No preseason games? Bears tried that last year
Every NFL team is facing an unfamiliar start to the season without playing any preseason games. The Bears might have an advantage because coach Matt Nagy sat most of his starters during all of last year's preseason. They've been through this before.
Ironically, though, Nagy said he felt last year's plan was a mistake and wanted to get the starters some work in this year's exhibitions, before they were canceled.
"Where we were going to be different this year was get a lot more starters playing in preseason," Nagy said. "That was for the physical mindset for them. Now, no other teams have really done that. Some teams are doing a lot more live than others.
"What we did do is we controlled their mental toughness. We challenged them in practices in certain ways that can kind of callous them mentally. I think that's probably the difference I feel right now in training camp (compared to how) I did last year at this time. We probably took the gloves off this year mentally and physically at times and I feel like we're more prepared. Now time will tell."