Having reached the NFL playoffs in seven of 10 seasons as an assistant, Bears coach Matt Nagy knows that the postseason is a different animal than the regular season.
Nagy coached in the playoffs three times with the Eagles from 2008-12 and four times with the Chiefs from 2013-17, all as part of head coach Andy Reid's staff.
"The intensity is completely different," Nagy said. "It's not even close, and I think that's the message that our guys have got to understand, the guys that haven't been a part of it. That's what was so good about [last Sunday's] game [in Minnesota]. They got to feel that. It wasn't a playoff game, but it was close to it.
"Everything's faster. It's a lot faster. There's a feel to it. You've got everybody there. Everybody's watching. The good thing for us is we've had some Sunday night games, some Monday night games, some Thursday night games, where this isn't our first rodeo.
"I know how our guys handle it and now it's just the deal if you lose, you're done; if you win, you keep moving on. That's the only difference."
One valuable lesson that Nagy learned from Reid was not to approach or prepare for playoff games any differently than regular-season contests.
"Try to not do too much and continue to stay the course," Nagy said. "That's not just talking play concepts or anything, that's just what you've done from Monday to Saturday. Don't start changing. Don't stay up later at night just because it's the playoffs. Why? Just do the normal stuff that you've been doing. It's been working.
"Why do you need to change it now; because it's the playoffs? No, just continue to do what you do. I think when you start changing things, you're not being yourself. Now you're getting into territory that you have no idea how you're going to react to it. Keep doing the same things."
Injury update
Nagy is optimistic that receiver Allen Robinson II (ribs), safety Eddie Jackson (ankle) and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (elbow) all will be able to play Sunday against the Eagles after sitting out the regular-season finale in Minnesota with injuries.
"I'm hoping that they do," Nagy said. "They're all in a little bit different situations right now. I'm excited to see come Wednesday after talking to [head trainer Andre Tucker] where they're at. They're all kind of [at] different levels, but I'm hoping they're all ready to go."
Nagy was equally positive about the three players who exited the Vikings game with injuries: receivers Taylor Gabriel (ribs) and Anthony Miller (shoulder) and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris (neck).
"We'll know more here the next couple of days and give you updates on Wednesday with what their status is and practice and all that," Nagy told reporters. "I feel pretty confident with where they're at. I think we'll be good."
Successful return
Nagy was pleased with how Kyle Long fared in his return to action last Sunday in Minnesota after missing the previous seven games with a foot injury. The three-time Pro Bowler started at right guard and played 29 snaps, all in the first half of the Bears' 24-10 win over the Vikings.
"He did a good job of every play staying consistent," Nagy said. "I thought he looked healthy. He held the line of scrimmage really well. He was great in the run game. When we did throw the ball, he was solid there. The biggest thing for him was going to be just conditioning and getting in and out of the game, just the normal stuff, and I liked where he was at."
The Bears are hopeful that Long will be able to play even more snaps against the Eagles.
"We'd love to be able to put him out there, start and play a whole game," Nagy said. "We just have to see how he holds up. Even after 29 plays, I felt good with where he's at, but we wanted to make sure we were being smart throughout that process with his health and where we were at as a team."
