Latest / 2nd City Gridiron / Bears Banter Ep. 248: Ant Herron joins as Bears win in historic fashion!

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Bears Banter Ep. 248: Ant Herron joins as Bears win in historic fashion! · 2nd City Gridiron

0:03
[UNKNOWN]: Thank you for watching!
0:19
[SPEAKER_01]: That's right, fair round bears fans decide for another edition of the Chicago Bears Podcasts Bears fanter powered by Second City Grand Iron Bill Zimmerman with you and we!
0:35
[SPEAKER_01]: are here and we are broadcasting a beautiful podcast after the Chicago Bears almost not just 60 burner on the Carolina Panthers 59 37 final we are gonna talk about this maybe.
0:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're going to talk about it with Anthony Heron, you know, from Box 32, you know, from 670 the score.
0:59
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're a college football guy, you know him from the big 10 network.
1:03
[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to be buying a little bit.
1:04
[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to talk about what he saw on the field as the bears just have an incredible performance.
1:13
[SPEAKER_01]: At least offensively, we're going to talk about the defense to at least offensively.
1:18
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to talk about what we saw.
1:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And let's just jump in here because this, like, look, last week on the podcast, I said 34 or 24, well, a lot of people were saying, you know, week one, the offense isn't going to get going.
1:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought the offense, you know, good as advertised kind of thing.
1:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I believe is what I said last week.
1:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And I thought they were going to have a big game in score in the 30s.
1:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't even think like,
1:44
[SPEAKER_01]: 41 points was off the table.
1:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I really thought the offense was going to play well.
1:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Did I see this coming?
1:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Did anybody see this coming?
1:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Nobody in the world saw this coming.
1:56
[SPEAKER_01]: That isn't in that Chicago Bears locker room.
1:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Because I'm guessing Ben Johnson saw this one coming.
2:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm guessing Caleb Williams saw this one.
2:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe they didn't think 59 points, but they knew what this offense is, what it can be.
2:10
[SPEAKER_01]: There are so many positives offensively that I don't even know if I'm going to be able to get to all of them here in about 20 25 minutes before ant gets on the program here, but let's see what we can do and I'm actually going to start in a little bit of a different place.
2:33
[SPEAKER_01]: that the players all have gotten received and are bought in is incredible watching the transformation.
2:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying some of these guys were bad blockers before, but watching the transformation, these guys aren't just like, wow, I got a block.
2:51
[SPEAKER_01]: These guys are, they're searching for content.
2:54
[SPEAKER_01]: They are, they want to be next to Joe
3:03
[SPEAKER_01]: D'Andre Swift picking a pass in Cray, he is drilling D'Andre Swift.
3:10
[SPEAKER_01]: The guy who was like a freight of contact was the thing.
3:12
[SPEAKER_01]: It's first couple years of the leak.
3:14
[SPEAKER_01]: We talked about how he ran down Hill a lot last year.
3:17
[SPEAKER_01]: He's drilling people in pass protection.
3:20
[SPEAKER_01]: John A. Walker is drilling people, cleave Raymond's making every block.
3:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Roma dudes like Caleb Williams starts taking off all these receivers are looking for blocks down field.
3:31
[SPEAKER_01]: It's an incredible thing to watch and this is how you're gonna keep getting explosive plays.
3:35
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is what Ben Johnson has been preaching to these guys.
3:39
[SPEAKER_01]: You want to be the ball carrier for the explosive play.
3:44
[SPEAKER_01]: You need your teammates to help you out.
3:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So when your teammates have the ball,
3:49
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to be the blocker.
3:52
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to spring them.
3:54
[SPEAKER_01]: They are buying in Luther Bird.
3:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And I remember last year, we made a big deal about Luther Bird and he came down the, I don't remember who he hit, but it was a pre-season game.
4:03
[SPEAKER_01]: He came down, he drilled someone.
4:05
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, hey, Luther's buying in a block no rock and then Luther was hit or miss on the, on the contact last season, blocking guys, not in week one.
4:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Bird was,
4:15
[SPEAKER_01]: was after contact.
4:16
[SPEAKER_01]: These guys, I have, I don't know.
4:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I'd have to go back and think or at least maybe go back and look at tape about Ben Johnson's Detroit offenses.
4:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Were they all looking for contacts?
4:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Were they all looking for blocks this much?
4:29
[SPEAKER_01]: I know they were.
4:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I know they did love.
4:31
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it was at this level.
4:33
[SPEAKER_01]: The buy-in that we saw from every player on this offense
4:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Now Ben can stand on that for the rest of the season and say I told you no block, no rock, I explained why no block, no rock, now look at this offense.
4:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Look what you guys did.
4:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Look how you sprung Caleb Williams.
4:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Look how you sprung the Andre Swift.
4:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Look how you sprung Kyle manangai.
5:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Look how you sprung so many big plays because you were downfield.
5:07
[SPEAKER_01]: and get in in the way and hit and hit and save these hit and cornerbacks and make in plays.
5:14
[SPEAKER_01]: That, I mean, 59 points is insane, but that was like my favorite part as an offensive line and as a guy that likes blocking and likes contact, I absolutely love that.
5:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I love seeing that.
5:27
[SPEAKER_01]: And that was a big part of why this offense just played like this because the Carolina
5:36
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, the all-time great defense is I don't even know if they're a top 10 defense in the league, but they're like league average.
5:42
[SPEAKER_01]: This was not a bad defense, especially when you look at some of the new pieces they brought in as well.
5:47
[SPEAKER_01]: The defense was okay last year, they didn't lose much and they brought in a couple new guys.
5:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And not like just, you know, slappies, like they brought in Devon Lloyd, they brought in Jalen Phillips, like they brought in some talented players.
6:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is what the bear's offense does on the road.
6:06
[SPEAKER_01]: This is what the bear's offense does.
6:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And like I love, like I can't even go through it, but every statistic, the first time they've done this is 1920, the first time, you know, this has ever happened in NFL history, the like the amount of things that came out of this game.
6:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And to hear Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, some of these guys after the game,
6:28
[SPEAKER_01]: how they talked about leaving points on the field, disappointed here, disappointed there, they're hungry.
6:34
[SPEAKER_01]: They are hungry, they want more.
6:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I know I kind of poked fun at 607 points, whatever it is, about the 2013 Broncos.
6:43
[SPEAKER_01]: How can that not be on the table here?
6:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And I understand, next week against the Vikings, they could score 17 points.
6:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's certainly gonna change how things happen.
6:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And how we're gonna discuss this team the rest of the season.
6:54
[SPEAKER_01]: But right now, I don't think that's gonna happen.
6:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, do I think they're going to score 40 or 50 points again?
7:00
[SPEAKER_01]: No, but is there any reason to think they can't score 31 or 34 points on the Minnesota Vikings Brian Flora is be damned.
7:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think so not the way this offense executed.
7:09
[SPEAKER_01]: If this is how this offense is going to play and Ben Johnson is going to have these type of game plans and get people this level of open.
7:16
[SPEAKER_01]: and have this beautiful of the run pass mix and getting the run game working in the play action and how Kale, Caleb's already one of the best play action quarterbacks in the NFL.
7:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Already at what 24, however oldies are you kidding me?
7:32
[SPEAKER_01]: are you kidding me with this growth that we are seeing of Caleb Williams?
7:35
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the thing.
7:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, let's think about this for a minute.
7:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't think about Caleb Williams against the Rams and against the Packers at the end of the season.
7:43
[SPEAKER_01]: That was a full year of growth throughout that season.
7:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's go back and think about where Caleb Williams was in September of 2025.
7:53
[SPEAKER_01]: where he had, yes, he had a ton thrown at him and it was a lot.
7:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And you could see that first game against the Vikings, where I kind of said, I'm worried based on how he looked in the pocket he looked frantic because he had so much thrown upon him that Ben Johnson was trying to drill in there and he gets his first live action.
8:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think
8:11
[SPEAKER_01]: feel like he got a little overwhelmed in that game.
8:13
[SPEAKER_01]: And it still made some big plays feel like he got a little overwhelmed.
8:16
[SPEAKER_01]: The Detroit gaming was okay.
8:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Even some of the when they started winning games and the Raiders game and stuff like that made some big plays was really inconsistent.
8:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Like think about the games Caleb had one year ago.
8:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Compared to where he is right now.
8:33
[SPEAKER_01]: We all talked about it year two in a Ben Johnson system.
8:41
[SPEAKER_01]: We were gonna see it this year with Caleb and man, oh man, did we see it in week one?
8:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I don't know how to not overreact to this game.
8:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I really don't.
8:51
[SPEAKER_01]: There's so many positives.
8:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, we have to get to the defense.
8:55
[SPEAKER_01]: There's so many positives about what Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson did.
9:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And think about this for a minute.
9:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, Swift and Manangai are gonna get there because they're the top two running backs.
9:07
[SPEAKER_01]: How do Luther Burden do?
9:09
[SPEAKER_01]: It's okay, what are you about 65 yards?
9:11
[SPEAKER_01]: How do Roma doons they do?
9:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Had a great play, we're gonna talk about that, but was Roma doons a, you know, eight catches 150 yards?
9:18
[SPEAKER_01]: No.
9:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Colson Lovelin, Nary a catch.
9:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the big free had something like 110 yards.
9:26
[SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
9:29
[SPEAKER_01]: We got Khalif Raymond, right?
9:33
[SPEAKER_01]: We got Jada Walker in the end zone.
9:35
[SPEAKER_01]: We got a lot of different guys, McColle Comet.
9:39
[SPEAKER_01]: We got different guys making the place.
9:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Everyone said, oh, it's gonna be Burton.
9:43
[SPEAKER_01]: It's gonna be Lovelin, and it's gonna be a little adun say, and then everyone else is gonna be mixed in, but it's gonna be those big three.
9:49
[SPEAKER_01]: It was not those big three.
9:51
[SPEAKER_01]: It could have been, I know he missed Lovelin in the middle of the field.
9:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Burdens early fumbled probably didn't help, but they did work bird in the ball.
9:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying these guys were not exist that no, the Lovelin didn't have a catch.
10:02
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm saying,
10:04
[SPEAKER_01]: The offense was this good without utilizing their big weapons.
10:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Colson Loveland didn't have 10 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
10:14
[SPEAKER_01]: He didn't, it wasn't the big guys.
10:16
[SPEAKER_01]: It was spread around to everybody.
10:20
[SPEAKER_01]: It was spread around to everybody in this game.
10:23
[SPEAKER_01]: That's what was so remarkable.
10:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, I do think as this season progresses, we are going to see the cream rise to the top.
10:32
[SPEAKER_01]: We are going to see Lovelin with plenty of big games and burden with plenty of big games.
10:36
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to have more big games and belief Raymond, and I am confident about that.
10:40
[SPEAKER_01]: But the fact that
10:42
[SPEAKER_01]: you can have.
10:44
[SPEAKER_01]: So we talked about it, the flexibility in personnel, the fact that they trust Sam Roush to be on the field, not that he's going to do a ton this year, but he's in 13 personnel when they utilize 13 personnel this much.
10:57
[SPEAKER_01]: They're not using the sixth offensive lineman as much, which allows them more versatility and play calling in personnel structure and in alignments, everything they're going to do because of how versatile
11:08
[SPEAKER_01]: this position group is with the wide receivers and the tight ends, and what they can throw at you.
11:13
[SPEAKER_01]: And we saw them throw a lot of different looks at the Panthers.
11:17
[SPEAKER_01]: It created a lot of openings and a lot of big plays for Caleb Williams to make.
11:21
[SPEAKER_01]: This offense is fun.
11:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And why not put the 2013 Broncos on notice?
11:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Why not?
11:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Why can't this team score 600 points?
11:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they've already knocked off almost
11:37
[SPEAKER_01]: to reach that level with just their first scoring of the season.
11:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Already, they've already approached that much.
11:46
[SPEAKER_01]: It is fun, it is exciting.
11:50
[SPEAKER_01]: There is so many positives coming out of this offense.
11:55
[SPEAKER_01]: We can talk about Swift, we can talk about Monogas, we can talk about all these guys.
11:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But two guys I do want to talk about here,
12:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Specifically, I want to talk about Khalif Raymond and I want to talk about Roma doons.
12:05
[SPEAKER_01]: And while Roma doons, they didn't have five, six, seven catches.
12:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you had two, but the catch he made on the silent when I loved about that catch is
12:16
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the ninth pick overall.
12:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And when I had been talking about the last year or so with Roma Dunze, settling into that wide receiver two role, because I wasn't seeing the elite traits, whether it's speed, separation, incredible hands, Roma Dunze is a big receiver.
12:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Roma Dunze has to be able to go up and get footballs.
12:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And he hasn't been doing that as much as a member of the Chicago Bears.
12:43
[SPEAKER_01]: what Roma dunes they needed to do to grow into that top 10 pick to make it to be like, hey, I'm worthy of that top 10 pick.
12:51
[SPEAKER_01]: This is the kind of plays I can make on the field.
12:54
[SPEAKER_01]: catch he made, step in backwards, reaching over the defender, catching it over the defender's helmet and pulling it through incredible play.
13:03
[SPEAKER_01]: These are the type of an essence, 50, 50 balls that Roma do and they need to land.
13:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And if he starts doing that, more and more, if Caleb can trust him, be like, I'm going to put the ball where either you're catching it or you're knocking it out of bounds or whatever in the defender can't get it.
13:24
[SPEAKER_01]: is what I love to see.
13:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And if Romanoons, they can do that.
13:27
[SPEAKER_01]: That opens a whole other element, because there's not really other players on this team.
13:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I guess Loveland can do that kind of thing, but in terms of the speed and the receivers, not a lot of guys on this team that can be your 50, 50 jump ball guy like Rome can be.
13:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So we'll see if Rome continues to do that type of stuff moving forward, if he does fantastic.
13:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I did mention Loveland.
13:46
[SPEAKER_01]: The cold combat throne, I should mention,
13:50
[SPEAKER_01]: in double coverage.
13:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, the safety was late coming over.
13:53
[SPEAKER_01]: So it was single coverage when Caleb threw it.
13:57
[SPEAKER_01]: But if he lets that ball drift a little bit further forward or further to the right, that Paul, I don't know if it's getting intercepted, but it's at least getting knocked down.
14:08
[SPEAKER_01]: He hit that in a perfect spot.
14:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And how many times we say that about Caleb Williams now?
14:13
[SPEAKER_01]: How many times do we say six inches to the right, eight inches to the left?
14:19
[SPEAKER_01]: That's not going to fly, that's going to be an interceptions going to be an incomplete pass.
14:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We're saying that more and more with Caleb Williams.
14:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we saw another job man throw.
14:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Another one where he's rolling out to his left and somehow puts insane velocity on a football while throwing the football completely against his body.
14:39
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's a completion.
14:40
[SPEAKER_01]: These are the type of things that shouldn't happen.
14:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And if he'll quarterbacks, don't do this.
14:46
[SPEAKER_01]: That the elite NFL quarterbacks don't do this.
14:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb Williams says Caleb Williams is one of one.
14:56
[SPEAKER_01]: seeing the big plays at Oklahoma, seeing the big plays at USC, seeing something different.
15:04
[SPEAKER_01]: The chief sought with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, said there's got a lot of work to do, but he's different and different in a good way when they stand out in ways.
15:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Then you sit there and say, do they have everything else?
15:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And yes, Caleb Williams had everything else.
15:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Smear campaign to try and show that he didn't.
15:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't even know why.
15:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Like certain guys.
15:27
[SPEAKER_01]: And I forget the fans.
15:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Forget the fans, the Justin Fields fanatics, like one of the worst takes in hindsight.
15:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we thought it was the Kail Williams supporters.
15:39
[SPEAKER_01]: We thought it was in the moment, but we can say in hindsight, one of the worst sports takes in sports history, not NFL takes sports takes, say in Justin Fields should be kept trade Caleb, the pick for Caleb Williams for a whole awful take.
15:54
[SPEAKER_01]: But that aside,
15:55
[SPEAKER_01]: The reason was the special talent that Caleb Williams had.
16:00
[SPEAKER_01]: That was different.
16:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Arm talent, not leg talent, like Fieldshead.
16:05
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got the leg talent too.
16:07
[SPEAKER_01]: We've seen it.
16:07
[SPEAKER_01]: We saw it again seven times.
16:10
[SPEAKER_01]: He's gone over 20 miles per hour.
16:11
[SPEAKER_01]: The most of any player in the NFL the last two years, running backs, receivers, no, a quarterback, a Chicago Bears quarterback, not Justin Fields, Caleb Williams, seven times over 20 miles per hour.
16:25
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got ridiculous speed.
16:27
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got ridiculous maneuverability, he's got ridiculous arm talent.
16:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Now he's got a ridiculous head coach with a ridiculous offensive system that's going to make him do even more ridiculous things.
16:39
[SPEAKER_01]: This offense is going to be the number one offense in the NFL.
16:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I said last week, I'd be disappointed if this team was like seventh or eighth in offense.
16:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Now I'll be disappointed if they're third or fourth.
16:50
[SPEAKER_01]: There's no reason this team shouldn't be the number one offense in the league.
16:54
[SPEAKER_01]: they have something cooking like I have never seen before.
16:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Forget, never seen with the bears.
17:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Never see what this was like when Kurt Warner and the greatest show on turf launch in 99 and people were like, oh my god, this is the Tom Brady Patriots that went undefeated and finally lost.
17:12
[SPEAKER_01]: People went, oh my god, that's what this kind of offense is.
17:16
[SPEAKER_01]: It's at that level.
17:17
[SPEAKER_01]: It's all time level.
17:19
[SPEAKER_01]: That's
17:21
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to see just how far they can take it.
17:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And before I talk about the defense, we do need to talk about that for a few minutes.
17:28
[SPEAKER_01]: I want to talk about PFF, a little pro football focus, who decided that Caleb Williams was the 20th best quarterback and gave him like a 60 grade for his performance.
17:40
[SPEAKER_01]: an absolute ass-in-ine thing, and I have had issues with PFF grades.
17:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure nobody listening to this podcast, whenever we're at 250, 260 episodes.
17:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure nobody was listening, who's still listening.
17:53
[SPEAKER_01]: If you are, you are my number one fan, and thank you, to episodes like 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
17:59
[SPEAKER_01]: But early, early on, John Fox era early.
18:04
[SPEAKER_01]: We talked about Kyle Fuller's magical PFF grade.
18:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't even know if people know this, but Kyle Thor, the first year he was good, where it kind of came out of nowhere, right?
18:16
[SPEAKER_01]: He was injured, he hadn't been very good when he started, then out of nowhere, Kyle Thor is playing at a probable level.
18:23
[SPEAKER_01]: And I remember I used to do like top 5 PFF, bottom 5 PFF grades like each week for articles I was doing for a different website.
18:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And Kyle Fuller's season grade in like the December 1st was like 47.
18:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not kidding.
18:39
[SPEAKER_01]: It was 4.
18:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm pretty sure it was 47.
18:41
[SPEAKER_01]: You could probably find my old tweets if you're a psycho and want to look for him.
18:45
[SPEAKER_01]: 47.
18:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And now, like as the rest of that month progress, and Kyle Fuller's starting to talk about getting accolades and all this, that grade just magically went up by the end of the year
19:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, first 11, 12 weeks in the season, 47 finishes at an 82.
19:08
[SPEAKER_01]: You tell me, PFF's going, oops, maybe we should fix things.
19:12
[SPEAKER_01]: So PFF's grades have always been suspect and not to give Taylor Williams that great.
19:16
[SPEAKER_01]: And they double down on it and say, oh, well, these are what you don't see, you're looking at the statue, you don't see what we see.
19:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, now tell you what.
19:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Dan Orlowski, who's been a hater, talked about how incredible the tape was, the Kayla Williams put on Chase Daniel, talked about how incredible the tape was.
19:36
[SPEAKER_01]: I see quarterback after quarterback after quarterback going, Kayla Williams is doing things that shouldn't be done on a football field.
19:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And then PFF comes out with that right now.
19:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I will, you know, if you check out my
19:51
[SPEAKER_01]: my Twitter timeline, I did have a back and forth with Kurt Warner who found my tweet just out of nowhere.
19:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I did not tag him.
19:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't do anything.
19:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I just I quote tweeted PFF double-downing on Caleb's grade and said, no quarterback or the platform has has said this basically.
20:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And Kurt Warner says, hey, no, I, I watch tape.
20:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb missed some things.
20:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I was like, Kurt Warner.
20:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, all right, Kurt Warner is going to say this.
20:18
[SPEAKER_01]: I
20:21
[SPEAKER_01]: So I went back to Kurt and I said, all right, you know, grading subjective.
20:24
[SPEAKER_01]: That's fair.
20:25
[SPEAKER_01]: But I told ask Kurt two things.
20:27
[SPEAKER_01]: You'll be answered one of them.
20:28
[SPEAKER_01]: But I asked Kurt two things.
20:29
[SPEAKER_01]: One.
20:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think Caleb Williams was the 20th best quarterback on Sunday?
20:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Because that's what PFF said.
20:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He was ranked 20th.
20:36
[SPEAKER_01]: You want to say, oh, grades are subjective.
20:38
[SPEAKER_01]: That's fine.
20:39
[SPEAKER_01]: But then let's compare him against everything else.
20:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And at that point,
20:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb Williams, 20th, according to PFF.
20:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And I asked, is it good process to punish a quarterback for what you consider a bad throw when it's a free play?
20:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Defense was off sides, and he throws an interception that doesn't count.
20:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, Kurt Warner didn't answer that one, because here's my thing.
21:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And I grew up, obviously, I grew up a bear's fan.
21:04
[SPEAKER_01]: I've always been a bear's fan, but I loved John L. Way when I was a kid.
21:07
[SPEAKER_01]: And I watched a ton of Broncos football.
21:09
[SPEAKER_01]: And L. Way had a phenomenal hard count.
21:12
[SPEAKER_01]: and he constantly drew defenses off sides.
21:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And when he did, and he saw them flinch, and he saw that yellow flag go up, John L.A. would look for the home run.
21:24
[SPEAKER_01]: He would tight window, he did not care.
21:27
[SPEAKER_01]: He would make ill-advised throws, because he trusted his arm and said, I got nothing to lose.
21:34
[SPEAKER_01]: And he'd try and wing it in there.
21:35
[SPEAKER_01]: And if he got a 35 yard completion, great.
21:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And if it was an interception,
21:42
[SPEAKER_01]: That's good quarterback play.
21:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Now again, I don't know what Caleb Williams' process was.
21:46
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if he knew he had a free player, not.
21:49
[SPEAKER_01]: But quarterbacks, if they know they have a free play, make different decisions than if they don't.
21:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And PFF is not in Caleb Williams' head and did not know what he knew when he dropped back to make that throw.
22:03
[SPEAKER_01]: So, now, Kurt Warner did not reply, did not mention anything about that process, but he did say that that, and he, with two capital letters, no, he was much better than the 20th best quarterback.
22:16
[SPEAKER_01]: So, even Kurt trying to defend the grade was still like, no, Caleb Williams was not the 20th best quarterback.
22:24
[SPEAKER_01]: So, let's spend, as I, as I
22:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Choked to death because I am too excited, but how can you not be?
22:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's talk a couple minutes on the defense.
22:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Said, oh, off season.
22:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And everyone got pissed.
22:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I started getting comments.
22:38
[SPEAKER_01]: Stop being so negative.
22:40
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm trying to stop being so negative.
22:42
[SPEAKER_01]: But how can we not talk about giving price young 37 points?
22:45
[SPEAKER_01]: That's bad.
22:46
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is not just, oh, the bears were up 52 to 17 and Bryce got a lot of, you know, you got 150 yards in the fourth, that's not what happened.
22:56
[SPEAKER_01]: stay where step in step with the bears.
22:59
[SPEAKER_01]: It was 31 all bear score a touchdown.
23:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think the Panthers do turnover on downs at midfield, bear score another touchdown.
23:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Then I believe it was the fumble by the Panthers.
23:16
[SPEAKER_01]: And then they score again games pretty much over.
23:19
[SPEAKER_01]: So it was 31, 31.
23:21
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the bears, I think score 21 straight points.
23:23
[SPEAKER_01]: But regardless,
23:25
[SPEAKER_01]: that Panthers offense was matching the Bears offense for a lot, for two and a half quarters.
23:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And the Panthers offense isn't very good.
23:34
[SPEAKER_01]: I understand Adam and me last week talked about their receivers and Coker had a great game, tech did some things, I get that.
23:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I get that Hubbard and Brooks is not a bad combo in the backfield, but you cannot compare the Bears offense to the Panthers offense.
23:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And if the Bears defense is gonna be this bad, and again, this is why the Bears are gonna win football games.
23:54
[SPEAKER_01]: The bears are going to win plenty of football games, but the Chicago bears are still going to have issues if they can't stop anyone on the defensive side of the ball.
24:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is where we're going to be at.
24:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is where Ryan Polls comes into play here, because at this point, Ryan Polls, maybe Kevin Warren to Ben Johnson, they all got to go to George Macassie's office.
24:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And they say, George,
24:18
[SPEAKER_01]: got open up these pocketbooks.
24:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's going to be a trade from Max Grasby.
24:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what other defense players might become available.
24:25
[SPEAKER_01]: If a team has a bad start to the season and is sitting there at one in five and they thought they were going to contend, I don't know what it's going to be.
24:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Like maybe the charge or stink this year and they bought them out and Khalil Mack can be had for a fourth round pick.
24:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm just making stuff up.
24:42
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to go out.
24:44
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to grab a couple defenders.
24:47
[SPEAKER_01]: before the trade deadline.
24:48
[SPEAKER_01]: You have to go out and do it.
24:50
[SPEAKER_01]: The bears have one of the best offenses we are gonna see in the modern era football.
24:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Not saying number one, number one this year.
24:58
[SPEAKER_01]: But they're in top five, at least top 10 offensive modern era football, since like 1980s, right?
25:04
[SPEAKER_01]: That's how good they are.
25:06
[SPEAKER_01]: that's how good they're going to be.
25:08
[SPEAKER_01]: You cannot waste this.
25:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to go out and you need to make sure that this defense can become adequate.
25:15
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not going to become good, but you need to hope that Kobe Bryant gets back in December.
25:20
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to hope Kyler Gordon fixes whatever's going on there mentally physically whatever's going on gets back on the field.
25:27
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to find another
25:32
[SPEAKER_01]: The Jalen Johnson looks like Jalen Johnson at camp that did not happen.
25:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He was bad.
25:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Jalen was bad and Tyrex Stevenson was bad.
25:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So right now, they have no good corners because believe my homie got torched a bunch times he was the best corner.
25:44
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a problem.
25:46
[SPEAKER_01]: They need to go find another corner back.
25:48
[SPEAKER_01]: They need to get feet.
25:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Feed him and looks like he's going to be the part.
25:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Get Kobe Bryant back.
25:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I know what's going to be late.
25:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Get that secondary better.
25:55
[SPEAKER_01]: And find somebody who can rush the damn pastor.
25:58
[SPEAKER_01]: Ryan Polls needs to fix his defense.
26:00
[SPEAKER_01]: He said he needed to know it in February.
26:02
[SPEAKER_01]: We thought he was gonna do it in March.
26:04
[SPEAKER_01]: We thought maybe he was gonna do it in April.
26:05
[SPEAKER_01]: He didn't do it at all.
26:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Was it his fault?
26:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Was it Georgia's fault?
26:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't always fault there was.
26:10
[SPEAKER_01]: has to happen.
26:12
[SPEAKER_01]: You can't waste this offense.
26:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Things happen.
26:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Players get hurt.
26:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Players leave.
26:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Players become ineffective.
26:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Cold combat could fall off a cliff next year and not be nearly as good.
26:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Suddenly, the bears don't have as much versatility.
26:26
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what's going to happen.
26:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Bears' offense could be phenomenal for the next five years.
26:31
[SPEAKER_01]: But when it's this good, this early, you have to take advantage of it.
26:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Ryan Polls needs to go out and needs to find some impact defenders to get on this defense sooner rather than later.
26:44
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll ask Anne Heron if he agrees with that.
26:46
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll ask Anne Heron if he agrees with Kurt Warmer.
26:48
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll ask Anne Heron Plenty.
26:51
[SPEAKER_01]: He joins me next.
26:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Bill Zimmerman, bears banter.
26:53
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll be right back.
26:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back into the podcast.
26:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Always excited to talk to this man.
26:59
[SPEAKER_01]: He's been on this podcast a few times and always brings great insight from the former player's perspective.
27:06
[SPEAKER_01]: From the guy that's been in the huddle and been in the trenches, he is Big Anne Herron, you know him from Fox 32's Bears coverage, you know him on 67 of the score, Big 10 network as well for you college football fans.
27:17
[SPEAKER_01]: He does it all, he's a busy, busy man in the fall, but he found some time to join us and build Zimmerman how you doing.
27:24
[SPEAKER_00]: love making time to chop it up, talk ball with you, Bill, especially you look at the way that week one game, where for the bears, where there's a lot to break down.
27:32
[SPEAKER_01]: There is so much to break down, so we just got to dive in on this offense and I'm just going to kind of teet up with a general question here to start.
27:41
[SPEAKER_01]: 59 points, a record setting performance for a week one game for one of the most explosive offensive games in the history of the Chicago Bears.
27:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, what was your just your reaction watching this in real time seeing this offense just churn and score touchdown after touchdown.
28:00
[SPEAKER_00]: So obviously it's just one data point out of the 17th of the season, but I felt really good for, I guess, first off at Bears fans, because it's just been so much time over so many years with people.
28:15
[SPEAKER_00]: waiting for something like this to come to fruition and I'm sure you've discussed it just that comparison with the 2018 division title and the feeling has been that this feels different this feels more more real more legit
28:31
[SPEAKER_00]: more sustainable than the feeling in 2019 was more kind of hope based and the continued development a lot of that being hopeful at that point.
28:41
[SPEAKER_00]: But this felt real that there was tangible evidence of that growth late in the season and into the postseason last year.
28:48
[SPEAKER_00]: And now the team, especially the offense that we hoped
28:51
[SPEAKER_00]: would look better, would look more refined, more determined, more detailed.
28:57
[SPEAKER_00]: All those things showed up in the opening game.
28:59
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's happy for Bears fans, but to be at Hallis, you know, a few times during the preseason, and to be around, Ben, Caleb, and Ryan Poles, and watch the players work.
29:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I certainly had the impression.
29:11
[SPEAKER_00]: that they've been really building toward this point that they've been putting so much time and effort into wanting this to look like that.
29:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So to see it actually come to fruition and have those results, really happy for them, too, because a lot of work, as you know, Bill goes into it.
29:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and look, you talked about like seeing this offense and how it feels different and look, the bears have had flashes of an offense.
29:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And that first year with Mark Tressman.
29:38
[SPEAKER_01]: And look, and that was a loaded off of you.
29:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall, all Sean Jeffrey Martellisman, there's some high talented skill position players.
29:45
[SPEAKER_01]: This is not the first time, and maybe not to this level of depth, but not the first time the bears have had talented skill position players.
29:53
[SPEAKER_01]: But the difference here to me
29:56
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the quarterback.
29:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, whenever it's, you know, the 2018 team and the offense look pretty good, but, you know, Mitch had his limitations and even Jay Cutler, maybe this is an unfair thing, but I always put Jay Cutler in the, if your quarterback is better than Jay Cutler, your quarterback is good enough.
30:12
[SPEAKER_01]: If your quarterback is worse than Jay Cutler, you need to find a new quarterback.
30:16
[SPEAKER_01]: He was always my pivot point, kind of the end at top 15, 16, quarter back at the end of every thought he was the top 10 guy.
30:23
[SPEAKER_01]: What Caleb Williams is doing, and his control of this offense and year two in the Ben Johnson system, where you add Ben's brain and his system letting Caleb operate in structure plus the athletic plays, the crazy plays, the skies limit there for him.
30:39
[SPEAKER_00]: And really started to get a sense for this later in the season last year.
30:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And getting to talk to Ben about it a bit over the off season, he is fully invested in the idea that his offensive system can certainly allow them the potential to carve defense is up.
30:56
[SPEAKER_00]: But then to your point, Bill, that combination of he and Caleb, not only Caleb's acumen and, you know, the sort of mental determination that he has to refine his game as much as possible, but that ability to color outside the lives that ability to go off script.
31:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson really came around to that more so also they kind of began to learn each other and a Ben Johnson is fully invested in that as something that can make him right.
31:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Something that can make him look smart.
31:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Something that can bail the offense out when he's not always in the perfect call for the perfect scenario.
31:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's just so all in on Caleb at this point in Caleb is on Ben.
31:37
[SPEAKER_00]: This combination, I started to use the term nightmare fuel during the season last year.
31:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was after that Cleveland game, maybe, where just the combination of those two really as playmakers, you know, that the play caller and the playmaker at quarterback and with the way that things have refined in Caleb's game.
31:54
[SPEAKER_00]: There was just so much control to the way he played throughout.
31:57
[SPEAKER_00]: He just really had the game on a string and whatever Carolina threw at him with various blitz packages and a lot of credit to the offensive line and running backs for showing up protection when necessary.
32:09
[SPEAKER_00]: when the ball needed to come out of his hands in rhythm, it was available.
32:13
[SPEAKER_00]: He did it to see Khalif Raymond be there leading receiver during targets.
32:17
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a big piece of that evidence to me where he was just allowing the ball to go where the defense dictated, but then when those opportunities came,
32:26
[SPEAKER_00]: to go for the strike play to go for the Chuck play to make something big happened with his arm and with his legs.
32:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He was still willing to go for those few moments.
32:34
[SPEAKER_00]: It didn't look or feel robotic at all.
32:37
[SPEAKER_00]: It just looked like a guy who was in control of everything happening in front of him.
32:42
[SPEAKER_01]: It really did.
32:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's the thing like we talk about where he was end of last season with the Green Bay game, the Rams performance, the throws to command and DJ and all that stuff.
32:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And that was all great.
32:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And obviously, when you see that where he is now, it's not as surprising, but I mean, if you go back 365 days, and I was talking about this before you came on, how he looked against the Vikings, how he looked against the Lions, those first couple games of the season, that Vikings game.
33:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I remember coming on here, I'm like, I'm not going to overreact a week one, but he looked a little frantic back there.
33:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it looked like maybe the moment was a little too big and like now you hear Ben Johnson like I threw so much at him like he was overwhelmed and all this stuff like it and then he worked it through over the next several weeks.
33:24
[SPEAKER_01]: But the growth in a 365 day period is just monumental.
33:30
[SPEAKER_00]: And Bill, I think back to, and you know, we all kind of have these little corollaries of moments.
33:35
[SPEAKER_00]: They back to that New Orleans game last year where Caleb was on the field in Spencer Rattler, his former college teammate, who he beat out for the starting job at Oklahoma.
33:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Spencer Rattlers on the opposing sideline, and there were a couple of games where I felt like I was seeing growth.
33:51
[SPEAKER_00]: in Caleb, in his maturity and in him really understanding the system that was being presented.
33:56
[SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, he's never said it publicly, but my, it indicated to me the way he played against New Orleans where he spent so much of that same scheme trying to be
34:07
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, just kind of leaning into the chaos of the moment, trying to make huge plays, not just sort of taking the checkdowns, and that's to me was a moment of regression, and I've always wondered since then, was it because Spencer Ratler, you know, the guy who was a five star quarterback in his own right, the guy who was, you know, one of these other players who was viewed as that the future of the position the Patrick Mahomes type.
34:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb comes in in the Texas game.
34:31
[SPEAKER_01]: That was a huge thing.
34:33
[SPEAKER_00]: And so now seeing him with the guy who is the number one overall pick in the draft, Bryce Young, the year before him, the reason to bear his pass on Bryce Young is because Caleb is there.
34:44
[SPEAKER_00]: So his contemporary on the opposing sideline.
34:47
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a storyline there of which guy, like if whenever Caleb faces Jaden Daniels next, like there's going to be that QB storyline where he's being compared with his contemporary, but he didn't seem to let that force him to try to be special at all times.
35:03
[SPEAKER_00]: The special aspect of Caleb was exactly what so many of us have been hoping for.
35:08
[SPEAKER_00]: His ability,
35:09
[SPEAKER_00]: to do what Ben Johnson has designed to be within the X's and O's and still go beyond the X's and O's when it's there.
35:17
[SPEAKER_00]: He just showed so much maturity in his game, even when right young on the other sideline, carving up the bears defense also.
35:25
[SPEAKER_00]: But Caleb didn't seem bothered or hurried or rushed by that.
35:30
[SPEAKER_00]: He just continued to do his job.
35:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he did it really, really well.
35:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Let me talk about the skill position guys because there's some interesting things there.
35:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna start with the old saying that Ben started last year.
35:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And I guess it wasn't the first one, but the no-block, no rock thing.
35:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Because I'll tell you what, Ant.
35:49
[SPEAKER_01]: The buy-in that I saw, receivers running backs,
35:53
[SPEAKER_01]: blocking and I think now Ben Johnson has really has some tape that he can point to about look the reason I want you downfield looking for guys to block is so those ball carriers can spring explosive plays and when you have the ball
36:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I want your teammates blocking for you so you can get the explosive play.
36:14
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the tip for tech and Luther Burns throwing blocks.
36:17
[SPEAKER_01]: John A. Walker is an animal out there.
36:19
[SPEAKER_01]: DeAndre Swift is picking up past like just blitzing like incredible work there.
36:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Roman Dunesay is doing it.
36:26
[SPEAKER_01]: They were a cliff raiman is you know, this everyone just buying into it.
36:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we're just receivers just looking for contact and looking for guys to block constantly.
36:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I know that's been Ben's thing.
36:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I know that was there in Detroit.
36:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know at least in my mind I'm sure I've seen something like it, but I can't remember seeing receivers so hungry looking for contact and looking for people to block
36:50
[SPEAKER_00]: A receiver core by nature doesn't need to be tough for a football team to be successful.
36:57
[SPEAKER_00]: But it helps.
36:58
[SPEAKER_00]: It matters a lot.
37:00
[SPEAKER_00]: It enhances what your offense can become when you've got sort of a rugged nature.
37:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, you need him to be skilled also.
37:08
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen equanimity at St. Brown.
37:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, there's a path some tough receivers in recent years, who just weren't skilled playmakers with the ball in their hand.
37:17
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a unit that really seems to combine both.
37:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And for me, as an old, you know, grizzled defensive guy like when you turn on the film, up and opposing offense and you're evaluating different areas.
37:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, yeah, okay, it's, you know,
37:33
[SPEAKER_00]: your eyes might light up a little bit.
37:34
[SPEAKER_00]: If you see a tough quarterback lowering his shoulders.
37:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, okay, all right, we got to strap it up with the QBs.
37:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Gonna run the ball.
37:40
[SPEAKER_00]: He's not just gonna cruise out of bounds.
37:42
[SPEAKER_00]: The team's willing to run the rock.
37:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And you see some of their big guys.
37:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Like when you watch Jonah Jackson and Darnell, right?
37:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, all right, we better hunker down.
37:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we got to dig our heels in.
37:52
[SPEAKER_00]: When those guys are gonna do some kind of a duo scheme matters.
37:55
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like things you rarely see when a receiver core is willing to be as tenacious as this bears receive tenacious is great word.
38:04
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's when they don't have the ball bill that that's what really stands out.
38:09
[SPEAKER_00]: That shows that level of buy-in.
38:11
[SPEAKER_00]: That shows it's a team that's fully invested in being at their best, not only for themselves.
38:17
[SPEAKER_00]: not only when they're getting the rock, but when their teammate has the ball too, that is full level investment that, it stands out when you see it on film, because not every team has that showing up.
38:29
[SPEAKER_00]: That film speaks, the opposing defense is looking at that, saying, yeah, we have to be ready at all.
38:37
[SPEAKER_00]: times and it there can be teams that'll threaten you for a touchdown.
38:40
[SPEAKER_00]: But when you got a receiver core, reset, I can't be out here with just one one chin strap unbuckled because I know I'm not going to get touched by these guys.
38:49
[SPEAKER_00]: These bears will see if you want to touch you.
38:50
[SPEAKER_00]: They want to do it violently.
38:53
[SPEAKER_01]: they really do.
38:54
[SPEAKER_01]: The other thing about the receiving court that I thought was great and, you know, bodes well for the future of this offense is Luther Burton, Colson, Loveland, and Roman Dunesay, right?
39:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, this is the big three we've kind of been talking about this all-off season.
39:08
[SPEAKER_01]: They, I mean, I don't love when didn't have any catches.
39:10
[SPEAKER_01]: They weren't non-existent.
39:11
[SPEAKER_01]: They had 110 yards, no touchdowns, but I mean, John, I walk her with a touch show, Colcoment, with a touchdown.
39:18
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, they 550 yards, only 110 yards go to this big free, like, Cliff Raymond, the leading receiver.
39:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, this is where you sit there and really look at what Ben can do with this offense, and they can run 13, 12, 11.
39:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They can run empty sets.
39:33
[SPEAKER_01]: They have so much flexibility with these, this position group.
39:37
[SPEAKER_01]: I just, the, the sky's the limit here because like, you know, they didn't put any six offensive linemen on the field because I got so much confident in their 13, like I just think Ben's got the exact tools he wants to be able to have this level of success.
39:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And when you think back to the not too distant past and the questions we come out of certain games with the wondering, well, why didn't this second tie-in get the ball more, why didn't this second or third receiver get the ball, how come that other running back didn't get some carries in the game?
40:05
[SPEAKER_00]: And a lot of times, really the simplest way to look at that was because the bears weren't sustaining offense in those games.
40:11
[SPEAKER_00]: They weren't running as many plays.
40:13
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's hard to get so many guys involved.
40:16
[SPEAKER_00]: It's hard to have everyone sort of be a part of the offense.
40:20
[SPEAKER_00]: When you're not sustaining drive, when you go in three and out, when you're punting as much as the bears used to pun.
40:26
[SPEAKER_00]: So no, you're number two tied in who might be young and talented and you're going to get the rock that much.
40:30
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that was co-compet.
40:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Early in his career, now we come out of the game and I'm so happy for both Cole Comet and Jaday Walker because there's so much grunt work that Cole Comet has now taken on at this stage of his career, but he is still a talented past catcher.
40:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, he's no coast in lovelin in running routes or snagging the football, but he is very skilled in that regard.
40:52
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a gorgeous and absolutely exceptional throw and catch right there with that front corner of the end zone.
40:59
[SPEAKER_00]: that he made against Carolina.
41:00
[SPEAKER_00]: And for Jaday Walker with all those holacious blocks he was making and the kickoff coverage on special teams, he's found a role on this team as a talented young right out.
41:12
[SPEAKER_00]: And that that to me that touchdown grab was just rewarding Jaday Walker for everything he showed.
41:17
[SPEAKER_00]: He just showed up over and over again on teams.
41:20
[SPEAKER_00]: and as a blocker.
41:21
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, they could just scheme up a wide open touchdown for him and part of that was because the opponent knew when he lines up here in the slot, he's been chin checking everybody with his in the game.
41:32
[SPEAKER_00]: So they have to buy that.
41:33
[SPEAKER_00]: It's all the eyes of the defense.
41:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Go to that side of the formation.
41:36
[SPEAKER_00]: It makes it much easier for him to leak out the other side.
41:39
[SPEAKER_00]: For Caleb to have a nice easy touchdown pass to him.
41:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It just shows that no block, no rock that you reference.
41:45
[SPEAKER_00]: They're two prime examples of it when they were blocking their tails off, and then they also got that reward of being in the end zone.
41:52
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, one more thing to get to more on the offense before we get your thoughts on the defense because there are some, unfortunately, some negatives we gotta talk about on the defensive side of the ball.
42:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But pro football focus and I understand that they're a pretty big entity in terms of all of us and how we consume football data and football content at this point.
42:12
[SPEAKER_01]: But the grades have always been controversial and I know JJ Watt, it screams about him on social media constantly and was tap dancing that they weren't on Sunday and I football this year.
42:22
[SPEAKER_01]: it's just something that I know a lot of players are bothered by grades because you know you know and again they don't know all the necessary you know roles that everyone's supposed to do on each place so sometimes they're guessing and I get all that but Caleb Williams they come out they give him a 60 grade I think he's the 20th rank quarterback in week one for them
42:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just look at that and go, and another thing is they dinged him for the interception that on the off sides.
42:49
[SPEAKER_01]: And I sit there and go, I grew up obviously a bear's fan, but I love John L.A. and John L.A. was the king of drawn someone off sides and then making a high risk throw because he knew we had a free play.
43:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know what Caleb Williams' new or didn't know for that play.
43:05
[SPEAKER_01]: But if he knew, and he's just like, I'm gonna try and squeeze it in there, then that's completely different.
43:12
[SPEAKER_01]: you can have that.
43:13
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I said something's on social media.
43:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Kurt Warner even came back at me a little bit and said, hey, grading is subjective, but he even agreed with me.
43:20
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb Williams was not the 20th best quarterback of the week last week.
43:24
[SPEAKER_01]: So where are you kind of overall in PFF isn't the only one on grading players when you don't know the exact roles of them and how Caleb Williams could possibly be only the 20th best quarterback in week one.
43:37
[SPEAKER_00]: It's it's certainly become a cottage industry over the last, you know, let's call it 15 years or so it's certainly grown even more over the past decade.
43:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's call it and Chris Collins worth is had full disclosure about his involvement with pro football focus and their relationship there.
43:55
[SPEAKER_00]: when you don't know the play, then it certainly makes it harder to have an accurate grade.
43:59
[SPEAKER_00]: But frankly, if you even knew exactly what the assignment was on a given play, to break film down and really just give your opinion of what did and didn't work and what the fundamentals were that weren't executed, it is an extremely subjective thing.
44:14
[SPEAKER_00]: So I completely agree with Kurt on that aspect.
44:18
[SPEAKER_00]: But in the end, when you just watch the game
44:24
[SPEAKER_00]: If anything, the only thing I think is worthy of digging him for is that, yes, not only his natural skills are just superhuman, but he does have one of the best play colors in the sport.
44:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And so they're going to be these opportunities where things get skinned up in a way where people will be open, but Caleb has to find them and has to throw them all accurately.
44:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And there was maybe two Eric passes on that film from Caleb in the entire game.
44:49
[SPEAKER_00]: And frankly, one of them, and I haven't heard anyone commenting on it, but
44:52
[SPEAKER_00]: you know that that drag route where lovelins coming across the middle.
44:55
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like Garrett Bradbury early snapped the football and Caleb just like reacted to it and then through the ball late now I've been heard anyone saying that that's what it looked like to me though.
45:04
[SPEAKER_00]: Caleb didn't look ready for the football but then he just sort of reacted to the play and he ends up missing lovelin late but I think there's things like that that'll continue to tighten up for the bears but whether it's PFF or a lot of these other grading services.
45:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel like there is a place for them in the
45:21
[SPEAKER_00]: the magnitude of their influence got outsized for a while.
45:26
[SPEAKER_00]: And in the end, everybody doesn't need to remember.
45:28
[SPEAKER_00]: These are just the opinions of people.
45:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of them are what we would term as like football people, quote unquote, who played and or coach the game.
45:36
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think less so now by percentage are people who ever even competed in the game at a high level.
45:42
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of people who are,
45:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, who break down a lot of film, who are staffed with these places to grade what did or didn't work in a game, but it is a, it is all very opinion-based, so I think all of us needed to recognize what we should have shouldn't take with a grain of salt.
45:58
[SPEAKER_00]: But Caleb was, was mostly spotless in that game.
46:01
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'd have to see the other 19 quarterbacks that were really better than him this first week.
46:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
46:07
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, a few more minutes with Anne here because we've got to talk about the defensive side of the ball and look, I understand that 40% of the starting secondary is out and that's certainly going to get to the defensive line too.
46:18
[SPEAKER_01]: But that, you know, with no Kyler Gordon and no Kobe Bryant certainly there's going to be some holes in the secondary, but for me and it wasn't just that Tyreeg Stevenson was chasing a lot.
46:32
[SPEAKER_01]: In my eyes, obviously, you're going to know this a lot better than I do.
46:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Didn't look like he played very well out there either.
46:37
[SPEAKER_01]: A lot of guys were wide open for Bryce Young.
46:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And look, this is a championship level offense that the defense, you know, let's start with the secondary.
46:46
[SPEAKER_01]: It has to get better if the bears are going to contend for a Super Bowl.
46:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And I believe it will.
46:52
[SPEAKER_00]: With Jalen Johnson specifically, I'm...
46:55
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not worried about him because physically to me, he looks like he's moving well.
46:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
47:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Last season when he got back into the lineup late in the year, he just didn't look like a guy who was moving with confidence or a suddenness or when he had to change direction to really see him strain and burst with confidence, he didn't look like that guy to me last year.
47:13
[SPEAKER_00]: He's back to moving like Jalen Johnson, I would say.
47:17
[SPEAKER_00]: The bears went in with a game plan where Dennis Island pretty much ran man defense nine stop across the board and what was really sort of out of personality for Jalen Johnson was guessing and he guessed wrong.
47:30
[SPEAKER_00]: He's usually reads routes so effectively in man coverage and that's that's one of his superpowers usually.
47:36
[SPEAKER_00]: And that didn't show up the other day.
47:38
[SPEAKER_00]: He got beat on double moves a couple of times.
47:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Or got beat once up the sideline by a back where Bryce showing its extending the play.
47:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And he got kind of nosy.
47:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And so the back got behind him up the sideline.
47:48
[SPEAKER_00]: After Tyree, Stevenson, getting nosy is one of the things that he's kind of known for.
47:52
[SPEAKER_00]: He is someone who gets over aggressive and coverage.
47:54
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like part of it is because it's long speed.
47:57
[SPEAKER_00]: where he knows like I got to kind of get this guy in the first 10 to 15 yards or might be in trouble.
48:02
[SPEAKER_00]: So he does get Uber aggressive early in coverage when he's in more press man as opposed to being off man.
48:09
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think for Jalen Johnson I feel like he's going to be just fine.
48:12
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the next game that had more.
48:14
[SPEAKER_00]: I like hearing that.
48:17
[SPEAKER_01]: And the defensive line, and this really isn't, I think, a surprise to anyone who followed it closely, struggled to get pressure.
48:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Most of the game, I know there were a few instances where they did get to Bryce young a little bit, but he had more than enough time on a lot of plays.
48:32
[SPEAKER_01]: And to me, this was a failure in the offseason to not figure out a way to get.
48:38
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, another body in here that can help bring pressure with four.
48:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I do like Montes sweat.
48:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think there's much else out there.
48:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, Jordan van and Berg got a ton of pub in, uh, I was said spring training.
48:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Wrong sport, into in training camp, but, you know, different when, uh, the actual bullet start flying in September, he, he'd really struggled out there, uh, you know, there's just, there's just not a lot around Montes sweat.
49:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And I really have concerns.
49:04
[SPEAKER_01]: My whole stance on this ant has been,
49:06
[SPEAKER_01]: when you get to the playoffs and you're playing elite quarterbacks, you got to be able to get pressure with for if you're going to win football games.
49:14
[SPEAKER_00]: And the issue is Ryan polls that already addressed it so much.
49:18
[SPEAKER_00]: He went so heavy investing in the D line.
49:21
[SPEAKER_00]: He's just haven't seen guys hit in the way that you would hope for.
49:24
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Dango had some nice moments in the game, but he was certainly not a consistently dominant force.
49:30
[SPEAKER_00]: He
49:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Grady Jared, I thought he anchored and hit blocks well, but he's never really been a sack artist in his career anyway.
49:37
[SPEAKER_00]: And a lot of this draft capital, another guys who they've drafted within the first few rounds here, day one, day two picks, none of them have turned in to any kind of real shop records up front.
49:47
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's where you get to the position they're in where you want to be able to come at the opponent.
49:51
[SPEAKER_00]: in waves.
49:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a part of the mentality of trading away, uh, uh, Javon Dexter, because since he hasn't turned into someone who individually can take a game over, whoever's in that spot will need to be a part of a group rush mentality, a part of a unit that just plays with such hellacious energy that you can overwhelm the opponent.
50:11
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not Javon Dexter.
50:12
[SPEAKER_00]: So you go with some of these other guys, some of the later round picks, some of the guys who weren't big investments in free agency and just hope that coming out them in waves with energy could end up winning the day.
50:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Scamatically, I did feel like early in the game, the bears were more like, you know, they were kind of more on a in a sickem mode where they were flying up the field, getting into the back field, there was more pressure on Bryce Young where you saw guys beating blocks and winning rushes.
50:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Second half of the game.
50:40
[SPEAKER_00]: It did seem to me and I'll be curious to hear from DA once the media addressed it with him.
50:44
[SPEAKER_00]: If he's willing to look back at the previous game, it did seem to me in the second half.
50:47
[SPEAKER_00]: They went to more of a principle of condensing the pocket around Bryce Jung because he was hurting them with his legs and extending some plays.
50:56
[SPEAKER_00]: So when you power rush and you're just trying to knock the offensive line and back into the QB,
51:00
[SPEAKER_00]: You're not as likely to actually get hits on the quarterback or create that type of pressure or get sex because the offensive line is still in between you and the QB.
51:10
[SPEAKER_00]: So the second half looked to me like more power rushing.
51:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Some people might use the term mush rush.
51:15
[SPEAKER_00]: They were even some spies that were utilized on Bryce Young.
51:18
[SPEAKER_00]: And you did see he wasn't as effective scrambling and extending plays, but part of that was because schematically the bears looked to make some adjustments with their D line.
51:27
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a game where they gave up 37 points.
51:29
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a lot to correct on the defense.
51:31
[SPEAKER_00]: But some of that was schematic.
51:34
[SPEAKER_00]: And the advantage they had was that the offense consistently had a lead or a points of multi-score lead where the A didn't have to make any overwhelming schematic adjustments to really try and shore things up because the offense was really doing this thing.
51:48
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
51:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, let me ask you this then as we wrap up with Anne Herron.
51:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it?
51:54
[SPEAKER_01]: worth pursuing in your eyes, because like I said, I think this is a championship level off events.
52:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not talking about, you know, tinker on the edges and getting a rotational defensive line, and like they did with Joe Triumph, Shranka last year, and some of those guys.
52:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm talking about, is it worth Ryan Polls prior to the trade deadline at some point going out and looking at
52:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if it's Max, Crosby, I don't know what other defenders might be available, but there's always gonna be impact defenders available from teams that thought they were gonna be better than they are, come October.
52:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it worth, because it's gonna take draft count will probably at least a two, maybe a one.
52:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think it's worth the bears to potentially swing big and land an impact defender if the offense continues to look like this?
52:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's just certainly be on their radar.
52:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I've got some weeks or even months to kind of get to that point and figure it out.
52:47
[SPEAKER_00]: I know they really want to see how much Austin Booker develops, how much more they get out of him, Dio Dengbo, this miraculous Achilles recovery, he Daniel Jones, like the Achilles injury used to be somewhere you're going to miss over a year.
53:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
53:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Guys are coming back months later.
53:03
[SPEAKER_00]: So they're definitely going to have a good close look at what they get from this unit.
53:07
[SPEAKER_00]: With eyes on what else out there might lead him to a prize within what do you have to give up how much of the future your mortgage and that whole thing you're about to pay Caleb if he does anything near what he did that opener you're going to pay him some records that he money to so how much is available to really go out and get some one of that caliber.
53:25
[SPEAKER_00]: It's all kind of this calculus on a sliding scale, but it should be eyeballing it's sure, but I think they really feel like there's something that they'll get from this unit, especially as they really get in the game shape and the temperature sucks to drop a bit.
53:38
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
53:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, there he is.
53:40
[SPEAKER_01]: And, Aaron, of course, you can catch him on Fox 32's Bears coverage, 6070 the score for the post post game show and big 10 network where he's all over the Midwest covering big 10 games.
53:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And thanks for so much time.
53:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I really enjoy the conversation.
53:54
[SPEAKER_01]: And we'll do it again down the line.
53:55
[SPEAKER_00]: My pleasure to be able to appreciate you, man.
53:58
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, there he is, Anne Herron, everybody, really good interview with Anne.
54:03
[SPEAKER_01]: I hope you enjoyed that one, some good insight, football player perspective on the performance with the bears.
54:11
[SPEAKER_01]: A few simple praise for the offense.
54:13
[SPEAKER_01]: and he thinks the defense can get things cleaned up and I hope he's correct and tends to be a positive guy that he sees the, you know, I think I leave pessimistic and leaves leadens optimistic.
54:25
[SPEAKER_01]: So hopefully he is correct there defense gets things figured out, but I do like that he says yes,
54:31
[SPEAKER_01]: The bear should have their ears to the track, so to speak, see if anything's rumbling about a potential trade of a potential, a potential key defense supplier that maybe they could add to that defense.
54:43
[SPEAKER_01]: I think they really, really needed.
54:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I said before the interview, you don't want to waste opportunities when you have an offense, when you have a team, this good.
54:53
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's get to the mailbag.
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[SPEAKER_01]: If you parlay those all into a same game parlay, you wouldn't be doing great because I missed on Colston Lovelin over, but I did hit the Caleb Williams passing prop over.
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[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
57:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's dive into the mail bag.
57:08
[SPEAKER_01]: We got a few here.
57:09
[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to jump in and we're going to start with Ron right.
57:14
[SPEAKER_01]: He's this is a little bit of a mouthful.
57:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Here we go.
57:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Please do the multiverse exercise and compare where bears would have been had they fired flues before they drafted Caleb.
57:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Assume they also draft for home at nine.
57:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Assume better with Ben and year one than what Caleb's rookie season actually was.
57:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's say seven or eight wins.
57:32
[SPEAKER_01]: On one hand, they'd be in year three with Ben now.
57:35
[SPEAKER_01]: On the other hand, they'd have higher draft picks that lead to, they, they would not have had the higher draft picks that lead to love one and burden.
57:41
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Ron.
57:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, and no, let's, let's dive into that.
57:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I do think had Maddie, but Felizman Fire.
57:48
[SPEAKER_01]: I know Ben Johnson has said he, you know, he, you know, he,
57:51
[SPEAKER_01]: left the Washington table on the job because he wasn't quite ready.
57:54
[SPEAKER_01]: He wanted to have more time and Detroit as the offensive coordinator.
57:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I do think that's a lie.
58:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't have any insight information on that.
58:02
[SPEAKER_01]: But I do think that's been honestly showing respect to one of his fellow coaches in Maddie Burflus and not just like, oh, they fire and I would have been here.
58:09
[SPEAKER_01]: He was, I think, being respectful, not rylin' up a fan base.
58:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I think he knew this fan base was excited for him overall and really wanted to see what he could do.
58:19
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think overall, that's all that was.
58:21
[SPEAKER_01]: I do think Ben Johnson would have taken the job.
58:23
[SPEAKER_01]: So I do think you are correct there.
58:25
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Caleb Williams would have been the pick.
58:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't say, I don't know if they would have taken Roman doomsday at nine.
58:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I do wonder if offensive line would have been the play there.
58:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Would Olu Fashano have been the play knowing how much Ben Johnson loves offensive lineman.
58:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, we know if Lovelin wasn't there, banks was probably going to be the move.
58:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So again, we're going to use one of Zoom Rome, that's fine.
58:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't lock that in that Rome was definitely the guy plus.
58:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think Rome's a perfect fit for Ben's offense.
58:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, I think Ben is molding things and fitting things to his personal, but Rome isn't usually the type of receiver that Ben goes for, but again, we'll go with what you say.
59:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's the interesting thing, though, what you say about the picks.
59:11
[SPEAKER_01]: If the bears went 5 and 12 in Caleb's rookie season and they picked, I think it was 10th at that 5 and 12 spot.
59:18
[SPEAKER_01]: But here's what's interesting.
59:20
[SPEAKER_01]: You say 7 or 8 wins.
59:23
[SPEAKER_01]: So that would put them at 12.
59:27
[SPEAKER_01]: It really wouldn't have dropped them that much further back because of the fact that
59:33
[SPEAKER_01]: It was really weird.
59:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Like five and 12, you usually are picking like fifth or six.
59:37
[SPEAKER_01]: There were so many bad teams that the bears at five and 12 were picking much later than teams that go five and 12 usually do.
59:45
[SPEAKER_01]: And then what happened is there was a gap.
59:46
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the 49ers went six and 11.
59:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Then like everyone else went like eight nine.
59:52
[SPEAKER_01]: So if the bears are at seven wins, they would have dropped like one spot behind San Francisco and that was it.
59:58
[SPEAKER_01]: If they were at eight, they might have dropped two or three spots.
1:00:01
[SPEAKER_01]: So you say seven or eight wins, they couldn't have gotten lovelin.
1:00:03
[SPEAKER_01]: San Francisco's got George Kittle.
1:00:05
[SPEAKER_01]: If they just fell behind San Francisco,
1:00:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I get, is it possible that there was the story that once the bear's drafted coast in loveland, the phone stopped ringing about teams wanting to trade up.
1:00:16
[SPEAKER_01]: So is it possible if San Francisco was sitting there and teams were calling them that they would have traded down definitely possible, but they wouldn't have taken loveland themselves, not with George Kittle on the team.
1:00:26
[SPEAKER_01]: So there's a good chance that Loveland would still be a Chicago bear if they won two more games.
1:00:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They're rookie season and the Luther burden pick is part of the price young trade.
1:00:40
[SPEAKER_01]: That was the Carolina Panthers draft pick.
1:00:43
[SPEAKER_01]: that they used to take Luther burdens.
1:00:45
[SPEAKER_01]: So they would still have burden.
1:00:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think there is still a good chance that they'd have goals to love with.
1:00:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And like you said, they'd be in here three of Ben Johnson.
1:00:54
[SPEAKER_01]: So in short, Ron, they would be in much better shape.
1:00:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Had they not burned the 2024 season of the ground with Maddie or Flucen, of course, firing him after the Thanksgiving day debockled.
1:01:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know exactly what you could say where they would be because what would, how, here's the thing.
1:01:14
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is what I can't answer on.
1:01:16
[SPEAKER_00]: How would that potentially of trick changed spending?
1:01:21
[SPEAKER_01]: going into what would have been year two of Ben versus year one of Ben.
1:01:26
[SPEAKER_01]: And basically what I'm talking about is Grady Jared and Dio, Dengbo.
1:01:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Because right now, if those moves are still made, the defense is still pretty much handcuffed, and there's not too much else that could have been done.
1:01:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, some of with Dennis Allen coming in a year earlier, actually Dennis Allen wouldn't have been able to come in a year earlier, different defensive coordinator, a lot of moving parts.
1:01:49
[SPEAKER_01]: with that situation that you that you're calling.
1:01:51
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't know exactly what they would have done defensively.
1:01:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, yes, they'd be a little bit further ahead.
1:01:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I actually don't think it probably shoots them in the foot too much because of how quickly they've gotten better with Ben Johnson.
1:02:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And of course, Caleb Williams' development would have been a little slower, a little smoother for sure, and would he be further ahead?
1:02:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, yes, I suppose he would be.
1:02:16
[SPEAKER_01]: You're talking about seven or eight wins in year one year two.
1:02:20
[SPEAKER_01]: They won 11 and they won some crazy games you want to say maybe they were at 12.
1:02:26
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I don't know, you know, difficult to say what year one of Ben Johnson in reality was versus what year two would have been in your situation.
1:02:37
[SPEAKER_01]: And now we would be sitting here in year three again, what is the defense look like?
1:02:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Is Dennis Allen still the defense of coordinator?
1:02:44
[SPEAKER_01]: Did they move the defense of coordinator out after your one and bring Dennis Allen?
1:02:48
[SPEAKER_01]: All sorts of things.
1:02:48
[SPEAKER_01]: So the big question there, Ron, isn't so much the offense?
1:02:51
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the offense had looked really similar.
1:02:54
[SPEAKER_01]: to what it looks like right now, but the defense, the defense would have been a much different situation and it's almost too difficult to try and just piece that together in hindsight.
1:03:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Rodney.
1:03:10
[SPEAKER_01]: I love the aggression, but what did you think of Ben Johnson's decision to go for it on fourth down from his own 20?
1:03:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Rodney, I do understand we all love Ben Johnson's aggression.
1:03:19
[SPEAKER_01]: We love that, you know, midfield is for down territory, basically, and, you know, if they're on the plus side of the field, they're almost always going for it, less it's fourth and long.
1:03:37
[SPEAKER_01]: period and of story.
1:03:38
[SPEAKER_01]: It's your own 20.
1:03:40
[SPEAKER_01]: You are, if you miss, you are giving the team a minimum of three points.
1:03:45
[SPEAKER_01]: You're not getting out of there with zero.
1:03:47
[SPEAKER_01]: You do it midfield.
1:03:49
[SPEAKER_01]: That's one thing and you don't get it.
1:03:51
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, there's still a lot of field goal range.
1:03:53
[SPEAKER_01]: The defense has an opportunity to prevent points.
1:03:57
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be difficult, but they have the opportunity.
1:04:00
[SPEAKER_01]: And a touchdown is still 50 yards away.
1:04:03
[SPEAKER_01]: 20 yards away from a touchdown where you're already guaranteeing them three.
1:04:06
[SPEAKER_01]: That's bad math.
1:04:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson, the math major should no better.
1:04:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You still got a puntet.
1:04:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You still got to put them even if it's at their own 40.
1:04:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Push them back and make sure you at least make it difficult for them to score points.
1:04:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Merc 87, more excited for the offense are more concerned about the defense.
1:04:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Without question, not even a hesitation, more excited about the offense.
1:04:32
[SPEAKER_01]: If I was more concerned about the defense, the first 25 minutes or so of this podcast would have been a few minutes on yay offense and a whole bunch on this defense is a debacle.
1:04:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Let me talk about why the bears blew it.
1:04:45
[SPEAKER_01]: The offense was the bulk of that in this.
1:04:47
[SPEAKER_01]: We spent a few minutes on that and we spent a few minutes with that.
1:04:50
[SPEAKER_01]: We, you gotta talk about the defense.
1:04:52
[SPEAKER_01]: They gave up 450 yards to price young.
1:04:54
[SPEAKER_01]: They gave up 37 points to price young.
1:04:57
[SPEAKER_01]: You need to talk about that because that is a very large negative.
1:05:01
[SPEAKER_01]: But right now, you focus on the fact that this, if they have the number one offense in the league and the number 32 defense in the league, in theory, there are 500 team, right?
1:05:11
[SPEAKER_01]: They're an average team.
1:05:12
[SPEAKER_01]: They're the number one offensive league in the 25th defense that that shouldn't translate to 10 or 11 wins and that puts them in there, they can get this defense to average with the best offense in the league.
1:05:22
[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to be one of the top five or six teams in the NFL, as far as I'm concerned.
1:05:26
[SPEAKER_01]: So, God, I'm going to be more excited about the offense, especially because you can fix the defense with a couple impact players, offense is much easier to sustain long-term success with, especially when you have a consistent play collar, and you have the quarterback, which is the bears too.
1:05:42
[SPEAKER_01]: We talk about it.
1:05:43
[SPEAKER_01]: all the time.
1:05:45
[SPEAKER_01]: We've got a couple more here.
1:05:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Bear down.
1:05:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Should bears, fans have any concerns about Caleb wanting more money than the MacCaskey's can of Ford.
1:05:55
[SPEAKER_01]: no.
1:05:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm very critical of how the McCaskey spend money.
1:05:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I think bears fans should be concerned about how much how much other money George McCaskey is going to spend.
1:06:07
[SPEAKER_01]: But I don't think there's any concern about the Caleb Williams contract.
1:06:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb's is probably going to become the highest paid.
1:06:16
[SPEAKER_01]: Now again, yearly average, you know, the the Patrick Mahomes deals a little different, but for the most part he's basically going to be the highest paid quarterback in the league.
1:06:24
[SPEAKER_01]: when he gets his extension, again, give or take.
1:06:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Now again, and we've gone over this, bear down in the past.
1:06:31
[SPEAKER_01]: The situation with the quarterback salaries is
1:06:37
[SPEAKER_01]: percentage of the cap and if Caleb wants the same percentage of the cap as the top guys who got extended a couple years ago like that press got got then that's going to balloon to like I don't remember exactly what it was I think I wrote an article on it that's going to balloon into the 70 plus million dollars per year salary like 75 million per year that's what it's going to be if Caleb and Caleb is every right to do that if he wants I don't think he will
1:07:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Caleb Williams is going to want to be next in line.
1:07:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And what I mean by that is, like Dak Prescott, I think is at 62 million.
1:07:15
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think homes is not like 65.
1:07:19
[SPEAKER_01]: But put Patrick Mahomes aside.
1:07:21
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got MVP's.
1:07:22
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got a whole lot going on there, Super Bowl championships.
1:07:25
[SPEAKER_01]: That's, and they make very large contracts, so they can manipulate the cap there.
1:07:30
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a whole different thing in Kansas City.
1:07:32
[SPEAKER_01]: But like if you use Dak as currently the highest paid quarterback at I think, and I think he is at 62 million,
1:07:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Beating that 63 64 65 million kind of being that next in line will he want a four year deal So he can get more money down the road or is he gonna be okay with a five year deal?
1:07:54
[SPEAKER_01]: I hope he's okay with a five year deal.
1:07:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb is willing to do a five year deal
1:07:59
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, 65 million that puts him in like 350 million over five years and then obviously a big chunk of that's going to be guaranteed I also think if Caleb really wants to stay here with Ben Johnson I think he does because I think he knows what this is going to do for him.
1:08:15
[SPEAKER_01]: I think he's going to look at something where he gets a certain amount fully guaranteed that George is comfortable with and then a year or two into that contract, another guarantee is going to kick in where it's one of those things where if Caleb is still on the roster.
1:08:32
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, to, you know, at the new league, you're two years into that extension, then like another like two years guarantee.
1:08:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So George can spread those guarantees out a little bit.
1:08:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it'll be okay.
1:08:42
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think Caleb is going to destroy the MacCascies.
1:08:45
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be a monster contract compared to anything.
1:08:49
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, every the big J. Cutler deal, the Khalil Mac deal and the Darnell right deal right now, either all kind of close in terms of what those kind of big deals where he hasn't busted the ceiling.
1:09:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Caleb Williams is going to bust that ceiling.
1:09:02
[SPEAKER_01]: So once he does, then the question is, how much is George willing to spend everywhere else, you know.
1:09:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I think he'll want to extend assuming they're they're great burden and lovelin in all these guys, but you still got to go out and get more talent and bring it into the defense.
1:09:17
[SPEAKER_01]: That's going to be a whole conversation next off season.
1:09:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We got one more from Ginger.
1:09:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Give me a firm Caleb Williams stat prediction for the season.
1:09:30
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Ginger, we can do that.
1:09:33
[SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I did a little work ahead of time.
1:09:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I have Caleb Williams throwing about 575 times.
1:09:41
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a little more than he's thrown in the past, but it's about the same.
1:09:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I have him completing 65% of his passes.
1:09:50
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a definite increase, but not a huge increase.
1:09:53
[SPEAKER_01]: That's gonna be about 375 past completions.
1:09:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I think his yards per temps can be around eight.
1:09:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I think this offense is gonna cook.
1:10:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And if that happens, he's gonna throw for 4700 yards.
1:10:06
[SPEAKER_01]: I think about two touchdowns per game would be a great spot, especially when we know how much they're gonna be rushing the football.
1:10:13
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's give him 35 touchdowns.
1:10:16
[SPEAKER_01]: He's gonna be a little more aggressive with the football this year.
1:10:18
[SPEAKER_01]: So we're gonna take those intersections up to nine.
1:10:22
[SPEAKER_01]: We're gonna throw in rushing touchdowns and I think he gets another five or six there.
1:10:26
[SPEAKER_01]: So he'll account for 40 touchdowns this season.
1:10:30
[SPEAKER_01]: And he will still have
1:10:33
[SPEAKER_01]: What about 500 rushing yards?
1:10:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I would say they're about, I think his personal best is around 4.50, 4.60, then he'll get 500 rushing yards.
1:10:42
[SPEAKER_01]: 40 touchdowns all in accounted for nine interceptions, 4.700 passing yards.
1:10:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And I did this ahead of time, so I could even give you a passer rating of 104.1.
1:10:53
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, that's going to do it for Bear's Vanderbilt, of course.
1:10:59
[SPEAKER_01]: where we go anywhere.
1:11:00
[SPEAKER_01]: We got to give you the prediction.
1:11:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Minnesota Vikings coming up, I have said all off season that Minnesota Vikings, I think are a pretty good football team.
1:11:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the Minnesota Vikings, in fact, have a better chance to win the division.
1:11:18
[SPEAKER_01]: then the Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers.
1:11:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, the bears are at home.
1:11:24
[SPEAKER_01]: The bears are like a five and a half point favorite.
1:11:27
[SPEAKER_01]: I think that spread is probably too big based on how the defense has played in week one.
1:11:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what Kyler Murray situation is yet, Carson Wenz, they'll have enough of a capable quarterback there.
1:11:42
[SPEAKER_01]: But now I will say this.
1:11:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I think when I had Aaron loving on, I said, I think the Vikings might win the division Bears gets second.
1:11:50
[SPEAKER_01]: I had to bear as a 10 and 7.
1:11:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I went through week by week.
1:11:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I did, you can check it out at Belty's Zimmerman on Twitter.
1:11:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I did the whole thing where I did every game and predicted the winner of every game.
1:12:01
[SPEAKER_01]: I did have the bears that 11 and 6 and I did have the Vikings at 10 and 7.
1:12:07
[SPEAKER_01]: So I do have the bears winning the division the way it worked out.
1:12:10
[SPEAKER_01]: The bears got the two seed again and again.
1:12:13
[SPEAKER_01]: You can check all that out at Bill T. Zimmerman.
1:12:16
[SPEAKER_01]: It's sitting right there on my Twitter feed.
1:12:18
[SPEAKER_01]: So I have the bears winning the division at 11 and 6.
1:12:22
[SPEAKER_01]: The Vikings I have second at 10 and 7.
1:12:25
[SPEAKER_01]: I have Detroit at 9 and 8 and the Green Bay Packers finishing at 8 and 9.
1:12:31
[SPEAKER_01]: But the Minnesota Vikings, I do think are going to be a threat in the end of see North this year, because I think they're going to have better quarterback play than JJ McCarthy and they went nine and eight with JJ McCarthy last year.
1:12:40
[SPEAKER_01]: It's pretty much that simple.
1:12:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I understand Grinar and I understand there's certain parts of the defense and the offense for that matter that aren't as good, but keep in mind, JJ McCarthy was so bad that Justin Jefferson was neutralized.
1:12:52
[SPEAKER_01]: That's not going to be the case with when's that's not going to be the case with Murray think they're going to be able to get the ball to Justin Jefferson more.
1:12:58
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Justin Jefferson is gonna be a huge problem for this bearer's secondary.
1:13:05
[SPEAKER_01]: So for me, yes, I think the bearer's gonna win.
1:13:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's gonna be a lot closer than it was.
1:13:11
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna go with 34 points again.
1:13:15
[SPEAKER_01]: We did 34, 24 last week.
1:13:17
[SPEAKER_01]: We're sticking with 34.
1:13:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I'd love to guess 52, but we're gonna go with 34, 34 to 30.
1:13:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Bears win this one, one possession game, Vikings cover the spread, but it still goes comfortably over the point spread, you know, the overrunner is not nearly high enough.
1:13:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Bears win this one 34 to 30, move to 2 and out, and we'll talk about this game next week on Bears banter.
1:13:45
[SPEAKER_01]: There and out everybody, we'll talk to you soon.
1:13:59
[UNKNOWN]: You