"This is, like I said yesterday, this is where it gets real, and it’s exciting to have one at home, and again, I’m going to just let everybody know here in Chicago how important it is to get those fans to be as crazy as they have ever been, and I can’t wait for it," Nagy said in a press conference Monday. "It’s going to be a fun day at Soldier Field and it’s my challenge to them and I know that they will accept it with open arms and get ready to rock and roll."
The Bears, who finished the season with a 12-4 record after beating the Minnesota Vikings, will welcome the reigning Super Bowl champions to the lakefront next week as they play in the wild card round for the first time in nearly 25 years.
Jamie Pham
Chicago Bears' Mitchell Trubisky speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Bears held a commanding first half lead, but then Aaron Rodgers happened, spoiling Matt Nagy's debut.
Trick plays are part of the deal with the Bears, and Matt Nagy pulled out a few of them as the Bears won their first game of the season on Monday Night Football.
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The Bears had some wins they had to gut out this season, and the Cardinals game certainly qualified. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 220 yards, but the defense kept Sam Bradford and Josh Rosen in check in a narrow victory.
Most fans will remember this game for Mitchell Trubisky throwing six touchdowns, but Akiem Hicks' reaction to being thrown out of the game was also a sight to see, as he hurled his pads into the Soldier Field stands.
With a hobbled Khalil Mack, the Bears' defense struggled to keep Mark Sanchez in check, and the Dolphins scored an overtime victory in the game.
The Bears' lone home loss of the season came down to one final play, as Kevin White caught a Hail Mary pass, but was stopped short of the goal line to give the Patriots the victory.
Even without Khalil Mack the Bears' defense was stellar in this game, and Tarik Cohen had an excellent 70 yard touchdown catch from Trubisky to get the offense going.
Aaron Lynch may have gotten a penalty for his sack celebration in the game, but that's about the only thing that went wrong for Chicago in this laugher of a victory.
Mitchell Trubisky took a big shot in this game, but he kept right on ticking and would later score on a touchdown run that was punctuated by this spike.
After Eddie Jackson scored a touchdown, he had the Vikings' singing the blues as he directed the orchestra in one of the year's best celebrations (although Anthony Miller's rowboat celebration in the same game was pretty good too).
The Bears were rude Thanksgiving guests in Detroit, beating the Lions for the second time in 11 days, and Taylor Gabriel had time to bust a move in the game.
Without Trubisky, the Bears were still able to comeback late, but Saquon Barkley and the Giants were able to soar to a victory.
In one of the most iconic plays of the season, offensive lineman Bradley Sowell caught a touchdown pass to give the Bears a lead, and the defense made it stand up as they beat up Jared Goff and the Rams.
The Chicago Bears, long the victims of Aaron Rodgers and company, became the conquerors in this one, winning the NFC North Division crown and eliminating the Packers from playoff contention.
There was something about tough road games in the NFC West this season, but the Bears managed to win against the 49ers despite a less than stellar effort by their offense. Once again, it was their defense that left the 49ers in dejected silence.
The Eagles clinched their playoff spot by virtue of the Vikings' loss to the Bears and with a win over the Washington Redskins in their regular season finale.
The game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 at 3:40 p.m. on NBC.
