The Detroit Lions pulled off a big upset on opening night of the 2023 NFL season, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. While they played a good game, most agree they encountered incredible good luck to make it happen. Superstar players Travis Kelce and Chris Jones were both out. Kelce was dealing with a bone bruise while Jones remained in a contract squabble. They also benefitted from an all-time ugly performance by Chiefs receiver Kadarius Toney, who had four dropped passes. It appears they had one other ally that night: Matt Nagy.
Kansas City made a significant coaching change this off-season, allowing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to depart for Washington. Nagy earned a promotion from quarterbacks coach as a result, resuming the job he held back in 2017. Yet there was no way head coach Andy Reid would hand off play-calling duties to him, right? Apparently not. Nagy was spotted with the call sheet during the game. It became evident throughout the action that he was absolutely the one calling plays. How?
- Poor pre-snap execution.
- Limited success on the ground (23 attempts for 90 yards)
- Bad third down efficiency (5-of-14)
However, the undeniable moment came in the 4th quarter. Kansas City needed a field goal to win. They faced 3rd and 1 on their own 34. In such a situation, the options were obvious. Either sneak it with Patrick Mahomes or have him throw it. Does Nagy do either? Nope. He lived up to his reputation from Chicago by getting too cute with a direct snap to a tight end, who then tried a jet sweep to wide receiver Rashee Rice, a rookie. The Lions blew it up for a three-yard loss.
Matt Nagy hasn't changed.
He's still lacking in common sense as a play caller as he's ever been. Taking the ball out of his best player's hands with the game on the line is monumental stupidity, and it's also something he did regularly in Chicago. The best part is that wasn't the last opportunity. Kansas City got the ball back with 2:30 left in the game. More than enough time to steal the win. Here's what followed:
- Incomplete deep pass
- Holding penalty
- Incomplete short pass
- Incomplete deep pass
- False start penalty
- Incomplete deep pass
That is a Matt Nagy classic right there—poor execution with the game on the line. The reaction of Bears fans watching the game was priceless. They knew immediately he was the one calling plays.
A leopard never changes his spots. Nagy always likes to make it seem like he's the smartest guy in the room. This is why he tries to break out such fancy play calls, often at the worst possible times. His inability to keep his players disciplined in a big game is another staple. The big question moving forward is how long it will be before Reid takes the call sheet back.
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