That Packers-Raiders Exhibition Was Nuts (And it Reinforced Matt Nagy’s Preseason Game Plan)

If you are curious as to why Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy insists on resting his starters and key role players throughout the four-game exhibition season, allow Thursday’s preseason headlines to serve as a reminder.

Field conditions for the Packers-Raiders game in Winnipeg were an issue. So much so, Green Bay sat 33 players (including stars Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams) after initially preparing to play they regulars. And even though Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur said “a combination of a lot of things” went into his decision to sit who he deemed to be his team’s most important players, his quarterback took a more direct route:

Seriously, this was problematic:

Taking America’s most popular game to Canada was a good idea in theory, but not so much in practice.

Field conditions weren’t the Packers’ only problems. Injuries to edge defender Rashan Gary (we touched on this earlier) land wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (ankle sprain that will keep him out 4-6 weeks) marred Thursday’s game, as two young players who the Packers lean on left the game early.

And those weren’t the only key injuries that happened during Thursday’s preseason action around the league:

Sure, the Panthers are “cautiously optimistic” that quarterback Cam Newton will be ready for Week 1 after suffering a foot injury that had him leaving the stadium in a walking boot. But while that’s good news, it’s hard to escape the idea that injuries in exhibition games that don’t count in the standings aren’t avoidable (because they are).

The big news to come from Thursday’s preseason action essentially reinforces Nagy’s idea of sitting starters. It wasn’t a popular idea last year and Nagy was dragged because of his bold move. But fortune favors the bold, and soon, more coaches will align with Nagy because they will eventually realize the reward isn’t worth the risk. From there, who knows what will happen with the NFL preseason … but it feels like change could be coming soon if trends continue.

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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