Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune discusses the decision of Bears head coach Marc Trestman to kick a long field goal on second down rather tHan risking an offensive mistake to run plays to get closer:
“Here’s the biggest problem: Trestman’s explanation expressed zero faith in his offense. If he doesn’t believe in his offense, you sure can’t. I am sure he will have well-thought-out talking points when he meets the media Monday afternoon at Halas Hall. I can’t think of an explanation that will make sense to me.”
I won't say that Trestman's decision was wrong. If kicker Robbie Gould makes that kick, we probably aren't discussing this.
But what I will say is that Trestman's confidence not just in the offense, but in the whole team is obviously shaky. You might say that the biggest problem is that his confidence should be shaken. Right now he can't depend upon his offense to get half a yard on third down. He can't depend upon anyone to run or defend a play without committing a penalty. He can't ever depend upon eleven guys to all do their jobs correctly on any given down.
The real problem for Trestman is that this is a vicious cycle. The team is a reflection of its head coach and the head coach is a reflection of the team. When Trestman shows a lack if confidence, the team is less confident and continues to play poorly.
Bottom line, Trestman needs to suppress these negative thoughts in the future and stay aggressive because playing with aggression is the only way to win football games. You can only continue to play the game to win and hope that those around you eventually raise their level of play to match your faith in them. Because if you don't, your lack of success is almost guaranteed.