Chicago Bears loss to the LA Rams - crazy stats | NFL head coaching jobs

Summary

Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: Breaking Down the Bears’ Playoff Loss to the Rams, Wild Stats, and NFL Coaching Carousel
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abaticola
Date: January 20, 2026

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Overview

This episode dives into the Chicago Bears’ heart-wrenching overtime playoff loss to the LA Rams, unpacking the game’s key moments, wild statistical anomalies, and the emotional rollercoaster of the 2025-26 season. Dan and Matt apply their trademark analytical eye and fan’s heart to discuss how the offense and defense performed under pressure, what went wrong on the game’s defining plays, and what’s next for the Bears under Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. The conversation also veers into wild NFL coaching news and some signature banter on fandom exhaustion and NFL jobs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflecting on a Transformative Bears Season

• Newfound Faith in the Offense:
  Matt marvels at trusting the Bears offense for the first time ever – a historic change given the franchise’s defensive legacy.

  "For the first time in my life, we have an offense that we can count on… It’s always been the defense." (01:59, Matt)

• The Caleb Williams Effect:
  Caleb’s dynamism and leadership brought the Bears into uncharted territory for their fan base, especially with signature plays like the wild, cross-field throw to Cole Kmet.

  "The dramatic fashion in which they did it behind Caleb Williams’ leadership… was just icing on the cake." (02:09, Matt)

• Offense Let Down at Crucial Moment:
  Both hosts note the irony that in the biggest moment, it was the offense—not the defense—that faltered.

  "The defense isn't what let you down." (02:56, Dan)

Recapping the Rams Loss – Insane Stats and Missed Chances

• Techmo Bowl Play Come to Life:
  The podcast describes a viral highlight where Caleb Williams made a throw reminiscent of the old Techmo Bowl video game, sparking fan nostalgia and excitement.

  "It’s quarterback runs backwards as far as you can in Techmo Bowl and you just throw it… It was really cool just to see that." (03:35, Matt)

• Season-to-Season Momentum is a Myth:
  Both hosts caution against expecting “momentum,” emphasizing instead the importance of roster continuity and experience—particularly for Williams and Ben Johnson.

  "Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher." (04:34, Dan)

Emotional Impact and Fan Exhaustion

• Processing the Season:
  Both are still emotionally spent, describing the season as having “multiple seasons worth of moments in one.”

  "That was as emotionally exhilarating and exhausting as a season as has ever been in my... life." (11:57, Matt)
  "Multiple seasons worth of moments." (12:30, Dan)

• Postgame Analysis as Therapy:
  The intensity sometimes made it hard to communicate after games—leading to raw, emotional postgame shows.

  "Sometimes it was difficult to be able to communicate clearly in our post game shows… either a lot of anger or just like emotional exhaustion." (12:50, Matt)

Bears-Rams: Gut-Punch Historical Stats

• Playoff Overtime Curse:
  Teams scoring a game-tying TD in the last 30 seconds of regulation to force OT are now 0-4 in those games—including the Bears in this one.

  "All four teams, they force overtime scoring in the final 30 seconds and then they end up losing." (08:01, Matt)

• Stafford’s Unprecedented Win:
  Matthew Stafford became the first NFL QB in history to win a playoff road game with <50% completions and 0 TDs—previously teams were 0-99-1 with that stat line.

  "That Matthew Stafford is the first quarterback in NFL playoff history to win a road game… less than half of his passes and not throwing any touchdowns." (09:19, Matt)

• Point Differential and Not Playing With a Lead:
  The Bears didn’t have a single offensive snap with a lead in their last five games (!) but somehow finished those games with a net zero point differential.

  "Their point differential? Nada." (11:25, Dan)

Breaking Down the Final Interception (with DJ Moore Audio)

• Miscommunication at Crucial Moment:
  A deep dive into the game-sealing interception uncovers that QB Caleb Williams and WR DJ Moore weren't on the same page, with Moore failing to flatten his route as expected.

  “Just a miscommunication...tried to flatten him off under safety...didn’t happen that way.” (18:52, DJ Moore audio)

• Frustration with Veteran Receivers:
  The hosts are baffled that such miscommunication could happen so late in the season with experienced players.

  "Why… are you not on the same page on a route that you run all season long?" (22:29, Matt)

• Effort Questioned on the Play:
  Both take issue with Moore's lack of effort to attack the ball as the play unfolded, feeling the season slipped away unnecessarily.

  "Why were you not running? Why were you not trying for the ball, made zero effort, literally slowed up and watched the play happen, watch the season come to a close?" (22:29, Matt)

Individual Performances & Looking to Next Season

• Rome Odunze Underwhelms:
  Injury and inconsistent play lead to a disappointing season for the top pick, who finished with only 44 catches and six touchdowns.

  "Rome knows it wasn't the season that he wanted to or needed to have." (24:30, Matt)

• Room for Growth:
  Both note that the offense’s productivity, even with Odunze underperforming, is a positive for future upside.

  "The fact that there is that much room for growth, that the offense was this good with somebody as talented as Rome Adunze...not playing as well as he wanted." (26:34, Dan)

• Loveland as Emerging Target:
  Rookie TE Colston Loveland is singled out for stepping up as a reliable option.

  "Colston Loveland, I think developed...right now is as far as a target that you can depend on..." (27:47, Dan)

Hall of Fame Coaching Carousel

• NFL Coaching Openings – Who Wants What?
  The hosts rattle off open jobs (Steelers, Browns, Bills, Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders) and debate their desirability, often with comic cynicism about certain franchises (Jets, Cardinals, Raiders).

  "If Mike McCarthy is on your list for any of them, what the fuck are you doing?" (36:28, Dan)

• Ben Johnson Defended:
  Both push back at Bears fans calling to fire Ben Johnson after the playoff loss, urging patience and perspective.

  "If you're done with Ben Johnson, then just go away. Seriously, go away..." (06:39, Matt)

• Turnover is Inevitable:
  As the Bears improve, coaches get poached (e.g., Eric Bieniemy to KC), which is depicted as both a challenge and a mark of success.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fan Exhaustion

  "I'll be honest with you, dude. I just, like, I totally get that this week… I'm just like, I need a breather." (11:57, Matt)
  "It's not a bad feeling of exhaustion, but it is mentally draining to be a fan of this team." (12:38, Dan)

• Stafford Stat Gut Punch

  "Now that stat is 1-99-1." (14:21, Matt)
  "Damn it… Now you're making it worse." (14:28, Dan, in disbelief over the historical stat)

• Matt’s Early 2026 Prediction

  "13 and 4, my friends. Chicago Bears, 13 and 4." (16:32, Matt – tongue-in-cheek, hopeful prediction for next season)

• Questioning NFL Hiring trends

  "What does [John Harbaugh] do?… It means that his hires are as important as his own hire." (30:02, Dan)

• On Losing Coaches as Teams Succeed

  "When as the offense gets good, you're going to start losing coaches." (28:27, Dan)

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Important Timestamps

• Processing a wild Bears season: 00:52 – 02:56
• Bears offense and Techmo Bowl throw: 03:02 – 03:35
• Momentum myth and Ben Johnson excitement: 04:34 – 06:12
• Bears-Rams Irony and stats recap: 06:36 – 09:32
• Point differential and exhaustion: 10:08 – 12:38
• Endgame miscommunication (DJ Moore audio): 17:47 – 21:51
• Rome Odunze’s struggles and Loveland’s upside: 24:08 – 28:01
• NFL coaching carousel and job talk: 28:27 – 45:00
• Classic podcast banter (sidetracks on names, trivia, etc.): 45:00 – end

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Tone & Style

The episode is high-energy and emotionally raw, blending deep football analysis with the hosts’ unique Chicago humor, sarcasm, and a clear sense of football lifer exhaustion and hope.

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Summary Takeaway

While the Bears’ playoff run ended in heartbreak—laden with wild statistical footnotes and a sense of “what could have been”—both Dan and Matt leave fans feeling optimistic about the foundational changes under Williams and Johnson. They’re eager for what comes next, but they don’t shy away from heartbreak, hard truths, or the realities of NFL’s brutal, ever-spinning coaching carousel.

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For diehards and newer fans alike, this episode is a quintessential ride through the highs and lows of being a Bears fan in 2026, packed with laughter, groans, data, and dreams of future Sundays.

Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking forward Progress. Come on. 10. 219. 219.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward progress a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abaticola on 312 sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

We give you forward progress here on 312 sports. And you have it. Right now. It is a Chicago Bears podcast. The Bears season is over and we're processing it. We're continuing to understand what it is that that all was. And I ran into a couple people yesterday who were sort of sharing their thoughts on removing ourselves from this intense Bears experience and the idea of the intensity of it and how palpable this was and what it asked of us as fans. Multiple seasons worth of exciting games and ridiculous throws and outcomes, and some of the thoughts being as we get a little further removed from it, it's only gonna continue to grow in this sense of what did we just live through, what was all that and just how much was packed in to not just the season, but the last few games, the last few weeks.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was just such a fun season to experience, to enjoy as a Chicago Bears fan. And for the first time in my life, we have an offense that we can count on, you know, and it was, it was the offense that was all right, I know they're going to drive down field, they're going to get a field goal, they're going to get the touchdown that's needed. And the dramatic fashion in which they did it behind Caleb Williams, leadership on the field was just icing on the cake. It was just the extra point of seeing that that dude develop and grow into one of the most dynamic, exciting quarterbacks in the NFL, if not the most dynamic, exciting quarterback in the NFL this year. But it's the first time in my life where I can say I trust the offense to do something. It's always been the defense. The defense will get a stop, maybe the defense will get a turnover, maybe the defense will get a pick six or a forced Fumble. They pick up and run back for a touchdown. The defense is going to come through for me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. The irony being in this last particular game the defense isn't what let you down.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's exactly what I was going to say. That's what the irony was in this final Rams game, that the defense played spectacular and it was some miscommunications or lazy routes or drop balls interceptions that led to the offense letting you down. As a Bears fan, despite the fact Caleb Williams made the most dynamic play of any quarterback this year in that 45 yard throw, Cole Comet wide open in the back of the end zone.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was a 14 yard throw that he turned into a half field throw. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just insane. Yes, insane. And the thing, the videos I've seen online yesterday of turning that play into a Tech mobile play. It's exactly what it is. Oh dude. It's quarterback runs backwards as far as you can in Techmo bowl and you, you just throw it. It didn't matter how far back you ran in tackle bowl, you're going to throw the ball all the way to that receiver who's in the corner of the end zone. So it was really cool just to see that. And people posted it multiple times. It's like I recognize a technical play when I see it and then you see Caleb Williams doing his thing. But. But for the first time to have an offense you can count on and an offensive coach and coordinator that you can count on, it's really exciting to see what this can develop into. And I know we've talked about this a lot. We talked about it yesterday and the Bears have said it themselves. Caleb Williams said it, Cole Comet said it. Ben Johnson said it. That seasons don't build momentum for each other. They just don't. Because the team will look different next year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Being good at roster do the like Vin Scully used to say, momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Momentum is. Ben Johnson is your coach and Caleb Williams is your quarterback. Yeah, but the guys in front of him should be the same next year.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. But you can't build momentum from season to season. Just ask the Chiefs, ask the Lions. That just doesn't happen that way. But when you are very good and you have a talented roster, you have a chance of being there more often than not. The point being the Bears all said that themselves. I know some, some listeners emailed and commented on it that, that you really can build on it now. Individual experiences. Yes. The experience that Caleb Williams got this year is going to benefit Caleb Williams, the quarterback for next year. And having Ben and Caleb together is going to be a positive for them moving forward next year to develop and grow the offense more. But as a team structure, it doesn't build momentum from season to season. All of that being said, the future is very bright. I'm very excited. I cannot wait. And the season just ended, and I already can't wait for the Bear season to start, which really sucks because it's a long ways away and I haven't had that feeling in fucking forever. But remember since I was a kid.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was a calendar year ago that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Ben Johnson was even higher, that he was here. Right?

[Dan Bernstein]

And a lot of this excitement started, and we carried that whole feeling and all of it from that very first day from when we first got the news that from the usual channels that the Bears were hiring Ben Johnson. If we take how we felt there, after a year, it's only grown.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's only grown, Dane. But you took that from January into the start of the season in September with that loss to the Vikings, and then you killed by the Lions, and it's like. And I questioned Ben Johnson.

[Dan Bernstein]

We.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think we. You know, we all did. We all questioned Ben Johnson, and we'll continue to.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know he's not above being questioned.

[Matt Abaticola]

But the fact that I saw people turn on Ben Johnson after that loss was really. Was really awful.

[Dan Bernstein]

I saw people. You mean this loss?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Oh, yeah. The Rams loss.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's a lot of that out there. This guy sucks.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm done with this guy. He'll be gone. You're insane. And then you're just. You're unable to process your feelings and say, I'm really sad and disappointed that the Bears lost this game and the season's over and you're turning it into. Ben Johnson needs to go. Ben Johnson didn't do a great job calling that game. And there was other stretches of games where he didn't do very good job. He knows that. He's admitted to that. He's even said that there were times where Caleb bailed his ass out with some of his bad calls. Great. He'll get better at that. I'm not concerned. If you're done with Ben Johnson, then just go away. Seriously, go away until he's no longer here. Do not enjoy anything that happens. Positive moving forward. Seriously, just don't. A couple of things I want to. I want to wrap up for you here on. On this Rams and Bears game. I don't know if you saw these stats, but I saw these things, and it makes me sick. But I got to share them with you, Dan. Okay. Rams their first playoff win in below freezing temperatures since 2000. 26 years. 4 times in the playoffs. Saw these online yesterday. That a team has scored a touchdown to force overtime in the final 30 seconds of regulations. It's happened of regulation. Happened four times. The Bears being the fourth time score touchdown in the final 30 seconds to force overtime. All four teams owing four in overtime.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was Dave Craig to Steve Largent. So you have Seahawks, Drew Brees, Antonio Gates, Aaron Rodgers to Janice with Tim. Janice. No wide receiver.

[Dan Bernstein]

J A N is J A N.

[Matt Abaticola]

What's his first name?

[Dan Bernstein]

Jim. Not Jim.

[Matt Abaticola]

Whatever it is. And then the fourth time was Caleb Williams. The Colby. So all four teams, they force overtime scoring in the final 30 seconds and then they end up losing. This one is the one that got me though because we talk about what the defense did and how the defense showed up and we heard Sean McVeigh talking to Dennis Allen. You heard the real quick. I don't know if you heard that. Hell of a job. You guys did a hell of a job. You kicked my ass. I mean did a great job. Defense was awesome. On Sunday, Matthew Stafford went 20 of 42 and threw zero touchdowns. So when a starting quarterback on the road in the playoffs, Dan completes less than 50% of their passes and throws zero touchdowns going into that game Sunday, they were 0, 99 and 1.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Matt Abaticola]

So that Matthew Stafford is the first quarterback in NFL playoff history to win a road game that he started completing less than half of his passes and not throwing any touchdowns.

[Dan Bernstein]

It makes sense when you put it that way.

[Matt Abaticola]

Doesn't that suck balls?

[Dan Bernstein]

It makes. It does make it a little worse. Oh, to be that team. Because your. Your vaunted offense wasn't good enough and.

[Matt Abaticola]

0.99And 1 going into that game.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's a great catch.

[Matt Abaticola]

Whoever.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Where I saw this online.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know what? I also here's. While we're doing crazy stats, this was sent in by Robert who was listening. He says thinking back, Matt, to when you mentioned the Bears never had a single offensive snap against Green Bay with the lead.

[Matt Abaticola]

Correct? Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Said I thought about the last five games of the season, including playoffs. They didn't have a single offensive snap with the lead in any of their final five games. Is that right?

[Matt Abaticola]

Packers, Lions, Browns. Yeah, they did. They obviously in the Browns.

[Dan Bernstein]

One, two, three. Niners.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, Niners. Yes. Yeah. No, he's not wrong.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's exactly right.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was Niners.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's exactly correct. So it wasn't since December 14th.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here's the other thing. Do you want to know, in the last five games, do you know what they're. We spent all this season talking about point differential and we kept looking at that and saying, well, this is where they really should be. This is what their point differential says. Looking at that loose correlation of point differential.

[Matt Abaticola]

So the last five, including the playoffs last.

[Dan Bernstein]

What do you think their point. Don't. Don't calculate it just off the top.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, no, I'm not.

[Dan Bernstein]

What do you think the point differential was?

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll just take a guess with the score. It's got to. I'm going to go. I'll give. Give me a 10 point range of negative 5 to 5. Was it 00? Was it really Z row?

[Dan Bernstein]

Their point differential? Nada.

[Matt Abaticola]

So the final three regular season, the two playoff games, their point differential was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Zero, according to this emailer. And the other reason I really liked these thoughts was the way he summed this up was a way I hadn't quite thought about it. Said, I don't know about you guys as a fan, I'm ready to relax after this past month. Yeah, I'll, you know, like, I get it.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I'll be honest with you, dude. I just, like, I totally get that this week of like putting shows together. I'm just like, I need a breather. I really do. I mean, that was as emotionally exhilarating and exhausting as a season has ever been in my fucking life.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. And I ran into a guy in the lobby who said, who mentioned to me, he said we had multiple seasons worth of moments in one season. Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because they were in games.

[Dan Bernstein]

Multiple seasons worth of moments.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like, dude, I expressed more emotional outbursts in one packers game than I did all of last season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. We're all exhausted. I think it's not a bad feeling of exhaustion, but it is mentally draining to be a fan of this team.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's why sometimes it was difficult to be able to communicate clearly in our post game shows.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tried.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because there was either a lot of anger or just like emotional exhaustion. And that's why I'm glad. It was just fun. It was just. I mean, post game shows on Ford Progress were just a lot of fun.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And will continue to be. Yeah. Because forward progress is fun. This is all fun.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like, what a season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Yeah. But it was exhausting.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was exhausting in a good way.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which is why yesterday, who was it when we were. I showed you the. Somebody in the comments mentioned when you were talking about the offense being like the really, really, really good Ramen broth and say no matter what you pour it over, it's probably gonna taste fine to be good enough. And somebody said we forgot to add Rich Ramen to our team.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Rich Robin sound like a player, though? He sounds like either in like the contract guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Definitely. Numbers guy. Rich Rahman sounds like a numbers guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he does. Like he'll be. He would be somewhere. An offshoot of the personnel department. The cap guy. Rich Rahman.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep. But yeah. Just one more time. Matthew Stafford. Less than 50% completion, zero touchdowns. Road start, first win ever. 0, 99 and 1.

[Dan Bernstein]

Damn it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Now that stat is 199 and 1.

[Dan Bernstein]

God.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that's. Oh, it was there. It was there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now you're making it worse.

[Matt Abaticola]

The taking.

[Dan Bernstein]

Somehow that makes it worse.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, well, it does make it worse. I felt worse. Oh, you had to feel worse.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thanks a lot.

[Matt Abaticola]

I had to share it with you.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, well, as long as we're doing that then I have saved this list because I keep looking at it and it's a first place schedule for the Bears next year. I keep saying, if you missed it when we first did this, when this came out a couple of weeks ago at the end of the regular season, we know that outside of Packers, Vikings, Lions, home and away, those are six games that they are. Those are the divisional games. Unchanging Packers, Vikings, Lions, home and away. The other teams the Bears play at home. Jets, Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, all right, all right, all right. So we know we have the six divisional games. Let's just, let's do. Let's do this. All right, give me those home teams again. I'm going to give you the Bears. Win, loss.

[Dan Bernstein]

The home opponents.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jets. Okay. Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, give me the road.

[Dan Bernstein]

The road outside of the divisionals. Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, so what does that give us here? 1, 2, 3. 13 and four, my friends.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, stop it.

[Matt Abaticola]

13 and four going 13 and bears are going 13 and four. Next year you're going to get two.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nobody's going to forget this now that you've said it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Two divisional losses. I'm going to give them four and two on the year. And they lose at Buffalo and lose at Seattle.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, so at home they beat that entire non divisional schedule.

[Matt Abaticola]

They do at home. Yes, absolutely. All right, 13 and 4, my friends.

[Dan Bernstein]

I wrote it down.

[Matt Abaticola]

Chicago Bears, 13 and 4.

[Dan Bernstein]

People aren't going to know that you're being tongue in cheek.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm not being tongue in cheek. The Bears are going to go 13 and 4. Looking at me, like, win the super bowl this next year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. All right. I'm trying to cover for you a little bit. I'm trying to run a little interference here just to give you an opportunity. Are you actually okay? Go ahead. You're a grown man.

[Matt Abaticola]

13 and 4.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't need to protect you from your.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what we're doing.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's not my job.

[Matt Abaticola]

13 and 4. Okay, at me all you want.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm not asking you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Telling them right here, telling them right there.

[Dan Bernstein]

I can say it to your face. I'll.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll take the under and listen. When The Bears go 13 and four, the guys who wanted Ben Johnson fired or said he's a bum, do not watch. Do not watch. Do not enjoy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do we have over unders on wins for next year yet?

[Matt Abaticola]

Not yet, no. Okay. Not yet. That's too soon. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because. But I'm going to set it at 12 and a half.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's going to be lower than that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, of course. Going to be lower than that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think it's going to be nine and a half.

[Matt Abaticola]

That sounds about right.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's what I think the initial number is going to be. It'll be nine and a half.

[Matt Abaticola]

I want to play one audio clip for you from the Bears starting quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's asked a couple questions about that final interception. Gail, if you had a chance to talk to D.J.

[DJ Moore]

Just talk through what happened last play.

We haven't we. All the stuff this morning, you know, everybody's been in different places with the Eggsy meetings and all these different things, but definitely something that, you know, we'll discuss. But also, you know, we'll discuss with all the other wide receivers coming up in, you know, the future of next year, being able to just get on the same page in those moments. And it's, you know, small things like that that show up in those moments that, you know, you may not have talked about, but being on the same page or talking about it, you know, maybe week one or it shows up in week, you know, week. Week 18 or whatever week we're in. And so, you know, you know, it's. It's something that. To learn from for myself, a learning experience. It's something for us to learn from as an offense and as a team. And we'll go. We'll go do that at some point.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's a lot of people critical of.

[DJ Moore]

DJ for that route out on the outside.

[Dan Bernstein]

What would you say to that from your perspective?

[DJ Moore]

Yeah, like I said, it was just a miscommunication, you know, trying to just flatten him off under safety. And since the other safety was down, felt like we had enough space over there, so I tried to flatten him off and just a miscommunication. You know, his route is, you know, to go deep and attack that angle, which he did. And you know, and you know, we thought we were going to go under the safety at that point and you know, it didn't, it didn't happen that way.

[Dan Bernstein]

We thought we were going to go.

[Matt Abaticola]

Under the safety and it didn't happen that way.

[Dan Bernstein]

Again, as I mentioned specifically the miscommunicate, it is possible that that's all true. None of that explains not running.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, none of it. There's nothing else to say outside of that. That if there was a miscommunication, fine. Why in week number 19, your 19th game, why are you not at this point with a veteran wide receiver on the same page still? I just don't understand.

[Dan Bernstein]

And why didn't that receiver speak to the media afterward?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I don't, I don't get that either. Unless he wasn't in any kind of physical shape to do it.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know if there's an injury reason, if there is a, you know, getting treatment, something like that, but that's one where you got to be there.

[Matt Abaticola]

The fact that he didn't run that route out is the issue now. That's not why they lost the game. They didn't lose now. Yeah, obviously it was the interception that gave the game winning drive, but there were a lot of other markers in that game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Couldn't pick up in a first down, right.

[Matt Abaticola]

And there was too many drops, too many drops. And the defensive line, the offensive line got beat time and time again, particularly in the middle.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dahlman didn't have his best game.

[Matt Abaticola]

He had probably his worst game of the season outside of bad snapshot. But he was getting beat every time, if not every time, most every snap.

[Dan Bernstein]

We certainly wasn't actively winning when a victory was just a stalemate. That's a rough day.

[Matt Abaticola]

But it makes sense though. I've seen a lot of that, that play run over in all 22s and have different quarterbacks and former players talk about it different shows guys is doing their own thing online. But you'll never be able to like. I'll never be able to understand why D.J. wasn't running. But when you look at how curl caught that interception, diving to keep the ball just above the ground. If DJ does flatten that route out, he's catching it in stride. He doesn't have to die for it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, that's what Ben Johnson said when he said, well, I couldn't really see it, but I knew when I saw the safety and I thought we had something there.

[Matt Abaticola]

He said there was grass there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And there was nothing but grass there.

[Dan Bernstein]

He knew. He knew. Everybody knew.

[Matt Abaticola]

And so you could say that it was a bad throw, but I don't think it was a bad throw. I've watched it a number of times. I don't think it was a bad throw. And if DJ Runs and goes underneath the safety, I mean, remember what this is, what Caleb just said.

[DJ Moore]

You know, and you know, we thought we were going to go under the safety at that point. And, you know, it didn't, it didn't happen that way.

[Matt Abaticola]

If he goes under the safety, that's a catch and stride. That's. He doesn't have to dive if he's two or three yards in front of where Curl was.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that may be evidence of the miscommunication.

[Matt Abaticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which is again, all right. Even accepting all that, why were you not running, stipulating to all of that and say, okay, well, that explains it. But even after that, when the ball.

[Matt Abaticola]

Was in the air, why are you not making an effort for it?

[Dan Bernstein]

However, it was released, wherever you were, wherever Caleb thought you were going to be, then what?

[Matt Abaticola]

Right? Why were you not running? Why were you not trying for the ball, made zero effort, literally slowed up and watched, watched the play happen, watch the season come to a close? Why? And I also, I want to know why, at this point in the season, are they not on the same page? I just don't get it. It's a deep dig route. Why are you not on the same page on a route that you run all season long? Not just, you know, DJ Moore, but other wide receivers, why are we not on the same page still? And it was nothing but wide open grass.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, it's. Don't let it haunt you. Don't let that memory.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, it'll fade in a day or two, but it's still, it's still there.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know it's there for me too, but I'm trying to have a little control over what pops into my mind now that I'm. I have some tools to help me do that a little bit better.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And just make. Is there, you know, when you are. When you have something that sort of lives rent free there, let, you know, find. Find other things to think about.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I just, I just need some time. Couple of days. It'll go away.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I get you want to talk.

[Matt Abaticola]

About Roma Dunes A too. I was trying to find our. Our numbers from earlier in the year about Rome, and I couldn't. I can't remember what episode that was on, and I can't find my notes anywhere. But I think I had him at thousand yards, maybe 12, 12 touchdowns, which looked pretty doable after the first four games when he had five. But he finished the season. It feels like a long time ago.

[Dan Bernstein]

That we're talking about that, and it also feels like yesterday.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it does. It does feel like both, but he played 12 games, only had 44 receptions on 90 targets, six touchdowns, 661 yards. He knows it wasn't a good enough season. I know the injury kept him out, but Rome knows it wasn't the season that he wanted to or needed to have.

[Dan Bernstein]

He only had two official drops, per Pro Football Reference. Okay. It felt like there were more.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'd like to know how they define a drop.

[Dan Bernstein]

Then. I would, too, because he. He was only listed with two because.

[Matt Abaticola]

He had a pretty big one on Sunday.

[Dan Bernstein]

But that wasn't a regular season. This is only regular season.

[Matt Abaticola]

So two regular season drops. All right. Well, just looking at his numbers, too, he had. If you. If you take the top 50 wide receivers in the game, Dan, based on the number of targets, okay. He is number 49 with 90 targets. The 50th wide receiver had 89 targets. If you take the top 50 based on the number of targets, he was 45th of those 50 in success rate. And that's too low. That's too low. But it's also consistent with what he was last year. 101 targets, 54 catches, a 45.5% success rate, which is just slightly above what he was now for this season. So consistent in the two years, but not good enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, especially for a top 10 pick. Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

His catching percentage was 54. 53% last year, 49% this year. It's still too low. Still too low for a top 10 pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

He also said he is not going to need surgery on his foot, which surprised me.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's good. It is good.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, it is good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Really good sign.

[Matt Abaticola]

It is good. And obviously the rest was very beneficial and helpful in that endeavor to not or to avoid surgery, which is a great thing. This is Roma dunesday. This was yesterday after exit meetings and some players were available in the locker room.

[DJ Moore]

I think the biggest thing was just obviously making the plays that come to me, making the most of my opportunities. I feel like this season. I had way too many opportunities I left out there on the field. And you know that that's never been the player I feel like I've ever been in my career. So just capitalizing on those opportunities. But you know, I got to go into the offseason and put in the works to be able to do those things.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I think that's not just drops. That could be things that he knows about or that he and his coaches know about. When it came to assignments or splits or routes and that timing and all of that communication. There's. There's a lot to it. And the good news is that there is, there's a. The fact that there is that much room for growth, that the offense was this good with somebody as talented as Rome Adunze not being available and as anybody wanted and not playing as well as he wanted.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And I just wonder from a health standpoint how he was with the way he started five touchdowns the first four games and then he. I think he had maybe two more significant games, maybe the Ravens and the Giants game. Whichever one it was, he had all those targets after his. His father complained. Then he came out and I think he had 10 targets in one game. But outside of that, he wasn't really productive. And I just wonder how much this foot was bothering him when it really started to bother him, how it impacted his play. Obviously only playing 12 games, missing five for the season. But it's going to have to step up next year. It's going to have to like we can't have another.

[Dan Bernstein]

They didn't have a number one receiver.

[Matt Abaticola]

They didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Colston Loveland, I think developed and became right now is as far as a.

[Matt Abaticola]

As far as a. A target that you can depend on and develop that relationship. From a quarterback standpoint, he was the number one receiver.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, it's also because Loveland is everywhere.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where Rome as a. As a primary ex receiver is going to have more of a limited effect. Yeah. And a lot of the stuff he's going to be running is clear outs for the people underneath and hopefully we.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can hit more of those next year and get more production out of him. And we'll see how he develops too as a. As a third year guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. And we'll see if. In fact, you know, and let's see what coaches are here too. You know, talking to Antoine Randall at some point he's going to be. He's going to want a promotion. And the good news is when as the offense gets good, you're going to start Losing coaches. Right. And I think they're already losing one.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right in Eric B.

[Dan Bernstein]

Enemy and running backs coach Eric B. Enemy. It appears he is going right now. I don't think it's official yet, but all signs point to him taking the job as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs under Andy Reid. Because Matt Nagy's contract expired and he's not coming back.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep. So there does not bring him back. So they replace him with Eric B. Enemy. Matt Nagy loses out on the Titans job and that is Robert Sala goes to the Titans, a defensive guy with a going in to be a second year quarterback. Interesting move. Jeff Halfley goes to Miami, a defensive guy with a struggling quarterback position as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm still, I'm still interested in how you come to the decision that a defensive guy. Maybe this just wasn't a year. Maybe you didn't have your Kubiax and Bobby Slow X and you know there's a guy who you strike with the iron's hot.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

When your name is out there, you go grab that money and grab that job when you can. But to see two defensive guys and then once again, I find the John Harbaugh hiring really interesting because I asked this question, not to be glib, what does he do?

[Matt Abaticola]

He's a very good CEO.

[Dan Bernstein]

Perfect.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brings about a culture. Executive coach, runs a real football program. But yes. And he has guys beneath him that do the work.

[Dan Bernstein]

Executive coach. I'm sure he does work.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh yeah, of course.

[Dan Bernstein]

And by all means he's. He's a good coach. But I just wonder when that game starts or when you're planning for like the actual tactics of what you're doing. What does he do? And it means that his hires are as important as his own hire.

[Matt Abaticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Offensive coordinator. The Chiefs we know doesn't mean anything because you know who's running the offense.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

And coordinators may ask the Lions. Say anything at the time and we all thought it would, you know, they'd all figure it out. But I don't know what they're saying internally about the difference it made to have Dan Campbell have to step in, fire the offensive core or demote the offensive coordinator from play calling duties, take over the play calling duties himself and.

[Matt Abaticola]

Then fire the guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

And fire the guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

And now they bring in Drew Pensing.

[Dan Bernstein]

From Drew Petzing from Arizona.

[Matt Abaticola]

Arizona.

[DJ Moore]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whose name was bandied about a bit at this time last year and he got interviews last year and it was a guy who made it might have been hindered by quarterback issues there. We'll see.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know if Drew Petzing can distinguish himself, but we shall see.

[Matt Abaticola]

You know, I was driving in today on my hour 45. It was a bad one today. Yeah, it was real bad. I. I was listening to our buddies, Cap and Hood. I love both those guys. I do. And I heard them mention Mike McCarthy as the, like, the main. The number one candidate for the Steelers job. Have you seen that anywhere?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, either. And I. I'm not sure where they heard that from or.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why would you do that?

[Matt Abaticola]

I have no idea why you'd bring in Mike McCarthy.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, help me out here. There's McCarthy, McDaniels.

[Matt Abaticola]

Paul McCartney was with the Beatles.

[Dan Bernstein]

McConnell, Connell. Seattle's McDonald.

[Matt Abaticola]

But he's a Mac.

[Dan Bernstein]

It doesn't matter.

[Matt Abaticola]

Not an Mc.

[Dan Bernstein]

McDaniel. McConnell, McCarthy.

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean, he could be a great DJ, I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

But he's a McDonald. It just after a while, just kind of make sure everything's straight in my head. And also while we're. Did you know.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then. Oh, wait, then there's. Josh is still around.

[Dan Bernstein]

Josh McDaniels.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, that's true. There's a Mike McDaniel and Josh McDaniels.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, he's still there. Where's he? He's back at the painting. New England, Right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he is. That's right. Good call. Did you know that Indiana University's offensive coordinator is Mike Shanahan, Unrelated to the other Shanahans?

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, he's not a Shanahan.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not a Shanahan. I saw you like, this is typical Mike Shanahan stuff. And I went, no, it isn't. That's not. Like I was. Herb street said something last night about my, like, that's not Mike Shanahan stuff. What are you talking. And I looked it up. Like, he's not related to the other Mike Shanahan or Kyle or any of the other, but his Mike Shanahan.

[Matt Abaticola]

But he's not the Mike Shanahan. No, I think that he was the Mike Shanahan. I was like, how do I miss that?

[Dan Bernstein]

No good.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hire it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just like, that's that. That shouldn't be allowed. He should have to change his name to something like. That's the one good thing about SAG is that actors are forced to do that for good. Coaches should have something like sag, where you have to register your name.

[Matt Abaticola]

So, like, this guy would have to be like Mike S. Shanahan.

[Dan Bernstein]

Exactly, Exactly. Michael B. Jordan. There are there. You have to do these things. Because there are other people. There are a lot of people with the same names. That would be awesome in sports if you had to have the equivalent of a SAG card.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Nikki Glaser stuff at the Golden Globes. Her opening monologue, when she mentioned. When she talked about Michael B. Jordan.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know what? I came home. Beth said it was bad. She said her monologue was bad.

[Matt Abaticola]

I thought it was funny. She had some funny. That was the most entertaining part of the entire show. But anyway, you didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. But I know you remember what you're going to get back to because I have to tell you this.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're looking for 15 minutes of absolute gold, go to YouTube and look up Norm MacDonald. In 2016, Norm MacDonald hosted the Canadian Screen Awards, which are like Canada's Oscars. Yeah. And it's a supercut of just his hosting. You don't see any of the awards. It's just Norm's time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, I bet it's great.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, my God. And a lot of it's, like, in jokes, like, Canadian. It almost looks like it could have come from SCTV back in the day, but it's real and it was Norm.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is it something I need to see, like, visually see, or can I just listen to it?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, absolutely, you can listen to it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. I'll do it on the way home.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just listen to Norm. Look it up. I think it's 17 minutes and it's Norm MacDonald hosting the Canadian Screen Awards.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's great. All right. So did you have another point that we were talking about?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I was the head coaches. Where are we at here? Still? So we're still at. So the Steelers, the Browns, the Bills, the Cardinals. Cardinals. Who else has a job opening?

[Dan Bernstein]

Steelers. So there were 10, right?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

We filled Giants and Titans, Falcons, Falcons, Titans.

[Matt Abaticola]

And Miami got filled.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dolphins.

[Matt Abaticola]

So who else is it? Steelers, Browns, Bills, Cardinals, Ravens. Ravens is open.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

There's one more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Cardinals, Ravens. And somebody should be Green Bay, but it's not. You're pretty strident on that one, too.

[Matt Abaticola]

I really thought they were going to let him go.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I liked it, though. Your certainty made it fun. Yeah, there's. But I'm not this. I didn't think a quarter of the league would turn over. I really did. And the whole Pittsburgh, Baltimore thing is just Vegas. Oh, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Raiders need a coach. All right, so there's six left. Six left. Steelers, Browns, Bills, Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders. And if Mike McCarthy is on your list for any of them. What the fuck are you doing?

[Dan Bernstein]

It is so funny. And one Thing. I'll tell you when you start next year. The very first week of every year, maybe it's the last week of preseason when you go to the defector and you read Drew McGarrett. When he does his weekly, he'll do the fun bag, which is his mailbag, and then he'll do the dick joke Jamboroo on Thursdays before the games with predictions and stuff like that. And one of his ongoing little notes, one of the items is called fire this asshole.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay?

[Dan Bernstein]

And every year when he does his first list of fire this asshole and they track it throughout the entire season and you're like, that guy will never get fired. Although. No, come on, this is crazy. Everybody ends up fired every year. Although some people will appear on the list and get off list, but by the time they get into like 10 games in, everybody on the list is fired.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, I'm going to save this note here at my desk. Let's do this real quick. So there was 10 openings.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Four are filled, six are unfilled. We know who the four are, obviously.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Give me the team that you think is most likely to fire their first year head coach. Oh, who's most likely to fire their first. Their first year head coach. What did. Okay, I'm going to say it won't be John Harbaugh.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't think the Giants will find no too much.

[Matt Abaticola]

Dolphins, Titans, Falcons. I'm going to leave them in the running.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Steelers, I'm going to say no. Bills?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abaticola]

Ravens? No. Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

But a lot of this might just be a one off where it. Where the guy ends up like having sex with a farm animal or something.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's not performance based.

[Dan Bernstein]

Behavior has nothing to do with it. Or it ends up like one of the Eber flu's Bears assistants. Like, we got to get rid of this creep.

[Matt Abaticola]

Why?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, we can't tell you. He just did, you know, sitting behind his desk doing odd things. I still can't believe that happened. The Bears in a season fired two assistant coaches for being perverts and we still don't know the story. Do you realize that one of them.

[Matt Abaticola]

Wasn'T with farm animals, right? No, I don't think so. You just made that up.

[Dan Bernstein]

But they were both. The Bears fired two pervert coaches and we never learned why. We never learned why.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, well, hiring Ben Johnson will cover up a lot of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

It has interest.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Two in the same season. Two of them. Two is two position coaches had to be launched for being perverts. What happened?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

We just asked her to leave. He had to go right away. Bad things. Had to leave. Well, did we ever follow up that story? No, just kind of left it. Was it Alan Williams and Waters was the other guy?

[Matt Abaticola]

I think so. All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's just gone.

[Matt Abaticola]

He left. Here's my order.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. I'm going to.

[Matt Abaticola]

These are. These are my top four. Starting at four. I'm going to go. Cardinals, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders. As most likely to fire their first year.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like it. I like it. I think that shows good football sense.

[Matt Abaticola]

Congratulations.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the jets should have done it this year.

[Matt Abaticola]

And the jets should have done it this year. Yes, you're exactly right. I have no idea. They finished with zero interceptions as a team.

[Dan Bernstein]

And he's a defensive guy who had interceptions. And he was also acting a fool too often.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Running around the sidelines saying a bunch of weird stuff. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

With the Raiders ownership and then you throw Tom Brady in the mix.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why would you ever work for the Jets? Why would you?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that's a.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's where you got like two 18 year old kids that are running that team. Woody Johnson's grandkids.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's a good, good gig if you can get it as the grandkid.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Brick and stick.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brick and stick.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's right.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brick and Stick Johnson.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. They're running the team. You are subject to the whims of the. Of brick and stick.

[Matt Abaticola]

They've made decisions like while going through the Taco Bell drive thru and Mitch.

[Dan Bernstein]

Trubisky was ordering for them.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, don't throw poor Mitch in there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, no, he was just ordering.

[Matt Abaticola]

My God. All right, so all those, those jobs that are left open. Yeah, I guess. I guess. Really the most desirable one would be the Steelers. I mean, probably because of ownership and.

[Dan Bernstein]

The history says you'll be there until you die.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. The kid McCarthy's got to be in his 60s. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not going to be there, you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Know, over the next 20 seasons.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why not? How about. How about our guy Marv? Marv's still going. Marv's 100.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is he a hundred?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he was hanging out at the Wiener Circle this year.

[Matt Abaticola]

Buffalo should give him a buzz, Marv.

[Dan Bernstein]

They probably do. We tried.

[Matt Abaticola]

You interested in coming back?

[Dan Bernstein]

We tried to get him on the show. We were talking about Marv.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was dating somebody, wasn't he?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know about recently, but I mean, I don't know about dating either, but I know he was out there. He was rouge yet ready, putting himself out there. That's Marv Damn, Levy, man. But no, he called it like we were talking about something. And later he called. He's like, this is Marv Levy. I heard somebody was talking about me.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, Jesus. Hope he doesn't call here.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it wasn't bad. It's like he was gonna come out and talk about something.

[Matt Abaticola]

Kick our asses.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, he would, too. And I guess somebody. He was sitting at a wiener circle over the summer.

[Matt Abaticola]

Was he really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he was out one of the picnic tables outside. It was the middle of the day. And my buddy sent me a photo, and apparently he was recognized. And they brought a bottle of water out to him.

[Matt Abaticola]

He threw it at him.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he said, if that's not vodka, I got no use for it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Seriously. All right, Marv Marvin.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I guess the Steelers would be the most desirable one left, right? I think Bill's. Bill's given the roster, maybe.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but you got to live there.

[Matt Abaticola]

A new stadium coming up though, right? Is that opening next year or is that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've spent enough time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, you don't have to live there. I mean, you just.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can't work from home. Oh, you can't? No.

[Matt Abaticola]

As a coach.

[Dan Bernstein]

Shit, that would be nice, wouldn't it?

[Matt Abaticola]

That's why I could never become an NFL coach. That would be the reason why.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's it. Yeah. Yeah. That and you would wear the polo shirt with the jersey over it and tucked into your jeans.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, no, they wouldn't allow that. I'd get a phone call from George, be like, hey, we haven't seen. You're on Hallis hall in a couple of weeks.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, no, no.

[Matt Abaticola]

I've been on Zoom Calls. We're good. Yeah, I just. I. I have a website. Got a camera out on the field watching practices. I got kids stuff to do. George, I don't have time for that.

[Dan Bernstein]

He'd understand that. George's a family man.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's an official, too, isn't he? Referee.

[Dan Bernstein]

Youth sports umpire to get him to.

[Matt Abaticola]

Do some of my game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Soccer referee. I've seen the way your sideline goes after referees.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, you were impressed with my sideline?

[Dan Bernstein]

I was actually.

[Matt Abaticola]

Steelers, Browns, Bills, Cards, Ravens. Raiders. Yeah, Raiders. I would never touch Cardinals. Nice weather.

[Dan Bernstein]

Actually, Ravens is supposed to be a good gig because Steve Bishotti really is not involved at all.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, is he's hands off.

[Dan Bernstein]

He apparently doesn't bother you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or maybe that was only for Harbaugh, though. It's been 18 years.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's true.

[Dan Bernstein]

So maybe.

[Matt Abaticola]

Maybe he's.

[Dan Bernstein]

He wants to Start micromanaging now and looking over the shoulder of a young whippersnapper.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know. I hope Jeff Halfley likes that ownership involved.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he'll get a lot of that. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Browns.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. No, no. You don't want to work for Jimmy Haslam.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Raiders would be last, Brown second. Yeah, Cardinals. Maybe just for the weather, I would take Cardinals job.

[Dan Bernstein]

Too hot.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, I can never be too hot.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it can.

[Matt Abaticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it can.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can never be too hot.

[Dan Bernstein]

Talk to people who live there.

[Matt Abaticola]

It can never be too hot.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not for me. It's too hot to golf there.

[Matt Abaticola]

It can never be too hot for me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Too hot in Tucson, let alone Phoenix. It. What do you mean?

[Matt Abaticola]

You make it as hot as you want, I'm there for it. I hate this weather.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I don't mind this weather.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, it's terrible.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I know.

[Matt Abaticola]

I got.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Cold just hurts her a little bit.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's supposed to be more snow up by me than tonight overnight.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, it's because you live in Green Bay.

[Matt Abaticola]

You know, I'm the number one podcaster in Green Bay. I bet they love me there.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm telling you, the other. The. The other podcast there is actually hosted by Fish and not members of Fish.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. It's not the band.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's actual fish. And they, you know, it's by Fish. And it's for Fish, too.

[Matt Abaticola]

By Fish. For Fish. That's the slogan.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They got all kinds of sponsors, you know, like, you know, the sponsor would be worms or, you know, crazies. Shad.

[Matt Abaticola]

Goose.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, that's not good. Fish don't eat geese.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, the band sponsors it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do fish listen to geese or goose?

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, they communicate. It's all outdoor stuff.

[Dan Bernstein]

I get it. Yeah, I get it.

[Matt Abaticola]

So that's what. Yeah, maybe Should.

[Dan Bernstein]

Should we do.

[Matt Abaticola]

Should we do a show, like a podcast on food, or should you do an outdoor podcast?

[Dan Bernstein]

I've been asked about it. I've been asked about sort of doing a Chicago fishing thing.

[Matt Abaticola]

I have to think about that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know, but Chauncey was always the guy. I don't want to. I don't want to, you know, go mowing anybody's lawns here when it comes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, who was our guy that wrote in the Sun Times?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, Dale Bowman. Yeah, Bowman.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was. He was the best. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's retiring and he's on to bigger and better. He and his wife are traveling the world and seeing things and take over. Dale's living his best life.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's a great guy. Too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Absolutely. A doll. Yeah. Just the greatest. Yeah. But, yeah, I think a food pod might be good. I would think about every once in a while doing. Doing something about fishing, having a guest up. But I. But people would ask about where I'm fishing, and I don't want to give away spots.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, but you. Yeah, but you. You mentioned enough of your spots, though. No, you're not. You're not. You talk about them a lot. You do. I tell you, I think you should just.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do, you know, one of them?

[Matt Abaticola]

I think you should just do, like a live stream on the lakefront.

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abaticola]

By Buckingham.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't want to be one of those fountain bass, bro. You should pro.

[Matt Abaticola]

No. We could get your no shirts could be sponsored with logos and I don't want.

[Dan Bernstein]

That would ruin it for me.

[Matt Abaticola]

Flags.

[Dan Bernstein]

My fishing time is mental health time. That is. That is about, you know, just being outside and trying to make. Get my breathing right and, you know, making sure, you know that that's a different. I don't want to turn that into work. No, no, no, no, no.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think you should.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it would ruin everything. That would be like. It's the same thing I feel about competing in crossword. Puzzling and entering. Like, I know a lot of these people who compete. I know where my time stack up. I know where probably, but I don't want to ruin it.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't want to rewind for a second. Competitive crossword puzzles. Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's huge. It's huge. But I. And. But everybody's at. People have asked me, are you going to be in this tournament? Are you going to come? Are you going to. You know.

[Matt Abaticola]

But do you know people that compete in crossword puzzles a lot?

[Dan Bernstein]

Really? Oh, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can we get them out of their house? Maybe get them some little sunshine on them? Maybe interact with the opposite sex?

[Dan Bernstein]

They're all English teachers. They're all professors. They're all writers and English professors and AP high school English teachers. Or there's not all of them.

[Matt Abaticola]

The things I've learned. Competitive crossword puzzles.

[Dan Bernstein]

Huge.

[Matt Abaticola]

You did competitive, like, acting?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Theater speaking stuff?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Individual events, Forensics. You didn't have that in high school. You have a forensics team?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know. I went to class and I went to work and I talked to girls. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, talk to girls.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know about, but I'm telling you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but.

[Matt Abaticola]

But we may have had individual forensic. Like, like. What do you mean? Like forensics?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, it's different. Different.

[Matt Abaticola]

What was that old. What was that TV show? In the 70s and 80s about the forensic.

[Dan Bernstein]

Quincy. Quincy. Great show.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was a great show. Was it like that?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, that's the old joke every year of the yearbook when, you know, forensics people think of the show.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what I think of Quincy. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I don't think of individual competitive acting.

[Dan Bernstein]

Forensics. Forensic medicine comes from testifying, comes from having to speak.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll testify to it.

[Dan Bernstein]

But that's.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's medicine.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's where the term forensic medicine comes from. But individual events and you just, you. You compete in different disciplines.

[Matt Abaticola]

I used to love Quincy. Richard Klugman.

[Dan Bernstein]

Jack Klugman.

[Matt Abaticola]

Jack Klugman. Jack Klugman. Okay, I got the last name. It's impressive.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know his wife was Mrs. Klugman. No.

[Matt Abaticola]

Who?

[Dan Bernstein]

Brett Summers from Match Game.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brad Summers.

[Dan Bernstein]

Brett.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, that's nice.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't know, you know, Brett, who used to sit next to Charles Nelson Riley on Match Game.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And she only got the job. They wanted Jack Klugman to be on the show and was like, you know what? My wife would be better. Try her. And they did. And she was a staple there and a star on that show. Oh, you said Brett Summers.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brett Summers. Not Brad.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, Brett.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Brett Summers sat next to Charles Nelson Riley, and he was. And they were like a married couple. Oh, no. He was what?

[Matt Abaticola]

Too close.

[Dan Bernstein]

There will be no disparagement of Charles Nelson Riley in this show or any show of which I am a part.

[Matt Abaticola]

Too close.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are we clear?

[Matt Abaticola]

Too close.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are we clear?

[Matt Abaticola]

All I'm saying, there's too close. I'm not disparaging anything about Charles Nelson Reilly.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can never get too close.

[Matt Abaticola]

Too close. No, that's all I'm saying. I'm gonna leave it there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay?

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll leave it there for your benefit.

[Dan Bernstein]

There will be too close. There'll be nothing negative said about Charles Nelson.

[Matt Abaticola]

It wasn't negative.

[Dan Bernstein]

I just said when I had my meeting with the Hubbard people. That was one stipulation.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I said, not my content. I said, no matter what we do any podcast anymore, there will be within a certain distance from me. No disparagement of Charles Nelson Reilly.

[Matt Abaticola]

I must have skipped that page. And I'm not saying anything negative about him. All I'm saying is too close.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm sending you back for a recertification. You're going to have like a four hour module that you're going to have to do all about how you must not say bad things.

[Matt Abaticola]

I didn't say one bad thing about him. I just said too close.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, that's it for Forward progress, nominally a Chicago Bears podcast.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward progress has stopped.

[Dan Bernstein]

10, 219, 219.

[Matt Abaticola]

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