Friday, March 15, 2024

Matt Nagy Sought Andy Reid’s Advice on Facing Patriots, Got Classic Reply

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Matt Nagy has already faced his fair share of big tests this season. He had to pull his team out of a deep depression after suffering a brutal loss up at Lambeau Field to start the season. Then he had to deal with loads of criticism regarding his young quarterback, Mitch Trubisky. Now after a tough loss in Miami, he’s set to face the mighty New England Patriots who are surging on a three-game winning streak.

Beating this opponent is always tough. The Patriots have never lost more than four games in a regular season since 2009. They’ve already lost twice this year which means they won’t be willing to oblige any more. The Chicago Bears may be at home but they’ve yet to beat this team with Tom Brady at quarterback, going 0-4 since 2002.

Nagy knows how big a task he faces, so he’s likely to seek any and all advantages he can possibly find. That includes asking advice of those who have had some success against the Patriots in recent years. Rather fittingly, the first call he could make is to the man who helped him become a head coach in the NFL.

Matt Nagy reached out to Andy Reid about how to tackle the Patriots

Few coaches have a greater expertise at what it’s like to go against and beat New England than Andy Reid. He’s done it a number of times during his stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. Though Nagy was part of that as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, he knows his job is different this time. So a source relayed that he reached out to his former mentor for any tips.

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Reid, as only he can, offered a succinct and perfect reply.

“Don’t get into a shootout with Tom.”

Clearly, it was meant half-jokingly given his own team just lost a 43-40 shootout with the Patriots last week. The truth is though it’s sound advice. Since 2010, the Patriots have played in 15 games where both teams scored at least 30 points. To date, they are 9-6 in those games. Brady is an absurd 374-of-612 with a 66.92 completion percentage for 5,164 yards, 37 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in those games.

Brady is one of the great challenge-takers in NFL history. If an opponent thinks they’ll just win by outscoring him, he’ll fight like hell to prove them sorely mistaken. No, the Bears have to play this as they would going against any great quarterback. Play hard on defense and control the clock on offense.

Both losses the Patriots suffered this season involved their opponents winning the time of possession battle. It was true in three of the four losses they suffered in 2017 and both losses in 2016. That is how Nagy is going to win. It’s unclear what else Reid told him, but the advice he gave, even in jest was still sound.

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