Chiefs vs. Bears: Matt Nagy generates plenty of buzz in Chicago

The Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears will play one another on Saturday. Here’s a Q&A on what to expect.

As the Chicago Bears prepare to host the Kansas City Chiefs for an early afternoon visit on Saturday, both teams are hoping to not necessarily come away with a win but rather a better sense of the roster’s strengths and weaknesses and with their healthy intact.

It’s the preseason and we’re heading into Week 3 where teams are really beginning to put together their starting line-ups. We recently asked Mike Burzawa of our sister site Bears Goggles On to tell us more about this weekend’s match-up and some things to watch for this year for Chicago.

What is the buzz about Matt Nagy at this point as Bears head coach? Are people excited by the hire? Cautiously optimistic?

Matt Nagy has been getting a lot of positive buzz, but the bar from the past regime is quite low while succeeding John Fox. Bears fans aren’t used to an offensive-minded head coach, so Nagy is a novelty.

So far, Nagy has shown to be a great interview and been very open and honest in his pressers. In the Bears first few preseason games, Nagy appears to be a good, practical game day head coach. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him as far as clock management and the use of challenges. The offense, which carries Nagy’s stamp, has been a work in progress. At least from the little glimpses the Bears have revealed in the preseason, it looks like they’ll be aggressive and take some shots down the field.

How are fans feeling about the potential of Trubisky heading into Year 2?

So far, fans have been all-in with Trubisky. That honeymoon period will last until the first bone-headed interception he throws. He looks a lot different in camp this year, especially when you compare to last season when he was saddled behind Mike Glennon. This camp, Trubisky has definitely taken more of a leadership role and the team seems to have responded. He is earning the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. He is surrounded by a slew of new weapons including free agents Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton, rookie wide receiver Anthony Miller and the returning from injury again Kevin White. Trubisky didn’t have the benefit of working with any of these guys last season, so the chemistry is still developing. Expectations are sky-high for this Bears offense.

How excited is the fan base to see Roquan Smith for the first time? And is he still on track to play?

Fans are chomping at the bit to see Roquan Smith in action after a 29-day hold out. Unfortunately, it looks like they may have to wait a little longer. Smith got pulled from practice the other day due to “hamstring tightness” and the Bears have been super cautious with him since. He was back on the field on Wednesday night, but did not participate in team drills.

In the limited action Smith saw in practice, he looked to have good command of the defense, but it would certainly be nice to see him pop some pads in a preseason game before Week 1. If I had to bet, I would say Smith sits out on Saturday.

If the Bears are going to make the playoffs in 2018, it will likely happen because…?

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…Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford have all been struck by meteors. Kidding aside, Bears fans have been trying to temper expectations because for all the Bears have done to improve the team after another losing season, they play in a damn good division.

If they do become a worst-to-first Cinderella team, it will rely heavily on the defense going from a top 10 unit to a top 5 defense and for Mitchell Trubisky and the offense to take a major step forward. Of course, fans will point to teams like the Eagles and Rams and their meteoric rises, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

If the Bears remain out of the postseason it’s most likely because…?

I can see a situation where the Bears are vastly improved, dare I even suggest their first winning season since 2012, and still miss the playoffs. Like I said, they play in tough division and a loaded NFC, so it will take a significant improvement to get into the playoff picture. I don’t think any Bears fan would be surprised if they miss the playoffs, but a better barometer for success is to see how Trubisky and the Bears offense come together.

I’d like to see their scoring go up and see Trubisky’s TD/INT ration to improve. I would like to see Jordan Howard top 1000 rushing yards. Those are good measures to see improvement. On the defensive side, I question if they have enough pass rushers to make a difference. I also see a unit that hasn’t consistently taken the ball away. If those areas don’t improve, they’ll need tickets to attend a playoff game for an eighth consecutive season.

Want to make any predictions on the final score?

Does the score really matter in a preseason game? I think we’d all like to see everyone get out healthy and watch the backups decide the game down the stretch. I would like to see the Bears starters, who are likely to play into the third quarter, to put at least 17 points on the board and have the starting defense try to limit the Chiefs to fewer than 17. Whatever happens after that is gravy. Bears 26, Chiefs 22 just for fun.

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