With the Chicago Bears suffering a Week 6 loss to the Packers, the faith in Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor has been depleted after a pitiful offensive performance. The Bears’ offense has shown flashes all year but has yet to truly break out. After a dominant performance against the Lions, they have yet to put it together for a full 60 minutes.
The Bears rank about dead last or close to dead last in every offensive stat, found in a tweet by Kevin Fishbain.
Bears ranks on offense…
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) October 19, 2021
246.2 yards per game (32nd)
4.27 yards per play (32nd)
129.0 rush yards per game (7th)
4.42 YPC (12th)
117.2 pass yards per game (32nd)
4.72 YPP (32nd)
14.77% sacks allowed per pass (32nd)
33.3% 3rd down (28th)
66.7% red zone (t-10th)
16.3 PPG (30th)
They also rank in the bottom five of EPA, a stat that was created by Ben Baldwin. EPA measures total offense concerning a single play. Clearly, a change at head coach needs to be made.
The Arizona Cardinals might be for real pic.twitter.com/ftZRajkBDQ
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 18, 2021
Chicago Bears Replacement Coach No. 1: Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll has made quite the name for himself over the past year and has risen as a clear favorite for the Bears’ new coaching spot, in my opinion. His five Super Bowl rings are a legacy strong enough for any coach to cement himself as a coaching powerhouse; however, his proven winning formula is not nearly his biggest accomplishment.
Daboll’s biggest accomplishment can be seen through Josh Allen. Allen had looked like yet another failed QB project in the NFL before his third year. Allen only had one game of 300+ passing yards after high school, but in his third year, he threw for 300+ yards nine times — including one during the playoffs where he would lead the Bills to the AFC Championship game.
Daboll’s scheme in 2020 was one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the league. The scheme lives off of downfield shots and yards after the catch (YAC) opportunities. He has many air raid-like components to the offense. This could be attributed to why Buffalo has been so explosive over the past two years.
However, aside from having one of the best passing offenses in the league, Daboll and company have cemented themselves as one of the better rushing teams — as that was once their Achilles heel. Daboll is probably the best fit for Justin Fields’ skillset, to unlock that Russell Wilson comparison that many had placed on Fields before the draft.
I would expect Daboll to be the favorite for the potential head coaching vacancy in 2022, as Daboll is much more established and has much more credibility than the other potential coaches.