← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Johnson and Williams - need to build on Cowboys win
00:35:49
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- [00:04]
A
10, 2 19, 2 19.
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B
Forward progress a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.
- [00:21]
A
And welcome to it. It is Forward progress here on this Tuesday. The Bears are off, but it's an off day. That probably feels a little bit better for them coming off of a win. We will find out how Ben Johnson decides to coach this and we heard a little bit from him yesterday regarding the possibility of Jalen Johnson having surgery, which I think we all expect to be the case. I know that those decisions are all being finalized and we'll find out. I want to find out what the actual quote unquote new injury was when this happens. But it does appear like the Bears got out of this most recent game without anything more horrible happening to them. So good. And for the most part they played well. We looked at some of the PFF grades, not surprisingly very strong for Caleb Williams at 76.8. His performance for Caleb Williams had his 2025 PFF grade at 78.1. That is a 10 point increase over last seasons. He has the the sixth highest PFF grade pro football Focus among all quarterbacks with at least 100 drop backs this year. That is a legitimate, objective sign of progress. However you feel about some of these advanced numbers.
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B
Yeah, no, that, that's great. And looking at real quick, go back to Jalen Johnson. They say it's possible he returns. I know it's early in the year. I just don't know how. I mean, if there's a surgery to repair a core muscle.
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A
Yeah, I heard the term core muscle and we know groin. So is inguinal hernia. Is that. Would that. Usually you don't see that happen acutely, which is what's interesting that usually that isn't something where you're oh, I did it, I'm lying on the field. It happens over time. Something starts to develop. It gets worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. I don't think I've ever seen somebody acutely leave a game with a hernia.
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B
No.
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A
Ever.
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B
Right.
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A
So maybe that was just sort of like the last straw.
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B
Yeah, I guess. But I hope that if, if the surgery happens relatively soon here, that he has the ability to come back and play at a very high level. I just, you know, I just, I see that as a very difficult, very difficult possibility. Even though we're coming into week four, still lots of football left. But I just, man, I just don't know how he can play at a very high level coming back from that kind of surgery.
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A
I don't expect him back and I expect them to have to. What you do is you just you've got to rush the hell out of the passer because without him it changes everything you do in the back end, even when Kyler Gordon is back. That I think that looking at it at the moment they're going to play a shell and try to get the quarterback on the ground.
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B
Well, I'll tell you this. This is from friend of the show Courtney Cronin. She shares this on ESPN the lowest blitz rate in the league. That's the Bears 4% seems to reflect the Bears determination to get pressure with the four down lineman but but the lack of results are concerning. They are tied for the fifth fewest sacks 5 and are third worst in pass rush win rate at 23.3%. After recording 0 sacks 4 QB hits against Detroit, the Bears came away with two sacks against Dallas, including the first of the season for Montez Sweat. But it has not been enough to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So that that's a problem. And if they're going to continue to not blitz at all and keep that kind of a shell type pressure and scheme on defense, they're not going to continue to get pressure on the quarterback with just the front four. And you take in consideration Grady Jarrett, not 100%, not completely healthy, but still out there playing. That has an impact on that as well too.
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A
I'm also looking at the latest video that we're seeing from our buddy Ari Levy and the long line that is forming at Winner's Circle as we speak. I don't know if you looked. It is literally around the block. There's still a drizzle out there. Caleb there or no, not yet. Says on the marquee it says free glizzies Tuesday. Caleb did it for tuddies.
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B
Oh boy.
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A
Ouch. Come on. Look, look, I know he's.
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B
No, he's speaking the language of the kids.
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A
Of the kids. The kids are getting three glizzies for the four tuddies.
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B
Yeah. I remember the first time I heard the term glizzy when was asked what boys wanted to eat and it was glizzies. I was like what in the. Like it's a whole different language that they speak now.
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A
Yeah, I the Jason always used the term grease missile that I'd never heard. Apparently it's a golf thing. He got it from watching all his golf youtubers and stuff. They would say grease missile of the turn.
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B
Okay.
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A
After nine, grab a dog.
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I get it.
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A
That's always his down for it. He's. And I can't. If I'm playing well and I eat at the turn, I start playing badly.
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B
Oh, really?
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A
If I'm playing badly and I eat at the turn, I keep playing badly.
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B
Oh.
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A
So you know what I'm thinking? Eating has nothing to do with it.
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B
You're just bad.
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A
I'm thinking, if I was playing well at the turn, that was just dumb luck.
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B
You probably should just quit at 9.
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A
I do sometimes.
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B
And not play the turn.
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A
I played last time I played. I just played nine.
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B
Yeah.
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A
We went out to Robert Black and the Sultan of Guilt, and I got in a good nine. We were both terrible, but it was a good time.
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B
Yeah. I think a hot dog on the golf course is a key. Very important.
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A
They taste better there.
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B
They do. They do. The best golf course hot dog I've had was at Glen Flora in Waukegan.
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A
Okay.
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My buddy. My buddy Jason's a member there. So I went out over the. Over the summer. And he's like, these hot dogs are unbelievable.
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A
You know who's got a good one? Bows Creek in Elgin.
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B
Okay.
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It's the sister course to the Highlands of Elgin.
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Okay.
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Bows Creek, they've got really hot. And brought at the. It's a perfect little halfway house.
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Yeah.
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You just kind of roll your way around downtown toward the 10th. Great, great hot dog turn there.
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B
Yeah. He was telling me that the ones at Glenn Flora are great at the turn. And I'm like, it's a hot dog. And it was. It was great. It was really, really so. Best one I've had. Glenn Flora. And yours is Bows Creek.
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A
Bows Creek. That was the. Although they. They caught me fishing and they yelled at me.
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B
Oh, really?
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A
Well, they saw I had a. Well, they said, were you fishing out there? Maybe. You can't do that. We're not. It's all private lakes. I'm like, I know. That's where the giant fish are.
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B
But right now, though, especially for today, the best. The best glizzies. The best hot dogs right now because they're free. Wiener circle.
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A
Wieners circle.
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B
Get your ass over there right now.
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A
They're setting up for lunch out here for us today. Did you see. They got big tables. I did not see condiments set outside and condoms.
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B
Or is it. Oh, condiments and condoms.
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A
Yeah. I just think you might need both.
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B
We have any glizzies?
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A
I don't know. There were pickles, there was mayo, and there was mustard. I did not see ketchup.
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B
Oh, so it's probably own Hot hamburgers or. You gotta be ketchup for that, Right?
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A
So maybe it's like turkey sandwiches or something. I don't know. All I know is it's free and I'm gonna be eating it when we get done.
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B
Hopefully they have shirts for you, too.
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A
Oh, got another one today.
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B
What'd you get?
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A
It's another free shirt from the Cameo people. Oh, When I sign up on Cameo. Oh, nice. You know the little videos you do?
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B
What percentage of your wardrobe is free?
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A
Oh, what would you say? Well, less now that Beth went out and bought me a bunch of shirts.
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B
Okay.
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A
But a significant portion. And the rest is probably Old Navy, 60%. Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, I'd like. Well, no, no, no. If you're talking about value, like, none of my. Like, my suits aren't free.
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B
Well, no. Well, okay. How many of those were from the thrift store?
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Two.
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B
Okay.
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A
Two sport coats. Not the suits?
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B
No. Let's move. Oh, here. Real quick, about the Raiders, too. The first half of the season, the Raiders are the 8th worst in points allowed. They're the 3rd worst in total yards allowed. That's first half only. The Commanders pick the Raiders apart through the first two quarters. Sunday, 20 points, 259 yards, including 174 on the ground. Remember, that's Marcus Mariota was starting for the Commanders in that big win, 41 to 24 over the Raiders. So it's there to be gotten in the first half. And we know that in the first two games we've. The Bears have scored on their opening drive, those scripted plays. So I'm really excited to see what Ben Johnson has in store for the Commanders or for the Raiders for the Bears to get on the board early in the first half.
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A
Yeah, I know we're going to break the game down. As the week advances, we start talking about it, but, you know, early returns from just my observations of Ashton Genty. He's tiny. He seems so much smaller than his listed height and weight. I think they have him at what, 5, 10, 215 or 5' 9?
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B
He's not 5' 10.
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A
He just. He's really good and he's got a great center of gravity. I'm not taking it, but he just. Next to NFL guys, when you actually see him in a real game surrounded by NFL players, he looks like he's Kyle Manungai's size.
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B
Yeah, and that doesn't help when you're not blocking at all. The run blocking for the Raiders in addition to the pass blocking has just Been terrible.
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A
Yeah. I'm starting to think that if Genty maxes out, he could have one of these super bright, burning short careers. He could be someone who just runs, runs, runs, runs, runs until he breaks. Because he's gonna take some hits. Cause he does run to contact. He's good and fast and skilled and great hands and great in space and all of that. But he's just. I don't know if he's sturdy enough to be able to endure over time.
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B
You know what, though, Dan? Time will tell. Oh, indeed, time will tell.
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A
Thank you for that wisdom. I rely on you for that.
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B
Well, then we're all screwed.
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A
Last night's game.
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B
Yes. When I got home from football practice, I popped it on.
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A
Well, it was a. When Ben Johnson, when he describes the way he wants the team to look out of the huddle and approaching the line of scrimmage. And sometimes this is one of those things that's greater than the sum of its parts of description. I get what he's saying. When you watch the Lions, and I'm sure part of its projection, but you watch a team that is, they come out of that huddle and get to the line looking like they're going to win that rep, looking like they're going to kick your ass. And everything's tight, everything is with a purpose. You don't see them wasted movement. You don't see one guy looking up, another guy looking down. They're. They're, as they say, on the same page. And it makes me feel a little better about the Bears outcome. Not the 52 to 21, but they're going to embarrass a lot of people doing what they did to take over that game and rest control of that game from the Ravens like that.
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B
Yep.
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A
That could be your super bowl preview.
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B
Well, you look, in the game last night, the running backs accounted for 218 yards rushing. David Montgomery went off in 12 carries, 151, two touchdowns. Gibbs added two other touchdowns, but they combined for 218 yards rushing. The running backs did.
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A
And Montgomery had the most Montgomery run ever, too. Where he breaks free.
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B
Oh, that 31 yard.
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A
No, nobody in the screen. What was. It was like 57 yards, right?
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B
Yeah. And there's.
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And there's. He's the only guy in the shot. And I said, they're going to catch him.
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B
They caught him.
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A
And. Oh, yeah, they. And he did the veer. He did the whole thing like, oh, he can't get me. I'm going this way. Oh, God. They're like, no, no, no, you're slow.
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B
But he had that, that late 31 yard touchdown run late in the game. That was just a beautiful run.
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Yeah, I'm not saying I just the one thing. So the reason why he was a third round supplemental pick was that he doesn't have home run speed, but, man, he's a.
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B
He's been a really good running back for his career, though. Really good. So you hate Dave Montgomery and Luol Dang.
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A
I got it.
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B
I'm just going to jot that down.
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South Central basketball program. Yes.
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B
Clear.
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Clearly. Yes, absolutely.
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B
Yeah. No, I just, I, you know, when you, when you talk about the, the Lions and how it looks and what Ben Johnson wants and, you know, we go back to yesterday, his comments that we played and they were from the, the post game show talking or the, the post game press conference talking about how proud he was of Caleb to be able to get the calls out of the huddle quicker, get to the line quicker, look a little cleaner. You obviously know that they're working hard to develop that in him. And it just, it makes me wonder now he sees the goal in mind, what he wants it to look like, what he wants Caleb to look like, what he wants the quarterback on his team to look like. Coming out of the huddle, calling the play, getting things set up, recognizing what's happening before. Before the snap as well. Where. Where was it starting at when Ben Johnson got here? Where. Where do you think he was? What do you think he thought things were at? And then he gets here and it's like, all right, this is where I need to develop my quarterback. Because after, after, after game three, he's proud of the quarterback for getting the calls out of the huddle quicker.
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A
I think by this point he has settled in to an understanding that he has a lot more work to do than he thought. We've been saying that consistently.
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B
Have your lift.
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A
You've been saying the term that.
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B
Boy, love that song.
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A
I got to do this too. I got to do this too, where I've got to reset so many things to factory defaults. So many things. It's like, all right, I need this guy. Like he just came out of the box.
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B
Yeah.
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A
I take off, take all the programming, all the cookies, everything on this hard drive and wipe it.
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B
All right? So if he's wiping it with Caleb, because again, after game three, he's talking about how proud he is that he got the calls in the play, in the huddle and got out quicker, which.
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A
He knows sounds like damning with faint praise.
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B
Correct.
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A
It's like, oh, patting him on the head. Oh, you got out of the huddle just right.
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B
Good. And it's fine. Whatever. Like I said yesterday, it is what it is. Okay? It is. I'm not criticizing it. Just it's the reality of the situation. It is what it is. How much of that was prior to NFL career starting and how much was done last year with the coaching staff, we'll never know.
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A
We'll never know because we've had to sort through the poorly reported Tyler Dunn story and what I think we said when we were talking to Jack Silverstein. It doesn't mean that everything in that story was wrong. It just means we can't trust anything because of how sloppy it was. Because of how sloppy it was. Because some of the words that were being chosen. But the overall, the body of that, the preponderance of that story seems to me former coaches wanting to crap on Caleb and say it's not their fault that this didn't work because he needed so much work and was so untrained. So there's something, there's some kernel of that that may be true. When we watch the tape of what he did in college now, I don't know how actively the Shane Waldron experience and. Or the Matt Eberflutz experience or Thomas Brown and all of it made everything worse. My gut feeling is significantly, because in large part, he was surrounded by idiots and. And the more that I hear about just how bad Eberfluss was and how the vast gulf, the lack of connection between Eberfluss and the players, just what had gone on there and how that all that fabric needs to be woven back together, that I think a lot of it is true. But when we hear Ben Johnson's praise of Tyson Beja, he really gets it. He really gets it. He really gets it. He understands what we're trying to do. And I think you pointed that out, saying that that's real, he intended that. And then afterwards, maybe he does realize that that sounds like in the negative space, that we don't see a criticism of his starting quarterback, who matters more. But there's something there. There's definitely something there. But the good news is Caleb Williams is looking better. The decisions are quicker. There he is going through his progressions. Look at the DJ Moore touchdown, where he looks this way, he looks that way. Rolled out, he rolls out. He draws the layer of the defense toward him, and he's got a guy and a bullet absolutely wide open and pins it on him.
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B
Yeah, it was great. It was Great. So I just wonder, coming out of college, despite all the success and the accolades coming out of college, Heisman Trophy winner, where was the deficit in compared to an NFL level? And then how much deeper did that deficit sink based on the experience last year? And where is Ben Johnson pulling him from? Let's get him to that NFL level.
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A
At least I'm going to presume it was a significant drop from the moment he stepped on the field. Just because of everything you have to do to prepare for the draft and everything we're told about the questions. They say, get him on the board. Yes. And that he has. Yes, you can put on the board. Yes, that he has to. He has to regurgitate all of these plays, spit everything back out. The stories about Caleb telling, I forget which coach it was where. There was a very specific play that he had. Memory. What do you. It was day ball.
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B
Oh, yeah.
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A
Brian Dabel. Well, what do you do here? Well, I would do this, this and this. And he's like, well, why are you saying that play? And everything was off the charts. How good he was at understanding this is the front. This is where my eyes are. This is where. So he couldn't have been completely oblivious. Like the story about who was the Baylor quarterback. Bryce. I'll remember that. He was asked, well, what do you do against this front? And he said, what's a front? And this guy's like, oh, okay. Because in the college offense. No, but it didn't matter. You didn't have to know what the front was. So I think it was somewhere. He had to. He had to understand enough to at least fool these coaches.
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B
Sure.
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A
Into believing that he knew all this stuff because otherwise something in the scouting reports, somebody, Dane Brugler or somebody would have said, boy, this guy's a lot further behind than anybody knows. Okay, somebody would have.
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B
So we'll see.
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A
Doubt.
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B
Yeah, I guess. Well, you know, we'll obviously never know how much that. That deficit sunk further because of last season. And I also wonder too, like, I don't know Caleb at all, but I wonder what kind of. What kind of impact his ego may have had on things last year too, you know, because he certainly had to feel very good about himself being the number one pick and, you know, having all the success in college and being the man that had to play some part into maybe not connecting, even making it more difficult to connect with the coaching staff last year and then the fact that they seem to be complete morons with the whole thing really made it worse. So I guess the whole Point is, how deep of a hole is Ben Johnson pulling Caleb Williams out of? And we're seeing bits and pieces of it, like when he says things, really proud of him for getting the calls in quicker. And again, that's not a criticism of him. It's just the reality of where things are. But that that stuff stands out if you listen to it.
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A
Bryce Petty, by the way, I had the first.
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B
Oh, Bryce Petty. Yeah.
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A
Baylor quarter was. I would have never had that. In an effort to feel better about the Bears, I would like to point out bad things that are happening to other teams.
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B
Okay.
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A
Does that help you at all to just say, hey, it's one thing if we are constantly here in forward progress obsessing about what the Bears are doing. Other teams have problems, too.
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B
Yeah, because there was a headline that came through today that I was. I had to open it up and read it and be like, make sure I was reading it correctly.
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A
Other teams have problems, too.
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B
Yeah, like.
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A
Like for instance, the Falcons.
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B
Yes, that's the story.
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A
Okay. Well, there's two stories there that, first of all, Raheem Morris said that they're going to take the offensive coordinator, Zach Robinson, out of the booth so he can stand next to Michael Penix Jr. And be more communicative with his quarterback.
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B
Okay.
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A
Because it's always one or the other.
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B
Right. Either he needs to be in the booth or now it's out of the booth.
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A
Get him off the sideline, get him up to the booth so he can see the game.
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B
Right.
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A
Well, why doesn't everybody do that? Doesn't it seem obvious? It's one of those binary things in football. Like if you run a 4, 3, and it's bad. Everybody wants you to run a 3, 4. If you're taking snaps under center and it's bad. Shotgun, magic shotgun.
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B
Right.
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A
It's always the other. It's one of the binary NFL things where that's got to be the problem. It has to be the other thing that you do. And that'll.
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B
That'll fix it.
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A
Everything better.
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B
I've never, never understood an offensive coordinator being on, on the, on the sideline. I don't, I really don't.
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A
Like, you can't see anything.
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B
The advantage, you seeing the entire field and everything, that's. That's gotta be more valuable than standing next to your quarterback.
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A
Make it a video game. Make it a video game. As close to a video game as you can. I don't want to talk to the quarterback. I want the quarterback to do exactly what this programmed play is supposed to I mean, even.
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B
Even watching a high school game on the sideline, it's just like, God, it's better to sit up higher in the bleachers to get a higher view of it. You want to be on that press box. And the NFL level, I just don't get it. If I'm, If I'm the oc, I do not want to be on the sideline.
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A
And that isn't the only thing that the Falcons did.
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B
This was the weird story.
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A
Three games.
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B
Not weird, but season. Yeah.
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A
Three games. They have fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and hitting coach Greg Walker.
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B
Because that's the problem.
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A
Yes. They've also fired Greg Walker.
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B
Yes.
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A
Just announced. Because they think that that's. That they don't have the right approach and he wasn't getting in people's faces. So they have Gary Ward coming in.
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B
All right, so they're off to a 1 and 2 start. MM got just destroyed.
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A
But how is it the wide receiver, coaches fault? I don't know. Is there some. Like, I understand when the. At least when the Bears fire an assistant coach in season, it's because he's creeping on women in the office or he's watching porn at his desk or he's forgetting pants and meetings. Like, at least the Bears do it all the time. But at least in the Eberfluss administration, it's because you're hiring creeps. So that I get. But there's. I just think they're setting an example because Darnell Mooney isn't good enough. And that's Ike Hilliard's fault.
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B
Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I don't. I don't understand. I mean, that maybe that lost the Panthers is all on Ike Hilliard. I don't. I don't know. I mean, they lose 30 to nothing in a game that you wouldn't expect that to happen, especially after beating the Vikings the previous week. And then you go and lose 30 to 0 to Carolina. So it's like, that's it. I got in the building. Yeah. It was weird. I was weird when I saw that.
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A
But does she get to take his personal belongings?
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B
Well, no, they're in the same room with yours.
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A
Mine with my Powdered Toast man figurine.
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B
Yeah. So then TJ Yates takes over as wide receivers coach who's currently serving as the offensive passing game coordinator. I think. The former quarterback. Yeah, the quarterback. I think he's. I think he might have been. He's been with the Falcons a couple seasons. He had a different role, I thought before as well. Too.
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A
T.J. yates. That's one of those guys.
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B
Yeah.
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A
Stuck around a while. He was rostered for a while on a bunch of teams. That's the best job. Good.
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B
Giggy can get it for sure.
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A
That's the best job. You can't really ever fail. Once you make the NFL as a quarterback, you can take these backup jobs, you can stick around and then, you know, the world's your oyster at that point. You could start one of these academies where you watch film and you talk and there's. It's a really good job.
- [24:00]
B
So he started in 2019 as a coach offensive assistant for the Texans. Then he moves to assisting quarterbacks coach. Then in 2021 he joins the Falcons passing game specialist. 22 to through 23, wide receivers coach 24. He was the quarterbacks coach last year, started this season as the passing game coordinator and now becomes the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator.
- [24:24]
A
Wow. That's all. That's a big responsibility there. You got to do both of those things. I don't know what they.
- [24:30]
B
Good for him.
- [24:31]
A
Yeah.
- [24:31]
B
Congrats.
- [24:33]
A
I've got another.
- [24:33]
B
Pour some out for Ike.
- [24:35]
A
Another schadenfreude NFL story if you want to worry about another team. The coach that I have designated as the first to be fired. Titans head coach Brian Callahan.
- [24:46]
B
Yeah. Back to the auto parts store.
- [24:48]
A
He has now relinquished play calling duties. He has handed them over to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardigree.
- [24:56]
B
So you think he had a meeting? It was like, fellas, here's what I've learned. I'm not good at this.
- [25:00]
A
Well, we did this with Matt Neg.
- [25:02]
B
Someone else is going to do it too.
- [25:03]
A
Everyone neglected. Fine, okay. Bill Laser can do it. You want Bill Laser here? You never heard of this guy. You couldn't pick him out of a lineup Here. Bill Laser will call plays. I guess I won't do it anymore. So it's same thing like this. So this guy's on his way to being fired. Do you ever get your Jew ever re solidify your job after surrendering play calling duties under pressure? It's like, does a manager ever keep his job after firing the hitting coach?
- [25:33]
B
Man, yeah, yeah. That that situation happens. You can fire the hitting coach and then replace the hitting coach, but because.
- [25:39]
A
You'Re bad at hitting and not saying because the hitting coach was a creep or did something weird like I always wonder about.
- [25:45]
B
It's just weird though if you're like, I'm not very effective at play calling. We're struggling offensively. You do it. Okay, now I'm going to take it back because I've learned from what you do.
- [25:54]
A
I think Ron Zook did that with Illinois.
- [25:56]
B
But like, if. But if the guy that replaces you is successful, what are you doing? You can't take the job back from him.
- [26:02]
A
Right. And why are you. You're hired. Brian Callahan was hired to be the offensive supermind.
- [26:07]
B
Right.
- [26:07]
A
And I was like, well, I'm not doing this anymore.
- [26:11]
B
Right. This guy is so he just wants to be the guy in charge. He'll take like a Matt Eberfluss approach as the CEO.
- [26:18]
A
Okay.
- [26:19]
B
Until he starts play calling with his headset on backwards and over in the wrong way.
- [26:25]
A
What do you think, coach?
- [26:30]
B
Well, I guess, you know, him being the first assistant fired was wrong. I mean, he's a wide receiver's coach, so like. But I didn't.
- [26:37]
A
I'm not doing odds on first assistant fired.
- [26:39]
B
Yeah. I think Matt, first head coach is going. You think Jerry Jones is going to.
- [26:44]
A
Fire him, but what. That's not going to do anything.
- [26:45]
B
It's going to make Jerry feel better though.
- [26:47]
A
Okay.
- [26:48]
B
Yeah.
- [26:48]
A
I have no problem with him firing Iberflus.
- [26:51]
B
Is CD Lamb going on the ir.
- [26:54]
A
They said high ankle sprain. So it's going to be three to four weeks at a minimum, right?
- [26:59]
B
Yeah. And then Nick Bose is out for the year. Torn right acl. That's not the first time.
- [27:07]
A
Okay.
- [27:08]
B
He's had multiple knee things, so he's done for the season.
- [27:10]
A
Okay, fine.
- [27:12]
B
Yeah. Just, you know, some big stories there in the NFC for our Chicago Bears. Opening doors, please.
- [27:21]
A
Every has injuries and the Bears aren't done having their own injuries.
- [27:23]
B
Oh, no, they're done. They started off the season, multiple injuries. They're. They're done now. They're healthy the rest of the year. That's how it's going to go.
- [27:30]
A
Oh, I had no idea.
- [27:31]
B
The rest of the nfc North. Dan. Minnesota plays at Pittsburgh. Every team's on the road.
- [27:37]
A
Okay.
- [27:37]
B
Cleveland goes to Detroit and Green Bay gets the privilege of playing the Dallas Cowboys this week. And Matt Eberfluss. So they're all on the road, though. So Green Bay at Dallas. Detroit. I'm sorry? Detroit's at home with Cleveland coming in town. And then Pittsburgh and Minnesota. So Minnesota gets to go and play Aaron Rodgers.
- [28:00]
A
All right, I have a Bears trivia question for you.
- [28:04]
B
I want to know what the question is because I have an answer for you.
- [28:07]
A
All right. I don't know if you do or not.
- [28:08]
B
I do.
- [28:09]
A
Next gen stats.
- [28:11]
B
Got it.
- [28:12]
A
Keeps some official numbers. It's the equivalent of Statcast for baseball and one thing they track are the fastest ball carriers. Okay. Now this. Don't look.
- [28:25]
B
I'm not looking.
- [28:26]
A
What are you looking at then?
- [28:27]
B
I'm looking at lunch.
- [28:29]
A
Oh, it's out there already.
- [28:29]
B
No, I'm looking at nothing. I was looking at protein bar. Sorry.
- [28:32]
A
But they're bringing us lunch.
- [28:34]
B
Yeah, I know.
- [28:34]
A
Okay, so you're not cheating.
- [28:37]
B
I'm not cheating.
- [28:38]
A
Okay.
- [28:38]
B
I don't have next gen stats up.
- [28:40]
A
Next gen does the fastest ball carriers. This is not average.
- [28:45]
B
Not ball handlers, ball carriers.
- [28:48]
A
This is based on any one play. The fastest a ball carrier has moved in miles per hour.
- [28:56]
B
Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, I've seen that. Stat.
- [28:58]
A
Okay. There are three. Excuse me? There are two. There are two Chicago Bears in the current NFL top ten.
- [29:09]
B
Really?
- [29:10]
A
Yes. There are two Chicago Bears in the current top ten of the fastest ball carrying moments in the league so far this year. Who are they?
- [29:24]
B
All right, let's think. Rome, dj.
- [29:30]
A
No. How many?
- [29:31]
B
I'm just. I know, I know. I'm just. I'm going through my head and thinking guys who have. I've seen run with the ball. Rome, D.J. swift, Loveland.
- [29:46]
A
And it can. It could be any event. It doesn't. It doesn't any reason why somebody has the ball in his right.
- [29:53]
B
I mean like, like Wright is a possibility because he had the pick six.
- [29:57]
A
That's number four.
- [29:58]
B
Oh, is it really?
- [29:59]
A
Nayshaan Wright, okay. Is fourth behind Jonathan Taylor at 22.38 miles per hour. Jameer Gibbs at 22.34 miles an hour. Brian Thomas Jr. Of Jacksonville at 2213 and then Nayshaan Wright at 21.66.
- [30:18]
B
Okay, so that's pretty cool. No, that's very cool. So there's one more in the top 10.
- [30:24]
A
Let me give you the other names before. The next bear is number nine. Number ten is Tyreek Hill. And in between Nayshaan Wright and this guy, Taekwond Thornton, DK Metcalf, Derrick Henry and Miami wide receiver D. Eskridge.
- [30:43]
B
How about on a return? How about Luther Burden?
- [30:47]
A
Nicely done. Luther burden, a 36 yard kickoff return reached a speed of 21.01 miles per hour.
- [30:55]
B
Wow, that's fast.
- [30:57]
A
I didn't think you'd get Nayshaan. Right. I'm impressed.
- [31:01]
B
Well, no, he was. He was gone. He was gone.
- [31:05]
A
Now. Now. I said can you name. There is right.
- [31:08]
B
Right after we said he shouldn't be playing anymore. Remember the game we text, they were like this guy needs to be off the field. And then like Two plays later, there was the pick six.
- [31:18]
A
He's not good.
- [31:19]
B
No, he wasn't good. It was bad.
- [31:20]
A
He's not good.
- [31:21]
B
He's given up a couple passes and it was like, oh, boy, this is bad. And then the pick six.
- [31:24]
A
Who's the next Bear on the list? And I will tell you this, you haven't named him yet.
- [31:31]
B
Caleb Williams.
- [31:32]
A
Yes. You are looking.
- [31:34]
B
I'm not. I swear to God, I'm not looking. Here, look right here. Come over and look. Those are NFL rushing stats.
- [31:41]
A
Okay. No, you're not. Yeah, very good. Caleb Williams, 20th on a 13 yard rush, reached a speed of 20.45 miles per hour.
- [31:52]
B
Well, don't give me too much credit because it's not. I mean, you're thinking about the Bears and guys running with the football.
- [31:57]
A
I know, but. But to think that he's up there with some of the. Well, you can.
- [32:01]
B
He can fly.
- [32:02]
A
I know. Well, but yeah, I mean, not like Justin Fields could. He's fast, but I didn't think he was wide receiver fast.
- [32:09]
B
Yeah, he can be.
- [32:11]
A
I just thought that was kind of neat.
- [32:12]
B
Yeah.
- [32:12]
A
There you go.
- [32:13]
B
So two bears in the top 10 I do like. And I'm glad that you look at those because I know you don't look at the next gen stuff too often. I think that's cool. There's. There's some really fun stuff to look at.
- [32:21]
A
Every once in a while I check in just to see if there's some interesting names on there.
- [32:26]
B
And we'll see if our guy, Nayshaan Wright can stay in the top five. Yeah, he'll be playing a lot.
- [32:32]
A
I just want him to stay with his man.
- [32:34]
B
You don't care where he is. Right?
- [32:36]
A
Right. More importantly, stay with that guy I'm so concerned about.
- [32:40]
B
So the guy you line up across from, stay with him. That's the plan. Stay with that guy.
- [32:45]
A
If he's chewing gum, I want to know what flavor he is.
- [32:48]
B
I my. And again, we'll, we'll get more into it as the week goes through. Find Ford progress breaking down the Bears Raiders. I'm. I'm really concerned about Max Crosby. I'm just, I'm really concerned about, about. Especially the comments he made after, after their loss. The commanders. He just, he seemed angry.
- [33:06]
A
He's always angry.
- [33:07]
B
But he seemed extra angry, though.
- [33:09]
A
He's always extra angry.
- [33:10]
B
He seemed extra, extra angry.
- [33:11]
A
If you had two X's in your name, you're extra, extra everything.
- [33:15]
B
Well, maybe he was extra, extra, extra angry. This time.
- [33:18]
A
It just got a third X in his name?
- [33:20]
B
Well, then he'd be a porn star. He'd make porno books.
- [33:24]
A
Porno books in your special room?
- [33:27]
B
Yes, in my special porno book library. With the ladders and everything.
- [33:31]
A
Does it have the entryway with the plastic beads hanging?
- [33:35]
B
It does. And it has a butler, too.
- [33:37]
A
A butler for the porno books in.
- [33:40]
B
The porno book library.
- [33:41]
A
Wouldn't that be a porno book librarian?
- [33:43]
B
No, he just serves coffee and tea.
- [33:45]
A
Oh, then who handles the porno books?
- [33:47]
B
The librarian.
- [33:48]
A
Okay, so you have a separate librarian.
- [33:50]
B
Yes, and a butler at a desk.
- [33:52]
A
But the butler just makes sure you're. You have what you need.
- [33:54]
B
Coffee and tea.
- [33:55]
A
That's it?
- [33:56]
B
Yeah. Because we went alcohol free there last year.
- [33:59]
A
You know what? I think that's a big step for you.
- [34:01]
B
Thank you.
- [34:01]
A
In that room. I don't know what it does to the clientele, but.
- [34:04]
B
Oh, there's no clientele. Just for me. And then read the kids books at night.
- [34:08]
A
Porno books. Yes. Shuttle around, boys. We got a special one for you today. You know what a kielbasa is?
- [34:21]
B
It's one of my favorites. Always wins the sausage race, too.
- [34:26]
A
Kielbasa?
- [34:27]
B
Yeah.
- [34:27]
A
No, it doesn't. I think bratwurst occasionally. Do they still do that?
- [34:32]
B
Last time I went to a Brewers game, yes. Okay, well, I shouldn't say I went to a Cubs game. They just happened to be playing in Milwaukee.
- [34:39]
A
That's going to a Brewers game. It was a Cubs game, but that's going to. You went to the.
- [34:43]
B
I went to brewers ballpark. But it was for a Cubs game.
- [34:47]
A
Fine. That is going to do it for today's forward progress.
- [34:51]
B
Whatever.
- [34:51]
A
What? What?
- [34:52]
B
Does that make you so angry?
- [34:53]
A
It doesn't make me angry.
- [34:54]
B
You're so exasperated.
- [34:55]
A
I'm not it.
- [34:57]
B
Just exasperated and master debated.
- [35:01]
A
No, that.
- [35:01]
B
You are a great master debater.
- [35:03]
A
That's. Leave me alone. I'm master debating.
- [35:07]
B
All right, let's wrap this thing up. Say thank you. Say goodbye.
- [35:10]
A
Thank you, everybody. And like. And subscribe and do all the things that you do to be a part of what we do here. We're going to get more into the matchup with the Raiders and discuss all of your Chicago Bears and NFL things right here in this space on Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast.
- [35:38]
B
Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312Sports.