I think that this is fair consequence for Pace. Nagy has already defacto become the face of the franchise, now he answers directly to Ted and George and Pace goes down a rung. There has to be some tangible consequences for a miss of this magnitude.

3. Pick up Mitch's 5th year option.

It would be idiotic not to. It is only guaranteed for long term injury and if the light bulb does go on in year 4, which is unlikely, you have him locked up for a reasonable rate. If in year 4 he loses his job or continues to play "meh" football you rescind the tag and move on. There is no point in releasing Mitch before his 5th year as his money in 2020 is guaranteed.

4. Look for veteran competition.

I am no longer super interested in paying Chase Daniel 5-6 million/season to be a mentor for a guy who does not improve and grow. So Daniel can take a walk. The issue with a veteran option is price. The Bears have some serious contracts to deal with in 2020 and I am not sure they can afford an Alex Smith type player even at an injury reduced rate.

5. Let Nagy pick someone in the draft.

Let Nagy pick a guy in this draft and draft them regardless of round. He likes a guy in the 2nd, take him. He likes a guy in the 3rd or 4th, take him. He likes a guy in the 5th take him. There has to be a rookie QB drafted to compete and now we have Nagy making the choice and not Pace who clearly sucks at QB evaluation. Nagy's hand picked guy legitimately competes with Trubisky and we see what happens.

6. Be prepared to draft a guy round 1 in 2021.

It sucks to be in this position, but if Trubisky does not work out you have to be ready to go all in again. We have a tight window with the increasing cap cost of the defense and the Bears need to continue to be bold at QB.

Wait. If Mitch doesn't develop, you empower Nagy? Doesn't that assume his lack of development was all Mitch and Nagy bears no blame for multiple games now for not doing Mitch any favors at all in his planning and playcalling? If Mitch doesn't develop, I presume we do not win the NFC and if THAT happens, I want to look hard at what Nagy did throughout the year before I make the call to empower him, all I am saying.

 

[WindyCity]

Wait. If Mitch doesn't develop, you empower Nagy? Doesn't that assume his lack of development was all Mitch and Nagy bears no blame for multiple games now for not doing Mitch any favors at all in his planning and playcalling? If Mitch doesn't develop, I presume we do not win the NFC and if THAT happens, I want to look hard at what Nagy did throughout the year before I make the call to empower him, all I am saying.

I would place the blame more on Pace. Mitch was always the more risky/less experienced option.

 

[WindyCity]

STEP DOWN OFF THE LEDGE!!!

No one is on the ledge.

As I said in the OP, this is a thought experiment about what would have to be done.

If you think the Bears have not had the same conversation you are crazy. Everyone runs through the worst case scenario and how they would react.

 

[Outlaw Josey Cutler]

I would place the blame more on Pace. Mitch was always the more risky/less experienced option.

Yeah but why does it follow that Nagy gets empowered? You are presuming Nagy learns and grows and develops into a legit coach. That is just as much of an open question at this point in time.

 

[WindyCity]

Sign Alex Smith.

Thread\

That is going to be too expensive more than likely.

Unless Alex Smith comes comically cheap they already will be paying Mitch 10 million and they have limited cap space.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Luke Falk...

Just stop.
Falk has an arm that is inferior to Chad Pennington's.

 

[WindyCity]

Yeah but why does it follow that Nagy gets empowered? You are presuming Nagy learns and grows and develops into a legit coach. That is just as much of an open question at this point in time.

Yes, there is some assumption that Nagy would improve. But he is the coach of the year and while game 1 got away from him his play calls were still getting guys open.

It is also more about Pace losing something for his massive failure. Christ, Nagy might have more juice in the organization right now with none of this being decided.

 

[KoreanBear]

I'm just thankful that this whole thing is fucking up in a hurry.
Maybe they can fix the QB before the defense is wasted.

 

[Outlaw Josey Cutler]

I would place the blame more on Pace. Mitch was always the more risky/less experienced option.

Following up my point: Pace has at least the benefit of building the defense and if Nagy continues to struggle, you could argue Pace gets a -1 for drafting Mitch but gets credit for the talent on D.

Nagy meanwhile may very well get a minus for the whole offense and that is his only job. Pace should get hammered for drafting Mitch yes, but if Nagy goes trestman (ok no ONE could go that bad) but goes Trestman-lite on us, then he doesn't get empowered but he is out with thanks for 2018 and Pace is also out with thanks for the D

 

[cubby chubby]

Keep repeating the serenity prayer over and over, and accept the fact that Trubisky is going to be more like Eli Manning than Aaron Rodgers, and have some good games and some shit games, and ultimately get a couple of rings. As many as Rodgers and Brees put together.

 

[WindyCity]

Following up my point: Pace has at least the benefit of building the defense and if Nagy continues to struggle, you could argue Pace gets a -1 for drafting Mitch but gets credit for the talent on D.

Nagy meanwhile may very well get a minus for the whole offense and that is his only job. Pace should get hammered for drafting Mitch yes, but if Nagy goes trestman (ok no ONE could go that bad) but goes Trestman-lite on us, then he doesn't get empowered but he is out with thanks for 2018 and Pace is also out with thanks for the D

Nagy would need to not have another week 1 like game.

Missing on Trubisky, with the trade up as well, is more than a -1 for Pace. It is his defensive talent he is wasting with his hand picked and traded up for QB.

 

[HeHateMe]

Didn’t Nagy and Reid prefer Trubisky to Mahomes and Watson? Wasn’t it Veach that wanted Mahomes?

@Toast88 posted that take and he’s in the KC media.

The woodshed thing is ridiculous. The guy has built the best defense in football. Nobody is perfect.

Could we at least let Vick Ashley give him a punch in the gut?

 

[JoJoBoxer]

At minimum we have to get someone to push Mitch other than Chase Daniel. He is clearly only a fill in type guy for a couple weeks and in no way a threat to start. If mitch keep sucking into mid season, you gotta get something else brewing

Chase Daniel is a huge joke of a roster spot. If you want him to mentor Trubs, make him a 2nd QB coach and move Bray up. If something happens to Trubisky, I am sure that no team will have signed Chase Daniel away. Bray has a million times more chance of actually showing something (good) than Chase ever could. Why did Daniel get the roster spot? Because he knows the system. Bray has probably the same amount of time in the same system (KC & Chicago) and actually has some potential.

Moreover, the Bears need to take a chance on some unknown QB (Mullin-type) who has a chance of actually becoming something. Any QB that you take a chance on already has a better chance of being a future starter than Chase Daniel on talent alone.

Chase Daniel is a waste of a roster spot. We already know what he was, is and will be. He sucked, is sucking more and will only digress as a QB.