’Trust me’: Matt Nagy says early bye is just right for 3-1 Bears

Bears coach Matt Nagy is a proud disciple of Andy Reid. Just last week, he was giving credit to his mentor for helping him make a smooth transition from assistant coach to head coach in the NFL.

“I think coach Reid did a hell of a job of prepping me in so many different areas of running men and running an organization,” Nagy said. “How to deal with people and relationships and how you deal with adversity. Coach Reid has been through a lot of adversity, and he’s taught me not just in football, but in life.”

After the Bears’ 48-10 victory Sunday against the Buccaneers, the Reid impact on Nagy seems evident. Reid’s teams are known for parlaying momentum into winning streaks — five or more in each of his five full seasons with the Chiefs. Under Nagy, the Bears have won three in a row for the first time since 2013. Reid is known for maximizing quarterbacks. Under Nagy, Mitch Trubisky just had one of the most prolific games in Bears history — six touchdown passes without an interception against the Bucs.

The Reid-connection angle might be more prominent than ever during the bye week. Reid’s expertise at managing a team through the bye week — either maintaining momentum or recharging — is evidenced by his stellar 16-3 record in the game after the bye, including 7-0 when the bye comes in Week 5 or earlier.

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With the coaching change, the Bears had an intensified offseason and training camp, including an extra minicamp that all new coaching staffs get, plus an extra week of training camp to prepare for the Hall of Fame Game.

That schedule makes this a better time for an early bye, Nagy said. He told his team to “take care of yourself over the bye week — your mind and your body.” He gave them most of the week off.

“It’s good for us at Week 4 or Week 5 because of the long preseason,” Nagy said. “It feels like the middle of the season to us. So they’ll do that, and they promised me they’re going to come back very focused.”

This team generally has followed Nagy’s lead, and his ‘‘trust me’’ message is more likely to resonate with the team on a roll.

“It’s how we approach it,” said inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, who was 4-0 after the bye with the Broncos but is 0-2 with the Bears. “We’re young, but I feel we’re mature as a team. We’re going to come back hungry. We’ve been down for so long, and this defense is so hungry, and this offense is clicking — we’re just all pushing one another. We’re hyped on that sideline.

“That’s what you want for your team heading into the bye. The thing is, don’t get complacent. Don’t get fooled off of that and stay hungry. It’s a long season. We’ve got a big picture ahead of us. We’re not going to let down or let off the gas pedal.”