← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
POSTGAME: Chicago Bears LOSE despite Caleb's 4th quarter comeback against Detroit
00:55:54
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- [00:01]
A
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.
- [00:25]
B
Bears finish the season 11 and 6 as they fall to the Lions in typically extreme, exciting fashion. 19 to 16 is the final, and now we will watch closely the remaining 63 seconds of the Commanders and the Eagles. At the moment, the commanders are leading 24 to 17. So as soon as we have the final there, obviously we'll let you know, we're going to know a whole lot more about what's going on and what happens next. Let me say this first. Thanks, Bears, for an immensely entertaining regular season that in my memory, I don't know where it's. Let me just say I'm not sure where this is all going to end. I don't know if they're going to be one and done. I don't know if they're going to win the Super Bowl. What I do know is no matter what happens right now, and even with a loss at home in the final game, I am going to remember this as one of the most interesting, entertaining Bears regular seasons that we've had. This has been a whole hell of a lot of fun in a lot of ways, and I'm just, I want to enjoy that. I want to appreciate that. Before we get started with, oh my God, what's next? What's going on with the defense? Yeah, there's, there's a lot of questions. There's a lot of concerns, but it's. They get to reset everything here. They get to start anew and maybe come up with some answers, maybe see what their defense can and can't do. But this, this has been a terrific time up to this point.
- [02:15]
A
Yeah, I hope that the coaching staff was able to learn something about their defense. Today. You asked what they can and can't do. I could tell you a few things of what they can and what they can't do.
- [02:25]
B
Please do.
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A
But no, and we'll get into it. And it has been a very exciting season. It just, you know, win or lose for this game, the Bears were in the playoffs. So the anxiety level or the anger in watching this game wasn't as high as it has been throughout the course of the season. It was just very disappointing. I think I'm more disappointed with this loss than anything because the lack of effort at times that I saw some from some players and just how flat they were for three quarters was really disappointing. I mean, this was, this was a game that Ben Johnson talked about the Bears coming out and being very sharp and being ready to play at home. This game did still have meaning for them. I know they could, you know, backdoor into the 2 seed with a loss by the Eagles. But you wanted to see the Bears come out and win this game at home in front of the home crowd, getting ready for the playoffs. You don't want to go into the playoffs with a two game losing streak. And this, the lack of energy, the lack of effort at times and just no rhythm whatsoever for three quarters was very disappointing to see. They couldn't run the ball very well. Some of the play calling in the first half was questionable. You know, there was a lot of opportunities for the Bears to make some throws because there were, you know, seven and eight guys in the box at times, you know, and then obviously, you know, if you have eight, a guy peels out. But they're showing different things, playing a lot of zone and the Bears couldn't take advantage of it. And when we saw last week, Dan in the Niners game and I talked about this, we talked about in the postgame show and during the week that the Niners put out there a really great blueprint of just going after and attacking the middle of the field. And the Lions are the absolute best in the game right now at running those crossing routes. We're setting up a screen. No contact is needed, nothing's illegal even in question. But they, they run those crossing routes with screenshots to perfection, which is why they lead the league in yards after catch.
- [04:15]
B
I think when I want to also be clear, it's not a, not a screen pass. It's, it's a pick. What you're talking about is having someone in someone's way putting an obstacle there.
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A
No, I know, I know exactly what I'm saying. Because it's not a pick because there is no contact. That's why it's a screen.
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B
Right.
- [04:32]
A
You're looking at a pick is contact, A pick has contact. A screen is an obstacle in your way that slows your steps down, which they had multiple times across the field. So they are two different things.
- [04:42]
B
They're brilliant. Yeah. I just want to make sure when we're talking about a screen pass rate at it and they, they space it well and they sell it well and they make sure it's not a penalty because it's, it's such an important part of what they do. I, you know, I thought the Bears were getting out coached most of the game until late, until they tried that, that Montgomery option pass where our guy Andrew Billings ended up getting a sack on that play. I have no idea why they did that. I don't understand it. But they. They let him back into it. Remarkable that the Bears even found their footing. And I can. I keep going back when I in my mind to the drop by Luther Burden when the Bears got it on their own 26 after the interception, that very first play, after the interception where it was off of Burden's hands because I thought he got a little excited with the opportunity to catch it on the dead run because that next you had the intentional grounding and it was. It was kind of over at that point. But that drop.
- [05:52]
A
God, yeah. No, it was a. It was a bullet. I mean, he still should have had. It went right through his hands, but it was an absolute bullet.
- [05:58]
B
It was.
- [05:59]
A
And it was a game. Not only was it disappointing from the effort standpoint at times, and the fact of. There was a lack of rhythm offensively through three quarters. The number of drops, too, I think that was at least five drops in that game that were just unacceptable. I mean, this was not a game where despite Caleb not really being in rhythm because the offense wasn't in rhythm. This wasn't like a Caleb looked bad game. This was. The offense looked terrible. The play calling was questionable.
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B
And.
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A
And then you can't have four or five drops in this game. You can't. That being one of them, which was just very disappointing because that killed it with that second down, intentional grounding. Third and 20. Manangai gets a pass and he gets 15 yards, but you got a punt there. At that point, you're too deep into your. Into your territory. And I just. I said there's just too much time.
- [06:42]
B
That's.
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A
That's way too much time for the Lions to. To just need a field goal.
- [06:47]
B
I had consecutive drops written down for Jade Walker and then by DeAndre Swift going toward the sideline. And that was when the Bears had the ball back and they ROL thrown 30 and they were still down 16 to nothing at that point in the third quarter. But I agree with you on that. I also keep getting back to the lack of effectiveness and impact of their front four. No matter what was tried, no matter whether or not there were extra blitzers, they tried a couple tackle end twists, one that was successful, one very much not going man on these third downs and allowing them to run the exact plays that you're describing there where you bring a guy through traffic. Oftentimes it was C.J. gardner, Johnson trying to give chase and too often it was Jalen Johnson who just continues to look like he's not quite back yet. If Jalen Johnson is being attacked, there's a problem.
- [07:46]
A
Yeah, and I thought there was a couple of plays though where he seemed more active and more physical. I just don't think he's completely back yet. And it seems like right now he is more of a liability than he is an asset on the, on the field. And I know that, you know, with their depth chart and where they're at and where his status is, it's not like you can't, you can't play him, but he certainly isn't anywhere where he needs to be at a high level of play right now, which is, which is too bad.
- [08:12]
B
The Commanders have defeated the Eagles 24 to 17, which means the Bears are going to be the 2 seed. They are going to take on the Green Bay packers at Soldier Field. Time tba.
- [08:27]
A
Yeah, a couple guys I want to point out too, before I forget on things, but you know, you talked about the lack of pressure from the front four and something we discussed earlier in the week and I talked about using some stunts and getting Montez sweat moving inside with maybe Dexter or Garrett or Jarrett going outside. And that was the play where they had an actual sack from Gervon Dexter. Also want to point out the play that I thought Grady Jarrett was a little more active. He's, he's getting up and down the field better, not only decide on the sideline, but coming back on plays. So hopefully he's getting completely healthy in Brighton. Time for the playoffs, which would be nice. And then one other guy is Jaquan Brisker, who I thought had a nice game, made two important plays. The first one was on that Dave Montgomery passed to Jared Goff. He read it immediately, stayed with Jared Groff, the Jared Goff the entire time downfield. So great recognition there and good preparation to understand that. And then of course he had the tip on the Kevin Bayard interception, which I just, you know, these guys just keep getting in opportunities and you know, Kevin Bayard now with his what, seventh or eighth interception and not a Pro bowl player. It's just mind boggling to me on a team that won their division and he leads the league in interceptions. But Jaquan Brisker had a nice game, made two really important plays. Oh, and the last thing, the most significant, most important, most unbelievable two point diversion you'll ever see is Colton. He's blocking that play. Gets, he gets, he falls down. He whiffs on Hutchinson. But still Recognizes that Caleb's scrambling. So he gets up, not in a route, just runs out, gets in the end zone and then gets absolutely annihilated and holds onto the ball.
- [10:01]
B
It was a fingertip catch on which he got absolutely increased by that tackler. Just unbelievable. And I also want the record to show that when, when you gave that name just now to the Detroit quarterback, our official medical expert of the show, Dr. Steve Brule, fan. Also a fan of Jared Groff. Yes, yes.
- [10:24]
A
He came in on a broat.
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B
So Colston Loveland had a game of 13 targets, 10 catches, just 91 yards.
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A
Yeah.
- [10:34]
B
But he did have the touchdown. And what he's certainly done is take up a lot of Green Bay's practice time for next week. I would think that Jeff Halfley now whether Roma dunes a comes back as we expect or not, that the concentration for them is going to be take away the guy who's developed now into Caleb Williams security blanket because whatever they've got going is, is, is something clearly pretty special. He was terrific in this game. He led the Bears in receiving with those 10 catches and 91 yards. Williams finished 20 of 33. His 212 yards blew past the 109 that he needed to top Eric Kramer in for the all time franchise record for passing yards in a season. Not enough for the 270 to get to that 4,000 mark, but the new 17 game season record for the Chicago Bears belongs to Caleb Williams as he sort of woke up from the same doldrums that seemed to be affecting everyone until they were down 16 to nothing and we were all thinking of different leads for this game. I was getting ready to say that there are, there are certainly better times to have a burn the tape game than in your last game of the season heading into the playoffs. And this was looking like that until it simply didn't. So I, I don't know exactly. I don't want to make too much of a single outcome. I don't want to make too much out of what happened there because I don't necessarily think that it's going to have a bearing on what happens next week other than seeing what not to do on third down. If you're not going to generate a pass rush, you're going to have to play zone. Well, show zone.
- [12:22]
A
It absolutely has no, no bearing on next week. I mean we've seen this in this season for the NFL from week to week to teams show up differently each and every week. The Bears have been a little more consistent and that's why they were able to get ahead and win their division. And I think that, you know, just looking at the. At the nature of this game and I just. I'll put it away. I'll put it away tomorrow and I'll be done with it. But I'm just so. I'm. I think the overwhelming feeling is just disappointment. Disappointment that they came out that flat and played that flat for as long as they did. I get it. You might have a drive and you're, you know, your opening drive, your first two drives, you might be super amped up and you got to settle down a little bit. For the Bears, it seems to be the opposite, especially with Caleb, it's not about settling down and getting level and getting into your groove. It's about rising up to the occasion to look alive, to be warmed up, to be ready to go. I just. I just didn't get it. Even Ben Johnson said at halftime that he was just disappointed. That's about as all he. As all he could say about it is disappointed with the way they were playing the game. And I wanted to point out, before I forget, did you. Because you. You made it very clear that the new 17 game record for the Bears was set by Caleb today. Did you happen to catch before the game? Fox, the. The panel, the studio show with Michael Strahan. When they talked about Miles Garrett breaking the sack record, did you see the very first thing he said?
- [13:47]
B
I did not. I came in near the end of that. So when Michael and Howie Long we're talking.
- [13:51]
A
Yeah. They said it to Strahan. They're like, what do you think, Michael? And he was like, well, he set the record for 17 games and I did it in 16 games. That's right. He is right. But like the anger and the bitterness of it, dude, just say, hey, congratulations. And then you go on to point it out. But to not even congratulate the guy was it just. It stood out to me. Here's the problem. I thought of it again when you just mentioned that.
- [14:12]
B
Yeah, the problem with what he said was the tape shows that Al Bubba Baker had the record at 23 before this, that the former Lion Al Baker had 23. It just was not an official stat. So if, if somebody wanted to respond to Michael Strahan in that regard, that Bubba Bakery, it may have been the year, I believe that he compiled what, four or five of those against Dan Jiggots and the Bears in one game? I think that might have been the same season, but once, if you wanted to. And I believe, I think Doug Buffone said that he had 20 something one year before they he did.
- [14:57]
A
He Doug has said that a few different times.
- [15:00]
B
And not to mention, you don't want to get Deacon Jones talking about that either. Right as we did. He was sitting with us at a Super bowl talking about he thought he had 30 or something like that. And I know that there's going to be all kinds of these discussions, but if the Bears play like they did for too much of that game, this season's going to come to an end very, very quickly.
- [15:22]
A
Yeah, it is.
- [15:23]
B
And this will all be perhaps for not for whatever it was. And we'll remember the hot dogs and the shirt off and the cheese graters and good, better, best. But if they play like that, they don't have a chance. And if they can't find a way to bother the opposing quarterback without sacrificing the quality of their coverage, they're in real trouble. And that's what we have looked at for weeks now, those four guys. And even against the run, what those four guys are not doing to disengage blocks, you've got to have more of an impediment before the linebacker level. You have to have more penetration on passes. You can't wave a wand and magically make those four guys with their hands on the ground better. But there's got to be something. There's no help is coming walking through that door, and I wish I had an easy answer for how to do it.
- [16:20]
A
Well, the easy answer is there isn't anything they can do. And this is what it's going to look like moving forward for the duration of the season. Whether it's one more game or they're able to get a win at home against Green Bay in their third time playing them this season. Nothing's going to be different. There is. There isn't anything else they can do. There isn't a guy on the roster they haven't played yet. They can move up and put in that position. The only other thing you can do, and we've talked about this because you can't blitz more. You can't expose an already an already deficient backfield defensively to have a guy like Jared Goff or a guy like Jordan. Love being able to pick you apart with open reads. The only thing you can do is rearrange guys and it may just be rearranging deck chairs and I'm the Titanic. That might all it be. But there's no other option. So they're not going to do anything different than they're going to leave it as it is with their rotation and, and just say, hey, guys are going to have to step up. They'll give us the cliched football answers. It's time to step up. Guys will have to step up and make plays. Well, you haven't done it through 17 games. I don't see it happening just because it's the playoffs.
- [17:23]
B
It's going to be packers at Bears, Rams at Panthers, Niners at Eagles in the afc, Chargers at Patriots, Bills at Jaguars, and the Texans will visit either the Ravens or the Steelers, depending on the outcome of the game. That is kicking off in just about an hour from now.
- [17:45]
A
Correct.
- [17:46]
B
Welp, this is, I, let me just say this. I would rather play the packers than the Niners right now. I would rather, I would rather play the packers than the Niners right now. This is my preferred outcome. And you're not sure.
- [18:06]
A
You know, I just, I hate the packers so much. I don't. I'm not ready emotionally for another packers game in this season.
- [18:12]
B
Can you do another packers week starting now? Certainly. Starting tomorrow? On Dan Bernstein, unfiltered and forward progress. It is packers week number three.
- [18:23]
A
Yeah, it is. I just, you know, again, I'm still not over the, just all the pain and the misery that the packers have delivered to the Bears. I know it's different. And I know with Caleb, now they're 2 and 2. He's 2 and 2 against the Packers. I get all that. And they actually went 2 and 1 last calendar year in 2025 against the Packers. You know, it's just, I just, I hate them so much. I absolutely hate the packers with such a strong passion. But, yeah, you know, I'll get over it. I'll, I'll wrap this game up tomorrow and we'll look ahead to the Packers. And I know the Bears are going to win because they're going to the super bowl and they're going to win the whole thing. That's what, you know, that's what my play on my bookie says, so.
- [19:05]
B
Good. I'm glad it says that. And obviously, my early bet that I made, I think I got the Tampa Bay buccaneers at what, 331 or something? I put that down to win. They are not going to have a chance to win the super bowl thanks to the confluence of outcomes today. A couple of notes that I have as we get into some of this stuff. Tom Brady did say piss missile to describe one of those throws.
- [19:33]
A
He did say piss missile. Yes.
- [19:34]
B
And apparently it's the second time he's done It. So if he had received any admonishment the first time, it didn't stick because he did call a pass on national television in America's game of the week. He did refer to it as a piss missile. So apparently that is allowed.
- [19:52]
A
Yeah, you know, and at the end, and there's a comment here, it said that that game meant dick. And at the end of the day, without knowing the outcome of the Eagles game. Yes, really, at the end of the day, that game, this game ended up being meaningless. With the Eagles losing, the Bears were able to backdoor into the two seed. I just would have preferred them to show up more now. Even with a loss. Even with a loss. The Lions aren't a terrible team. They're just. They're not a terrible team. They're a very good team.
- [20:19]
B
They outplayed the Bears this year, without question. The Bears may have taken the north, the Bears may have won the north, but the Lions were better than the Bears this year every time that they had a chance.
- [20:31]
A
All you have to do is look at those two games and the Bears finished 2 and 4 in their division and that's. Then they're. That's not normal for a team to win your division to go two and four. That and it's not acceptable moving forward. They can't.
- [20:42]
B
I believe it hasn't. It hasn't happened in 15 years for any team to win a division with a losing divisional record.
- [20:49]
A
Well, it's also the first time a team made the playoffs by allowing 42 points or more in three games in a season, which the Bears have done this year. So a lot, lot of first. A lot of historical firsts for this team and the, and Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson right now. So yeah. Did I want them to win? Of course I wanted them to win, but I wanted them. It was important for me as a fan that they show up today and play hard and look good at home going into the playoffs. You don't want to have that. So, you know, you walk into the playoffs on two losses where you just got absolutely just your defense got Destroyed by the 49ers and then you come home and you just, you don't put anything together offensively. You're a top five offensive team this year and you put nothing together until the fourth quarter when it seems like the team finally woke up and started playing. Now the Bears and the packers are walking into the playoffs together on a five game losing streak, which, you know, doesn't, doesn't really speak a whole lot of good stuff about the NFC north when both your representatives are walking in on a five game losing streak.
- [21:47]
B
CJ Gardner Johnson is in the concussion protocol after that hit late. He clearly got up wobbly and it was it was certainly easy to to see the quote from Ben Johnson is the what he told their post game show. He said they'll turn the page pretty quick because the new season is starting. So obviously we have the. We have the Bears lead on that is close it up. Don't worry about it. They are beginning what they are referring to as a new season and it's absolutely true. But you don't get a new season to bring in new players. You don't get to change around anything that you're doing up front. While we're talking about that front four, let me give you a couple other notes. That one was something I saw before the game. One is an observation that I saw during the game that I like your thoughts thoughts on the 1st is that going into the game the Bears had the lowest expected points added per play, the worst in the league, the worst defensive EPA per defensive play when turnovers and plays on which they caused turnovers were taken out. If you subtract the fumbles and the interceptions, the Bears had the NFL's worst performance per play on defense. 30 of 30. They're 30 teams, right? I think that's right. So that's that. That was a telling stat in the end.
- [23:28]
A
32.
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B
Oh this is 32. So they were they 32. They. They. Now I gotta look at it whether you remind myself whether they're 30th or 32nd. Either way it was. It was one way of stripping out the turnovers just to show how how bad they had been. The other note in the first half I thought I saw the Lions catch the Bears twice with a quick snap right before Andrew Billings or as he was shouting his move call.
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A
Oh no, dude, 100. Because it happened more than twice.
- [24:02]
B
Actually it happened and they. And they stopped doing it. So there was a plan by Ben Johnson to take advantage to time up that defensive line, shift whatever they had been doing and trying to use it to upset timing. It had been a weapon. Where Billings yells move.
- [24:21]
A
You mean the Campbell. Campbell had an idea to take advantage of it.
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B
Excuse me. Yes. Campbell had an idea to recognize when that was happening and catch them off guard, catch them moving sideways. And it worked. And it looked as if the Bears decided to call off some of that pre snap defensive line movement. I don't know if this is something the packers are going to try to key on if it's something that they're going to get back into doing. But that was the first time it maybe it's happened, but it was the first time I had noticed that they were trying to exploit that that move call by the Bears.
- [24:57]
A
I'm not going to say for sure that yeah, that I've watched every, every game over and saw that. But I don't remember it happening before and it happened more than twice where they took advantage of quick snaps while the Bears were moving to catch them. So no good good catch on your part because it certainly did happen. And I think, I think our guy Billings was was disappointed to not get any kind of credit in the Niners games his name to be called out at all which is why he had those two penalties. Now the second one, though, I'm going to tell you that ball was moving the center was moving that ball laterally before he snapped it and you're not allowed to move that ball in any, any, any fashion that he did. And that so that second one I'm not going to hold against him as badly as the first one. The first one was just ridiculous. Although he got a really good shot.
- [25:40]
B
In on the center and there's a possibility and this goes back to sort of the, the out coaching aspect. You had David Montgomery not getting out of bounds late, staying staying inbounds instead of or excuse me, getting out of bounds when he should have stayed in bounds. The, the Marion Barber.
- [25:57]
A
But oh yeah, for sure.
- [25:58]
B
Tom Brady pointed out that it's possible that the second encroachment was on purpose, that if you think the opposing team is likely to get the first down, that you're better off just giving it to him and stopping the clock.
- [26:14]
A
He didn't say that he thinks that that's what Billing was doing, but he said in the end it really wasn't that bad of a penalty to have. But I don't think it was delivered you.
- [26:22]
B
I don't know. He, he said they might have a call for that. He added to that point, I don't know. I think it's. I don't know if, if the playoff media availabilities are any different. Do we have to wait until Thursday to talk to Dennis Allen, who's I'd much rather talk to him maybe than than Ben Johnson about some of this stuff. You know, my questions really are that that's what we're going to focus on. Is the defensive line going to allow the Bears to have a chance to beat the packers next week? That's my question, are they going to give the offense a fair shot? Because if they play like this, they're not going to have a chance. This defense has been getting worse and what do we say?
- [27:07]
A
It certainly has been 900 yards. Gave up 300 yards. He was over 300 today too.
- [27:14]
B
He had 311. And they rushed for 122. That's 433 total yards that the Bears surrendered today.
- [27:22]
A
And so that's, that's over 1300 yards in the last three games.
- [27:26]
B
Yep. They were at 880, I believe.
- [27:28]
A
Yeah. So it's over.
- [27:29]
B
That's the direction they're going in and it's not good.
- [27:34]
A
You know, I. What really stands out to me is the drive you mentioned. And it was the Bears eighth drive after the interception where they have the first down miss by burden, the second down grounding, and then third and 20, they were 15.
- [27:48]
B
And then they came to Menungi. Yep.
- [27:49]
A
That was just, that was such a disappointing drive. You know, even of all the bad drives they had in the first three, three quarters where they just looked lifeless and didn't care to play football. That was so disappointing. Like, how are you not so pumped up and so ready to go after that interception in, you know, deep in your territory and you come out like that, you come out with a miss on first down and then pressure and just a throw, a throwaway in second down to get a 10 yard penalty and a loss of downs. I just, I don't understand it. That was so disappointing. And I was really, I really wanted Montez Sweat to show up today. You know, I was really hoping this would be a game where Montez Sweat shows up. You're playing a division rival, you're at home, the number two seed in the NFC is on the line. You're the, you know, the top paid defensive guy. You're the guy that's there to get to the quarterback. I was really hoping he would show up and have a game.
- [28:42]
B
He and Brady Jarrett split a sack in the first quarter, correct? That was it.
- [28:47]
A
Yeah, that was it. That was it. He did have one nice play where there was an outlet. I want to say to Montgomery, and he hesitated and then he got real tall. And his getting tall forced Jared Groff and Golf to throw the ball a little high and out of the reach of Montgomery. So he made, he made two plays, but certainly not enough pressure on Jared Goff, a guy who doesn't run at all, who doesn't leave the pocket. But you know, if you're, if you're not getting to him quickly, which the Bears don't have the ability to get to a quarterback quick. He's just going to kill you in the middle with those slants and those, those, those crossing routes. He's just going to kill you all getting along. And we saw that with nothing but Jalen Johnson and cj GJ trailing from behind. I just man it again, not angry about it. It's a loss. There's still the two seed. The season starts fresh. Everyone's at, you know, 0 and 0. You get a home game to start, which is great. You're not going on the road. You get a team that you know well, a team that you're going to be amped up for and pumped up for. Great. Good to go. Just disappointed that they didn't show up more for this game.
- [29:47]
B
Well, the, the other piece of good news is that they only left with the one injury that we know being the aforementioned concussion suffered by C.J. gardner. Johnson. So that was my other worry.
- [30:02]
A
Yeah, maybe Gordon's back next week. I, I doubt it. Yeah, I doubt it. But who knows? And I would like, I would like, I would like Roma Dunes to stop jumping up and down on the sidelines. I know you're excited, but just keep your feet on the ground. Stop jumping for me.
- [30:17]
B
Can I ask you a weird question?
- [30:18]
A
This is like on a trampoline, and it's really cushy.
- [30:20]
B
Did you see when they. The Bears were hoping to get the eventual intentional grounding that they got called that there was a bear that was jumping and signaling intentional grounding. And he turned around. I think his name was Kalanick or Kalanick. Who was that on the Bears? Yes. He was smiling, he was jumping, and I had no idea who he was. I thought it was some like made up dude or a guy that like won a charity auction to stand there and look like a bear. Did you have any idea who that.
- [30:58]
A
Was before the game?
- [31:00]
B
Yeah. Wait, what.
- [31:02]
A
Who are you?
- [31:04]
B
What do you do? Yeah, he was on the roster. Oh, here it is. Nicola Kalinich was in uniform. Had you ever heard of him?
- [31:19]
A
No, I think.
- [31:19]
B
Had you ever heard of. Of Nicola Kalanich?
- [31:24]
A
You're making that up.
- [31:24]
B
He was. I'm not. He's 6 4, 245 pounds. He wears number 86 for the Bears. And they showed him very excitedly signaling for intentional grounding. He was in uniform.
- [31:38]
A
All right. Some listeners have said Russian exchange student, others have said practice squad call up.
- [31:43]
B
Okay, that's my bet is the latter.
- [31:46]
A
Rather than the former favor For Putin. Somebody says, can he play defense?
- [31:54]
B
I didn't know who he was. I thought I rushed the passer.
- [31:57]
A
This is good.
- [31:57]
B
I thought I did a pretty good job keeping up with the people who, you know, who are on the Chicago Bears. I didn't think here in week 60 maybe that he had to be active to get a contract clause, an escalator in there or something to kick in for him, but. Hello, I guess Nikola Kalanich.
- [32:19]
A
Oh, we got a Stranger fans fan. Stranger. Stranger Things fan. He says he's from the Upside Down. I don't. You didn't watch Stranger Things at all, have you?
- [32:27]
B
No.
- [32:28]
A
Yeah. Very, very good. It just, it just wrapped up the finale over holiday. It was really good. I've never heard of that guy before. Never heard of him. Never heard of him. Never seen him before. So I miss him.
- [32:37]
B
He's very good at signaling for intentional grounding.
- [32:40]
A
So maybe he was a ref and they just didn't have an extra ref uniform and the Bears full pads jersey. Okay.
- [32:47]
B
I. But he's. He's there. He's a Chicago Bear. And actually you pretty good job. I thought for the most part with Azie Tripillo out and Theo Benedict starting in the left side to not hear the names of a lot of offensive linemen. I. I don't. And they kept the penalties pretty. Pretty few and far between today. That which was actually relatively impressive, especially going up against some of the guys that they've got. I mean overall the Bears did not beat themselves.
- [33:18]
A
No. And I think one. There was one play maybe where. And this is great if you can accomplish this, where Aiden Hutchinson really beat Darnell Wright really bad. But I mean that's, you know, that's one of the best pass rushers in the game. So to do that one time is pretty good throughout the course of a game.
- [33:33]
B
Yeah. They had him lined up in either a nine or an eight. Technique. Well, well, well out on that side.
- [33:40]
A
Well then. Yeah, then. But then he moved. He was moving in the middle too in. In a two point stance. So. So lots of different. Lots of different opportunities with that guy when.
- [33:48]
B
Yeah, there's only allowed that one sack and they only had four penalties for 25 yards. Yeah.
- [33:54]
A
Two of those were on Big Bill.
- [33:57]
B
Yeah. And the first one, I actually, since I noticed that when I looked back when you were talking about that first penalty that it was right before that. That was the other play where that I gave Montez Sweat some credit there also because he and Jalen Johnson combined for a stop on third and one that Set up that, that fourth and one where he was guilty of encroachment. And then of course they get Aman Rahn Brown lined up once again against CJ Gardner. Johnson in one of those one on one crossing routes where he's just able to move through stuff and. And beat a guy that's got to stop.
- [34:37]
A
I was, I was. I was wondering how Cole Comet wasn't concussed on that hit that two point conversion. Man, I just. I was surprised he. I thought for sure he was going to be seeing stars and going off the field there.
- [34:49]
B
But Helen, I don't know if there was head contact. It looked like he caught him flush.
- [34:54]
A
No, he got him. It was shoulder pad into like upper back area right Maybe near the neck. But his. The way his head snapped back, that's concussion inducing. I was really surprised. But hell of a play to whiff on the block and then get up and use your feet and get yourself available as a target to your quarterback. So Nice.
- [35:12]
B
Nice job there from Cole Colston Loveland with that game finished as the Bears leader in receiving yards this year. Really he did and we were showing how bunched up everybody was at one point. But when he ends up as with 713 yards, the 2025 Bears leader in receiving yards. After all the debate about his health and whether or not he or Tyler Warren was the right pick for the Bears tight end. Hell of a year for him and got better with every game. Really good.
- [35:50]
A
What was. I mean I just had a. I just had a thought that you.
- [35:53]
B
I know you're.
- [35:53]
A
That from my brain.
- [35:54]
B
No, you're trying to follow all of the. The comments.
- [35:56]
A
I know I'm. I need to stop. I need to stop reading these.
- [35:59]
B
The. The Bears with 16 points in the fourth quarter. They ended up with the fourth quarter being their highest scoring of the four.148 fourth quarter points this year. Ben Johnson telling the media that he was not pleased with the offense today. So I'm not surprised because it didn't really appear didn't arrive until the fourth quarter and they were asking a lot of. A lot of guys and a lot of plays. It also was interesting to me that Caleb Williams just didn't seem to be particularly active like he. They. They weren't relying on his escape ability. They weren't getting him on the move. There was. They didn't do any. Did I see a single boot? Did you see anything off waggle or boot or any of the. The successful sort of half field stuff?
- [36:58]
A
Maybe.
- [36:59]
B
I think there was one on which they had both tight ends moving, but it didn't seem to be a staple.
- [37:05]
A
It was. It was on a. It was a third down. It'd be a third down play.
- [37:10]
B
It was a completion to Loveland. Where they also had Comet going that direction. Correct.
- [37:15]
A
No, it was a completion to Comet. It was a third and 10 play in their seventh drive. Kemet gets the first down. Oh, yeah, yeah. Right here in my notes. And then I. In big letters I wrote, yeah, because he actually caught the ball and got yards after the catch. But he had. He had two. Two. Both tight ends. Comet being the nearer guy and then Colson a little deeper, but both going the same side. That might have been the only one that was designed. Obviously there was out. There was pressure that pushed him out and he rolled out, but that might have been the only one. And I'll have to go back and watch everything again and see. But that's the only one I can recall off top of my head where it was a design. Rollout play for sure.
- [37:49]
B
Well, I get back to where I started here, that I. There haven't been a lot of Bears seasons where we've had this number of games where you just said, wow, you know, they come down to things that happen late, where everything is exciting and meaningful late in games. And I did not like the way they played overall today. I didn't. However, however that each game is self contained. All of these players, you can use the word momentum all you want, but everybody goes home and everybody's a week, a full week for. For next week to have every. Everything is going to reset with the exception of those guys that are going to take the field. And I haven't looked at a Packers post game injury report and obviously that's going to be significant now if they got out of there in relative good health. Is everything okay with DJ Moore? Is he all right?
- [38:54]
A
He was the next guy I was going to bring up. That's when I lost my. My train. It was D.J. moore because he. He didn't look all right. And that interception where he just completely stopped running the route and allowed the Lions defender to catch the ball without any. Without contesting the. The play whatsoever. He just stopped. I know he tweaked his ankle or he tweaked his knee at one point because then at the. On the sideline and then he walked off the sideline, was being looked at, talked to, and then came back like three, two or three plays later. He just didn't look like the DJ Moore we've seen the last Few weeks a guy that's got energy and effort and was there to play just didn't see it. So hopefully everything's okay. Maybe he was dealing with an illness we just don't know about that was going through the entire, you know, Hallis hall. But he did not look like himself today. Unless you saw something different.
- [39:41]
B
No, I didn't. And I just didn't understand on that play why did. Was he so certain a flag was going to be thrown? Perhaps that he just kind of, kind of broke it down?
- [39:56]
A
I don't know. I don't know. Because there was no pass interference of any kind. That was two guys going for a ball and he just, he gave up on the route and he just didn't run the final few steps to even make. And even, even Brady made a comment about it like why wouldn't you just try to contest that ball and play defender at that point? Which he didn't even do. He just, he gave up on it.
- [40:14]
B
Well, we are waiting to find out what the schedule is going to look like. One thing we do have is the list of Bears opponents for next season. And according to the tweet from Kevin Fishbayner, I think I saw this on Blue sky before the game. The Bears home opponents next year will be the Packers, Vikings, Lions, Jets, Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles and Jaguars. Their road schedule, Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks. Okay, so it is always presumptuous to jump to any conclusions based on what we think. Think about how good these teams will be next year.
- [41:11]
A
Yeah.
- [41:12]
B
However, that's a tough schedule. That's a tough schedule. I think the Saints, I mean, are on track to being good.
- [41:21]
A
You get nine home games though, which is a plus. But yeah, Seahawks, Panthers, Falcons.
- [41:29]
B
Yeah, again, outside the division, outside the division, outside. Packers, Vikings, Lions, Jets, Patriots, Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Jaguars at home. Away it's the Bills, the Dolphins, the Falcons, the Panthers and the Seahawks.
- [41:46]
A
So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6 playoff teams there. Packers.
- [41:56]
B
Yeah, if you're talking. Yep. Yeah. 7 Right. If you're talking Packers, Patriots, Eagles, Jaguars, Bills, Panthers, Seahawks. And I, I want no piece of that Seahawks defense this year.
- [42:11]
A
Yeah, holding the Niners the three points.
- [42:14]
B
And, and Saturday night you talk about you want to see what you want your front four to look like.
- [42:19]
A
Yeah, that's it.
- [42:20]
B
How you, how you want dudes. And sure the those edges on, on the Broncos are something and speedy and their get off time is insane but man, the Seahawks play nasty and there's just not a whole lot of open space back there when they want to play zone. The Bears are going to have to figure out how to, how to tighten up a zone defense. I think that's really their only shot. I think you got to play.
- [42:49]
A
You can't play, man. I mean, there's that. You have, you have, you do not have one corner that is a shutdown, you know, one on one type corner. Just, it's just that you just don't.
- [42:59]
B
Not the way Jalen Johnson's playing right now.
- [43:01]
A
No.
- [43:01]
B
And I would like to know if they know something about his recovery, if they know something about, if they're seeing something different in practice. But he, if you didn't know that going into the season this was their single individual best player, you certainly wouldn't know it now because something's not right with him.
- [43:22]
A
So it's the Bears third loss this year in a one score game. I think they end the season eight and three in one score games. It's also the first time they lost this year when allowing 24 points or less. They were previously undefeated going into this game when allowing 24 or less on the season. Jared Goff in, in the two games that he played the Bears this year, dan, he was 13 for 16, 242 yards with a touchdown on plays. When the Bears blitzed, when the Bears blitzed Jared Goff 13 of 16, 242 with a touchdown.
- [43:56]
B
Well, he's going to be that until you get him on the ground or until there's anything in his face, even, even a successful blitz. The only thing that really bothers him is stuff that's coming between the tackles, stuff that is impeding his field of vision and affecting him directly. That even if you, if you run some of these wide, you know, you start running the bubble around the outside and he's allowed to step up. That's not going to get it done. It's not.
- [44:28]
A
Yeah. And I just, you know, I just don't know how much tighter you can make your, your zone defense because you're never going to bring Kevin Byard up, up closer. You're not going to like, he's, he's going to be deeper than he needs to be because I mean, obviously they play a whole, you know, bend, don't break, keep everything in front of you type. And it worked out, it worked out early on against the Lions in this game where they gave up two field goals and you're one, one play away from taking the lead at home. When you look like shit and you were being outplayed the first half of the game significantly, time of possession and yards and number of plays. You know, I'll go back through and look at number of plays and yards in first half the last three games because it's just been absolutely terrible. And the fact that the Bears are one and two and then they finished the fourth quarter, the five game, fourth quarter, two and three, and then again going into the playoffs on a two game losing streak. But I just, you know, there's nothing really different you can do with your zone because you're not walking by it up closer. You're not going to allow an opportunity for a guy like Jordan Love or wherever he might play beyond that to beat you deep because they'll do that without a pass rush. So it's just a matter of keeping plays in front of you. I mean the playbook is out there that if you can run crossing routes, get guys open in the middle and hit them in stride, they are going to run four yards against the Bears defense with a guy trailing behind them because they just can't keep up and play.
- [45:47]
B
If C.J. gardner Johnson is kept out of the game because of the concussion he suffered near the end of this one. Josh Blackwell is listed as the reserve nickelback. Jalen Jones came in in his stead today and I don't know if that was just a decision based on Blackwell's other responsibilities because of how important he is to all of their special teams. You understand how he ran harder on the kickoff return than Devin Duvernay did.
- [46:15]
A
Well, Jones is also very important on special teams because he's, he's a gunner. He's getting down there a lot of times first. So you know, it's going to be interesting situation how well what you're going to do if CJ GJ can't go.
- [46:28]
B
And this would be a reason for the packers to be out there in, in any offensive sets that are going to have a backup backup. Now, now you're down, you know, after Kyler Gordon and now you lucked into CJ Gardner Johnson and that's going to be another point of exposure if in fact they're, they're going to have three wides as a base. So I would expect that.
- [46:59]
A
You know, it's, it's premature to talk about, about next season. So I won't even, I won't even go there just thinking about the defense and.
- [47:06]
B
No, I was talking about next game.
- [47:08]
A
Yeah, I know and I'm, I'm, you know, thinking beyond that because there's going to be some significant changes. Absolute significant changes. There has to be. There has to be with this, with not only the roster, maybe in coaching, who knows? Who knows. But this was a, this was a season where you're a top five offense and you could not stop much of anything. And as the season went on and I know there's injuries, but I'm not.
- [47:34]
B
I'm not ready to start talking past tense about this season yet.
- [47:38]
A
I know, I know.
- [47:39]
B
I think they can beat the packers and I. My gut feeling is that your first look ahead line tonight is going to have it a pick them or the Bears. A very, very slight or one and a half point type favorite in that game.
- [47:55]
A
Well, the early numbers I saw Dan before this weekend even came about looking at the potential matchups for the Bears. The Bears were. The Bears were, were getting points against all three opponents, the packers, the Rams and the Niners. They. I think, I think they were getting a point and a half against the packers going into this weekend as a potential matchup.
- [48:13]
B
Okay. All right. Well, that surprises me a little bit because the packers don't concern me. I would not want to see San Francisco right now. I would not Just, just because of the purdy can without pressure can just be a cool customer back there throwing darts to the guys that he can wait to come open.
- [48:35]
A
Well, if they were to ever see the Niners here in the playoffs, maybe Dennis Allen watched the Seahawks game film and said, all right, we'll just do that. We'll do the same thing that they did. That'll that would work really well. If the Bears were able to do that, that'd be great. Maybe put those guys in Bears jerseys and let them play along with your new Russian friend that somehow got on the team today.
- [48:55]
B
Yes, that Nikola Kalanich. He sounds like a power forward. To be named Nicola and have a name that ends in IC means he. He missed his calling somewhere being an NBA power forward.
- [49:09]
A
Can he play hoops? I mean maybe the Bulls could use him.
- [49:11]
B
Yeah, they probably could. We hope. Ozzie Tropillo is going to certainly be better for next week because those inactives were Dunes, A Tripillo, Tryon, Shoyinka, Hippolyte and McLeod. That's another name because McLeod was sick. He would otherwise have been active. So it's possible that he could be used at nickel corner and might be better than whatever they might have replacing C.J. gardner Johnson, who was who struggled today. But I'm not going to get too down the season lives. The Bears have proven that we can trust them to be competitive even when it looks at its bleakest to be down 16 nothing heading into the fourth quarter and have my timelines filled with people suggesting I'll put in bay gins, take everybody out. You know, just don't get anybody hurt at this point. Just take the L. And this was tied. And I thought they were going to win. I swear to God, I thought when they had the ball at their own 26, I thought they were going to win.
- [50:14]
A
Yeah, because they. I mean, that's what they've done all year. And they get, they get the interception, they get the play they needed, and then they just come out and they have a turd of a drive after that first drop by by Luther Burden and then the grounding on second down. So I thought they were going to win. And then that drive to zapped it all the way and I just, you know, looked at the clock and was like, well, too much time. All they need is a field goal. And all you had to do is put together one. One drive in the first three quarters. I mean, give me one drive in the first three fucking quarters. I mean, they couldn't even do that. They weren't even active and alive. And there was no energy, there was lack of effort at times. All you had to do was come up with one drive and three quarters. But it's like they just love playing with their hair on fire. And you know, when everything is just urgent and that's when Caleb comes alive. It's like, dude, I don't know. I don't know if he needs to play some, like, rec game before the game start so that he's active and warmed up walking into the field because it just, man, that's. That's sleepy. Like, I need to get warmed up. My legs on under me. Shit, man, you can't have that for a playoff game. You can't walk into a playoff game, be like, yeah, I'll get warmed up in the second half. Because it's just not going to work that way. It's not going to happen that way. And I don't care who you're playing.
- [51:28]
B
If somebody had told you going into this year, if someone had told you at the end of last year even, even before Ben Johnson was hired that in 2025, the Bears would enter the playoffs as the division champs in the north and the number two seed in the nfc and then say after that last game that we would be disappointed, we would be talking about what the schedule looked like next year. We would be thinking about what changes still could be made to the defensive line or changes made to the defensive coaching staff before and then. And then say, well, that first playoff game would be against a Packers team that the Bears had recently defeated. It's pretty amazing. And I think that we should check just this feeling of being allowed at this point to be as disappointed as we are. And Ben Johnson himself is setting the tone. But it's a hell of a place to be.
- [52:28]
A
Yeah. Because last year doesn't matter, and now it's all this year. And we should be disappointed and we should be angry because you won the division.
- [52:37]
B
I'm not trying to shame you from being disappointed.
- [52:39]
A
Oh, no, I know.
- [52:41]
B
It's just amazing how quickly our perspective can change and how almost absolutely our perspective can change based on what's happened the last few months.
- [52:51]
A
Yeah. Because each season is unique unto itself. Like, just to itself. So, like, it doesn't matter next year. It doesn't matter. You know, last year, it's. It's this year alone, and they won their division. Now, if I'd said to you going into the season, Dan, the Bears are going to start off 02. They're going to end the season 02. You would have never said their record would be 11 and 6. You would have never said, oh, sure, they'll go 11 and 2 in those middle 13. That didn't seem realistic. But that's what they did. And that's why it is frustrating and it is disappointing because you have to take each season as it is. The Lions have been one of the top teams in the league the last two years. Not in the playoffs this year. Commanders went to the NFC Championship game last year with a rookie quarterback. Not in the playoffs this year. The Chiefs had an unbelievably terrible, terrible season and lose Patrick Mahomes before the season ends. Not in the playoffs. I mean, that. That's just how it goes. The Dallas Cowboys were the top offense in the league, not in the playoffs. A team that lost to the Bears as well. You have to take each season and you have to go and put your. I mean, foot on the pedal all the way, man, because you just don't know. You don't know what happens next year. You've got to go after it this year. And it's frustrating to see a defense that is having a hard time stopping the run and does not get to the quarterback and hasn't gotten to the quarterback all season long.
- [54:11]
B
So it appears the NFL will be making its announcement of the playoff schedule at some point during or after tonight's game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh. When we speak with you next on Forward Progress, we will have all of that information. We know the Bears are going to be taking on the Packers. We don't know in which slot they will, but we're going to know it when we join you next tomorrow. We have Dan Bernstein, unfiltered also that is going to be coming out tomorrow around 11am if this is your first time joining us here on Forward Progress, welcome. We're happy to have you here on 312 Sports. 312 Sports is Hubbard Broadcasting's Chicago sports podcast network, and we are here doing this live as we do after every Bears game. We will continue to do that in the playoff, but Forward Progress is going to be here Monday through Friday. Usually it drops around one o' clock and we've been with you since August 25th. And we look forward to what we hope will be a long post season run for the Chicago Bears. But it's going to be a hell of a Packers week. If you want to break out your cheese grater hats and wear them to work for one more, you certainly have our permission to do that. Progress is stopped.
- [55:42]
A
Forward Progress a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abaticola on 312 Sports.
- [55:55]
B
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