Chuck Pagano should not return to the Chicago Bears next season
The once-mighty 2018 Chicago Bears’ defense led by Vic Fangio has taken a major step back in both 2019 and 2020. If anything, the talent on these two defenses has gotten better since 2018, but somehow the team itself has gotten worse. This is due to Chuck Pagano’s clearly irritating and head-scratching scheme.
The Bears’ current roster consists of quite a few All-Pro caliber players. Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, Kyle Fuller, and Eddie Jackson are those players. They additionally have Pro Bowl-caliber players in Robert Quinn, Jaylon Johnson, Akiem Hicks, and Eddie Goldman (2019 only).
This talent showed out in 2018. The Bears’ defense looked elite as they only allowed more than 30 points three times all season. Khalil Mack had an All-Pro season with 12.5 sacks and so did Eddie Jackson and Kyle Fuller with their interceptions (6 and 7 respectively). Hicks additionally made the Pro Bowl. The Bears were first in the NFL in turnovers (36) and tied for third in the NFL in sacks (50).
The defense was shutdown with Fangio’s outstanding coaching and scheme. His abilities were so good, the Patriots used his scheme to beat the offensive powerhouse Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. The work he did earned him a head coaching gig with the Denver Broncos. The Bears then replaced him with Pagano and he has not reached even 20 turnovers in a season since taking over. He additionally allows a lot more yards and points than Fangio ever did.
Pagano is wasting the defenses’ talents as they mask his inabilities as a defensive coordinator with his soft zone and how afraid he is to blitz. They need to replace him as soon as the season ends. Here are three options to replace him.