Are the Chicago Bears true NFC contenders?

The Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15 on Black Friday to improve to 9-3 on the season. Shaw Local's Michal Dwojak and Joe Aguilar break down the win and whether it means they're true contenders in the NFC playoff race.


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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, and welcome to the latest episode of the Shaw
Local Bears Insider podcast. I Am Chicago Bears be reporting
Michael Duo Jack being joined here with Joe Aguilar from
the Northwest Herald, as we are talking to you folks
on Monday morning, after a fun holiday weekend for Bears fans,
obviously the big win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday

(00:23):
on Black Friday. Hopefully everyone got a chance to enjoy
some time with fam, friends and family over the weekend
and also enjoy big Bears win over the Philadelphia Eagles
twenty four to fifteen, as the Bears made a big
statement going into Philadelphia. And now after a weekend of football, Joe,

(00:43):
it is Monday morning, it is December first, and your
Chicago Bears are the number one seed and the NFC
just like we all expected heading into the season.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, what a great weekend. Snow storm on Saturday a
side right Thanksgiving weekend again, Game Friday, Game of the year,
statement game. All that A terrific game, and it's nice
to for Bears fans to be able to enjoy this
for a little more than a week before you face
the Packers on Sunday. But what a game for the Bears,

(01:15):
and it's good to see them getting all the love nationally.
I listened to actually after the Bears game, I listened
to a Phillies podcast, like their post game with a
couple of ex Eagles, including Ron Jaworski, and just to
hear them not so much rip on their team, although
they did a lot of that, but the praise the Bears.
It was was great. A great weekend to be a

(01:36):
Bears fan.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Yeah, there's a lot of praise, right Like, I don't
think that performance came together obviously without a lot of
great performance, a lot of great you know showings, a
lot of great you know, big moments from Friday's win.
So we'll break it all down. We'll do our usual
recap podcasts here, but I know it's Monday, so we'll
go through it a little bit faster than we usually do,
hit on some points because we also want to have obviously,

(01:58):
the conversation for what this live stream is, you know
named after, are the Bears true ENDFC contenders. We'll talk
about that here in the second half of the podcast,
after we break down what happened on Friday afternoon. If
you're joining us on the live stream, Thanks so much
for joining us on this Monday morning. Great to see
some comments going. Make sure you guys hit us up

(02:19):
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(02:39):
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All right, we like to do three winners and three
losers from every Bears game that we cover twenty four
to fifteen. Jill, there's a lot of winners. I'm sure

(03:00):
we'll spend a lot of time on the winners and
the losers this week. So who is your first winner
from Friday's game?

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, like you said, there could be like ten, right,
and like very few of any losers from this game,
but I'll go there's so many ways to go here.
I'm just gonna go with that Nishawn Wright, who probably
should have given a little more shout out as far
as moments that mattered in my three and OL column
on Friday. But to Shaun Wright, I don't know, Michael,

(03:29):
what this is. I mean, this is just an unbelievable season.
And just to recap again with him, third round pick
by Dallas, three years in Dallas, three starts. They don't
want him, right, He's just not very good. Spends all
of last season, but one game I think on the
Biking's practice squad here he comes into camp probably as

(03:51):
your sixth dB and all of sudden, you know, I
joked a couple weeks ago, I don't think he's playing
at a Pro Bowl level. Maybe he is. I mean
that strips sack, that strip sack, the force fumble and
fumble recovery on the tush push that when Philly thanks
to Jermon Dexter, He's probably the loser from all this
had given Philly momentum with that horrible roughing, the passer

(04:14):
penalty on Jalen Hurts for Nashaun Wright, mister turnover him
and Kevin Byerd that really changed momentum. Ben Johnson said
in the post game, we all saw it. How he
probably shouldn't have given this guy a game probably should
have given this guy a game ball a couple of
weeks ago or in the past couple of weeks, any point.
But here he does it again now with the interception,

(04:36):
but with that strip. This is how you foil the tush. Push,
get in there, get the ball looser. And I think
he just did it because he saw a play. Wasn't
like this something they saw on film. I don't think is.
I didn't hear that from him in the post game,
but you know, and even on that he got burned
on the A. J. Brown touchdown pass, which was a
momentum changer for Philly. I mean, he just missed that.

(04:59):
His timing was just just a little often. This is
AJ Brown, for crying out loud, one of the best
wide receivers in the National Football League. So Nashaun Wright,
you know, it's like this. This is more than when
you find, you know, find money, like twenty dollars a
parking lot, you pick it up and you realize, oh
my gosh, there's a fifty dollars bill in there too.
I mean, this is beyond found money with him. But wow,

(05:21):
what a season he's had. And he continued on Friday
at Philly.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, I mean you mentioned that Dallas. You know, his
tenure in Dallas, it was a tough situation for him
because you know, they drafted a cornerback before him, so
it was kind of like, okay, like I get that,
obviously you want to take the talented player in the
third round, but it felt like Naseean was kind of,
you know, in a tough situation there. You know, you
got two rookies and battling it out, and you know,

(05:45):
it just didn't work out for him in Dallas. He
goes to Minnesota, they don't really use him too much.
He's injured and all that sort of stuff, or you know,
he's dealing with some stuff at the practice squad, and
then he comes to Chicago and you're just kind of like,
all right, like he'll be a good depth piece, Like
he had some characteristics that the Cowboys like he'll be
good behind Jalen Johnson, will be good behind Trek Stevenson.
And you know, he's just stepped up in every possible

(06:09):
instance this season, Like he needed a big interception to
start the season against JJ McCarthy, he gets you a
pick six, like you need a key interception and key
moments he you know, that that moment where he just
sees that Jalen hurts his you know, exposed. They aren't
calling the push push, you know over yet they're still
continuing it on and he just sees the ball exposed.

(06:31):
He just punches at it. He just acts on instincts.
And we've seen him do it obviously with incredible interceptions
and back to back games. So yeah, I mean what
it's a big credit to Ryan Polls. You know, it's
a big credit for Al Harris, to you know, Dennis
Allen for listening to Al Harris and being like trusting
his coach and being like all right, Like Al Harris
saw something in him in Dallas. He believed in him,

(06:53):
and he vouched for his guy, and Dennis Allen vouched
for him and brought up to Ben Johnson, and Ben
brought it up to Ryan pull And that's a credit
to how the whole thing is supposed to work, right,
Like that's if your coaches know that there's a talented
player out there and they bring it up and you know,
the the personnel staff, Ryan Pohles trust in the coaching
staff that they know what they're going to find. Like

(07:15):
that's a big credit to them, and it's a big
credit to Naean, right, Like he came out here and
proved something this season. So it's been a really incredible moment.
And you kind of saw a little bit about what
Jalen's starting to come back. I know Tyreek didn't play,
but I even if Tyreek does kind of come back
here healthy in the next game or two or three
or whatever, na Shan has proven that there's no you

(07:37):
can't take him out of the lineup. He is a playmaker,
He creates turnovers, he makes an impact. Sure does he
get burned a couple of times here or they're sure
that that is going to happen, but he is a
net positive for this team. And it's been a really
fun story to cover this entire year.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
And you know, when you have great teams and he Look,
we don't even know if the Bears were up up
until the Philly game, if they were good, and they
haven't won anything yet, they haven't even clinched to playoff
for it. I don't want to got to have to
pump the brakes here A little bit. But when you
have seasons like this, pick your league, NBA, NHL, MLB,
it doesn't matter. You find guys like this, it all

(08:14):
comes together. So it's a combination of your top draft
picks working out, your trades, working out, your free agent
signings working out, and then you get the guy who
nonet expected to come out of the wood work and
just have a great season. And so everything has been
looking this way for the Bears, like you can't, you
don't understand it all. But they keep winning for a
lot of different reasons. And there are guys who emerge,

(08:37):
people who we didn't even know who they were four
months ago, and that's what's happened here with Nashan Wright.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
All Right, my first winner is going to be man
that that offensive line just just that was a dominant
performance and that that's something that we kind of been
looking for all season long. You know, when they when
they when they traded for Joe Toney and Jonah Jackson
and they signed Drew Dolloman, you're kind of like, all right,
like this they're they're addressing a major need. Like last

(09:04):
year it was constantly the you can't there are no
holes for DeAndre Swift Caleb is running for his life.
And part of that obvious we've talked to nauseum about,
you know, part of that was him. Part of that
was the offensive line. But it was very clear that
they needed to fix the offensive line. And that was
the first thing that Ryan Poles did over the offseason,
right he traded for those two guys. He signed Drew Dollman.

(09:24):
That was like one of his first big free agent signings.
And at the beginning of the year, you're like, all right,
like it'll take some time to gel obviously, you know,
you got three new guys on the starting line. You
got a fourth new guy at the left tackle spot.
But Joe that that performance on Friday was just dominant,
and to do it against the Philadelphia Eagles, to have
not only obviously a talented defensive line, but Philly's whole

(09:47):
thing has been a dominant offensive line, right, Like they
can remove the ball, they can man handle you down
the field, Taq when Barkley is obviously a talented running
back on his own accord, but part of the argument
for the Andre Swift before he came here was well,
he's got that dominant, you know Philly offensive line right well, now,
he's got a dominant offensive line in Chicago where the

(10:09):
holes that were created, the lines that were created, like
Deandre's there, they DeAndre Swift and kaman Unga will get
to them here in a little bit. They created a
lot of great, you know, moves and created a lot
of big bursts, but they had a lot to work
with the lanes that they had, the green space that
they had. They had probably two or three yards from
the line of scrimmage when they got the ball because

(10:30):
of how dominant this this offensive line was. So that's
a big shout out to them. They got a game
ball obviously, and the performance that they've put on since
that bye week, starting with the Commander's game, it's gotten
better and better every single week, and and Friday was
just that was just pure heaven if you're offensive line guru,

(10:51):
because that is exactly what you want to see in
the type of you know, consistency at the offensive line,
you know, at the line of scrimmage that you want.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Yeah, I mean, they're one of the best offensive lines
in football now everyone's starting to agree about that, if
not the best one. So and again, it started out slowly,
you know, weeks one and two, we had a lot
of criticism for the old line, and they were false starts,
a lot of that. They've cleaned that up, but who
would have thought this? I mean a year ago this
was the weakest part of the football team, the old line,

(11:24):
and this year it's been the best. I mean, if
de Shaun Wright isn't the best story of the year,
it's the old line. It's probably the old line, even
more so than nay Sean. But the way they've come together,
the way they've stayed healthy, knock on wood. Other than that,
you know, the left tackle position, but again that's been
really hasn't been solidified going forward anyway.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
And yet no.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
One's talking about a Tropillo And are they going to
get Braxton Jones back off the ir And it stays
a Theo Benedett. Is he the real dial? Can we
count on him going forward? No one's talking about it.
I mean, Trpillo has just come in fitting seamlessly.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
And it's it's every guy Jonah Jackson who last year
was hurt and then when he was playing he wasn't
that good. You figured, well he's gonna get hurt at
some point this year. Not gonna wood. It hasn't happened,
but he's been great. Darnell Wright keeps making you know,
the the social media rounds with another great block he
leveled Jalen Carter. I'm sure everyone has seen it. Keeps

(12:24):
adding to his resume. I'd be stunned if he's not
going to the Pro Bowl this year. It's just what
a story. And to see offensive lineman, you know, uh,
ten yards down the field blocking, but the scheming again
with Ben Johnson, Boy, what a chess master he showed
again on Friday. But that old line, I mean, wow,

(12:48):
who saw that coming? No one. No one saw nine
and three coming. No one saw this old line coming
together like like it has.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
And it's also a shout out to you know, the
offensive line has done a great job, but tight ends
and the wide receivers have really bought into it too.
Like the biggest thing that I feel like Repen Johnson
said over the offseason they caught everyone's attention was you know,
no block and no rock and you're kind of like,
all right, like what does that really mean? How accountable
is it gonna be. In the first couple of weeks
of the season, you saw, like you know, wide receivers

(13:16):
struggle with that they weren't blocking when they were supposed
to be. It wasn't leading the right way. But a
big part of this run game working, and a big
part of this offensive line working is because you see
Roma Dune's a five yards down the play blocking and
you know, creating lanes for DeAndre Swift, DJ Mories doing that.
Co Comed and Colston Lovelin had done a great job
as you know, titands as anchors at the end of

(13:37):
the line blocking as well. You've seen a total commitment
to it and it's led to these great results. So yeah,
it's it's just been a really impressive performance and turnaround
for a group that quite honestly was pretty bad last year,
had never really built any consistency for their running backs.
And it's a completely one eighty. It's one of the
best offensive lines, if not the best offensive line in

(14:00):
the NFL. So that's a big kudos to that group
and obviously Ryan Poles as well. All Right, Joe, who
is another winner from Friday's after Friday Afternoons winding.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
Well, you mentioned and I'll just piggyback and kind of
elaborate on what you were saying about the tight ends
because you're right there, a huge part of the running game.
And I never thought that the dual tight ends would
Commet and Loveland would work because you got to get
Loveland the ball. You drafted him at ten overall, and
you know, Comet's been good but not great in his
career as a Bear, and then he had a bad start.
I mean he was one of my losers. I know,

(14:30):
one game he had a couple of fall starts, like
I'm about tired of this, this might be his last
year as a Bear. All of a sudden, it's like,
we can't lose Cole Comet next year. We got to
keep him around because he both he and Loveland are
so versatile. We can playing play them as tight end,
to play them as wide receivers. They both block well,
they seem to embrace it. They're big athletics, strong guys

(14:52):
who are willing to block. The touchdown catch by Comet
that was Kayleb's best throw. Took a little off the fastball,
saw him, you know, get past the secondary on which
was the game. I mean, that was the icer for me.
There was still about six minutes left the game, and
at that point, I'm like, well they're not this is
it that game's over now, and I'm just like, yeah,
we're as a Bears fan, you're probably watching, don't drop

(15:12):
that pass, col You're wide open, and he didn't. And
you know, he's been that kind of sure handed receiver
you think about it. I know he's had his drops,
they all do. But that this duo is working out.
I didn't see that coming either, because I thought you're
just gonna have to phase out Comet. And really, Cole's
numbers this year, his receiving numbers are really down. It's

(15:34):
probably gonna be a you know, career low for him
when it's all said and done. But it's working, and
not only as receivers but as pass blockers. And they're
a huge part of this passing game and the running game.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
Yeah. I mean for Friday's conditions, we're terrible, quite honestly,
for passing. Like the wind was howling, it was constantly
twenty five mile per hour wins. Like you you looked
around the stadium and and you were walking. I was
walking into the stadium and you just it was it
felt terrible to walk. And I was like, am I
Stone in Chicago, like with how terrible the wins are?
But yeah, that that touchdown pass was incredible from Caleb

(16:10):
to cross body on the move, and Colcama did a
great job of running that route to be open. But
I agree, you know Loveland catches that fourth down pass,
he just he just man handles his defender and it
just gets open at the at the first first down line.
Like those guys have made. That's exactly what you wanted
from them heading into the season, right a safety net
for Caleb in order to be able to create those plays,

(16:33):
get those first downs and touchdowns. And that's exactly what
your Titans are doing right now. And in an environment
where you weren't gonna throw fifteen yards down the field,
twenty yards down the field, you were just trying to
get the ball over. That was a really a great
performance from both Titans to be able to you know,
not only block really well to create those open lanes,

(16:54):
but also to you know, have a couple of key
passes or catches in a game that you know they
weren't really going to row that much anyway. So I agree.
The twelve person that has worked a lot for this team,
and it's been really impressive to watch both Cole and
Colston kind of embraced their roles. You know, it could
be easy to be like, all right, like Cole's been
here forever, he why are we drafting this, you know,

(17:15):
tight end in the first round. Like I've been here,
I've committed, I'm a local guy, all that kind of
stuff in Colston being like, well, I'm the first round pick,
I should be whatever. But both guys have embraced their
roles and know what they're supposed to be doing up
to this point. And that's a big credit to them obviously,
but also the coaching staff just putting them in the
good places in order to succeed. All right, my next winner,

(17:38):
I'd be remissive. We didn't talk about these guys. Yes,
the lanes were open, but the way that Kyleman, young
guy DeAndre Swift ran on Friday was was just surreal.
Like they would get They got a lot of great
head starts. DeAndre Swift, there were so many times he
was juking guys and just making a lot of great moves.
And I'm sure there was some you know, he said
after the game, Yeah, there was maybe a little of like,

(18:01):
you know, oh against going against my former team, But
I think for a lot of these guys, it was
just like proving that they're the real deal. And you know,
DeAndre Swift proved that he was a real deal. For
all the questions we had heading into this offseason, you gotta,
you gotta trade for a new running back, you gotta
sign a new running back, you gotta, you know, draft
a running back in the first round. Ashton Genty, you

(18:22):
gotta take him in the second round in that run,
and you you it was constantly over the off season,
you gotta address the running back room because you're DeAndre Swift,
isn't it? And you know, he hasn't played great every
single game, but for the most part, it's been a
great season for him to kind of come back here
and you know what he was able to do on
a couple of runs where he just shuked a couple

(18:44):
guys and added five or ten yards after that, Like
it was incredible running from him. We've always known that
once you get Swift into open space, he's gonna make
defenders play pay. And then for Kyle m a nung guy,
I mean, he just continues to do what he's been
doing all year. I mean, he runs hard. It doesn't
matter what he's doing, Like he just comes out with
the burst of energy out of once he gets the

(19:06):
handoff and it's hard to stop him. And you know
that that run that he had after the Bears stopped
the Tush push, I think it was around twenty to
thirty yards run that built upon the momentum that Nashon
Wright created by stopping the Toush push, right, because you
flip the field like that quickly, you just change up

(19:27):
how exactly you're feeling, and you go from the Eagles
about to score, it seemed like it was gonna be
like it seemed like it was going to happen, regardless
that the Eagles were going to score. Then you stop
the Tush push and then kayle Manunguy flips the field
and you're all of a sudden at the forty yard
line of the Eagles as opposed to your own thirty
or forty yard line. So, you know, big credit to them.

(19:50):
First time that two running backs in the same game
for the Bears had one hundred plus yards since nineteen
eighty five, Walter Payton and Matt Suey, So that's a
big to them. Obviously they had a lot of great
blocking in front of them, but still even behind the blocking,
there are so many moments where you know you knew
you were going to run the ball given the conditions
on Friday, and both of those running backs just took

(20:11):
advantage and made outstanding plays throughout the day.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, how fun was that to Watchong Guy rapidly ascending
as one of my favorite Bears. Didn't see this combination
necessarily working on the beginning there. We had so many questions.
We had questions everywhere on this football team going into
this season, every position, offense, defense, special teams, didn't know
about the coaching. Everything is trending up. But Manong Guy, Michael,

(20:38):
He's had few runs this year, even if they were
for zero one yard, maybe a lost one where I
didn't like what he was doing. I mean, are a
couple of plays early in the year was figuring it
out like a bad decision. But really, he runs hard.
I've said it many times, but I don't know what
his forty time is. I don't know if it matters.
He looks faster than I thought he was for seventh round.

(21:00):
Pick your figure and you're lucky to get to get
anything out of this guy. But he runs hard, he's passionate.
I love his energy. Uh, he's just fun to watch.
And again you have to have lanes and motion. Everything
that Ben Johnson is doing has allowed it. But it's
again like any good manager people, you put people where
they can best succeed and don't expose, try to limit,

(21:23):
you know, where they're bad at. But they've done a
great job with Monongai and Swift. Good for that guy, right,
I mean, and these guys compliment each other, and they
compliment each other, compliment with an E, compliment with an I.
I think that's beautiful. Uh, there seems no jealousy. We
hear no you know, talk behind you know what we're
early saying DeAndre Swift wants to get out of here
because he's not being featured ball or but on guy

(21:45):
thinks he should be getting the ball morning. You don't
hear any of that, and you know better than me.
But this has really turned out to be a nice
duo and there they both bring different things. And like
you said, with Swift, we saw it last year in
his first year as a Bear that when he gets
space he can juke and jive and run away from guys.
And now he's just getting more opportunities and uh, you know,

(22:07):
and with this running game, to Michael, you know, these
last two weeks have been bad weather games right in
Chicago with the Pittsburgh game, uh Friday in Philly. This
is the old hit to be too old school here
with this is when he got to be able to
run the football when the weather's bad. But it's true.
You saw how the effect of the passing in the
last two weeks. And I want to be nice on

(22:29):
the criticism of Caleb because of the weather, but that
they're able to run the ball and this kind of
weather and I'm guessing we don't have anywhere seventy degrees
left in Chicago until next you know, next year, sometime
probably by May. But that they can able to they're
able to run the football like this is a really
good sign going forward.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
I want to do it quick on trying to diverge
us too quickly, but I want to do a quick
Player A player B. These are both rookie running backs.
Player A Joe has six hundred and thirty five rushing yards,
four touchdowns, and is averaging three point five yards per attempt.
Player B has five hundred and ninety one yards, five

(23:10):
touchdowns and is averaging four point nine yards. Who do
you think is who is Barkley?

Speaker 2 (23:17):
The first one is Manong Guy, the second one Manong
Guy is the second one.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
These are rookie running back Somnong Guy is the second
running back. Genty, then Genty is the first running back.
Genty has six hundred and thirty five He has more
rushing yards than Kyle mcnong guy, Like roughly, what is
that forty yards? But Genty has one hundred and eighty
one attempts and Guy has one hundred and twenty one attempts.

(23:42):
And listen, I'm not listen. I'm not trying to say
that Ashton Genty isn't a talented player. He's obviously a
very talented player. It hasn't worked out with the Raiders.
I think the Raiders have shown you that you need
to address the offensive line. You need Like, for how
great a talent that Ashton Genty could be, there's only
so much he can do right, So I'm not trying
to a shot at Ashton gent. But the first round

(24:03):
pick versus the seventh round pick has roughly forty more yards,
has one less touchdown, and is averaging roughly like a
yard less than your seventh round pick. It's just it
kind of goes to show It's kind of goes to
my mindset of like I think, running backs you can
find them anywhere. That's why I would never really invest

(24:24):
in the first round pick if I if I was
a GM. But it just kind of goes to show
you that you can find value everywhere, and the Bears
have found value here in the seventh.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
Round well, and also shows you why certain guys coach
professionally and other guys do podcasts and our writers and stuff,
because they know, right. I mean, look, if there's a
Miles Garrett sitting there at one, you know, it doesn't
take a genius to say, okay, we'll take him. He's good.
But that they and I don't know how confident they
were thinking, you know what, don't worry about gent if
he's not there, because I still wonder if he had

(24:56):
been there, had they taken And that's another story and
it doesn't even matter this point, but that you're able
to find a guy in the seventh round after how
many running backs you passed up late you know, not
even in the first round. But as you mentioned, the
second round, third round with camp scattable. But I was saying, like,
why didn't they draft Scattabu already you're sitting there in
the second round. Take him if you like him that much.

(25:17):
And that kid's good, he showed it before he got
hurt with the Giants. But for a seventh round pick,
and people are were, you know, hyping him in preseason
and I'm like, come on, dudes, he's a seventh round pick.
If he rushes for one hundred and two yards this year,
you'd be like, Wow, what a career he's had as
a Bear. But he's more than surpassed it. But that

(25:38):
his numbers that he's been better than genty. And look,
if genty were here in Chicago running with this offensive line.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
I couldn't imagine what that would be like.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
The numbers would be a lot better, but the numbers
are what the numbers are, right, So kudos to manun guy.

Speaker 1 (25:51):
Yeah, I agree. Again, that's not to take a shot
at genty. Obviously the situations are different than the non guys,
but it just kind of goes to show you that
if you put it running back in against situation and
they're talented enough, right, Like, I don't think you know,
Kyle's a talented guy. Like he runs hard, he does
really well I know speed might have been a problem
for some people, but clearly he has shown that hasn't
been a problem at all this year. So that was

(26:13):
just a fun little player a player. But all right, Joe,
what is your final winner from Friday's win?

Speaker 2 (26:20):
Final winner? I'll just go with Kevin Bayard again, because he,
like Nashaun Wright, just continues to make plays. Another interception,
sixth of the season he actually had I think his
second year maybe in the league, he had think he
had eight, So it's not a career high, but he's
he's getting there.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
You know.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
Guy, he's thirty one years old, right, he's thirty one
buyered and after last year being very mediocre, made very
few big plays, especially with taking the ball away. I
mean he admitted it afterward. I remember in the postgame
stuff or postseason stuff after the season ended last year,
like he knew like that wasn't a good year for him.
He expected more out of himself. But then you're thinking, well,

(26:59):
you're thirty. I mean, you know, maybe you've had a
long break career. You've had a much longer career than
anyone thought, so maybe it's about time you start slowing down, right,
It's only natural and yet he's having a Pro Bowl season,
I mean, if not an all Pro season, honestly, I mean,
he has been so darn good. And these are not
garbage time interceptions. And Jalen Hurtson thrown one interception all season.

(27:23):
The Bears get him on the run and he makes
a pass him Byered like on it from he saw
that coming a mile away. But that's a veteran. And
then you know, diving interception a lot, and we've seen
a lot of Bears dbs drop you know, potential interceptions.
And then it's the old line. Well, that's why you
play defensive back instead of wide receiver because you can't catch.
But byed when he's gotten the opportunities, there was maybe

(27:44):
one drop. He had another pick early in the season
where he could have caught it and he dropped it.
That's it. But he just continues to make play and
whatever he's drinking. I want some of that too, because
I'd like to like turn back the clock like ten
years too as well.

Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yeah, I you know that. I don't know. I didn't
get a chance to watch the broadcast, so I don't
know if they did, like I'm sure aws on Amazon
or whatever did some sort of like aws thing to
show how far Kevin Byron went on that interception. But
watching that live like you saw it kind of played
out in slow motion where you know, Jalen's kind of scrambling.
It looks like he's trying to fit that pass in
the AJ Brown and Kevin Byrn just like instantly sees

(28:20):
it and starts like sprinting across the field and and
just locks eyes on him and just the diving catch
like that was and not only was that an incredible
like interception, just like physically just being able to sprint
halfway across the field to make the diving interception, but
to have the knowledge and then I feel like we
keep saying this every week with Kevin. It's just like

(28:40):
you see how much code, like how much film work
he does. Like you see that he sees something and
he's like, all right, I know Jalen's tendencies. He's going
to do this and he's trying to going to fit this,
and you know, maybe that's less film work, Like you
know that the quarterback is just going to try to
fit it into the sideline off the scramble, but for
him to read that and then to sprint to the
other side of the field and make that diving interception.

(29:01):
I mean, that's just a credit to him, Like it
was an incredible interception. It was an incredible play just
to be able to read that perfectly. I don't think
the Bears took advantage of that interception, if I'm remembering correctly. Yeah,
they had to punt there with three and out. That
was a missed opportunity. But what an incredible interception. What
an incredible play by Kevin Bayer, who's had a great season.

(29:23):
He leads the NFL IT with six interceptions, is the
second most interceptions he's had in the season since he
had eight with the Tennessee Titans in twenty nineteen, I believe. So, Yeah,
it's been an incredible year for him, and it's been
incredible to just watch him. I think, not that he
hasn't always worked hard in the film Worm, I'm not
trying to say that, but it's been incredible to kind

(29:45):
of watch how maybe he realizes he doesn't have the
step that he had when he was twenty five or
twenty six, but he's trying to make up for that
by just studying and trying to be prepared for whatever
happens where Okay, maybe I can't run as fast as
I was at twenty five, but I can outsmart you,
and I can I know what you're gonna do with
your next play. And that's been a really fun to
kind of watch him just use that to his benefit

(30:07):
throughout this season.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, Sevy veteran, right.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
All right, my final winner. And there are different ways
you can kind of go through this, obviously, the coaching
staff and all that sort of stuff. I'm gonna go
with Dennis Allen because, yes, you got Jalen Johnson back,
Yes you got Kyler Gordon back. That was really great
to see you saw them kind of mix and match.
But I don't think I think we talked about this
last week. I don't think we're giving Dennis Allen enough

(30:33):
credit for getting as much out of this defense as
he's getting. You're without your top defensive player for your
the whole season. You're without your top slot cornerback, who
you just paid over the offseason for much of the season.
Your other top cornerback, Tyrek Stevenson, has been dealing with
on and off injuries throughout the year. He's been trying
to battle it through. You've been without your all your

(30:54):
starting line back you're with You've been without TJ. Edwards
for the whole for most of the season, Tremaine Edmonds out.
You've been now with your starting linebackers for the past
couple of weeks. You don't have much of a pass
rush outside of Montese sweat. And yet Dennis Allen still
continues to get the most out of this out of
his crew. He's scheming and matching the dying packages that

(31:14):
they ran on third down, where you're sending Brisker and CJ.
Gardner Johnson at the same time, or you've got Kyler
Gordon on the outside, or you got him inside uh
baking blitzeeing while Brisker goes like the different fronts. Like
I know, it was a really windy situation on Friday,
and that played a major role into Jalen Hurts's met day,

(31:35):
but also Dennis Allen the schemes and the different fronts
that he was showing. It was confusing to run against,
like he didn't know what he was going to do.
Was he gonna send Brisker. There were times they sent
Brisker and CJ. Gardner Johnson at the same time. The
fake outse the deep coverage is like, we talked about
Big Fangio a lot in the pre preview show, but
Dennis Allan Joe I, I, you know, I think it's

(31:57):
time we kind of start talking about him more. I
think we've given him his flowers from time to time.
But what he's been able to do, especially in the
past few weeks with all these injuries and all the
different mixing and matches CJ. Gardner Johnson playing a hybrid
linebacker role and all that kind of stuff, like he
is just basically said, every week, give me what you

(32:18):
can give me, and then I'm gonna try to make
it work. And he's made it work phenomenally the last
few weeks.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yeah, probably the best compliment you can give a coach
any sport is when you say, well, look, all I
got is some duct tape, some thumb tacks and some
Elmer's glue, and can you make this stick together and
hold together? And you're like, what, Okay, I'll do what
I can. Then the wall holds up. It's like, how
did you do that? Because this defense we've talked so

(32:44):
much about it all year, but it's not the most
talented group by any means. And you've been You've been
doing the best you can with it. And then the
biggest thing, of course is the turnovers. And it's mainly
been by the three guys. It's been right Buyered and
Edmunds until he got hurt. But they're doing it and
they're they're making it work. And I'm not a big

(33:06):
scheme guy. I couldn't talk an hour on scheme. I
don't know that much about football, but I just know
the defense has held its own, and it's it's like
they gave up big. They give up a lot of
yards to the running game, or you know, the receivers
have had some big, a lot big games against them.
But it seems like when the Bears more often now

(33:27):
as the seasons progressed, when they needed to get a stop,
like just get one freaking stop, they've been coming up
with it. And they've showed some vulnerability, even in that
Philly game where it looked like the momentum had completely
shifted after the A. J. Brown touchdown and then Philly
gives give, gives the Bears one back because they they've
missed a P A T. For crying out loud, they
probably wish they would have signed Jake Moody off the

(33:50):
Bears practice squad. No, I'm kidding, because their kickers are
very very good normally, but I don't know how the
defense has done it. But that's a that's a credit
to coaching and Dennis Allen, who, as we know as well,
regarded before he came to Chicago as a defensive mind.
Kudos to him. A good winner there from from Friday's game.

Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, I don't think Ben Johnson could have asked for
a better defensive coordinator to have in his first year
as a head coach, first time like that. It's just
been a perfect marriage and it's worked out really well
for both guys. So that's been a credit to them.
CJ chiming and should TJ have gone on? I are?
I think you know it's been for four weeks. It's
my interpretation that I think they thought that this hamstring

(34:35):
injury would heal itself, and they didn't want to They
only have I think they only have one or two
more designations to return left for the season, so I
think they didn't want to burn it in case something
else happened. But it's my interpretation that based on the
way that based on what I've I've seen is just
it must have been a hamstring injury that they thought

(34:57):
that could have healed up quicker. And it just you
know how these top soft tissue injuries go, It just
flares up and you just don't know sometimes how it's
going to go. So I think they just didn't want
to burn an i RR spot in a designation to
return spot, and they just felt like this was the
best course of action. Maybe they can get him back.
We'll see more. We'll hear more from Ben this or

(35:18):
I guess in an hour here about what maybe TJ.
Edwards's future is like. But that's kind of my thinking
about TJ. It just seemed like they didn't want to
burn that designation to return spot for a hamstring injury
that they thought maybe could heal up quicker. And that's
just how it kind of goes with these soft tissue injuries.
You just don't know what they're gonna do. And that's why,
you know, we always say at the beginning of the season,

(35:39):
like nip it in the butt as quickly as possible,
don't try to play through it, because it's just gonna
be something they're going to deal with throughout the season.
And that's just something that you know, TJ got it
like towards the end of training cap and it's been
something that he's just been dealing with throughout the whole season,
and it's been just tough for him. Yeah, all right,
we're not we only spend too much time on losers,
obviously as a bit a big statement win Joe, but

(36:02):
there are some losers. What is one of your losers
from Friday's game?

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Well, there weren't many. The only one I can really
say that stands out to me is the Gervon Dexter
with that roughing the passer penalty on Jalen Hurts. That
was egregious. That was just that was looked ugly. And
the Bears, I mean, they've they've mis executed on a
lot of plays this year, certainly on both sides of
the ball, but that was just one of these stupid,

(36:26):
inexcusable penalties that three plays later, they're in the end
zone and Philly fans been booing since pretty much early
in the first quarter, and all of a sudden there's
cheers and why because you set it up with a
bonehead play. I don't know if he talked afterward, Michael,
I don't know what he explained. If he explained it,
I don't know how you. I mean, that was like one,
two three boom. Then he hits him, what are you doing?

(36:48):
I don't play that with a netted like six yards
or something for Philly. I just didn't get it. It
was a momentum changing play and then the Philly gave
it right back by missing the pat and then the
both teams have the turnover and kind of nullified each other.
And then you know the Knight and the sewn Wright
force fumble on that on the push push. But you're
voon dexter. I boy, every Bears fan was probably wanted

(37:11):
to throw something a turkey leg at the TV after
that play because that that could have been a real
like you can look back and if they lost that game,
that's the guy, he's the bad guy for the week.
But they overcame it.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
Yeah, it wasn't a great penalty. You can't. You got
to just know. I understand, Listen, I understand it's easy
for us to say, hey, just stop. You know, like
you've got all your momentum, you've got all whatever. Like
I understand that it's easy for us to say that,
But at this point in today's NFL, that has to
be in the back of your mind at this point.
Like I understand, you want to get at the quarterback,

(37:44):
but you got to do anything in your power to
avoid touching the quarterback if it's going to seem as
a laid hit. And again, I understand in the moment,
it's really hard to do when you're rushing the quarterback
and you think they're about to get them and then
all of a sudden he gets rid of the ball
and it seems like it's going to be a late hit.
I understand that, but I don't know how you do it.
Maybe the NFL needs to change it. I understand the

(38:06):
NFL is trying to protect the quarterbacks, but in today's league,
if you're a pass rusher, you just have to know
what the rules are going to be and you can't
do a hit like that. And that that was a
hit that I I know that Jervone probably wanted the back.
I didn't hear from him. I didn't get a chance
to talk to him after the game. But yeah, it's
a play that just can't happen because it does give
Philly a lot of momentum.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
And I mean their bed look, I mean, it's tough, right,
if you're rushing the passer, whether you're a d lineman
a linebacker, you're blitzing from the corner of the safety spot,
it's hard. I mean, they do so much now to
protect the under the protect the quarterbacksly. I get it.
And there's been so many Tiki tag calls on roughing
the passer and the Bear's a benefit I think at
times too this year. I'm sure they have, but that one,

(38:49):
to me was just that was a no doubt or
that was an easy call to make there, and in
that particular point. It's one thing if you're losing by twenty,
you're frustrated, you shouldn't do it, but you're so ticked
off and you're angry and the game's over anyway you
do something like that. I get it, But that one,
oh my gosh, you're you were just slaying this team
here in front of their home fans. The boo birds

(39:11):
are probably deafening at Lincoln Financial Field, and then he
does this. But you know what, we don't have to
talk about it because the Bears won, and mostfully it
was just a bonehead play. Everyone will everyone will make one,
right if you play long enough in the league. They
all do it. It were human beings. We especially an
emotional sport like that, it's gonna happen. But man, that

(39:34):
was bad timing. But they survived because the Bears survived.
That's what they do this year.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Another loser. I don't know if I want to call
it necessarily a loser, because I don't think you know,
Caleb's performance was a losing performance by any mean, Like
that that touchdown throw that he had Cole was sweet.
That's a that's a that's a heck of a throw.
I mean to cross body dart to get it against
the wind. That's one heck of a throw from Caleb.
And again it was thirty mile per hour wins. It

(40:01):
was not great throwing conditions, but they are just some
play Like that interception that Caleb had that was a
good Obviously, that was a great play from the defender
to go up there block the ball and then to
catch interception. But I just would have gotten rid of
the ball there. And there's sometimes on Friday where I
was kind of like, I didn't love that throw. The

(40:21):
execution was regreine in the passing game, and again, I'm
not fully committed to calling it a loser performance because
it wasn't a loser performance given the conditions and all
that sort of stuff, But it just felt like a
day for me. It was kind of like, all right,
like you didn't really win because of Caleb and this
sort of stuff, And that's fine. There are some days
you're just gonna win because your running backs run for
two forty combined, and he made enough plays. I guess that.

(40:44):
You know, he made enough plays. But yeah, I got
CJ common to hear. This screen should be removed from
the playbook. You know, it hasn't. Sometimes it clicks and
sometimes it just doesn't click. And lately I feel like
the screen has not been clicked. And that that just
led to a bad interception that gave Philly a good
opportunity to score.

Speaker 2 (41:05):
Yeah, the underthrow I'm thinking in the first half to
roam was wide open, and the ends when he'd beat
and I know, I'm sure the wins when you're watching
on TV, you can't appreciate. You can't appreciate it. That
was bad. That again, what was he for the game, Caleb?

Speaker 1 (41:21):
He was, Yeah, he was a forty seven completion rate
and that's because he got hot.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
I mean, you know, it was worse than that in
the first half before he threw that short pass to
Burden at the end of the first half. I mean
it was I think, I think I wrote about it.
Whatever it was, it was just way, way bad. But
you know it's the front again. Here here they win.
Here they're nine and three. If I would have told
you anybody locally, nationally, any fan, they'd be nine and

(41:50):
three after twelve game, you'd say, well, Caleb must be
an MVP candidate. We finally seen we have our franchise quarterback.
He's emerged as one of the best players quarterbacks in
the NFL, and that has the case. He's still going
through his growing pages. Everyone knows that everyone sees every
time they play a football game, but that you win
that football game and dominated the defending Super Bowl champs

(42:13):
with your quarterback whos was just like, you know, had
a few good throws but missed a lot is amazing
to me. That's why I think going forward, we're going
to get there. Here in a second, you have to
be confident and feeling good, and I know it's you know,
it can all like our feelings can change if they
go in and lay an egg against Green Bay on Sunday.
But right now, knowing that they were able to they're

(42:36):
able to win a football in the way they've been
and in every football game when they win, when they're
winning the games, they're winning the same way, running game
takeaways on defense. But the quarterback, boy, you know, it's
with Caleb too. It's like if you're comparing, like what's
in your toolbox and Tyson Bajen has like four tools
and Caleb, how many do you have? How many tools
you have in your toolbox? Thirty eight? You're like, whoa

(42:58):
what you got all these tools? What compared to the
other guys like four? But it's let's hope it gets there.
The accuracy issues because nothing, it seems like, makes a
quarterback look worse other than turning the ball over than
missing wide open receivers. So hopefully that gets cleared up
and hopefully we get a day where it's actually just
an okay weather day as opposed to the last two

(43:20):
Bears games.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
Well, Joe, it's supposed to be feel like the loven
and Green Bay on Sunday. So I don't know if
we're getting I don't know if we're going to get
that that that kind of performance in June.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
So you know, you should expect.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
That any other losers from Friday's game not really move on.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
I'd be I'd be nitpicking so much. And it's a
long time point is picking, right. Kudos to the Bears.
Feel good win of the year by far, even better
than Dallas. So let's let's enjoy it and be positive
until the first turnover. Oh, Joe, don't even go there
on Sunday, Uh.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
CJ chiming any saying pass rush wide receivers were losers.
I mean the pass rush didn't have a sack and
it had one quarterback hit and CJ. Gardner Johnson had
the one quarterback hit. Yeah, I mean Jalen hurts that time.
Like even if you were like and again, like, I
think you need to take that into context, like the

(44:22):
what are the Eagles ended up doing? The Eagles ended
up passing thirty four times and they ran seventeen times.
That's insane actually now that I'm looking at it, because
the Bears ran it forty seven times and passed thirty
six times. And you know a big benefit of that
was that the Bears dominated the time of possession. I
mean the Bears, the Bears had what was it, eighty

(44:43):
five plays while the Eagles had fifty one place So
I agree like the pass rush wasn't great, and they
it's just something that you've been dealing with this whole sea.
I don't think you're going to see a great pass rush.
It's the number one concern for me heading into the
off season. I think Trapello has played really well, and
I think he is your starting left tackle based on

(45:05):
the decision to start him on Friday as opposed to
starting to obended it. So I think the biggest you
have to bring one or two pass rushers, and I
know it's hard, we'll get I don't want to go
full off season mode right now because I know that
they've obviously invested a ton of money into that defensive
line and they're not getting their money's worth at this point.
But I you know, it's it's a number one concern.

(45:29):
It's a big concern about why I think this team
maybe can't be a contender if we want to be negative,
because they don't have any lead pass rush right now
and it just hasn't been working. But all right, I
don't have any other negatives from Friday's game, So let's
move on to you know, let's have a conversation here, Joe.

(45:51):
The Bears are the number one seed in the NFC.
They are nine to three heading into week thirteen or
Week fourteen, I should say, but here's the context. The
Bears are nine and three, number one seed in the NFC.
The San Francisco forty nine Ers, the last wild card team,
are nine to four. It's it's it's a tide race.

(46:13):
It's it's it's a very tied race. The Packers are
half a game behind you because they have that tie,
and Detroit is two games behind you and the NFC
North race. We're not going to get into the whole
preview with the Packers. That will do that on Friday morning.
But Joe, we named this podcast after this conversation. Bears
are a number one seed at this point. Are they

(46:35):
true contenders in the NFC at this point?

Speaker 2 (46:40):
Well, deep down, I say no, No, They're not better
than the Rams. I don't know if they're better than
Seattle the Niners. I'm still thinking of the blowout last
and I know they've come so far from a year ago,
but you still got to go there and play them
in a couple of weeks or three weeks, whatever it is.
But other teams just keep dropping off. We say every
week too, like every team has issues. And I think

(47:02):
last week I said every team in the league has
issues except I guess the Rams and the Patriots and
the Rams layan egg, so they got issues too, I guess.
But the Bears. You mentioned it, the lack of the
pass rush, and we have entire, you know, next nine
months to talk about that, how they can fix that
pass rush. They're not gonna fix it anytime soon. They

(47:24):
can't fix it this year. No one's gonna emerge. Grady
Jared is maybe Grady Jared. She starts sipping what Kevin
Bayer is drinking. Maybe he can turn back the clock
a few years too, maybe and get a little more
ont of him. But in all seriousness, I just don't see.
I mean, it's that they're in this conversation for the
top seed. Is is ludicrous. I mean a week ago,
are like the Bears good? Yet we still don't know.

(47:45):
Maybe we'll find out against Philadeli Alfia, Philadelpi probably beats
him minutes like oh more questions about the Bears. But
now the Bears are getting all the love in the world.
After that performance and they should And now all of
a sudden, the Rams lose teams are and you know
what the heck has happened with Detroit? And to me,
I know you're gonna have them at home before the
season ends. And I'm thinking they still whack you fifty

(48:06):
two twenty one last time? Are you? Are you thirty
points better now this time around or more in anti
thirty four? I guess you have to be thirty one
points better whatever, thirty two points better, I don't know.
To me like this, every you go into every game thinking,
I don't know, can they get the Packers at Lambeau?
Are they gonna have a letdown? They shouldn't have a letdown.

(48:27):
You're going that's your number one rival at their place here.
There shouldn't be any letdown. But you know, every week
like I don't like this is why I don't bet.
But I wouldn't bet, like all everything on the Bears
to win Sunday after what they did in Philly, all
the momentas with the Bears. So I don't know, Michael,
I don't want to be the doubter, but I guess
maybe it's a Chicago fan my whole life I you know,

(48:48):
I'm it's part of my DNA now being being a cynic.

Speaker 1 (48:53):
Yeah, I you know, left that game kind of still
with the I think the Bears answer that they're not
they're a real playoff team. I think they are a
playoffs team. I think they've got I think their coach excellently.
I think they're more disciplined than they were at the
beginning of the season. I think that the Bears really
benefited from playing bad teams early, right, Like, obviously you

(49:15):
had that tough start against the Vikings and the Lions,
but when you play the Cowboys, the Cowboys defense was
not great, right, Like they didn't have Javonte Williams. When
you play the Raiders and all that kind of stuff,
and you had some you know, you had to make
some plays. But I think the Bears benefited where a
lot of you know, coaching staffs, you're learning, right, you're

(49:36):
learning how to play for this coaching staff, and you're
learning how to how to be a good team and
the culture and buying into whatever Ben Johnson is selling you, right,
And I think the Bears had the benefit of playing
bad teams to do that, and they found ways to
win games, right, when they probably I don't think the
Bears play if the schedule was inversed and you're playing
the forteen. But that again, you can make the argument

(49:58):
that the forty nine ers were injured, and what were
the forty nine ers at the beginning of the season, right,
So it's just I think that I've learned that this
Bears team is well coached, and they're talent. They've got
talented players, and they're playing well, and I think that
they're a playoff contender. Do I think that they're contending
for a Super Bowl. I think they're missing the biggest

(50:19):
piece right now, and that's a pass rush. Turnovers can
only get you so far so many times. And I'm
not trying to say that turnovers are fluky, that their
accidents state. You put a lot of work in the takeaways,
like you put a lot of research into it in
order to force it. But if you're not getting a
pass rush, I don't think you're stopping Matthew Stafford. I
don't think you're stopping Rock Purdy. I don't think you're

(50:40):
stopping Jordan Love like Jared Goff, like these quarterbacks you're
going to be playing against, even Shudor Sanders has shown
you that he can run well and makes the place
from time to time. Right, So I just think that
I think that this team is going to make the playoffs.
I think they find a way to win a couple

(51:00):
more games in this next game stretch and they make
the playoffs, and they accomplish what I think a lot
of Bears fans at the beginning of the season would
have been thrilled with, make the playoffs, win eleven games,
cool good. I think every Bears fan is fine with that.
But I just think that to be a contender to
reach the NFC Championship game, I think that they're missing

(51:21):
the biggest hole right now, and that's the pass rush.
And I think you can get through it sometimes, but
a lot of these teams that make the playoffs, it's
good quarterback play, good offensive lide play in a pass rush,
and the Bears are missing one of those key components
right now. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
And again the Bears too that they don't they're not
turning the ball over, you know, even with the Caleb
you know, fumble or interception against Philly. I mean the
Bears had two takeaways, two takeaways to one, so they
still won that And when Caleb threw a rare interception.
Their quarterback was more rare to throw an interception, and
it happened.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
But you're right.

Speaker 2 (51:57):
Defensively, they've been vulnerable all year against pass, against the rush,
doesn't matter, doesn't matter who's playing, and the Bears have
had a lot of breaks this season, not facing Joe Burrow,
not facing Lamar Jackson. They lost the Baltimore game anyway,
but it's just kind of worked out that way. But again,
the best thing you can do for the defense is
what they did did Friday, is keep them off the
field and control the clock. And as much as you'd

(52:20):
love to see we all want to see Kalo throw
for three p fifty and four touchdowns, maybe the best
way you can do that. Great, Please, if there's if
you can do that, please go ahead and do that.
We're okay with that. But if you run the ball,
control the clock like they did, like I I can't
remember the last time the Bears have controlled the clock
like they did Friday in Philadelphia. If you can do

(52:42):
that and keep the defense off the field, that's how
the defense gets better by not playing it, by not
playing downs. But can they keep because eventually the offense
is gonna fizzle. They do. We always say, like there's
always points they left on the on the field. It
happened again Friday in Philly, right first drive that was
the first drive of the game, or when Mongy got

(53:03):
stuffed on the fourth and one, you know, uh missed
by inches the call was overturned that so you know
that's that's always the case. But I don't know. Look,
they got five left. They're they're gonna win at least
one here and maybe more, maybe three the way they're
playing now, and I.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
Think I don't I don't think one win gets you
win at this point Titan wins. How everyone else playing
is playing right now? Like you, you got to win
eleven twelve games to make the playoffs. It seems like
in the NFC this year.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
It could be but you know what and it but
you know, all of a suddenly you go back to
the beginning the season one where you kind of like,
you know, everyone everyone does a loss, loss, win, lost, lot.
You go down the schedule, we did it, all fans
do it. These are these are games that were supposed
to be the losses. The Pittsburgh, uh, the Philadelphia, you know,

(53:54):
Green Bay at least once, probably lose to the Lions twice.
Uh Niners game, that's gonna be a loss. You know,
we don't know anymore. We just don't know anymore. And
every week again, I know they've been saying it forever,
but any given Sunday more games again. Yesterday, where I was,
I don't want to see our Shaw picks. How I
did this week is I know it was bad again. Well,

(54:16):
I mean, you know, Washington almost beat Denver last night.
It goes to ot so it's crazy. But you know,
five weeks, it's gonna be We've said it for the
last few weeks. It's gonna be a grind and that'll
be you know, it's not gonna be like they're gonna
have a playoff spot clinched in two weeks if they
win two more. You're right, Michael, it's probably gonna go

(54:36):
down to uh the last week of the regular season.

Speaker 1 (54:40):
Yeah, I just I think they're a real team. I
think they're good. I think they qualify for the playoffs
at the end of these things. But yeah, the whole
super Bowl thing, it's fun. I think it's fun. That'll
be the number one seed this week. I think they're
a really good team. I'm not trying to discredit anything
like you said. Anything happens every single week. But I
think when things to play out here over the next

(55:01):
five weeks, I think the Bears are closer to that
five or six seed. You know, maybe listen, they can
continue to prove us wrong. They proved us wrong in Philadelphia,
they proved us wrong and all these different matchups, and
it's been fun to kind of watch us watch him
prove us wrong. But listen, I think the biggest thing
at this point is think about where this franchise was
a year ago. A year ago, the Bears were getting

(55:23):
embarrassed in front of a national audience. Their coach didn't
know what he was doing, down the down, the down,
the you know, at the end of the game, coach
was fired. Coach the Bears coach was allowed to talk
on Friday Black Friday morning, acting like and he said
that he's planning on San Francisco. Then an hour later
he was fired. And now the year now you're nine

(55:45):
to three, your coach is taking the shirt off so
that everyone can eat free hot dogs on Tuesday. Like,
the vast difference between last year to this year is
just phenomenal. I think for Bears fans.

Speaker 2 (55:55):
And it's another reminder for any fan of whatever team.
Things can change quickly, but you gotta and you know,
Bears have many opportunities to all, right, change the narrative,
you change the coach, you change management of the GM,
you change the narrative, and that it's the same, all same, all.
But then this, then Ben Johnson, that hiring finally happens,

(56:17):
and oh my, I mean, you talk about a whirlwind
of change for the better, and I think it's only
going to get better. I'm not saying they're winning the
Super Bowl this year, next year, who knows. That's you know,
dynasties are hard to build. That's why there have been
very few in the history of this great league. But

(56:37):
they're trending up. I still don't say they I still
don't think that they've peaked. This is as good as
a kid. Sometimes you think they can't keep getting two
three turnovers a game, maybe that you know that they
have a lull with that. But we know they're well coached.
We know the coaches can win with guys who you
weren't counting on necessarily at the beginning of the season.

(56:59):
So even the injuries, you know because they'll happen. They
happen every week to keep players in the league. Unfortunately,
those will happen. But even if that happens to a
particular player and the Bears, we've already seen like it.
Certainly there are certain guys that you might think are irreplaceable,
but the Bears have shown they can win despite it all,
and I think as a Bears fan that's something to

(57:20):
be encouraged about that they got the coach right in
and coaching in this league. I've said it many times,
coaching in this league maybe more than any sport, matters
to most.

Speaker 1 (57:32):
Yeah, and Caleb keeps harping on this after games too,
like he knows that the offense hasn't hit it stright
in the passing game yet, like he I feel like
every game Like not that he's not happy. He's obviously
happy that his team is nine to three, but every
game I feel like he kind of takes it upon
himself and he knows, man, the passing game could have
been better. Again, there's the context of the wind on Friday,
but even after Friday's win, he was kind of like,

(57:54):
We've got a lot of talent on this offense, and
I know that we can bring it on more so,
it's something that they always talk about. They know that
there's another level that they can hit that they're not
not hitting. The playing their best football yet. I think
Friday was as close to it as possible given the conditions.
The defense was great and everything like that, but there

(58:14):
is still, I feel like another level for this offense,
especially to hit Rick Chiming in a quick question, Ben
has to be coach of the Year. I think it's
kind of changed a little bit here. I think in
the Indy's obviously fallen off here a little bit, so
I don't know if that's going to be a thing.
I think if the Patriots finished the way they do,
I think Rabel probably wins it. But I do think

(58:38):
Ben Johnson's probably number two right now. I think it
probably goes Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, and I mean Kyle
Shanahan for what he's done with the forty nine ers,
I mean with all the injuries that they've had, I mean,
he has to be a contender there too. But the
Colts guy, I think he was him and Rabel were
the favorite, but after the last tough losses for the Colts,

(58:58):
I think he's fallen down in those stands.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
Well, I think the one thing else to say is
about Ben Johnson. Why I think he could get it
is because say what you will, but you know, you
know these these postgame the good, better, best thing. This
stuff is going viral. I mean this is not just
in Chicago, but fans across this country are seeing this.
And there's just so much Ben Johnson love and attention

(59:21):
now and Rabel's just not He's Look, he would have
been choice number two for me going into the off
season with Ben. Ben Johnson won Vrabel two. Uh, and
they both lived up to the expectations. And you can't
say anything negative about the Patriots, but Ben Johnson just
seems to be getting this love this, you know, taking
his shirt off the whole locker room yesterday. You know,

(59:42):
people are eating that up. So there's a lot of
times it's it's a popularity contest. It can sway people,
let me put it that way. And I think Ben
has that goal. Maybe Vrabel does that next week and
now to draw.

Speaker 1 (59:55):
Yeah, I mean, regardless of how it goes, you know
that the Patriots and the Bears are very happy with
their coaching hours obviously, get it obviously getting the most
out of their out of their quarterbacks. They all, they're
both kind of in a similar position, right, Like they
both got second year quarterbacks new head coaches. So you
have to be uh, really encouraged if you're not that

(01:00:15):
the Patriots have been slumming it for that long. Let's
not like pretend like it's been so hard to be
a Patriots fan. The two years maybe that they were bad. Yeah,
the two years that they were maybe bad for a
lot of for a lot of friends out there who
are Patriots fans. I don't really feel too badly for
them now that they're back on top after a couple
of tough years. But that's everything that we've got for

(01:00:37):
this morning edition of the live stream. We'll obviously break
down a big game against the Packers on Friday morning,
so make sure you guys join us there. Thank you
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Make sure you subscribe so you know when we're going
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(01:01:01):
Make sure you'll also if you're listening on the podcast,
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(01:01:22):
checking out our social medias if you want to be
part of the conversation. All right, we'll have a Friday
morning breakdown of a big Week fourteen matchup against the
Green Bay Packers. It's kind of fun to have this
game mean something. It hasn't really meant anything for the
past what five six years at this point for a
lot of Bears fans, so it's exciting for this game

(01:01:44):
to have a lot at stake. It'll have a Fox
Prime Time crew on Sunday afternoon, so excited for that matchup.
But before until then, make sure you guys have a
good week. Check out all our work this week, and
we'll talk to you folks on Friday morning.

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
T