Chicago Bears - Cincinnati Bengals Preview

Summary

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Chicago Bears – Cincinnati Bengals Preview

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Episode Date: October 29, 2025

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the Chicago Bears’ imminent matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, anchored by the breaking news of the Bears signing controversial defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Dan and Matt bring granular analysis on the Bears’ tactical moves, the impact of locker room personalities, broader Chicago football culture, and even the unusual NFL owner dynamics — all with their signature candor and dry wit.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. C.J. Gardner-Johnson Signing: Talent vs. Turbulence

• Announcement & Stats [00:39–02:00]:

  • Bears sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson after Kyler Gordon heads to IR, joining Jalen Johnson.
  • Versatile background: 7 NFL seasons; 77 games (64 starts); 18 career INTs; most (6) in 2022 for Philadelphia.

• Locker Room Risks [02:32–03:52]:

  • Gardner-Johnson’s release from Houston traced to being "a high volatility guy" and divisive locker room presence.
  • Matt: "He created enough animosity in the locker room with his teammates to not be there anymore. That's a risk." [02:45]
  • Familiarity for Bears coaches Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson — not a blind signing.

• Character Contradictions [04:20–07:17]:

  • Discussion of Bears’ front office philosophies: Risk tolerance with personalities like Gardner-Johnson vs. previous aversion (e.g., Jalen Carter situation).
  • Dan: "This is the same guy that traded a second round pick for Chase Claypool." [05:18]

• Fit with Coaching Style [06:48–07:54]:

  • Emphasis on need for strong locker room leadership to manage strong personalities.
  • Matt: “When you have Milk Toast Guy running your locker room, a guy like that runs all over it.” [07:06]
  • [Joke]: "That's not Milk Toast guy. It's powdered toast guy." [07:17]

• Leadership & Messaging [08:03–09:41]:

  • Irony discussed of the head coach simultaneously demanding stronger player discipline while adding a volatile player.
  • Dan: “Is there a mixed message when your coach says, ‘I want the leaders to keep this team disciplined. Here’s C.J. Gardner-Johnson.’” [08:14]

• Last Chance for C.J.? [09:25–12:32]:

  • This may be Gardner-Johnson’s “last chance” in the league; hopes that desperation for a job inspires maturity.
  • Dan: "Maybe sometimes you hit rock bottom. And maybe a former head coach can look him in the eye and say, 'Word around the league is not to touch you. We're doing this. If you can't make the most of it, that's on you.'" [12:32]

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2. Bears’ Defensive Woes and the State of the Roster [12:48–15:18]

• Secondary's Plight
  • Injury-decimated backend, once considered a team strength, now patched with risk-laden signings.
  • Matt: “The secondary was the strength of this team… After seven games [we’re] signing a guy that’s a divisive locker room character.” [13:13]
• Pass Rush Problems
  • Bears, like Bengals, lag in sacks — both teams’ pass rushes have disappointed.
  • Dan: "You paid a lot of money to Dayo [Odeyingbo] who is not doing enough." [14:03]
  • Joking, colorful comparison of edge rushers from around the league.

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3. Game Preview: Bears vs. Bengals [16:28–22:40]

• Quarterback Situation

  • Bengals QB uncertainty: Joe Flacco vs. Jake Browning; Flacco’s lumbering demeanor dubbed "Frankenstein’s Monster.”
  • Matt: "Because of the cadence and the way he moves, I’ve nicknamed Joe Flacco Frankenstein’s monster." [18:08]

• Bengals Defensive Struggles

  • Dan: “This Bengals defense is ass. It’s absolute hot boiled ass.” [18:54]
  • Golden opportunity for Caleb Williams to assert himself offensively.

• Keys for Bears Offense

  • Must exploit Bengals’ weak defense; Williams needs to be the reason Bears win.
  • Matt: “He has to be a reason why the Bears win this game this weekend because the opportunity is there for him.” [19:15]
  • Over/under set at 52.5 points; Matt predicts a high-scoring affair.

• Team Comparison—Stat-by-Stat Breakdown [20:58–22:40]:

  • Sacks: Bengals 14, Bears 11.
  • Both teams among league’s worst rush defenses (Bears: 30th; Bengals: 28th; both giving up ~5+ yards/carry).
  • Interceptions and yards-per-play stats clearly laid out.

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4. Bears’ Offensive Execution: What Needs to Change? [22:40–28:34]

• Vision & Run Game Issues

  • Bears backs were not decisive enough against the Ravens; new approach needed for Cincinnati.

• Sequencing, Scripted Series, and Adjustments

  • Coaches must bridge successful scripted drives into the rest of the game.
  • Dan: “I want to see after they adjust. We were showing you this… but we’ve got more. There’s more in reserve.” [26:00]

• Offensive Line & Discipline

  • Bears plagued by pre-snap penalties; leadership needs to crack down.
  • Matt: “Enough talk about it. He put it on the leaders in the locker room. Go clean it up. See something, say something. He issued his code red. Do what you gotta do.” [27:48]

• Tempo and No-Huddle Potential

  • Wish to see Bears apply gas-pedal, up-tempo tactics if mismatches present.

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5. NFL Ownership & Women in Leadership [33:38–40:51]

• Carly Irsay Gordon & Colts [33:38–37:01]:
  • Applauding Kim Irsay Gordon (Colts’ new owner) wearing a headset on the sideline and getting involved with actual football operations.
  • Carly Irsay Gordon (clip): “I need to be able to say, is this person full of bs? …being on the headset has really helped me learn.” [35:26]
• Contrast with Bears Ownership
  • George McCaskey and the lack of deep football engagement.
  • Humorous imagining of McCaskey on the headset: "Mother. I'm not understanding them. Mother." [38:42]
• Bold Take on Leadership:
  • Matt: “Anything that’s important, that needs people in charge, just let women run it. That’s all I’m saying.” [39:04]
  • Both hosts strongly advocate for more women in leadership at every level and in every industry.

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6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Locker Room Risk:
  • Matt: "He created enough animosity in the locker room with his teammates to not be there anymore. That's a risk." [02:45]
• Character Contradiction:
  • Dan: "This is the same guy that traded a second round pick for Chase Claypool." [05:18]
• On Bears Pass Rush:
  • Dan: "You paid a lot of money to Dayo [Odeyingbo] who is not doing enough." [14:03]
• Bengals Offensive Line:
  • Dan: "So you’re starting center for the Bengals...could be a guy who’s never taken a snap in the NFL." [17:43]
• Bears Must Seize the Moment:
  • Matt: "Caleb Williams has to be a reason why the Bears win this game this weekend..." [19:15]
• On Women Leading:
  • Matt: "Anything that’s important, that needs people in charge, just let women run it. That’s all I’m saying." [39:04]

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Timestamps For Important Segments

• C.J. Gardner-Johnson Signing, Risk, and Locker Room Issues: [00:39–12:32]
• State of Bears’ Defense & Pass Rush: [12:48–15:18]
• Bears–Bengals Game & Matchup Breakdown: [16:28–22:40]
• Chicago’s Offensive Adjustments & Discipline: [22:40–28:34]
• NFL Ownership, the Colts, and Why Women Should Lead: [33:38–40:51]

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Summary Tone

Dan and Matt deliver a mix of sharp analysis, dry humor, and a dose of "fan-realism." Their banter highlights authentic frustration with the franchise’s direction but pairs it with real hope for strategic – and cultural – progress. Their progressive take on NFL ownership and gender leadership underscores a willingness to blend football analysis with real-world issues, giving the episode weight beyond the X’s and O’s.

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For Bears fans craving in-depth preparation for Bengals week—and candid talk about locker room dynamics, franchise direction, and even society at large—this episode is both insightful and highly entertaining.

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

Even the Rich is a podcast from Wondery that tells the jaw dropping stories about the tumultuous lives of the world's elite, from the greatest family dynasties to pop culture superstars. Listen to Even the Rich on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad free by joining Wondery and Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward Progress A Chicago Bears Podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

We give you forward progress here on 312 Sports brought to you by Beer Church Brewing New Buffaloes Brewery Pizzeria in a historic church Wood fired Neapolitan Pizza small batch craft beer brunch every day. Visit beerchurchbrewing.com Dan Bernstein Matt Abaticola here the Chicago Bears are getting set to play the Cincinnati Bengals at on Sunday and I think our top story right now. The Bears, according to Adam Schefter, have signed a new defensive back. But he's a familiar name to Bears fans. He is Chauncey. You can call him CJ Gardner Johnson 511208 he is only 27 years old, as well traveled and experienced as he is. There's a reason he's well traveled. We'll get into it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here are the hard numbers on him. Seven years, 77 games. He started 64 and he has a total of 18 interceptions with a high of six in 2022 when he was on Philadelphia. He has.

[Matt Abaticola]

He matched that last year as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's right. Yes. Last year indeed with Phil. Because he's, he's been on New Orleans, Philadelphia, Detroit, Philadelphia and then Houston. And he has played all over the place. He has been listed as a generalized defensive back, which generally means slot, you know, nickel corner. He was listed as a linebacker in 2021 with New Orleans under Dennis Allen. He. So Dennis Allen knows him well. And the Bears have a need with Kyler Gordon going on ir, joining Jalen Johnson there. This is a riskless signing of an available player. They're not giving up anything. I don't think it's riskless. There's no cost to it at the moment.

[Matt Abaticola]

No cost. Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's no actual cost.

[Matt Abaticola]

But there is a risk.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think so because he's a bit of a high volatility guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

There's a reason why he was released by the Texans.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because everybody hated him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. No, that's, that's what it comes down to. He created an issue in the locker room where players did not want him around. He was complaining about his contract. He was complaining about his role on the team. He was complaining about the play calling on the field. He wanted to blitz more. They weren't blitzing enough for his liking. So he created enough animosity in the locker room with his teammates to not be there anymore. That's a risk.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ben Johnson knows him, too, because of the three games that Johnson. He did play Detroit, spent with Detroit. He was there and he was hurt, and then he was unhappy and he left. And that was in 2023. So it's not like they're doing this blindly. You've got your two most powerful coaches know what they're doing. They know what he is, they know what he's not. If you're a Bear, straight say, why do I remember that name? Why do I. That was the guy. Remember when Javon Wims pulled the mouthpiece off a New Orleans Saints helmet?

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, that was him.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was C.J. gardner. Johnson. Because he knew how to get under the skin of Javon Williams.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's right. That's right. 83. Wasn't Wims 83 or was he wearing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Yes, he was. And that, if you remember that, that was. That was cj gj.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. And you had to look at it because I've done that a couple times.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know. That's why.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's why I wrote cj gj.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's not C. Cbgb. I wrote it up there. This ain't no nightclub. No cj, gj. We ain't got time for that now.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, man, that's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

So it is a. Why not? Why not? I will say, does this mean the Ryan polls edict. And I can't quote him verbatim?

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

But when it came to Jalen Carter, when it came to decisions on players, I could probably look it up.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. No, go with your thought, because I was going to bring that up. So I wanted.

[Dan Bernstein]

My thought would be that they sort of drew a line in the sand in some ways about the kinds of players they would bring in. I will try to find the quote.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. It's interesting, though, that you bring that up, because I was going to with Jalen Carter, and he was not a guy they wanted to bring because of character. And what it turns out to is that they just didn't have the right structure in place internally to handle a guy that may create an issue within the locker room, which is why they stayed away and by mistake stayed away from Jalen Carter.

[Dan Bernstein]

So here. Here's the quote. And this was before this season. We're also trying to find is it the right culture fit. There's more levels to it than just grabbing the talent and bringing it in. There's some impact things that happen in your locker room and on the field and your salary cap. Yeah, I can give you a burst of energy, but long term, does it make sense for you or is it going to be derailer down the road? That's polls. This is the same guy that traded a second round pick for Chase Claypool.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. But here's the thing that's an indictment of your coaching staff. Your coaching staff runs that locker room. And if you feel like your coaching staff can't handle a guy, you have the wrong coach in place. He's been his. Look at his two most successful and productive seasons as a player. Cj gj They've been with who?

[Dan Bernstein]

Andy Reid.

[Matt Abaticola]

They've been with Philadelphia. Not Andy Reid.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, not Andy Reid. Excuse me. The first time, wasn't it? No, he was. He was gone already.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, he's. What's his name? Nick?

[Dan Bernstein]

Was Doug Peterson.

[Matt Abaticola]

Was Doug Peterson 22, I think.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wasn't he still there in 22?

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, I have to look it up just to make sure, but who's the coach now? His name is totally blank in my mind.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nick Sirianni.

[Matt Abaticola]

Nick Sirianna. Well, he wasn't there in 22.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm trying to say he might have been.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, I'll look it up just to see. But he's been. He's. His two most productive seasons as a player have been with the Eagles. And there's no bullshit in the locker room. And you know who's in charge.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, there is some bullshit. Now the AJ Brown stuff, you know, is after you win the super bowl, you get some stuff.

[Matt Abaticola]

But what are they doing?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, are they.

[Matt Abaticola]

Are they losing? Are they. Are they derailed? No, they're still good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he's. So I do think actually for his skill set. No, what he's on is a pretty good fit.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's a great fit. I understand it and I think it can be productive. But when you have Milk Toast Guy running your locker room, a guy like that runs all over it.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's not Milk Toast guy. It's powdered toast guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, powdered toast guy. Sorry.

[Dan Bernstein]

Powdered toast Man.

[Matt Abaticola]

Powdered Toast Man. Sorry. If you get your thing back yet?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, we'll work on that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I should have asked Laura. I saw Laura.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll take care of it for you. I got a guy. I got a guy over there.

[Dan Bernstein]

And get me Powdered Toast Man.

[Matt Abaticola]

I got a Guy everywhere. I'll take care of.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I get it. And I think it could be a productive signing, but you just need the right people in charge. I think you have the right people in charge. You wouldn't have had the right people in charge with a guy like Potter. Toast, man. That's the issue. And that's again, another indictment on your general manager.

[Dan Bernstein]

What's so funny? And I don't know this constitutes irony. It comes at exactly the same time the head coach is kind of calling out the locker room leadership for something else.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where are the leaders? I want the leaders to step up and take discipline.

[Matt Abaticola]

But it's not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't you think there's a. There's a. There's a discordant message? Is there a mixed message when your coaches. I want the leaders to keep this team disciplined. Here's C.J. gardner, Johnson.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't. Dan. Because it's. It's different situations. It's not about. It's not about behavior and about attitude and how it's causing a dishar.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's about the. It's about your performance on the field, which ultimately, he can do what he wants, but ultimately the head coach is in charge of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you cut him if it's. It's not like you say, it's not costing you anything. It's a roster spot. It's a game check.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if he is a problem, you cut him. But, man, I do think top line, there is definitely a little bit of explaining to say. Well, here is the coach publicly calling out his players for a lack of discipline and focus. Putting it on the team, putting it on the leaders, putting it on those guys. We heard the press conference yesterday right here in this space. And then say, well, as what's going to show my. My prioritization of discipline and focus. C.J. gardner, Johnson.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, no, I get what you're saying, and I can. I can appreciate it. But I think it's. It's different things now. If he comes in the locker room and starts bitching and complaining right away, I think. I think that's a different thing where guys step in.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or maybe he's gotten enough beaten out of him. Maybe say, look like last chance you kind of thing where. This is it, man. You're 27 years old. Everyone knows how good you are, and you can't hold a job. Shut your mouth and play.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And maybe he has.

[Dan Bernstein]

Be a good teammate.

[Matt Abaticola]

A relationship with Dennis Allen that, that, that kind of overcomes all that stuff that there won't be any, any BS he's not going to walk in and complain about this or complain about that. And we really don't know the situation. What he experienced in, in Houston with the Texans. Who knows? Who knows? I mean, it could take one guy who's a leader or a favorite in that locker room to have, you know, any kind of issue that could lead to more things. Who knows what it is? But the main thing is it's a guy that's needed. It's a guy that can fill a need currently. And the risk isn't a high cost.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, it's not a second round.

[Matt Abaticola]

Which is the most important thing right now.

[Dan Bernstein]

They didn't trade a second round pick for him and then have to cut him.

[Matt Abaticola]

We'll see what happens. We'll see what he can do.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I like, I kind of like the idea and I certainly like the, the, the confidence that it shows in your coaches to your point. And, and I'd love to know what the conversation was because maybe polls is like, no, no, no, we're not doing this. We're not doing this. And then Ben's like, you know, I really want to do this. Hold on a second. Dennis, come up here. Come to Ryan's office, Dennis, because help me out.

[Matt Abaticola]

Refresh me with, with Jalen Carter. The Jalen Carter, like pre draft issues were what he had.

[Dan Bernstein]

There was a fatal car accident where he had driven away from it. Remember that? He ran and then was questioned and he was involved in it and said he didn't have anything to do with it.

[Matt Abaticola]

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[Matt Abaticola]

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[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. Yeah. No. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Remember that lied to the cops.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. I'd have to go back and read it more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, the cops called him on it. So.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And if cj, GJ is just got a kind of bad attitude at times that's on a different level than behavior type situation. Like you're talking with Jalen Carter.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. But a reputation for being a divisive locker room influence. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Again, it's, it's a guy that, that has the skill set to meet the need that you have right now. And like you said, costing anything.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

And there's a reason why he's there. And maybe it's one of those situations where a new environment, new, new coaching staff, new message, former message giver has an impact where he doesn't dick around.

[Dan Bernstein]

And desperation where he's realizing that. Or maybe sometimes you hit rock bottom.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And maybe a former head coach can look him in the eye and say word around the league is not to touch you. We are doing this. We're taking this last chance on you. And if you can't make the most of it, that's on you. And we're going to get rid of you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

I hope there's some straight conversations happening.

[Matt Abaticola]

But what also is frustrating about it, Dan, is going into the season, I ask you, what's the strength of this Bears defense? Does the strength of this Bears team, What do you say?

[Dan Bernstein]

I said the secondary. What else did I say When Terrell Smith got hurt, I said, I said that is going to come back to be a bigger injury than everybody's talking about.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, but I mean, you know, everybody gets hurt. Yeah, you were right on that. But it was just the secondary was the strength of this team going into this season. And here we are now after seven games signing a guy that is a divisive locker room character.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you still don't have a pass rush.

[Matt Abaticola]

And you still don't have a pass rush. Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

You want to protect your secondary, hit the quarterback. You can find this guy this week. You can find Frankenstein's monster. He's not going anywhere.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And if you saw, I don't know if you saw the news, what the Patriots did, they. They traded away two former starters on defense under Mayo and Belichick who are this have backup roles now, but they're moving guys along and doing things to help that defense out. Like what are the Bears like? At what point do they do something different with their pass rush? I mean, it's not working the way it is. The money you've invested has just not worked out at all with getting to the quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. I. You paid a lot of money to die Odangbo who is not doing enough.

[Matt Abaticola]

And there's still lots of football left. Things can turn around.

[Dan Bernstein]

Montez sweat was better last game. He was a lot more active.

[Matt Abaticola]

Although I just man that sack he had. I texted you. I'm like, he looks like an old head running. He just. It just doesn't look.

[Dan Bernstein]

Didn't look kind of how he runs, though.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's.

[Dan Bernstein]

He does. He doesn't have that sort of light springiness to him.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's kind of monster. Ish, almost.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, but speaking of guys who do run, do you see the Aiden Hutchinson contract? Yeah, they just signed.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I do.

[Dan Bernstein]

140 million guarantee.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's in that same. He's in that same broat for me as the. As the crazy guy from the Raiders.

[Dan Bernstein]

Crosby.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, no doubt what I think this does also.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he may not even be crazy. He looks like he should be crazy, Crosby. Yeah, he looks like a guy that. That wears, like, Rides a motorcycle shirtless, with no helmet.

[Dan Bernstein]

He looks like the guy at. The guy at the biker bar that nobody fucks with. Yeah, yeah. Like. No, not that guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he could be the sweetest guy in the whole world and like little tiny puppies and.

[Dan Bernstein]

But there's some legend that he killed a guy once for snoring too loud. Something like that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And no one's sure if it's true or not. There was a guy like that in the cba. The guy named Ron. Guy named Ron Mathias, who they call the Terminator because supposedly back in New York, he killed a guy. And so nobody really messed with Ron Mathias.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, you can get that rumor started. It's a good way to build your reputation.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would call him Term. Like, why they call him Term? It's like, oh, Terminator.

[Matt Abaticola]

He started that rumor himself.

[Dan Bernstein]

He really likes the movie the Terminator. Like, no, no. Term killed a guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

I was like, oh, okay, so you avoided him.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he was a nice guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's great.

[Dan Bernstein]

I always got along great with the.

[Matt Abaticola]

Usually deal with murderers. I did buggers and.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I did. I got along with most of the actual criminals that I was often around in the netherworlds of professional basketball. I got along with. Great.

[Matt Abaticola]

There you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's kind of guy you are.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know why. I don't know why that was. And see who's dead. Jay Taylor's dead.

[Matt Abaticola]

Terminator killed him, I think.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tony Harris is missing. Is he missing? No, he went to the Philippines for some. I don't know if he's allowed to come back.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's missing in the Philippines. I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

We scored 105 points in a game down there. Wow. Yeah. And then they made youth league or Philippine pro league, and then they made an action movie, and he got to star in it in, like, a white coat.

[Matt Abaticola]

Seriously?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I'm telling you, some of the Stories of these. When these guys go overseas, things happen. But the Bears and Bengals are going to meet on at noon. Are we on CBS or Fox?

[Matt Abaticola]

You know, I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Does anytime you get. I'm going to say cbs, afc, NFC crossover.

[Matt Abaticola]

I haven't looked it up yet to see who's doing the game or.

[Dan Bernstein]

And as far as the. We're going to get our first injury report any moment. Yeah, should be soon. And then we'll know who's listed where. Cole, Comet, et cetera. The ones that we were.

[Matt Abaticola]

We know who's out for the Bears on the Bengal side of things. Obviously Joe Flacco is the question. I think Joe Flacco will play Matt Lee. Their centers on injured reserve. Their. Their starting center is Ted Karras who has not taken a snap yet in the NFL. And I did look it up. He actually is related to Alex Karras. Alex, yeah. Former football player, actor.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mongo, only pawn in the game of life.

[Matt Abaticola]

He is related. Alex is Ted's great uncle.

[Dan Bernstein]

Cool.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it comes from a football family.

[Dan Bernstein]

One of the great comic performances by any former athlete. Yes. Mongo like candy.

[Matt Abaticola]

So you're starting center for the Bengals with a banged up monsters. Frankenstein's monster at quarterback. Could be a guy who's never taken a snap in the NFL.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. But we've got two Mel Brooks connections there. We've got Frankenstein's monster and we've got Mongo's great nephew. It's the taking snaps from Mongo's great nephew.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

How cool is that?

[Matt Abaticola]

It's the Brooks offense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, the Brooks connection. I love it because you've already. Because it's because of the cadence and because of the way he moves. Matt has nicknamed Joe Flacco Frankenstein's monster.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I think rightfully so. I mean, tell me I'm wrong. Like you've heard the cadence. That's what it sounds like. It's what it sounds like. I'm telling you. I was. I was chopping so I don't know what I was making. Maybe I was making tuna salad that day and I had the game on and I heard the cadence and I was like. Like I walked up and stood right in front of the tv.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it's become a thing. That's my guy, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know.

[Matt Abaticola]

Except for this weekend. He's not my guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

This Bengals defense is ass. It's absolute hot boiled ass. And Caleb Williams has every opportunity right now to. To say I'm tired of hearing this from everybody. Watch this and just go cut him to ribbons.

[Matt Abaticola]

He has an opportunity here. We talked about that diagram of where he impacts the game, and it can't be a neutral performance. And he has to be a reason why the Bears win this game this weekend because the opportunity is there for him. He has the opportunity to actually make some plays.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't care if they're starting Flacco or Jake Browning. It doesn't matter to me.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, it doesn't. It shouldn't be. And there's opportunities for them to run the football against the Bengals. There's opportunities from the past, the football against the Bengals. Caleb Williams has a chance here to impact this game in a positive way and be a reason why the Bears win. And he needs to step up and take, take, take advantage of that opportunity that's there for him in this game. Insane. I don't care. It's on the road. I don't care about the wide receivers on the other side of the football. That's, you know, let the defense handle that. Put some points on the board because they're. There are chances to score points. The Bengals are going to score points. They're going to. Now if Browning plays instead of Flacco, you're going to get more opportunities for picks. That's why the guy sat and benched in the first place through too many picks. Flacco doesn't throw those interceptions as often as Browning was. But even if Browning plays, he's going to throw the. He can throw the football. They're going to score points. The Bears have to match it. I see this game. The over, over, under is 52 and a half. It's going to go over 52 and a half.

[Dan Bernstein]

52 and a half. Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

And the bears were laying two and a half. It's going to go over 52. They are going to score point. The Bears have to keep that pace up and score points. Caleb needs to have a game this weekend, period.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Bengals are now a three point underdog.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it's three points. It's grown.

[Dan Bernstein]

I am not sure if that reflects a. An understanding of likelihood of quarterback maybe. I don't know. It often does.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Bengals have 14 sacks in a season. The Bears have 11. Okay. They're pretty evenly matched up when you look at it by the numbers.

[Dan Bernstein]

Trey Hendrickson injured.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was. He did not play last week. Okay. Did not play so well. Again, that's another guy to keep an eye on. Like I said, Matt Lee on injured reserve. He was out last week. Put him on injured reserve. So you have a center playing. That's never taken a snap. Bears have 11 interceptions. The Bangles have eight. You look at the rush defense. The Bengals are 28th in the league at five yards per carry. The Bears are 30th. Another team has jumped them. So the Bears went from having just the Bills. Now they have the Giants and the Bills behind them. The Bills are giving up 5.5, the Giants 5.7. The Bears are 30th now in the league giving up 5.3.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, here they come.

[Matt Abaticola]

So both teams give up yards 5 and 5.3 on on the pass yards per attempt. The Bengals are 30th still even with those receivers at 6 yards, the Bears at 7.4 rushing the football. The Bears are 4.4. The Bengals are 4.3. They're pretty evenly matched up. There's an opportunity here for Caleb Williams to impact this game positively and be a reason why they win this football game. But they have to score points. They've got to get in the red zone. They've got to get the ball in the end zone and if that's in on Ben Johnson with better calls and expecting to see different fronts in the red zone to be prepared for that when they're the non scripted calls. Be ready for other things and put Caleb Williams in a position to do what he can deep in the red zone in the lower half of the red zone to be successful. If they see different fronts defensively. The Ravens confused them with that last week. They didn't get in the end zone. That can't happen again this week.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it's also contingent on the running backs to have a little bit better immediate vision. I don't think either one either. Swift Norman guy had his best game in finding the early crease. Everything was great when they were doing wide zone and it gives them more time. It gives them a little bit more time to move laterally to look and decide. Some of the straight ahead stuff and the basic gap interior stuff you're running right into a teammate's behind.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And the Ravens also defended that well. Give them credit and how their defensive line played and it's that ability. We saw where they're extending the plays the outside where the offensive linemen were able to stack blocks where and we saw with with right he was getting one handed blocks still getting downfield. We saw interior linemen being able to get downfield to that second layer and stack blocks on each other. They weren't able to do that against the Ravens. And if it was something that they did they created and again you have to look at John Harbaugh, who has a spectacular record coming off a bye. He was well prepared. They were well prepared to take on the Bears rushing game. We'll see what Cincinnati does with it as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like the. The use of the bootleg action early. I think we talked about that at length, that once you got the wide zone going and they were. They were. They were reversing field, and even some of the runs they were hitting on the backside. That's there, too. But don't get away from it. This is a big game for me to connect the first two drives with the rest of the game. That is a little thing that I want to see. I want to see after they adjust. And they will. Zach Toms will.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's right.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think so.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think you're.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I think that. Is that the old. Is that right?

[Matt Abaticola]

Are you thinking Zach Brown Band, the country singers?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I saw them at Wrigley.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what we talked about there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, they were. I felt a little uncomfortable in the crowd, but it was just too. It was very, very sort of every patriotic. Everybody was the same person. Yeah. Oh, probably very patriotic. Yes. And it wasn't my.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, how are you going to feel at the super bowl halftime show that you're starring in?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I'm ready for that. I'm getting all prepared because I've got American flag underpants. I've got an American flag shirt. Even though technically it's flag desecration, people still like it. I've got a hat with Roman candles that just shoot red, white, and blue fireworks out of it while I'm singing.

[Matt Abaticola]

That happens naturally when you listen to John Smoltz. Zach Taylor.

[Dan Bernstein]

Zach Taylor. Thank you. Yeah. I'm honored to be a part of.

[Matt Abaticola]

The All American halftime show.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's gonna be Lee Greenwood. It's gonna be George Strait. It's gonna be Kid Rock and then me, and then it's Ted Nugent.

[Matt Abaticola]

Are you still having Ronick introduction, like, introduce you?

[Dan Bernstein]

We're working on that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're working on that. But, yeah, I think. I think I go on before Ted Nugent, so. Yes, I'm looking. Thank you for asking. I'm looking forward to that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because while Bad Bunny is. You know, there's gonna be, like, four people watching Bad Bunny.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, because he's not speaking American.

[Dan Bernstein]

How do you understand a word he's saying?

[Matt Abaticola]

That crowd might leave after the halftime show. Right. To a hockey game, too. You never know. So maybe you can go.

[Dan Bernstein]

They go wandering around looking for a.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hockey Game, they look for lights, driving.

[Dan Bernstein]

Around, looking for lights. So this is what I want to see. I want to see everything that Ben Johnson continues to do well in the first scripted series of the game, you feel it out. You get the ball to the tight end. Like it's the only time all game you're ever going to see a tight end catch a pass. In the scripted portion, they decide, I'm throwing to the tight end here because otherwise Caleb doesn't seem to see him. So write down a couple of these little goals here. One is make those series matter and after the other team adjusts, say, all right, we were setting you up, we're two moves ahead. We were showing you this and we know this can work, but we were only showing you this because we got more. There's more in reserve, that this isn't everything. We've got that we're going to do it because we think it works, but we're going to spring the real stuff on you later. So make that matter more. Make those series matter more. When it comes to formations, the responses to formations, personnel groupings, speed of operation, and I was really interested in watching what Dan Quinn was trying to do to Andy Reid with their use of no huddle and of tempo and keep this group on the field, keep them out there, keep them out there. That is the gas pedal is something we haven't seen the Bears use a lot. And sometimes there's a time and a place for it. If you have a bad defense out there with an exploitable matchup, don't stop going at it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, no, I agree with you and I think that that's going to be a slower, A slower build is increasing that pace and that, that tempo, that rhythm that you've been talking about. And yeah, you can work towards that, that progression for me, we've talked about it enough now eliminate the pre snap.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mistakes, all the mistakes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Eliminate those penalties on the offensive line and the offensive side of the football. Like you can that, that can go from bad and dirty to clean within one game. That's stuff that's easily within your control, like building up that tempo and that pace. While I agree with you, that's a slower build and a slower progression, they can play a clean, a clean game on Sunday. Regardless of what's happened the last few weeks. They. They can do that. Enough talk about it. He put it on the lead, on the leaders in the locker room. Go clean it up. See something, say something. He issued his code red. Do what you got to do. But you can clean that up. You can have an immediate impact with that. Stop doing that lack of focus bullshit on the field. You can clean that up one game to the next.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that is also part of the whole staying on schedule thing. And it's part of the reason why the scripted plays work better, because they have been more disciplined on those first two series. They have been more disciplined when they said, this is what we're going to be running. Yeah, I just.

[Matt Abaticola]

I just don't get it. I. It's hard for me to understand.

[Dan Bernstein]

Either way.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like, I understand there's so many moving parts. Getting the call in understanding the call. I get it. I get it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nothing mitigates it. That's the game they play that. Those are the rules of the game. Those are the rules of the game. The other team's playing by the same ones. And you keep making mistakes and you keep getting 10 penalties for 82 yards.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that's got to stop.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's got to stop. And again, that's something they have within their control that they can stop immediately. Stop it. Again, not asking for perfection. Don't expect that teams get penalties. It happens. But those kind of penalties, eliminate those now, today, do it. Do it for Sunday against Cincinnati. They have that ability.

[Dan Bernstein]

So yesterday I was having a conversation with the owner of Beer Church Brewing in New Buffalo, and I was really reaching out. The primary reason was explaining that you are going to be heading out there and there's going to be a dinner and potentially a brunch as you and your family go to New Buffalo.

[Matt Abaticola]

There's going to be.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's going to be. So, because the preparations for your arrival, I. I had to tell them about.

[Matt Abaticola]

You had to order more tomatoes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Everything you require. And they're gonna have to reinforce some walls to make sure your enemies can't find you. It's like the. The Mossad is. Is walking through there and, you know, looking at their. You know, a sniper could be perched over here because everybody's coming to get. So it takes a ton of people to prepare for your arrival anywhere.

[Matt Abaticola]

I chatted with John yesterday and I asked about na stuff. Yeah, no, they've got.

[Dan Bernstein]

They've got special silverware that you require. All of it. All of it. The. The. Actually The. The gold rimmed plates.

[Matt Abaticola]

You think the foot massage was too much?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, no, no. As long as it's not the one where fish eat all the goo off your face.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, no, no. And it won't be on the table. It'll be under the table.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Nobody else has to watch that, that they're putting in all this new infrastructure to make sure that you are going to be well taken care of. Now when you go to beer church, we know that it's just going to be a fabulous time and a great experience as you learn how to make pizza at the pizza school private party. So go to their website right now, get that party booked, whether it's for you and your family or you can, if you are in charge of an office or a workplace or just a bunch of friends and say, look, we've decided we're going to do this. We need something different. We're going to pick a weekend, we're going to pick a weeknight and we're going to go and we're taking a couple hours with this group. Go to beerchurchbrewing.com and get that all set up. And then you're going to learn how to make actual Neapolitan pizza in their wood fired ovens. And you get to stretch the dough and you get to choose the ingredients and the ratios. And if you're like I am and everything has to be apportioned just right and every little pizza, if you're the kind of person that when you get a frozen pizza you want to redistribute the toppings and either you're that kind of person or you're not, you have to be.

[Matt Abaticola]

If you're not, something's wrong with you.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you don't, because sometimes you're frozen, you open it up and all the pepperoni is over here and all this is over here.

[Matt Abaticola]

Got to spread them out.

[Dan Bernstein]

You have to make sure everything is right, this will satisfy that. Because when you are making your pizza from scratch, everything is literally in your hands and it's, you'll taste all of their other pizzas. The menu is not to be believed and I happen to have one right here. And every next page has got all of the beer church stuff. The craft brews are all right here. And you can see there's, there's the shots and the cocktails and everything about just the pizzas and the small plates and sandwiches and gelato. Everything else. This is all. Look at, look at the breakfast and look at the brunch. I mean you're, you're not, it's amazing. So this is their hymnal at the beer church. So go there and enjoy. Beerchurchbrewing.com say hi to John. He's a big fan. We're big fans of his. It's their slogan. Drink, eat, repent, repeat.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, we're Going to do dinner one night and then brunch the next day. It's already. It's already planned. We've planned nothing else for the weekend. We're taking the dogs. We're just going. We rented a house.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's just the two of you?

[Matt Abaticola]

Just the two of us. Okay. The two dogs. Yep. Just gonna hang out. We're gonna go for walks. We're gonna look at the leaves. We're gonna go to beer, church. We're gonna sleep. I'm gonna sleep in. Not gonna worry about anything other than.

[Dan Bernstein]

You'Ll burn it all off hiking around.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, no, I can't. Oh, I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna completely eat way too much.

[Dan Bernstein]

As one should.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. I can't wait.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're not going to do it there, there's. I don't know where. Where, where and when you would ever do it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I asked John about NA stuff, too, and said, we got you. Don't worry mocktails. So I'm. I'm excited.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's something going on in the NFL that I think is really cool.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm glad that you.

[Carly Irsay Gordon]

You.

[Matt Abaticola]

You're bringing this up. I. I am.

[Dan Bernstein]

Have you. And this has been going on for a while now, but ever since Jim Ursay passed away, his daughter Carly. Carly Ursay Gordon has taken over as the owner and CEO, the face of ownership of the Indianapolis Colts. And she has been on the sidelines wearing a headset. And of course, from certain corners of the NFL and fandom, you heard basically the, oh, look at the cute little lady over there with the headset. Who does she think she's kidding? She doesn't understand a word of that stuff really. Well, first of all, she's been doing it for a while. And second of all, as she explained, it's her job. She's doing her job because for too often in this league, in this league of arcana and jargon and complicated things, owners have no. Look at Woody Johnson. Look at George McCaskey. Half the time, owners have essentially no concept what's going on down there. I'm not kidding. They have no the disconnect and the ability of coaches to use a storm of jargon to basically explain to the owners that they don't understand what's going on. And general managers do it, too. Once owners really understand what's going on, things change. And that's where at least I give Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones might not be good at this, but at least he takes responsibility for it as an owner, and he does A weekly radio show defending what he said and explaining what he says. And being the gm, it's not for everybody. I don't know it's ever gonna work. But I don't mind the fact that at least he does it. And here at a recent press conference is what Carly Irsay Gordon had to say about the practice.

[Carly Irsay Gordon]

One of the things that I learned in going through, even as back as when we hired Chuck Pagano, is that sort of accelerated my. I need to learn more about this. I need to be able to say, is this person full of bs? Do they even know what they're talking about? And I think one of the things that being on the headset has really helped me learn is to the question earlier there. It's such a complex organism, a football team and how it operates and on game day. And you could say, oh, that person ran that route wrong. When you learn to find, oh, someone tagged the wrong wide receiver and it wasn't really the player's fault, it was the person that called it so. And it's never. I think that's been a very valuable. Because it also helps us be able to know where do we need to make tweaks, what resources do we need? What do we need to fix? So much of it comes down to just how we operate and how things work. And the headsets are really. I wish more I would suggest it for anyone else that has to pay coaches and GMs millions and millions of dollars. It helps you make a less expensive mistake, potentially.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think that's kind of a negative way of looking at a less expensive mistake. How about help you make informed, good decisions that help you win. And they are winning. So I have. Every owner should do it. It should be mandatory at least a couple of times a year.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And it is. Agree with that, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

It shouldn't sound like listening to the cockpit audio on Channel United. When you're in there and you get to hear all the jargon is there's, you know, contact Atlanta center at 114.6 or whatever it is. Good day, United 2, 4, 6. It's. It shouldn't sound like a foreign language to you after a while.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. But while I agree with the premise of it, I don't think it's for every owner. I'm just, I'm just, I'm just saying.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think because of the ownership of the packers, every single resident of Green to get one get a headset, an active headset during the games. Yep. Like, it should just be on their phones.

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean, do you want George McCaskin, a sideline with a headset on.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would like to. I would like for him to have the curiosity not to meddle, but just.

[Matt Abaticola]

To, just to learn.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just learn and learn about what they go through in a game, what they're actually doing.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's just, it's interesting that it's been in, it's been in the Ursa family for a very long time. And when they were talking about this at the press conference, it was the transition of power after, after Jim passed away, that, yeah, I may be a woman, I may be in my 40s, but I've been doing this for a long time. I've been involved in this organization, this sport for a very long time. And you have the McCaskey family, who's been involved for a very long time.

[Dan Bernstein]

And still doesn't know anything.

[Matt Abaticola]

And still doesn't. Yeah. And still is making bad decisions about hiring the football people they put in charge.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're kind of too late to it.

[Matt Abaticola]

At this point, I think. So that's what I'm saying. Do you really want George on a headset?

[Dan Bernstein]

Can't really start now.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I think, I mean, he would, like you'd look over and it'd be like the wrong way. Like, is this right? I got this right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Mother. Mother. I'm not understanding them. Mother.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't hear anything. I don't hear you.

[Dan Bernstein]

I can't even see them with this headset on. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So that's all I'm saying. And here's the thing, I think, and maybe you disagree with me. Anything that's important, that needs people in charge, just, just let women run it. That's all I'm saying.

[Dan Bernstein]

Everything.

[Matt Abaticola]

Everything. Governments, companies.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thank you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just put women in charge.

[Dan Bernstein]

Seriously, everything would be. Everything in everyone's life would be better. Yes, Everything.

[Matt Abaticola]

It would be one. And I, I don't care what your political affiliation is, how you vote, where you go. Just, I think women in charge of things, things are better.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're better at it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Companies, countries, organizations, small businesses.

[Dan Bernstein]

A hundred percent. I came to that realization a long, long time ago.

[Matt Abaticola]

I've learned enough in my, my eight years in like corporate sales. It's just, just put women in charge, everything's better. And here's what I love about women. Leadership. They make decisions, and if they're the wrong decisions, they make other decisions to correct those initial decisions to make them better. And it's not about an ego driven thing where it's like, well, got to stick with it because that's what I decided or the fear of making mistakes. You don't make a decision. You just keep passing the buck along and kicking the can down the street.

[Dan Bernstein]

In general, not everything would be great everywhere, but on balance, everything would be better. Positive, 100%. That's what I mean. That is so obvious and so automatic. For me. Yes. For all elected officials.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And every school board.

[Matt Abaticola]

I can say this as a 52 year old white guy. The main issue to things in life, whatever aspect of life you're examining, if there's something wrong with it, look for the older white guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the problem.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's where the problem lies, period.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've got nothing to add to that.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, well, let's wrap it up then.

[Dan Bernstein]

I have nothing to add to that. Whatever the problem is, in any organization, chances are it's an older white guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. And follow the old white guy. I always say in sports, Dan. I've said it for years. Follow the money problems in life, like real life issues. Follow the old white guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's mad about a cola. I'm Dan Bernstein and this has been Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast on 312 Sports. 2 19, 2 19.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.