Bears' Cohen: Nagy shows us end of playoff loss often in meetings
The Chicago Bears were many people's pick to go to the Super Bowl when last season's playoffs begun, but the NFC North champions were booted from the first round in the most agonizing of ways.
The Bears' title hopes were dashed after Cody Parkey missed a potential game-winning 43-yard kick with just 10 seconds remaining against the Philadelphia Eagles, and head coach Matt Nagy apparently wants his team to embrace the pain of that defeat.
According to running back Tarik Cohen, Nagy often plays the final seconds of the wild-card loss in team meetings.
"He just shows us the last seconds of the game," Cohen told Mad Dog Sports Radio on Wednesday. "He shows us the crowd reaction, our reactions from the sideline, and he just tells us (to) never forget that hurt. We want to get back to that place but have a different outcome. That drives us and motivates us to get through the practice every day."
Though Parkey is no longer with the Bears, Nagy has ramped up the pressure on his team's kicker competition this offseason by routinely making the group attempt field goals from roughly the distance of the now-infamous miss.
Chicago cut Chris Blewitt during minicamp after he, Elliott Fry, and Eddy Pineiro all missed kicks at the end of practice in front of the entire team. Fry and Pineiro redeemed themselves in the final session of camp, both nailing 40-yard kicks to start the team's summer break early.
The two are set to battle it out during training camp in July, though Chicago will certainly be keeping a close eye on other teams' moves on cutdown day in order to give itself the best chance at avoiding another heartbreak.
- With h/t to Pro Football Talk