Matt Nagy Hopes to Follow in Footsteps of Former Colleague Doug Pederson
Nagy and the Bears are hoping to win a playoff game Sunday against one of the coach's former colleagues
By James Neveau ••
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is very familiar with the man he will be coaching against in Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and this week he recounted a conversation between the two men that served as an interesting preview for their matchup.
Nagy, who coached under former Eagles head coach and current Kansas City Chiefs boss Andy Reid during his formative years in the NFL, was also a colleague of current Eagles coach Doug Pederson along the way.
The pair grew close over the years, and when Nagy got hired by the Bears, he made a bold statement to his former colleague.
“I told him at the Owners’ Meeting this past off-season that he got that Super Bowl, and that I’m trying to follow his lead here,” Nagy said. “It’s amazing how fast time goes and how life is, with just these people. Doug and I were hip-by-hip for six years, and I think the world of him.”
Jamie Pham
Chicago Bears' Mitchell Trubisky speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Bears held a commanding first half lead, but then Aaron Rodgers happened, spoiling Matt Nagy's debut.
Trick plays are part of the deal with the Bears, and Matt Nagy pulled out a few of them as the Bears won their first game of the season on Monday Night Football.
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The Bears had some wins they had to gut out this season, and the Cardinals game certainly qualified. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 220 yards, but the defense kept Sam Bradford and Josh Rosen in check in a narrow victory.
Most fans will remember this game for Mitchell Trubisky throwing six touchdowns, but Akiem Hicks' reaction to being thrown out of the game was also a sight to see, as he hurled his pads into the Soldier Field stands.
With a hobbled Khalil Mack, the Bears' defense struggled to keep Mark Sanchez in check, and the Dolphins scored an overtime victory in the game.
The Bears' lone home loss of the season came down to one final play, as Kevin White caught a Hail Mary pass, but was stopped short of the goal line to give the Patriots the victory.
Even without Khalil Mack the Bears' defense was stellar in this game, and Tarik Cohen had an excellent 70 yard touchdown catch from Trubisky to get the offense going.
Aaron Lynch may have gotten a penalty for his sack celebration in the game, but that's about the only thing that went wrong for Chicago in this laugher of a victory.
Mitchell Trubisky took a big shot in this game, but he kept right on ticking and would later score on a touchdown run that was punctuated by this spike.
After Eddie Jackson scored a touchdown, he had the Vikings' singing the blues as he directed the orchestra in one of the year's best celebrations (although Anthony Miller's rowboat celebration in the same game was pretty good too).
The Bears were rude Thanksgiving guests in Detroit, beating the Lions for the second time in 11 days, and Taylor Gabriel had time to bust a move in the game.
Without Trubisky, the Bears were still able to comeback late, but Saquon Barkley and the Giants were able to soar to a victory.
In one of the most iconic plays of the season, offensive lineman Bradley Sowell caught a touchdown pass to give the Bears a lead, and the defense made it stand up as they beat up Jared Goff and the Rams.
The Chicago Bears, long the victims of Aaron Rodgers and company, became the conquerors in this one, winning the NFC North Division crown and eliminating the Packers from playoff contention.
There was something about tough road games in the NFC West this season, but the Bears managed to win against the 49ers despite a less than stellar effort by their offense. Once again, it was their defense that left the 49ers in dejected silence.
Pederson and the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season, their first ever title, and are hoping to become the first team to repeat as champions since the New England Patriots accomplished the feat in 2005.
The Bears and Eagles will square off on Sunday afternoon, with the game airing at 3:40 p.m. on NBC 5 Chicago.
