← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic talks Chicago Bears - Philadelphia Eagles | Happy Thanksgiving
00:36:12
Loading summary
Transcript132 lines
- [00:01]
Sleep Number Advertiser
Why choose a Sleep Number Smart bed.
- [00:02]
Sarah (AM PM Advertiser)
Can I make my sight softer?
- [00:04]
Kevin Fishbane
Can I make my sight firmer?
- [00:05]
Dan Bernstein
Can we sleep cooler?
- [00:07]
Sleep Number Advertiser
Sleep number does that cools up to eight times faster and lets you choose your ideal comfort on either side your Sleep Number setting Enjoy personalized comfort for better sleep night after night. It's the final days of our Black Friday sale. Recharge this season with a bundle of cozy, soothing comfort. Now only $17.99 for our C2 mattress and base plus free premium delivery. Price is higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Check it out at a Sleep number.
- [00:29]
Anytime Fitness Advertiser
Store or sleepnumber.com today everyone wants to be stronger. Not just physically, but in every part of life. But between confusing workout advice, complicated equipment and trying to figure out nutrition, where does anyone even start? Well, to get stronger mentally and physically, go to Anytime Fitness. You'll get a personalized training, nutrition and recovery plan all customized to your body, your strength level and your goals. You'll get expert coaching to optimize your results Anytime anywhere, any in the gym and on the Anytime Fitness app. And you'll get anytime access to 5,500 gyms worldwide, all with the right equipment to level up your strength gains and your life. So get started at anytime fitness.com that's anytime fitness.com I mean if you're a.
- [01:14]
Kevin Fishbane
Bears fan, you're thinking Forward progress. Come on. 10219 219Forward progress a Chicago Bears Podcast.
- [01:29]
Matt Abaticola
With Dan Bernstein and Matta Batacola on 312 Sports.
- [01:35]
Dan Bernstein
This is forward Progress, the Chicago Bears Podcast. I'm Dan Bernstein, that's Matta Baticola. We are brought to you by Beer Church Brewing, New Buffalo's Brewery Pizzeria in a historic church Wood fired Neapolitan Pizza small batch craft beer brunch every day. Visit beerchurchbrewing.com if you are listening right now as you are prepping your feast. Thank you for doing so. And I think maybe after you get this all done, Beer Church is a perfect place for you to go watch the Bears game tomorrow. You got time. It's a 2 o' clock start. You drive out, you sit down, you order a flight of the beer tasting. They bring it out to you in a cross. You order a couple of pizzas, perfect place.
- [02:16]
Matt Abaticola
And then a flight of gelato and you're good to go. And as we bring in our good friend here from the Chicago Bears beat, he too a lover of Beer Church Pizza.
- [02:27]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, famously so. To the point where it actually reached the our guy John, the owner there and was certainly so Pleased. Kevin Fishbane. You can follow him on Twitter at kfishbane. He of the athletic, the award winning and certainly I don't know if he's still, Are you still the top sports writer in was it Illinois, Chicago or the Midwest?
- [02:49]
Kevin Fishbane
Thank you, Dan. I passed that green jacket to Mark Potash last year. So, so that had to hurt.
- [02:54]
Dan Bernstein
That had to hurt. I had to be a tug of war to give it to Potsy.
- [02:57]
Kevin Fishbane
Well, you know Mark, he had, you know, he, he, he said he gave me, with all due respect as before, I gave him the jacket. But can I, I don't want to have to give a beard church story every time on the show, but I've got one for you.
- [03:09]
Dan Bernstein
Another one.
- [03:10]
Matt Abaticola
Let's hear it.
- [03:11]
Kevin Fishbane
It's relative to Thanksgiving last Thanksgiving. So Bears, Lions, Detroit, we all know what happened the next day. I went, I went to New Buffalo on Friday and it was funny because I was sitting in the airport waiting to see if that zoom was going to happen. You remember the, the yes.
- [03:30]
Dan Bernstein
Where they let him do it even though they were in the process of firing him.
- [03:33]
Kevin Fishbane
So I'm sitting there like on a bench by baggage claim and my father in law is in the cell phone lot and we're going to go up to New Buffalo, you know, for the weekend. And I'm just, I said, you got to wait. If this, if this zoom happens, I'm good, I can come to Michigan. If not, I'm going to have a heck of a weekend. And the zoom happens.
- [03:56]
Dan Bernstein
You're like, okay, he's good.
- [03:57]
Matt Abaticola
I'm good to go.
- [03:59]
Kevin Fishbane
He's good. Hop in the car. We head up to, we head up to Michigan and you know, two hours later I was. And then my wife and kids get meet us there. And I say hi, you remember how I missed Thanksgiving because I was in Detroit? I will see you in about eight hours because E was just fired. And this is where beer church comes in. I'm quite confident that that was what we had for dinner that night. So thank you.
- [04:26]
Dan Bernstein
To when you can finally reunite with your family and celebrate Thanksgiving.
- [04:30]
Kevin Fishbane
Now, I might have had, I was gonna say I might have had my pizza at like 10 o' clock at night after doing, you know, three radio shows and writing five columns and what whatnot. But it was, it was exactly what, what you needed after another coach firing.
- [04:44]
Sarah (AM PM Advertiser)
Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling, even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell, Oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy.
- [05:02]
Kevin Fishbane
Break up with bland breakfasts and taste AM PMs bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AMPM Too much. Good stuff.
- [05:14]
Dan Bernstein
All right, so assess the validity of the following statement. This is a statement that I've made earlier in the week and that I believe that the outcome of the Bears Eagles game isn't as important as the quality of the Bears play. That they. At the very least, it is most important that they compete. That. That they look like they belong. After everything we've said and thought about how they've gotten to this point.
- [05:44]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah, I think there's some validity to that because this is the stretch we've talked about all year. It starts Friday. The Eagles, packers, Browns, Packers, 49ers, Lions stretch. And I kind of am tongue in cheek with Browns because Miles Garrett could absolutely wreck that game. And we've certainly seen what this league is like, so you can't take that one for granted. So, yeah, I think this is such a fantastic test for Ben Johnson's offense against Vic Fangio, Caleb Williams against Vic Fangio. The defense just kind of. I feel like the defense, it. It hopefully gets some reinforcements back, but there's a little bit of it is what it is to it. To me. Like, I think it could get better, obviously with those guys coming back. But, like, I'm more interested in how this offense does against Vic Fans's defense because those two packers games, those are. That's a really, really good Green Bay defense you're facing twice. And so, yeah, so I'm very curious because if they go out there and, you know, they lose 35 to 10, you sit there being like, oh, is this. Because worst case scenario right now is I was doing. We have a playoff simulator at the Athletic. And if you go through just based on, you know, Vegas odds. Right. They should. They would lose to The Eagles, lose two to the packers, beat the Browns. And then that 49ers game would be like, everything is at stake and you're on the road against a veteran team. So, yeah, we'll learn a lot about how they play on Friday night.
- [07:13]
Matt Abaticola
You know, I saw on your Twitter ax that you posted a really interesting stat about, about the Bears and Caleb Williams when. So There have been seven games where Caleb Williams has completed under 60% of his passes and the Bears are seven and oh, the rest of the league when their quarterback does that completes under 60% of their passes, their winning percentage is.310. So what does that tell you about the Bears?
- [07:37]
Kevin Fishbane
You guys know, sometimes I like coming up with these facts and I don't like, I don't want to put anything any commentary on it just to throw it out to the wolves and let them, let them do with what they will.
- [07:47]
Matt Abaticola
Let them first.
- [07:48]
Kevin Fishbane
It was really interesting. I think there's a few things that it tells me. One is it is noting the fact that he's taking care of the football. He's not throwing interceptions. I think two is if you look at their explosive play rate, like his completions are notable completions. This isn't, you know, check downs and screen passes to the perimeter to get your, you know, like when he does complete it, they are explosive or they are touchdowns. So I think that is another thing that comes up. And then you could also factor in the run game has played well in a bunch of those games. The defense is taking the ball away. But it is just one of those. I mean it is a complete example of and this has been I know the topic du jour and, and Dan, we and I touched on this on the Athletics website on Tuesday is the sustainability question because it is, it is a clear example of a statistical anomaly that he's not hitting these accuracy thresholds. Now I, I will note, yes, incomplete passes do include smart throwaways and drops. But I see, I still think even if you took all of those away, he is not completing passes at the rate that Ben Johnson certainly has. He, he set the bar for all of us. And for Caleb Williams and the game on Sunday against Pittsburgh, you just saw too many balls getting air mail. And that's why to Dan, to your point, this Philly game, like, I just don't think you can get away with that in Philadelphia.
- [09:15]
Dan Bernstein
Well, the accuracy question involves something else. I think it's really important to define what we're talking about here. Ben Johnson's offense is not a dink and dunk offense. It isn't just pick up a couple here, a couple there. It's big chunks like you say it's explosives. He's a slugger as far as percentages go. As far as if you talk about a baseball player who's a three true outcome guy, where he's not just a contact hitter, that's the way Ben Johnson approaches his play calling.
- [09:50]
Matt Abaticola
He designs the score.
- [09:51]
Dan Bernstein
Correct. So when he decides that he wants the 70% if he gets it, if his offense gets 70%. You're talking 45 or 50 points a game. That's what he's talking about. And it isn't just completions for the sake of completions. He was asked about it on Monday and we talked about it Tuesday. I said, you want to run something to get him into a rhythm? And he's like, yeah, I've been around. And he sort of, I don't know that he was unhappy with the question, but he said, I've been around some guys who, yeah, you want to go to the quick game and you want to get him a couple of completions in there. But it didn't sound like something. It doesn't. As I know him, he doesn't want to have to preheat the oven. He's ready to start cooking. He doesn't want to sit there and say, is he in rhythm yet? Is he? Tell me when he's in rhythm so I can run my plays. This guy knows what he wants to do in the moment you've got the ball, get it down the field. So the accuracy is about big opportunities. And that's what I think we're talking about here, is when this does look like he wants it to look, don't miss those.
- [11:00]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah, I mean, it's, it's the Luther Burden throw that was too high.
- [11:04]
Dan Bernstein
Yes.
- [11:04]
Kevin Fishbane
And yes, you, you would love for Burden to come down with that, but that. And Ben Johnson said that ball's got to come down. And then I, I wish I remembered the exact play. It might have been after the fumble in the end zone. But there was a, we kind of joked in the press box. We're like, is he going to let Caleb throw again the rest of the day, you know, after something like that? Because, I mean, you can't imagine a more frustrating moment for a coach. And one of his first throws was an explosive. It might have been to Burden or Rome. It was like a 20 yard pass and you're like, okay. He. They're fine. Like, this is. Ben Johnson isn't going to turtle. Like, he wants to attack. And that's why I think he's so frustrated too, to another point that, like, they haven't closed some of these Games, you know, 2, 3 nows in the fourth quarter. I, I've said this a lot this year because people, I'll point out how the offense has not had its best game yet. And sometimes people will bring up Dallas. Two things happened against Dallas. One, they couldn't run the ball in that game. And two was it was the first time that Ben Johnson could be like, oh, we're gonna, we're gonna embarrass them. We're gonna put them away. And they had multiple three outs in the second half where they tried a couple trick plays. It didn't work. And like, you could tell after the game he was like, we should have. Like that should have been 52 to 13.
- [12:21]
Dan Bernstein
That was closer to a blowout than I think people appre.
- [12:25]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah, it was. In the end, they got those interceptions when, when the Cowboys moved downfield and the score turned out to be lobsided. But it could have been more you. And you can talk about the Bengals game and shoot, they scored 47 points against Cincinnati and they probably had a couple at least that. Well, certainly the, the missed field goal before halftime and that was a drive that. That was. That fields was like 3 for 8 passing. There's been a lot of stuff left out there. It's funny, though, I hate to name drop Dan Weeder again, but one of the things he and I were talking about is, isn't it great, though, if I'm gonna spin this glass half full that we can talk about. A Bears team scored 31 points against the. One of the best pass rushing teams in football. And we can talk about the touchdowns they left off the board because their quarterback had accuracy issues. It's a great shift in the, in the conversation in this town that they can play like that, score like that, and you can come away with, well, they can still do more.
- [13:27]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. And yet you have people saying, well, you can't say anything because they scored that much. And that's. That should negate the right to. And the whole point is. No, it's both. Both are true. Yes, they're better at scoring and they can be even better at it.
- [13:45]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah.
- [13:45]
Matt Abaticola
And Caleb Williams has said that, that we have to get better and there's so much more that we can do, Kevin. And when you look at your time covering the NFL and you see a team like the Bears where there is this shift that, yeah, they can score a lot of points, yet they're still leaving a lot of points on the field, how long does that last for a team and how far can that take a team when you're not capitalizing on what's there for you to take.
- [14:07]
Kevin Fishbane
And it all goes back to tomorrow night. Right. Like, that's a game where. And the packers matchups, like you're playing two offenses that have the ability to score it. Well, I know the Eagles haven't this season, but. And that's why I Was really curious, was it the. Who do they like? Was it might have been Pittsburgh, because. Yeah, it was Pittsburgh. Because I remember going into the game, I'm thinking the offense's margin for error is slim because the defense has nobody. Like, you have to operate that we might have to score every time just because we can't trust our defense. And it turned out the defense gave him 28 points. But still, I mean, well, actually defense gave up 21 points, I should say. And. And it was a heroic effort by a lot of those guys. So, yeah, I think, Matt, to your question, like, they probably do need to get in position against these good teams to say, hey, we can't have these empty possessions. We can't. Against the Giants, it was fine. It is weird to sit there. I felt this during the Giants game. Like you just kind of knew when the Bears got the ball like they were going to find a way to score. And again, unfamiliar feeling. I don't remember feeling like that since probably 2013 even. I think you have to go all the way back to that team that turned out to have the second highest scoring offense in football. You know, 2018, a little bit. But like, really a 2013 offense like that, that team could score. So you feel that right now. But yeah, I mean, you just, with the way the defense is played, like, you just can't keep relying on these takeaways. You gotta be. You gotta be this mentality, which is the Ben Johnson mentality. And Dan, to kind of your point, because like, I, I get that we are living in times where like Bears fans don't want to hear anything negative about their quarterback when they are 8 and 3 and doing things we've never seen before. But it's okay to raise the bar. He's the number one pick. He's the Heisman Trophy winner. And what I always point to is this, you know, who wants to raise the bar? Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.
- [16:08]
Dan Bernstein
He keeps saying it. Yeah.
- [16:10]
Kevin Fishbane
Caleb Williams after that game was pretty muted. Like he was. He was. You know, he said that they celebrate the locker room and you saw it in the post game videos. But when he went up to the podium, like, you could tell he was frustrated. He talked about it. He wants to be better. Ben Johnson wants to be better. It's okay to acknowledge the pro incredible progress he's made, how great this offense has looked, and they can still get better. Because as Matt, to your point, they need to be better to get to the playoffs because of the teams they're.
- [16:38]
Dan Bernstein
Facing, let alone win a Super Bowl. Which they could, they're eight and three. Don't take that off the table either.
- [16:45]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah, it's, and that's, that goes to the question too where I, I, somebody said to me this morning, you know, because the sustainability question, my answer to is it is, I don't really care right now how sustainable it is because I'm more interested in next summer and fall because they need to build something that lasts. That's the ultimate goal this year is there's a little bit of you're playing with house money and it's fun and let's see how long this can go. And someone's like, well, you don't want them to go one and done the playoffs. I'm like, obviously you don't want that. But if I told Eddie Bears fan in August that they'd make the playoffs and you know, lose a wild card road game in Philly or LA or Seattle, I think most people would take.
- [17:30]
Matt Abaticola
They would have taken that. Yeah. What have you learned about Ben Johnson over these 11 games from the start of the season to where you're at now?
- [17:39]
Kevin Fishbane
Well, the Ben Johnson we saw this summer has definitely like, you can sometimes see these guys. I feel like these positions ride that roller coaster of the NFL and even though they all say we're not, we just have to stay stoic, we have to stay even keel, we have to stay right here. It's so hard for them to actually do that. I do think he actually does. And I just find like everything we said about him, the detail, the seriousness, the intensity, it's, it's still showing right now. And I was thinking about this during it was the Vikings game was really telling that and my colleague Mike Sando wrote about this. The difference between Kevin o' Connell in that game and Ben Johnson. The Vikings are running the ball for like six yards a pop every time. And then it's third and three and he's having J.J. mcCarthy throw. You're like, what do you do? Like, why you could just go pick up the first down and Ben Johnson, they couldn't run the ball in the first quarter. He kept at it. He did not. Because this guy, he wants to play smash mouth football and he wants to be able to run the ball. And I just thought that was a really good reflection of kind of who he is as a play caller, who he is as a coach, embracing physical football, embracing the elements. You know, he loves the idea they're an outdoors the rest of the season. I think we've learned that like, you know, again, I think we, we figured this out over summer, but it's, it's really rang true through this win streak that this guy is a lot more Dan Campbell than he is Sean McVeigh or Kyle Shanahan or you know, pick your wunderkind. Like this guy wants to, he, he wants to beat you with smash mouth football. And, and he, he has a very, very, very high expectations for his team.
- [19:28]
Matt Abaticola
When he said after Sunday's game against the Steelers that he didn't know that they threw 18 passes in a row, do you believe him? Because I don't know.
- [19:38]
Kevin Fishbane
You know, I'm trying to put myself, you know, you guys know I love to compare 10 year old baseball coach me to NFL head coach Ben Johnson because it's really comparison though the pressure is the same, the salary is somewhat different. But there, there are times I feel like when you're, you guys have been around enough professional coaches, these guys are just wired in such a way that, that I kind of do believe him. Like I kind of do believe that he is just in this zone, that he's just, he doesn't care.
- [20:12]
Matt Abaticola
It just doesn't know what he. Because all he's looking at is what's the next play that's going to get me the 10 yards running or the 20 yard pass grouping.
- [20:18]
Dan Bernstein
Are they in? Okay? That's fine.
- [20:21]
Matt Abaticola
I just, I had a hard time believing because I'm like this guy like to the detail like that he is, he's just so in tune to the, to the smallest detail in game planning each week and for someone to say, hey, did you know you threw 18 times in a row?
- [20:33]
Kevin Fishbane
I did.
- [20:34]
Dan Bernstein
I didn't know that. Like, come on.
- [20:36]
Kevin Fishbane
I think it's new. It's that tunnel vision. I think that you need as a coach. Right. Like you need to, you need to be able to not worry so much about should I run in here? Because I've thrown it three times like on this moment against this defense. The best play for us is X. Yeah. And if that's 18 throws in a row, so be it.
- [20:56]
Matt Abaticola
That's what it's going to be.
- [20:56]
Dan Bernstein
Kevin, how did the spot start for Ozzy Trapillo in which he seemed to handle himself well enough? How did that affect whatever you judge the plan to be at left tackle for the near and medium term?
- [21:15]
Kevin Fishbane
Great question, Dan. For the, for the short term, for this week, they don't need to rush Theo Bennett at back. I think, you know, they can. I think Theo Bennett's been a great story. He's been a really good run Blocker, you're seen. And they've talked about some of the challenges he's had in pass pro, which you're. You're gonna have when you're an undrafted player from Canada and, and you're starting at left tackle. So I think in the short term you have to rush them back. Maybe you. As these games get more intense, you open your mind. Ben Johnson's had this. He's talked a lot about the idea when it comes to who's starting, who's not that they watch their practices and if you are having a good week of practice, you deserve to play more. So maybe, maybe the practice competition gets opened up. I've always kind of thought that Theo Benedict gets the rest of the year. This is pre injury like and, and they keep rolling with it. But what a Tripolo showed you, I think is he allows you to have a little bit of flexibility, a little bit of open mind. You know, if, if you're worried about Theo Benedict holding up against some of these pass rushing teams if he's not 100% healthy. But I do think Benedet has earned the opportunity to keep rolling once he is healthy. And one thing that came up over the summer is whoever that left tackle is is going to be the fifth best on that offensive line. And like, so you can kind of, I feel like you can kind of, as they've shown, you can kind of get away in a little bit by having somebody who might not have the experience you're looking for because they're playing next to Joe Tooney, who's playing next to Drew Dahlman and so on and so forth, because you have a veteran like Hulk Comet who can help. And, and I thought too it showed off Ben Johnson's play designs like the different things he was doing to tight ends or running backs to chip and to help out. So it showed them they could do it, they could get by. So I do think gives them the options. And Dan, if you want to go further, like long term, I mean did he show you enough where you. Where he. You. You put him back in the conversation for your long term left tackle? Because I know there's been some talk among fans and media like is the qu. Is does Darnell Wright flip to the left in the summer or spring and the end Ozzie Chappella go to right tackle and Theo Benedict becomes your swing backup. Like one of the scenarios that could.
- [23:33]
Dan Bernstein
By that could come up by pedigree. That would make sense if somebody said that the undrafted kid from Canada has this incredible story of Developing into an NFL reliable swing tackle who's going to play a lot that is more reasonable than be a starting left tackle in the NFL, a position usually populated by high draft picks.
- [24:00]
Kevin Fishbane
Right.
- [24:01]
Matt Abaticola
It's also a good problem to have.
- [24:03]
Kevin Fishbane
Exactly. And I think that again, do they see enough on tape where they get to the winter and say, okay, Ozzy can handle the left side, we don't have to worry about messing with Darnell. Right. So, you know, I just think what he, you know, and against one game, but in the, in the net glimpse, you're probably like, okay, there's some, maybe some more flexibility than they thought in August when they moved it back to right tackle.
- [24:28]
Matt Abaticola
So we know where Nishan Wright came from and signs a one year, just over a million dollar deal for the Bears. And he's played himself into a really, really good position for the first 11 games. Not only defending the pass, but coming up, we saw a lot in the Steelers game against the run in the backfield. What, what are his teammates saying about him? What are the coaches saying about Nishan Wright?
- [24:48]
Kevin Fishbane
I thought that for Ben Johnson to take part of his opening statement on Monday to just talk about Nishan Wright, not the interceptions. You said, Matt, the run defense tells you how much he values Nishan Wright. I think everybody in that locker room loves the guy. They love the story. You know, when C.J. gardner Johnson got to Chicago, he said that like he had watched, you know, Nishan Wright's family was on Last Chance. You, his brother, I believe, was the one who was more featured and he knew about Nishan Wright. So I think a lot of guys, Kevin Byards talked about it. They knew, they know his journey and they know what it's taken him to get here and they're seeing what he's doing. And that was a conversation training camp too, because, like, we hadn't really heard much about this guy. And there he is making plays in camp and players would tell us like, yeah, he's been doing this every day. So it's a great story. I like that Ben Jonkin kind of smiled on Monday when he was asked, what do you do when Jalen Johnson comes back? He's like, you know that that's why we're here, to try to figure that out. And he knows it's a good problem to have. But yeah, it's a. I mean, I hadn't even thought about this, Matt, until earlier this week. Like, you could start thinking about the fact that DeSean Wright could get some massive contracts somewhere else, which would be incredibly well Deserved to be great for him and his family and Bears. It helps the Bears compensatory pick formula and like you, you know. And that's what.
- [26:03]
Dan Bernstein
And I kept thinking like when, when Terrell Smith got hurt. Yeah, I thought that's a huge blow. You know, that was a guy who's really mattered for them and who was certainly pushing to be the next guy to be somebody who deserved a starting role elsewhere. And then all of a sudden he's out of the picture. And the found money that you get from this guy. I expected the Bears to have one of those guys. I just didn't expect it to be.
- [26:29]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah, no. And it's, I mean you look at him too. It's so rare for a guy that height to played that position and played at a high level. And it's been a great story. And Dan, to your trail Smith point, what I'm interested to see the last two years, the previous coaching staff, we saw them sometimes trail. Smith would come out there like every third series for Tyreek Stevenson. Is that an option when Jalen Johnson returns where they, they create a rotation on the other side? Because they don't want to take Nishan right off the field. They don't want to take Tyreek Stevenson off the field. But they can keep them both, you know, arrested and, and, and what have you. Is that something they pull from? Because obviously the other staff saw a benefit in that. It's again, it goes back to that flexibility. Like they're going to have options when, when these guys return.
- [27:17]
Matt Abaticola
Now, if we look at tomorrow's game Bears in Philadelphia, what are going to be the keys to the Bears getting a victory in Philadelphia and jumping up in the NFC playoff picture?
- [27:30]
Kevin Fishbane
I almost jumped right in, man. Said stop the run. I was trying to think of a less cliche but you know, I mean I, I do think there's something to be said like with the way this defense has been on third down. Like if you are able to keep Saquon Barkley from getting 5, 6 yards every time he touches the ball, like you gotta like your chances on third and eight against anybody because of the way this defense is on third and long. And I just think that just makes such a big difference. But to what we talk about the offset offensive side of the ball, like, I just think you got to be prepared to score at will. I know what Philly's offense has been. I get it. It's so funny. By the way guys, that you have two, eight, three teams. Chicago is delirious. They're yelling at you guys for having the audacity to point out the completion percentage of the quarterback because they're so excited about this team. Meanwhile, In Philly, they're 8 and 3. Nobody really doubts that they're going to make a run in the nfc. And it is chaos, it is chaos there in terms of wanting people fired and in consternation about the offense and drama in the locker room. It is, it is funny to see that these teams are lined up. I mean, if we're going based on vibes, the Bears have the vibes right now as opposed to Philadelphia. But I'm just, I, I, again, the Ben Johnson versus Vic Fangio matchup is the best one in this game. It's the most important one in this game. And how Caleb Williams handles that and what Ben Johnson kind of does to help him, to put him in these good positions is going to be critical. Because I just think that anytime the rest of the way the Bears get themselves into a one score game, it's okay to be like they have this crazy belief right now that they can just do it if they're, if they're within a score. So like to me, get to get to a 50, 50 game and rely on the fact that you guys haven't been phased and you've won these games before. And that's the same, it's gonna be the same kind of conversation for Green Bay and San Francisco and Detroit like they have, they have handled these things. But with Philly, you got to get to that point and it's, that's a really, really tough defense.
- [29:42]
Dan Bernstein
You had the opportunity famously to sit down with Matt Eberfluss and spend time with him. Now, I do think that Eberfluss needed the pr, maybe needed a story like that as much or more than you did that, that is more for him and for his handlers to think, all right, let's get out of head. Let's let people behind the curtain and maybe try to show that this guy isn't a complete idiot. I mean, meaning him, not you. But have you thought about the, or have you made the same request of Ben Johnson? Because I think ideally the day with Kevin Fishbane should be a marker. It should be a rite of passage for a bear's head coach. And it's sort of a test that you have to pass where, yeah, you're not, you're not officially a bear's head coach until you have put in your film work with Fish.
- [30:35]
Kevin Fishbane
I would, I would love to do that, Dan. You know, it's funny because the year before I did that with Matt Eberfluss, I actually did with Justin Fields. And it was really fun because I felt like that was a. Similar to Eberfolks. That was a side of Fields that people didn't see. And he really, he talked about these plays in a way that wasn't necessarily reflected in the way he played. I think he was, you know, and, and that's a. Obviously a longer conversation. So. I'd love to do a Caleb one day and I'd love to do with Ben Johnson. Here's my worry. Well, I have two worries. Number one right now is Pat Finley is listening to this and he's jotting down, you know, my strategies. So thanks for that, Dan.
- [31:16]
Dan Bernstein
Sorry.
- [31:16]
Kevin Fishbane
But the second thing is, what if that request comes in and Ben goes to pr he's like, so you said he did this with the last coach. What happened after that?
- [31:26]
Dan Bernstein
Well, they let him do a press conference, and then people went to Southwest Michigan and went to beer church, and then he was fired.
- [31:33]
Kevin Fishbane
Kevin, Kiss of death. Yes, I would. I would love. I hopefully. And look, if you're. And we're just basing this on 11 games, this guy looks like somebody who's going to be here for a while. So I am hopeful to be able to get that chance because I think that that would be really fun to watch him break this stuff down in. In these detailed ways that you're not going to get, obviously on a Monday, but in the summertime it would be a lot of fun.
- [31:58]
Matt Abaticola
All right, buddy. Thanks for taking time out of your holiday. We do appreciate spending time with us and safe travels to you. Have fun in Philadelphia.
- [32:06]
Kevin Fishbane
All right, take care, guys. Happy Thanksgiving.
- [32:07]
Matt Abaticola
You too, bud.
- [32:08]
Dan Bernstein
That is Kevin Fishbane of the Athletic. You can follow him at Kfishbane.
- [32:15]
Matt Abaticola
Hey, so your Thanksgiving Day strategy, what kind. Your food strategy. Do you.
- [32:21]
Kevin Fishbane
Are you.
- [32:21]
Matt Abaticola
Do you take everything at one time? Do you go in, like, shifts? How do you eat and what do you go for first?
- [32:29]
Dan Bernstein
Well, the way our Thanksgiving works is when we arrive at my cousin's, there is a cheese plate like you've never seen. And that's the. My first beeline is to the cheese plate. And there's always like a usually drunken goat. There will be a really funky, stinky blue cheese of some kind, like a Cabrales or a really good Gorgonzola or something. Then there's a warm Brie, usually with fresh raspberries on it, what fruit you put with it, blackberries on it, and sometimes an aged or smoked cheddar all kinds of great stuff. So that's the first round is all that. It'll be drinks and cheeses. And then once we settle in, in some past years, there's been a served soup. So everybody. I don't think we're doing that this year. Then once it's all set and everything's all laid out, I will do a round of pretty much everything where I'm just very careful where the cranberry sauce is, because I don't like the cranberry sauce to get on everything. I need everything, like your food to touch.
- [33:46]
Matt Abaticola
I don't mind certain the cranberry sauce.
- [33:48]
Dan Bernstein
I don't mind the gravy foods touching. But the cranberry sauce is an intermezzo. The cranberry sauce is not to be smushed in with everything else. That is to clear your palate for the savory tastes.
- [33:58]
Kevin Fishbane
Okay.
- [33:58]
Dan Bernstein
So I just gotta make sure everything's arranged properly. And once I do that, then I begin my grazing operation. And the grazing operation is sort of circling back. That's when I'll graze. I usually leave the Brussels sprouts that I make. That's usually kind of a round two thing sometimes. And I get more bacon than Brussels sprouts. That's the best part. Like this kind of soggy bacon that's been in the chicken broth and all that. And then third time around, before dessert, third time around, when people are downstairs watching games or people are starting to sort of settle down and spread out. Then I go to the turkey carcass.
- [34:37]
Matt Abaticola
And that's when you start picking the scrapes.
- [34:38]
Dan Bernstein
That's when the skin, some of the edges, some of what's fallen underneath, I'll be scraping through. If the neck is down there, I'll grab the neck.
- [34:47]
Matt Abaticola
The. The served soup round. Like what kind of soups? Like previously. What do you like? We talking about, like, we generally done autumn style.
- [34:53]
Dan Bernstein
You're really good.
- [34:55]
Matt Abaticola
Squash.
- [34:56]
Dan Bernstein
A spicy pureed squash soup.
- [35:00]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [35:01]
Dan Bernstein
So it's got this wonderful, like, dark golden amber color to it.
- [35:05]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [35:06]
Dan Bernstein
But it's warm spices and cayenne.
- [35:08]
Kevin Fishbane
Okay.
- [35:09]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. So that. But I don't think. I don't think we're doing that this year. Yeah. Because the. The. The busing of the table, like the getting that done and cleared it out, it just. It was too chaotic.
- [35:18]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah.
- [35:18]
Matt Abaticola
So I'm doing appetizer, I'm doing a charcuterie, and then I'm doing, like a feta dip this year. And deviled eggs. No, not warm.
- [35:28]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [35:29]
Matt Abaticola
Not warm. And then Deviled eggs. And I might. Might do one more appetizer too, for when people walk in. Stuff to. To munch on. Yeah. And then I'll get the whole spread out.
- [35:39]
Dan Bernstein
I'm not.
- [35:39]
Matt Abaticola
I did scalloped potatoes as well last year.
- [35:42]
Dan Bernstein
Mashed and scalloped.
- [35:43]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, mashed, roasted sweets and scalloped.
- [35:47]
Dan Bernstein
Interesting.
- [35:48]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. I wasn't planning on doing the scallop this year and I'm kind of.
- [35:53]
Dan Bernstein
Do you have to do gluten free options as well? No, because I know at ours there are some who are.
- [35:59]
Matt Abaticola
No, then don't come.
- [36:01]
Dan Bernstein
Okay. I know that they're always. Thankfully my brussels sprouts is not. It's not a concern.
- [36:06]
Matt Abaticola
But yeah, we don't ask about dietary restrictions.
- [36:10]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [36:10]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, you just show up and eat or don't get out. If you need drinks, bring your own booze.
- [36:17]
Dan Bernstein
All right. Glad I know that now.
- [36:21]
Matt Abaticola
If, like, if I was having, like, if you and Beth were coming over for dinner and I was making dinner, I would, I would, you know, I would know to make certain things or not make things I. That I would do. But if you're talking a big Thanksgiving dinner, we're not working through dietary restrictions, man. Bring your own stuff. Bring your own. If you can't. If you need like gluten free bread, you better stop at the store and get some. Sunset's open till two.
- [36:41]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [36:41]
Kevin Fishbane
Yeah.
- [36:42]
Dan Bernstein
Duly noted. Yeah, there it is. That's gonna do it for us. I'm hungry. We have been brought to you by beer, church brewing, New Buffaloes Brewery pizzeria and a historic church wood fired Neapolitan pizza small batch craft beer brunch every day. Visit beerchurchbrewing.com have an absolutely wonderful rest of your holiday and don't forget to join this tomorrow immediately after the Bears and Eagles. So right around 5:15, 5:30, right around there or so we are going to be live on YouTube so come hang out. There's also going to be a Dan Bernstein unfiltered tomorrow as well where we're going to get everybody all revved up.
- [37:23]
Matt Abaticola
For what's top 10 Eagles.
- [37:24]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, that's right.
- [37:25]
Matt Abaticola
It's top 10 Eagles.
- [37:27]
Dan Bernstein
Friedback feedback Friday Feedback. Yeah, it's a couple hours.
- [37:32]
Matt Abaticola
It's our Friday DBU show.
- [37:34]
Dan Bernstein
It is awesome. Can't wait.
- [37:35]
Matt Abaticola
And I got to get home and cook good.
- [37:39]
Kevin Fishbane
1920, 19 forward progress.
- [37:47]
Matt Abaticola
A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312Sports.
- [37:55]
Sarah (AM PM Advertiser)
This holiday. Discover meaningful gifts for everyone on your list at K. Not sure where to start. Our jewelry experts are here to help you find or create the perfect gift in store or online. Book your appointment today and unwrap love this season only at Kay Kay Jewelers. Black Friday sale is on. Now's the time to get up to 50% off Black Friday deals. With savings this big, you can get gifts for everyone on your list. Plus, if Black Friday lines aren't your thing, sketch skip em at Kaye. You can buy online and pick up in store or get free shipping right to your home. This holiday season, unwrap Love and savings with Kay. Exclusions apply. See kay.com exclusions for details.