← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
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- [00:01]
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- [00:49]
Dan Bernstein
Forward Progress A Chicago Bears Podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312Sports.
- [00:58]
Matt Abaticola
We give you forward progress here on 312Sports. It is a Chicago Bears podcast and it's brought to you by Beer Church Brewing, New Buffaloes Brewery Pizzeria and a historic Church Wood fired Neapolitan Pizza small batch craft beer brunch every day. Visit beerchurchbrewing.com it is going to be Bears and Giants on a chilly, possibly snowy Sunday at Soldier Field. And we're looking at the injury report and we've got a little bit of news I think we should probably start with is the Bears have announced that TJ Edwards, the strong side linebacker is has undergone surgery to fix a broken hand and he's going to be out for a bit. They are not putting him on ir which means they're looking forward, excuse me, weak side linebacker. They should look forward to having him back. And I don't know exactly what it means other than we'll see more of Noah Sewell and potentially now with the return of Amen Abong Bemiga, that he'll have an opportunity as well. But it's too bad. They had just gotten TJ Edwards back and now he's gone again. Yeah.
- [02:14]
Dan Bernstein
And he's been playing exceptionally well and really has been the heart and soul the defense after those first couple weeks and the defense starting to look a little better, come come together a little bit better. And he was, you know, kind of leading it for him and making plays and helping shut down the run game as well too. So it is unfortunate that that he's going to be out.
- [02:35]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Steps forward, steps back. We also got a little bit of a scoop from a friend who covers the Giants in New York who has told us that the Giants kicker Graham Gano, who popped up on the injury report with a sort of a mysterious neck issue that I guess he's out and that they have signed Young way coup to handle the place kicking duties for him. So the Bears not the only team that has been dealing with issues at that spot as well. Interesting.
- [03:06]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And we had mentioned that we were going to visit with Charlotte Carroll of the Athletic covers the Giants and unfortunately some things popped up there at the facilities today. Just couldn't allow her to get away to to join us right now. And Charlotte as a Chicago native I know was looking forward to to joining us and talking on the show. I think she said Beverly, right?
- [03:26]
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
- [03:27]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, Beverly longtime White Sox fan and of course a big Pope Leo fan too of course. But yeah just couldn't couldn't pull away from her duties there at the facilities today to join us. So but did did share that little scoop with us and so some more insider stuff from the Giants.
- [03:42]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I'm looking at the the weather forecast for Sunday and just here's the latest that I have on my app that says intermittent snow showers and windy early peaks of sunshine later. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds northwest 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40% higher wind gusts possible. Oh boy.
- [04:09]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah boy doozy of a game.
- [04:12]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [04:12]
Dan Bernstein
And you know and you when you look at both teams, the Bears and the Giants are in the top five of yards allowed per carry. So both defenses have struggled. I know the Bears have gotten a little little better the last couple of weeks with some of their opponents but for the Giants they are actually the league leading yards per carried allowed. So hopefully the Bears can keep their running game on track as it has been the last couple weeks. And the weather is going to probably dictate that that run game is going to be relied upon much more and being able to use the run game to build off of play action type opportunities and keep those shorter passes. And one thing that we talked about in DBU was actually one of your picks for DBU and I like your thought process behind it. With DJ Moore and the yards I think you took his over.
- [05:05]
Matt Abaticola
I took the over receiving yards at 45 and a half. That that was the number on my bookie. Yeah.
- [05:10]
Dan Bernstein
And you got real detailed though in what your thought process was which I really liked. Yeah.
- [05:14]
Matt Abaticola
The reason being that when it is windy and with the ball.
- [05:20]
Dan Bernstein
It to.
- [05:20]
Matt Abaticola
Travel less in the air on a windy day and that's part of it. The other part is when you've got a front four that is as formidable as that of the Giants, you look at what they have across the front Right now in Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns and the familiar name in Roy Robertson, Harris, and the fact that they've got Abdul Carter who is coming in, not even a starter, but they're talking about maybe using him outside of Kayvon Thibodeau. And that was what had Kayvon Thibodeau as a trade possibility. That they're, they're really good up front. And the screen pass, I think is going to be critical for the Bears. We know that DJ Moore has been utilized as a screen target because of his ability to break tackles, to run through early contact, that they trust the blocking of their wide receivers. Roma Dunes A well among them. So I was looking at at least one, one explosive screen for DJ Moore, getting him pretty much halfway to that over.
- [06:27]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, and I think we talked about this too yesterday on either DBU or Ford Progress about the injury report, and it did seem lengthier today. And actually for both, both sides of this game, the Giants and, and the Bears, lots of injuries and of course the news with T.J. edwards. But I think get, get, get comfortable with how that's going to look throughout the rest of the season, that you're going to see a lot of guys there that are going to miss a day or two during the week just to get their bodies prepared to play on Sundays. Guys like Roma, Dunes A and DJ Moore. I think we're going to have to get more comfortable with that. And just looking again real quick at the yards per carry, the Giants are actually our worst in the NFL right now at 5.5 yards per carry. The Bears, Dan, we talked about them getting a little better. They're dropping down in their numbers now with that game last week, the Bengals have jumped the Bears in yards per carry. So now the Bears are our fourth worst in the league. So that would put them at 28th in the league in yards per carry at 5.1, the Bengals at 5.4, the Bills still up there at 5.4 and the Giants a league worst 5.5 yards per carry allowed.
- [07:36]
Matt Abaticola
I'm going to go back to something I noticed yesterday when Ben Johnson was praising Darnell Wright's athleticism because of his. His cartwheel that you referred to as a cart. Right. Because it's dar.
- [07:46]
Dan Bernstein
It is a cartridge. From now on moving forward.
- [07:48]
Matt Abaticola
We've decided that here and after it is, it is a cartridge. And he said that he's athletic and they're looking forward to see what he can do. I'm paraphrasing with or without the ball in his hands, maybe this is the week, maybe conditions are going to make it even more ripe for an opportunity to just let a big man rumble with it, however they want to get it in his hands. So I circled that and just make sure that going in, I'm going to maybe put it on my voluminous notes. Just to say it is something that I'm looking for potentially if this becomes a ground slog due to conditions.
- [08:27]
Dan Bernstein
You know, getting to know Ben Johnson, the head coach, as we have these, through these eight games and nine weeks of the season, 10 weeks of the season. Do you think. I think he's very calculated and deliberate in everything he does.
- [08:42]
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
- [08:42]
Dan Bernstein
And he didn't just throw that out there for no, no reason. It wasn't just a, you know, a freebie that he, that he, that he gave up. He put that out there for a reason. And I believe, I mean, if we could, if they could look at my bookie, see if there's any, any, any numbers on it. I believe Darnell Wright will be at an offensive formation this year out or this, this game, outside of this game, outside of the tackle position, something different. I believe that Darnell Wright will, at least one play within the lower half of the red zone, will be in motion one time.
- [09:18]
Matt Abaticola
Okay, and here this is something that Ben Johnson apparently just said to the assembled media who are asking about trick plays today. And he said every skill player was throwing the ball back to the equipment managers with a little bit of. Of velocity and accuracy. So he's, he's putting that out there as well. He wanted to say that. So his, his note being every skill player. Now, that doesn't include Darnell Wright, who wouldn't be among those who would be listed as a skill player. But just let the record show he is not shy about maybe having his counterparts consider some things.
- [10:08]
Dan Bernstein
Now, I know what we saw in the game last week against the Bengals and we talked about this earlier in the year, like how big Ben Johnson's playbook is and how large it was when he came and how he had to pare it down to what can we run and start adding to it. We know he does that each week and adds other plays and different formations and routes. What do you like? We joked about it and said there's probably like 3,000 plays in his. Like, what do you, what do you think that guy really has?
- [10:33]
Matt Abaticola
Well, it also, I mean, who know, he probably didn't even know. It's also because he doesn't look at trick plays. He wouldn't refer to them as trick plays. They're plays. Yeah, that anything in there is a. Is a. Anything that's legal out of a legal formation with everybody properly declared eligible. I don't think he has a separate folder and says, oh, these are the silly circus things. I think he always has something to go to where if he finds the right look and if they've practiced it enough that he's completely willing to call it, just like he's willing to call a dive play.
- [11:12]
Dan Bernstein
So I like that he shared with the media today that all the skill position players were throwing the ball back to the equipment manager with some velocity and accuracy. Again, he's not just putting that out there just as a, as a passerby and saying, hey, here's a freebie for you. There's a reason. It's deliberate, it's calculated. And now the Giants are like, all right, well, we saw what they did against the Bengals. We need to be ready for this and this and this. I think. I think we're going to see Darnell Wrightright in Motion 1.
- [11:40]
Matt Abaticola
Okay. All right. I'm picturing Tony Medlin, like, receiving these. Ow.
- [11:46]
Dan Bernstein
Ow.
- [11:47]
Matt Abaticola
Quit it.
- [11:47]
Dan Bernstein
Ow.
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Matt Abaticola
Stop. Team it. And the coat drive has started, by the way. Coat drive? Yeah.
- [11:54]
Dan Bernstein
Do you think he was using the coat to, like, stop the balls from hitting him?
- [11:58]
Matt Abaticola
He's covered in coats. Everyone's throwing balls back so hard to him that he's all covered in used coats and then giving them away as game worn. I love it. There's several things that are on my list of Bears notes that I want to get to. And I do this in good fun and with all due respect, and this is with all due respect to Steve Greenberg of the Sun Times, to Sean Hammond of the Tribune, to Courtney Cronin, our friend and guest here, to everybody who has written the Colston Loveland is just a normal small town, Idaho farm boy story, Please stop. I think we can retire this story. Please. I know he is from 2,000 miles away. He is from Gooding, Idaho. He had his best game as a Bear. He was NFC offensive player of the week. But I get it. Everybody in Gooding, Idaho has always said he was going to grow up to be a great football player. And he, whatever the story is, he'd take the bales of hay off the back of a truck or he was the best athlete in his class and he walks old ladies across the street and he would knit somebody a cardigan sweater if they were called. I get it. Thank you for your service in letting us know all about his small town upbringing in Idaho and How much Idaho loves him. We're good. We, we got it. It's sort of like this is getting to be like what they would call the Cletus Safaris, where it was people going to various rural diners to talk politics. And enough people pointed out that everybody was doing the same story. That became kind of a joke. Just we're good on, on Idaho.
- [14:07]
Dan Bernstein
You know, if, if you didn't know where he was from and you saw the post game locker room stuff, you would probably guess. I mean, you would definitely say small town. You may not say Idaho, but you would definitely say small town.
- [14:21]
Matt Abaticola
Well, I don't know. I'm thinking about University of Michigan. And yesterday I was crediting J.J. mcCarthy, who's from here, but I was crediting his use of the word transmute, which I thought was a very advanced word choice for, for the. An NFL player just off the top of his head. And so I don't know, I don't want to make any presumptions, but it was, come on.
- [14:46]
Dan Bernstein
It was cute though.
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Matt Abaticola
Have you ever been to Idaho?
- [14:48]
Dan Bernstein
I never have. I never have. And I've heard fantastic things about parts of Idaho that I would like to get out to and visit, but I never have. And you have, I assume.
- [14:58]
Matt Abaticola
I've not, actually. That is on my list of unvisited US States. It's a fairly small list, but I have not been. And because there was a CBA team, the Idaho Stampede, that started there after I was done with my CBA years. Otherwise I obviously would have been the same things that brought me to North Dakota and South Dakota and, and all of that. But I would love to, if anybody wants to invite me trout fishing in Idaho, I, you know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't necessarily turn it down. I hear there's pretty good.
- [15:31]
Dan Bernstein
Where in Idaho would you want to go?
- [15:34]
Matt Abaticola
I don't know where the trout are.
- [15:36]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I just don't know.
- [15:37]
Matt Abaticola
I don't know.
- [15:38]
Dan Bernstein
I didn't even know the state well enough to know outside of Boise. Where you'd go in Idaho.
- [15:45]
Matt Abaticola
Pocatello. Is that Idaho? Yeah. As long as I'm not near any of the compounds with all the neo Nazis, I'm probably fine.
- [15:52]
Dan Bernstein
I would suggest not visiting those.
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Matt Abaticola
See, yeah, the problem is going to.
- [15:57]
Dan Bernstein
Be like I wouldn't show up and be like, hey guys, Dan Bernstein here. How are you?
- [15:59]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, the problem is if there's, if there, if it does happen to be a neo Nazi owned and run trout guiding service, then I'm really going to have a decision to make actually, actually true story. One year, apropos of nothing, just. But one year, the regular Canadian fishing lodge that we would go to for some reason got booked up or there was a snafu in booking, so we had to go to a different lodge. And we did. The four of us Bernsteins and the Marovitzes. We ended up at a lodge that we found in. In the actual. In the lodge there where we ate our meals. There was a bookcase and the bookcase contained a lot of Nazi propaganda and there was. It featured. Displayed Nazi memorabilia and it was. We couldn't get out of there fast. I was like, okay, fishing fun. Okay, bye bye. Thank you. Okay, thanks. Bye. But that was a true story.
- [17:02]
Dan Bernstein
What did, like, what was the immediate reaction? Oh yeah, because.
- [17:10]
Matt Abaticola
It'S a. We flew in. I mean it's an isolated. It's not like you can just leave. It was a fly in trip. So we were there. You can't, you can't just commandeer an airplane and fly back out of there.
- [17:25]
Dan Bernstein
Right.
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Matt Abaticola
So who.
- [17:27]
Dan Bernstein
They didn't have any extra tanks laying around. You could have just.
- [17:29]
Matt Abaticola
No, it just, it made, it made it a little uncomfortable for the remainder, I bet.
- [17:35]
Dan Bernstein
All right, one, One other story that I have my list that I want to. Want us to get into a little bit and not. I don't need to go too, too big into it. But of course, the Roma Dunze, yes, his father had some thoughts about his time in Chicago here and you know, he took to, of course, social media to make some comments about, about his son and the lack of targets. You know, my immediate reaction, I think it's become a bigger story than, than for me than it really is. It's a, it's a guy being a dad and taking to social media. The main, my main concern was Roma Dunes. A. What, what's his mindset? What's his perspective on things, his relationship and his, his, his time as a Chicago Bear. How's he feeling? Like a dad can say whatever dad wants to say. And I know at some relationships, maybe a dad has more influence over a son, even for a professional athlete, than you think would be possible for an adult. I don't see. So in this case, we had some comments then from Roma Dunze. He was asked by the media about it. And if a dad thinks a guy's not getting enough love or enough targets, then great, he can have those thoughts and take to social media for it.
- [18:49]
Matt Abaticola
I thought Rome himself handled it ideally. I think that Roma Dunze has already, in a very short time we can say take the football out of it and the production, all that out of it. Just the way he has carried himself from the moment he's been drafted, as mature, beyond his. His standing. He was as a rookie. And I think he has done this in, in this particular situation. I would not advise him to do anything any differently. Where he says, look, it doesn't reflect. He doesn't speak for me. I speak for me. He's going to say what he's going to say. And his play, as we mentioned, that the video that the Bears put out of him blocking, and it appears to have been a clapback that for the Bears to officially release a super cut of Roma Dunes blocking. And the caption they use is one word. It just said selfless. And it showed him one play after the other, especially on some of this, this wide zone stuff, what he's been doing. And he says that he likes it and he appreciates it and he just wants the team to win. So the, the overwhelming preponderance of evidence shows that Rome's got this. He's got it on the field, he's got it off the field. And if his dad wants to make noise, I think it's. I think it's too bad. I just think my, my belief is it does your kid a disservice regardless of what Marvin Harrison is doing for Marvin Harrison Jr. And whether or not you think that worked to get him more targets. That, and I'm not comparing anything from my parenting perspective with whatever it is, high school ball or college club ball, whatever. But my belief is left, always, whatever sport. Let the coaches coach. Let's go. Listen to your coach. And I. Sometimes there's a complaint or sometimes there's a concern, and I say, look, I'm kid. I am not your coach. If you want to talk to me about anything else, that's fine. I can talk to how you feel and how to handle certain things. But let. Your coaches are your coaches. It's a little different for you, Matty, because you are a father and a coach.
- [21:03]
Dan Bernstein
Right.
- [21:04]
Matt Abaticola
Of your kids.
- [21:05]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And, you know, just looking at the Rome Dunes situation, he obviously started the year off just getting in the end zone. Just I think, what, five times in the first four games. Whatever. It was one of the. One of the top touchdown receivers. And he hasn't been there for the last few weeks. And I think I don't want Bears fans to get into this whole notion of. All right, well, they just targeted and went after Colson Loveland last week. I mean, he had the two catches and that's not how it works. It's not Ben Johnson that doesn't say, all right, this is the Colston game, this is the Rome game, this is the DJ game. He has a myriad of plays and opportunities based on what he feels the defense is going to provide. And we've heard him talk about it this past week with Caleb and Ben talking about hunting certain defenses and they're going to take advantage of whatever defense is shown on the field at that particular play. If it just so happens that one guy gets to benefit more from those opportunities, that's just the way it goes. And honestly, if we're looking at Roma Dunes A, do I think he's an exceptional talent? I do. I think he's a very gifted, young wide receiver and still has a lot of room to grow as a wide receiver. And you look at some other guys who you're going to get the ball to them regardless of what's happening. He's not one of those guys right now. He's just not. Like the opportunities need to be there at a very high level for many things to come together for Roma Dunes A to be a very effective and highly impactful wide receiver in this game right now. And like we saw it with with T. Higgins last week or Jamar Chase, you can use that as an example.
- [22:46]
Matt Abaticola
The game brings the ball to you.
- [22:48]
Dan Bernstein
Correct Those guys, you're. You're going to get them the ball regardless of what's happening. It does not matter. That is a top tier, elite level wide receiver and Rome's not there just yet. Can he get there in his career? Absolutely he can, but he's not there yet. A guy like Chase or a guy like CD Lamb or a guy like T. Higgins, you're going to get them the ball regardless of what's happening in this game. They are going to make those catches. That's the type of talent they are. Rome's not there right now. He needs to develop more as a young player and it's great. And I agree with you the way he handled it. That's my dad's perspective. He can have that perspective. He doesn't speak for me. All good stuff. Not. Not an issue, not a concern. And you know, his father can go off on Twitter and blast the Bears in the raw fence all he wants. And if the Bears want to clap back as an organization and show, hey, here's what a selfless wide receiver does, great. Have at it. It's no bigger story than that right there.
- [23:45]
Matt Abaticola
It's the last Thing a team needs is something from the outside to at the minimum. Cause even what it's done over the last couple of days, which is forcing Roma Dunze to answer for stuff his dad is saying. And he mentioned that he talked to him. So I hope this is the last we hear of it. And, But I will tell you, from my perspective, I, I would prefer to not pay attention to it. I would prefer that if James O'Dunze wants to shout into the void on social media, let him do that. And I am going to judge his, his grown adult, professional son for what he does and what he says.
- [24:28]
Dan Bernstein
You would prefer that? Who, who. Not. Who does not pay attention to it?
- [24:31]
Matt Abaticola
Me, I'm just saying that I don't. I. If anything more comes of this or if he hasn't had the little come to Jesus meeting where Rome calls, goes dead. Shut up. You're making my life difficult. I don't want people asking me about this. Just if you want to say it to your, your friends, if you want to say it to your, whoever you're out golfing with, that's fine, but you don't, you don't need to make my life difficult. I hope that Rome's had that talk with him.
- [24:57]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And obviously the biggest point, though, that he can make is who's got the number one targets on the team.
- [25:03]
Matt Abaticola
He does.
- [25:04]
Dan Bernstein
He does. So, I mean, it's, it's, you know, that's an argument to fall on deaf ears that he's not getting enough targets when he's leading the team in targets. It's just, come on now, you know, it is a team sport still. And there are other guys on the field that can make impactful plays outside of his Roma dunes. And we saw that last week.
- [25:22]
Matt Abaticola
I also want to say too, that something we talked about at the outset of dbu, and it had to do with Marshawn Nyland and what is believed to be his suicide at the age of 24. I don't want to spend too much time here, but I would just urge you, if you're interested in our comments on that, to just check out, say, the first 10 minutes of DBU today. And in, in this particular space, I would also like to mention that the most important thing I can do in regards to that NFL story is just to let you know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. That's 800-273-8255. And there is also 988 lifeline.org and you can call or text 988 that is whether it is something for you or someone you know and love who has had suicidal ideation or depression that you think may be uncontrolled. The 988-988-lifeline.org and you can get a DBU to hear the comments that we had about the the tragic NFL story that had been getting some attention across the league and obviously before last night's game with the moment of silence, etc.
- [26:41]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And last night's game did start a week 10 for us here in the NFL and it was one that if you missed, you're okay for missing.
- [26:50]
Matt Abaticola
Yes. Yes. Although if, if you want to see some odd punting things that went on, you could see that. And when we have been following from before the season started, we've talked a lot about the K balls and about the relaxation of the rules when it came to doctoring the footballs and what that was going to mean about the, about field goal kicking. And I told you it would. I knew that it was going to make a huge difference in everything as far as the average field goal distance and what was going to be tried. I saw this note yesterday from Chris Cluey who is on Blue sky at Chris Warcraft and people are saying, well wait a second, is it just place kicking? And there is a poster from Roger Sherman who says there's a lot made about how kickers are hitting from 70 punters are the best they've ever been. If you look right now at the all time career yards per punt leaderboard, it is all punters punting now. With the exception of Shane Lechler who retired after 2017. He's at number six. Everybody right now in the top 14 is a current punter.
- [28:18]
Dan Bernstein
Really?
- [28:20]
Matt Abaticola
Yep. Everybody, everybody has 20, 25.
- [28:25]
Dan Bernstein
So I guess I've never, I didn't, I didn't think through it with the, with the kicking balls. They, they swap out different punting balls too.
- [28:31]
Matt Abaticola
Same ball. Oh, it is kicking slash punting ball. And what Chris Cluey said was turns out getting to break the ball in the week before the game means you get an extra 4 to 7 yards per kick. Who knew? Parenthetically, besides me and every other kicker and punter who's ever played, we all knew. It is amazing to look at this list to see where these average yards per punt. It is all current punters and it shows you Shane Lechler maybe the greatest punter of all time.
- [29:08]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Wow. So it's the exact same ball. I didn't, I didn't know that they use the exact same ball. I mean, I guess it.
- [29:13]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, they work together. The kickers and the punters are they, they. And when it comes to doctoring the balls, they're, they're mad scientists. They, you, you can picture them like in a mountain lair. They're, they're, they're warming the balls and cooling them and heat there. They put them in the dryer, they squeeze the ends in. The bears had a, they had a contraption the bears built like it looked like giant chopsticks, but it was a, it was two by fours with a fulcrum and they would put the ball vertically in between the two by fours and they would sit on the top one picture giant chopsticks and they would push down on it to make the ball rounder. That's what's happening. Wow. Yes. Wow is right.
- [30:05]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And yeah, you did. You, you called that before the season even started. You brought that, that article to, to the show to talk about and discuss and how it was going to have a significant impact on what, on what the kickers do in the game. We're certainly seeing that now. And that, that's sad about kicking. The punting is just, that's unbelievable too. That's crazy. Last night's game, Broncos 10 to 7 over the Raiders. We have a Berlin game tomorrow. More or Sunday morning I should say. So that's 8:30 football for us, which I do love those early games to get up and get your coffee going and sit and watch some early football. So Colts and Falcons in Berlin, rest of week 10. Panthers and Saints, Giants and Bears, of course. Jaguars and Texans, Bills and Dolphins, Raider, Ravens and Vikings. A game to keep an eye on that one in Minnesota. Browns and jets. That's where I have my DBU pick on. Browns minus two on that game. Patriots and Buccaneers. Another fun one to watch for the noon games to keep an eye on later afternoon games. Cardinals and seahawks, rams at 49ers and then I'm sure this one will be the majority of what we see. The Lions and the Commanders game. Very different game though with Jaden Daniels landing on the IR with that elbow injury. Lions and Commanders.
- [31:19]
Matt Abaticola
You mentioned the Berlin game. It is significant for another reason. It is a Fox game and that is Adam Amin who was going to be doing that game. However, he's apparently going to be paired with Drew Brees because Mark Sanchez has now officially been fired by Fox Sports. According to multiple reports, including both the Athletic and awful announcing, Fox Sports has officially parted ways with Mark Sanchez. They said we can confirm Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network. There will be no further comment at this time. Drew Brees will work as an analyst the rest of the year. He is signed up to call games through at least next season. So we don't know if it's coincidental that Brees all of a sudden had his schedule clear and became available, or Breeze was always there in case of emergency break glass, or maybe they're putting him in a year or two early. But they have made that move and it is Drew Brees that has been elevated to that position alongside Adam Amin. And these are, these are, according to recent reports, that they're going to be working together for this Berlin game and.
- [32:44]
Dan Bernstein
Then two other games on the Week 10 schedule. The Sunday night game is Steelers at Chargers and then Monday night is the Eagles at the Packers, a game that I'll be interested in watching that as well, too. Real quick, I want to go back to that one, the Colston Loveland touchdown that was the game winner for the Bengals. We talked a lot about how Caleb and Ben Johnson were hunting that particular defense. We heard the comments from Jordan Battle from the Cincinnati Bengals, how they said it was a good call and everyone else was misaligned and missed the tackles, even though he, I think, I think 15 missed tackles in the game. Going back and watching that play again, too, and going through some video on some things, not only did they get the right call where they had the center of the field was open, you had the two deep safeties, but they had the cornerbacks obviously with the time in the game where it was with the time left and no timeouts, the cornerbacks were also pressing on the outside. So they were guarding and defending the on the outside of the numbers. So it was just really interesting that how that game played and how Ben Johnson saw that game. So remember he talked about taking advantage outside the numbers, getting some younger players, getting their eyes on some outside plays to take advantage of what they didn't really defend well. And they utilized that in play calling. But then this one play that they were hunting and they knew they needed it, they needed some yards and they finally found the coverage they were looking for, the two deep safeties. So the Bengals are really pressuring and focusing on the outside, outside the numbers, which the Bears have been taking advantage of all game. And then what they did is they hit them right in the middle, right where they weren't like they weren't strengthened to play the middle of the defense right there. But I can't remember if I made the comment about Caleb Williams because I have criticized that level of throw for him over the linebackers in front of the safeties. That throw on that touchdown, maybe not positioned perfectly where Colson turns a bit to catch it, but that for me is easily one of one of Caleb's top five throws this year so far in getting it over the outstretched hand of the linebacker, dropping it right in the Colston in front of the safeties and then of course the rest there is on Colston. But if that throw doesn't happen from Caleb, nothing matters what Colston does or doesn't do. But I just wanted to highlight because I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but that throw from Caleb Williams in something that I've criticized that area of the field and making him those throws, he really threw a beautiful ball on that particular play.
- [35:30]
Matt Abaticola
Well, let's also say too that while the context of any Caleb Williams criticism, for better or for worse is always involves his draft class, that that's also fluid and nonlinear to use the term that we use for quarterback development. Did you watch Bo Nix last night? Yeah, dude's all over the place. Dude is absolutely. He makes some brilliant throws and he makes some, some ridiculous head scratchers too. Some ones that, that are just completely inexplicable. And as we watch that and now we see the news on with Jaden Daniels hurt again that they're saying his elbow is not going to need surgery and he's not going to be immediately placed on ir. But what was the knock on Jaden Daniels coming out was his body and can he withstand the pounding of somebody who is going to have the ball in his hands as much as he does? And so far that the issues on chronic injury, that's proven true as well for Jaden Daniels. Now Drake May has been brilliant and might be part of getting his coach coach of the year and maybe even his coordinator yet another chance at a head coaching job. But just be mindful of that, of everything that we see. I've seen Bo Nix look great before. Last night was not one of those times. There were just there were some simple basic throws that he was missing by a lot. So I'm not saying this with any, any other grand conclusion other than it's not only Williams himself, but it's everybody else involved in some of these, the comparisons within the cohort that we have to keep that in mind.
- [37:09]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And I will say too after last night's game, even though the clincher for me was the Minnesota win in Detroit, but last night's game Proved it true too, that I am 100% fully bought into the Blob. And I'm done looking at, I'm done looking ahead at anything in this particular season. Because, you know, I was looking at the Chiefs Bills game and I said going into that, all right, if the Chiefs can do something in Buffalo, they're going to do something to separate themselves from the Blob. And then the Buffalo Bills win that game by seven.
- [37:43]
Matt Abaticola
Embrace the Blob. Yeah, slowly toward the Blob.
- [37:48]
Dan Bernstein
Seriously. Because you know, the New York losing at home to Minnesota.
- [37:52]
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
- [37:53]
Dan Bernstein
They probably shouldn't have. And then last night you would think, all right, Denver going for their seventh straight win, dominant defense, but they're putting up points. That should be an easy victory. And then that looks like garbage. And they win 10 to 7. 7. I'm officially done. That was the nail in the coffin last night. That was it. I was almost there all the way. That was it. I'm done looking. I'm done looking ahead. I'm going to receive each game as it comes to me. And whatever happens, then we'll talk about it. Because I can't predict anything with the Blob this year.
- [38:23]
Matt Abaticola
There is peace in the Blob. There is serenity when you allow yourself to be engulfed by the Blob, consumed, walk toward it, become one with it. Find peace in the NFL Blob.
- [38:40]
Dan Bernstein
Well, I have and I'm all on. I'm all on board now for it, so.
- [38:44]
Matt Abaticola
Well, I know that you also have a very exciting weekend and it's going to start tonight. You yourself, Matt Abaticola, as I understand it, you are going to be headed at some point soon. This afternoon perhaps to southwest Michigan, to New Buffalo, Michigan.
- [39:05]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, when we, we finish up this stuff and I get my stuff done, cars getting packed and heading out and.
- [39:12]
Matt Abaticola
You are going to see the light. You are going to walk into Beer Church Brewing in New Buffalo and you're going to experience everything. So all I can say is enjoy. I wish I could experience it for the first time again, but there's still stuff left on the menu that I'm going to try and it's absolutely worth a special trip or if you are heading out there for a fall trip or whenever you head in that direction, it's an easy stop in New Buffalo at Beer Church. It is a brewery pizzeria and it's in an actual church, a Civil War era church. And their pizza school is worth a special party. And that's what they do. They specialize in it. So go to beerchurchbrewing.com or just google beer Church Pizza School. And it's a private class. It can just be you and your fantasy football buddies and maybe the loser of fantasy football can pay for everybody. Or it can be your 300 people from your office and you can all go learn how to make real Neapolitan pizza. The wood fire kitchens, learning how the dough is made and how to stretch it with the ratios of ingredients are. And then you're just going to eat and eat and eat and eat and drink. It could be a craft beer package, wine or cocktails, whatever you want to do. Two hours could be lunch, it could be dinner. It's private, it's exclusive. Or just go hang out. Just the patio is year round, it's heated, there's TVs everywhere for taking in games or whatever you want and anything you want. It's awesome for kids too. They've got anything anybody's going to want. You're going to have a great time. It is our dear friends at BeerchurchBrewing. BeerchurchBrewing.com I look forward, Matty, to a complete trip report and review from you and maybe even as soon as we go on for our live post game on Sunday afternoon.
- [41:04]
Dan Bernstein
Yes, I'll tell you all about it. And I do like the idea of the beer church beats a school because beer church, right? It could be a beatbox school or it could just be like going to beer church beats going to school.
- [41:17]
Matt Abaticola
I mean so it's ah, nice. I see what you did.
- [41:21]
Dan Bernstein
The beer church beats the school.
- [41:23]
Matt Abaticola
It beats a school. Anything. A good a day, a good a day. A beats a school. It's a me. All right.
- [41:32]
Dan Bernstein
So next time we talk to our friends it will be Bears post game right here on forward progress. Hopefully after a Bears victory. Again, we are, we are here right after Bears Giants game ends. Depending on how the game is going, we could start a little earlier. You never know.
- [41:49]
Matt Abaticola
But you got to subscribe. You got to make sure that on YouTube that you've got your alerts set and that way you're going to get, get that little bell and you know, hey, they're going on. They're going on. And I will tell you, it is the chat, like the, the, the concurrent show that the people in the chat are doing to entertain each other is hilarious. I go back now after we do the live show, I go back and I mute my, I mute us and I just read the chat.
- [42:21]
Dan Bernstein
Oh boy.
- [42:22]
Matt Abaticola
Because it'll read and it's. If you just, I do that just to entertain myself later in the day. It's hilarious.
- [42:28]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. I noticed the other day. What was the game? Bengals game. That there was a. There was a couple hundred people just waiting before we'd even launched. Like, I'm still doing prep work to get everything up and running. And there's.
- [42:42]
Matt Abaticola
I know people.
- [42:43]
Dan Bernstein
There's people in the chat room waiting.
- [42:45]
Matt Abaticola
I know. And we were getting like, I'm putting my papers together. I'm getting all this stuff together, and people are waiting and commenting. I'm like, we're.
- [42:52]
Dan Bernstein
Give me.
- [42:52]
Matt Abaticola
I was getting anxious about it because it was like I could hear a room full of people.
- [42:57]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Anxious about it. But I was like, what are you saying to each other? Like, we're not even I yet. So.
- [43:02]
Matt Abaticola
No, it's good stuff.
- [43:04]
Dan Bernstein
But fashion, you're there for be a part of it. Forward progress. Post game show. Subscribe to all the 312 sports shows. Forward progress and Dan Bernson. Unfiltered organizations win championships. Get them all. Hit the little bell icon so you make sure you do get those alerts. And we look forward to talking with you after Bears Giants. Hopefully again after a Bears victory to get them to six and three.
- [43:29]
Matt Abaticola
All right, safe travels and enjoy and then we'll talk right after Bears.
- [43:34]
Dan Bernstein
Yes, sir. Talk to you then. You guys have a great weekend.