While Cody Parkey‘s double-doink missed field goal is in the past, Bears coach Matt Nagy has made it a point for his players to remember the sting that came with that playoff loss to the Eagles.
Bears running back Tarik Cohen said that Nagy shows the double-doink missed field goal during morning meetings to drive and motivate his players.
But former Bear Jeff Fisher doesn’t necessarily agree with Nagy’s strategy. Fisher feels that it’s putting added stress on Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry, who are vying for the starting kicker job.
“You know, none of us are in his locker room. We don’t know the chemistry of his team. It’s his team and it’s his choice,” Fisher said as a guest analyst on NFL Total Access. “Now, I don’t think I’d want to be a place kicker on his team right now. That’s a hard job right there, because you’re gonna watch [the missed kick] every day.”
But the reasoning behind showing that missed field goal — and continuing to show that missed field goal — is to put those kickers in pressure situations.
Whether it’s showing that missed field goal, making these kickers kick a 43-yard field goal in front of the team, using narrower goal posts or using the Augusta Silence method, Nagy has been coming up with unique ways to pressure these kickers in non-game situations.
Fisher understands that bitter postseason defeat. He was the Titans head coach when they were dealt a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss to the Rams. But he believes Nagy needs to let it go to move on.
“This is Coach Nagy’s, it’s his prerogative to do what he wants,” Fisher said. “At some point he’s gonna let it go. Some point they need to go ahead and win a football game, you know that’s months away from now.”
The best way for Nagy to forget that double-doink missed field goal? For the Bears to go out and win a playoff game — perhaps on a converted field goal.
And if the Bears can deliver on Super Bowl expectations, Cody Parkey and that double-doink will be all but a distant memory.
