:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64983931/1090679926.jpg.0.jpg)
When Treyvon Hester tipped Cody Parkey’s field goal attempt with seconds to go to in the divisional round of the playoffs last year, it knocked the Bears out of the playoffs and moved the Eagles into the second round. It also caused a giant wound in Matt Nagy’s brain that has continued to fester since.
First, he cut Cody Parkey, whose sin was having his kick blocked, which give the Bears a dead cap hit of over $4 million.
In tryouts for the then vacant kicking job, he had eight kickers try a 43 yard field goal, six of them outright missed without being blocked, as Parkey’s kick was.
Three of the kickers progressed on to the next round on the Bears kicker tryout reality show Tipped. They all failed in a June practice.
During Bears practice, with 25 alumni & their guests watching, all 3 kickers were called onto the main field to try a 42-yard FG.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) June 11, 2019
1. Right post
2. Wide left
3. Wide right
HC Matt Nagy, what went through your mind?
“Whatever went through your mind went through my mind.”
What is going through my mind is that Trayvon Hester tipped the kick.
The brain worms that Treyvon Hester and the Eagles injected into Matt Nagy reached a new level last night when Nagy tried to replicate a similar situation for both his kickers.
First up on Tipped was Eddie Pineiro, who declared for the 2018 NFL Draft early after his second season of playing football and went undrafted. He spent last season on IR with the Raiders, the bears traded for him in May. He failed the challenge.
Eddy Pineiro just missed a 48-yarder that the #Bears WANTED him to try (they ran on third-and-6). Soldier Field is booing.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) August 9, 2019
Next came Elliott Fry, who went 14-14 in the AAF with a season/career best 44 yarder, which probably immediately endeared him to Nagy.
Elliott Fry just made a 43-yard FG into the north end zone after being frozen by a timeout.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) August 9, 2019
Just like Cody Parkey, without the doinks.
Nicely done Fry, but your kick wasn’t tipped. If Nagy really wants to test his kickers, he’ll instruct his offensive line to not block anyone on field goal attempts. With the downward spiral that Matt Nagy is going through, you can’t rule it out.
To be fair to Nagy, the preseason is all about evaluation. But perhaps he should do some self evaluation before he loses it and does this in the regular season.