Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: Matt Miller – ESPN NFL Draft Analyst / NFL Insider
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abaticola (312 Sports)
Guest: Matt Miller (ESPN NFL Draft Analyst, @nfldraftscout)

Episode Overview

This episode arrives on the eve of the season’s most consequential Chicago Bears game in years: a looming showdown against the Green Bay Packers with the NFC North up for grabs. Bernstein and Abaticola are joined by ESPN’s Matt Miller to dissect the latest in Bears strategy, roster questions heading into the pivotal rivalry, and the week’s off-field bombshell—a public debate over the team’s stadium future. The hosts bring their characteristic mix of passion, deep Bears knowledge, and unfiltered takes, while Miller lends national perspective and insight from his NFL draft and scouting expertise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Bears vs. Packers for the Division

• The Stakes: Saturday night’s game likely determines the NFC North champ. The hosts emphasize the rarity and magnitude of such a meaningful late-season Bears-Packers clash.
  • “It’s the biggest game we have had around here in a long, long time.” (Matt Abaticola, 02:58)

2. Matt Miller’s NFL & Fandom Background

• Clarifying Allegiances: Miller shares his background as a 49ers fan, despite his Kansas City roots, and the twist that his 12-year-old son is a newly minted Packers fan. (04:15–05:49)
• *“I wanted to be different…being a Niners fan, like, they won every year. So I jumped on that bandwagon.” (Matt Miller, 04:39)

3. The Impact of Losing a Defensive Star

• Micah Parsons’ Absence: With Parsons ruled out, the panel discusses how his absence fundamentally alters the Packers defense and the Bears offensive planning.
  • Miller emphasizes that Parsons is among the 5 most impactful non-QBs in the NFL, not just for sacks, but for the pressure and schematic stress he creates.
  • “Take the quarterbacks away, he’s one of the five most impactful players in the NFL…It’s not about the sacks, it’s about what he allows the people around him to do…he changes how an offense has to account for him.” (Matt Miller, 06:53–07:15)
• Benefits for the Bears: With Parsons out, the Bears can simplify protection schemes, giving their vulnerable left tackle relief and possibly enabling more effective run and play-action attacks. (07:15–09:16)

4. Revisiting Bears-Packers: What’s Changed?

• Improved Bears Run Game: Since their last meeting, the Bears have more fully committed to the run, with Swift and Manangai pounding out yards and hitting chunk plays.
  • “I think the Bears are a completely different team now than they were then…they’re getting more of that downfield movement.” (Matt Miller, 10:48)
  • However, the previous matchup saw Green Bay limit explosive plays, a trend the Bears must reverse to succeed.
• Caleb Williams’ Development: The rookie QB is finding trust with targets like Luther Burden and is unlocking chemistry with DJ Moore, showcased by what the group likens to a modern “The Catch” moment (12:39–13:44).
  • “The throw last week to Moore…there’s shades of ‘The Catch’ with that one.” (Matt Miller, 13:26)

5. Defensive Adjustments: Handling Jordan Love

• Limiting Big Plays: Last time, the Bears defense was burned by the Packers’ blitz and breakout plays, particularly Christian Watson vs. C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
  • Miller suggests Chicago must force Love into checkdowns and be conservative, playing “umbrella” coverage, and must pressure with four rather than bringing risky extra rushers:
    • “Make him check the ball down. Make him be conservative. That is one thing…he’ll stand in the pocket and take three, take four, then you build some three and outs…just almost make him be boring, and that’s how you can beat them.” (Matt Miller, 17:02)

6. Stadium Saga: Open Letter & Relocation Drama

• The News: Kevin Warren’s open letter to Bears fans puts all stadium options—up to and including Indiana—back on the table.
  • Miller views the timing as strategic, designed to grab maximum leverage and fan attention during Packers week:
    • “You want the taxpayers and the voters to be like, wait, it’s Bears packers week and you’re going to take our team from us?” (Matt Miller, 19:17)
  • Miller and the hosts bemoan the broader trend of NFL owners “bargain shopping” for the best taxpayer-funded deal.
• Fan Resentment: Hosts are outraged at the distraction, framing it as disrespectful to fans and head coach Ben Johnson amid the season’s excitement.
  • “Their desperation to do this at the 11th hour is gobsmacking…to then cheapen it with a stunt like this. I never want to hear it again.” (Matt Abaticola, 21:06)
  • “It does feel like a slap in the face to fans…it should at least for fans to be like, the focus should be on the fact that we’re finally good enough to beat this damn team. And now we’re being told we might lose our team to the state of Indiana.” (Matt Miller, 21:36)

7. The Bears’ Business Model Fumbles

• Ownership Critique: The panel discusses the Bears’ lack of diversification and business acumen, tracing their stadium issues to decades-old mismanagement and failure to reinvest or plan for the future. (40:01–41:33)
  • “How the Chicago Bears don’t own their own stadium, to me is one of the top three travesties in all of professional sports.” (Matt Abaticola, 38:21)
  • “They just don’t have the money and or the borrowing power to go out and get this done on their own. That’s all this says. And that’s pretty pathetic for NFL ownership in 2025.” (Matt Abaticola, 39:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This could be a Colston Loveland game…maybe you go LA Rams…and when you creep up, we’re going to throw it over the top to our tight ends and good luck stopping it.” (Matt Miller, 12:56)
• On “The Catch” analogy:
  • “It’s incredible because…that ball got tipped, which I didn’t realize, so…DJ was able to stay in the action and catch the ball. Remarkable.” (Dan Bernstein & Matt Miller, 13:44–14:29)
• “If you had to throw the scenario out there…which organization in all of sports—include all the sports—would do this, would find a way to screw this up? The Bears would be at the top of my list.” (Dan Bernstein, 38:19)
• “They put themselves in a situation where they never built out their business…Never diversified. This is the first lesson of investing.” (Matt Abaticola, 40:02)
• “You’re an NFL team and you’re not even a priority…All you are is a tenant, right? That’s insane to me.” (Dan Bernstein, 41:33–41:39)

Roundtable: Bears Quarterback Debate & Draft Talk

• Diego Pavia Bet: Lighthearted discussion and a wager over whether NMSU QB Diego Pavia will ever take an NFL snap. Consensus: Odds are slim, with both hosts and Miller doubting his future as an NFL starter. (24:30–26:14)
• Draft Deep-Dive: Miller’s latest ESPN article breaks down draft prospects from CFP teams. He sees this draft as deep along the trenches, receiver, safety, and linebacker, though lacking a top “star” at a premium position. (31:26–32:31)
• The panel discusses under-the-radar QBs such as Jake Retzlaff, projecting his camp and roster odds. (32:52–33:44)

Offbeat: Stephen King Adaptations

• The group takes a detour into Stephen King film adaptations following listener comments about Miller's background bookshelf. They discuss King fandom, adaptation favorites, the genius of Rob Reiner, and the emotional effect of movies like “Misery” and “Stand by Me.”
  • “I have a whole tattoo sleeve of Stephen King books. It’s ridiculous…Rob Reiner, Frank Darabont and now Mike Flanagan are like the only people where you see them—‘they’re going to do King’—and it’s like ‘yes, that is it.’” (Matt Miller, 27:54)

Late-Breaking News & Roster Updates

• Bears WRs Roma Dunes A and Luther Burden: status questionable going into the game; hosts suspect both may miss action (44:14–44:18).
• Packers’ Josh Jacobs and Zach Tom missed practice; Christian Watson expected to play but final decisions pending inactives. (44:21)
• Matt Miller calls for a heavy 13-personnel, run-oriented game if Bears WRs miss the game: “Just play a high school game and just run it, run it, run it.” (44:55)

Timestamps: Key Segments

• 03:26 – Playoff stakes for Bears-Packers
• 06:53 – Matt Miller on Micah Parsons’ significance
• 10:48 – Bears’ offensive evolution since last Packers meeting
• 13:26 – Comparing Caleb Williams’ throw to “The Catch”
• 17:02 – Defensive plan for Jordan Love
• 19:17 – Miller on stadium open letter timing
• 21:06 – Host outrage at front office distraction
• 38:19 – Bears' chronic business/ownership fumbles
• 44:55 – Roster updates & strategy for Packers game

Conclusion

This episode offers a comprehensive, impassioned preview of perhaps the Bears’ most meaningful game in years, mapping out critical X-and-O storylines, personnel shifts, and the emotional pulse of Chicago sports fandom. Matt Miller brings a savvy national scouting lens, while Bernstein and Abaticola blend dark humor, authentic frustration, and deep-rooted hope for the team’s future. Off-field saga and gridiron drama converge—the week’s energy distilled into pure “Forward Progress.”