Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace dislikes this decision by Matt Nagy

Matt Nagy knows how difficult it is to defeat the Green Bay Packers. Heading into the Sunday night matchup at Lambeau Field, he had one victory against Green Bay since taking over as Chicago’s head coach in 2018.

After the night was over, Nagy added another loss to his now 1-7 record, when the Packers defeated the Bears, 45-30.

After scoring 27 points through the first two quarters and having a six-point lead at halftime, Nagy’s offense reverted back to normal in the second half. The first three offensive drives ended as followed: fumble, punt, punt — a familiar sequence for Bears fans.

On the fourth drive, with the Bears now down by 11 with just over 13 minutes remaining the game, the Bears’ offense faced a fourth-and-inches from their own 36. Nagy decided to punt.

Not only did Bears fans disagree with the decision, so did general manager Ryan Pace.

Pace sat in the elevated second row of the press box, directly behind my seat. His reflection could be seen clearly on the glass that was directly in front. When he saw the punt unit coming on the field, he looked to his right at Josh Lucas — the Bears’ director of player personnel. Pace scowled and shook his head.

For good reason, too. The Packers had scored 17 unanswered points. After the punt, Green Bay went on a 13-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that took 8:38 off the clock. The Packers led 45-27, with just over four minutes left in the quarter.

Pace’s reaction highlighted what he believed was best for the Bears to stay in the game with the Packers. Nagy, in that moment, believed otherwise. A disconnect between two individuals who usually claim they’re in sync.