Colston Loveland makes history in win over Green Bay

Summary

Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: "Colston Loveland makes history in win over Green Bay"

Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola
Podcast: Forward Progress on 312 Sports

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Forward Progress recaps the Bears’ electrifying playoff victory over the Packers with analytical insight, emotional reactions, and a deep dive into game moments that defined the win. Hosts Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola focus on Colston Loveland's historic performance, Caleb Williams’ leadership, defensive adjustments, and the growing intensity in the Chicago–Green Bay rivalry. The pair also preview the upcoming divisional matchup against the Rams, touch on coaching philosophies, and discuss the emotional rollercoaster experienced by Bears fans everywhere.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bears’ Comeback Win Against Green Bay

• The Bears overcame a 21–3 halftime deficit, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter for one of the biggest comebacks in NFL playoff history ([02:20]).
• Caleb Williams set the sixth-most passing yards in Bears postseason history after just one game ([02:20]).
• The offense had zero snaps with a lead in all three games vs. Green Bay this season ([16:17]).

Defensive Adjustments: Stopping the Packers

• Jaquan Brisker was brought down to help stop the run; increased blitzing and run support changed the game ([04:43]).
• DeMarco Jackson’s strong play after filling in for the injured T.J. Edwards ([05:43]).
• Discussion about Andrew Billings’ limited production and how his absence aided defensive improvements ([09:13]).

Rams Game Preview

• The Rams’ offense, featuring Puka Nacua, Devante Adams, and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson, presents major matchup problems ([06:47]).
• Matt Stafford’s effectiveness, despite his previous cold-weather struggles, is analyzed ([47:08]).

Coaching and Rivalry Fire: Ben Johnson’s Approach

• Ben Johnson stirred headlines with his unapologetic declaration: "Fuck the Packers. I hate those guys… The city of Chicago, Green Bay, it needs to be a rivalry. It's something I fully recognize and I'm a part of. I don't like that team. George [McCaskey] and I have talked, and we're on the same page." ([12:54])
• The hosts note that this attitude, even if partly performative, fuels the city and fires up the fanbase ([13:55]).

Colston Loveland’s Impact & Rookie Achievement

• Loveland is praised for both his production and his rare ability to earn trust as a rookie tight end ([23:46]).
• Ben Johnson details Loveland’s classroom and practice ethic: "He's one of the first ones in the building every single day… always studying his playbook while eating breakfast… the last one off the practice field" ([23:46]).
• Loveland’s key block helped spring DeAndre Swift’s controversial touchdown run ([26:52]).
• Both Johnson and Caleb Williams highlight Loveland’s maturity, work ethic, and future potential ([28:17]).

Caleb Williams’ Emotional Evolution & Leadership

• Williams showed intense, uncharacteristic emotion on the sideline—yelling and “palms up” frustration when details were missed. Williams: “Just not doing our job… that's where my frustration was coming from” ([20:22]).
• Ben Johnson plans to talk to Williams about emotional discipline: "We want to be as stoic and steady for our guys as we can be" ([21:14]).
• Focus on the importance of quarterback leadership, “the quarterback is his extension … you're representing me” ([23:16]).

Coaching Philosophy: Preparation and Resilience

• Ben Johnson had shown the Patriots–Falcons 28–3 Super Bowl comeback to the team in training camp, knowing both Grady Jarrett and Joe Thuney were on the roster from those teams:
  "I think it's just a good lesson... There's a lot of time left. And that was my message to the group, reminding them this has been done before… turn this thing around into a game we’ll never forget." ([32:08])

Signature Game Plays Broken Down

• Fourth-and-8 Jumpman Throw (to Roma Odunze)
  Caleb Williams: "It's fourth down, I gotta put the ball in play… Rome made a great catch adjusting to the ball… put it upfield, awkward angle, easier for Rome to catch." ([39:40]) Bernstein: “Dropped it right in there like he handed it to him. Stupid. An all-time great Bears pass, an all-time great throw. That was the season right there.” ([40:43–40:52])

• DJ Moore Touchdown — Screen Fake
  Williams: "Worked on it for 3–4 weeks… perfect moment, coach calls it… DJ made a great catch, go win the game." ([41:17]) Bernstein: "This is a play the Bears stole from the Washington Commanders—exact same concept, exact same lineup, saved for this moment." ([41:49])

• Two-Point Conversion Package
  The Bears immediately went into a "13" (three tight ends) set, spread them out, and got Colston Loveland a one-on-one mismatch for the conversion.
  Matt: "They came out under center, then when they saw personnel, checked to shotgun and spread out… easy open." ([31:03])

Off-field & Locker Room Moments

• Ben Johnson’s fiery postgame remarks and lack of apology; clear endorsement from owner George McCaskey ([12:54], [50:13]).
• Emotional impact on the city and fans—hosts retell personal reactions involving adrenaline, sleeplessness, and how the win sent the city “walking on air” ([00:22], [17:04]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Rivalry

"It wasn't just, fuck the Packers, right? … He said, 'I hate those guys,' … 'I don't like that team. George and I have talked, and we're on the same page.' All right, so he's not saying, 'Yeah, I went a little overboard.' He did not walk it back. He has doubled down."
— Matt Abbatacola ([12:54])

"It's not real, and it's not a criticism either. But it doesn't matter that it's not real... he's doing it for his owner, for his team, for the city."
— Dan Bernstein ([13:55])

On Colston Loveland

"He's always studying his playbook while he's eating breakfast. He's always the last one off the practice field… He's been the model of consistency … just scratching the surface."
— Ben Johnson ([23:46])

“We got a home run with him… One of the hardest workers on this team. He's there late, he's there early … body language, all of that… I'm excited for what's to come.”
— Caleb Williams ([28:17])

"It is so hard to be a good rookie tight end, let alone a great one..."
— Matt Abbatacola ([26:47])

On Caleb Williams’ Leadership

"We want to be... as stoic and steady for our guys as we can be… I'll talk to him and see if he felt like he could have handled it better."
— Ben Johnson ([21:14])

"You're representing me. When things are crumbling around you, you can't look like they are... you can't show it, because I'm not going to."
— Dan Bernstein ([23:20])

On Signature Play (Fourth-and-8 Jumpman Logo Throw)

“Dropped it right in there like he handed it to him. It was stupid. An all-time great Bears pass, an all-time great throw. That was the season right there.”
— Dan Bernstein ([40:43–40:52])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bears Comeback Win & Emotional Fallout: [00:22] – [03:14], [16:17] – [17:31]
• Defensive Adjustments & Linebacker Performance: [04:21] – [06:47]
• Rams Preview & Matchup Concerns: [06:47] – [08:09], [45:51] – [47:08]
• Ben Johnson's Postgame Fire & Rivalry: [12:54] – [15:53], [50:13] – [53:26]
• Colston Loveland Praise & Tight End Discussion: [23:46] – [27:05], [28:17] – [31:32]
• Caleb Williams’ Sideline Emotions & QB Leadership: [20:22] – [23:39]
• Coaching Philosophy & 28-3 Comeback Identity: [32:08] – [34:57]
• Fourth-and-8 ‘Jumpman’ Throw: [39:40] – [40:52]
• DJ Moore Touchdown Play Design: [41:17] – [43:02]
• Two-Point Conversion Mismatch: [31:01] – [31:32]
• Fan Experience, Reactions, and "Over/Not Over" Debate: [57:21] – [59:14]

---

Additional Insights & Context

• Game Ball Discussion: Scrutiny over Montez Sweat’s impact—one key play justifying the game ball ([08:16]).
• Upcoming Weather: Rams game will be played in 9–16ºF weather, with possible effects on Stafford ([45:51], [47:08]).
• Coaching Consistency: Long-term issues in team identity, referencing the Ditka era and the Lovie Smith “Beat the Packers” mantra ([51:01]).
• Bears Offense Rhythm: Dilemma between emphasizing run game and getting Williams into an early rhythm ([36:06]).

---

Podcast Tone

The episode is equal parts analytical and emotional, combining “fan on cloud nine” energy with deep, granular breakdowns of Bears' on-field tactics and culture. Dan and Matt's rapport is punchy, candid, and irreverent (“Fuck the Packers” is both quoted and celebrated). They balance direct criticism, inside jokes, and joyous celebration, always circling back to the experience of being a Bears fan in a historic moment.

---

For New Listeners

Whether you missed the game or want to revisit its excitement with in-depth analysis and raw Chicago football energy, this episode captures the emotional highs, crucial details, and transformative performances behind the Bears’ playoff win—and looks ahead to what it means for the next chapter.

---

End of summary.

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

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

[Matt Abaticola]

10 219.

[Dan Bernstein]

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

[Matt Abaticola]

We give you forward progress here on 312 Sports. Bernstein and Batacola. First, I just want to say thanks if you are new, if the first time you tuned in to this podcast, especially our live Bears post game was this week and I've heard from some people saying, oh, I thought I would check this out. Thank you, thank you and welcome. And we hope you're making this a regular part of your routine, especially at the moment when the Bears are riding higher than they have in a very, very long time for a lot of reasons. You are absolutely welcome to the forward progress family. And when we last left you, I was literally shaking because just so much was going in emotionally to that whole day on Saturday, to all the anticipation, all the excitement, riding that into their tussling around in the snow before the game. And then all of that happened and I was, I couldn't fall asleep, spend the entire next day just sort of walking on air, going about our, you know, errands and things and watching football and smiling actively. And here we are with getting right back at it. We got the opponent, we've got the coach not apologizing for saying f their rival.

[Caleb Williams]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

At all.

[Dan Bernstein]

We have the, the, the, the game, the, the day of the game. We know they're playing Sunday. We just have to wait until if it's the earlier. So it's the two or the five o' clock game. I would guess that they're going to be the, the five o' clock game.

[Matt Abaticola]

That would be my thought as well. The why wouldn't you make it the featured game? I don't know. I don't know how they want to deal with the LA market and when they prefer how early they want to get up and watch the game. But you would think it's going to be later.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it's just, it's, it's really incredible in the fact that we have the Bears moving on to host the Rams in the divisional round after that game, that 21 to 3 at halftime. I mean, all of the, the historical firsts and all the stats that have come with that game coming from behind and scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter and one of the bigger comebacks in NFL playoff history. You now have Caleb Williams, as you pointed out from one of our listeners, the sixth most passing yards in Bears postseason history after one game Playing one game. That's really, really terrible. I mean, how far is he going to destroy that record?

[Matt Abaticola]

You know, it's going to be so, so beyond that. We won't even. We'll stop talking about it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

We'll say, okay, he has. It might be two games from now. I've even looked at the numbers and.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you, if you watched the, A lot of football over the weekend, you saw the Rams and the Carolina Panthers, I don't know if you watched that game at all. Carolina, of course, the Rams being one of the better offensive teams in the league. Matthew Stafford in MVP consideration, almost 50 touchdowns thrown, and Carolina had a chance to win that game. And that was, that was a game where the Rams didn't go out there and destroy them like Vegas thought they would. They were giving ten and a half points. I thought that was way, way too many points to go on the road and give to Carolina, who. Yeah. Finished what, eight, nine or. Yeah, eight, nine. Not. Not a terrible team, but not a great team. I thought the 10 and a half would be way too much to cover. And, you know, it's just. You have a guy like Puka Nakua.

[Matt Abaticola]

He had a drop.

[Dan Bernstein]

He had a. He did. He had a significant drop. Yes, he. He sure did. So it's, you know, the Bears offense, the Bears defense is going to have a lot of work to do this week in preparation. And whatever, you know, whatever Dennis Allen did in the second half, I don't know if it was personnel driven. No, I don't know if it was scheme driven.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was scheme.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was. Well, that's not what Ben Johnson said. Ben Johnson said it wasn't a scheme. Obviously it was. He said it after the game. He doesn't go back and look at it again. But whatever, whatever he did, they stopped the run. They shut the run down in the second half, which had a significant impact on what the packers could do in the second half, where they put it three times in the third quarter. When they didn't put in the first.

[Matt Abaticola]

Half, it looked to me like with the clock being against them, they figured they would at least speed it all up. They were not going to let the packers have a long drive of running the football against an uncrowded box. So they brought brisker down and I thought that made a huge difference. And the, the knock on effect of the blitzing that they did was having somebody there to run into a ball carrier. I do think it helped them against the run. And I also think that they were going to tell Jordan Love if You can get the ball out and hit some of these one on ones we're going to give you. You can get 27 yards. And they did. But it wasn't for the most part, in the middle of the field.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it was on the edges.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was on the edges outside the numbers, which allows you to get a guy out of bounds to stop the clock.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I thought part of that was him just saying, if we're going to do this, we got to make sure we got enough time.

[Dan Bernstein]

So if that's the plan, if that was the plan, like whatever plan you need to do to limit what the Rams can do, like, let's start that from the first quarter. Let's put that game plan in for the whole game. Okay. Whatever that might be. And I do think it's going to have an impact. And with DeMarco Jackson playing at linebacker, he had a couple tackles for loss in the game on Saturday, coming in for T.J. edwards. T.J. edwards, who left in the second quarter while the score was 7 to 3, as you pointed out, didn't have a tackle in the entire game. So the quarter and a half that he played didn't have a tackle. DeMarco Jackson comes in, make some plays, they play the run better. Jaquan Brisker coming down. We pointed out Dom Rob had a really good game against the run. J.D. garrett. Jarrett Grady had a very good game. Oh, yeah. Grady Jarrett had a very good game against the run as well. As I said, he's been improving for the last several weeks.

[Matt Abaticola]

When I see the damage that the Rams offense can do. Yeah, I'm very concerned about their tight ends and how the Bears are going to match up with Tyler Higby and Colby Parkinson, who made a fantastic catch for that touchdown. That play Parkinson made.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean, hands and feet and everything there. Because you're obviously in a situation where you have to bracket Puka Nakua and Devonte Adams is the other guy. And I don't think Devonte Adams is what he used to be.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not what he used to be at all. But he can still run run routes and catch balls. And you give Matthew Stafford time, he'll get Devonte Adams the ball in a place where he can make a catch and create some damage. You know, you have to look at it and say, well, what is Dennis Allen going to do to counter not only the tight ends, but of course, those two wide receivers? Puka Naku is a guy, he's a special guy and he's a guy that can Go up and get the ball anywhere. It doesn't really matter what his body position is in where his hands are at. He can pretty much catch anything if.

[Matt Abaticola]

He can get his hands.

[Dan Bernstein]

Stupid. It's really stupid.

[Matt Abaticola]

So.

[Dan Bernstein]

And we've seen the struggles that the Bears have had covering one on one. So I just, I need, I need Dennis Allen to scheme something that can be impactful and put his players in the best possible position to be successful and do that from the start.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's still going to come down to pass rush penetration, how quickly somebody can break through instead of getting hung up on a block.

[Dan Bernstein]

Let me ask you about the game ball distribution and Montez sweat getting a game ball and Ben Johnson saying he was around the quarterback a lot. Now being around the quarterback a lot doesn't generate pressure necessarily.

[Matt Abaticola]

But what did I say Saturday night? I said that third down play of being able to hit Jordan Love's arm was what you paid that entire contract.

[Dan Bernstein]

For when he got him from behind.

[Ben Johnson]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So if you gave him a game ball for that one specific play, fine. Maybe I didn't see things the way Ben Johnson saw from the sideline about Montez sweat game because again, getting into the pocket doesn't necessarily mean you're creating pressure on the quarterback.

[Matt Abaticola]

But they were speeding things up. That. I think that what. That was in line with what Dennis Allen was trying to do, make him get the ball out if he wants to take advantage of some of those one on ones. And I don't think you can give Stafford the same one on one opportunities. Not with those guys.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not with those guys that he has. No, not, not at all. And, and we mentioned this earlier too on dbu, that, the absence, if that goes that way with Andrew Billings, because we don't know what his status will be for this game. I think that had a positive impact on the Bears defense in the second half.

[Matt Abaticola]

Much as I love the guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, as much as I love watching him play. It's kind of a novelty at this point. And I didn't realize his numbers, Dan, his stats for the year played all 17 games. Obviously he had 13 games this year where he had zero or one tackle. That's, that's, that's not okay. Like you, you can't be that big of a contributor defensively when it comes to snap count percentages and getting snapshots and have zero or one tackle 13 games out of 17. It's just, that's, that's not okay. So whatever they do with, with Billings, if he's not okay to Go. It may prove to be somewhat of a benefit for the defensive line, which I hate to say, but we've already said this. He's probably not a guy that's here next year because he just doesn't fit what Dennis Allen wants to do.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did you see that the Texans just released Darrell Taylor?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

Or are planning to release Darryl Taylor?

[Dan Bernstein]

Released Darrell Taylor played four games early in the year, the first four games of the season. Former Bear was with the Bears last year. Had. I think he had three sacks or three and a half sacks last year for the. For the Bears, but played 16 games.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was number 52, second round pick out of Tennessee initially with Seattle in 2022. And they thought that he would be. And then they had to go out, of course, and get Diode Dangbo to be this year's version of Daryl Taylor.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

But now here's the actual Daryl Taylor.

[Dan Bernstein]

So if he's available, you can. You can pick him up.

[Matt Abaticola]

You could.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to that. Especially if there's another injury on the defensive line that'll prevent a guy from playing. Even so, in that case, if he's healthy and available to go.

[Matt Abaticola]

Coming off. IR said to be healthy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he comes off and they wave him.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would take a look at it, honestly, even. Even if Billings can go, you know, even with Robinson having a better game than we saw throughout the course of the season.

[Matt Abaticola]

Now, obviously, the defensive calls are all different. That was an Eber flu defense he was in last year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

But you figure somebody whose job it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is to go get the quarterback.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if. If so Yinka is not available with his concussion still, we just don't know where he's at. That's an extra body that rushes the quarterback.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

So, yeah, I mean, I would definitely take a look at it. It wouldn't be the worst idea at all to add another body on your defensive line that can get some pressure before we get. And speaking of that, too, real quick. We never really talked about Trayvon Diggs. No. Got in on one snap after all that. Absolutely destroyed, too.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

After all that on the screen, he gets there, you know, bring a body in with experience, and he gets in one snap and got rolled.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I wonder if they noticed that he was in and tried to take advantage of extra aggressiveness by running the screen.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, maybe. All right, what are you gonna say?

[Matt Abaticola]

It's possible. I was just gonna say that we had made a lot on DBU about the Ben Johnson post game in the locker room and his desire to set the example by embracing the rivalry with the profanity and all that.

[Dan Bernstein]

He didn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

It wasn't just, fuck the packers, right? Didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

He said, I hate those guys? Didn't he?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, it was more than that. And then it was, fuck the Packers. I hate those guys because I think somebody. He didn't say Green Bay. He said the Packers. And he was asked earlier today, does he have any regrets? And he said, this is a rivalry. The city of Chicago, Green Bay. It needs to be a rivalry. It's something I fully recognize and I'm a part of. I don't like that team. George and I have talked, and we're on the same page. All right, so he's not saying, yeah, I went a little overboard with that. I probably shouldn't have said that. He did not walk it back. He has doubled down by saying, I don't like that team. George and I have talked. We're on the same page. Is this real? I don't know. I don't know if it matters.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here's the thing. And we talked about this on dbu, and I said, I don't believe that it's real, but. And it's not a criticism either. But it doesn't matter that it's not real if it's not real. It truly doesn't matter, because what he's doing is very deliberate, and he's doing it for his owner. He's doing it for his team. He's doing it for the city that, you know, it's not even. Like, if you're putting a list of. On how important it is, the team is, like, lower on that list. It's more important for George. It's more important for the fans. I don't believe it's real. It's okay. It doesn't need to be real. And I'm. And I'm fine with the fact that he's fabricating this a little bit to appease the ownership and to get the. The crowd base and the fan base riled up. That's fine. Again, this guy does not do anything without a purpose. He's very deliberate in everything he does. This is one of those instances, and I think it's great. It's funny. It's funny to me. I'm not offended by it. I'm not bothered by it. I know some people didn't like the fact that he went, you know, it didn't seem very good sportsman. Like. Like very good sportsmanship. Who cares? It's the NFL. Your job is to go out and kill somebody that's lined up across from you to physically hurt them.

[Matt Abaticola]

And it's only sports, and it's words and it's sports. It's only sports and it's okay, and it doesn't really hurt anybody. We've got enough going on in our world that is hurtful and real and awful. And for them to be doing this right now just reminds us about just the joy of the escapism of the. Of the last couple of days.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the fact that he pointed out that me and George are on the same page, that just confirms for me even further that this dude is. He's. He's doing something here deliberate to appease his owner. Because I would love to know. I would love to be able to ask Ben, how many times did George mention Green Bay or the packers in your initial interview? How many times did it come up?

[Matt Abaticola]

Probably a lot. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I bet you if he did like a word scan, it was one of the most used words in that conversation.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like a control f, guarantee it kind of thing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, yeah. Green Bay or Packers came up a lot. And so he bought into it because that's. That's who writes the checks, man. Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's paying it off.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Again, you know, helps that you win.

[Matt Abaticola]

So there was a lot said after that game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, there was one last thing before we get into audio. I just saw the stat earlier today. The Bears on offense have had. They had zero, I think zero snaps with the lead in the three games against Green Bay. The offense had zero snaps with the lead in three games.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's incredible.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Is that amazing?

[Matt Abaticola]

That's incredible that this is just.

[Dan Bernstein]

There was not one snap, Dan, where the Bears offense had the lead.

[Matt Abaticola]

This is not in three games going to be replicated.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's not.

[Matt Abaticola]

It just. It's not gonna. It can't be. It can't be.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, for our sake, it can't be. Please.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

I can't do that. My chest was pounding watching that game Saturday night.

[Matt Abaticola]

You saw me last.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you were a wreck.

[Matt Abaticola]

You saw my hands shaking and I was just kind of looking around and nobody was near me. Nobody was bothering me until later. Boy, things are all chaotic. Everything went crazy in the city. I was not out, but apparently it was a fun night out on Saturday night.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Your kid in pca, right? Yeah. Out running the town.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hey, it's a hell of a crew. Get out of their way.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. As long as the Pavia boys don't show up.

[Matt Abaticola]

Stay out of the way. Watch out for any stray pavias coming by.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why choose a sleep number Smart bed.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can I make my sight softer?

[Ben Johnson]

Can I make my sight firmer?

[Matt Abaticola]

Can we sleep cooler?

[Dan Bernstein]

Sleep number does that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort comfort on either side. Your sleep number setting. J.D. power ranks sleep number number one in customer satisfaction with mattresses purchased in store and online. And now the more you buy, the more you save on beds, faces and more limited time. For J.D. power 2025 award information, visit J.D. power.com awards check it out at the Sleep Number Store or SleepNumber.com today. All right, here's some. Some audio from over the weekend that, you know, we obviously haven't heard yet on our show, but want to be able to discuss some things. This first one is Ben Johnson, and we're talking about the rivalry with Green Bay, and this is why it was. He was so fired up.

[Ben Johnson]

There's probably a little bit more noise coming out of there, building up north to start the week, which we heard loud and clear, players and coaches alike. So this one meant something to us.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, you talk about bulletin board material and. And we heard it. It fired me up. And I don't, you know, I don't wear a uniform, but I was pissed off hearing those players talk about they want the Bears and they're going to put the Bears season to bed. We want Chicago then even after the game, you know, it's nothing special. We just didn't close out. Yeah, you got to execute, dude. Your kicker can't miss two field goals. You can't miss an extra point. You can't give up 25 points in.

[Matt Abaticola]

The fourth quarter and say it's just us. It wasn't anything that they did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, fuck that. It was everything what Caleb did.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep. It wasn't anything that they did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did you watch what the quarterback was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Doing right when he threw out of the Jumpman logo on that 4th and 8th? Did you see that meme?

[Matt Abaticola]

It's great.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's super great.

[Matt Abaticola]

I was trying to explain it to Beth.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

About how ridiculous that throw was. And what had the biggest impact was that picture of the rotated Jumpman logo over him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like this. His feet are off the ground.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unbelievable.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, here's. This is also about Ben Johnson. Hang on a second here.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hang on, Hang on. I'm hanging on. It's okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I'm.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm good. All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this is Ben Johnson. No, I want to do this one first.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this is. Caleb was asked about his emotions on the sideline.

[Matt Abaticola]

I think you.

[Dan Bernstein]

You. You pointed out we were talking over the weekend about his body language, his. His emotion kind of out of character for Caleb, the way he was acting on the sideline.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it did seem like that there was a little bit of what Ben Johnson would call palms up. There was a little bit of the.

[Dan Bernstein]

And a lot more yelling and screaming. He was really animated in the sideline, which we don't see that often with Caleb. So he was asked about it.

[Caleb Williams]

You know, obviously, some frustrating moments, us just not doing our job, us, you know, not focusing on the details, us, you know, those type of things that in these games, you can't have. And so that was the frustrating part. That's where my. That's where my frustration. That's where, you know, some of the early. Early in the game, kind of me being vocal was coming from the. The anger and things like that. Just because it wasn't guys out there not giving effort and things like that was just guys just not. Not being on. On where they need to be at the right time and things like that. And so, you know, we're gonna go back, we're gonna watch the film, we're gonna fix it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. So he's asked about. He was very animated, yelling. They showed him a lot of. On camera. And then Ben Johnson was asked about Caleb's emotion and his display on the sideline as well during the game. He was extremely static on the sidelines and very vocal.

[Ben Johnson]

Yeah, you know, it's something that we'll talk about. You know, I think he and I both, we want to be. Try to be as stoic and steady for our guys as we can be. And he, you know, I'll talk to him and see if he felt like he could have handled anything any better than what he did.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I like that. I like that. From Ben Johnson with. He's so concerned with every aspect of Caleb Williams leadership, not just how he performs on the field, but how he portrays himself and holds himself and carries himself. I think it's really valuable that he is really concerned about the way he acts, because he said it matters to him. Because it matters. Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

He said. One of the first things he said when he took over this team was the impression that he got watching film of them under Matt Eberfluss was body language.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And this goes beyond body language as well, too. But yelling and screaming at guys, because their timing was off, they weren't in the right place. I get that frustration. I understand it But I think he needs to take his own personal behavior into accountability based on his performance too, because he doesn't always throw a good ball. So you can't go yelling and screaming at guys. And I know some quarterbacks get away with that. Peyton Manning's notorious for screaming at guys, get in their face.

[Matt Abaticola]

Brady used to do it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Brady would do it too. But that's not how Ben Johnson wants Caleb Williams to. To behave and to hold himself on the sideline. So I love the fact that he's going to sit down with him and say, hey, how do you think you could have handled this better or done this better? And we'll see how that reflects. Now we won't see any of it as the outside, but mainly Caleb. Caleb goes back to his guys and says, hey, I lost it shouldn't do that. You know, got to control that emotional better. I just love that Ben is concerned about every aspect of his leadership more than just how he throws a football.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I think that is because the quarterback is his extension. The quarterback is him on the field. That is the conduit, that is his mentality that everything has to be the same. And I think he's holding him to that responsibility as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because whether he needs to say it, he's like, you're representing me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Because when things are crumbling around you, you can't look like they are.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which is. Goes back to that analogy about the house being on fire and he has to stay in that house a little bit longer to find that extra guy to make that throw. Like when things are a disaster around you, don't. Don't look like it, don't show it. Because I'm not going to.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep. You're my proxy out there, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it's good. But I just love that he's that concerned about it. All right. And then Ben Johnson was asked about Colson Loveland and his development in play.

[Ben Johnson]

When we drafted him, he was still coming off the injury and so it took us, you know, he really missed the springtime and then training camp. You're trying to be smart in terms of how you're acclimating him not just to the offense, but physically, you know, getting, making sure his shoulders good to go. And so it did take a little bit of time before we, we built that trust with him, know, early in the season, you know, you play a Flores defense and he makes it a little bit more challenging to get the tight ends the ball sometimes, you know, it's hard to dictate where the ball goes against him sometimes. And so a little bit of a slower start early in the year and then it's, it's just kind of picked up and it's, it's click for us. And so I know Caleb has an immense amount of trust in him. You know, he's a guy that, he's one of the first ones in the building every single day. He, he's always studying his playbook while he's eating breakfast. He's always the last one off the practice field doing the jugs machine. He's been the model of consistency which for a rookie, you know, speaks volumes. And so as a coaching staff, I know we really believe in him and he's really just scratching the surface of what he's going to become.

[Dan Bernstein]

I was looking at some of the tight end numbers and it goes back to Mike Ditka obviously. Ditka, his Rookie year in 14 games had over 1,000 yards, had 12 touchdowns. He his average, his average for per reception was 19.2 yards.

[Matt Abaticola]

And you look at the names that are alongside Colston Loveland as far as some of the production and not to mention just the postseason.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

When you're talking about Keith Jackson, are.

[Dan Bernstein]

You talking about some of the greats and Gronk, the all time greats and Kellen Winslow at the position.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I said this in our post game and I'm going to say it again. The limiting factor for tight end development is in the classroom. It is really hard to learn everything you need to learn to an executable level. It isn't just knowing in your head, it's knowing on the field, it's knowing in the moment. Every run play, every pass play.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's why it's hard. You have to know. You have to be a lineman sometimes you have to be a fullback. Depending on what's asked of you. You've got to move all over the place. Be a wide receiver.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Wide receiver, yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And what he has done but Colston Lovelands, and he's got this sort of aw shucks, Idaho farm boy thing going, but the intelligence, the actual classroom intelligence that is needed to engender the kind of trust he has from the coaches is a tribute to the work that he's doing. And I'm not just talking about the jugs machine and jugs machine and being out there after and catching balls and running patterns, but really knowing every assignment on every play.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's about being in the playbook. Like mentioned, like Johnson mentioned there.

[Matt Abaticola]

It is so hard to be a good rookie tight end, let alone A.

[Dan Bernstein]

Great one and the like. For example, the key block on the DeAndre Swift touchdown run was Colson Loveland, you know, and, you know, being able to know all your blocking schemes and where. Where you need to be.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then, of course, controversial play, by the way, that the DeAndre Swift touchdown because of what Keyshawn Nixon didn't do at the end of it. Have you watched that?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I got to go back and watch it again. You know, we were talking about this. There was a play where I was screaming his number like, what the fuck are you doing? Like, yelling, because I hate the guy. He's such an annoying little prick. And I can't remember if it was that play or not where I was screaming at the tv, but there was something that stood out. It was so egregious.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, at the end. Watch the end of the DeAndre Swift touchdown where instead of making a tackle at the end, he leaps. Out of the way, out of the way.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Yeah, I'll go back and watch.

[Matt Abaticola]

He actually springs away from the play as he's scoring.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So Coastal Loveland, the key block on that touchdown run and also, too, not only lining up as a wide receiver, but the. The. The depth of his route tree, too, is. Is a lot more significant than what other tight ends will see as well, too. All right, so then that was b. Ben Johnson on Colson Loveland. And then we have. Caleb Williams was asked about Loveland as well, too.

[Caleb Williams]

We got a home run with him, you know, and that's something my coach said the other day to me. We were, you know, sitting in his office, and now everybody goes back to draft night, and why did we get Colston Loveland? Why did we do this and why did we do that? And Colston leveling, you know what I mean? That's who he is. He's one of the hardest workers on his team. He's there late, he's there early. His body language when he's on the field, all of that is, you know, I'm excited for what's to come. I'm excited for what we got, you know, to show for these next couple weeks and then, you know, what's to come in the future for our trust, our bond, you know, seeing different route concepts and, you know, being able to see different defenses and. And. And, you know, just honestly be on the same page, you know, 99% of the time.

[Dan Bernstein]

But just to hear the quarterback and the head coach talk about his work ethic and how it's there, and he's always working the Hardest worker, earliest, latest, always in the playbook while he's eating meals. And the body language because you really with, with, you know, outside of celebrating something positive, a first down or of course, a touchdown, his body language is the same. On a catch, on a drop, on a miss, on a route where he's not getting the ball, on a play where he's not blocking for the lead, he always carries himself the same. And I think it's really valuable and it stands out to me. For a kid who's 21 years old, that's something I try to talk to not only my boys, but kids that I coach. About your body language and about the effort you give when you're not getting the ball, about the way you act when you're not the star on that play, when it's not designed for you. And the work, the working hard. You know, I see kids in my neighborhood that are out in the front yard with soccer balls and, and cones that are doing drills on their own. You know, you're young kids shooting hoops. You know, my kids are shooting hoops a lot in the driveway when the weather's warm and they, you know, they want to go out and run routes in the front yard and I can throw balls. It's like that's the stuff that separates you from guys because he has all the natural skill and ability and talent and the body to be a successful player in the NFL. But it's that work that's going to make him one of the greats if he wants to do that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, at the moment, I think you made this point, you need two guys to cover him. There is no way the Rams go into this game and I don't care who, safety, corner linebacker. It's got to be two guys.

[Dan Bernstein]

You have to. And you know, one thing that we, we didn't discuss really in any, any detail except yesterday we. That two point conversion, that play where they immediately go into a 13 package. So you have, you have, you have Smythe commit and Loveland out there. The two Loveland and Comet on the ends, Smythe in the backfield.

[Matt Abaticola]

So Halfley comes out heavy.

[Dan Bernstein]

So Halfley comes out heavy. You have one legit, one defensive back in the end zone, one. One guy who can cover. And what does Ben Johnson do? Spreads them out. So now you got commit and you got Loveland out wide and you take Smythe out of the backfield and you have that one on one with a linebacker for Colson Loveland, a guy who had zero snaps in the regular season, was out There as an extra body.

[Matt Abaticola]

They didn't just spread him out either. They came out under center. As in, this is going to be. At least we're going to show you a run play because our quarterback is under center. Then when they saw personnel, he checked to shotgun.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. And then everyone spreads out, and then you have an easy open and a great, beautiful pass that only Loveland could get to. It makes a beautiful catch. I mean, it was just. It was a great, great play by Ben Johnson. All right, here is this. I thought this was. Was really interesting. And again, we talk about Ben Johnson being very deliberate and everything having a purpose.

[Matt Abaticola]

This.

[Dan Bernstein]

This blew me away when I heard this.

[Ben Johnson]

Your team was down 21, three halves.

[Dan Bernstein]

And obviously you've been in these positions before throughout the season.

[Ben Johnson]

But understanding the stakes, what was your.

[Dan Bernstein]

Message to your players?

[Ben Johnson]

Well, the, the one thing that we had done during training camp was we. We had shown the film of the Atlanta and New England game and the super bowl from. Was that 2016. I can't remember when, what year that was, but. But we have two players on our roster that were part of both those teams. You know, Grady was with Atlanta and Joe Tunney was with New England. And it was just great to get perspective from both of those players of how that, how that game went down. And I think it's just a good lesson to be learned that, you know, it's 28 to 3 in the middle of the third quarter, and yet, you know, the game still being played and there's a lot of time left. And that was my message to the group, was just reminding them that, that this has been done before. And rather than saying, woe is me and, oh, crap, we're in a hole. It's. It's more. This is a great opportunity for us to turn this thing around into a game that we'll never forget. And. And that's what they did.

[Dan Bernstein]

So when I heard that, I was like, why. Why would you say, hey, you know, in training camp we're going to pull out this game film. I know we have these two guys here. We're going to show this in training.

[Matt Abaticola]

Camp, and they made it their identity.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's showing a 28 to 3 comeback. You know, obviously you have Tom Brady, which doesn't hurt, but you got. You got Tuney, you got Jared sitting there. Both played in that game, and he showed it in training camp. That's how deliberate and purposeful this guy is. That's insane.

[Matt Abaticola]

And maybe we wouldn't even hear about it if things went differently. Who knows there's a lot of time in training camp. There's a lot of things that people do that you don't hear about that you don't know. There's some team building stuff. There's some stuff sometimes a coach just might say, we're all gonna come and watch a movie. Cause I like this movie.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but that's, you never know.

[Matt Abaticola]

But this is one where you can draw a line to how many games this year, to how many moments, to how many times that they said okay now, now, now we got them right where we want them. And no coach is coaching to do that. No, that's where the disconnect is. It is perfectly reasonable to say why can't they do this earlier in games?

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

What's going on? Is it strategic? Are there issues with their in game strategy when it's all need based? Well, I guess we gotta do this that they get better. I don't know the answers to it. I don't want to live like this. I don't think you can.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, Ben doesn't want to.

[Matt Abaticola]

Of course he doesn't. He's not stupid. But the fact that you can do this starts to seep in. It starts to become a part of your thinking that no deficit is, is enough to keep you out of a game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now this leads into our next cut it all. It all works together. So here's the question and answer from Ben Johnson.

[Caleb Williams]

Caleb got off to a slow start today passing wise.

[Dan Bernstein]

How did you see him Kind of just stick with it.

[Ben Johnson]

We get down like we do and you kind of. Well, we're going to have to throw it a little bit more and if anything that probably gets him into more of a rhythm, you know. And so, you know, it's a balancing act as a play caller because I do feel strong, strongly about our running game and the guys up front and our running backs and it's big, been a big part of our identity on offense. So. But at the same time I do, I do love seeing Caleb getting that rhythm and in that confidence up and you know, the more opportunities he has normally the more explosive we become on offense as well. So you know, it was just one of those things. I think he just started feeling it there in the fourth quarter and made some big plays for us.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this is a dilemma that coach and quarterback are going to have to figure out going into next season. This whole idea because we've heard Caleb talk about being warmed up, not quite warmed up, my legs aren't underneath me. And then Ben just talking about Getting Caleb in a rhythm and this dilemma of going away from your running game, which has been the strong part of your season. The best unit you have is your offensive line. You're, you know, you're starting running back is having the most productive year he's ever had. You're rookie running back is having an unbelievable season for rookie year and finding that balance as a play caller. As he said, man, I got to get my quarterback warmed up, but I can't deviate from the strength of our team yet. I need to get this guy warmed up. And yet the strength of our team is running the football. So they're going to have to figure this out and get this whole idea of getting into a rhythm or getting warmed up a little sooner into a game. Figure that out somehow.

[Matt Abaticola]

Why didn't they run the ball better?

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought they ran the ball well outside and Green Bay was determined to stop the run between the tackles. And it was hard to run between the tackles against Green Bay.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm not sure if they were, I would have to really go back through the film and identify which blocks were missed, but it looked like Green Bay had an idea of whether it was going underneath rather than chasing over and around. There seemed to be some backside pursuit where they were, they were shutting off some of the cutback opportunities and making everything a little slimmer visually.

[Dan Bernstein]

See what, what I, what I saw though, I, I, I thought that Green Bay defensively did really well filling gaps. Where the Lions game, we saw a lot of guys coming and trailing from the backside like they, they knew what was going to happen. Like they were funneling the Bears running backs to where they wanted to go because they knew they had a guy coming backside. Green Bay filled the gaps really well, I thought, and I wanted to see them extend the plays a little further on the outsides to kind of alleviate that a little bit and use Swift and his speed to get out there. I was hoping they would, they would, they would do that, but that, that's what I saw from Green Bay. I thought they played really well in the gaps to contain and kind of limit what the Bears could do running between tackle. I also, and I don't know, I didn't hear this, I didn't see this from anyone. I'd be really curious to know how Drew Dahlman was feeling because he had a, he had a bad game, thought he had a difficult game blocking and certainly had some bad snaps. We saw, of course, on the one, the play that Caleb threw, the interception in the red zone, Dahlman took the Wrong guy on the block. Leaving tooney to block no. 1. And that. That guy came through on. That would have been Dolman's guy right at. On Caleb. So I'm wondering how he was feeling, because there was a lot of sickness going through. If he was. If he was feeling his best. If he was. If he felt his best going into that game because he had a tough game.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, Dahlman better be ready because Puna Ford is. Is a long day. Yeah. Puna ford is like 5, 10, 3, 20. He's a very interestingly shaped.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a good size human being.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And he's. He has got a low center of gravity and is. Is a. Just a boulder out there. So it's. Dolman's gonna matter a lot. Whatever angle and whatever help he's gonna get on Ford, you. You have to make sure that you're not allowing him to wreck the middle.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, let's hear from Caleb on that fourth and eight play, the signature play of that game.

[Caleb Williams]

We ended up having, like, a looper or a blitzer. I haven't obviously gone back and watched it yet. And he ended up breaking through, you know, and I felt the edge I could have got around, and I knew. I knew where the play was going, and so I wanted to go in that direction with Rome and just didn't have enough time to be able to sit there and throw a ball in the pocket and wanted to go in that direction because, you know, I saw the space before when I was dropping back, and so, you know, I went in that direction and honestly, just understand it's fourth down. I gotta. I gotta put the ball in play. And, you know, Rome went and made a great catch adjusting to the ball. I threw him upfield. I knew. I think 25 was trolling him. And so, you know, put it up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Field a little bit.

[Caleb Williams]

It creates an awkward angle for him and makes it a little bit easier to catch for Rome.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. I'm glad he gave us exactly that explanation, because I wasn't sure seeing what he said. 25, seeing Manungai break his route downfield in the scramble drill, I wasn't sure to whom that was intended, but it is clear it was indeed on that diagonal crosser that it was Rome.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. To Roman. Dropped it right in there like he handed it to him. It was stupid.

[Matt Abaticola]

Unbelievable.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Really great play.

[Matt Abaticola]

An all time great Bears pass.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

An all time great throw.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, that was. That was the season right there. That play. That play is your season.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

That doesn't happen. Packers win. Yep. We're not talking about Bears and Rams. We're talking about Bear season being done and recapping.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that and the Missfield goals and the.

[Dan Bernstein]

It happened. It still happened. They didn't execute. All right, Caleb, on the touchdown to DJ Moore, it was perfect call.

[Caleb Williams]

We end up throwing a screen early in the game. And so it sets it up, you know. You know, to the same side. And so it sets it up. And then, you know, being able to have that play call that we worked for, I think, the past three or four weeks and, you know, just didn't use it in those other games. And then, you know, in the right moment at the right time, you know, coach calls it just as he does, and, you know, the guys did a great job selling it. Obviously, DJ Made a great catch. Just put the ball out there for him to, you know, go out there, make a catch for us and go in the game.

[Dan Bernstein]

So they've been working on it the last three or four weeks. And again, this is what Ben Johnson does, has this play. They work through it, saves it for the exact right time. Now, they ran the screen to Luther Burden on third and eight in the first quarter. He gets the first down. So they do the same thing. They set it up perfectly. But, Dan, this was a play that the Bears stole from the Washington commanders. This is what Washington.

[Matt Abaticola]

McCaffrey.

[Dan Bernstein]

This is what Washington did to the bears in week six.

[Matt Abaticola]

Daniels wide open for the touchdown.

[Dan Bernstein]

McCaffrey, everyone's in zone. He jumps Debo Samuel thinking that that's where the ball's going on the quick screen. And look, McCaffrey's wide open. I mean, there's no one in the. In the screen, on the television screen.

[Matt Abaticola]

I thought the packers were in, man. I thought I.

[Dan Bernstein]

They might have been in, man, but the Bears were in zone against Washington.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

But it's the same idea.

[Dan Bernstein]

Same idea. And even so much to the point where Cole Comet was lined up as your right tackle. Darnell Wright was lined up on the left side. He was lined up as a tight end off the left tackle on that play.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I'm waiting to see what that sets up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. What's the complement to that play?

[Matt Abaticola]

It's going to be right.

[Dan Bernstein]

So now you have, like, couldn't you have.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. Do that thing where you block and leak?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Yeah. Because you. Because you. Then you take those three receivers and you send them out, and then he just. He trails out behind as an out route. 100%.

[Matt Abaticola]

You sell the block, he stays into block. They move out of that Bunch. And then all of a sudden, he's wide open.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just a thought.

[Dan Bernstein]

Compliment there.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just a thought.

[Dan Bernstein]

So all the way down to taking the personnel, the formation that burned them. Brings it back, runs it with his guys for three or four weeks, and then finds the perfect place to use it.

[Matt Abaticola]

William throwing. And it's caught for the touchdown by DJ Moore.

[Dan Bernstein]

They look like they're going to just throw a quick screen to Luther Burton, watch Caleb Williams pump it, and then release DJ Moore down that left sideline. Same exact thing. I mean, all the way down to the line. The alignment with. I mean, I love it. Darnell Wright lines up as a tight end. Cole Commence is your right tackle. It's just great. Unbelievable. Just a great place. So it burns you. They watch the film. Johnson says, all right, we can put that in. Let's work through it. And we'll wait for the perfect spot to pull it out.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, we had a problem with that. We'll give you a version of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I love it. I love it.

[Matt Abaticola]

And there's so many plays that we've not yet seen. And you know that he's deciding right now what's going to be potentially active alive in the game plan for this week. And there always are. Every week. There's going to be some. If we get this look, and I don't know if they watch tape first. They probably do. They probably will have an id. Advance scouts have already gone through it and they might say, hey, this would be when. When you see this. This might be a good time for this, this, this or this. Because they've got it all memorized.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I'm sure. Before the Bears packers game even happened. It's like, who's the possible opponents? Those guys are. There's guys on staff looking at.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And film. Way ahead of it. All right, so just taking a look at where things stand right now. Obviously, Bears host the Rams next Sunday. Seahawks will host the 49ers. So my NFC prediction has come through so far because I said I want the 49ers going to Seattle to beat them. Bears beat the Rams. Bears get to host the NFC championship game at Soldier Field against the 49ers and get to take down Brock Purdy. Finally, Broncos will host the Bills in the divisional round. And then the Patriots will host the winner of Steelers and Texans tonight.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let me give you another piece of information for Sunday afternoon or evening. This is the current forecast during the day Sunday, 16 degrees. Winds west at 10 to 20 miles per hour. Sunset at 4:48pm the nighttime, 9 degrees wins west at 10 to 20 miles per half.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, well, that's nothing then 10.

[Matt Abaticola]

To 20, but 9 degrees. And Matthew Stafford is not Jared Goff. He's. He has played plenty of games in cold weather. Guy was in the NFC north most of his career and I am not a huge believer in bear weather. We told that story last week. You know, for every Falcons Michael Vick game, there is a Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, NFC Champion Championship game. But just, Just something to note if you're making plans to head on out there.

[Dan Bernstein]

I.

[Matt Abaticola]

There's no. Now that the cheese grater hats are done, there's no giant piece of foam rubber that's going to keep you warm for the Rams game. I don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I know Stafford did play a lot in the NFC north, obviously, before moving on to la. The. But his numbers. I saw.

[Matt Abaticola]

I should have.

[Dan Bernstein]

I should have saved it. But his numbers. In certain temperatures, like below a certain degree, his numbers drop off quite a bit.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Turnovers increase. So I know maybe there's a factor to. Because what he went to. Where'd he go? Georgia. Yeah. Was he a Georgia guy? Yep. And then where was he? You remember? I don't even remember where he was before he went to college.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's from Texas because wasn't he. He. He and Clayton Kershaw were played in high school together. Right. Wasn't he. He was Kershaw's catcher.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, was he really? Okay, so. Yes. Maybe he doesn't like the cold weather.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I mean, a lot of people don't. Yeah. Dallas, Texas.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Yeah, I don't like the cold weather.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't mind it. It's been fine now. I mean, come on.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, if I had to play against the Bears defense in cold weather, I'd be terrible.

[Matt Abaticola]

It would be the cold weather.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because it wouldn't be nothing if it were to dome.

[Dan Bernstein]

You'd be fine. Oh, I would kick the shit out of them if I was in a dome.

[Matt Abaticola]

Absolutely be fine. The last time. Is that right? The last time the Bears and the Rams actually met in the playoffs was the NFC championship game of the 85 season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

In January of 86.

[Dan Bernstein]

And there haven't been many playoff games to go back through to think through that. But. Yeah, no, that's correct. That's the last time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that was a good one.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

I really liked that.

[Dan Bernstein]

So we're gonna. We're gonna try to track down Dieter brock and his 74 year old self. See what he's up to.

[Matt Abaticola]

See who Else is see if he.

[Dan Bernstein]

Still has, like, shakes about the Bears defense.

[Matt Abaticola]

Eric Dickerson is around there. There are others you could probably find. But yeah, I don't know about old Dieter, how interested he's going to be in reliving that, especially if you show him that picture.

[Dan Bernstein]

I love that picture. I was. I was hoping to find a picture of the defense running with the snow falling, but nothing. That picture of William Perry just giving it to. Looks like it doesn't. It doesn't look good. Yeah, it looks like he had a tough day there.

[Matt Abaticola]

Why is that man on top of you?

[Dan Bernstein]

How'd that go for you? Not good.

[Matt Abaticola]

Bad? Not good. Not good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So that's the David Dieter. If you check YouTube, that's the thumbnail photo we used for.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

For DBU.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, cool.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Tomorrow on this show, we're going to have. Tim Jenkins is going to join us.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

But you know what?

[Matt Abaticola]

Here's the thing. I can't wait to talk to Tim about this because so much of what Caleb Williams does is just. It's so beyond the breakdowns. It's so beyond the quarterbacking. And, like, this is what you do. And this person goes over here, like, you can never teach somebody to do some of this stuff.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. He's obviously going to look at offense first. He said when he looks at game film and I mentioned defensively, like to compare first and second half. If he is able to have the time to do that before we talk. He said he'll give it a whirl and see if he can see what differences he sees in the Bears defense from the first to second half.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, good.

[Dan Bernstein]

We'll go from there with that. That's about all I got.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Before progress.

[Matt Abaticola]

I know. Well, we're going to talk a little bit about the other playoff games we said because we spent a lot of time or.

[Dan Bernstein]

As far as the audio is concerned.

[Matt Abaticola]

As far as the audio. You're good on that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I think the quote of the day just happened. I think. I think the Ben Johnson quote about saying he doesn't like the packers and he and George are on the same page, that he felt comfortable enough mentioning the owner, the chairman and CEO by first name. When it comes to. Do you think that you were using a swear word and you shouldn't say those things about your rivals? No, no, no. I don't. I don't like him and George is cool with me doing it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. On the same page, basically saying Jordan like him either. So that's why I think he's he's doing it. He's doing it, man. There's. It's. It's not fully real, but he's bought into it, and he's. He's doing it for the benefit of the ownership and for the city, for the rivalry itself, you know, Wants to create something with Matt LaFleur who's like, I don't. I'm gonna get fired. What the fuck is going on here?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. The different thing is where other coaches have paid lip service. And it always has bothered me. I know we gotta beat the Packers. Lovey Smith, when he took the job. I remember when the initial press conference when Lovey got hired, that they had Ditka call in.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, if I beaten Green Bay.

[Ben Johnson]

Well.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he said, well, Coach Ditka, I'll be calling on you. It was just so emasculating, so unfortunate that they made him do this dance where you've got. It was his day. He was the head coach, but they made him live, get the blessing of Ditka. And they had to go through this whole pantomime of beat the packers, beat the packers, where Johnson has gone the other way with it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Johnson.

[Matt Abaticola]

Johnson's steering into it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's like, oh, I'm not supposed to like the Packers. All right, fine. Fuck the Packers.

[Dan Bernstein]

I hate the Packers. Him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck them all.

[Dan Bernstein]

But, you know, oh.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, my goodness. He's using these words about the Packers. Is this okay? Then they give him time to cool off. He's like, yeah, that's how I feel.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. George are good. Yeah. You know, and I think. And no one gave any. Any points of contention at all to the handshake that Matt leflore gave Ben Johnson in Green Bay just six weeks ago. He gave him a drive by handshake.

[Matt Abaticola]

That was more than a drive.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, dude, that was in. That was. That was after the fact, man. That wasn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

You know, just that it allows, dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

You don't see that when NFL coaches, when they meet after a game, it's. It's not a. It's not a run by, like the floor did first. Yeah, he did it first.

[Matt Abaticola]

Good game. We'll see around. And then we saw that picture of Eber Fluss at a Bulls game. Was it a Bucks game?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't even know.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was either Bulls or Bucks. Maybe Bulls are playing the Bucks and it was Eber flu. Sitting with Lafleur, I'm like, oh, that's cool.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Because if you go back and see the handshake after the Bears Win in Soldier Field. They stop and they face to face and they. There's a few words exchanged. And then Ben took it to a new level because of all the noise coming out of the. They're building that building up north. A lot of noise out of that building up north. And players and coaches, you know, we heard it. So, yeah, he's going to give the old run by barely handshake and leave lafleur like, what. What just happened?

[Matt Abaticola]

Huh?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And now Matt lafleur latest report is that there will be negotiations regarding an extension. See, who knows?

[Dan Bernstein]

I still think he's. He's going to be. He's going to be gone out. He's fired. Like you, you don't need to have conversations about. About a contract extension. Either you want to extend the guy or you don't. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

The fact that you would have to talk about whether or not you want to. I think it's about the terms. I think we will extend you for this long at this rate, and this will vest if you win a Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. But you know how you kill all that is you say, yeah, Matt LaFleur is our coach moving forward. We're going to get a new deal worked out with Matt LaFleur. This is what we want in Green Bay. And if it doesn't work out, it's because LaFleur ends up walking away from it.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I think he'd get hired right away.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think he would, too. I think he would, too. So I'm still going to stand by it that he's done coaching the Packers.

[Matt Abaticola]

You should.

[Dan Bernstein]

And John Harbaugh be the guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Believe me, if you ever had a week to stand by stuff. Yeah, this is your week, Matty.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fucking Jaguars, though.

[Matt Abaticola]

I wonder how many people went back in the chat to actually confirm that you did what you did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's all there. Right. If you go back to the live link, you can actually see it come in in real time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. I've never gone back to do that. Yeah, I know. You've gone back to watch and see some of that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. And you can. You can restart the live chat.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then you can watch what people are saying at the different moments. Yeah, it's. I mean, it's one thing to look at win expectancy, it's another thing to see what is being said. Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because people. Yeah, they were done. Oh, they were just done. There might have been some people done with Ben Johnson.

[Matt Abaticola]

You should have seen my group chat. Oh, oh, this is over. Oh, this is. Oh, this Is this is over? But it was 14 to 3 and it was like, well, oh, I mean, what else are we doing? What's the next sports thing? What are we on to next? It was. It's very easy. And here's the other thing too, where somebody put this. And I meant to mention this too. Somebody put it in the comments. Who said no? Maddie, I'm not ashamed because when a team is losing that badly, you're supposed to think it's over just because the Bears are the anomaly. It's still true that more than nine times out of ten you do lose that game. More than nine times out of ten, you don't make that pass to Roma Dunes A to keep it alive. The guy doesn't miss field goals. So all it does is reinforce that it is proper behavior to not believe in them. And I saw that saying, well, next time this happens, I'm also gonna think it's over and they have no shot because that's the way a reasonable person would think.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, then I'm not reasonable and I don't wanna be reasonable when it comes to my team.

[Matt Abaticola]

I thought that was a very fair clap act.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, it's fine, it's fine. It's very, very, very well said.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I understand that if the same circumstances keep presenting them to you and that's your response, you're gonna be right more often than you're wrong. But here's the question, what's more fun? It's just sports. What's more fun for you when you're watching is to meep all out is to just be like, they can still do it, they can still. Or. But see, I do it because it protects me. I do it as. No, seriously, I immediately try to self soothe by making myself feel better just to say like, well, a rational person would say it's been a great season and this is the start of things and sometimes it's just not your day and all those things and that's. My mind will start doing that. That's part of my worrying thing. That's just the way I'm wired is to begin compensating if not rationalizing for why the Bears would be bad. But if you really did think that they're going to come back. Yeah, then that's, you know, I didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Doubt it at all.

[Matt Abaticola]

That level of faith is something some people have a more difficult.

[Dan Bernstein]

I had to tell my, to tell my 13 year old, hey. Because he was like, it's over, it's over, it's over. I'm like, buddy, it's not over. A lot of football to go. It's not over. Got to believe in it. The Rams, the running backs rushed for 102 yards in the game. In the win against Carolina on 24 carries, Matthew Stafford was 2442 for 204 yards, had three touchdowns, had an interception. He was sacked one time rating of 94 for the game. Puka Nakua Dan had 10 receptions on 18 targets, had 111 yards, 11.1 average, one touchdown along of 18. Devonte Adams with five, Higby at two, Parkinson at two. Running backs had four catches out of the backfield, but 18 targets, 10 receptions, 111, one touchdown. That dude is, he's. He's something different, man.

[Matt Abaticola]

I found the moment I gave up.

[Dan Bernstein]

When was that? Where was it in the game?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know. 7:51pm So 7:00 clock game here in the second quarter. Jason texted over, over, over period. So over period. And I texted back, agree.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh man.

[Matt Abaticola]

He texted 750. I texted back at 7:51. And then at 8:18 he said, worst game of the season. They look so awful. I can't comprehend all of this, hope and everything for this. And my response was, so it goes. And he said, as much as I want to say great season, it's hard to say that when this is what we see.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, got to wait till the fourth quarter.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just incredible. And then that, then the texting was done for the night.

[Dan Bernstein]

All hell drinking began.

[Matt Abaticola]

He came home and started waking everybody up at like three in the morning.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, after he went out. He went out when our show was ending.

[Matt Abaticola]

You saw him at the end?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Do you know what he was doing at the end of our show? Like, I'm sitting there working and he comes running down the basement.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know, I was there. I saw your face and I heard him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yeah. Well, he, we have like a stuffed animal bear. This big stuffed animal bear.

[Dan Bernstein]

Was he, was he being William Perry to Dieter Rock?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, he wasn't doing that, but he was doing the, the Conan o'. Brien. The bear was touching himself.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. He was making the bear enjoy his own company. Okay. And, and then he's trying to get.

[Dan Bernstein]

A reaction out of you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Yeah, he was trying to, to, to do that. And so they were. Then they left again and then they came home later and they were like waking. He was waking people up and woke me up and I get out of here. Go, go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just to, just to say goodnight.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, he like woke up Zoe and he's like you're the best sister ever. I know. I never tell you, but, you know, I just want you to know. You're. Then he's like. He came in to me. He's like, hey, the bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

The bears. I mean.

[Matt Abaticola]

Jason, I'm sleeping.

[Caleb Williams]

Is it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay? Go away.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it's called Shots.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was. It was. Diego, guess what it was. Shots of.

[Dan Bernstein]

No idea.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll give you three guesses.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tequila?

[Matt Abaticola]

Nope.

[Dan Bernstein]

Malort? Yep. Oh, gross. Fucking disgusting.

[Matt Abaticola]

So the next day, what were you doing? He goes, we were doing Malort shots. I specifically don't. I said, just be careful with shots.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's great to be 21.

[Matt Abaticola]

I said, those get away from you. You know, you feel like you're indestructible.

[Dan Bernstein]

And immortal and you think, I could do another.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just, like. Just don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. One minute you're sitting at the bar, next minute you're Mark Sanchez.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know if it goes that far that you end up getting stabbed.

[Dan Bernstein]

But, you know, we watched Words to Live By.

[Matt Abaticola]

One minute you're sitting in the bar, the next you're Mark Sanchez.

[Dan Bernstein]

Last week we watched that Chad Powers, that doc, that show on Hulu. It's Glenn Powell. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was nominated last year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that's right. Saw the Golden Globes. The female coach on the team, kind of. I think it's going to end up being his love interest. That is Mark Sanchez's wife as an actress.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Had no idea.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. That Golden Globes production last night, I.

[Dan Bernstein]

Was hoping you watched it last night. I know you like award shows. I do, too. And it was awful. The production was brutal.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, I watched it here and there. She had priority on the big TV I was watching in the basement. And then. Cause she wanted to watch red carpet, which she couldn't get on the upstairs. Smart tv.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So we had it all figured out. But then when I started cooking, I can't be in the basement and making chicken Vesuvio at the same time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, yeah. Can't see the TV down there, right?

[Matt Abaticola]

I can't. I just can't run up and down and run up and down. And I'm not gonna be like, you know, browning chicken in a pan and leaving it there and running away, the whole thing. So we figured it all out. But. But I was watching it during commercials.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was bad.

[Matt Abaticola]

Bad. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

So there's like. There's two voiceover guys talking, and they were. Yeah, I couldn't shut up. Yeah, it's not good. And then when they would. They'd have the nominees they would like drop a pin above them where they were sitting.

[Matt Abaticola]

Who cares?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, yeah, no one cares.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, and I didn't, I didn't. They weren't identifying people. Like when sinners got the award, like the token award for. You're not going to win anything important, so we're going to give you this award and say, oh, nice job, sinners. And I didn't know who the first person was. The second person wasn't identified. Like, tell me who these people are.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, they didn't do that. And then of course, one battle after another had the sweep of screenplay and comedy and director. So good for him.

[Matt Abaticola]

If you haven't seen it, I'm on five times now. I've seen it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Have you really?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's great. Teyana Taylor is just a Twitter force. She is an absolute force in nature.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, she was great. Great acceptance and great dress. Best presenters were Bateman and Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. Because, you know, they're walking upstage and the, the announcer guy took some shot at Bateman. And so Sean Hayes goes into his little. He's reading the script and, and Bateman's like, hey, you're just gonna, you know, are you gonna let that go? And he's like, what happened? He's like, voiceover guy just said that Bateman's not everyone's taste. And Arnett's like, well, he's not wrong. You know, he's always really funny. They had a really good little, little bit put together there. Amy Poehler, who won for best podcast.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then she said to her parents, you can watch the Patriots now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, really. She had a really great acceptance speech. Judd Apato, who gave out the award for director, had a really good little monologue there that he didn't hear that it was funny. It was very funny.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did he mention that all his movies are 20 minutes too long?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he didn't, but.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then it's weird that in every movie people have to say his wife is hot.

[Dan Bernstein]

He mentioned that he'd taken a 10 year hiatus from this award show and, you know, no one noticed or knew and about how he, he must have been giving out the direct best director because they, they assume that or they think that he's just as good as all these people getting the. So it was funny.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's really funny.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, Spielberg, though. They showed Spielberg during it and I don't, I don't look on his face was like, shut the fuck up. Move it along. Or if he was. This caught him in a moment. I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

What did Snoop say that got bleeped?

[Dan Bernstein]

I have no idea because it was.

[Matt Abaticola]

Bleeped, But I thought maybe you would know at this point what he said because all I heard was like, you guys kept me up here too long or something.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was complaining about, but I don't know. He got all like. Isn't he all, like, MAGA now and weird?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, he performed for Trump at some thing and he got some.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it clapback? Is that the negative thing? Is that what the kids say today?

[Matt Abaticola]

Blowback. Oh, blowback. No, a clapback is your response is a positive thing. No, a clapback is your response to a slight.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Ben Johnson]

Oh, okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Got it. Yeah. So maybe that was his clap back, whatever he said. I don't. I don't know. I don't know what he said. Yeah, no, I didn't. I didn't bother. I wasn't that interested in finding out.

[Matt Abaticola]

What it was as bleeped, so fair enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. But no, it was. It was entertaining. That is, I like seeing the. The. All the actors. Although there was a commercial that ran every commercial break for a new show, new Ryan Murphy show with Ashton Kutcher called Beauty. Yeah, it's. I don't. The Ryan Murphy stuff. I don't get into.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't even know Ryan Murphy is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, he's done all the, like, the horror. The horror shows on whatever network. That is not helping me. Lady Gaga was in one. I don't just Google Ryan Murphy. And I'm sure the TV show, the series will come up that he does. I don't know what it is.

[Matt Abaticola]

I didn't watch any. I got nothing.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't want to. You know what I found out last night because of the Golden Globes. I had no idea because I don't watch Family Guy. You watch Family Guy?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I never did. Never have.

[Matt Abaticola]

Really?

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't know that Mila Kunis, she's Meg. Is Meg. I had no idea. Oh, no clue. Because she presented for animated, and I was like, oh, that's interesting. And then Natalie's like, oh, well, she was Meg. And I'm like, meg from what? She's like Family Guy. I'm like, since when? She's like, like 1999 and Seth Green is Chris. Yeah, I didn't know that either.

[Matt Abaticola]

So.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, I learned that.

[Matt Abaticola]

T. I. Congrats.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, congrats to you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Family Guy's good. It's just. It's just gags. It's Just a string of gags and some work and some don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I've never watched. I never watched Simpsons.

[Ben Johnson]

Really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Even as a cultural touchstone, like, even the early ones, the Conan o' Brien ones.

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've never sat through an episode.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the only. The only time I've ever seen bits of it is on, like, online.

[Matt Abaticola]

I can watch three episodes. You have to watch.

[Dan Bernstein]

Probably not.

[Matt Abaticola]

You really should.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm not going to Gabo. It's not going to happen.

[Matt Abaticola]

Monorail still won't happen. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, just. I'm not going to. And nothing against you. I just. I'm just not going to.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, but without commercials, it's like 20 minutes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm good. I just. Yeah, okay. I know it's funny. And every time I've seen something online, I've laughed, but I just. It's just not my thing.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, Yeah, I get it. No, I've got. I've got. I've got.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'd rather watch cooking shows.

[Matt Abaticola]

Sandra Lee's semi homemade, your favorite. Well, first you get a bag of Oreita Tater Tots.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, first you got to open the bottle of wine.

[Caleb Williams]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

Drink half of it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Then we start the boxed cake recipe that we have here.

[Matt Abaticola]

This is called Jiffy Cornbread.

[Dan Bernstein]

Open box, pour box and bowl, add liquid, bake. This is good.

[Matt Abaticola]

This has been semi homemade.

[Dan Bernstein]

We're gonna put a little chardonnay in this batch, see what happens.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, no, we're not gonna waste that. We're gonna keep the chardonnay over here.

[Dan Bernstein]

All righty.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, that'll do it. And that is forward progress. We're going to be busy, busy, busy this week, breaking down all of it and everything. When it comes to the injuries, the roster, the preparations, the history, every bit of it is going to be right here. If you're a Bears fan, this is can't miss stuff. Obviously, from the last 15 minutes, you can certainly tell that. Forward progress, a Chicago Bears podcast on 312 Sports for Progress has stopped. 10, 219, 219.

[Dan Bernstein]

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