If Bears Look Ordinary, It Might Be Intentional

Bears coach Matt Nagy had to laugh and decline comment when it was suggested he could be intentionally holding back on what his offense is capable of during preseason games.

He's been in Chicago since 2018 and in that time he hasn't been targeted with a pass in the preseason. 

"Since I've been here I think I've played maybe one preseason game, and that was back in '18," Robinson said. "I'm not even 100 percent sure on that. I think that I know what it takes to get myself ready for the season."

So Robinson isn't worried about how the Bears offense has performed, or failed to, in two preseason games. He's just going to work at what he needs to get accomplished in training camp and then be ready instead of worrying about playing time against the Tennessee Titans in Saturday's final preseason game. 

"If that's what they want or that's to their discretion," he said. "Again, try to do as much as I can knowing each and every day how important Week 1 is, and knowing what I need to get ready for for Week 1."

The Bears have produced two first-team turnovers on offense and one touchdown in two preseason games. This week Justin Fields starts instead of Andy Dalton, and it's possible Fields won't even have Robinson or Darnell Mooney available when he throws against the Titans.

Robinson maintains the offense can be ready even if the preseason doesnt show it.

"I think we're still getting there," Robinson said. "I don't think we're far off. I think that we go out there each and every day and see how we're improving and see how we're getting better. 

"I think we're still ascending. Honestly, I like where we're at."

This would require Robinson to be on the same page with Dalton since Robinson had caught 200 passes the last two seasons.

"I think that's something we've been very adamant on early on, since mandatory minicamp, to be able to get those reps in," Robinson said. "As far as, like I said before, concepts that we like, being able to hit those, being able to talk through the nuance of the offense and those things, we've been able to hit those things."

Preseason team statistics usually mean little, mainly because coaches are not game-planning or scheming a defense to a particular opponent. They're looking at their individual players and sharpening skills.

They're also trying to cope with various lineups on the field because minor camp injuries are treated cautiously by everyone, including the Bears. Soft tissue injuries have been the plague of this year's training camp at Halas Hall.

"Without getting into that but I think that’s probably every team right now in the NFL," Nagy said.

It's also possible the Bears are holding some things back on offense, and Nagy snickered about this. That alone should be interpreted to mean of course the Bears have shown nothing to any opponents.

However, while they show nothing and while they have players out with injuries, it's possible they're held back in terms of timing with the passing attack.

"Probably a little bit," Nagy said. "At least I think so. You never know. The rhythm for us is offensively being able to get more first downs and eliminate penalties, you know, and that's where I think–even with the second group out there, there's still penalties, there's still mistakes and they're all learning. 

"All of that said, I think that's where as coaches we gotta make sure that we stay even keeled with the too highs of doing well in preseason or the too lows of not doing well."

Now Fields will play instead of Andy Dalton and the rhythm on offense could be off because Fields hasn't been playing with that group. Then again, Nagy says Fields won't get many first-team receivers to play with, if any.

"The rhythm for us, is offensively being able to get more first downs and eliminate penalties," Nagy said. "So that's where I think—even with the second group out there there's still penalties. There's still mistakes. And they're all learning. 

"So all of that said, I think that's where as coaches we gotta make sure that we stay even-keeled with the two highs of doing well in preseason and the two lows of not doing well."

As Robinson said, preseason itself means little so no sense getting worked up over it. Besides, Nagy could have a fully armed and operational offense under cover in the bowels of Halas Hall somewhere and no one has seen it.

It's the time of year when coaches hold back their offenses. 

"So there's maybe some, you know, without getting into that but I think that's probably every team right now in the NFL," Nagy said. 

Special teams it's more which players are available. Otherwise, it's being done by teams looking very plain.

"And then offense and defense, you see it throughout the league that right now there is a lot of very vanilla schemes going on across the league," he said.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven