Eddy Pineiro has been solid for the Chicago Bears in 2019. Heading into Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, he had missed one of nine attempts. On Sunday, he missed two of five, including a 41-yarder that would've won the game.
Pineiro's missed kick — that traveled wide-left — could've been easier. Instead of performing a run or pass to set up the kicker in a better position, coach Matt Nagy opted to kneel the ball. In turn, NFL Twitter was set ablaze, calling him out for not setting up his kicker in a better position to win.
Nagy won't even get into it, as he says.
“I’m not even going to get into that… that wasn’t even in our process as coaches to think about that… That didn’t even cross my mind,” said Nagy after the game, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “I’ll just be brutally clear: Zero thought of throwing the football. Zero thought of running the football. You understand me? That’s exactly what it was. It’s as simple as that.”
Yes, making the range of the field goal might not have guaranteed a make by Pineiro. Yes, the Bears could've avoided the situation as a whole by playing better.
However, one can't feel as if Nagy did not do the right thing by kneeling. It didn't do his kicker any favors, and, ultimately, it resulted in a loss.
The Bears are now 3-4 and have plenty to think about heading into next week's game against the 4-4 Eagles in Philadelphia.
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