Chicago Bears preseason observations, Rome Odunze, and can Ben Johnson be lucky number 14?

Summary

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Forward Progress – Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode Title: Chicago Bears Preseason Observations, Rome Odunze, and Can Ben Johnson Be Lucky Number 14?
Air Date: August 26, 2025
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Dan and Matt dive deep into the state of the Chicago Bears heading into the 2025 NFL season. With the preseason coming to a close and the final roster cuts looming, they lay out their major concerns, questions, and hopes for the Bears—the Caleb Williams redo, the emergence and evaluation of Ben Johnson’s offense, personnel battles (especially left tackle), excitement for Rome Odunze, and the never-ending search for Bears’ stability at head coach. The discussion is a mix of analytic breakdowns and signature Chicago “meatball” fandom, with the hosts toggling between optimism for the Ben Johnson era and frustration with the team's historic futility at quarterback and coaching stability.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Team: Preseason Closing & Roster Cuts

• [02:00-04:20]
  • Both hosts agree there’s little drama with this year’s roster cutdown. Most moves concern largely unknown players.
  • Dan is confident GM Ryan Poles won’t chase other teams’ waiver cuts because of the Bears’ low waiver priority.
  • Quote: “We pretty much know how this roster is going to look… Little drama with cut downs is okay.” — Dan

2. Caleb Williams: Redo Year, Not a Bust Yet

• [05:35-07:52]
  • Dan questions if Caleb Williams is actually improving, noting missed timing and issues under center. He’s worried that a year of development has already been lost, and coach Ben Johnson doesn’t have time to waste.
  • Matt frames this season as a "do over" for Williams, blaming much of last year’s struggles on unstable coaching. Both agree: Williams is still the clear franchise focus.
  • Quote: “I don’t know if Caleb Williams is getting better... But I did not like what I saw against the Chiefs.” — Dan [05:35]
  • Matt: “I’m looking at this season as a do over for Caleb Williams because he actually has an NFL head coach, NFL offensive coordinator… for the first time.” [07:52]

3. Ben Johnson’s Offense: Unknown Ceiling, Real Questions

• [09:19-10:20]
  • Matt’s main curiosity is what Ben Johnson (new head coach and architect of Detroit’s prolific offense) can truly do with Williams.
  • Both express concern about whether Johnson can adapt his scheme to the Bears’ personnel limitations, particularly the offensive line.
  • Quote: “What is Ben Johnson going to be able to do? What is Ben Johnson’s ego going to allow him to do?” — Matt [09:19]

4. Left Tackle and O-Line: Bad Competition, Real Problem

• [10:20-14:46]
  • Dan is firmly negative about the Bears’ left tackle options, declaring, “It is a bad competition. This is not good. It is bad.” [10:20]
  • Braxton Jones remains the only semi-trustworthy option, but his health and pedigree are concerns.
  • If the line forces Johnson to keep tight ends in to block, it limits the offense’s dynamism.
  • Quote: “If you feel that you need to give tight end help in any blocking scheme, then you’re already telling Ben Johnson he can’t have the most dynamic aspect of his offense down the field.” — Dan [12:07]

5. Skill Position Highlights: Tight Ends & Rome Odunze

• [12:22-13:12; 22:19-25:14]
  • Dan is highly optimistic about tight end Colston Loveland’s ability to stretch defenses.
  • Concerns exist with Williams’ ball placement, potentially endangering receivers (especially in seam throws).
  • Rome Odunze is praised for contested catches; the expectation is his role will expand as the offense improves.
  • Projected Odunze stats for the season:
    • Dan: 85 catches, 1,100 yards, 7 TDs [23:59-24:06]
    • Matt: Expects double-digit TDs — “I expect 10… I expect to see more from him this year given this offense.” [24:54]

6. Running Back Room: Uninspiring & Unsettled

• [17:36-19:37]
  • Dan claims no back in the room excites him; remains skeptical about Roschon Johnson and DeAndre Swift’s fit and vision.
  • Swift’s freelance style is at odds with Johnson’s likely structure.
  • Quote: “You gotta run decisively… Too often, Swift went meandering off into the zoo somewhere.” — Dan [18:35]

7. Defense: Scheme Changes, Worry About Depth/Health

• [25:14-27:24]
  • The Dennis Allen defense will be aggressive and man-heavy, but so far hasn’t generated enough pressure up front.
  • Injuries in the secondary (e.g., Jalen Johnson, Kyler Gordon) are emerging concerns.
  • Quote: “If you don’t get Jalen Johnson and Kyler Gordon back, you’re in deep, deep shit.” — Dan [26:26]

8. Bears’ Historic Futility: Quarterbacks & Coaches

• [29:08-36:26]
  • The hosts lament Chicago’s trophy drought, lack of coaching continuity, and the ongoing quarterback carousel.
  • Fun historical detour: Only one Super Bowl win in 59 years frustrates Matt; 13 previous coaches since 1966, most hired with little experience.
  • Best QB to wear a Bears jersey, by their measure: Jay Cutler. [34:11]
  • Dave: “You can’t talk about being a storied franchise… and be as bad as they've been for so long.” — Matt [30:20]

9. Ben Johnson: Most Hopeful Coaching Hire in Decades

• [36:26-37:05]
  • Both hosts feel more optimistic about Ben Johnson than any hire in their own fan lifetimes.
  • Acknowledgement that Johnson was “the guy” in the 2025 coaching cycle, and his pairing with Caleb Williams is a true shot at breaking historical patterns.
  • Quote: “I have never felt this confident going into a new era with a head coach than I do right now with Ben Johnson.” — Matt [36:32]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Caleb Williams’ Struggles:
  “I did not like what I saw against the Chiefs, and I continue to see things… He’s making up for some poor timing and some issues with the snap under center with great arm talent and his feet and all that.” — Dan [05:35]

• On O-Line Woes:
  “Bad. It is… a bad competition. This is not good. It is bad.” — Dan, on left tackle battle [10:20]

• On Uninspiring Running Backs:
  “He hasn’t really done anything. And DeAndre Swift, they keep saying, well, he’ll be better. All right. Do you get the sense that Ben Johnson didn’t like DeAndre Swift that much when he was in Detroit?” — Dan [17:47]

• On Defensive Injuries:
  “If you don’t get Jalen Johnson and Kyler Gordon back, you’re in deep, deep shit.” — Dan [26:26]

• On Bears’ Historic Futility:
  “One Super Bowl… We can’t talk about being a storied franchise… and be as bad as they've been for so long.” — Matt [30:20]

• On Coaching Hope:
  “I have never felt this confident going into a new era with a head coach than I do right now with Ben Johnson… it’s the first time that they went and got the guy…” — Matt [36:32]

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Segment Timestamps: Quick Navigation

| Timestamp | Segment | Notes | |-----------|------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | 02:00 | Roster Cut-down Thoughts | Little drama; top of show | | 05:35 | Caleb Williams Analysis | “I don’t know if Caleb Williams is getting better…” | | 09:19 | Ben Johnson’s Offense | Expectations and questions | | 10:20 | Left Tackle & O-Line Competition | “It’s a bad competition…” | | 12:22 | Tight End/Tight End Depth Issues | Loveland optimism, concerns on Williams’ throws | | 17:36 | Running Back Room | Disappointment with Swift/Johnson | | 22:19 | Rome Odunze Discussion | Stat projections, double-digit TDs? | | 25:14 | Defensive Schemes & Concerns | Dennis Allen switch, secondary injuries | | 29:08 | Bears History: Coaches, QBs & Super Bowl Drought| Franchise frustration, “storied” doubts | | 36:26 | Ben Johnson Hope | “Most confident” about a coach hire ever |

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Final Thoughts / Tone

The episode expertly balances measured skepticism with cautious optimism. Dan and Matt remain emotionally invested, swinging between frustration with persistent Bears issues and genuine excitement for a possible new era under Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. Their banter is quintessentially Chicago—self-deprecating, sharp, and hopeful, even as they demand more from a storied franchise that’s delivered too little for too long.

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For diehards or new fans alike, this episode captures the mood of Bears fandom at a crossroads—eager for “forward progress,” but never far from the scars of the past.

Transcript

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[B]

Ted 2:19, 2:19.

[A]

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

[B]

We give you forward progress. We award you forward progress. In fact, Dan Bernstein, Matt Abaticola. No thanks. I'm not thirsty.

[A]

Yes, you are.

[B]

And you're thirsty for Bears knowledge. I know. And as are we, as the Bears remain in large part an unknown because so much is still hidden from us. And the way preseason football goes, it is cut down day on this Tuesday. And so far, the names are all names you probably haven't heard of and don't care about. And if something does cross, that is a name that you care about. During the recording, we will obviously let you know. But little drama with cut downs is okay. We pretty much know how this roster is going to look. The former practice squad and the Brute Squad and Empty the Thieves Forest.

[A]

I just watched that the other day.

[B]

I know it's not all the time. You are the Brute Squad, so they'll form that afterwards. And I don't really think Ryan Poles is going to go shopping on other people's lists because of where they stand in the waiver order right now. But what I thought we'd do is just let people know what we're doing on Forward Progress, because DBU is two episodes in now. If you haven't downloaded episode two yet, go get it wherever you get your podcasts. But this is going to be all Bears. It is Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast.

[A]

Yeah. And so we'll, we'll cover nothing but the Bears. We'll get into some bigger NFL stories. And as NFL stories break and come through, we'll, we'll deviate as we need to, to talk about the NFL, which is of course the most popular sport in, in the country. And, and the Bears, of course, are the team that brings this town together, regardless of your baseball allegiance. How much you like the Bulls, how much you like the Blackhawks, everyone loves the Bears. And so we're going to talk nothing about Bears right here on Ford Progress. And make sure you subscribe to the Ford Progress YouTube channel. It's a separate channel from DBU. Do it.

[B]

And we all love the Bears until the game starts and then at least I can speak for myself. It is one of the last islands of true meatballery for me where throwing stuff.

[A]

Agreed.

[B]

And kicking things and screaming at the top of my lungs. The plan at the moment for forward progress is going to be twice a week, probably once we get settled in looking at Mondays, Thursdays. And we're going to do post game no matter what, no matter where, no matter when we are going to the moment the game ends or maybe before the game ends. If we have good reason to think we're not missing anything. We're going to get that up as quickly as we can, immediately after the game.

[A]

Yeah. And I wouldn't be surprised if we added more episodes as we went through the season, if we became a daily podcast on Chicago Bears Talk. Because, you know, we don't need to, you know, drag two hours of your day, you know, hearing us talk about the Bears. But let's say it's a Saturday and something significant happens and breaks. You don't want to wait until, you know, in the past you had to wait till Monday, Right? What are the guys think? What are the guys going to say? What's their take on this. We can do that. We can jump in on a Saturday or a Sunday episode. If there's a Monday night game and you want to hear immediate reaction from Dan Bernstein about the Chicago Bears game, you'll hear a postgame show right there, right away. So no waiting. That's the beauty of doing a podcast here on 312 Sports Forward progress, our Chicago Bears podcast.

[B]

I have a list of thoughts, concerns, observations that I've put together, and this is our first time putting these out there of anything we've really thought about the Bears other than what we discussed on today's dbu. So let's each get our list out. And just to get up to speed and up to date, let's start with how we feel, for better or for worse, about aspects of this team that you find interesting or intriguing.

[A]

Yeah, go ahead. You start us off.

[B]

Well, I don't know if Caleb Williams is getting better. That is first and foremost circled, underlined in bold multiple times. I don't know if he's getting better. I understand that there could be steps backward and things unlearned before things go forward. Believe me, I know that I'm trying to unlearn radio while I'm learning podcasting and I'm gonna screw up sometimes and I'm gonna try, as they say, to not make the same mistake twice. But I did not like what I saw against the Chiefs, and I continue to see things I do. Like he's making up for some poor timing and some still issues with the snap under center with great arm talent and his feet and all that. But I know they want to marry these things up and, and he's. Ben Johnson doesn't have a lot of time to make him better. They wasted a year.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You wasted an entire year start making him better. Right. Damn. Now it is what matters. It is all that matters. And you notice I haven't mentioned the name Tyson Bajan, but I'm already hearing it. I'm already hearing, you know, and fine, I'm really happy for Tyson Bajan. I'm really happy he got his money and he seems like a terrific kid, even if his family is annoying, but if he matters this year, it's all over. It's all shot.

[A]

Yeah. When you know, and we talked about this, the, the whole idea of a wasted season with Caleb Williams, nothing to do with Ben Johnson. Not Ben Johnson's fault, not Caleb Williams even fault, because the coaching staff that was there and he went through coordinators that shouldn't have been there.

[B]

Well, some of it's his fault. If there, if there are aspects that he's being taught that aren't getting better quickly, some of that is his fault.

[A]

His fault right now, yes. But can we look at this year as a redo on his career? Given. I mean, and I know, yeah, it's a frustrating thing to talk about, but it's not all in his control. Some of the things have been in his control that made him, you know, that draw some concerns about his first season in the NFL. But I, but for me, as a Bears fan, this is my own perspective on it. There were too many outside influences on his first season that impacted Caleb Williams more than Caleb. Caleb William. Caleb Williams and his ability to impact the Bears last season.

[B]

I think it's fair.

[A]

So I'm, so I'm looking at this season as a do over for Caleb Williams because he actually has an NFL head coach, NFL offensive coordinator, caliber coordinator right now for the first time.

[B]

Well, I don't know if his actual coordinator is. I don't know if Declan Doyle is.

[A]

Well, but I'm looking at Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson's there. Ben Johnson's the guy. I mean, it's all Ben Johnson's offense and what Declan Doyle does is going to run through Ben Johnson, period.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

So it's all Ben Johnson. So I'm looking as a redo here. And now he was my number one concern because as Caleb William goes, so go the Bears.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

Period. And I just, I don't know how good of an NFL quarterback he's going to be. I think he's better than some of the NFL quarterbacks we've had in the Chicago Bears over the last several years.

[B]

All right, all right.

[A]

I know it's a very low bar.

[B]

A better Bears court. No, the whole point of this was to break the cycle. The whole point was to stop being a Bears quarterback and be an actual quarterback.

[A]

And we just don't know if he's going to do that. And it's, it's too soon to tell. Now there, there are some things about his, his play that draw concerns like his inability get plays off, timing the timing, holding the football. You know, trying to make too much out of, out of something that's not there at the NFL level that he could have done in college. It's not the same. So yeah, there are some concerns, but I'm, I'm not ready to say. Yeah, I just don't think he's in a matter.

[B]

All right, what's next in your list or top on your list? If that wasn't top, well, no.

[A]

Okay, so then the, the second thing on my list, and I'll just go down here, was Ben Johnson's offense. And you know what, what is Ben Johnson going to be able to do? What is Ben Johnson's ego going to allow him to do that? That's really my main concern. We're getting to know Ben Johnson and we don't know what he walked into thinking, all right, this is what I can do with Caleb Williams. What has he learned over the last several weeks?

[B]

What can they block?

[A]

Right.

[B]

Even if he thinks this will work, this will work, this will work. Scoring situation. Oh, it's third and eight and we're on our own 45. Oh, I'd love to run this play.

[A]

But I can't run it because I.

[B]

Don'T know if we can block.

[A]

We can't execute this. Yeah, and that's, that's what we'll see. So I'm, I'm really excited to learn what Ben Johnson truly thinks about his team. I don't know when we'll, we'll get that to come through. We'll see. But we'll see it on Sundays for sure. We'll see the execution, we'll see the types of plays that they run. So, yeah, Ben Johnson's offense next on my list.

[B]

I have been observing the left tackle battle, which for a while has expanded into an overall tackle battle because they did try Darnell Wright over there. There has been some movement and some swapping of left and right. Here's how I would describe the Bears left tackle competition. Bad. It is. You know what? It is a bad competition. This is not good. It is bad. Braxton Jones is a known commodity, but coming off a pretty serious ankle injury, he's still Braxton Jones. He's still the fifth round pick. This is a position generally manned on good teams by highly pedigreed players. High draft pick, skill positions. This is not great for everything I say, but boy, look at Theo Benedet. Theo Benedict, undrafted from British Columbia and he's the guy who wore the speedo on Hard Knocks. And isn't this a great story? No, it's not a great story.

[A]

Sure, that's a great story. But is he a great left tackle?

[B]

It's not a great story. If you're a Bears fan, he should not be in the mix. Here's Kieran Amagaje with third round pick. He keeps falling down the depth chart. You're going in the wrong direction.

[A]

You're going to say he keeps just Falling down.

[B]

Well, maybe when I would get you down the depth chart and on the ground. Get up. I don't know what's going on with him. I don't know. I want to check to make sure he hasn't been cut while I've been talking. But it's a terrible. That's left tackle and you don't really. They know it's going to be Braxton Jones.

[A]

Right. Which is going to be Braxton, which is fine. But how many games is he going to play?

[B]

And the problem I have is if you feel that you need to give tight end help in any blocking scheme, then you're already telling Ben Johnson he can't have the most dynamic aspect of his offense down the field.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because that number three on my list was. I like Colston Loveland a lot.

[A]

Yeah. As you should. I.

[B]

Boy, he moves. He's slithery and strong and he eats up more ground than it looks like. He runs sometimes. Almost like the guys on Intellivision.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that was great.

[B]

Where he's, he's. He's. He just doesn't look as fast as he is.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But boy, he's skilled.

[A]

No, he certainly can move. And you know, on that note too, about the tight ends and Ben Johnson's offense, and a big part of that is running those tight ends down the scene.

[B]

Yes. And that's the whole thing.

[A]

Watching three of these preseason games or two because Kaylin Williams didn't play in one, he's going to get one of those tight ends killed with his passing. He's going to get one of them killed.

[B]

Who, Bajint? No.

[A]

Or Williams. Williams.

[B]

Yeah. Either one. Bajan's more likely to because he was throwing murder balls last year.

[A]

Well, he should. I mean, he, he. Hopefully we don't see him playing.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That's the point. But if. If Williams doesn't connect on those passes a little better, he's. He's going to get one of them killed, period.

[B]

A lot of that has to do with depth, the proper depth of the route, that sometimes if you are wrong, you're either giving a linebacker or the safety on the weak side that, that shot. If this is because you didn't see it a lot with the Lions.

[A]

No, you didn't.

[B]

You didn't see them taking massive hits and see their body language changing.

[A]

I also didn't see their tight ends completely fully outstretched trying to get a ball.

[B]

True.

[A]

I mean, you didn't see that.

[B]

Well. And if they got a chip, that means they're later into the route anyway. So every issue that you try to shore up propagates elsewhere, no matter what. So I don't think the Bears left tackle of their championship window is here yet.

[A]

No, it's not. And how does that make you feel, knowing they've gone through an off season, knowing exactly what they had, making changes to the offensive line, and then really not addressing the left tackle?

[B]

Well, the interior looks great.

[A]

Right.

[B]

They thought they might have with Tripillo because they thought that Tripillo could either allow them to move Darnell right to left or Tripillo can play there. He just looks slow. He's big and he's smart and he's nice, but too often he's bending at the waist, and too often his footwork doesn't allow him the proper angle on guys with leverage and speed.

[A]

Well, they got to coach him up, Dan. That's all there is to it.

[B]

Fine. And I coach him up. I'm not. He's not a finished product, and I understand that, but that. That. It's just. It's a bad battle and they can talk about comp. Well, competition makes everybody stronger.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Well, it's not going to make anybody that much better, talent wise. I don't know. But I'm not going to get too. I don't want this to devolve into negativity. It's sort of like the rule that we've had with organizations, win championships that don't let me start doom spiraling because generally it's forward progress. We're positive. I would prefer to be positive about things as we enter the Ben Johnson era.

[A]

Yeah. And, you know, I don't. I'm not that guy that's always been in love with preseason stuff and the formulation of the roster and the cut down. Sure, I get it. Want to talk about it, Want to get into it. But it's like it's their decision. My feeling has zero influence on what happens. I want to know who the 53 guys are when we get to that day that are going to represent the Chicago Bears for this season, this football season, trying to get the Super Bowl 60. Okay. Whatever Ben Johnson decides to do, that's what I want to see. I want to see. I care when things start to matter, you know, and there's. There's one guy, and I add this. This is towards the bottom of my list. But I just want to mention him because I like the story from last year, and I thought he was a pretty decent running back. And Ian Wheeler, who was waived, I, you know, I thought. I thought he had something to be there on a roster. I liked him. I liked him. I was as far as. I mean, as far as a third or fourth running back can be concerned. As far as disappointment goes. I was disappointed to see his name there. I liked him.

[B]

Yeah, he didn't look the same. Let's talk about running backs in just a second.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

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[A]

Yeah. I'm excited to give my bookie a try this year.

[B]

Good. Little bit of breaking news as we talk here. Zach Pickens has been waived by the Bears. Defensive lineman Zach Pickens, a 2023 third round pick. And that doesn't come as a surprise because he's been bad. So I don't feel bad about it.

[A]

No. I mean, yeah. Why would you, though? You want to get the running backs?

[B]

Sure.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because they keep signing ones off the street who find their way on the roster. Oy. Yeah. You know I've never been a huge Roshan Johnson fan, right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Even though for some reason people love Roshan Johnson because when they drafted, they say, great men, fabulous. One of the greatest human beings, greatest football players, Football very important to him and all that scouting, but he's. He hasn't really done anything. And DeAndre Swift, they keep saying, well, he'll be better. All right. Do you get the sense that Ben Johnson didn't like DeAndre Swift that much when he was in Detroit?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Okay. Otherwise he would have still been there.

[A]

He wouldn't have been. Yeah. He would have been there last year.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If he was a key part. But then they went and they got better running backs and I think the offensive coordinator liked having better, better running backs. That's just my opinion on it. I don't know, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he likes having inferior running backs, but not in this case.

[B]

That position matters a lot. And you got to run decisively. You've got to run where the play is designed to run. And too often, Swift went meandering off into the zoo somewhere. I don't know where he's going half the time. That Patriots game, do you remember that?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We were sitting in a bar in New Orleans and I was like. And I literally kept saying, what is he doing? Where is he going? That's a bad question to ask a running back. Two bad questions, actually, now that I add them up. So I don't think it's a strong room. Nobody excites me particularly. I'm hopeful that Swift sort of has the old come to Jesus meeting and says, this is really my chance here. Healthy enough. And here's an offense that's going to take advantage of everything I could do. They've shored up the interior of the line for all the zone stuff. Whatever they want. I mean, listen, man. And zone blocking in there. Go get it.

[A]

Right. But. But again, that just goes back to Ben Johnson's playbook. And what can they execute? And obviously you hope that the growth is there as the season goes on. They're executing more in week 10 than they did in week five. But where are they at to start the season? What is this offense capable of at the start of the season? And that's. That's another one of my. My question marks is looking at us as the Bears fans watching these games, getting ready, because, you know, it's. It's. It's the last stand of being a meatball for you, being able to kick and throw and yell. For me, I don't kick and yell and scream as much as I used to.

[B]

You also have youth football, where that's taken a lot more out of you as a youth football dad right there.

[A]

Youth football.

[B]

I can't even imagine. I can't even imagine.

[A]

I'm not even.

[B]

Is that your Libertyville?

[A]

Yeah, this is our. This is our youth.

[B]

The Lions.

[A]

Wildcats.

[B]

Oh, it is an AL For Libertyville.

[A]

Yeah. L for Libertyville, and then we're the Wildcats. Go Cats.

[B]

Don't, please. That's what it is. Go Cats. Say that enough. You got like, $70 million. If you have somebody go over here, like, stick a broom up my ass.

[A]

That's the goal. He'll be right in.

[B]

Actually, have you already planned that.

[A]

We're waiting for the next segment, coincidentally.

[B]

Ye, go cats.

[A]

But not only am I a football dad, I'm a football coach.

[B]

Head coach.

[A]

I'm a head coach.

[B]

You're the head coach.

[A]

Head coach for the Libertill youth Wildcats football program. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. What kind of offense are you running that you realize you can't block?

[A]

Well, we asked. So our first game.

[B]

Dive 12. Right.

[A]

Our first game is this Sunday, our first game of the season. And so we just started implementing some plays last night because I needed a few weeks to understand where the kids are because it's a different roster of kids. You know, I have Henry and Jack on my team, though, so I'm pretty excited about having the boys together again, which is fun. This is my fourth year as a head coach in the program. My first year I won a championship, beat Warren in the Super Bowl. Got a chip. Yeah. Second season we went eight. No. In the regular season. Won our first two playoff games. And the championship game was actually Libertyville versus Libertyville. Ooh. And so we. We lost that game. Seven. Zero. And so at a ten and one season, my second year. And then last year we. We won the final game of the season to get 5 and 4. 500 record.

[B]

Okay. Over 500. It's a good, you know, building year.

[A]

Yeah. Overall with playoffs, I'm 22 and 9, Dan. So if the Bears are looking for someone, I mean, I'm. I'm here if Ben Johnson needs a phone call.

[B]

I will say this, though.

[A]

You.

[B]

The youth level is when you can learn some truths of the game.

[A]

It's fun. I love. I love every second of it. We have a great program in Libertyville. But that's not why you called though.

[B]

No.

[A]

What do you. What is. What is your take on Roma Dunes A. What do you think of him as a NFL wide receiver?

[B]

I think he had a good but not great year and I can't wait to see what this offense does for him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I know he's great at making contested catches. That doesn't mean I want him to have to. And I hope that attention paid to tight ends if this is working well, that if they're in 12 personnel, attention paid to tight ends and to some of the middle breaking routes should open things up for him and give him more room to work.

[A]

Yeah. I think when. At the. At the end of the year we get. Towards the end of the season, if you look at Rome's numbers.

[B]

All right, I'll write him. I'll write him down where I expect that if. If this is working.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Where his number should be. I'll write him down and then I want to see. So what do you want? You want catches? Yards, touchdowns?

[A]

Give me catches. Yeah, catches, yards, touchdown receptions, yards, touchdowns. I. Because I feel the same way that in what I've seen of the Lions offense because I haven't seen the Chicago Bears offense yet in the regular season.

[B]

I wrote down a reasonable. He was a number nine overall pick, right?

[A]

Correct.

[B]

Okay. Year two under Ben Johnson. I wrote down reasonable, what I think are reasonable expectations for where somebody of that status should be for a full. If he plays an entire season, all 17 games, say plays 16 to 17. I think these are still reachable. These are the numbers. Receptions, yards, touchdowns.

[A]

Go ahead.

[B]

85.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

1100.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Seven.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Low, high.

[A]

I think seven's low.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I think.

[B]

I just think there's gonna be a lot of targets. I think spreading those out. See, although remember, we're so used to the Bears having to take a gazillion plays to get down the damn field that it always ends up with running three plays into the line before Roshan Johnson or whoever it is barely gets in and they got to go look at it to make sure it's a touchdown. No, really, that's their best play, their best place. It's like pulling teeth that you watch other games, you turn them on and a team is at the 45 and they throw it to the tight end as a touchdown. Yeah, that should do it that way.

[A]

I think seven's low for Rome and where what I expect from him this year. I expect double digit touchdowns for him this year.

[B]

Expect or hope for?

[A]

No, I expect 10.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I expect 10. You're. You're the ninth pick overall with the number one pick in the draft as your quarterback. Like I expect to see more from him this year given this offense, given what I've seen of what Ben Johnson did in Detroit, what he can do. I. That's what I want to see.

[B]

All right, let's come back and talk about defensive likes, dislikes, hopes and concerns. Back on forward progress is Chicago Bears podcast Dan Bernstein, Mattabata Cola and the Dennis Allen defense is going to be an adjustment aesthetically from what the mat eber flu defense is trying to do. There's a lot more attacking rather than covering certain areas. It's not the same kind of one gap up field as much as it is maul the guy in front of you and there needs to be some versatility and there's going to be a lot more man coverage in the backfield. So far in the preseason, I have not seen enough of a push from the big guys up front. I've seen the defensive ends harmlessly pushed aside and beyond the quarterback, while Andrew Billings has held his ground inside. There's. There hasn't been enough disruption from the interior of the line. And I love the secondary, but they're hurt.

[A]

Yeah. And that's going to. That's going to be an issue. You know, it better not be.

[B]

If you don't get Jalen Johnson and Kyler Gordon back, you're in deep, deep shit.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's, that's the heart and soul of what your defense is. And if they're, if they're not on the field, it doesn't matter if it's Dennis Allen or, you know, Buddy Ryan.

[B]

Boy, that Nishan Wright bubble burst, didn't it?

[A]

Really fast.

[B]

After everything, he was the Zach Bowman of this camp. Oh, this. I don't know this guy. Why has he been on four teams then?

[A]

Right?

[B]

Yeah, he looks great and actually, you know, had a great line during the Chiefs game. Stacey Dales, who has a. She sounds really good. I think they need some work on their timing and that, but it's hard for a local station to do a national level broadcast. I think they do a great job overall, but when Wright got burned and she just said, yeah, length doesn't help you when the guy's running that far past you. That's good line. Yeah, he's long and strong, but when the, when he's five yards away from a guy, it doesn't matter.

[A]

Yeah. And again with all of this, with putting this roster together, I just, I'm ready to get to that point. I want to see what Ben Johnson and his staff has said. All right. These are the 53 guys that we're taking. This is our team. Like, I'm ready to be at that point. Like, I'm done with watching preseason games with guys that don't matter, that will have zero impact on the future. And the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Yeah, like, let's just, let's get there. I'm ready. I'm ready to get there. I'm ready to be in the regular season.

[B]

Bears are waving receiver Tyler Scott, their fourth round pick from 2023. Okay, does that. Wait, does that mean John A. Walker?

[A]

I hope so.

[B]

You do?

[A]

I don't. My God. John A. Walker. My guy.

[B]

Boy, I'm going to lose.

[A]

He had like two touchdowns in one game.

[B]

I know this means I'm going to Lose another bet to my kid.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Because he said Johnny Walker would make the roster.

[A]

Yeah, I think he. I think he will.

[B]

And who's the other guy? Britain Brown.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

He said he was going to make the roster. I said, no, no, no way.

[A]

I just. I just want to lose two bets.

[B]

To my kid, back to back.

[A]

Well, you're going to have to, though. He's smarter than you are.

[B]

Damn it.

[A]

He's smarter than you are. I have. There's something more of a. Like, a bigger picture thing about the Bears that I wanted to just discuss with you, because, again, all this, the minutiae of who they're waving, what the roster, it all doesn't matter until it's all done. And Ben Johnson says, this is the team here. And Ryan Poles, they have their 53. Man for this season. I was. When I was on vacation, I glanced at a. At a post from Instagram, and it was Chicago history.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Really, really nice. Nice. Follow fun. Follow fun little tidbits of stuff. And it was a picture of all the professional sports teams in Chicago with the championship trophies. So it had had the Bears and all the NFL championship trophies and the one super bowl. It had the Blackhawks, six Stanley cup championships, it had the Bulls six championships, and it had the Cubs and White Sox together for six World Series trophies.

[B]

Cool.

[A]

Okay. Didn't have them broke down. And I was like, oh, this is kind of cool.

[B]

And then what about the Chicago Sting and their Soccer Bowl Championship?

[A]

Soccer Bowl. I focused on that. That one super bowl championship. Looking at the Chicago Bears.

[B]

Not enough.

[A]

Not enough. And I just. And it got me. And I luckily stopped myself because that started to spiral into a little, like, a ball of anger about the Bears and how they're, you know, one of the stories. I know. I know. It's not. It's really frustrating because. But what I've gotten down to the point of. For this, as we are now in the. We have completed 59 NFL seasons of super bowl play. Okay? So this is Super Bowl 60 coming up. In fact, whatever it is. February 8th or something like that. 59 NFL seasons in the super bowl era.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

And the Bears have won one Super Bowl. And I know. I get it. It's hard to do. It's hard to do. But we can't talk about being a storied franchise, one of the original franchises within the NFL and be as bad as they've been for so long.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Because that's what they are. One Super Bowl. So I was looking at. And we've talked a lot About Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson is the Bears 14th head coach in the Super bowl era. 14. Okay, so there was 13 previous coaches. 11 of the 13 were first time NFL head coaches. 11 and 13 were first time head coaches outside of Hallis, who was like in 65, 66, was finishing up his third stint as the Bears head coach. And then of course, John Fox was previously a head coach. So of those 11, five went on to head coach another team.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Of those five, two went onto the playoffs with those other teams. One being Dave Wanstead, one of them, Jack Pardee. And Jack Pardee.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Nice job. That's very good, actually. Very good. I had to look just to make sure, but that's. You pull. That's really impressive.

[B]

Look at that kid.

[A]

Jack Pardee leaves the Bears, goes on to head coach in the NFL and makes two or three playoff appearances with a one in five record. Okay, so nothing was good in the playoffs. No, but it was Dave Weinstead with the Miami Dolphins. Three playoff games, one and two record.

[B]

Oh, Burns. If we only had a quarterback. Come on, Burnsy. Shit.

[A]

So Ben Johnson is the 14th head coach of the Chicago Bears in the super bowl era. The Bears have had, in 59 NFL seasons of Super bowl play, two Super bowl appearances. Okay? Now obviously your best stretch during that time is the Ditka era. Now this all comes down to errors of coaching errors. That's really what it is. It's the Mike. There's the Mike Ditka error. There's the Abe Gibberin who is easily the worst head coach to ever be on the sidelines for the Chicago Bears. Winning percentage says it.

[B]

Ibrahoosa is pretty bad.

[A]

Eberfaloosa is pretty bad. I think I still, I still think Abe Griffin's was worse.

[B]

But Abe was at least fun. Okay, he refused. Was not fun. That's just powdered toast band and his acronyms. So they did that.

[A]

The best. Okay. You know how many, how many quarterbacks are in the hall of Fame that played for the Chicago Bears that started games for the Chicago Bears are in.

[B]

The hall of Fame. Who started games for the Chicago Bears? Luckman Blanda.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

I'm trying to think of like randos that came through here. Old guys on their way out. Dave Craig isn't a Hall of Famer. Chris Chandler isn't a Hall of Famer.

[A]

So the, the best, the best season for a Hall of Fame quarterback that played for the Chicago Bears during the super bowl era.

[B]

Oh, that's what a great question.

[A]

Okay, I'll give you time to think about that.

[B]

That is the. Who played four.

[A]

Played four.

[B]

Because I know. Yeah. Greg Landry's not a Hall of Famer, and he was there in 84 when everybody was playing the best.

[A]

Now, the best season for Chicago Bears hall of fame quarterback, 1943.

[B]

Oh, okay. Forget it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Who was it?

[A]

Sid Lechman.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

No, you know, you had it.

[B]

Okay. But in the super bowl era, he.

[A]

Had 28 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 2100 yards, 55% completion percentage. Yeah, that's the best.

[B]

What year?

[A]

1943. Okay, so who was the best quarterback, though, to ever wear Chicago Bears jersey?

[B]

Jay Cutler, by far.

[A]

Jay Cutler, by far. And easily top five most hated players ever to come through Chicago. Right. Well, not by me. I didn't hate Jay Cutler.

[B]

I think people are most stupid, most polarizing. Yeah. I mean, he didn't really want to be liked, so it's fine.

[A]

Seven seasons he was there. He was the starting quarterback for seven consecutive seasons. The longest stretch for the Bears during the super bowl time. Most touchdown passes in a season, regular season.

[B]

Kramer.

[A]

How many?

[B]

29.

[A]

29. Wow, look at you.

[B]

That was my first year in the beat.

[A]

1995.

[B]

95. That was my first year on the beat. That's when I thought, oh, the Bears football isn't bad. Give it some time. But wait, so the best. Wait, close this out. The best hall of Fame quarterback who played for the Bears in the super bowl era is who?

[A]

No one.

[B]

Right. Okay. Yeah, that's what I thought. None.

[A]

There aren't any. The best hall of Fame season by a Hall of Fame quarterback is Sid Luckman. 1943.

[B]

Okay, so there was not a single.

[A]

Not a single one.

[B]

We even had, like, a snap.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

I'm thinking about somebody, like, all those years and like, oh, they might pick up Dan Marino or they might. Yeah, they never.

[A]

Nothing.

[B]

Jeff George came in here for. Who's the. Jeff Blake. Like, it was all these. Who's the guy from Washington just recently? Campbell.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, so 59 NFL seasons for super bowl play. How many winning seasons have the bears had in 59 years?

[B]

Fifteen.

[A]

That's good guess.

[B]

Eighteen. Okay.

[A]

Too low.

[B]

Yeah. Why are you doing this?

[A]

Because here's the point. The point of it is this bad that we can encapsulate eras of Bears football by their head coach. Mike did, obviously, the most successful. Lovey Smith, second most successful. He was a really good head coach here for the Chicago Bears made the only other super bowl appearance during the super bowl time in 2007. But Ben Johnson now starts the newest era of Chicago Bears football. What are your now knowing what you know about Ben Johnson, You've heard him for several months here in Chicago.

[B]

I don't have enough data. I don't have enough to make a prediction for how many games he's going to win.

[A]

No, it's just because you can't predict that. It's impossible. It's impossible to predict that. But here's the point. I feel the most. I feel the best that I felt in my 42 years now watching Bears football. And I'm not. It's not like offering my resume. It's just the point of, you know, of where it's at. I have never felt this confident going into a new era with a head coach than I do right now with Ben Johnson. It's the first time in the Bears history that they went and got the guy who was the guy out there to get.

[B]

I didn't think they would get him. I didn't think they had any chance of getting him. They got him. And if, in fact, they got him in large part because of his desire to coach Caleb Williams, prove it. Make that matter right damn now.

[A]

Yeah, I agree. But again, the confidence level is just very high. I mean, when you look back at all the coaches they've had, the coaches they've hired in the super bowl era, who have gone on to literally do nothing and be completely washed out of the NFL, to never be heard from again, if we're lucky.

[B]

I'm with you. It's his world. We're living in it.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I want it to be more than.

[A]

Bells and whistles, and so I'm ready for the things to start to matter. Like, let's get down to it and let's. Let's. I mean, we're a week away. Bears, Vikings, Monday Night Football. Like, now. I'm ready to see it. And you've got to show it now.

[B]

Two weeks away, right?

[A]

Are we two weeks away?

[B]

It's not this Monday.

[A]

It's late. Yeah, you're right. Two weeks.

[B]

Two weeks. Oh, I got scared for a second.

[A]

Yeah, sorry. My bad.

[B]

This is Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast. Like it? Download it, rate it, subscribe to it, be a part of it. Make sure you are part of the YouTube channel as well. And next time we convene, we'll have the full roster, we'll have the practice squad, and we'll be able to talk about the news that just broke that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged.

[A]

Oh, are they really? Seriously?

[B]

It's about time.

[A]

Oh, where did it happen? We have any information? My wife's gonna be so excited.

[B]

As long as it wasn't at a ballpark.

[A]

He did it during the sevening stretch.

[B]

No, I don't. I just saw that it has happened. And here we go. I gotta call my daughter. Cause she was telling me that she. And again she knew that it was gonna happen soon.

[A]

Well, I think everyone kind of thought it was gonna happen. Did you see like released some new album like on their podcast?

[B]

Yeah, I did that. That podcast by the way, at the moment, three spots ahead of of Dan Bernstein unfiltered on Apple podcast for sports.

[A]

Well, there you go. Make sure you're following DBU as well as Ford Progress anywhere you get your your podcast. And of course subscribe on YouTube to the Ford Progress Channel as well. We'll talk to Foreign Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 31 2, sports.

[B]

Sam.