That's what Packers coach Matt LaFleur faces Thursday night. It will be his first game as a head coach and include a hostile road atmosphere at Soldier Field in a game played under the national spotlight.
"You’re not human if you don’t feel it and you don’t get a little emotional," Nagy said in putting himself in LaFleur's position.
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But once the ball is kicked off, the emotions will be put away on both sidelines. After all, the Bears and Packers have been preparing all offseason with this game in mind. More recently, both sides have been building game plans to create any conceivable advantage.
Nagy and Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, friends from their respective Pennsylvania pasts, have now competed twice against each other as the teams split a pair of games in 2018. New to the rivalry this year will be a matchup between the rookie coach LaFleur, the Packers' offensive play-caller, and first-year Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.
LaFleur brings a revamped offense to the Packers that's built around future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Bears boast the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense from 2018 now under the direction of Pagano, who hasn't called defensive plays since he was the Ravens' coordinator in 2011.
The Packers' offense and Bears' defense feature most of the same players, but plenty of new looks will be presented. Is the element of surprise spread equally?
"That’s for you guys to decide and figure out," Pagano said. "Quite honestly, they’ve got the same challenge we have."
LaFleur had a similar take.
"Although there are similarities within the scheme, there is a lot of unknown there," LaFleur said.
Since his arrival in January, Pagano has suggested he'll call an aggressive defense, utilizing the talent at his disposal for a tactical advantage. He has teased the prospect of more exotic blitzes than what has been seen in the past.
What Pagano has to his advantage is film from LaFleur's one season as the Titans' offensive coordinator. That can help Pagano weed out potential surprises in their first matchup.
Of course, LaFleur does have the benefit of a superstar in Rodgers leading the Packers' offense.
"We’ve been down this road before in preparing for Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Aaron, the Tom Bradys of the world," Pagano said. "Back when I was in Baltimore or Cleveland or whatever, you’re getting ready to play Peyton Manning. They’ve seen everything. And there is nothing that they can’t recall. He’s a brilliant, brilliant guy.
"You’ve got to do a phenomenal job on defense of trying to make him work, pre- and post-snap. So, that’s a huge challenge just because of the amount of time on task and what he’s seen."
Once the emotions are put aside and kickoff marks the beginning of the latest chapter of the rivalry, the chess match will begin.
The matchup between Pagano, Mack and the Bears' defense against LaFleur, Rodgers and the Packers' offense could decide the outcome Thursday and in many games to come.