Bill Lazor to Call Bears' Offensive Plays on MNF vs. Vikings over Matt Nagy

The Chicago Bears announced another major change on offense, and it has little to do with the team's quarterback. 

Head coach Matt Nagy told reporters Friday that he's handing play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor for the Bears' Week 10 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football.

Nagy was originally hired based on his reputation as an offensive guru after he served as Andy Reid's offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2016 to 2017. The Bears are heading into the weekend at 5-4 and at second place in the NFC North. 

The head coach explained his decision:

"It's just kind of where we're at. You get a feel and you understand, 'OK, this is where our offense is at right now,' and we've been struggling and for different reasons. I don't think it's one particular reason, but if there's something that can help spark us, or sometimes it's just a changeup. It's like bringing in, for instance, a different-style pitcher. You have one pitcher that throws one way, now you have another pitcher that throws another way. Sometimes change can be good in that regard, so again, none of it was for a particular reason other than we've just been struggling, and I feel like it's the best thing for this team."

Nagy wouldn't say if the move was permanent and noted how much he loves calling plays for the offense. But the unit's struggles have been too great to ignore.

Chicago is averaging both the fourth-fewest yards per game (317.8) and points per game (19.8), while its rushing attack ranks last with 82.3 yards per game. 

Some of that comes down to personnel. The Bears have seven offensive linemen with injury designations, including right tackle Bobby Massie (knee) and center James Daniels (torn pectoral muscle), who are on injured reserve. Running back David Montgomery has been a non-factor, and Chicago's use of Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield hasn't created any of the expected mismatches. 

Even switching from Mitchell Trubisky to Nick Foles under center hasn't helped much. Moving on to a new play-caller was the next logical adjustment. 

"How does it feel? Not very satisfying when you put so much work into it and it doesn't produce like you'd like it to," Lazor told reporters. "But that's why, over the long period, over the long haul in this league, you learn to take the emotion out of it. ... You gotta be analytic and scientific about it."

The coordinator said he'd take a "solution-oriented" approach and break up his big task into smaller focus items. Just how much of a difference that will make will begin to show itself Monday night.