The Chicago Bears coaching staff has failed to do their jobs in 2019. This was a team with enough talent to win 12 games last year and came a missed field goal away from knocking off the defending champions in the playoffs. So for them to fail to make the playoffs and possibly end with a losing record in 2019 can't be seen as anything but a huge disappointment. Especially when the offense has one of its worst outings in franchise history, ranking 30th in points scored with one game left to play.
When something like this happens, change is almost inevitable. There is no way the Bears can convince themselves they should go into 2020 with the exact same setup and expect better results. Head coach Matt Nagy will be fighting for his job. He must do everything in his power to make sure the team gets back to winning. A critical step is admitting that his staff might need a shakeup, and there is a growing buzz that things are headed in that direction.
Nagy stated he plans to explore "all the silos" be they players or coaches looking for where they have to get better. Based on rumors, talks begin with offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. The man himself admitted that he understands the business of football and that a change is possible. Nagy's lack of defense of him didn't help.
That is why when Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, who's proven to have connections close to the coaching staff, revealed that plans for a change actually began over a month ago.
Chicago Bears coaching staff shakeup feels inevitable
If this is true, it's likely Nagy reached a conclusion on Helfrich following the disastrous performance of the Bears offense in Philadelphia against the Eagles. It was a playoff rematch. A must-win game for Chicago with a chance to fortify their wild card hopes. Then the offense came out and produced a grand total of nine yards in 30 minutes of football. The appalling lack of preparation and urgency from the group undoubtedly frustrated Nagy and that reflects on Helfrich. Such things were his primary job as offensive coordinator.
Subsequent games against the likes of the Rams and Chiefs probably steeled the team's resolve since then. Some might view Helfrich as nothing more than a scapegoat for Nagy's failures, but the fact is he had a job to do and hasn't done it. Even today his hiring felt out of place. While Nagy went with guys who had NFL experience throughout the rest of his staff, the addition of a college lifer like Helfrich seemed risky. Time has proven that true.
Nothing is set in stone but the odds of him surviving into 2020 feel more remote than ever. If he is out, it'll be interesting to see if anybody else follows.
