Latest / 2nd City Gridiron / Bears Banter Ep. 225: Kevin Fishbain discusses the 1st place Bears!

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Bears Banter Ep. 225: Kevin Fishbain discusses the 1st place Bears! · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:02
  [UNKNOWN]: Thanks for watching!
• 0:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, bare-down, bear-spents.
• 0:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's time for another edition of the Chicago Bears podcast.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears banter powered by second-city gridiron.
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bill Zimmerman with you.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it is a glorious week in Chicago Bears land everybody, because your Chicago Bears are in first place.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: in mid to late November in the NFC North.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: They currently have the free seed in the NFC playoffs.
• 0:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is absolutely incredible.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Enjoy it.
• 0:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's start right there.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to have Kevin fish bait on from the athletic in just a little bit.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's always a great interview with Kevin.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll be talking about all aspects of this bears team and we'll have some fun with it along the way
• 1:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is what we need to stress, is have fun and enjoy this.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I could sit here and give you my disdain for Ryan Polls.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I could sit here and talk about the salary cap problems.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to have next year and the raw.
• 1:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I could get into plenty of things to nitpick about this roster.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: because this is a far from perfect roster.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is not a finished product.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is not, you know, you can't look at this team and compare it to the Philadelphia Eagles and say they're on the same level roster from 1 to 53, but right now it doesn't matter because the Chicago Bears continue to find ways to win football games and look.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Will this be sustainable forever?
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Probably not.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is it sustainable for the rest of this season?
• 2:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully, but we're just going to have to take this week by week and see how much magic that Ben Johnson can shake out of the magic beans that he planted back in August.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't know where this is going to go, but what we do know is that it's fun.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: So enjoy it.
• 2:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Block out the noise from the Vikings fans or the Packers fans or the Lions fans or whatever fans talking about how the bears are frauds talking about how they don't believe this bears team is anything how this bears team hasn't beaten anybody
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: block it all out.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And enjoy the ride for as long as this ride continues.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ride may continue just for this week.
• 2:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: It may end this week.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: It may ride all the way into the playoffs.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bears could win playoff games.
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't know how this is going to end.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what we do know is right now in this moment, it is fun.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Chicago Bears have won seven of eight football games.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is the truth.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is 100%.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are not playing Alcorn State.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are not playing, you know, Holy Cross.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are not playing Bucknell.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are playing
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Minnesota Vikings.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are playing the Las Vegas Raiders.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are playing the Washington Commanders.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are playing NFL teams.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Chicago Bears do not need to apologize for what their schedule looks like and look.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe as the schedule toughens up down the stretch.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe the Bears lose to the Lions, the Niners, the Packers.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: They finish it nine and eight.
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: They miss the playoffs.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: They finish it ten and seven.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe still miss the playoffs.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: It could happen.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't know how this is going to end.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if they want to call you frauds, then let them because the bears have been Johnson, the bears have Caleb Williams.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is confidence that this thing is headed heading in the right direction, whether it's a full-speed freight train or whether it's just progressing along incrementally.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't matter because the right direction is a direction the Chicago Bears have rarely gone in under George
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there's plenty of positives here.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: It just depends on how many positive the bears make.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe the bears go 12 and 5 when the division have the two seed and lose in the NFC championship game.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you sit there and say, well, they better win the Super Bowl next year.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the next step.
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: They may request a little next year.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe next year they only go 10 and 7 because they need to retool the roster or whatever it might be.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't matter.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe they
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kansas City Chiefs last year were I think 11 and 0 and 1 score games and this year I think they're 0 and 5 and that's the Chiefs that's Patrick Mahomes you don't know how everything's going to go from season the season we can talk about big picture things and we're going to spend the entire off season talking about big picture things
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you're probably going to get more negative me because I'm going to start talking about Ryan Polls.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when I talk about Ryan Polls, I get pissed off because I don't trust the guy.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he's here for years and years because the bears gave him a contract extension.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that's not for now.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: For now, this is the Chicago Bears.
• 5:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is Caleb Williams with ice water in his veins.
• 5:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Caleb Williams had a fourth quarter come back and did not have to throw a pass.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's awesome.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: How is that happening?
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because this team is finding ways to win football games.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: enjoy it, have fun with it, and let's talk about it.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And let's talk about this.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's spend one minute on the Minnesota Vikings.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And look, Jay Jay McCarthy has started just a handful of games.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: He missed his entire rookie season.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now he is where he is.
• 6:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he will probably get better than where he is right now.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: But this is what I can say about Jay Jay McCarthy.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: rarely have I seen a quarterback look this lost and figure it out.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like Josh Allen is the guy we always circle.
• 6:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, bears fans have circle Josh Allen a lot because, well, Mitch Tribisky, we wanted the Josh Allen timeline and Justin Fields.
• 6:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: We wanted the Josh Allen timeline.
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: and you want the Josh Allen timeline because he's literally in the modern era and I mean the last like 25 years of football.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not going back to John L.way who's stunk for two years because you say to not that the last this century of football.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of quarterbacks that looked like crap for a year or two and figured it out and became great.
• 6:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Josh Allen is it because the people that want to throw out Sam Darnold, Gino Smith, Alex Smith, Baker Mayfield, any of these guys.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are they with the team that drafted them?
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, they are not.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if Baker Mayfield becomes a Hall of Famer, it doesn't matter because he wasn't good enough with now.
• 7:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe Cleveland pulled the trigger too fast on that decision.
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Regardless, he's not doing it with the Cleveland Browns.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when that's the case, then
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: when you are looking at your own quarterback to evaluate your own first year second your quarterback to evaluate using Baker May field isn't the example you want to use because the team gave up on them he bounced around for a couple years and then figured it out.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Josh Allen is the only guy and that's why people all will have Josh Allen could do it.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, yeah, and that's the thing.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like you look at your next door neighbor, and he's worth $55 million.
• 7:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: You go, how do you make $55 million?
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: He says, well, I won the lottery.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he's all of, he won the lottery.
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, then maybe I can too.
• 7:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's sometimes the kind of thinking that people have because they're so desperate to have their quarterback make it.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I look at what JJ McCarthy did.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I've seen JJ McCarthy and other games this year.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is not me just trying to make a snap judgment off the Chicago Bears game.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: but watching him miss the way he misses, watching him the turn the ball over at the right he turns the ball over.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is hard pressed to the magic that J. J. McCarthy and I don't care if he's had limited starts.
• 8:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: In year two, because then we don't get to just, he had a full year in Kevin O'Connell's, you know, classroom, whiteboard.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: He should have been learning and absorbing some of that.
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is the Jordan love argument of learning behind Aaron Rogers.
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: He got to sit behind a functional, a really good offense with sand Arnold for a year and learn.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So don't tell me, oh, well, he's only been around for any got hurt, so he's only played five, six games.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, don't just go on that, because he's had, he should have other aspects of his game that is improved.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is awful.
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Have fun with nine, whatever you want, J.J. McCarthy is awful.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I know he beat the bears in the fourth quarter, and I know he almost threw the touchdown pass that gave him the lead, and Vikings fans, I'm sure you wanna cling to that.
• 9:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You want to cling to that, like the bears clung to the victories that Mitch Trimiski had.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: about what he could do well.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mitch Shobisky can torch man coverage.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, Matt Patricia was the only coach that would do man against Mitch Shobisky.
• 9:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Shobisky throw for 303 touchdowns against Matt Shobisky every year, but every other coach didn't play man.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And guess what, Mitch couldn't figure it out.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Justin Fields, we all, if he could just harness some of this stuff, then all this other will just focus on the running and how much he just
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: zones in on DJ more and their connection and not worry about that he's not picking up second or third options down the field that it's DJ more checked down or run the football.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: You already look at Justin Fields.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not as explosive with the football on his hands as he was just a couple years ago, because it's not sustainable.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, we've been that fan base that has clung to, oh, well, it's too early to give up.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And yes, Jay Jay McCarthy could still become a very viable quarterback in the NFL.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he could do it with the Minnesota Vikings, but my God Vikings fans open your eyes and really take a look at what this quarterback is.
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: because I heard rumblings in the spring that Kevin O'Connell was not sold on JJ McCarthy.
• 10:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And obviously he didn't have a lot of reps in actual play.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm sure this was a lot of JJ responding and about what the right read should be in these situations and everything and probably not hitting it.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: The way KOC needs him to hit it.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Kevin O'Connell was concerned, which is why they wanted to bring back Sam Darlem, which is why they had conversations about Aaron Rodgers, because they have a win now roster and a rookie quarterback in essence that Kevin O'Connell didn't trust.
• 11:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: and it didn't work out so they commit to JJ McCarthy and now we're in the middle of the season and the Vikings roster, which is as good as it was last year that when 14 and three or whatever the hell they did 13 and four, whatever they were last year.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: and all that's changed is the quarterback and they are a debacle.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that is because JJ McCarthy is that bad of a football player.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe he gets better.
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't see it improving enough.
• 11:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I see Anthony Richardson, I see Josh Rosen, I see that kind of quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the fact that they had Sam Darl and Daniel Johnson and maybe they have limited ceilings.
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sam Darl, the lights got bright against the Ramsy
• 11:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get it.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe Daniel Jones, when the go-in gets tough here, the Colts haven't had that difficult of his schedule, maybe Daniel Jones is still the fatal flaw, and that the Colts won't be able to go as far as they're hoping they can go this year.
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when you have two quarterbacks, playing at the level they're playing at for their teams, regardless of potentially limited ceilings.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you threw that away.
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: for the potential of what the ceiling of J. J. McCarthy could be, but knowing how low the floor could be, that is a potential mistake that is going to be talked about four years.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to be talking about, well, look what the Vikings did in 2028, 2029, 2030.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are still going to be talking about this Vikings decision if J. J. McCarthy looks as bad as he does.
• 12:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: But this is a Chicago Bears podcast.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know what's nice as Bears fans?
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: We for a change do not have to panic about our quarterback.
• 12:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: We panic about Caleb Williams last year.
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's be honest, there was plenty of panic.
• 12:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: We panicked about Justin Fields for three years.
• 13:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: We panicked about Mitch Trimisky for four years.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've panicked about quarterbacks a lot.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And for good reason, because they haven't paned out.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're not panicking about Caleb Williams right now.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're certainly not panicking about Ben Johnson right now.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: And look, I made a joke.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Was it hyperbole?
• 13:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, was it grounded in some truth?
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, Ben Johnson is already on the Mount Rushmore of Chicago Bears head coaches.
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he's coach 10 games.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is the level that Ben Johnson in this season has done for the Bears.
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: You sit there and say, Bill, that's ridiculous.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, look, if you're really going to cut it, there's a guy who want a championship in the early 30s named Ralph Jones.
• 13:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's probably the fourth guy on the Mount Rushmore, because some of the other coaches that had success was during World War II when George Halla stepped away and did, you know, went
• 14:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: went and served in the military, like, and they want a championship, but that really, that ear of sports is very odd because the amount of athletes that we're missing in.
• 14:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it was just, it was a wartime for the, for the country.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we don't really look at that.
• 14:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Ralph Jones, who want a championship in like 1932, whatever it was.
• 14:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's probably the fourth coach on the Bears coaches amount rush more because you got George Alice you've got Mike Dicca and you've got Loveysmith.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those are the free that are on there and they are clearly on there.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is no competition.
• 14:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is who is the fourth guy and if you don't want to go back to the 1930s or 1940s, if you just want to say George Alice gets a spot.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: and the three best coaches since George Hallis, you have a very limited pool that you are picking from.
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cause obviously you got Dica and you've got Loveysmith.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not putting John Fox on there.
• 15:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was a disaster.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not putting Matt Eberfluss on there.
• 15:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was a disaster.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not putting Mark Tressman on there.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was a disaster.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those three coaches none of them had a winning record.
• 15:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: You got Matt Nagy.
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: 28 Nates and the Magical 2018 season.
• 15:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Made the playoffs, didn't win a playoff game.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So already, we've got Matt Nagy with two playoff spots and no playoff wins.
• 15:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that is better than anyone else since Loveysmith.
• 15:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dicturon had the one magical year.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: They didn't win the playoffs.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like you're comparing Nagy and Geron, Nagy probably has the better work.
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dave wants that never one double digital victories.
• 15:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to give it to Dave wants that.
• 15:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to give it to one of the bear's coaches in the 70s.
• 15:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: They made the playoffs once.
• 15:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like Matt Nagy is probably the fourth spot on the Bears Head Coach Mount Rushmore.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson, if they make the playoffs in win, I think he legitimately, if they win one playoff game this year, he 100% legitimately is the Bears fourth coach on Mount Rushmore after one season.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you and I argue he's already there because
• 16:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who do you trust?
• 16:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just you've watched Ben Johnson coach.
• 16:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've seen what this team has rallied around him.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who do you trust?
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I trust Ben Johnson more than I trust any of these other coaches.
• 16:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Matt Nagy wouldn't commit to the run.
• 16:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dick Geron didn't know how to run an offense.
• 16:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Matt Nag or Ben Johnson, I trust Ben Johnson and I trust this team to win these games because we look at Caleb Williams.
• 16:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a weird game to try and assess Caleb Williams.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: His numbers were lousy, right?
• 16:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Completed 50% of his passes.
• 16:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: just didn't look that good.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: But, and I'm not gonna sit here and make excuses for quarterbacks and all, well, he had a lot of drop balls.
• 17:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: His talent, not his, like the players he froze the ball to, they left a lot of yards on the field for him and that, get, it wouldn't have been like, you know, he should have completed 75% of his passes for 350 yards, but they should have looked significantly better than they did.
• 17:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that still gets us to this Caleb Williams inconsistent play and look at this point he is probably the most evasive quarterback in the pocket, at least for this year in the league.
• 17:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't see anyone else who consistently is getting out of sex the way he does.
• 17:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's nimble, he's agile, he's quick, and he's strong, and he can break out of arm tackles consistently, and then roll out and try and make a play.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would love to see the scramble drill improved.
• 17:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've said that before.
• 17:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It still does not look like these receivers are doing what they need to do to try and get open on a scramble drill, or at least Caleb Williams is missing him, and I don't think that's the case.
• 17:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that needs to improve.
• 18:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Caleb Williams is gonna continue to play this way, that should be a focal point of practice and that needs to improve.
• 18:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Caleb Williams, when the game is on the line and I understand he did not have to throw a pass on that final drive.
• 18:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Devin Duverne, great return, sets them up, a few runs, bears are in field goal range, win the game.
• 18:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I get it, Caleb Williams didn't do anything other than field the stat cleanly and hand it off to the running back.
• 18:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have a body of work already that shows that Kayla Williams will make the right play the right decision the big play the big throw the big run whatever he needs to do to make sure the bears are in a position to win games and Ben Johnson is showing that he will make the right decision.
• 18:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of what they need to do to put themselves in position to win the football game.
• 18:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not going to have a perfect score.
• 18:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: He already had a mess against the Vikings in week one, but he's improving too as a head coach.
• 19:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, when you're constantly being put in a position to succeed,
• 19:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: than the coaching staff, not just Ben Johnson, but the coaching staff, you have to give them credit.
• 19:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't think we've talked about Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen a lot.
• 19:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you have to give a lot of credit to these assistants.
• 19:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Ben Johnson is,
• 19:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: watching his post game press conferences, it's kind of funny, right?
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like Ben Johnson, I know this is going to sound a little crass.
• 19:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson is the guy at the bar that insults the girl in hoping that he's going to pick up the girl anyway, right?
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I feel like that's kind of what he does.
• 19:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like he talks to the girl at the bar and says, you'd be really hot if you had a different haircut.
• 19:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: because the amount of times I've seen Ben Johnson in these post game victory speeches go, we got a lot to improve upon and we're going to talk about all of it in the in the tape session.
• 20:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh man did you guys basically man did you guys make a lot of mistakes.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: But hey we won the game like the amount that he does that is funny.
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: He
• 20:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Excuse me and get into excited.
• 20:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm getting choked up about the bears being seven and three and first place in November, but
• 20:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: he consistently just keeps dropping those in.
• 20:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those carrots that the bear's team knows that there's more work to be done that they have to keep working and working because he always drops it in about, we gotta clean up these penalties.
• 20:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We gotta take care of the football better.
• 20:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Whatever it is, he's, oh man, wait till we get to tape session, we got a lot to clean up, like the amount that he says,
• 20:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: but enjoy it right enjoy this moment and we'll get back to work later in the week.
• 21:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what you got to love about Ben Johnson and let me talk about a few other items here before we get to Kevin Fishbane and I want to get to the offensive line because Theo Bennett is like we're
• 21:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: like they're not improving to a point that you want to see him improve.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I've said all along, Theo Benedict deserves a ton of credit for where he has gotten, where this coaching staff has gotten him, what he's been able to accomplish this year, as a starting left tackle, as a second-tier UDFA with bad traits.
• 21:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what Theo Benedict is, but Theo Benedict is consistently
• 21:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: holding back this offense and I don't like to say that because I want to embrace the positives here with Theo because what he's done should be applauded, but he is making mistakes and I saw some mistakes in the running game as well and it hasn't been that as much for Theo.
• 22:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's mostly been past walking, but the largest one and it turned out to be okay.
• 22:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: When the Chicago Bears were trying to set up for the game winning feeble, and they ran the ball on second down and lost a couple yards.
• 22:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was Theo Benedict's guy.
• 22:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: He missed the block.
• 22:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: He came down the line of Scrimmage and made the tackle.
• 22:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears lost a couple yards, and they were in no position to lose yards at that point in the game, trying to set up Cairo Santos, because they were right on the outskirts of his limit in terms of how far he can kick the football.
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: want to talk about Ben Johnson being a little too conservative there and that he should have tried for a first down or two tried to get it in the chip shot range, but he basically said, this is good enough we're setting up for a field goal here.
• 22:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's fair to question.
• 22:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't like questioning a lot of what Ben Johnson's done because I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
• 22:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And remember that he is the first year coach and sometimes coaches make mistakes and they get away with it.
• 23:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you could argue that Ben Johnson made a mistake at the end of that game.
• 23:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: He needed to play more aggressively and he chose not to, but it still turned out okay.
• 23:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Had that kick, kick missed.
• 23:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We would be talking about Ben Johnson's error about getting to conservative at the end of that football game.
• 23:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Conservative in Ben Johnson is not something we say in the same sentence very often, but it a hundred percent was the issue in that moment.
• 23:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: But getting back to Theo Benedict, he made a critical error there.
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: We know the past blocking has been suspect from him.
• 23:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And at this point, I don't think there's really anything the Chicago Bears can do.
• 23:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I see in my mentions a lot
• 23:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that might be something they need to explore for 2026.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I'll ask Kevin Fishbain about that as someone who's been around the team, because I don't see a viable path to a left tackle, not named Theo Benedict in 2026, unless they spend a first round pick.
• 24:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because you can't spend a second round pick, and as soon they're going to be able to start a left tackle.
• 24:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's too difficult of a position.
• 24:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: They did it with Asi Trepilla, and he couldn't make the transition from the right to the left side, thus Theo Benedict is starting.
• 24:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you can't spend a second run pick on a tackle and expect him to start as a rookie.
• 24:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can, if you spend a first run pick on a left tackle and it has to be a true left tackle.
• 24:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't do a conversion and can't be a guard that you want to move right tackle to left tackle.
• 24:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: You need a left tackle.
• 24:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: for the Bears in 2026, not named Theo Benedict.
• 24:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if you're not spending a first round pick on him, you really have to look at Darnell right moving to the left side, because I don't know if they have another path to it.
• 24:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just don't see it.
• 24:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Bears cannot get a left tackle in free agency.
• 24:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: They can't.
• 24:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: They won't have the money.
• 24:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got.
• 24:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're up against the cap.
• 24:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've already said it between the DJ more cold comments, Montes, sweat, traumatic admins.
• 25:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got some tough decisions to make.
• 25:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if these guys are living up to their contracts enough to stay on the team, you've got brisker and buyer are both free agents.
• 25:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Tyreek Stevenson is available is eligible.
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I should say for a contract extension, Darna Wright is eligible for a contract extension.
• 25:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Andre Swift, you can save 8 million if you get rid of him, but what else can you have it running back?
• 25:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't just make Kyleman on guy, your RB1 and have him get in 20 carries a game.
• 25:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: You need more depth at the running macro.
• 25:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bears are in a tricky spot here, so at left tackle.
• 25:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: what's the path moving forward?
• 25:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And for me, it might be moving Darnell right to the left side, at least play in with it a little bit and see in how he looks.
• 25:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cause I just don't know what the other path is.
• 25:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that first round pick, you can absolutely use it on a left tackle, but the bears need pass for a shelf.
• 26:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're gonna have to look at some other things as well.
• 26:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there's no guarantee that they can do that in left angle.
• 26:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And look, if the bears keep winning games, they have the 22nd, 23rd, 24th pick
• 26:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's no guarantee that a quality left tackle still gonna be sitting there that late and round one.
• 26:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's gonna be a little bit of a tricky situation for the bears here with the offensive line, but I do think we can recognize that Theo Bennett is a great story, but that Theo Bennett is also a problem.
• 26:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's getting exposed more and more.
• 26:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: As Bennett gets more tape down for defensive coaches to break down.
• 26:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: they're attacking him more and more because they it is the weak point of the offense.
• 26:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you just put your thumb on the scale in that weak spot.
• 26:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you push as a defensive coach.
• 26:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what they're doing.
• 26:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are they are firing at the Obenenet making things more difficult on him.
• 26:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's working for defenses.
• 26:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is definitely the reason in a lot of why a lot of plays are not as cohesive.
• 27:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: as they need to be.
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's an issue.
• 27:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what the if there's a way to address it this season.
• 27:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if there's any what they've been doing in practice with Trapillo or, you know, Braxton Jones or whatever they may want to try again if it's just Theo the rest of the year it might be.
• 27:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's where the bears need to be.
• 27:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: But
• 27:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: bottom line, it's still going to be an issue moving forward, especially when the bears get some some pretty decent edges here, you know, I don't know, a Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, Miles, Garrett, TJ, what, they've got a lot of elite pass rushers down the stretch here.
• 27:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they are going to be line it up against Theo Bennett and he is going to have his hands full.
• 27:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Darnell Wright is going to have his hands full with these guys.
• 27:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: You better believe Theo Bennett is going to struggle to Chicago Bears really need to figure out a game plan to help him out on the defensive side of the ball.
• 28:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: The best thing I can say right now is Jalen Johnson, hopefully, Kyla Gordon are back soon because if they are back,
• 28:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they don't have to be playing phenomenal.
• 28:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: They don't have to be playing best ball of their careers.
• 28:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: They just need to be playing quality ball.
• 28:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because when if you have those two with Tyreak, buyard brisker and CJ Gardner Johnson, you have some flexibility with that secondary.
• 28:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can move guys around.
• 28:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can sub guys around.
• 28:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can play big nickel packages.
• 28:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can do some interesting things with that.
• 28:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that would happen if the bears get their full
• 28:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: up front, they're just not going to get it done.
• 28:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not that O'Dangbo was good, but he's not getting much loose Turner, you know, not that he was doing much either, but I mean, you just have an issue here where there's just not enough talent.
• 28:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Grady Jarrett looked better.
• 28:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Montez sweat and grady Jarrett can both have big finishes to the season,
• 29:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe this bears defensive line can be where it needs to be for this defense to improve.
• 29:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if they don't, if they're just going to, you know, and sweatshmen better, I think Sweat had a rough first few games.
• 29:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: He played really well, and I think he's still been good, not great.
• 29:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last couple of games.
• 29:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Grady Jarrett, I think at his best, I don't unquestionally at his best game of the year against Minnesota.
• 29:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: We need to see more of that from Brady Jarrett.
• 29:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: If these guys can play really well,
• 29:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: and you can get some focus off of Dexter, off of Austin Booker, maybe the defensive front can get more functional because right now that is really going to hold them back.
• 29:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get some of these better offenses that they have to play.
• 29:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, can you get away with it with Pittsburgh and you're going to weigh with it with Cleveland?
• 29:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but you know, if you let Jordan loves sit back there, if you let Jared Goff sit back there, if you let Brock Pertis sit back there with no pressure.
• 29:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to hurt you.
• 29:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the bears need to win these football games down the stretch here.
• 29:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got to get to 10.
• 29:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: They get to 11 there a lock to make the playoffs.
• 30:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: They get to 10.
• 30:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's still might be tiebreakers because there are eight really viable teams by and for seven spots here.
• 30:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's not counting Carolina who's six and five.
• 30:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't see.
• 30:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Carolina's got a pretty hard schedule down the stretch.
• 30:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got some difficult games.
• 30:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm not buying Carolina as a viable
• 30:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're gonna lose some games.
• 30:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Finish eight, nine, seven, and 10.
• 30:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Congratulations on being six and five, but I don't think they have enough to ample distance themselves eventually and win that division.
• 30:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think there are eight viable teams, but that means Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, San Francisco, Seattle, one of these teams is missing the playoffs.
• 30:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's gonna be a good football team that misses the playoffs.
• 30:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, right now, if we're being honest, in terms of talent level, bears are probably that A-th-T.
• 30:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: but you beat Pittsburgh, you get to eight wins.
• 30:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: You just need to win two or three more games down the stretcher to get yourself in the playoffs.
• 31:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who cares how you get in, just get in and see what happens.
• 31:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'll just finish with this as I know I was talking about concerns with the offensive and defensive line.
• 31:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Regardless of the concerns, enjoy it bears fans, the Chicago Bears are seven and three.
• 31:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: and in first place in the NFC North on the day of this recording, November 18th.
• 31:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is a glorious place to be.
• 31:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And there's only eight teams out of 32 that can say that right now and the Chicago Bears are one of them.
• 31:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So block out the noise.
• 31:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Give the face palm of the haters, because the Chicago Bears are a first place team.
• 31:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: We will talk about it with Kevin Fishbain.
• 31:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: He joins me next.
• 31:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is Bill Zimmerman, Bearsmanter.
• 31:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll be right back.
• 31:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome into the podcast.
• 31:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Always excited to do this guest.
• 31:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's always a fun conversation.
• 32:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's always got interesting facts and numbers and everything to bring to the table.
• 32:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is Kevin Fishbain of the athletic.
• 32:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course, he's also got his own podcast, breaking in with Kevin Fishbain where he talks to various media members about how they got their start and how they got their careers going in the media world.
• 32:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Kevin joins me now.
• 32:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kevin builds Zimmerman, how you doing?
• 32:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Good Bill, thinking back to, you know, we do this around this time every year.
• 32:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: And this has got to be probably the happiest time in Bearsland that we've ever gotten together to chat.
• 32:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's been a lot of bumpy years.
• 32:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I was just kind of looking at it.
• 32:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And sure, it's an arbitrary number.
• 32:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: But 10 games is a nice round number and the bears are sitting at seven and three.
• 32:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I went back and looked at some of the teams in recent history.
• 32:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I decided to go back to when George Hall is retired.
• 32:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are not a lot of seven and three starts, since George Hall is hung up.
• 32:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously a bunch with DIPCA quite a few with Lovey, but Ben Johnson now becomes one of only a handful of coaches that have gotten seven and three starts past DIPCA.
• 33:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Lovey obviously Matt Nagy in 2018, the Dicturon year, the 13 and three season.
• 33:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: There hasn't been a lot of success.
• 33:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, I don't we sit here and some people in the national media are talking about they're getting lucky and this isn't sustainable and everything, but putting
• 33:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: all that aside, the bears are winning games at a clip we have not seen very often over the last 50 years.
• 33:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and that's why I think it's important for bears fans to enjoy it.
• 33:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, like, you don't pay if it's these wild wins.
• 33:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's okay, but it's not really fully sustainable.
• 33:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't, I don't think a whole lot of bears fans are saying here planning trips to Santa Clara.
• 33:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think everybody kind of understands what this is and what it could be.
• 33:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: But as you said, seven wins in the first ten games is just on herd of my colleague, Dan Weeder posted on Monday night the date at which bears teams won game number seven.
• 34:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I realized, you know, this is my 13th year on the beat, I've covered six teams that didn't even get to seven wins an entire season.
• 34:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I think it's been obviously there's a lot that could be said about why they're 73, how they're 73, but like my biggest message throughout this is.
• 34:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Bear's friends just enjoy this like you guys haven't had many opportunities to talk about the playoffs and and go through the postseason picture and you know yeah the schedule gets tougher and maybe the end of the season nine and eight and the seven or or one spot out who knows but right now I think it's okay to acknowledge
• 34:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: This has been fun.
• 34:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: This has been a great ride.
• 34:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's good that they're winning.
• 34:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, they're probably, this isn't the best team.
• 34:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's actually a bill around this by you.
• 34:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: One comparison.
• 34:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know the 2018 teams, the easiest comparison.
• 34:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I thought that team's defense was just on such a level.
• 35:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
• 35:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like you actually could look at that team and be like,
• 35:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think of the 2013 Bears a little bit.
• 35:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think this team's better.
• 35:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: But remember, that team's offense was outstanding.
• 35:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's the last time they had a top 10 offense.
• 35:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: The defense was terrible, but they took the ball away to pretty good clip.
• 35:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there were one playway from making the playoffs.
• 35:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think we all knew if that team actually made the playoffs, they're probably gonna get blitzed.
• 35:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, that's a difference, I don't think this team is going to get blown out if they make the postseason, but it just, you know, get thinking of recent bearers teams that have, and that was, again, that was first year mark trustman.
• 35:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think this iteration is better, but that's kind of a group I've been thinking about, just because of the really good offense and defense with some, with some holes.
• 35:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I like the comparison there.
• 35:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had Patrick Mannelly on this podcast a couple of weeks ago.
• 36:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I actually brought up the 2001 team to him.
• 36:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, very different in terms of structures that was defensive oriented, you know, Jim Miller and Caleb Williams are quite different quarterbacks.
• 36:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: But looking at just kind of how that 2001, the one score games, the Mike Brown interception and fix fixes, the Browns Hail Mary, all the crazy stuff that happened there.
• 36:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: To me, there was a similarity in terms of how that
• 36:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: with team was winning the vibes, the locker room, all that compared to this team.
• 36:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Patrick Manley really liked that comparison.
• 36:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's another team that I look at in terms of kind of how the season's playing out when you look at teams as well.
• 36:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's a great one because as you said, those kind of wild finishes and low expectations.
• 36:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: And what's interesting about these teams are referencing, right?
• 36:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, one.
• 36:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: 18.
• 36:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can even argue 13 for a second because again, that team was was one, you know, blown coverage away from getting in the postseason is they were one hit wonders.
• 36:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And we all know what happened to no two.
• 36:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: We all know what happened in 14.
• 37:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: We all know what happened in 19.
• 37:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I remember when Ryan polls got here,
• 37:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: His number one goal was build a consistent winner.
• 37:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, he wanted sustained success.
• 37:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they have been far from it.
• 37:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, they haven't even had one year of success since he took over, but that's what I think is, and that's not to say that the previous regimes didn't want that, I think everybody in sports, that's everyone's goals, it's not like it's, I'm not, you know,
• 37:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is not innovative thought here, Bill.
• 37:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I just think that something that he always talked about.
• 37:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like he was willing to acknowledge that the bears had had these one-year wonders.
• 37:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so you look at this team if they make the playoffs, I think that what we've seen from Ben Johnson does far and the way this team is built in terms of how young some of the guys are, I think you could feel good about them being competitive moving forward.
• 38:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And just the past five years, 20, 22 giants.
• 38:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right, you look at, I don't want to put last year's commanders in there because Jaden's injury, but like you can just see how these things can turn on a dime.
• 38:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's the, I think the best thing going one of the best things going for the bears bill is Ben Johnson's not going to win coach of the year.
• 38:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that award tends to be like almost like a kiss a death for some of these guys.
• 38:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that might be, you know, it's like, it's like the goal for Ben Johnson have a really fun, good promising and encouraging first year.
• 38:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But like let Mike Vrable do what he's doing.
• 38:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like his 90 award.
• 38:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 38:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so you don't have to worry about having that on your mantle, because there's plenty of coaches who have that.
• 38:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, are out of a job a few years later.
• 38:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and before we really get into the meat and potatoes of the team, I want to ask you kind of one other fun one because I was thinking about this last night I put out a silly tweet and it was that Ben Johnson was already on the Mount Rushmore of Chicago Bears had coaches and obviously he's only coach 10 games and and I get all that but.
• 39:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Unless you want to get in the like a Ralph Jones, so I think coach two years in like the early 30s and want a championship.
• 39:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you kind of look at this though, you got George House, you have Mike Dick, you have Lovey Smith.
• 39:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think those three are on there.
• 39:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: That fourth spot, Kevin, on a Mount Rushmore, is wide open for the taking.
• 39:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think,
• 39:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Robably, like I said, unless you're going really, really old Matt Nagy may have that claim for two playoff appearances and the one 2018 team.
• 39:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if Ben Johnson has his team make the playoffs and let's say they win one playoff game and then get bounced out.
• 39:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: You could actually make the argument that Ben Johnson is already at that level in Chicago Bears history because of the one dominance of Alice and that there's been a lot of years since George Alice where things were
• 40:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's an interesting point, Bill, because as you said, if you're going modern era, I guess, or George Hall is forward, and we're not counting some of those coaches in the 20s and 30s, yeah, it is wild, because it's funny.
• 40:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was, I hopped down my colleague in Pittsburgh, down there, Steelers podcast, and I was recording with them.
• 40:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, man, you guys have been Mike Tomlin
• 40:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I've been on the beat since 2013, and this is my fifth head coach, so it's now again, Tomlin is an outlier.
• 40:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: The viewers are an absolute outlier when you have in this conversation, but it's worth noting what that match of coming up this weekend.
• 40:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think what I think of the bill when you bring up that Mount Rushmore is
• 40:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you and I did this recording on November 18th, 2018, we'd be talking about Matt Nagy being out in that 100% rush more.
• 41:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I do think right now, if you look at the coaches since Dick Kyle, or certainly since Lovey, Nagy's been the best one, he's been the most successful one.
• 41:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so it's like, we're always, I think,
• 41:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like we always have to have met Nagin the back of our minds as we watch this because he did kind of sweep up the city and that team was so much fun.
• 41:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now we don't have to get in the weeds about
• 41:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: the differences between two coaches because I've certainly have some observations on that, but it is, it is worth noting that like the bears had a young offensive mind, energetic guy who had a post-game tradition that social media loved and the players bought in and they won the division and all these things and they were taking the batball away all the time and their offensive trick plays with cool
• 41:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: There are differences between the two, but yeah, you always kind of have to, like, I even had a buddy text me this morning, like, and this is fun, but I just keep thinking, so it was Matt Nagy and look what happened.
• 42:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I understand for bears, it's hard to kind of get out of that, that mindset of like, when is the other sugar going to drop, which is again goes back to my original point, Bill, enjoy the ride, it's been fun right now, just enjoy it and see where it goes.
• 42:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, 100% and I have concerns about this regime moving forward.
• 42:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I don't need to get into my Ryan polls criticisms right now because things things are right and high and things are fun.
• 42:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: But like you said, things fall apart in 2018 and I think that's a good transition to get to the quarterback because obviously the quarterback not taking that step in 2019 and moving forward in 2020 is really the there were other issues as well.
• 42:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that was really the core issue as to why that started to fall apart.
• 42:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that brings us to Caleb Williams, who's definitely had an up and down season.
• 42:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's definitely things we need to see improve, but we've seen a lot of things improve, especially the sack avoidance and that sack rate going down, the yards per attempt is better.
• 43:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Even though the completion percentage hasn't risen, like even Ben Johnson wanted, you know, putting that 70% out there.
• 43:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not going to come anywhere near that.
• 43:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: But again, what we can enjoy is how well Caleb Williams has consistently played in the fourth quarter when it matters most.
• 43:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So where are you on Caleb Williams development?
• 43:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, it does seem like he has the clutch gene, but there's some some some of the simpler things he needs to clean up.
• 43:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: What have you seen from him so far?
• 43:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's similar to Ben Johnson in terms of ride the roller coaster and see where it takes you.
• 43:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think like, you know,
• 43:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: or early winter 2019, this probably just isn't there.
• 43:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that was year three for him, year two, and Matt and Maggie system.
• 43:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at Justin Fields, and it was kind of similar, you know, year two, and this is probably the most generous timeline.
• 43:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: And these are not specific, obviously, and some people might have known earlier that it wasn't gonna work.
• 44:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Some people still believe it should have worked.
• 44:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, with fields, like I remember after that chief's debacle in 2023, like that was the first time I kind of wrote, you know, this just, this just isn't working.
• 44:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's time to kind of think about what's next.
• 44:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, if you use those two timelines, you know, next fall, I think is it is a great, you know, landmark for cable aims when you get kind of that full offices in Ben Johnson, it's a year two in that playbook.
• 44:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, you'd like to think that Ryan Polls can, and with Ben Johnson now there for the entire draft and Fransy process.
• 44:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he was this year too, but it's just a little different.
• 44:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had to kind of hit a lot of things he had to worry about last winter as well.
• 44:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: That that's going to be a fascinating barometer.
• 44:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you said, I think like you can't teach that clutch gene and I think Caleb Williams abilities in the fourth quarter have really shown and they shouldn't be ignored.
• 45:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you know the final thing Bill about Caleb and he he brought this up last week he wants to stay in the pocket and throw.
• 45:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like that's he wants to be a throwing quarterback.
• 45:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: He just happens to have this really impressive ability to throw on the run and the press ability to feel pressure and spin out of it and he's quick and he could take off for you and you know, I think a fair critique of Caleb Williams is sometimes he hasn't run as much as he should or something and the throws on the run have not been as accurate as we've been accustomed to with him.
• 45:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Those are things to work on but yeah, the accuracy thing to me is number one.
• 45:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think his awareness has been good.
• 45:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel like I feel like unlike some of the other quarterbacks we've seen Chicago, he seems to go to the right read more often than not.
• 45:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so it's not, you know, I don't, I'm not as worried about like the reading, the defense and stuff or are understanding the play.
• 45:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mike, my thing with him still is just,
• 45:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Does he escape the pocket too quickly?
• 45:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Does he miss opportunities for check downs here and there?
• 46:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, all those things I think have improved from last year.
• 46:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Look, he's, he's not doing this year what Drake may as doing.
• 46:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's okay.
• 46:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it's, I think it's fair to compare the two.
• 46:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's not even doing what Jan Daniels did last year.
• 46:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he's also been better than a lot of guys who have come through here.
• 46:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I am still looking forward to watching this thing grow, watching this thing progress.
• 46:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I can't, unfortunately Bill, like November 18th, I can't sit here and say he's gonna be the guy for next 10 years.
• 46:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I also can't sit, and that's okay.
• 46:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: You would love to be able to sit in January.
• 46:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know, maybe we will, but I don't know if we're going to get there.
• 46:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I think that's a fair point to be at.
• 46:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Caleb Williams is going to see a second contract here in Chicago, and I feel pretty confident about it.
• 46:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Assume, and that's, but that is making assumptions that there is a cleaner operation.
• 46:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, there's a, you know, it's better in 2025 than it was in 2024, and then it would be better in 2026 than it is in 2025.
• 47:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm there, but I do understand it, but I did want to ask you before we do, you know, take a little break for bears and ask you one Vikings question, be in you or there and saw him play.
• 47:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: The J. J. McCarthy's situation, I think the Vikings have made a grave error and I understand you can't write off J. J. McCarthy doesn't even have a full season of reps underneath them.
• 47:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I will also say, you know, because you people will point, oh, we'll look what he did against the bears in the fourth quarter and he almost did it again.
• 47:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, Mitch Tribisky had highlights that were outstanding.
• 47:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, shredded man defenses and had come from behind victories in the fourth quarter as well.
• 47:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there are quarterbacks who are QB2s in the league that can shine when their younger is QB1s.
• 47:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: The amount of Aaron throws, he has the turnovers.
• 47:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Where JJ McCarthy's at, especially being the fact that they did have Sam Donald and Daniel Jones in the building last year, if I was a Minnesota Vikings fan, I would be really concerned about the quarterback position
• 48:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: those two guys in the buildings and you know reportedly were in conversation with Aaron Rodgers too.
• 48:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it doesn't seem like they certainly didn't come to this decision hastily, but yeah, it was jarring bill to see it in person.
• 48:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I've been certainly reading and following and, you know, talking to, you know, colleagues in Minnesota about it and, but just to see it, just to see him just airmanly guys,
• 48:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: After watching a Michigan where you know, I know he wasn't this guy throwing the ball over the yard at Michigan, but like I really liked his Michigan tape.
• 48:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I really like saw things.
• 48:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was like, I see why NFL teams love this guy.
• 48:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I just the stuff he did on third down there and you know, the stuff he didn't like there was just a lot to like the bears really like JJ McCarthy.
• 48:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that's that's something that's like,
• 48:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know where you begin there.
• 48:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, what that said, to touch on something I mentioned to your last question, it's Chicago.
• 49:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I like to give these guys into their second years with the playbook, and it seems like with McCarthy, like as it's so bad, they're like,
• 49:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: all like how much of a grave air as you said, kind of was this.
• 49:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it's, it's interesting.
• 49:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: What was really fascinating to me about that game, Bill, I'm curious if you kind of observers as well.
• 49:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Vikings, every time they ran the ball, they got six yards, it seemed like every time.
• 49:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then it'd be third and three in JJ's back, going back to pass.
• 49:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I was just like, what is Kevin O'Connell doing?
• 49:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it kind of, you know, Mike Sando, my colleague kind of touched on the difference between Kevin O'Connell, handling Jason McCarthy, and Ben Johnson, K. Williams.
• 49:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: The bears were not running the ball very well.
• 49:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Ben Johnson ran it 30 plus times.
• 49:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Kevin O'Connell, to me, it reminded me of some of the Mad Nagli stuff that you know, just Matt,
• 49:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a quarterback.
• 50:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a throw he's a guy who wants to offense to throw the football and and I just wondered if like that was going out a little bit Kevin O'Connor were just like he just he wants his quarterback to know which I get it, but man like if they just ran the ball out.
• 50:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: throughout like the third quarter.
• 50:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that gave might have got a little different.
• 50:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, it's it's going to be a very interesting thing to watch in Minnesota.
• 50:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I hope they figured out because again, you roof, you don't want to see guy like that just become a total bus and he was so fun to watch earlier, you know, in his college career, but that's that's going to be a very, very fascinating in development to see.
• 50:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it really is, and I agree with you, there were opportunities there for Minnesota to run the ball more, but you do kind of see the trend that offensive coaches want to throw and defensive coaches want to run and that just kind of seems to be almost universal in the lead, but, you know, speaking of running the football, let me ask you about the bears offensive line because obviously this unit is is vastly improved from last year.
• 51:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: you know, it's been really positive and Theo Bennett is a great story, but Theo Bennett it certainly has some flaws in his game, it certainly has impacted their past protection, you know, and it almost the the the running play at the end of the game against Minnesota where Swift lost a few yards, almost knocked about a feelable range again.
• 51:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was that was Bennett's block that came down and made the tackle.
• 51:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there there's issues there with Theo,
• 51:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Where are you on this offensive line unit as a whole?
• 51:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And do you trust Theo Bennett at moving forward?
• 51:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or do you think they need to try something else?
• 51:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, I remember talking to Robert Mays about this in the summer.
• 51:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And we were talking about the left tackle spots at time.
• 51:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Moses is going to be Braxon Jones is going to be Aussie Chapelo is going to be Karadama Gaji at that point.
• 51:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Theo Bennett it was fourth in line.
• 51:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And remember we kind of said like if you're the fifth best offence of Lyman on this group, you know, like that's that's what we're talking about here and it's not meant as a slight at At Benedict just look at the guys who's up there with them and look at where he's at in his experience level just you get it so it's
• 52:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: it's this balance of it's okay for that guy to be the fifth best.
• 52:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: It just can't be a liability.
• 52:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You just can't teeter on that line where it's costing you and I think that they love what he does in the run game and I think they really see and also you've got to
• 52:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, touching your point up being a good story, you got to give some credits to Ben Johnson staff that like they could have taken a one look at this guy and just gone not our guy, not our problem, you know, we're moving we're not even going to give him a look so it's credit to them, but yeah, like.
• 52:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, does Azizia Pillow?
• 52:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, we don't get to watch all practice.
• 52:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'd like to think Azizia Pillow's getting some left tackle reps and practice and does he do he reach a point where Azizia's just performing a really high level and they feel like there can be a competition there.
• 52:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: My guess is deal gets the rest of the season.
• 53:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: just because they're kind of rolling right now and, you know, you want that continuity and they just got, you know, periodically that might have to find ways to help them and then you have a, you have an interesting conversation.
• 53:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's funny, Bill, because I remember back in the summer, I said the ideal situation for the bear's left tackle spot would be if Braxton Jones played all year was salad was what Braxton Jones brings you.
• 53:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you felt great about what Aacitra Prollo could be.
• 53:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jones moves on, signs elsewhere.
• 53:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You get a cop pick or at least helps your cop pick formula.
• 53:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you have a guy in house who can start day one for you and you feel really good about that.
• 53:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: In a way, I kind of feel like that's still, it's a different calculation now with Theo and we're a fraction of Jones's.
• 53:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: But like,
• 53:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: you know, a lot of this future stuff hinges on what Azita Pillo can be.
• 53:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if the answer after a full year of watching him is like, you know, maybe he's just going to be a long turn back up for us.
• 54:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then you've got to have serious conversations about left tackle because you want to get in a bigger picture bill.
• 54:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at, you talk about second contract.
• 54:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at the window that operate in right now.
• 54:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you feel like 2026 can be,
• 54:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: a massive year, a massive opportunity.
• 54:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: It has to be, yeah.
• 54:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then you need to feel great about that position.
• 54:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether that's the obeyed it, whether it's as it should pillow, whether that is going out and signing a veteran or using your first round pick on it.
• 54:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's gonna be, yeah, I think left tackle is at defense event or kind of those two positions where it's gonna be, that premium spots and they're gonna be, you know, top of mine come January through April.
• 54:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I'll ask you a one kind of other big picture question about left tackle because, you know, you talked about maybe making a move for 2026.
• 54:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're kind of up against it on the cap and they're going to have to move some money around and maybe cut or trade a couple veterans here.
• 55:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's I think it's going to be an interesting all season for Chicago, but they like you said bring in a veteran.
• 55:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: They may not be able to spend 15, 20, 25 million a year on a left tackle.
• 55:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It may have to be a first run picker a second run pick, but putting that aside.
• 55:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: because maybe the board doesn't fall that way.
• 55:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And obviously, you can sit there and say, oh, they should draft one.
• 55:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they're unable to draft one for whatever reason, would you consider moving Darnel right to the left side?
• 55:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Aussie Trepello can play on the right side.
• 55:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think it's a conversation you have.
• 55:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Frankly, I'm surprised that they didn't
• 55:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: try it.
• 55:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: They said they were going to be open to it and then they kind of didn't and I don't really know the ins and outs of that and you know it's really intriguing because as you said at the top Darnel Rye is playing like an all-pro right now.
• 55:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, do you take advantage of that and see what it can be on the left side?
• 55:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you think Azir Chabillo can be really good on the right side, and then you're really in your great situation.
• 56:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think it's going to be, it might be, you know, I would expect that to be a question around polls in January about that plan.
• 56:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: The other thing with Donald Wright is he is eligible for a contract extension at the end of the season.
• 56:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't mean he can get it, but if you're Donald Wright's people who you're thinking,
• 56:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: You want us to move to left tackle?
• 56:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right.
• 56:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: We see what the money is offering to leftize on the left side.
• 56:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that could be a factor in that conversation.
• 56:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that's an interesting one.
• 56:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because if they really think Trapillos add as best to the right side, and then they think they're now right can handle the left.
• 56:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you get them the full winter spring summer to figure it out.
• 56:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: That might be the best five.
• 56:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 56:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, it could be.
• 56:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm going to be fascinated how they approach the offensive line in the off season.
• 56:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let me just ask you about the two rookies Luther burden and Colston Lovelin.
• 56:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think we've seen a lot of growth out of them.
• 57:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last couple weeks burdens.
• 57:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Snap count is really jumps seems like Ben Johnson's finally starting to trust him in the offense.
• 57:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Whatever it was, why his Snap count was limited earlier, whatever the reason was there.
• 57:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I assume it was just growth and development.
• 57:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what have you seen from these two because it seems if these two really come into their stride and really start playing well down the stretch that's going to open up different avenues to this offense?
• 57:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, when the numbers were down, and a loved one had the injury too, like, I got to tell you, though, I was never concerned about him.
• 57:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I saw more than enough in training camp to be like, okay, I don't know what this guy could be, but he's not going to be a bust.
• 57:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought, or might have been the Baltimore game.
• 57:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember the Baltimore game end of the first half?
• 57:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: They kind of, the offense got kind of out of sync and they ended up having a backup.
• 57:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: They got back down, there was an intentional grounding.
• 57:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I want to say it was a Baltimore game.
• 57:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I remember talking to Kable, he was afterwards, and he said, maybe he was on Wednesday, he said something about, be able to trust throwing the ball down to coast and love and let him get 10, 15 yards because he's Kable that.
• 58:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Fast forward in Minnesota, third and 13, love one kind of a delayed leak out in the middle of field, Caleb hits him and there he goes.
• 58:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's just like, he's a batting ram and he's got wide receiver traits and a tight-ends body.
• 58:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's been good at blocking too.
• 58:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think if you watch that last run from Swift, you can see love one and commit.
• 58:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really doing a nice job on the right side there.
• 58:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think Bear's answer is we're really excited about what Lovelin can be.
• 58:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Bird and like, he's everything they told us he was going to be.
• 58:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You put the ball on his hands.
• 58:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's electric.
• 58:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He does some great things.
• 58:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was stunning to see him drop a pass.
• 58:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because I think up in, how do you do that game?
• 58:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had caught 16 of the 18 balls thrown his way.
• 58:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that was,
• 58:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: a bit jarring.
• 58:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: You hope it was just a one-off and doesn't get in his head obviously a young player.
• 59:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think with Bird and I think one of the reasons to took some time was just that rookie of like knowing everything you need to know, play a bookwise for the coaches to kind of trust you out there.
• 59:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's kind of a lot, you know, we see that with rookies all the time.
• 59:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the skills that's there.
• 59:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think it's
• 59:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think though I'm not going to sit here and say like oh Ryan polls hit we got you know the bears are set with these two guys for the next five ten years but I think we've seen really positive things from them as rookies and if their numbers are not Tyler Warren and I don't know who the best rookie by oh Abuka right now is the best rookie receiver I don't think that's a slight on them
• 59:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 59:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let me ask you about the defensive side of the ball.
• 59:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, there's, there's a lot of different averages we can get to.
• 59:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't need to dive in every aspect of it, but, you know, Jalen Johnson, Kylo Gordon, maybe they're coming back here in the next couple of weeks.
• 59:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: That would be a big boost to the secondary.
• 1:00:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: But, you know, the defense, I know last points were put up on the board by Minnesota, but at the same time, J. J. McCarthy, as we talked about earlier, he missed a lot of open receivers and that could have been a very different game.
• 1:00:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've seen a defense that definitely has some warts.
• 1:00:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Where are you at this defense and is there anything you think, I mean, there's obviously they didn't make any big moves at the deadline.
• 1:00:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: What what can maybe this team do to maybe improve the past rush and do some of the things they need to do to try and be a more consistent defense that can do more than just turn the football over because if they don't turn the football over, they're going up 450 yards ball fence.
• 1:00:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you know, he kind of need Montez sweat to play like Superman.
• 1:00:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's number one.
• 1:00:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And in sweats defense, I think over the last month, he's played really well.
• 1:00:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Vikings game, he had the, he batted down that one pass, another quarterback head didn't get the sack, didn't get maybe that impact, the major impact play, although if they, if they'd forced,
• 1:01:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: a turnover on downs.
• 1:01:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he got that pass bad at I'm third down.
• 1:01:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'd be talking more about that play.
• 1:01:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think when you look at the roster and as you said, like, this is who they've got.
• 1:01:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's the old Jean Hackman.
• 1:01:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: My team is on the field.
• 1:01:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like,
• 1:01:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: that's the guy that needs to just continue to be a force for you because if he starts commanding more attention, like the hope is that could open things up.
• 1:01:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Austin Buggers done some nice things.
• 1:01:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: The coaches seem to trust him at Tony played 51 of the 54 snaps on Sunday, Minnesota.
• 1:01:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're talking about
• 1:01:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, on a fourth round pick, who missed the first seven games this season, that that's telling, but to me, it starts with sweat and then,
• 1:01:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think we all know what he's capable of and we all have seen him make those splash plays.
• 1:01:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And like the dude is just, there's not many people in the world built like him that can do the things that he can do.
• 1:02:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think from a numbers standpoint, he's actually done a fine job, but like what level can he get to?
• 1:02:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: because that's the flip side.
• 1:02:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, month is what is someone, okay, you know what he can be, let's try to get it consistently.
• 1:02:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: What's your van dexter, you think you know what he could be, can he get his game up to some ridiculous level that he hasn't reached yet?
• 1:02:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because I think that's what you're looking for is you need like your young guys to pop.
• 1:02:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: You need dexter to pop.
• 1:02:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: You need book her to pop.
• 1:02:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's it's just a shame that we don't get to see Schumart turn of the rest of the year because I thought he has started to do some nice things there before the injury, but that's that's what you're looking for because the rest of the defense he kind of know what these guys can do, but so that's why you look at these second, third, fourth year guys.
• 1:03:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Could you go back to 2018 comparison bill?
• 1:03:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was some guys on defense in 2018.
• 1:03:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what they did.
• 1:03:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: They had career years.
• 1:03:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then things kind of tailed off for some of those guys in 1920.
• 1:03:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was part of the reason that group couldn't reclaim that.
• 1:03:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that's what you're looking for is you've got to, if this defeat like right now for 2025, you need the guys who are out there to try to take their game to levels that they haven't been to.
• 1:03:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, and last question for you here on the defense for 2026 buyer, and I'm going to ask you about these three guys in the secondary and terrain admins with Tyrex Stevenson eligible for a contract extension with buyer and brisker both being free agents and terrain admins having pretty much no guaranteed money left, and that's $18 million with the bears being up against the cap.
• 1:03:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: who would you re-sign, who would you let walk and including Tramade Evans, would you pick up that last year of his contract?
• 1:04:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Man, tough questions.
• 1:04:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is, it's, it's, it's, Tramade Evans has been one of the best players in the defense.
• 1:04:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: 100%.
• 1:04:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, and he's still young.
• 1:04:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, I, I think you got to move forward with him, especially when we know how important that linebacker spot is and Dennis Allen's scheme.
• 1:04:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think, I think Tyreach Stephenson, I think,
• 1:04:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think with Stevenson and Brisker, I think it is.
• 1:04:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Those two are probably.
• 1:04:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I don't think, I don't think you have to give Tyre Stevenson an extension after this year.
• 1:04:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's done some really nice things.
• 1:04:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Then I'm going back a little back and forth.
• 1:04:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's hard to figure this out.
• 1:04:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's hard.
• 1:04:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you know what, I remember I'm ever seen down Ryan Polls in 2024.
• 1:04:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he said he talked about one of the things he really took note of the chiefs is if you have success, that's when the real tough decisions come and that's what he's going to face this off season.
• 1:05:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, like there's guys at corner which makes you feel like maybe you don't need to extend Stevenson, but then again, like if he continues to play the way he's played, you could argue he's earned it.
• 1:05:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the sad thing about the way these things are in Bill, you know how much of a business is is they can look at Jokwan Bersker and say some of his injury stuff were just too nervous to be able to give you
• 1:05:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: a big contract with Kevin Bire, they could look at his age and say, you've had a great year for most, but like, you know, can you bring Bire back in a one year deal?
• 1:05:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, those are all tough questions.
• 1:06:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Good problems to have.
• 1:06:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think I gave you an answer because I'm all of, I think the one thing I feel confident about is I think you have to keep elements.
• 1:06:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know it's massive, not number, but I think you have to keep him when you consider his age, his ability and you don't have anybody else at that position
• 1:06:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Could you extend them and bring that cap number down for 2026?
• 1:06:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe that's that's something else they could do.
• 1:06:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there is Kevin Fishbane.
• 1:06:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can read them at the athletic and of course check out the podcast breaking in where he talks to a lot of great media members on how they got their careers started.
• 1:06:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Huge guest list there.
• 1:06:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Make sure you check it out.
• 1:06:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kevin, thanks for so much time.
• 1:06:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Great interview and we'll do it down the line.
• 1:06:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: All right.
• 1:06:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Take care, Bill.
• 1:06:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 1:06:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: There he is.
• 1:06:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kevin Fishbane, everybody.
• 1:06:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Always good interview with Kevin Hope you enjoyed that one as much as I do.
• 1:06:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I do mean it.
• 1:06:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Make sure you check out his podcast.
• 1:06:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got a lot of really good broadcasters on that podcast already.
• 1:06:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's only been going a couple of months.
• 1:06:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if you like broadcasting, if you want to hear from broadcasters, I highly recommend checking that out.
• 1:07:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So of course, let's not forget, little mention of the Second City Grand Iron Merchandise, make sure you pick up Second City Grand Iron Merchandise.
• 1:07:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you listen to this channel, support this channel, support its creators.
• 1:07:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are trying to give you the best bears content
• 1:07:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, you know, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a hat, whatever it might be, we would be very appreciative of you if you went out and did that for us and got that second city grid iron name out there in the Chicago Bears world.
• 1:07:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: So.
• 1:07:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: let's get to the mail bag mail bag a little shorter this year because Twitter didn't want to work today.
• 1:07:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know it technically wasn't their fault, whatever cloud, whatever was down.
• 1:07:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's yeah, it's a little alarming how easily like half the internet could just disappear because of software companies having problems one morning.
• 1:08:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I understand the internet.
• 1:08:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, you put it up there.
• 1:08:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's there forever.
• 1:08:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or it's
• 1:08:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: is it?
• 1:08:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or is it only up there for as long as these software companies exist?
• 1:08:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because I swear to God sometimes it's a little alarming how easily it becomes problematic here.
• 1:08:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, intermittent on Twitter all morning here at the time when recording this.
• 1:08:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, not too many responses, but thank you for those of you who did get them in, but that's okay because I have things I need to talk about out the bears upcoming game.
• 1:08:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be more than 90 seconds.
• 1:08:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: So,
• 1:08:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: With the stories of polls calling about Garrett and Germaine Johnson, Do you think he takes a big swing next off season for a past Russia?
• 1:08:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe.
• 1:08:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: How about that for a non-committal answer, Joe?
• 1:08:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Look, the problem here is salaries and what they're going to do on the defensive side of the ball.
• 1:08:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Does it make sense for them to swing for a big time past rushing presence?
• 1:08:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, it does.
• 1:08:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: 100% will they?
• 1:08:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know because they don't have the money to do it.
• 1:09:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they don't have the money to do it.
• 1:09:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Really, if they move a bunch of guys around, like they got to make money, they got to move money around just having enough to fill out the roster.
• 1:09:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: So taking that a step further, they really need to get creative in terms of how they're going to do things.
• 1:09:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, you want to tell me that they're going to do a sign and trade with a team and trade Montez sweat and get a legit big time top five pass rusher in here and sweat some money comes off the board and that new team has a viable player and the bears bring in a
• 1:09:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
• 1:09:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, then that's a creative way the bears can go about doing that.
• 1:09:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: That doesn't solve their issue on the other side and the problem here is and look Joe, this is where we're going to start having these questions and I don't want to spend too much time focused on negatives because I'm excited the bears are in first place, but they went out and gave $48 million to die on Engbo.
• 1:09:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Two thirds of that is guaranteed, which means Dio Bengos coming back next year.
• 1:10:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: It makes no sense to cut him.
• 1:10:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to eat way too much in the money.
• 1:10:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Unless there's he's willing to give him an injury settlement based on the injury.
• 1:10:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got this here.
• 1:10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: which if he doesn't, then bears to stock with him next year.
• 1:10:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: He may not be a viable player coming off that injury.
• 1:10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's a bad signing.
• 1:10:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's not a bad signing because he got hurt.
• 1:10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't help that he got hurt, but he wasn't productive beforehand.
• 1:10:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I said in the moment, I don't like that.
• 1:10:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think you're playing for a player for what you think he might become, not for who he is.
• 1:10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's gave a bad contract to Odango right now.
• 1:10:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: They gave a bad contract to Grady Jarrett.
• 1:10:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now maybe Grady Jarrett recovers.
• 1:10:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe his issue has been he's been playing hurt and he hasn't been able to be as fully explosive as he needs to me.
• 1:10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was better against Minnesota.
• 1:10:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe he's much better here down the stretch.
• 1:10:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what Grady Jarrett has been so far hasn't been worth the money he was given.
• 1:10:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when the bears suddenly have big dollars committed to nonproductive players, and you say, well, they go out and get a big edge, they may not have the money to do it.
• 1:11:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've already got per year.
• 1:11:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: What do they already have?
• 1:11:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Come in, you know, 55, 60 million coming across the board on the defensive line.
• 1:11:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't spend your entire cap on the trenches.
• 1:11:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's important, you should spend a big chunk on it, but they may not have the money.
• 1:11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: to go out and get an edge next year, unless they get really creative or really hard and strict with who's staying and who's going.
• 1:11:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Joe, I really can't answer that right now.
• 1:11:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wish I could give you a better answer, but it's really dependent on how they decide to structure things this off season, because they do have to get creative in terms of how they're gonna make everything work in 20, 20, 16.
• 1:11:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Number one, does Booker have when it takes to be the man, or is he just a situational russia?
• 1:11:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Two, the secondary has been a strength despite injuries, don't brutalize me too much, but how much better could we expect them to be with Johnson and Gordon back turnovers to crease?
• 1:12:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, I don't think turnovers would decrease.
• 1:12:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Look, nation, right, is getting turnovers, but I think that's because largely, because of the Dennis Allen scheme, I don't think nation, right, is some incredible ball hawk.
• 1:12:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Kyler Gordon absolutely has to be at night, you know, Jalen had the year a couple years ago where we was getting a heavy amount of picks.
• 1:12:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not necessarily a pick guy, but even if even if the turnovers do decrease and look, they're not consistent.
• 1:12:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: They had a little wall here.
• 1:12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: They got some more largely because JJ McCarthy is terrible, but
• 1:12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: bottom line here is, and I said it before, if they get both these guys back, and you can have the, the threesome of Tyreech, Jalen, and Kyle are out there at corner, and brisker and buyer, that is a, an elite secondary, and you've still got CJ Gardner Johnson, and the nice thing about CJ, he can play safety, he can play nickel, he can do some different things.
• 1:13:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: you want to do dime packages and get CJ out there, maybe drop to one back or maybe drop to three down defensive linemen, get some creativity going out there, you know, you do three down defensive linemen, but you blitz a linebacker, you blitz someone from the secondary because at that point, brisker.
• 1:13:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they go about it.
• 1:13:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Edwards, Edmunds, Brisker, CJ and Tyreek to an extent and Kyler, they're all good blitzers.
• 1:13:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got a lot of good blitzers coming from the back seven.
• 1:13:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: So to me, what this does if they get really healthy is Dennis Allen can get more creative on blitz packages and be more confident that he's going to be able to have sticky coverage
• 1:13:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: the quarterback won't be able to torch the blitz when he brings it, given them more opportunity for that blitz to work.
• 1:13:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: So to me, getting these guys back, you know, it is the hope in terms of how this defense improves.
• 1:13:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because right now, and you know, you heard me ask it to, uh, to Kevin Fishway in there.
• 1:14:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: right now there's not a lot they can do.
• 1:14:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's get healthy and then how much of a strength can the back seven be in terms of helping out the front four, which is insufficient if we're just being honest.
• 1:14:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: JD Brown.
• 1:14:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hear those fish can have a real wet blanket effect.
• 1:14:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Will you be playing the role of the optimist for the season and what we've seen so far in the next banter?
• 1:14:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: So he's asking about my, I said, you know, let's go fishing or some mail bag questions.
• 1:14:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the hit Kevin Fishbain.
• 1:14:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And yes, I think Kevin's overall pretty optimistic.
• 1:14:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, he's got some concerns and criticisms about Caleb and the viability.
• 1:14:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: right now.
• 1:14:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Chicago Bears are winning football games on Orthodox.
• 1:14:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not pretty.
• 1:14:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Whatever you want to call it, the Chicago Bears are winning football games.
• 1:14:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And last one, I'm saving this for last because it transitions into where we're at.
• 1:15:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cab Manning.
• 1:15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Would you rather?
• 1:15:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: beat Aaron Rogers or beat Green Bay in Chicago.
• 1:15:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: He says, it's a hard choice.
• 1:15:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lost to Green Bay so much.
• 1:15:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's one more time?
• 1:15:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: A lot more years to beat them.
• 1:15:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's last chance to stick it to Rogers on his way out the door.
• 1:15:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Rogers, doubt he will play though.
• 1:15:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 1:15:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's get to that here.
• 1:15:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna clear my throat hang up.
• 1:15:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, cav and two bears fandom.
• 1:15:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's talk about this week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• 1:15:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna say something I don't say very much.
• 1:15:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ever, to anyone, there's a few people that are on this list, but there's not many.
• 1:15:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hate.
• 1:15:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rodgers.
• 1:15:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love Aaron Rodgers.
• 1:15:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It certainly doesn't help about who Aaron Rodgers, what he did this is Chicago Bears for 15 years.
• 1:16:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it's who Aaron Rodgers is as well.
• 1:16:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: for people who are not criminals, because I think there's this distinction, right?
• 1:16:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are horrible human beings that have done horrible things to people, and they are in prison for lifetimes.
• 1:16:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not counting those people.
• 1:16:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of people who are just pardon my French assholes.
• 1:16:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rogers is possibly number one on my list in life.
• 1:16:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loath this person this much.
• 1:16:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the fact that he has taken my favorite football team and slapped them around for 15 years,
• 1:16:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: is enough for me to want to puke every time I think about this guy.
• 1:16:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: The owning, the cockiness, the belittling, everything he's done.
• 1:17:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he is a terrible human being.
• 1:17:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Whatever people want to say about him, he is a terrible human being.
• 1:17:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Politics aside, I'm not even talking about his anti-vaxxed stuff and all that stuff.
• 1:17:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And yes,
• 1:17:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm liberal, I don't like Aaron Rogers politics, but that aside, like he doesn't talk to his family, the idea, like you see his ex-girlfriends talking about how he treats them, he is a bad human being.
• 1:17:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: His teammates, a lot of them talk about him, and not so generous of a light when they're no longer with him.
• 1:17:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: You saw what he did.
• 1:17:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: to poor Broderick Jones because Broderick Jones was excited and look, Broderick Jones tackled his 40-year-old quarterback, you know, a few weeks ago.
• 1:17:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get it.
• 1:17:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't do that.
• 1:17:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: You could hurt Aaron Rodgers.
• 1:17:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a frail, frail old man.
• 1:17:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get it.
• 1:17:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rodgers get up, pull your offensive lineman aside, who's trying to keep defensive players off your ass because you can't move anymore and you're going to see
• 1:17:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: yell at him and be little him in a national television in front of everyone on the side.
• 1:18:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Put your arm around and be like, look, kid, can't do that to me, bud.
• 1:18:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 1:18:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Find someone else's 25 years old and jump on their back.
• 1:18:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can't do that to me, man.
• 1:18:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are playing.
• 1:18:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are playing the same game, but we are playing two different games.
• 1:18:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: You cannot do that to me.
• 1:18:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 1:18:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, go out there and knock somebody's head off.
• 1:18:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what you do.
• 1:18:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're a leader, Aaron Rogers doesn't do that.
• 1:18:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: He gets up, pushes them, and treats the kid like crap.
• 1:18:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because that's who Aaron Rogers is.
• 1:18:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that human being.
• 1:18:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, canvve, I would
• 1:18:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now again, for the Chicago Bears to make the playoffs, they need to split with the Green Bay Packers.
• 1:18:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they beat the Green Bay Packers twice, then they're almost certainly gonna be in the playoffs this year because that's nine wins and you win like one more and now you've basically given, you've knocked out the Packers is what you've done if you beat them twice.
• 1:18:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right, that you're giving them five losses.
• 1:18:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: They've got some tough games coming up.
• 1:18:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Packers go nine, seven and one, they're toast.
• 1:19:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if the bears beat them twice, they're going to just finish off the Packers.
• 1:19:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: But to make the playoffs they need to split with the Packers.
• 1:19:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So to make the playoffs, yes, you'd rather have the bears beat the Packers.
• 1:19:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's more important.
• 1:19:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: But for me personally, for 15 years of humiliation and 15 years of just building up, just the anger and agitation and just disgust I have for that man.
• 1:19:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, 100% I want to beat Aaron Rogers.
• 1:19:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Aaron Rogers to play the worst football game he's ever done.
• 1:19:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Aaron Rogers to look like what he did a couple of weeks ago on national television where he was a humiliation, his QBR I think was four, whatever it was, I'm not exaggerating.
• 1:19:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Go look it up.
• 1:19:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want that Aaron Rodgers against the Chicago Bears.
• 1:19:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Dennis Allen to dial up blitzes, not Kim on his ass.
• 1:19:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want interceptions galore.
• 1:20:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Aaron Rodgers to walk out a soldier field with his tail between his legs.
• 1:20:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: because he got humiliated the last time he played the Chicago Bears.
• 1:20:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you could have all the success.
• 1:20:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: You could have the Randall Cobb play.
• 1:20:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: You could have all the BS.
• 1:20:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's done the Bears over the years.
• 1:20:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the final taste in his mouth is going to be bitter.
• 1:20:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he's going to know that Chicago got the best of them.
• 1:20:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last time he played him.
• 1:20:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So yes, cab, I want Aaron Rogers to play and I would much rather risk.
• 1:20:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rogers being the bears and have in 350 yards and three touchdowns just so they have the opportunity.
• 1:20:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: to just dismantle him and make him look like the old decrepit quarterback that he is and send him off with his head hung low.
• 1:21:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what I want, Cav.
• 1:21:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't need Mason Rudolph playing.
• 1:21:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bears beat Rudolph, Lucy Rudolph, whatever.
• 1:21:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want Aaron Rogers and I want to beat his
• 1:21:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: ass.
• 1:21:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: As for the prediction, bears are winning this week.
• 1:21:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Rudolph or Rogers, they're winning this football game.
• 1:21:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am confident about it.
• 1:21:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I don't think this is coming on the last second majestic and pulling one out of there.
• 1:21:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know what?
• 1:21:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they win this game.
• 1:21:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they win it handily.
• 1:21:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they win by 10 points, 14 points.
• 1:21:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they are going to deliver a
• 1:21:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: beat down to this organization.
• 1:21:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just feel it.
• 1:21:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like things are going to really come together this week for the Chicago Bears.
• 1:21:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't have it other than the vibes, baby.
• 1:21:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have it in the vibes.
• 1:21:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I hope Aaron Rodgers plays.
• 1:21:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And right now they're saying at the time of this recording, he does not need surgery.
• 1:21:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: He does have a broken bone in his non-throwing hand.
• 1:22:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's just a matter of wrapping it and protecting it.
• 1:22:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, this is 20, 25, baby, protect it and get them out here.
• 1:22:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: You got Aaron wants to play, Aaron wants to play.
• 1:22:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Aaron Rodgers wants to play in this game, he's going to play in this game.
• 1:22:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: If Aaron Rodgers doesn't play in this game, he doesn't want to play the Chicago Bears team.
• 1:22:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I said it, that's what this comes down to.
• 1:22:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rodgers is played with a ripped-up knee for half a season.
• 1:22:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: He can absolutely play through a small fracture in his wrist in his non-throw-in-hand.
• 1:22:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: He doesn't do anything with it.
• 1:22:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a one-armed quarterback.
• 1:22:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: He doesn't move at this point.
• 1:22:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Aaron Rodgers can play if Aaron Rodgers wants to play.
• 1:22:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And let's beat his ass.
• 1:22:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's going to do it for Bear's banter.
• 1:22:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk to you next week.
• 1:22:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bear it out, everybody.
• 1:22:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you?