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Ted 219, 219.
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Forward progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.
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As much as we want the Bears to go deep when they can, that's exactly what we do. On Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast here on 312 Sports. D Dan Bernstein, Matt Abaticola and this is your source of all things Bears here. Coming off of their off day, they are back to practice. The 1 and 2 Chicago Bears are preparing for the Las Vegas Raiders and.
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B
Hopefully it's a good week of practice. Well, because a championship caliber week of practice because we.
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And we're going to discuss the fact that that card was already played by their coach. But a little bit of breaking news here in NFL circles as K Caleb Williams has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He completed 19 of his 28 attempts for 68% 298 yards and tied his career high. Four touchdown passes, no interceptions, a passer efficiency rating of 142.6. The four touchdown passes led the league. It is his first ever player of the week award and he is the first Bears quarterback to earn the honor since Jay Cutler.
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No. Justin fields.
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Correct. Week nine of 2022. Justin Fields had won this.
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Tyson Bagen.
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William Williams is the eighth former USC quarterback to an offensive Player of the Week.
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B
Okay.
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A
There's seven others.
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B
Oh, shit.
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Yes. So Matt Leinert, I don't know who they are. I just have the obvious possibilities circled. Yes, he's. He's one possibility. I haven't looked up who they are because this just happened. But I was just. I just wrote down the first ones I could think of. Carson Palmer. Had to be right.
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B
Probably for sure.
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Rob Johnson, Mark Sanchez, Rodney Pete, Matt Castle.
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Reggie Bush. Oh, quarterback.
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Quarterback Matt Barkley. I know he didn't win it as a Bear. I remember that game. Vince Evans, another former Bear, was a USC quarterback and I don't know when the award began, but Pat Hayden, pretty good with the Rams.
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B
Yeah.
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Those are the only sites. Some seven of those.
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B
That's great.
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Right?
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B
Really good. Thank you. Here's a question for you though. So the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
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Yes.
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This week was a Chicago Bear.
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Correct.
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The first week it was a Minnesota Viking who played the Chicago Bears. The second week was a Detroit lion who played the Chicago Bears. Week three is a Chicago Bear. Has that ever happened? The first three weeks of a season where the NFC Offensive Player of the Week came from a particular team's schedule? So three games for the Bears, three times it's happened from their games. Has that ever happened before?
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I don't know. But what an interesting observation you've made, Matt Abaticola.
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B
Well, there you go.
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The first check the box.
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I'm done for the year.
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They have all come from a Bears game.
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B
A Bears game?
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Yes, and usually Bears games. Nobody wants to look at them.
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B
No. And they don't feature players of the.
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Week and people want to forget them because they're generally awful and they don't look like other Bears games.
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B
So if that were to happen every week to a Bears player, I would say that is a good thing. When it happens to a player on the opposing team, I would say, Dan, that is a bad thing.
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Correct.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Well, that's on the same page.
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Now, my question that I have for the Chicago Bears is without Jalen Johnson and without Kyler Gordon, their defense has become something that we didn't really think it was going to be. And the working thesis here, the question is, when does a Dennis Allen defense become more like a typical Matt Eberfluss defense? And the answer is, you don't want that. The answer is last week, the most recent game and the end. And it worked because we talked about.
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Them being in that cover to that shell. Given the nature of the roster, with the injuries currently and who's out there on the field, what they need to do to be successful.
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Take a guess from the last game and based on the calculations that the Tribune did, how many play, what percentage of defensive snaps saw the Bears in a two deep safety shell look of one kind or another, but two deep safeties? Whether it was. I didn't see it broken out, whether it was zone under or man under, but it is, we should say it is way more common around the NFL. But under Dennis Allen and these Bears right now, what percentage of the time do you think they were in a two deep?
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All right, I'll stay with my original guess of 60%.
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69.
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Okay.
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Nice percentage points there. 69% of the time they were in a two deep shell.
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B
Okay.
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And it worked.
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It did work. And is that why then Jake Ferguson had the game of his life?
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Yes.
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And was about ready to pass out at the end of the game.
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In a nutshell, what do you have? 12 receptions?
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12 or 13? Yeah.
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In a nutshell, the answer to that is yes, that is. Why? Because he was the only guy open. Because that's the guy they wanted to be open. Because they made the calculation that he's not really going to hurt them. And nobody could take the top off with CD Lamb out. Not to mention the bend but not break nature of that defense. You got all those interceptions. You know, one was the tip, the terrific diving play. But you're talking about two end zone or red zone interceptions, right? That's exactly how the defense is designed to work. Go ahead and march at 20 to 20. Go ahead and. But once we compress things at the end, we're going to stop you.
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B
So let me ask you this then because that falls in line with what we saw from Dak Prescott and something that we questioned about Dak Prescott, why he wasn't taking chances downfield. So the Bears weren't giving the chances downfield, particularly with CD Lamb out. It's just, it's really interesting to see when we talk about the development of Caleb Williams to be able to read his progressions and get to check downs quick. How fast was Dak Prescott reading the field?
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I think we need to see the.
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All 20twos and realizing though, hey, this is my only option because he was. It almost looked like those checkdowns were the primary route, which they obviously aren't. But how quickly he's getting down and scanning the field to be able to check it down that quick.
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And the question is if the Bears have the same strategy, which they probably will if Gordon doesn't play. Especially.
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Especially.
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And because you're down to your what, third and fourth string, you're down the.
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Guys corners, you're down the guys having.
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To see action in your packages that can Dante Thornton, Trey Tucker and Jacoby Myers get down the field better than what was left of what Dallas had. That's the question. Because their biggest weapon is Brock Bowers.
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I was going to say the biggest.
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Weapon of the passing game happens to be their tight end. Now the problem here's, here's as we talk this out, making the decision to say play the shell, let Jake Ferguson beat us because he's going to catch it and we'll get him on the ground or he's not going to have the separation. But Bowers different animal here that it's going to. It takes a village to tackle this guy. And if you want to turn your game over to swing passes to Ashton Genty or the check down in the very middle of the field that we often see open to Ashton Jenny and let him turn toward the yellow line, turn toward the sticks. That's a different strategy. There are different risks involved in Genti in the open field and Bowers in the open field. Correct. So let's see.
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B
I want to take a Look, I'm going to look at Jake, Jake Ferguson from last week. So yeah, 14 targets, 13 catches. All right, so Espen doesn't have it. It must be on NFL that shows yards after catch. I want to say his yards after catch was 13 or 14 only.
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Yeah. Bowers is going to break tackles.
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Right. So 13 receptions and his yards after catch was under 20. I want to, if I remember correctly. So again, not, not too much damage. You know, he has all those, all those receptions doesn't do anything in the red zone. Zero touchdowns if I remember correctly. And then, but, but Brock Bowers, that's going to be a completely different story.
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It's a different.
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Not allow 14 or 15 targets because that, that's going to create a lot more yards after catching. Possible touchdowns too.
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Different calculation in that regard.
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And, but, but if you're, if your roster dictates what you play, how do you, how do you counter that though? Okay, because you're not getting, you're not getting pressure on the quarterback with the front four.
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You just answered your own question. You just answered how do you counter that pass rush that this entire defense, it's all fine if you're getting pass rush with four guys. If they're winning their matchups and this is not a good offensive line.
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It's not, they're not blocking for the run or the pass.
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So this is key. If Sweat and Diode Angbo can simply do their jobs, this same defense should be okay because that's, that's the difference that everything is better when the timing is sped up and then, you know, you might have to worry if you're. I don't want to be in too much man because Geno Smith can still run and if he sees the nameplates he's going to go. That's the problem with man when you're turning and running with guys. I would say this is pretty simple that you can play if you just go in with a Tampa 2 mentality.
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Yeah.
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You should be able to keep a lid on this team if your edges can win their matchups.
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B
Yeah, that's a big if though. That's a big if because they haven't won their one on one battles enough yet in the first three games. Not really being double teamed. So the opportunities are there to dent the pocket, create chaos in the backfield. They're just not doing it consistently. But Dennis Allen and we learned, you know, yesterday looking at some stats that they, they've blitzed 4% of the time, which is the league lowest. He's not Going to blitz. You've got to count on these guys to do their jobs.
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And I think their opponent completion percentage is also a league worst. But that's okay if, if it's part of a plan and if your average yards per pass is low enough, that isn't the worst thing if you're getting home enough.
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B
All right, I looked it up. Yeah, let me correct myself here. So he did have 13 receptions on 14 targets. Jake Ferguson, long of 12, he had 45 yards after catch. I thought, I thought it was a lot lower than 20. But 13 receptions and 45 yards after catch.
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Yeah, that's three yards not doing much of anything.
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Brock Bowers is not going to do that. If you allow him to get double digit receptions he's in especially if there's no one around him.
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It isn't just yards after catch. It's also because of his speed, because of his ability to release cleanly from the line. Yeah, he's going to be more open than you want him to be. Even if it's okay enough that he's still underneath the shell. And if he gets matched up against a linebacker, he can outrun that too. You don't want to see Noah Sewell having to run step for step with him.
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Not more than once.
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Yes, maybe Reuben Hippolyte could. Now this is why you drafted Hippolyte, right? Because he can turn and. Well, I wouldn't watch him turn as much because the turn is key. We know that he can run a race with him.
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Yeah.
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But whether or not he can actually get his hips flipped around and start running at the same time is the question.
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And despite the fact the Raiders have not been able to pass Black well, Geno Smith is still throwing the ball all over the field and for, for, for some big numbers. I mean they have some pretty good passing numbers through the first three games despite their one and two record. So all those things, if the Bears edges can't get to Geno Smith and he's allowed time to throw the ball downfield and they don't do something to counter Brock Bowers, this kind of points to what we talked about. What a lot of people talked about in the going to that Dallas game is a big shootout. A lot of points being scored, very little defense being played. Now the Cowboys just didn't show up. Weren't able to take advantage of what the Bears offered in that, in that two deep cover by going a lot to Ferguson. And with CD Lamb being out relatively as the game started, they weren't able to participate in the shootout that everyone thought. Now will the Raiders be able to do that? Is this another shootout game for, for the Bears?
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What do they set the over under atches out of curiosity because I'd love to know what the, what the odds makers feel about those possibilities. I don't, I don't know the answer. Based on the way the Raiders block, I think a shootout's unlikely.
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47 and a half.
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Okay so. Right.
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I mean that and the Bears are right now a slight favorite at giving a point. So basic pick them game. But they were, they were, they were getting a point last week with Dallas. Is that what it was? And now they're, now they're giving. Okay, so now they're giving a point on the road.
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Oh, so wait, what is this going to do for the possibility of selling the Bears on the underdog status? You can't do the nobody believes in us bit now, right?
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Now that you're favored on the road.
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Favorite on the road. Oh, now, now that takes away the motivational tactic. Yeah, we're going to get to that in a second.
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Okay, I'm interested in getting to that.
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A
But let me, let me also be very clear about this too. People are asking me and this. I've heard this multiple times. I don't know if you are too about the Bears running game and whether or not the Bear should make a move for a running back. We're hearing all these. They should trade for Breeze hall. The breathe that jets can move this guy and it's perfect and they can give him these draft picks and get this running back. No, no, no, no, no. I know the running game sucks but the last thing I want to do right now for the Bears is give up more draft capital for a running back. They're not going to win the super bowl this year.
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Right.
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And they're not a. Any running back that you would be able to get is not going to be different enough to make them a Super bowl contender this year or change their playoff fate this year. It just. No, no, no, no. You can find somebody who can be a reliable enough runner. I'm not a fan of Swift and Manunga is blue and I don't know what Roshan Johnson is or was but if you.
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B
So you draft Kyle Manangai, the coach says after week two that he needs to see more of him on the field. Wants to get more of him. As far as being involved in the game plan, at what point do you, do you try to balance wanting to win because Swift gives you the better chance to win with Carrying the ball more than Manung Guy. But then how do you get a chance to see Manung guy? So is it just a matter of how hard he practices and how much he wants to be involved in the game plan?
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I really don't know the answer to that. But the idea of getting a new guy, who's the guy in the practice? What is Britain?
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Yes, Britain Brown sounds correct because he.
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Ran hard during the preseason and we said, ooh, this guy's opening some eyes. He's a guy. He's a running back.
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I like my guy Wheeler. The doctor.
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A
Yeah. Did he end up on a practice squad somewhere? Somebody grab him. The good doctor, he and Wheeler. But no, very simply, no. There's no magic running back out there that immediately is going to show up and change the Bears stars. I don't think that that is the case at all. So they're going to go with what they got. Block the plays give. Block it well enough to let a guy fall forward for four yards or four and a half yards. That's all I ask for. And if you can get Swift the ball in a way where he isn't making too many decisions before the line of scrimmage, get him in space, get him there. You can put the ball in his hands. The screen. Hey, how about that, too? Did we underrate the fact that Chicago Bears ran a successful screen pass?
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B
Well, we did. We failed to highlight that.
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Yeah, the flea flicker. We got all consumed with the flea flicker with White House and forgot to say, way to go, Bears. Because you can count the numbers. Number of successful screen passes they've had in recent memory on one hand. But good job. They got one there that helped build out the passing stats of the the NFC offensive player of the week, Caleb Williams.
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B
Yeah. And it is Britain Brown. You are correct there. We double check that. Thank you. Ian Wheeler. Ian Wheeler. Where is he at right now? Ian Wheeler, if he's anywhere, to be honest with you. Yeah, I don't think he's anywhere.
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Oh, maybe he went back to med school. I don't know. I hope he's able to pursue his football dreams long enough.
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B
Yeah, because it's a nice story for him coming back from the injury. I thought he looked pretty decent carrying the ball in preseason, but yeah, the Bears, not so much. Hey, I want to tell you guys about a new sponsor here on Forward Progress, right? It's called Lucy and you can check them out online at Lucy Co. That's Lucy Co. Lucy products are 100% pure nicotine. And always to back they Come in pouches, gum and breakers. Now breakers are their pouches that have a burstable flavor capsule inside that you can crush anytime for an instant burst of hydration and flavor. Lucy products are available in a variety of flavors. Something for everyone. Mint, wintergreen, apple ice, mango, berry, citrus espresso, apple cider, cinnamon and pomegranate. If you're looking for a tobacco free product that delivers that kick of nicotine you need for an extra boost in your day or something to help take the edge off, Lucy products has what you need. Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy Co FP20 and use promo code FP20 to receive 20% off your first order. Lucy has a 30 day refund policy in case you change your mind. You can even set yourself up with a subscription and have Lucy delivered straight to your door. So don't wait. Order your Lucy today. Whether it's a gum, pouches or breakers. Use promo code FP20 for 20% off your first order. Go to Lucy Co FP20 now. And here comes the fine print. Lucy products are only for adults of legal age and every order is age verified.
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A
Warning.
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B
This product contained nicotine. And nicotine is an addictive chemical that's.
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A
Mad about a cola. I'm Dan Bernstein and here on Forward Progress we talk about your Chicago Bears. And I mentioned yesterday that the further that we got away from that exciting win, the more context we have to consider just how bad the Dallas Cowboys may be. And that adds context to this game as one that will define the Bears level, how they follow it up and if they can beat another team that it's fair to say they should beat if they are what they think they are. And that is something better than awful. And I think the Bears at least publicly think there's something better than awful. I don't know what they're saying privately.
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B
Right.
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A
But I know that they're that. I don't think that's too high a standard to set is when you went out and spent the money that they spent and they have the players that they have to build on. Hey, your quarterback is player of the week.
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B
Yeah, that's great.
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A
Quarterbacks, player of the week.
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B
And despite how the first two games of the season looked and despite the fact they played the Cowboys, who are pretty awful and their defense is really terrible, the Bears have a really good chance to win this game. Despite being on the road going into the Raiders, they're both one and two. One of these two teams is coming out two and two. There's no reason why it can't be the Bears that they put together a good game. Now stats wise, both teams, you're pretty similar. With the exception of yards per carry, the Bears have a really strong edge there over the Raiders at this point. We've talked a lot about their offensive line with the inability to run block as well as the difficulties in pass blocking. Geno Smith still makes up for that though. They've upgraded at quarterback quite a bit this year. But the Bears do have an edge in running the football. We just don't know what they're going to be able to accomplish what Ben Johnson wants to do running the football with DeAndre Swift and Kyle Menungai. But the Bears have a really good chance to come out two and two after four games. There really is no reason why this shouldn't be a competitive game for the Bears.
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A
I also think that the commitment to the run last week should have some carryover effect in the success of play action. The Bears willingness to keep running the ball. I think the total number of passes to runs was just about 50, 50 and for those of you who want that, you got it. I don't think it's a, it's a goal to have that. The goal is to score as many points as you can, whatever it takes as quickly as possible. Score all the score a thousand points and if it so happens you've run as much as pass because you got a lead and you can run the ball enough to salt away the win, which is what the Bears did. That's great. I don't think in a vacuum balance between run and pass is necessarily a valid goal because it doesn't make sense.
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B
Yeah. And despite the really fantastic big chunks of yards they gained on some particular plays that were pretty special fun to watch. The most important drive was that 19 play drive that took up 76 yards and almost 10 minutes of time o' clock that one as I hope that they're highlighting that looking at that and that builds some confidence into the running game that this is what you can do it. I know the Cowboys were deflated pretty much at that point and it was like you knew it was coming. They still punched him in the mouth which is really a sign of a good team to be able to do that. Hey, we're going to run the football.
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A
When the other team knows you want.
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B
To run and you still do it successfully. So hopefully they can build off that and use that as like a centerpiece for what they can do with the running game moving forward.
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A
I Think that we also saw a double down of motivational tactics used by the Bears last week, that if either one had been used by itself, it's not that big a deal. But the fact that both of these cards were played in week three, I think creates a little bit of significance. And what I mean, to wit, is the fact that the coach called out his team for not practicing well, that we're not. Our practice habits are not up to a championship stage.
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B
Publicly in the media, it's a big deal.
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A
That's a big deal. You slap that card down, that's a big one. And then we found out after the fact that Grady Jarrett gave the inspirational speech to the defense at the team hotel Saturday night.
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B
Players only, players only.
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A
Inspirational speech. It was good to hear from him. And he wears it on his sleeve and everything. Everybody said, okay, after, after two games. You did both in the same week. Really?
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B
Yeah. I mean, that's, that's showing your aces pretty quick because you can't, you can't go back and do that. You can't, as Ben Johnson, get into the media and challenge your players for not practicing hard enough.
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A
You can do it privately all you want.
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B
Yeah. But you can't do it publicly. And then the, I mean, how many times can you have the players only meeting and rah rah speech again? Both effective, both worked out, but you can't pull those out again.
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A
And more. So how many times or is Grady Jarrett thinking, well, you know what? I'm. I might be closer to the end of my career than I thought. I don't know how much better this knee is going to get.
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B
Yeah.
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A
And if I'm going to do this, I better do it now while I'm still out there practicing, before I'm on the injured list or before I'm uncertain of whether or not I'm going to be on an injury report or act because, you know, you become a ghost. And a veteran player knows that once you start getting injured, you disappear. So maybe it was his belief that while he still carries this influence, still a starter, to do it now. So I get that. The other thing is, do you think Grady Jarrett does that without having it vetted by either Dennis Allen, Ben Johnson or both?
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B
Yeah, I do. I think, I think he, I think he does it even without getting. I think he just does that. He's. He's enough of experienced veteran and has success in this league to carry that weight to do that on his own.
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A
Okay. But that he would not ask permission?
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B
I don't think so.
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A
I don't know what the protocol is on that. Do you have. Should you run it by. Just say, hey, you know, just. Just so you guys know, I'm going to close the door and do a little.
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B
I don't think so. I think, I think doing that kind of loses. Loses some credibility to it. Like, you shouldn't have to go and ask permission.
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A
They won't say anything.
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B
No, I know, I know they won't. But, yeah, I don't think, I don't think any situation, guys, like, I don't think Jason Hayward went to Joe and was like, hey, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do this.
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A
But see, that was a perfect example of saving it for when it mattered.
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B
Well, yeah, I mean, game seven of.
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A
The one series, you go seven months, the 162 and a full modern playoff run. It is the last game of the year. You get to the rain delay and then you play that card. See, that's how it's done.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Not game two of after the season. Like, we're not practicing our game.
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B
Here's the thing, though. I'll push back a second on that because one thing I do like about it is that. And it goes against everything that everyone was saying after the first game and the second game that you need more games to evaluate what you can see. And I didn't. I don't buy that.
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A
Maybe they didn't. So.
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B
And what. To me, it showed a sense of urgency that, hey, we're only two games in, but it's really important here. You're. You're veteran guy that you signed on defense, your new head coach pulled out that card after two games because there's a sense of urgency that we can't let this slip any further. And Owen 3, while statistically speaking is pretty much, you know, a kiss of death for the playoffs in FL history, there have been a handful of teams that have done it. And your, your, your grizzled veteran said, all right, enough's enough. But they had enough to say two games. There's a sense of urgency here going into this very winnable game against the Cowboys. I like that approach to it. We got to have this while it's early, but we got to have this one. We can't let pull out all the stops. We've got to have this game. I like that approach to it. I like that that was in their mind.
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A
So if we declare both things sort of in case of emergency decisions, they found it to be enough of an emergency.
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B
Yeah, for sure. For sure. Now here's the Question, though. Does it still happen without the players only meeting? Does it still happen without what? The win, the victory.
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A
Oh, yeah, probably. Yeah, I think it does.
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B
Now, was it premature?
- [27:12]
A
Right.
- [27:13]
B
And really at the end of the day, not needed?
- [27:16]
A
Well, if you had told me that the Dallas offense would be the run after the catch ability of tight end Jake Ferguson. If you told Grady Jarrett that, it's like, hey, you still want to. It's like, no, we don't need.
- [27:27]
B
Oh, by the way, CD Lamb is done for the.
- [27:28]
A
That's what I mean.
- [27:29]
B
Yeah, he's. He's not playing right.
- [27:32]
A
I'll save it. Yeah, I'll keep this one.
- [27:34]
B
Maybe I'll save it. Going to Las Vegas.
- [27:36]
A
I'm going to. I'm going to keep my powder dry.
- [27:38]
B
Hey, we're one and two. We need this game. Yeah.
- [27:40]
A
Maybe the Monday night against the Commanders. Yeah, I don't know. I'm going to. I'm going to keep this one.
- [27:45]
B
So do you think they're kicking themselves?
- [27:47]
A
If only we knew. You can't control it.
- [27:49]
B
But I like the thought that with Grady, that, hey, I don't know how long I'm playing this season. I don't know how much longer I got on this knee.
- [27:55]
A
That's why I think the conclusion.
- [27:56]
B
I like that approach.
- [27:58]
A
If I'm going to matter in this way and if I know I've been brought in to be an influence outside of football, to be, here's a good chance this is. I'm going to make myself valuable. And if in fact it helps or we look at this after the fact and say, you know, that was a point in the season where things really turned or where it was important to us to do that and he recognized.
- [28:20]
B
That it worked for Tyreek Stevenson.
- [28:21]
A
He thought, well, something did. Absolutely. It was a huge play. Yeah, that's a huge play. And like I say, Tyreek Stevenson needs. He needs one more good game. This is big for Tyreek Stevenson because the last thing you want is for all of the pre commanders game stuff to be about what happened last year. What happened last year. And you should be celebrating the fact that you. You're still here where a lot of people would have cut you right then and there. Right the moment you would have not made the plane home.
- [28:53]
B
Yeah.
- [28:54]
A
They were on the road, right?
- [28:55]
B
Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if. If Ben Johnson would have cut him after that, that game, if that same scenario plays out. I think a guy like Harbaugh cuts him, Tomlin cuts him, or at a.
- [29:06]
A
Minimum suspends a guy for a week.
- [29:08]
B
Yeah.
- [29:09]
A
And the Bears had to be publicly bullied to even take practice. And even then he's like, what do you take him out of practice for? Like, that's when you cut him.
- [29:20]
B
Yeah. So, yeah, he has an opportunity here to help write the narrative. What happens going into that. That commander. Yes.
- [29:25]
A
He has a good game now. It's a redemption arc.
- [29:27]
B
Yeah.
- [29:27]
A
And if he has a really good game, he can say, look how far he's come, look how he's put his career back together. And especially in the absence of Jalen Johnson, this guy, this high draft pick has decided that he's going to redefine himself as a Chicago Bear.
- [29:40]
B
Yeah. And that's a story for the CBS broadcast or local reporter that how he's turned it all from that moment, the moment that wasn't going to define his career, but here he is now.
- [29:49]
A
Yes.
- [29:50]
B
Yeah.
- [29:50]
A
And he has an opportunity to make it happen. It should be motivation enough and doesn't need Grady Jarrett to tell him.
- [29:56]
B
Yeah. And I love the hustle. Love the play. I mean, the play of the year so far. Defensively, pulling that ball out of Williams's hand, you thought they were just going to roll down field and score an easy touchdown to start the game. But let's do that. Guarding someone as a pass defender and, you know, let's get an interception and let's, let's defend some passes. Let's, let's talk about those highlight plays. That'd be good for Stevenson. That'd be fine after the Raiders game.
- [30:19]
A
So now we come to the point where you tell me a story. And I was laughing about this, hearing you laugh about it.
- [30:28]
B
So I'm reading the story, set this up. I'm reading the story in the train this morning and I get towards the end of the story and I actually said out loud, holy shit.
- [30:37]
A
On the train. On the train, were you in the quiet car? Do they still have a quiet car?
- [30:42]
B
They do. No one said anything, so I must have not been on the quiet car because the signs are really small now for the quiet car. I'd like to. I didn't even notice them like they used to be. If I remember correctly, from years ago, taking the train on a regular basis, the quiet car signs were larger than what they are now.
- [30:57]
A
Maybe that's good. Maybe that means they don't have to beat you over the head with the idea of the quiet car. Because maybe post Covid, when people sort of forgot how to act around other.
- [31:07]
B
People, maybe that's it. But despite. Or it might not have been A quiet car, but what they need on the Metro. And I'll. If anyone's listening from Metra.
- [31:16]
A
Wait a sec. Mr. Metra is listening. I'm the head of Metra. I'm glad I'm listening.
- [31:21]
B
You should require headphones or ear pods for everything, regardless of the car you're in. A guy yesterday is watching reels. I don't know if he's on Instagram or TikTok, and he's watching recipes.
- [31:33]
A
Okay.
- [31:34]
B
It's that automated voice. Whether it's Instagram or TikTok, I don't know what it is, but it's the. The guy. And it's like this. So he's got his phone up to his face and it's loud.
- [31:42]
A
Are they bad recipes?
- [31:43]
B
And it was like, first I take the lemons and I squeeze the lemons into the bowl before I just runs down my leg. But I was like. I was like, dude, come on. And I, like, I'm just staring at him like, come on, man. Like, get headphones. Get EarPods. Do something.
- [31:59]
A
Was that, like, my Uber driver who was watching UFC fights?
- [32:03]
B
Oh, really? Watching them while he's driving? You okay? How'd that go?
- [32:09]
A
I asked him not to.
- [32:11]
B
Okay.
- [32:11]
A
And then he said, I'm not watching.
- [32:13]
B
Did he ask you to get out? Oh, he's just listening.
- [32:14]
A
Yeah, he said, I'm not watching.
- [32:16]
B
Fine, we're good. Did you not believe him?
- [32:18]
A
He was watching.
- [32:19]
B
Okay.
- [32:20]
A
But there's nothing I could do at that point. I was worried he was going to turn around and shoot me or something.
- [32:23]
B
Or does. I mean, I would. They can kick you out.
- [32:26]
A
Well, whatever. But I.
- [32:27]
B
Pull over.
- [32:28]
A
Was I a bad guy? Was I a bad guy for asking him. Could you not watch?
- [32:32]
B
No. I mean, I don't think you're a bad guy to ask a guy to not watch TV while he's driving.
- [32:36]
A
Okay. I'm just making sure because he kind of bad guy treated it like I was a bad guy.
- [32:40]
B
See, that's funny, because I go so far not to complain that I would just. I would have been. Probably buckled my seatbelt, which I generally don't, in the back seat, which I know is bad.
- [32:48]
A
Buckle up, son. I'm watching the ufc.
- [32:51]
B
And I would have been concerned the whole ride without saying anything, though, but I like your approach better. All right, so I'm reading this story, and here I'm just going to read the story for you. It's former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
- [33:03]
A
Oh, we see him. Received a Amazon, right?
- [33:07]
B
Deferred prosecution in his ongoing dui case, A spokesperson from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's office told espn. A King County District Court judge on Tuesday granted a request by Sherman's attorney for the deferred prosecution, which means a charge is suspended in exchange for the defendant agreeing to meet certain court requirements. Under Washington state law, defendant who requests a deferred prosecution must state that their conduct was a result of a substance use disorder or a mental problem and agree to two years of treatment. The court does not proceed with charges if the terms of the agreement are met. If not, the court uses a bench trial to determine guilt. In Washington, a deferred prosecution comes with a five year probationary period and counts as a prior offense in future DUI prosecution. Sherman was charged with DUI in June in connection with a February 2024 arrest when he allegedly registered a blood alcohol level of around 0.11 above the state's legal limit of 0.08 after being pulled over for speeding. Now, here's the paragraph that I was like, holy shit.
- [34:14]
A
Okay.
- [34:16]
B
As part of the separate incident, he pleaded guilty in 2022 to negligent driving in the first degree and criminal trespass in the second degree. Those misdemeanor charges stemmed from a July 2021 incident in which he allegedly drove his SUV into a closed construction site, fled the scene, and then attempted to break down the front door of his in laws home. What?
- [34:41]
A
Richard Sherman. Yes.
- [34:43]
B
I was like, what? That's what I said. Holy shit. Like, it just like it took a.
- [34:49]
A
Really hard turn and a construct. What?
- [34:52]
B
So drove his SUV into a closed construction site, fled the scene, and then attempted to break down the front door of his in laws home. Boy, that escalated quickly.
- [35:03]
A
I mean, that really got out of hand fast. It jumped up a notch.
- [35:07]
B
It did, didn't it? I just. That I didn't see that coming.
- [35:11]
A
That tells me that he was trying to get away from something else.
- [35:16]
B
You think?
- [35:17]
A
Yeah, if you're like, where can I stash the car? If they find the car here, they won't find me. They can't tie me to anything. So I'm going to try to get into my in laws house.
- [35:27]
B
So closed construction site that. That drove his vehicle, fled on foot. To detective, you're not.
- [35:34]
A
I'm very much not a detective, but it sounds like that was an attempt to distance himself or disconnect himself from something that had occurred immediately previously.
- [35:48]
B
Yeah, I mean, you get my drift on. Yeah, I do. So his blood alcohol level at a point 0.19 approximately around there. That's a pretty Good night out speeding, ditches the car in a closed construction site, then fled the scene, attempted to break down the front door. I just like, I'm reading it along and I'm like, didn't expect. In law's house. It's like to be the.
- [36:10]
A
I can hide there.
- [36:12]
B
The end of the sentence. Like, why not just ring the doorbell?
- [36:16]
A
Maybe they weren't home.
- [36:17]
B
Maybe, maybe they weren't home.
- [36:19]
A
Right. And they didn't leave a key or something. Or he didn't have a key and he thought, who knows? That would be. My guess is they weren't home.
- [36:25]
B
Okay. And he was just like, aren't you picturing the front door? Like the front of the house, the front door. He's trying to. Maybe if they're not home, maybe you try to go to the back. You try to make it. Yeah.
- [36:35]
A
Where the ring doorbell isn't there or the light isn't there or something.
- [36:38]
B
Or neighbors aren't going to hear you trying to kick down a front door. But it just. When I read, I'm like, ooh, construction site. I was like, wow. Fled the scene, attempted to break down the door of his in laws house. I was like, holy shit. It just came out of nowhere.
- [36:51]
A
I started laughing when I mentioned Detective as. I just remembered a story. So years ago, it was a Friday. Who needs two tavern tour. I forgot where we were. And this is when Terry was doing the TB Diddlers thing. Okay, so you remember when we were.
- [37:13]
B
A long time ago.
- [37:14]
A
Yeah. Remember we were having so much fun with the fake commercials.
- [37:17]
B
Yes.
- [37:17]
A
Come on down to tv. Whoop wee. And it was just, I mean, obviously stuff that would get us canceled because it was.
- [37:24]
B
Yeah. Now we can't.
- [37:25]
A
Oh, are you kidding? No, but it was, you know, back in the day, it was fun. And we were having so much fun with Ted and Terry. It's like I'm opening a new TV Diddler's location. Ha ha. So we were at this event and this guy comes up to me. We were during a break and I was walking around, you know, stealing stuff off people's plates, as I used to.
- [37:44]
B
Do, because I had.
- [37:46]
A
What?
- [37:46]
B
So. No, the detective, he heard. Oh, no.
- [37:48]
A
Well, you just blew the punchline. What?
- [37:50]
B
I'm just, I'm nervous now.
- [37:52]
A
No, no, no. So this guy is like, hey, can I ask you something? I said, of course. We're in a break at a remote. I always tell you. This is when you ask me stuff while I'm taking people's wings. Because at a remote it's like prima. Nocta I'm entitled to at least one wing off anybody's plate.
- [38:07]
B
Yes.
- [38:08]
A
I always would invoke that.
- [38:09]
B
And their firstborn.
- [38:10]
A
Yes, that too. So he goes, I want to ask him, you guys spend all this time promoting TB diddlers, and you never say where it is? And I'm like, yeah, go on. And he said, so I don't understand why you guys would advertise and talk about these places and not. Don't you want to let people know where?
- [38:36]
B
I have a vague remembrance of that.
- [38:37]
A
Remember this?
- [38:38]
B
Yes.
- [38:39]
A
So I said, crack many cases there, Detective? Well, then I said. We were talking for a while, and I said, just out of cure, what do you do for a living? And he goes, I'm a detective.
- [38:50]
B
But he didn't say police detective, though.
- [38:51]
A
No, he was. He was a police detective.
- [38:55]
B
So I'm just.
- [38:56]
A
I'm picturing this guy at his desk with, like, a stack of cases of folders, case files right up to here. And he's like. Grabs one off the top, puts out his glasses, opens it up.
- [39:09]
B
Okay.
- [39:10]
A
And it's got, like, a confession.
- [39:12]
B
It's all the fingerprints.
- [39:15]
A
You know, the guy's actually holding a bloody knife, and he's like, I don't know. I guess this goes with the cold case file.
- [39:22]
B
Like, we'll have to get back to this one.
- [39:25]
A
Let's take the next one off the top.
- [39:26]
B
Williams, how many cases have you closed this year? Oh, none yet, Chief. I'm working on it. Working on it.
- [39:31]
A
I'm gonna. I'm. Old Gil is gonna get himself. I gotta crack one.
- [39:35]
B
I vaguely remember that. I remember. I remember the. I mean, the punchline of someone asking the address about it.
- [39:41]
A
Where's T.B. dugglers and.
- [39:43]
B
Okay, but that was the only one in person, though, right? Because we had multiple people. Oh, yeah, Yeah.
- [39:48]
A
A lot of.
- [39:48]
B
With text and emails. Like, where's the address of T.B. diddler's?
- [39:52]
A
Yep. Why do you. Why do you never tell us where it is? Do you guys do. But this was in person, and it was asked by a detective. A detective. Can I ask why do you guys never say. It doesn't make sense to me.
- [40:06]
B
I'm sorry, Detective.
- [40:08]
A
Maybe. Maybe it's not real. It's not a real thing. It's just a. It's just a radio bit.
- [40:15]
B
All right, well, I hope Richard Sherman gets him. Gets himself together here and stop drinking.
- [40:20]
A
I enjoy his work.
- [40:21]
B
Yeah. Oh, no. Yeah, for sure.
- [40:23]
A
I like the Amazon panel.
- [40:24]
B
Yeah. I just generally. Yeah, I just didn't see that coming there in that. In that Paragraph of the story.
- [40:28]
A
Did you see how much weight Andrew Whitworth has lost? Oh, you talk about the hundred pounds. I would venture to guess a minimum of £100.
- [40:38]
B
Oh, Zampy.
- [40:40]
A
Well, offensive lineman.
- [40:41]
B
They all.
- [40:42]
A
They all drop it. I don't think it's Ozempic. I think it's you. You know, your. Your body wants to get back to a normal person's weight.
- [40:49]
B
Yeah.
- [40:50]
A
Rather than inflating yourself like all these guys do.
- [40:52]
B
It's been a few years, but it's.
- [40:54]
A
Yeah, maybe there was a little Ozempic.
- [40:56]
B
Yeah.
- [40:56]
A
In there.
- [40:57]
B
That normally happens pretty quick.
- [40:59]
A
Yeah. But because you.
- [41:01]
B
I always. I always do it when I. When I see Tom Thayer on tv.
- [41:04]
A
But he's a big.
- [41:05]
B
No, you know, he's a big dude, but it's like. But he just. He looks. I mean, from the playing days, obviously. It was, you know, 40 years ago.
- [41:13]
A
Olin and Hilgenberg.
- [41:14]
B
Oh, yeah. Olin, too. Yeah.
- [41:15]
A
Kurt Becker was the ultimate Olin.
- [41:18]
B
I don't care. Playing weight now. Wait. Oh, dad, wait. He'd rip your head off, chew your head up and spit it back in at you. Yeah. I mean.
- [41:25]
A
Oh, me, Absolutely would. Well, he'd look at any opportunity to do that to me.
- [41:29]
B
You remember the story with me and Olin? You. I mean, remember you introduced me to him at TJ's.
- [41:36]
A
Was that after he threatened to kill me?
- [41:38]
B
Yes, it was after he threatened to kill you. I was walking by. You pulled me into it. Protect yourself. And to introduce me to it.
- [41:44]
A
By the way, here's my. Here's my. My bodyguard.
- [41:47]
B
Yeah. And he wouldn't shake my hand.
- [41:49]
A
Yeah, that's right.
- [41:50]
B
And I was like. And then I was like, dude, why. Why would you shake my hand? And he's like, I just don't want to. And I'm like, what did I. What did I do? Why are you mad? He's like, I just don't want to shake your hand. To which I said, why you being an asshole? To Olin Kreutz? Which, you know, not a smart thing. And luckily, he didn't. He didn't kill me. So I come to find out years later. And this is after I spent, you know, multiple years talking shit about him on the show whenever his name came up, because I was.
- [42:15]
A
I hated him. And he was just.
- [42:18]
B
So years later. Yeah, I'm going to a. There was a. An outing and a dinner at. Oh, my God. Golf course near me.
- [42:28]
A
That Ivanhoe.
- [42:30]
B
Yeah. The PAT man. They belong to Ivanhoe. Beautiful. I'm going. We had a Mutual friend named Mark. Mark invites me as his guest. Pat's going. He invites Olin as his guest. So it's like this big steak dinner. Steak dinner. Boom. And Olin and I are at the same table. And so I told Pat the story. And so Pat was like, hey, Matt, tell. Tell Olin. You know the story. So I tell him. He starts laughing.
- [42:53]
A
Of course you did.
- [42:54]
B
He was like, oh, I was just fucking wrong with you. And I'm like, dude, I spent the last almost 10 years just talking shit about you every chance I could. Not giving you, like, proper respect on.
- [43:04]
A
The air shows you little interactions matter that I.
- [43:07]
B
Cause I thought you were being a dick for no reason. And so we laughed it off. And then we sat next to each other at the table the rest night and drank them out of their Guinness. Uh.
- [43:15]
A
Oh.
- [43:15]
B
So, yeah, it was a good time.
- [43:16]
A
You know, there's a theme that always develops, especially when we were hanging with Manoli when. Because when we were over at Four Corners, we drank them out of Long Snapper. They had a keg, a Long Snapper ipa. We drank it.
- [43:28]
B
The point of the story is that we drink them out of something.
- [43:30]
A
Yeah. Apparently, anytime with Pat Manley, chances are the group is going to drink them out of something. Once you decide that's what you're drinking.
- [43:36]
B
Yeah. Ivanhoe must not have served a ton of Guinness because they only had the keg. But we took it down, whatever was left in it, and it was good. I mean, we went after when it was one after another, so it wasn't like we had a couple.
- [43:47]
A
Believe it or not, contrary to popular belief, Guinness is actually light on your system.
- [43:52]
B
It's supposed to be.
- [43:53]
A
It actually. Even though it's an intense flavor, the beer itself does not fill you up because it's not particularly high in carbohydrates.
- [44:00]
B
The issue here in the States is that it's either an old keg because it's not served often enough, or it's a bad line and your line's not clean. And if you find a place that keeps their lines clean and has fresh kegs of Guinness, it is light. Now, in Dublin, when I had it the first time, it's like a different beer. That's what Almost wanted to avoid it because I'm like, I'm not a fan, but we're at the Guinness Tour, they give you one at the top of the distillery, and I drank it, and I was like, this isn't a Guinness.
- [44:28]
A
The same thing happened to Beth, and.
- [44:29]
B
They were like, no, this is what A Guinness is supposed to be.
- [44:31]
A
The same thing happened to Beth when we were in Ireland is that she's like, I don't like it. I don't like it. It's heavy. And I said, hold on a second. I said, you drink the most intense espresso. Like, she has an espresso machine, and she makes, like, these super intense coffee drinks every day. And, like, you like bold flavors. She's like, yeah, but it's. I don't want to be filled up. I said, I really think you'd like Guinness. And I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. The same thing happened years ago on our honeymoon in Italy, where she thought she didn't like red wine. And I go, why don't we go to Italy and see what you think? She's like, oh, this is good. What is it? It's called Valpolicella. Oh, I think I like this. Well, if you like that, maybe you should try this. What is it? Chianti Classico.
- [45:12]
B
She liked it.
- [45:13]
A
This is good, too. When I try. This is a Sangiovese. Yeah, this is. I like this.
- [45:17]
B
So she only drank whites. What reds was she drinking before?
- [45:20]
A
I don't know.
- [45:20]
B
Bad. Okay.
- [45:21]
A
I don't know what it was. But so same thing happened with Guinness. And she's like, oh, God, I love Guinness now.
- [45:25]
B
Yeah, no, it's very different. And if you're lucky enough to find a place around you that serves a good Guinness, there's one in Libertyville called the Island. They actually do a really good Guinness. There's a place, if I want to say, if I remember the name correctly, in New York, New York City somewhere. It's Trinity Bar.
- [45:41]
A
Okay.
- [45:41]
B
And the rumor has it that they. They fly a keg in for Fridays and they serve. They. They tap a fresh keg on Fridays, and apparently it sells out pretty quickly. I have to look and see if that's even. Even accurate. True. That story I heard years ago. But, yeah, the problem is that it's not. It's either not a fresh keg or the lines are dirty and just not cleaned well enough.
- [46:01]
A
Good to know.
- [46:02]
B
Which impacts your. Your Guinness drinking.
- [46:03]
A
You never know what you're going to get when you tune.
- [46:05]
B
Because a good Guinness is light and.
- [46:07]
A
Refreshing indeed, which is, you know, surprising and medicinal. If you hear it described there that it doesn't even count as. It doesn't count as drinking. It doesn't count. Like, even people who've quit drinking still drink Guinness.
- [46:24]
B
And the Guinness zero is not too bad.
- [46:26]
A
Either have not tried it.
- [46:27]
B
Yeah, it's not too bad.
- [46:28]
A
Interesting recommendation. That's Matty. I'm Dan. This has been Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast. I want to remind you before you hit the thing that we do a very popular live YouTube post game and we're going to be doing that again this week. Don't miss it and we'll remind you. But when you subscribe, make sure to set your alerts. There's a little bell. You can go up to the top right corner. Just make sure that you are alerted to know that, hey, this is when we're going live because you don't want to miss it. You want to be there right away to come hang out with us. And we've got all sorts of plans for where we're going to go with that. Do we have a guest lined up for this show for tomorrow?
- [47:04]
B
We do. We are going to talk to Mark Potash.
- [47:07]
A
Potsy.
- [47:08]
B
Yep. And we're working on a lining up a Raiders guest, too. I have identified a suspect and we have targeted him for emails and calls.
- [47:17]
A
Wonderful.
- [47:18]
B
So see how that goes.
- [47:19]
A
All that's coming your way. Thanks for being here today.
- [47:44]
B
Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.