There have been numerous reports that the Chicago Bears will part ways with head coach Matt Nagy at the end of the season. The Bears have never fired a coach in season, so the belief is Nagy will finish the final six games of what’s sure to be a losing campaign.
The 4-7 team could also move on from embattled GM Ryan Pace. So this could be a two-headed search entering the offseason.
There have been some names mentioned that appear to be solid fits for the Chicago Bears and their franchise quarterback Justin Fields. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was said to be the front-runner a few weeks ago.
NFL Insider Benjamin Albright said on “Sports Talk Chicago,” that he’d heard that Daboll was the “leader in the clubhouse.”
Yeees saaah @BuffaloBills @Mtrubisky10 @justnfields #Daboll #dabears #bears 🤗🧡💙🎯💯🐻👇🏆📌🎉💪🎥🎬🎊🥳🤑🧐 #2 offense last 2 years plus he come up under Saban nem @BoJack4 @AlabamaFTBL https://t.co/plbgGVWjO6
— 🖖Big Todd🐻⬇️ 🏆👑🎤🖖 (@bluegrasskings) November 25, 2021
Enthusiasm surrounding Daboll may have subsided a bit with the recent struggles of quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense. Daboll’s offensive scheme doesn’t currently look innovative enough to direct and develop the Bears’ franchise quarterback.
It’s been simplified to highlight the strengths of Allen, but Fields needs a more flambouyant scheme. A wide receiver on the level of Stefon Diggs would help too.
The Bears would be wise to look at Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich or Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Both are innovative and very capable of getting the most out of the talented but raw Fields. This next season is a pivotal one for Fields. He has to show considerable improvement for the Bears to be persuaded he can lead the franchise.
Why Byron Leftwich?
Leftwich played NFL quarterback for a decade with the Jaguars, Steelers, Falcons and Buccaneers. Being a successful QB in the league carries some real weight. His understanding of the position gives him a unique advantage over other offensive coordinators. Leftwich threw for 10,532 yards, 58 TDs and 42 picks in 60 career games. As far as experience goes, he’s been in almost every imagineable situation as an NFL QB.
Leftwich has shown to have an advanced grasp of the offensive coordinator position and he’s well-experienced as a cultivator of QBs and designer of explosive offenses. The former Marshall QB was first with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, and in 2019 he came to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and guided Jameis Winston to a 5,000+ passing yards season.
In 2020, he was matched with Tom Brady. The combination of Brady’s experience and savvy clicked with Leftwich’s versatility and offensive genius to create a Super Bowl-winning offense in 2020.
No one will ever question the addition of Brady as the missing piece to the Bucs’ comeup. But it was Leftwich who crafted the offense to the aging but accurate Brady’s strengths, moving away from downfield aggression and dissecting defenses more methodically. Prior to Brady’s arrival, Leftwich had an offense that was borderline top-10 to top-15 in most categories. They even ranked in the top five in points and yards. So his scheme works, without a doubt.
"There was no panic."
🗣️: OC Byron Leftwich pic.twitter.com/b2EKdvAA0I
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 14, 2021
Bieniemy’s Scheme Would Be A Multifaceted Approach
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has developed under the tutelege of Andy Reid and is now a proven Super Bowl-winning coordinator, a deft play-caller and a true quarterback whisperer, as evinced by the success of Patrick Mahomes.
Bieniemy would provide the predictable Bears with a multifaceted offense with a focus on the running game. He’ll also better utitilize Fields’ dual-threat ability in and around the pocket. No, it won’t be Patrick Mahomes, but Fields is capable of executing some of the things we’ve seen from “Mr. Ketchup On Errthang.”
With Bieniemy being a former running back by trade, he won’t deviate away from the ground and pound when it’s slow to get going like the Bears currently do. A young QB’s best friend has always been a strong running game, which opens up play-action and keeps the decision-making to a minimum.
The Bears couldn’t go wrong either way, but it’s safe to say Daboll may not be a good fit for Fields. Do they make the safe choice or the right choice?
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