Mack’s MVP Run, Nagy’s Coach of the Year Candidacy, Orlovsky Assists Trubisky, and Other Bullets

It’s December 28 and I still don’t have New Year’s Eve plans. And while that would have bugged me previously, I’m starting to lean toward staying in, going to bed at a decent hour, and getting a good night’s worth of sleep. Gut feeling says we’ll have much to discuss next week, so I might be best served to get that extra rest while I can.

  • Start your day with Coffee With Coach and stay for the surprise at the end:
  • I mean, come on…
  • The Khalil Mack for MVP campaign has long been put to rest … or has it? NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling ranks the 10 best MVP candidates and the Bears’ star pass-rusher checks in at No. 5. Mack has been a force since arriving to Chicago, and that he’s done it without the benefit of OTAs, training camp, or the preseason is a testament to his skills on the field and in the classroom where he was playing catch-up from the get-go. A defense that was already viewed as “good” coming into the 2018 season has been transformed into a top-5 group because of Mack’s defensive prowess.
  • Noted in Wesseling’s MVP piece is this nugget: the Bears are the first team since the 2006 Baltimore Ravens to have at least 45 sacks and 25 interceptions in a season. That Ravens team was pretty good. They went 13-3, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Colts. Hopefully, these Bears have a better finish than those Ravens. Or those 2006 Bears, for that matter.
  • Also, these two sentences regarding lead MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes are breathtaking: “He’s been the most impressive player all season long, expanding the possibilities of a given play due to his escapability, creativity and unmatched arm strength. It can no longer be claimed without challenge that Aaron Rodgers is the most talented quarterback in football.” WELP.
  • I wonder how much credit Mahomes will heap upon Matt Nagy during his acceptance speech? After all, Nagy was part of the brain-trust that drafted Mahomes and helped mold him as the backup quarterback in Kansas City last year. If Nagy’s scheme and play calling can help Mitch Trubisky take a major step in his development, you wonder what he could have done with Mahomes this year.
  • Instead, Nagy finds himself in the thick of the Coach of the Year running:
  • Perhaps Bears Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will be in Nagy’s shoes next season. ESPN polled a panel of their NFL experts (reporters, analysts, ex-players) and asked them to play fantasy GM and rank five head-coaching candidates who aren’t currently in that role in the NFL. Fangio received the third highest vote total, which is further proof his stock is on the rise as a head-coaching candidate. At this time last year, Fangio was about to explore free agency and was believed to be a popular candidate elsewhere. But instead of jumping ship, Fangio returned on a lucrative deal to remain in Chicago. It might take something more bold to keep him around moving forward.
  • Remember that pretty 43-yard pass play from Mitch Trubisky to Allen Robinson? Credit Dan Orlovsky with an assist:
  • Throughout the year, Orlovsky has provided some knowledgeable quarterback/coaching analysis that should not be ignored:
  • https://twitter.com/danorlovsky7/status/1051563380589424641

  • The endless cycle of doom:
  • Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke offers up some signature stats worth knowing entering Week 17 and his nugget regarding something Kyle Fuller has done this season is nothing short of remarkable. “On passes where the time to throw is 2.6 seconds or more,” Jahnke writes. “Kyle Fuller has nine forced incompletions, which are the most for all cornerbacks.” That might sound complicated to some, but let’s simplify it. Kyle Fuller is doing wok when quarterbacks have time to throw and that’s a good thing.
  • An interesting stat about a cornerback the Bears will be facing this week, as slot corner Mackensie Alexander has allowed 10 or fewer passing yards in five of the last six games where he has played at least half of his team’s defensive snaps. Sounds like Anthony Miller will have his work cut out for him on Sunday.
  • It’s nice to see good guys get their due:
  • The Good Guy Award goes to the Bears player who is most cooperative with the media. And while that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but any time a player opens up, it makes it easier to talk about the game we love. Maybe it’s the coaching change, new culture, or the winning record, but the Bears have been more open this year than they had in recent seasons. Good stuff all around.
  • Before he was a Super Bowl winning coach with the Ravens, Brian Billick made a name for himself as the Vikigns offensive coordinator. So what does he think his former team needs to do to knock off the Bears? Do something few teams have done this season:
  • Then again, is Billick sure that’s the best course of action?
  • Good luck with that.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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