LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Bears coach Matt Nagy was resolute about a key late-game decision in the aftermath of his team's 17-16 loss to the Chargers on Sunday, saying he had no regrets about taking a knee on first down with 43 seconds left to set up kicker Eddy Pineiro's failed game-winning 41-yard field-goal attempt rather than running a play to improve the team's field position.
Having watched film from the loss and with time to reflect, Nagy doubled down on that decision.
"I would do it again a thousand times," Nagy said Monday during a 28-minute press conference in which he repeatedly waved off a public relations employee's attempts to wrap up questions.
Nagy is the target of criticism as the Bears (3-4) have dropped three straight games. They sit in last place in the NFC North after winning the division title last season and face a tough road back to the playoffs.
A week after addressing the Bears rushing a franchise-low seven times, Nagy is now in question for his decision prior to Pineiro's missed field-goal attempt. With the Bears facing first-and-10 from the Chargers' 21-yard line with 43 seconds left, Nagy elected to take a knee, which set up Pineiro from the left hash mark with four seconds remaining. His kick into a right-to-left wind in the north end zone of Soldier Field veered left and missed.
Nagy gave "zero thought" to running or passing the football to get Pineiro closer, he said postgame Sunday. He was concerned about the potential for a mistake like taking a sack or committing a holding penalty.
Nagy indicated that he would've run plays if the Bears were farther out, pointing to what the Colts did in setting up Adam Vinatieri for the game-winning 51-yard field goal against the Broncos on Sunday. Indianapolis faced a first-and-10 from Denver's 34-yard line but gained only one yard on three plays before Vinatieri's go-ahead field goal with 26 seconds remaining.
"It's not about concern about anything can go wrong," Nagy said. "That's not what this is. It's not about trust. It's about playing smart. It's a 40-yard field goal. Think about that. That takes nothing away from Pineiro. We love Eddy. We got all the faith in the world in him. We know he's going to bounce back. Ask anybody on the team. It's the NFL. It happens. How do you respond to it? Right? How do you respond to it?
"I'm very, very comfortable knowing what I did. I'm very, very comfortable knowing if I'm in that exact situation again, at that same yard line, I'm going to do the same thing. You got me?"
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
