First-and-10: Red-zone issues dogging Bears’ Matt Nagy

Part of Matt Nagy’s self-scouting mission during the bye week was to find out what defensive coordinators were doing to his offense and formulate a response. Or more simply, refute the notion that the league had caught up to him. Asked if felt he had found solutions, he made no promises.

“The only thing I can say to that question is we’ll have to see,” he said prior to facing the Saints on Oct. 20.

Nagy’s offense showed the first real signs of progress on that front against the Chargers, but red-zone issues showed just how far he has to go. The Bears gained a season-high 388 yards against the Chargers’ 11th-ranked defense, but Nagy was fooling no one inside the 20 and especially inside the 10.

The Bears ran 12 plays inside the 10 and gained seven yards. They gained zero yards nine times. Mitch Trubisky was 2-of-7 for one yard inside the 10 — every throw into the end zone was to a well-covered receiver.

The red-zone issues are yet another illustration of the Bears’ regression. A year ago, Nagy was in an entertaining groove inside the 10 — Tarik Cohen’s one-yard pass to Anthony Miller in a critical moment against the Giants; Trubisky’s two-yard touchdown pass to Bradley Sowell against the Rams; and Akiem Hicks’ one-yard run against the Giants among effective plays.

But on Sunday, there were few plays inside the 10 that the Chargers weren’t ready for.

“There were a few [regrettable calls],” Nagy said. “The one I’m kicking myself that I don’t think was a good play call was the second-and-goal at the 1 right before the clock-it [David Montgomery stopped for no gain]. I’m good with the run. I don’t like the run I called.

“After every game, I go back and say to myself, ‘If I’m in this game and I’m a player, where are the plays in the game that schematically it wasn’t really there and it didn’t fit.”

A draw play to Cohen that gained two yards on third-and-goal from the 9 earlier in the second quarter that drew boos from the home crowd typified Nagy’s season — and Cohen’s, for that matter. It was well thought out and looked good on paper.

“That’s a scheme play for tendencies they showed with what they do on third-and-goal from the 9,” Nagy said. “We had that schemed and we liked what we saw. It just didn’t work out for us.”

2. Stat of the Week: The Bears gained 388 yards against the Chargers and produced 16 points. The 49ers (7-0) gained 388 yards against the Panthers and scored 51.

The red zone was the difference. The Bears ran 17 plays in the red zone and gained 18 yards and scored one touchdown. The 49ers ran 15 plays in the red zone and gained 89 yards and scored five touchdowns.

3. Even after the 388-yard game that included Montgomery’s 55-yard run, the numbers tell the tale of the Bears’ offensive regression. Through seven games, they have nine plays of 30-plus yards (tied for 24th in the NFL); two plays of 40-plus yards (tied for 29th); and one play of 50-plus yards (tied for 23rd).

Through seven games last year, they had 15 plays of 30-plus yards (tied for fourth); six plays of 40-plus yards (tied for 11th); and four plays of 50-plus yards (tied for sixth).

4. Taking a knee to set up a non chip-shot field isn’t as odd as I originally thought. It’s happened at least five times in the NFL over the previous five seasons before Eddy Piñeiro’s missed 41-yarder put Nagy on the spot.

It happened in Week 8 last year, when the Bengals’ Andy Dalton took a knee at his 25-yard line with seven seconds left, before Randy Bullock kicked a 44-yarder to beat the host Buccaneers 37-34.

In all five previous instances the game was tied and in kicker-favorable venues — at Arizona, Miami, Detroit, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay. Twice, the field goal was missed — the Cardinals’ Phil Dawson from 42 yards in an overtime victory against the the Colts in 2017; and the Browns’ Cody Parkey (!) from 46 yards in an overtime loss to the Dolphins in 2016.

5. Believe It or Not: Over the past 20 seasons, the most makable field goal at Soldier Field outside of PAT range is from 41 yards. Since 2000, place-kickers had made 19-of-22 field goal attempts (86.4 percent) from 41 yards at Soldier Field. They’re 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) from 38 yards in the same span. Go figure.

6. Random Thought Dept.: The 2016 Patriots quarterback room is 17-2 this season — Tom Brady (8-0), the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo (7-0) and the Colts’ Jacoby Brissett (5-2).

7. Sign of progress: The Bears had three wide receivers with 50 yards or more Sunday for the first time under Nagy — Anthony Miller (3-67), Allen Robinson (5-62) and Taylor Gabriel (4-53).

The last time that happened was in Week 2 of the 2017 season, a 29-7 loss to the Buccaneers — Kendall Wright (7-69), Deonte Thompson (4-57) and Josh Bellamy (4-51).

8. Death by inches: The Bears have lost only one game by more than a touchdown in two seasons under Matt Nagy, but the near misses are starting to add up. Their six losses by three points or less are tied with the Broncos for the most in the NFL in that span.

The Bears are 10-19 in games decided by three points or less since Lovie Smith was fired in 2012 — including Nagy’s 2-6 record. They were 16-9 in games decided by three points or less in nine seasons under Lovie (2004-12).

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week Award: Eagles running back Jordan Howard had 23 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Bills’ 10th-ranked run defense, plus a 15-yard pass reception in a 31-13 victory at New Era Stadium.

Howard has 100 carries for 443 yards (4.4 avg.) and five touchdowns this season. He also has nine receptions for 68 yards (7.6 avg.). Bears running back David Montgomery has 98 carries for 366 yards (3.7 avg.) and three touchdowns. He has 15 receptions for 97 yards (6.5 avg.)

9b. Special mention: Lions receiver Marvin Hall, who was waived by the Bears in the cutdown to 53, caught a 49-yard touchdown pass in a 31-26 victory over the Giants.

Hall, who was signed to the Lions practice squad after being cut by the Bears, has five receptions this season but has made them count — 58, 49, 47, 34 and 13 yards. His 201 receiving yards in 77 snaps are only 10 fewer than Anthony Miller (16-211) has in 255 snaps. Hall’s 40.2 average per catch leads the NFL among receivers with five or more receptions.

10. Bear-ometer: 5-11 — at Eagles (L); vs. Lions (W); at Rams (L); vs. Giants (W); at Lions (L); vs. Cowboys (L); at Packers (L); vs. Chiefs (L); at Vikings (L).