POSTGAME: Chicago Bears fall in OT to the LA Rams | Caleb Williams throws three interceptions

Summary

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Forward Progress: Bears Fall in OT to the Rams – “Magic Runs Out”

Podcast: Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast
Episode: POSTGAME - Chicago Bears fall in OT to the LA Rams | Caleb Williams throws three interceptions
Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola

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Episode Overview

In this highly emotional postgame episode, Dan and Matt break down the Bears’ heartbreaking 20-17 overtime playoff loss to the LA Rams. They balance frustration and pride, exploring the reasons behind the loss, the unlikely magic of the 2025 Bears season, and the future for Caleb Williams and the team. Key plays, coaching decisions, and notable performances are scrutinized in a show packed with analysis and relatable fan emotion.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Emotional Reaction & Immediate Takeaways ([00:25]-[01:22])

• Season ends in heartbreak: Bears lose in overtime after a hard-fought, unforgettable season characterized by improbable comebacks.

  “The magic has finally run out in an absolutely unforgettable season.” — Dan [00:25]

• Defense shines, offense falters: Hosts praise the defense for holding the league’s #1 offense to 17 in regulation, but lament points left on the field.

2. Critical Play – DJ Moore Route on OT Interception ([01:22]-[04:51], [51:35]-[53:06])

• Wide receiver stops running: DJ Moore criticized for lack of effort on the decisive OT INT.

  “I just don’t understand it because all I see on that play is DJ Moore not running with maximum effort on that play, which ended up costing the Bears the game.” — Matt [03:06]

• Unanswered questions: Hosts and former players (Chase Daniel, Kurt Warner) question if there was a miscommunication or if Moore simply gave up.

  “You can’t blame Caleb Williams for the INT in OT. The Bears have the absolute perfect play called. The lack of effort by number two is really telling.” — Chase Daniel [51:35]

3. Caleb Williams’ Performance & Growth ([14:18]-[15:50], [35:01]-[36:22], [54:52]-[56:31])

• Polarizing QB outing: Williams finishes 23/42, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs. Hosts stress both blame and context, highlighting his late-game heroics and inexperience.

  “He’s making those [INTs] seem less important because of what we know he’s capable of doing. He leveled up nationally, I believe.” — Dan [32:23]

• Long-term optimism: Despite mistakes, Dan and Matt express more confidence in Williams than any Bears QB in decades.

4. Play-calling Critique ([06:29]-[07:16], [10:32]-[11:16], [21:03]-[22:11])

• Ben Johnson under the microscope: Repeated frustration over short yardage/conservative calls, especially third-and-short and passes behind the line.

  “Five passes behind line of scrimmage is way too many for this offense.” — Matt [06:29]

• Personnel subs and line issues matter: Moves like shifting Joe Thuney to left tackle and playing a practice squad guard discussed as impacting play selection.

5. Missed Opportunities & Execution ([07:16]-[10:00], [11:16]-[14:08])

• Drops and mistakes: Multiple drops (e.g., Roma Dunze’s early drop) and missed turnovers haunt the Bears.

  “There was a touchdown in the first drive... you gotta have [that].” — Matt [14:05]

• Defensive letdown on key downs: Strategic errors, especially leaving Puka Nacua uncovered on a critical third down ([08:07]-[09:22]), are highlighted as inexplicable.

6. Defensive Standouts & Resilience ([07:16]-[08:07])

• Brisker, Gordon shine: Praise for Jaquan Brisker’s inspirational performance after concussion issues and Kyler Gordon's impact on his return.

7. National Perception & Bears’ Legitimacy ([28:26]-[32:23])

• Defensive reputation rebuilt: The narrative that the Bears were just “lucky” or riding turnovers is strongly rebutted.

  “If this game doesn’t solidify for you that this was a good football team this year, then I don’t know what else to tell you.” — Matt [28:26]

8. Statistical Recap ([20:04]-[21:03])

• Bears dominate most stats: More yards, time of possession, more plays, fewer penalties — but three killer INTs decide the outcome.
  • 77 more yards than Rams (417 to 340)
  • 81 plays run, 160 rushing yards
  • 4 sacks of Stafford, 0 sacks allowed

9. Future Outlook & Emotional Closure ([54:52]-[56:31])

• “This is just the beginning”: Both hosts compare this loss to the start of something special, like the early Michael Jordan Bulls.

  “The best time to be a fan... is when you know your team is getting good.” — Dan [53:08]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On DJ Moore’s OT Play

• “I just don’t understand it because all I see on that play is DJ Moore not running with maximum effort.” — Matt [03:06]
• “[Chase Daniel]: You can't blame Caleb Williams for the INT in OT… The lack of effort by number two is really telling.” [51:35]

On the Season’s Magic Ending

• “There’s no, we’re running out of ways to describe this kind of magic. And it was a reminder at the end that it’s not [magic]. That it’s football.” — Dan [11:18]

On Caleb’s Growth

• “My belief and confidence in Caleb Williams is the highest it's ever been of any Bears quarterback.” — Matt [54:52]
• “He leveled up nationally, I believe.” — Dan [32:23]

On Play-calling

• “Some of the play calls tonight are very questionable and disappointing. A lot of the drops were disappointing.” — Matt [13:33]
• “I really just, I didn’t quite get a lot of the play calls that he made. Really difficult situations in that third and one, fourth and one, first and goal.” — Matt [21:03]

On the Defense Proving Itself

• “If this game doesn’t solidify for you that this was a good football team this year, then I don’t know what else to tell you.” — Matt [28:26]

Humorous Interludes

• Ongoing banter about “Dick Warlock” (Kurt Russell’s stunt double), fat kickers (“Beavis, the kicker... he's fat”), and putting cayenne pepper in socks for warmth [Various—see 46:45, 56:31].

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Key Timestamps

• [03:06] — The critical DJ Moore play dissected
• [07:16] — Praise for Brisker and Gordon on defense
• [08:07] — Breakdown of the Nacua blown coverage
• [13:33] — Analysis on playcalling and costly drops
• [20:04] — Detailed stat breakdown, edge Bears except turnovers
• [21:03] — Ben Johnson’s play-calling under scrutiny
• [28:26] — The Bears’ defense earns national respect
• [32:23] — Caleb Williams’ image in the league
• [51:35] — Chase Daniel & Kurt Warner on Moore’s effort
• [53:08] — The optimism of being a fan “when you know your team is getting good”
• [54:52] — Matt on what makes this Bears team different

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Overall Tone

• Gritty, honest, raw: Frustration with how the season ended, but deep pride in the team’s progress.
• Comedic relief: Plenty of jokes and asides about Bears fandom, podcast trolls, and NFL oddities, breaking up the post-game pain.
• Optimistic about the future: Both hosts stress this is just the beginning for Williams, Johnson, and the new Bears era.

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For New Listeners

If you missed the game or haven’t kept up, this episode delivers everything: deep analysis of what went wrong (and right), sharp takes on key moments and players, and the feeling of being in the trenches with diehard Chicago fans. The Bears may have lost, but the message is clear: the future is bright in Chicago, and the ride has only just begun.

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Transcript

[Matt Abaticola]

I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking Forward Progress. Come on. Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abaticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

Welcome to Forward Progress on 312 Sports. Dan Bernstein here with Matt Abatic. This episode is presented by our good friends over at FanDuel and also by Giordano's. The season obviously didn't end the way we wanted, but Giordano's is turning the page to another unforgettable Chicago moment, Derrick Rose's jersey retirement. So if to find out more about the MV pizza celebrating him, you can go to Giordano's.com 20 to 17 is the final the magic has finally run out in an absolutely unforgettable season that looked like something else beyond improbable was going to happen again. But alas, this time, not to be. This unbelievable, unforgettable Bears season has come to an end.

[Matt Abaticola]

It certainly has, Dan. And just trying to gather the moments here and just the emotions that were experienced and felt throughout the course of this game and you know, it's just, it's really disappointing because this is one of the better defensive games I've seen this unit play all season long. And they, they held a high powered offense that was number one in the league to 20 points, 17 points in regulation, which would have been certainly enough to win. They were holding teams 18 points a game at home. They held the Rams to 17 through four quarters. I feel like the offense left anywhere from nine to 17 points on the field during regulation. Caleb Williams with some interesting passes at times, but you also had some drops, you also had on that final play, the curl interception where DJ Moore even called out by Chris Collinsworth just stopped running.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know, I don't know what happened. I and when I, and I mean this, when I say this, I hope there is an absolutely reasonable explanation for why he stopped playing. What didn't he see, what did he see, what went wrong there, what wires got crossed. Because I think it's only fair to allow for the possibility that there is something that I just can't imagine was going on. But I would watching him just break it down while the play was still going on was shocking to me.

[Matt Abaticola]

I would love to think that there was something else going on. I would love to have that as the answer. I just think he stopped running and you saw the replay and certainly Chris Collinsworth called it out and said that he just didn't continue running on the play. And I'm not sure what What Caleb's. I mean, I'm not sure what DJ saw because Curl was watching him the entire time, was watching his eyes. And you, you could see in, even in slow motion, DJ's body, he was not running with full effort. If he was still hurt from leaving the game, then he shouldn't have been out there. If you can't run. I just, I just don't understand it because all I see on that play is DJ Moore not running with maximum, maximum effort on that play, which ended up costing the Bears the game. They needed 10, 12, 15 more yards to get into field goal range after the initial stop of the Rams in overtime. The Bears get the ball. Just what you want. You want defense first to see what the other team does. All right, now all we need is a field goal. They're moving the ball downfield, especially coming back on the, you know, just improbable again play from Caleb Williams at the end of regulation to tie the game to a wide open Cole commit in the back of the end zone. It was just unbelievable. And then, all right, you think you're right. You get, you get into overtime, then you get a stop again, your defense gives you another stop and then, and for your drive to end that way in overtime with your arguably most accomplished wide receiver on your team, the guy that has been there for the last several weeks catching touchdowns, had a touchdown earlier in the game with great hands throughout the course of the season, just stopped running on a pass with your season on the line.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I, again, it's going to be very difficult for me to find a way to explain or reconcile what happened there. Until we know more, we're going to have to find out what he says and how this is explained. If he simply had no idea the ball was in the air at that point, but if that were the case, he would still be finishing out his route, perhaps. And looking back, I, I, I don't know. I know the Bears did have their chances in this game and sure did, Dan. I, I, what I won't shake are the plays that the Rams defensive line made in their front seven, made on short yardage. Whether it was third and short, fourth and short, just how many times they either had it sniffed out or they just defeated their blocks. It, it's pretty incredible too for the Bears to have done what they did today with Joe Tuni moving to left, a practice squad guy who they apparently were, they felt pretty good about his level of development to put Jordan McFadden out there. And you say, who's 74, well, he, for the most. Look, he acquitted himself fine. I, I didn't. There wasn't a holding penalty. There wasn't a false start. And to be out there on, on this day and doing what he did, pretty amazing. I also believe that losing Loveland on that last drive was just a killer.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, absolutely not. Not having his favorite target, not having the guy who because of the position that he plays at the end spot. The, your, your primary stressor of an opposing defense was unavailable due to my. My guess would be a head injury or suspicion of a head injury.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, when you bring up the, the, the short down plays, it's, it's really, it's really difficult to understand what Ben Johnson was thinking in his play calling at times at third and one fourth and one first and goal and they can't get in and it just. He continues to go up between the tackles and they were getting beat every single time and continue to do it. I counted five passing plays thrown behind the line of scrimmage. That's way too many for this offense. That, that is not a get chunks of yards down fields type offensive mindset. One or two on screens, fine acceptable in a game. And I know they, they had over 80 plays, but they ran over 80 offensive plays. But five, five passes behind line of scrimmage is way too many, way too many for this offense.

[Dan Bernstein]

And if you didn't think that Kyler Gordon made a difference to this defense with all the time that he missed and he was finally back and looking like himself. His, his play was excellent. Jaquan Brisker was sensational. The, his effort level the entire game in the run game, in the pass game, everything that he just a, just a standout performance by a guy in Brisker who after his concussions, concussion issues last year, we didn't even know if he was going to play ever again. We didn't know if he was going to be able to be a contributing member of this Bears team or an NFL team. But Jaquan Brisker, despite all that, had one of the best games I've ever seen him play on the biggest possible stage that he's had in his career.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And I really helped me understand on the Rams final drive there on the first third down, they got the conversion to PUK and Nakua. When you have Jalen Johnson lined up over Nukua, or was it Kyler Gordon lined up over. Over Nakua and when they blitz him and they blitz him, why does. You'll never be able to give me an intelligent explanation that says I'M going to leave Puka Nakua open on a third and six. There's nothing that anyone could explain to me that would say, oh, that makes sense to me. I would understand why you would leave Puka Nicole alone. There is zero explanation for that. That would make sense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Zero. The only possible explanation is if there were 100% guarantee that he would get home as a blitzer that he would be able to make contact with the quarterback while he's got the ball. And that's impossible. Of course it is. Of course it is. I was just, I was trying to answer the question directly saying, well, we, we were betting on him to sack Matthew Stafford. That's, that's not a good bet.

[Matt Abaticola]

Leave a body on Pukinakua. You knew Matthew Stafford knew exactly where he was going.

[Dan Bernstein]

If anything, if anything, switch somebody over and make him, and make him have a turn his head, make him have a further look to somewhere else down.

[Matt Abaticola]

The field or when the second he showed the lean, Stafford knew where he was going. So show the lean and pull out or have someone come over, but do not leave him alone. Why would you, why in God's name would you leave Nakua alone on a final drive of your, your season? Possibly.

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought overall it was one of Dennis Allen's best games. I thought this was a day where he had to do more with less and found a way to make this matter. I think the Bears also had some opportunities on some balls in the air, some balls on the ground that this team has to turn into turnovers. They did not force a turnover. Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

They did not. And just like last week's game where they lost the turnover battle and they won and this week they lost the turnover battle and should have won. So you know what you can do. All the talk of all this defense is garbage. This defense is shit. And all they've been doing is living on the takeaways and the turnovers and you can't sustain that. Well, I think the turnover battle the last two weeks was 6 to 0 and they won a game and they, and they gave this game away. They had, they gave this game away. I'm telling you, Dan, nine to 17 points. They left on the field during regulation.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I, and I don't have a problem with not kicking field goals, especially early in games. I couldn't believe Tony Dungy said what he said, which made absolutely. No, I should believe it because he says a lot of stupid things. But this idea of don't listen to the analytics, try to kick field with the wind whipping around in the snow that entire first half and after they had scored a touchdown on a fourth down. Some of this stuff just makes no sense to me, as if we're watching different games, but they were. There were. There were all kinds of opportunities in this game. There was the, you know, the sack of Stafford where the ball came out and he just so happened to fall on it. There were any number of passes batted in the air.

[Matt Abaticola]

That, oh, that play by Domrov was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Harmlessly to the ground. Yes. The play by Dominic Robinson just somehow twitching by his guy as fast as he did and, you know, breaking down all the plays and all the reasons for this, for the moment, don't sort of feel as important as recognizing this game and this, the end of this season. I know we'll have time to unpack it, but when that pass somehow fell into the arms of Cole Comet and everyone. We're all thinking the same thing. We're all thinking the same thing. There's no, there's. There's. We're running out of ways to describe this kind of magic. And it was a reminder at the end that it's not that. That it's football. And the Bears have been outstanding in these situations. They've also, for this season, been very fortunate in a lot of situations. They've. They've made a lot of their own luck and they've had things bounce their way. But I'm not taking anything away from a Rams team that. That made the plays when they had to. That ball was. And it wasn't an easy interception either. Like to make that diving pick against frozen ground the way he did. They made several outstanding catches with a catch by Devonte Adams, who is. Is quiet all game. That play that he made, that was unbelievable. That was amazing. An amazing play they did. I thought they. The Rams got away from the run and they figured out the. Their. They were getting six, seven yards every first down when, you know, late when they got it back and they recognized what they could do.

[Matt Abaticola]

One other play that I want to make sure I mention and you're correct and we're not going to break down the game tonight. We have. We have several opportunities do that as the week goes through the past to Theo Benedict, which could have ended the Bears season and game right there. I just. I'll. I'll never again. I'll never understand that. What are you doing again? There's nothing that Ben Johnson, anyone on the staff could say, oh, this was a reasonable play for us to throw the ball to Benedict in his big fat covered hands. Who Then the ball squirts up straight in the area. Lucky that wasn't picked.

[Dan Bernstein]

That.

[Matt Abaticola]

That ends the game right there and there's no shot of anything. I just don't get it. I mean, some of the play calls tonight are very questionable and disappointing. A lot of the drops were disappointing. There was one drop by Loveland that was. That was low and behind him, but yeah, his hands on it.

[Dan Bernstein]

But you start to expect him and he's raised the bar. Yeah, that for Loveland. You're starting to expect him to make some of those plays. The drops that I had written down as the bad ones. There was one by Roma dun early on.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, there was a touchdown in the first drive.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was. That you got to have.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's either a touchdown or you're down at the one yard line.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I know it wasn't a perfect spiral, but it hit you in both. Hit your hands, man.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, and hit you in both hands. You're. You're the guy. So catch that ball.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I can't even read my own notes right now. I think my. All I know is for. For. For those of us that also pay a lot of attention to the NFL or the NBA, to have somebody named Kobe Durant kept screwing me up. There's Kobe and Kobe and Colby and then there was. And this Kobe Durant was absolutely all over the place. But again, you start looking at. I have the stats in front of me, but they tend to not mean as much with the Bears the way they've won games in the past. I will say my DBU picks both happened to come in. I got that last yard out of Loveland before he was out. But Caleb Williams finished 23 of 42, 257 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. DeAndre Swift, 19 carries for 76 yards. Williams also had five carries or 40 yards. Manungai, 13 carries for 36 yards. On a workman like day, Loveland had four receptions on 10 targets for 56 total. DJ Moore five catches, 52. Roma Dunes a two catches for 44. Menung Guy caught four for 36, three catches for Comet for 31. And Luther Burden caught three of his seven targets for 24 yards. It was. It was fascinating to watch these two coaches go at it. I didn't think either one had a particularly notable game as a play caller. I really don't.

[Matt Abaticola]

And that's what's frustrating about it because Matthew Stafford was. And the. For a large portion of the middle part of the game was throwing the ball rather poorly. He just he could not throw the ball well at all. The Bears were making plays. The secondary was making plays. I thought Tyreek Stevenson had himself a game. Nishan Wright did early on, did really well against Devonte Adams, and the opportunities were there. I mean, you. You really shut this this deep. This offense down, the number one offense in football, and you give up 17 points in regulation. It's just.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's.

[Matt Abaticola]

Man, it's just so frustrating because, you know, if the, if the Rams would have come out and kicked the shit out of the Bears like the seat, like the Seahawks did, the Niners, you'd say, all right, they're just a much better team. Bears were the better team tonight. They were. They were. And they played. It was the. It was the best defensive output I've seen from this team all year long against a really good offensive team.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's an interesting argument to make. If you to posit that the Bears were the better team tonight. I believe if these teams met with these. If they. These exact teams met in these conditions and played this game 10 times, I think the Bears would win three or four.

[Matt Abaticola]

Probably. They probably win seven or they probably lose. Seven times. Yeah, six. Seven times. That's about right. But I still think the Bears are better tonight. The Bears as a team were better tonight. Caleb Williams. And also on the first interception, what was, what was the miscommunication there?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

So, I mean, if you're. If you're now on game number 19 and you have guys dogging it on routes or not going to the right places or being there in the right time, that's unacceptable. Unacceptable in the divisional round, in a playoff game at home.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I believe the Bears are going to learn whatever they can learn. And, and for a. For a coach to have this be his first playoff experience, I can rest easily, I believe, knowing there will be more of these opportunities. I. And I know that may be presumptuous and people may think I'm. I'm tempting the fate of the football gods, but you can't say that and be the same people that thought the Bears were specially anointed to win some of these games. So I. I believe this is a start and not an end. I think this is. This is an opportunity for Ben Johnson to continue compiling all of these experiences and all of these data points for whatever little plot charts he has in his brain here. And when he stands up in front of the media in a few minutes, you know, perhaps he will. He'll articulate some of These recriminations or reservations about play calling or execution, what he might have wanted to practice more. But man, it's. This has been, this is a hell of a run. This really is. And in, in full disclosure, it doesn't, it doesn't feel as bad as I thought it would. And it tells me that that win over the packers probably meant more in the moment than I realized it did. Also watching Seattle last night and standing in front of a big screen and watching them play, thinking about having to.

[Matt Abaticola]

Having to go to Seattle.

[Dan Bernstein]

It might have made me. And I'm just, I'm just. Well, you know, we're running free here with, with, you know, right after the game and I'm being just venting. These are these. I, I was. Last night, my first thought was I don't want anything to do with Seattle. Yeah. I don't want anything to do to. Flying all the way across the country to go into that building against that team. And it doesn't excuse anything that went on in this game. And this is not sort of an after the fact rationalization, but it's an understanding of this road was. Was not going to get easier at this point for the Bears. And they, they. They emptied out whatever last bit of magic they had in, in that container on that final play.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Bears, Dan finished with 77 more yards than the Rams. 417 to 340. 257 passing yards to 2, 239. 160 rushing yards for the Bears. 5.1 yards per play. 23 first downs to the Rams 22. Bears were 9 of 19 on third down conversions. The Rams were 5 of 16. It was the fourth down conversion that killed them. The Bears were 3 for.

[Dan Bernstein]

What is that?

[Matt Abaticola]

3, 4, 6. Rams 1 for 1. Total plays run by the Bears 81. The Bears sacked Matthew Stafford four times. Caleb Williams was not sacked once. Rams punted eight times. The Bears punted three times. Penalties only three for the Bears. One only for the Rams. Which is unbelievable given the fact that Caleb Williams was also clocked in the head too in the first drive of the game. He was still not called.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was forcible contact. There's no question. I couldn't believe when they finally called one on him. I turned around, I couldn't believe it. I thought there was some kind of mistake, that he finally got one. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And it was the interceptions that just killed it. Time of possession was seven more minutes for the Bears. I mean, Yeah, I mean 77 more yards, you ran more plays. It was there for you. Caleb Williams interceptions, two of them. I really wanted to understand DJ Moore not running. I want to understand what happened on that first interception as well. And really this is the most uncomfortable or the most questions I have about Ben Johnson's play calling today. I really, I really do. I really just, I didn't quite get a lot of the play calls that he made. Really difficult situations in that third and one. Fourth and one, first and goal. Fourth and one. A pass to Theo Benedict that he's even an option to go out for a pass. You know, five passes behind the line of scrimmage, two on the same drive that resulted in a punt. I just, I just don't get it. I don't that that's not a attacking mentality. Caleb Williams could throw the ball fine in the snow. This weather wasn't affecting him throwing the ball. So like the whole attacking mentality, we're going to go for it and fourth down, we're going to attack looking for big chunks that that's not a big chunk offense right there. Well, I plays or not.

[Dan Bernstein]

When they made the decision that they did to rearrange two of their five offensive line spots, there's no way, even as much as you trust Tuney, there's no way that didn't have some kind of effect on the game that he called usually. And I'm not, I'm not saying it's right or wrong to do what he did because they were, they, I don't think they wanted Braxton Jones or Theo Benedict over there against these guys. And whatever they did did prevent Jared Verse from wrecking the game. That is a formidable offensive line and a formidable pass rush that did not destroy the Bears in this game. They weren't the reason why the Bears lost. And I give the offensive line a lot of credit. But I will say that I'm sure if you sat down with Ben Johnson and maybe it's not satisfactory that perhaps he could say, look, there's, there's stuff that we just had to take out of the book because we had our left guard playing tackle and a practice squad guy playing left guard.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, we can discuss that too as the week goes on because if that was what you had to do in a divisional round matchup at home was move your all world left guard to left tackle and bring in a guy, then, all right, Ryan pulls. Yeah. Explain that to me, please.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's got to be.

[Matt Abaticola]

Please explain that to me.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's got to be an upgrade there for sure.

[Matt Abaticola]

Your best backup was your left guard.

[Dan Bernstein]

Apparently. And apparently it was. I don't know. I don't know what the with the health of Jones was, but we know that he was active. He was not injured. I don't know. I don't know. Chicago, it did not end the way we wanted, but what a season and what a city. And now Giordano's is turning the page to another unforgettable Chicago moment. Derrick Rose's jersey retirement. A homegrown legend, a Chicago icon. And we'll be celebrating all week with Giordano's as the Bulls honor one of the greatest ever to wear the jersey. Dubbed the MV Pizza. The new pie is a Giordano salute to the youngest MVP in NBA history and one of the city's most influential figures in sports. The MV Pizza celebrates the Chicago native's career with the Bulls and his hefty stats by stacking two layers of Giordano's signature pepperoni and topping it all off with a drizzle of homemade Calabrian hot honey. Order yours now@giordano's.com and then it's really.

[Matt Abaticola]

Important to mention, too, that fanduel they did turn on their playoff mode going into this weekend, so all customers got a profit boost pack and they're going to keep doing that for the rest of the playoffs, through every NFL playoff game day, each game day during the divisional round and further, you'll find a pack loaded with multiple profit boosts waiting for you in the app. More boost means more ways to level up your playoff bet. So you pick up the match, you pick the matchup that you believe in. You take your shot or you pick an upset. You build a parlay that fits for the moment. Now, my parlay was terrible for this weekend, but my individual bet, though, on this Bears game did come through because it was plus three and a half and I had the under at 48 and a half. So that did come through for me this one particular game, despite my team losing and breaking my heart into a million pieces. So what you do, though, is you apply your profit boost and you go after even bigger payouts while the playoffs keep rolling on. And they will. There's still two more weekends NFL playoffs, so visit FanDuel.com podcast and grab your profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. And remember what fanduel did for all of us here in Illinois. They started the special that started yesterday. And what they did is they removed the tax on all bets that continues on through tonight where you save 50 cents on every bet. So if there's anything out there you want to take a look at right now? Go ahead and do that on your FanDuel app. Save 50 cents on every bet. Once again, that's FanDuel.com podcast. Grab your profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. More action no fees this weekend the weekend of all weekends only on FanDuel in Illinois 21 and over present in Illinois. Opt in required bonus issued as non withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount. See [e-mail] and gambling problem. Call 1-800-G GAMBLER I thought this would feel worse.

[Dan Bernstein]

I thought it really would. I'm trying to figure out why it doesn't. And it must just be because this belief that we talked about with this team, this idea of in each game, believe they can win, believe they can win. It's been a blast to consider what they've done for the heart versus the head. And like we were talking about during this week, the idea of faith versus reason and how it has tested those of us who are generally much further onto the the reason end of the continuum was certainly when it comes to sports and maybe other things as well. But I think the reason why it doesn't hurt as badly as I thought because I do have a belief in what this team is doing and what they did wasn't just about this year. I think my level of trust in this team isn't just Caleb's got the ball and good things are going to happen because they do and they'll make things happen and he'll find Roma Dunze and he'll find Cole Comet and he'll find DJ Moore in the end zone. It's much, it's bigger than that. And I think the silver lining of a loss like this is keeping that faith. I believe. And for those that know you, and maybe it hurts more for you, Matty, because you have been. And I think it's legit. I think you've meant it when you said you picked the Bears to win the super bowl when the playoffs started and you thought they were going to and ride it through. And I'm not making fun of you. I know that's, I'm not yucking your yum on that. But I do think that whatever that belief is is bigger and beyond this year's team.

[Matt Abaticola]

Trying to think through why it doesn't feel worse than maybe I thought it would or that it should. And this is, this is, this is really stupid. And it's, it's very meatballish. You Know, Bears fan of me to think this but. And it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, it just matters what I think. And the. But. The but the national perspective has been this team is not very good and this team is lucky. But what they've shown and what they. And if this game doesn't solidify for you that this was a good football team this year, then I don't know what else to tell you. You know, so while it hurts and I'm disappointed in the loss and I'm really disappointed that the season's over, this to me on a national stage showed this was a legitimate football team that took a team that has most likely the MVP of the league or the second guy who's going to. In voting the number one offense in the league and held them to 17 points through four quarters. And it was like, this defense is trash. This defense is garbage. All they do is live by the turnovers. And again, a second week in a row in the playoffs, they lost the turnover battle. And it was a game that I believe they gave away. So this had to in some regard make this a legitimate football team from a national perspective. Even though a lot of people picked them, you know, in preseason games and, or in the pre game shows, they were picked a lot. But I just felt really good about the way they, they showed up. Now again, there's two questionable interceptions that I really want to understand. I really want to hear from the team, from the coach, from the players involved. Yeah. And you know, we'll hear those things. But they showed up for this game and this was a game that I believe. I hope, you know, LA walks away feeling pretty lucky because this was a game that the Bears gave away. But, but I think, I don't know if that makes sense. But why it doesn't feel as bad because they showed up and played this football game and they were there for all four quarters and defense gave the offense every opportunity to score more than 17 points in four quarters and they just didn't do it.

[Dan Bernstein]

They had their chances. And sometimes your. When you have been taking withdrawals from the bank of good fortune, sometimes you gotta, you gotta deposit stuff back in there or sometimes your debt must be paid. Whatever metaphor you want to use when you feel like you're using up the bounces that go your way, it hurts when we don't have the closure of explaining why certain things happened or why people were in the wrong places and. But it's. The DJ Moore thing is tough and it's just a really tough look for him. And I hope, I hope against hope that there's a, there is a rational, understandable, reasonable explanation for why that happened because otherwise it's, you've got. People are going to remember that.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I'm just, I'm really concerned that there isn't a reasonable explanation for it and that's going to really, really bother me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it fair by the way, when we start talking about the national stuff and where the Bears have been and I don't usually get too caught up in that. I think ultimately when you, when you sustain good play, good things are said about you and most people can't wait to bend over backwards and say nice things. And networks love the Bears because of the audiences that they bring. And I, a lot of people have said that the NFL is better when the Bears are good and it's always fun to hear that. But the where Caleb Williams now with yet another ensure he had the three interceptions, he's making those seem less important because of what we know he's capable of doing. He leveled up nationally, I believe.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh I agree.

[Dan Bernstein]

Without a doubt he did. And by the time next season rolls around when we are talking about another draft class and the benefit of the doubt that the draft class is going to get because of Ben Johnson's influence on the draft and when you had a guy like Kyle Menung guy out of the seventh round be as important as he was, that that's and they, you, you watch they're going to be on the covers of whatever there's covers of. Now we used to say the covers of magazines. I don't think magazines exist anymore. Whether it's the covers of video games or whatever images that you see to promote the NFL, the Bears are going to be a big, big, big part of it.

[Matt Abaticola]

You know my favorite part of, of this post game show despite the Bears loss. You know, let me just take a moment here to to welcome all the the people joining us here on our live YouTube stream of forward Progress who are not Bears fans. We welcome you into our our Bears community because it just, it just shows to me that being one of the final three NFC teams remaining, it just made you feel so jealous and so, so angry and so upset that your team either sucked or got knocked out of the playoffs or God forbid, the Detroit Lions not making the playoffs. You felt, you know what, I want to be around football longer. I want to be around a football community. So I'm going to join Forward Progress, a Bears podcast to be around football people and talk more football because my team was Eliminated already weeks ago and I got nothing to look. I got nothing to look forward to. Not, not this weekend. So what am I going to do? I'm going to join the Bears podcast Forward Progress. And not only that, but get involved with your community in the chat room and just be involved that way. Because I'm so jealous, so jealous of the Bears that they played tonight. My team sucked and my team didn't make the playoffs. But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go listen to Ford Progress. So we welcome you with open arms. We really do. Packers fans, come on in. We're here for you. You know the two. Two wins out of the three games. We're here for you, the Lions. Now you finished 9 and 8. Nice season for the Lions. You guys did really, really good in a tough year. Oh, sorry about not making the playoffs. But hey, you are more than welcome to join us. And Forward Progress is a daily podcast so you can join us and listen every day and hear us talk about the Bears. As you're so interested in hearing us talk about the Bears tonight. Thanks for coming. We welcome you.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's really interesting when we do this show and you look at the chat and I don't.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, well, I mean, yeah, I know there's a few people I had to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Kick out, but that's okay. I know. Is it possible that Caleb Williams threw the three passes of the year in the NFL? I mean, I'm not an encyclopedia, but if you talk about the, the touchdown to D.J. moore in the first packers game, the throw to Roma Dunes A and that throw to Cole Comet, like as far as all time great playoff throws.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, you mean the throw the second game. The second game the DJ more the same winning the game winning touchdown. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just where he's lying there like he definitely has three of the. To be conservative, he's got three of the top 10, probably three of the top five.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, remember the, the, the game winning pass when the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers? Yes, that. And that particular pass to D.J. moore was the highest graded pass by PFF of this season.

[Dan Bernstein]

Remember we talked about what the hell was the one to Comet going to be? I don't know, like who throws that? But look at where Kemet is when he threw it. Look at where he's standing. Look, he's not even. It's not even a thought. Like he's, he's engaged with and he didn't start hand fighting until the ball was in the air.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. And I loved how they were. They were looking for a pass interference on Cole Comet in that play. Trying to, you know, ask for the flag. Yeah, it was really interesting. One of the, One of the listeners points out, as a Bears fan, the last thing that they would ever do is go to a Packers like podcast and sit in the chat room and talk or even just listen. And it's funny because I was thinking there is, there is zero. There's, There's. There is no scenario in the world where I would go into a Lions or a Packers chat and just listen after a game. I mean, I. What a, What a waste of time as a Bears fan. Now I will say I have listened to a Vikings post game show at Purple north because that's as our guys and Purple Daily. Yeah, Purple Daily. Yeah. Score north. And why, you know, wanted to listen to it, listen to Phil Mackey and the guys. So that was a little different story. But, man, the last thing I would do is after a Packers game where like Bears weren't playing, they go and sit in a chat room and listen to them talk about the Packers. But again, we welcome you. We thank you. We thank you for being here.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you know, I think, I think I. The only, the only packers podcast that I think I go, there's. There's one that, where one of the hosts is actually in Northern pike. And that makes it interesting because. And it's. It's really. It's only four area fish that happen to be packers fans.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

So occasionally I drop in.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, well, I have a hard time because they're all on dial up and it's, it's hard. It's a really bad connection. So I, It's. It's difficult to get the packers podcast in all the way down here in Illinois.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, the.

[Matt Abaticola]

For those plumbing stuff and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, those Bears fans will be tested. Maybe, Maybe those Bears fans are just feeling great because the Bears did what they have asked the Bears to. I don't care how the season ends, as long as those Bears fans, like, this is an example of why they're able to say, well, I don't, I don't care whatever happens on the playoffs. I, I just will say that I don't know that I verbalized it. I think I did. I did send you a text regarding the Seahawks, didn't I? I think I did because I was. I was out with my, with, with friends last night and I think. I think I sent you a text that said something to the effect of this Seahawks team would kick the living Shit out of the Bears, I think was what I said.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yeah. That was before we changed. We both changed our name to Dick Warlock.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, we did, because we found out there was a man named Dick Warlock. And I'm mad that I don't have that name. And I think I'm going to legally change my name to Dick Warlock. But that's not why you called Kurt.

[Matt Abaticola]

Russell's stunt double for over 20 years, his name was Dick Warlock. He also played Michael Myers in Halloween 2. And so we decided, we decided that we were going to be Dick Warlock, both of us.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, I called it first.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, you did. You're right. No, you're right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

You get it? No, that's. You. Yeah. Let me. Let me make sure here. What was that text?

[Dan Bernstein]

I think I, I think I.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, you did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did I send it to a group? Did I send it? I believe. And maybe that maybe. There it is. It's right here. 8:47pm Right after I sent you the note about Bo Nix having the season ending injury. Here's. I, I said it. I said Seattle would kick the living shit out of the Bears. That's what I said. That's what I said. That's what I said. And I will. I think I'll stand by it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, yes, you're exactly right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, oh.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can I take the living shit out of the Bears, which I said we'll see next week?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And look, that's a private thing where you were true to your optimism, to your belief, and to being entirely behind the Bears, as you were.

[Matt Abaticola]

Also here also is a text that I never thought I would send you. Fuck Gene Stereotor. So I didn't have that on my bingo card ever for a text to Dan Bernstein. Fuck Gene Stereotor.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep, that was. You were mad, I know, a little.

[Matt Abaticola]

Mad with that one yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you were getting angry yesterday. I didn't. I'm like, wow, that's a very strong thought to have about Gene Stereotor.

[Matt Abaticola]

I got no reason to hate Gene Stereotype.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know that anybody's really ever felt that strongly. Let me also say this going into this week, something that is going to be an ongoing subject that I have to get to regarding the remaining teams right now. And one is this. Anybody who knows me and remembers my bad sports thoughts and my terrible scouting opinions, all I have to say is it's my entire Jarrett Stidham belief is building to this week because when he was coming out of. It was Auburn, right? When he was coming out of Auburn.

[Matt Abaticola]

No idea.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was he is on my list. He's not quite Christian Hackenberg because he's actually ambulatory and actually knows what a football is and how to hold it. He's had a complete waste of space.

[Matt Abaticola]

But what did you say about Jared?

[Dan Bernstein]

I liked Jason.

[Matt Abaticola]

What's his name?

[Dan Bernstein]

I liked Jarrett Smith. Stid him. I like to, you know this guy, this guy looks like an NFL passer to me. He does a lot of things that I like and I had no idea he was the backup quarterback of the Broncos. I didn't know he was in the league. He. The guy might have been selling insurance for all we know, but here he is. He's going to start the AFC Championship game and I get to tell you my son texted me. He's like your guy. Now it's my so I've got to own this, all right? I have to if I was the high man on Jarrett Stidham and now, now he's got a chance to redeem me.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I'll be I didn't realize how much I didn't realize how much I didn't like Sean Payton until watching that game yesterday and just seeing I don't know why I don't like Sean Payton, but I don't for some reason. So yeah, so I'll be pulling for a New England also because I have friends who are big Patriots fans, New England and Seattle. So I'll be rooting for Seattle to just destroy the rams and Sean McVay and his 40 yard sprint downfield to call a timeout.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know what we have had this weekend? We've had a lot of bad football this weekend. A lot. There's been some bad games being played and some bad games that just weren't real interesting for a while. We also have had oh you watched.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Texans game today and C.J. stroud.

[Dan Bernstein]

We've had a lot of very pink cold coaching face. You know that like Sean Payton was Mr. It was like that Tom Coughlin look where they get all kind of wind burned and like coaching pink because they're screaming and their noses are turning red and well, that's usually after the game or at the combine when they're headed out to the bars. But it was a I didn't find Peyton to be particularly unlikable.

[Matt Abaticola]

I did. I don't know why. I just did. I did.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know. Maybe I don't like Bo Nix either. Maybe that's part of the problem and maybe it was just because the referee sucked in that game and they stole the game. Game away from Josh Allen.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. No, they didn't. Josh Allen. Nobody will say how bad Josh Allen was. Why did. Why did. Josh Allen was terrible, but why is it sacrosanct? Well, why are other people on the bill say, well, we really let Josh Allen. Allen down? No. So you didn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

You. You still think that was a legitimate interception?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Okay, by rule. Yeah, you change your rules if you want, but by rule, that's a pick.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. You and Gene Stereotor and whoever the official was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, now it's me, too.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I didn't say that. But you guys are. It's the three.

[Dan Bernstein]

You said. You and Gene Stereotor. I know how you feel about Gene's territory.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's the three of you against the rest of the world on that call, every former NFL player, every former NFL head coach, he didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

He didn't complete the catch. No, he didn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

Down to the ground.

[Dan Bernstein]

But that's not completing. He has to complete the process of the catch.

[Matt Abaticola]

He had control the ball. His hip and his knee hit the ground.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was. No.

[Matt Abaticola]

And they took the ball out of his hands as he was on the ground, which is why he laid there in the field position. Because he had a catch.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was still in the process of completing the catch. And while he was doing that, it was taken away. The catch was completed by the other team. All right, well, Gene Steritour and I, we're going to. We're going to go hang out together.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I did not take Josh Allen over. I did not take Josh Allen over. Caleb, by the way, Wendy, CW that was not me. I said Patrick Mahomes, this guy over here, Dick Warlock, said he would take Josh Allen.

[Dan Bernstein]

I love it. I love. How did we not know there was a Hollywood guy named Dick Warlock?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know, but that's our bad. I stumbled across it yesterday on accident, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

So he was like.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was the fight of the weekend.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like what Brad Pitt's character was for Leo. Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Like his guy. Right? That was his guy. Russell's guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Kurt Russell's, like, personal stunt double for over 25 years. And then, like, the little tidbit of. He also played Michael Myers in Halloween, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's pretty cool. Why can't I have a personal stunt double? That'd be awesome.

[Matt Abaticola]

To do what?

[Dan Bernstein]

Anything.

[Matt Abaticola]

What, to sit here and talk?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, when I do my stunts.

[Matt Abaticola]

Wait a second. We should try that.

[Dan Bernstein]

What's sitting here and talking?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, you just excuse yourself and Have Dick Warlock come sit down, give his Bears thoughts. He's all rugged and he gives bad officiating thoughts.

[Dan Bernstein]

He gives. I can't be too mad about this. I. I really. I thought I would feel horrible, but I'm. I don't. I don't. That was an unbelievable season, man. That was. That was an unforgettable, incredible season. It's gonna take me a while to go back and sort the. Through how many things happened near the end and just how crazy everything was. That was a great Bears season. It ultimately ended short of the ultimate goal. That was a great Bears season.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Just gave this game away. It's disappointing.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was going to end somewhat, but it saved it.

[Matt Abaticola]

It saved my heartbreak from watching next week's game, that's for sure.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was. It was not going to be pretty.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, it was not. I mean, that's.

[Dan Bernstein]

If it makes you feel any better.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I still think Sam Darnold's a fucking bum, but, I mean, that Seattle defense is pretty stupid.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Those front four guys.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you know who I love on Seattle?

[Matt Abaticola]

Their uniform.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who's. No, who's that giant fullback with the unpronounceable name? It's like O, S, T, Z, S.

[Matt Abaticola]

T, O. Yeah, it's like an eye chart. Oh. We haven't even mentioned the worst thing about this loss of the Rams.

[Dan Bernstein]

What the.

[Matt Abaticola]

Beavis, the kicker. Big number 92.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he's fat. Come on.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like, you can't have a game winning kick by a guy with a number 92. His name is Beavis Harrison. Beavis. He's fat. You see how fat he was?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he thought Andrew Billings popped in a Rams uniform for a second there. Yeah, I like Fatty.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Do you ever hear a cardio? I maybe heard a buffet a little bit there.

[Dan Bernstein]

So what, man? I like him. I like him. He leans in, he calls himself the thicker kicker.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, does he really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, and there's photos of him.

[Matt Abaticola]

Darn it.

[Dan Bernstein]

And no, he owns it and he loves it. But yeah, there are pictures of him when he's been even bigger than he is now. Like caught in mid kick where his foot and other parts of his body are kind of swinging through with his momentum.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, I didn't know that. He owns it and accepts it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, shoot, that sucks. I can't make fun of. Make him feel bad.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's no fun. I don't want to make him feel bad, but it's no fun to make fun of somebody who makes fun of themselves. It doesn't Work.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. He beat you to it. Of course he owns it. He's Harrison. Damn Mievis. He doesn't have to listen to you fat shaming kickers.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I know, it's terrible.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, when you have the opportunity, I mean.

[Matt Abaticola]

But there aren't many of them.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. Who's. I can't name. Like, who is he?

[Matt Abaticola]

Like, normally they're little guys.

[Dan Bernstein]

There were little fat guy. Tony Fritch was kind of, you know, he had a little porky guy, if I remember correctly. And you're not including the big guys with the flat toe shoes. There was everybody. No, no, not him. Do not start again with Tom Dempsey, because then you're gonna start me on Chubby Checker again.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh. Did we ever remember why we brought Chubby Checker up?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. It was because of the Billy Joel song.

[Matt Abaticola]

Billy Joel song. Okay. I didn't know if we had circled back to that and rectified that question.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, Somebody died. And then it was. What's her name? Died. Brigitte Bardot died.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And he was one of the last people alive.

[Dan Bernstein]

And he.

[Matt Abaticola]

Chubby Check how it came up. Originally.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct. That's how it came up.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. It didn't come up with the White Sox 84 season campaign.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. With. With. Let's do it again. Instead of let's twist again.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let's do it again. Like we lost to Baltimore last summer.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, not today. Don't do that today. Don't. Don't bring up Mike Bodicker today. Not. Not when the Bears season has ended. Don't do that. And it didn't end the way we wanted, but hey, it's a hell of a season. Hell of a city. And now Giordano. Giordano's is turning the page to what is going to be another unforgettable Chicago moment. Derrick Rose's jersey. Ret. He's a Chicago icon. He's a homegrown legend. And Giordano's will be celebrating all week with us as the Bulls honor one of the greatest ever to wear the jersey with the MV pizza. This new pie will celebrate his hefty career with a hefty stack, two layers of Giordano's signature pepperoni, and they will top it all off with a drizzle of homemade Calabrian hot honey. That's all done to salute the youngest MVP in NBA history. So order yours now at giordano's. Com.

[Matt Abaticola]

And FanDuel is turning on playoff mode so all customers get a profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. Each game day during the divisional round and beyond. You'll find a pack loaded with multiple profit boosts waiting for you right there in their app. So get the app. More boosts mean more ways to level up your playoff bets, pick the matchups you believe in, take your shot on an upset, or build a parlay that fits the moment. Now my four team parlay didn't do very good, but my individual game on the Bears plus three and a half under 48 and a half, that came through for me this weekend and we'll have more as we go to championship weekend and then eventually the big game. So what you do is you apply your profit boost and go after even bigger payouts while the playoffs keep rolling. So visit FanDuel.com podcast and grab your profit boost package every NFL playoff game day. And remember what FanDuel did. It's happening right now in the state of Illinois through tonight. You can bet right now and save 50 cents because FanDuel is removing the tax on all bets. That's through tonight. So take a look, see what you might want to play tonight. Once again, that's FanDuel.com podcast and grab your profit boost pack every NFL playoff game day. More action. No fees this weekend, the weekend of all weekends only on FanDuel 21 and over and present in Illinois. Opt in required bonus issued as non withdrawable profit boost tokens. Restrictions apply including any token expiration and max wager amount. See [e-mail] gambling problem call 1-800-gambler we.

[Dan Bernstein]

Have some opinions coming in regarding what happened on that final play and here's a couple of former quarterbacks who are weighing in. This is one to one final play on on the interception I should say. Okay, okay. And this was the the deciding interception, essentially the one that that where the Bears last gasp and Chase Daniel, the former Bears quarterback says you can't blame Caleb Williams for the INT in ot. The Bears have the absolute perfect play called the lack of effort by number two is really telling you can't give up on a route like this. And then Kurt Warner tweeted, looked to me like Williams expected D.J. to flatten and cross the safety's face and D.J. stayed high and ran to be covered. But he asked there's three question marks after that he said maybe not an adjustment they had talked about but can't imagine and two exclamation points. So we'll still wait for that and before we finish up, I have said this for a long time and I believe this that the best time to Be a fan of a professional sports team. The very best time, the most satisfying, most exciting, most entertaining and sometimes the most meaningful time is when you know your team is getting good.

[Matt Abaticola]

Good.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I think back when, I think back to what happened in the packers game, I think about the Jordan shot on elo. I think about when I was watching that and when the, when the Bulls beat the Cavaliers in that playoff series and they went on to run into teams that were, that were much tougher than they were for a long time in the Pistons. But that feeling when it was like, oh, this is real now. And people, people don't remember that Michael Jordan was not an international phenomenon. Michael Jordan was a good NBA player. But that's when things changed and when everything really started to be different. And that was it for Doug Collins. And there were other things that were going on as well. But what the Bears were this year, the closest memory to which I can relate it is when, when you knew you had something and you knew you had someone and Jordan missed shots and he didn't. And he, he. He wasn't Jordan yet, but he. You knew you had something. That's how I feel about the end of this Bears season and, and what I think they have in Caleb Williams somehow, some way. It's not an exact one to one comparison, but I can just say from, from the distance that I have from it, the decades that I have from was a great feeling. And I think if the Bears achieve what I think they can under Ben Johnson and with Caleb Williams, we're going to remember the end of this season similarly.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I cannot disagree with that at all. I think it's really, really well said. What's amazing to me when I just look back at this year is my feelings about Caleb Williams tonight. And I compare those to where we were at the start of the season with the collapse against the vikings in week one, getting motorboated in week two by the, by the Lions with 52 to 21 and just seeing his growth and seeing my feelings of Caleb Williams after experiencing last year with the Matt Eberflus coaching regime and Ben Johnson comes in my belief and confidence in Caleb Williams is the highest it's ever been of any Bears quarterback. And to finally being able to, finally to be able to say that at 53 years old that there's a quarterback that I believe can lead the Bears to wins and ultimately playoff wins and ultimately the championship and say that with confidence. It's just, it's a really good feeling to have, which is probably why I Don't feel as bad as I thought I would feel after this loss because I know that this wasn't a. Not even a window that was open where there was a crack in a window that got sealed up quickly. This. This is a long term championship opportunity with Ben Johnson, with Caleb Williams as a quarterback, and it's for the next foreseeable years, which is why I feel good and I feel okay about it because the future is very bright for the Chicago Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

Before we wrap it, I just want to say this too. Don't put cayenne pepper on your feet. That's one of the dumbest things I think I've ever heard in my life. Did when. When Melissa started.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I was. I was in the kitchen doing something with food, and I didn't quite. All I saw was her holding a thing of cayenne pepper, and I didn't quite understand.

[Dan Bernstein]

She said the Rams decided to sprinkle cayenne pepper in their socks to put it on their feet.

[Matt Abaticola]

For what purpose?

[Dan Bernstein]

To keep their feet warm. Don't do that. Okay. I would say that. I've never heard of that in my life.

[Matt Abaticola]

I've never heard that ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. And, like, I know ice fishermen, and trust me, if it worked, ice fishermen would do it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Do you think that's something like the Bears, like, equipment people told the Rams? Equipment people, hey, this is what we do. We put cayenne pepper on our feet and jardiniera on our shoes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just gonna say, and put an onion in every pocket. Make sure there should not be where you would usually put your thigh pads. Put a nice big red onion in there. That's what we do with Nicole. Like, what the hell, man?

[Matt Abaticola]

Things go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Let's go to Melissa Stark, and she's holding spices. Well, I put cardamom in my hair.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then I like oregano in my armpits.

[Dan Bernstein]

I sprinkle a little adobo mix in my shirt, and then I jump around, and then that keeps the alligators away.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And if I'm feeling itchy, I throw a little Chinese five spice down my crack.

[Dan Bernstein]

A little star anise for my anus. I mean, what are you doing?

[Matt Abaticola]

I would never do that unless Dick Warlock endorses it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Well, I think he does. We got to check with him. All right, let's wrap it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let's wrap it.

[Dan Bernstein]

We'll get back at it tomorrow morning. This. This was an absolute blast. And for this to be the first year of forward progress and to do these live post games, we're going to do it for other stuff too with with unfiltered and other things that we do this we were kind of flying by the seat of our pants with a lot of this and beta testing things as we went on and trying to figure it all out. In all seriousness, thank you so much for being here.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, for sure.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I hope that we can whatever this was as a part of your Bears experience that if your memories of this amazing Bears season, this unrepeatable Bears season, if your memories in any way involve forward progress, involve us talking about these games after the fact. Thank you that if that's the case, we're flattered and stay with us because this is just the very, very, very beginning of the beginning of many bigger and better and more awesome things to come. We would like to thank our Good friends at FanDuel for presenting today's episode of Forward Progress. And we thank Giordano's Celebrating Chicago Sports moments big and small. And right now the MV pizza can be yours. Go to Giordano's.com and order yours now at Giordano's.com.

[Matt Abaticola]

So we'll be back tomorrow morning with DBU another episode of Forward Progress on Wednesday. This week, remember there's a day change organizations win championships. Our Bulls podcast with Dan and Jason Bernstein will be on Wednesday. And tomorrow morning a new episode of from the 50 drops I talked with Tom Sillo, Dan. Tom is a 59 year old college freshman at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania who walked on their D3 football team this past offseason this past fall and played football as a 58 year old college freshman. It's unbelievable. So check out from the 50 as well. Again, as Dan said, thank you for being here for all the Forward progress and all the 312 sports shows. We do appreciate it and we will talk to you again tomorrow. Bears Lose Season Comes to an End they lose to the rams in overtime 20 to 17. Thanks for being here and we'll talk to you tomorrow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Progress Has Stopped.

[Matt Abaticola]

Forward Progress a Chicago Bears Podcast with Dan Bernstein and matabaticola on 312 sports.