Even while his team was at home and he was planning for the 2020 season, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace got an assist on Championship Sunday. The Executive of the Year in 2018 came under heavy scrutiny after 2019 saw injuries and ineffectiveness plague what he had built. That assist came from the team that facilitated his move up to select his quarterback.
49ers Win Aids Pace’s Case
The Position
Pace and head coach Matt Nagy’s end of season press conference has been parsed to no end. The immediate ramifications of 2019 were the firings of several coaches, including offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. Bill Lazor and Juan Castillo were hired to fill those respective roles and John DeFilippo was hired as quarterbacks coach.
All of those moves stood as further proof of Pace’s stated commitment to Mitchell Trubisky as the team’s quarterback in 2020. It was a decision and announcement that was met with mixed reactions. On one hand, teams rarely give up on any player taken second-overall; let alone a quarterback they gave up multiple assets for.
But the coaching moves show there is an increased investment in the position. Whereas last year’s staff was built by and large to support Nagy’s offensive scheme as a whole, 2020’s iteration appears focused on developing the quarterback. And given how the coaching changes unfolded maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to take Pace’s word about Trubisky.
Minding 49ers
If Pace is to be believed, however, the San Francisco 49ers victory over the Green Bay Packers almost single-handedly undid the damage done by the Tennesse Titans in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The latter matchup seemed to show that having a top-flight quarterback (in this case Patrick Mahomes, an MVP) was far superior to being built around a strong ground attack and solid defense.
But in the 49ers triumph, they showed the Bears formula can still win and, more pointedly, get to the Super Bowl. Nagy was hired in the afterglow of Sean McVay’s hiring by the Los Angeles Rams. But Trubisky’s limitations keep the Bears offense from reaching the heights the Rams did. Even L.A. themselves found that level hard to sustain.
Simply put, Mahomes’ exhibition on Sunday reopened many old wounds. But the 49ers took on the prototype to Mahomes in Aaron Rodgers and came out victorious. Granted there are a plethora of things that contributed to the outcomes of each game. But the fact remains that San Francisco earned a berth to Super Bowl LIV with (the best) defense and a strong running game.
Lesson Application
Now, no one is suggesting that attempting eight passes (completing six) is beyond Trubisky’s ability. We know that to not be the case. And it also doesn’t mean this is a formula that should be emulated, which might depend on who you predict will win in two weeks. But it does keep alive the mantra that there is indeed more than one way to skin a proverbial cat.
Chicago should certainly be looking to run the ball with the success the 49ers do. They should absolutely continue to invest in both lines; games are won in the trenches. But they would be remiss if they didn’t acknowledge the difference in weaponry surrounding their passer and San Francisco’s.
Starting with tight end George Kittle and rookie wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the three-headed monster at running back, the talent around Garoppolo is greater than what Trubisky has at his disposal. We can talk about how little the 49ers leaned on the pass. But we cannot deny they were more effective with their opportunities than any Bears not named Allen Robinson.
Pace and Patience
The 49ers are proof positive that you can win behind a defense and running game. You can even win with a limited quarterback like Garoppolo who has some Kirk Cousins in him. But everything around them has to be so perfectly crafted. So much so that it relying on them is truly a last resort.
We’ll see if Super Sunday reinforces this idea or not. But for the next two weeks, Pace can operate with some modicum of vindication. He can continue to build around his embattled quarterback and point to what John Lynch built in San Francisco. That is unless the Chiefs win the Super Bowl, or worse, the 49ers win (or lose) because of Garoppolo.
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