Podcast Summary: Forward Progress – Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys – Top 10 Cowboys of All-Time

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Date: September 19, 2025
Episode Focus: Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys preview, humor, and a deep-dive into the “Top 10 Cowboys of All Time”—from football legends to pop culture and Western icons.

Episode Overview

This episode of Forward Progress blends Bears/Cowboys pregame analysis with the hosts’ signature wit and nostalgia, culminating in their much-anticipated segment: the Top 10 Cowboys of All Time (loosely defined). Dan and Matt break down Bears’ game plans, lament injury woes, and share irreverent banter before launching into a wide-ranging and comedic countdown of Cowboys from NFL stars to fictional, cinematic, and musical icons.

Bears vs. Cowboys: Game Preview & Analysis

Setting the Stage (00:16 – 01:29)

• The Bears are slight home favorites, but neither host feels confident.
• Dan: "It's hard to pick the Bears with the weight of recent history certainly piled up against them." (01:33)
• Both express skepticism about the team’s chances given recent form and injuries.

Injury Report & Key Matchups (03:30 – 08:32)

• Bears' injury woes:
  • Major defensive injuries: TJ Edwards, Kyler Gordon, Jalen Johnson among DNFs.
  • Cowboys: Duron Bland questionable; Trevon Diggs returns to practice.
• Bears' Offensive Keys:
  • Dan: "Stay away from offensive and particularly pre snap penalties. Just be more disciplined, just be smarter..." (05:00)
  • Establish the run early, avoid “stacking mistakes,” and maximize the effectiveness of scripted opening drives.
• Defensive Challenge for Bears:
  • Young, banged-up secondary will be under pressure, especially from Dallas play-action.
  • Matt: "If the Cowboys come out and start running the football early, you're going to see a lot, a lot of big plays, explosive plays on play action with CeeDee Lamb... I think CeeDee Lamb goes for over 200. I really do." (08:52)

Schematics: Run Game & Zone Reads (09:35 – 11:49)

• Dan wonders if the Bears will use more outside zone, leveraging their new center.
• Matt notes both teams lack pass rush so far; expects Cowboys to exploit Bears’ defensive weaknesses, especially if forced into a shootout: "If it does require a shootout, I just can't see the Bears in this offense... put up enough points..." (11:47)

Top 10 Cowboys of All Time: Rules, Banter & Honorable Mentions

Defining a "Cowboy" (15:00 – 16:49)

• The list is not limited to literal Dallas Cowboys or even real people—criteria include “cultural impact, societal popularity, awards, revenue generation, and career longevity.” (25:53–26:11)
• Dan: “I had trouble with this list because there's a lot of fictional cowboys, there are a lot of actual cowboys, and then there's a very loose definition...” (14:45)

The Bill List & Banter (16:56 – 17:21)

• Dan readies a side list of legendary "Bills" (Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, etc.).
• Comic detours about writing “penis” on each other’s papers in college (12:03–13:19), fake handwriting, and grocery lists.

Honorable Mentions & Committee Selections (19:00 – 25:17)

Noteworthy Honorable Mentions:

• Urban Cowboy, Midnight Cowboy, Rhinestone Cowboy—a tie for 15th.
• Marshall Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke), Ben Cartwright (Bonanza), Seth Bullock (Deadwood), Raylan Givens (Justified), Bass Reeves, Cowboy Curtis (Pee-Wee's Playhouse), Cowboy Joe West (MLB umpire), Troy Aikman (NFL), Emmitt Smith (NFL).
• Quote: “Emmitt Smith... the league's all time leading rusher. But not good enough to make the list of the top 10 Cowboys of all time.” (25:12)

The Official Top 10 Cowboys Countdown

Criteria Recap (26:03–26:11)

• “Cultural impact, societal popularity, awards and accolades, revenue generation... and length of success.”

[Top 10 List: “Official” vs. Dan's Picks – Side-by-Side]

| Rank | Committee/Official List | Dan Bernstein’s Picks | |------|------------------------|----------------------| | 10 | The Village People Cowboy (Randy Jones, disco icon) (26:29) | William Munny (Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven) (28:03) | | 9 | The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood, “Dollars” trilogy) (30:41) | Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (Redford & Newman) (31:28) | | 8 | Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser, Yellowstone) (32:01) | The Cartwrights (Bonanza) (32:01) | | 7 | William Munny (Unforgiven) (35:19) | Woody (Toy Story) (35:24) | | 6 | Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne, True Grit) (35:46) | Twinkie the Kid (Hostess mascot) (36:31) | | 5 | The Lone Ranger (fictional masked rider) (38:01) | Ennis del Mar & Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain) (38:51) | | 4 | Lucas McCain (The Rifleman, Chuck Connors) (39:19) | Yosemite Sam (Looney Tunes) (39:53) | | 3 | Wyatt Earp (legendary lawman) (41:20) | Wyatt Earp (+ the Earp clan) (41:23) | | 2 | Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (Redford & Newman) (44:04) | The Lone Ranger (44:05) | | 1 | Woody (Toy Story, Tom Hanks) (45:21) | The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder, Blazing Saddles) (45:53) |

Memorable Exchanges:

• On #1:
  • Matt (official): “Number one cowboy of all time as chosen by the selection committee is Woody.” (45:39)
  • Dan: “The fastest draw in the history of the West... as portrayed in the movie Blazing Saddles by Gene Wilder. It is The Waco Kid.” (45:53)

Most Notable Quotes & Comic Highlights

On Bears’ Chances:

• “I have zero confidence in the Bears to win this game. And if you can go less than zero.” – Matt (03:03)
• “Stay away from offensive and particularly pre snap penalties. Just be more disciplined...” – Dan (05:00)

On Top 10 Discussion:

• “There’s a lot of fictional cowboys, there are a lot of actual cowboys, and then there’s a very loose definition of what constitutes a cowboy...” – Dan (14:45)
• “You always had to penis check your paper before you printed it out.” – Dan, on dorm pranks (13:15)
• “The Cartwright men as a group at number eight.” – Dan (20:36)
• “Emmitt Smith... all time leading rusher. But not good enough to make the list...” – Matt (25:12)

Banter & Pop Culture

• Village People, cartoon mascots, Western TV icons, even Twinkie the Kid and Marlboro Man get playful analysis.
• (On Marlboro Man) “I took out the Marlboro also. They all kept dying. ...They were too smoky and then they were dead.” – Dan (46:44)
• (On Woody) “Cultural impact, societal popularity, awards and accolades...” – Matt (26:03 onwards)

On the Next List:

• “We will do the top 10 lists for every. Every Bears... Raiders of all time. That's gonna be a good one. Raiders... packers, we have Saints...” – Matt (47:29)

Notable Timestamps

• 00:16: Bears vs. Cowboys preview begins.
• 03:30: Latest injury report and keys to the game.
• 08:32: Breakdown of Cowboys play-action threat and Bears’ defensive struggles.
• 13:10–15:15: Defining a “cowboy” and setting list parameters.
• 19:00–25:17: Honorable mentions (real, fictional, comical, sports figures).
• 26:29: Top 10 Cowboys countdown begins.
• 41:19: Top 3—Wyatt Earp and the mutual agreement on his placement.
• 45:21: Woody as committee’s #1; The Waco Kid as Dan’s #1.
• 47:29: Teasing future episodes and rankings (Raiders, Packers, Saints).

Closing Tone & Takeaways

The episode blends sharp football insight (“stay out of pre-snap penalties,” “establish the run”) with infectious banter, nostalgia, and a running bit about the loose definition of a “Cowboy.” Their Top 10 list shifts seamlessly from sports to cinema and pop culture, lampooning the seriousness of rankings while celebrating the iconography of cowboys.

Perfect for: Bears diehards, NFL fans, and anyone who loves a fun, culture-spanning conversation—whether or not you’ve seen a minute of Bears football or a classic Western.

Key Segment Recap Table

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlights | |-----------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:16 | Game preview | Lack of Bears optimism, game setup | | 03:30 | Injury Reports & Matchups | Details on missing players, impact on schemes | | 05:00 | Bears’ Offensive Plan | Keys: discipline, avoiding penalties, run game importance | | 08:32 | Defensive Preview & Play-Action | Cowboys’ threat via run & play-action, CeeDee Lamb prediction | | 13:10 | Cowboy Criteria & List Definition | Wide, tongue-in-cheek inclusion criteria | | 19:00 | Honorable Mentions | Mix of real/fictional, pop culture, and football legends | | 26:29 | Top 10 Cowboys List | Countdown with committee logic and Dan’s parallel picks | | 45:21 | #1 Cowboy Unveiling | Woody (committee), The Waco Kid (Dan) | | 47:29 | Teasers for Future “Top 10” Lists | Raiders, Packers, Saints, Bangles, later episode plans |

Final Note:
If you want NFL knowledge, laughs, and a sideways look at Western mythology, this episode is can’t-miss audio—especially the moment where Woody outduels the legendary Waco Kid for the top cowboy spot.