Chicago Bears might be better preseason bet in 2020 with Matt Nagy to play starters

Some coaches seem to care about wins or losses in the NFL preseason. Others don't. Previously, one could put the Chicago Bears' Matt Nagy in the latter category. In Nagy's two seasons as head coach of the Bears, his team is 3-6 straight up (played in 2018 Hall of Fame Game – why nine games instead of eight) and 4-5 against the spread.

Nagy has barely played his starters in those two preseasons, but he says that will change this summer. A big part of that reason is likely the quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and trade acquisition Nick Foles.

"One of the things that I look back at from last year that I'm not happy about that I made a decision to do in the preseason," Nagy said on a Chicago radio show. "No. 1, I think it's good for them to have it, but No. 2 it sets the mentality. So that's not going to happen this year."

It sure seemed like Trubisky could have used the extra work last preseason, but he didn't take a single snap. The Chicago offense never got in sync whatsoever and was especially bad to open the regular season, averaging 16.5 points over the first four and just 17.5 for the season. Only the Cincinnati Bengals (17.4), New York Jets (17.3) and Washington Redskins (16.6) were worse offensively.

"[Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles] are going to play in preseason," Nagy said. It'll be equal reps and it'll be a good competition for them. And, again, that kind of goes in tune with what we're doing really with our whole team."

Foles it a -300 favorite to open the regular season as the starter with Trubisky at +200 via SportsLine oddsmakers. Chicago opens the preseason at home vs. Cleveland on Aug. 15 and the regular season as a short underdog in Detroit on Sept. 13. 

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