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Dan Bernstein
Forward progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.
Matt Abeticola
Well, it's on now. It's on now. As we discussed, for the Bears to go into that building and come away with the win in the fashion that they did 24:15, they in their own way and the way they just punched that team in the mouth and ran over them, just put the NFC on notice, if not the rest of the league. That's a hell of a win right there. That is.
Dan Bernstein
It absolutely was, Dan.
Matt Abeticola
That's one hell of a win there.
Dan Bernstein
24 to 15. And you can, you can talk about all the all the bad things the Eagles did in not tackling in poor coaching. The Bears came out and played one hell of a football game and they were coached very well. Great play calling from Ben Johnson. The defense again showed up even with guys out from their starting lineup. And the Bears played one hell of a football game on the road against the defending world champions.
Matt Abeticola
They just bled them out. They absolutely punched him and punched him and punched him and bled them out. We are brought to you here on Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast by Beer church Brewing, New Buffalo's Brewery Pizzeria and a historic church wood fired Neapolitan pizza, small batch craft beer brunch every day. Visit beerchurchbrewing.com the Bears have clinched a winning record for the year. The Bears have nine wins and to do it the way they just did it. The unofficial totals that I have in front of me, Kyle Manungai 130 yards on 22 attempts. Tandre Swift 125 yards on 18 attempts. This is going to go down as one of the most dominant and significant rushing performances that the Bears have had. Certainly in recent memory, certainly in my memory to this, this is you. You talk about a wheelhouse win for Bears fans. Benj. You can say everything about Ben Johnson and, and this pass and that pass. But the satisfaction somewhere, somewhere Doug Buffon is, has, has an ear to ear grin. Right now is all I can think about is just what they did. The interior of this line, the entire offensive line. But guard, center, guard from early in this game, walling off a side of the play and hitting it on the backside with zone with duo blocking some of the double teams that they had. Who is there if that is the kind of thing that you enjoy as a Bears fan. They gave you, that offensive line gave you absolutely every bit of joy today, Dan.
Dan Bernstein
That first half of that game the Bears had 16. First down to the Eagles 2. The Bears had 47 plays to the Eagles 17, 223 yards to the Eagles 83, 142 rushing yards to the Eagles 26. Now unfortunately it was only 10 to 3 at halftime, but they absolutely took the Eagles offense that hadn't scored a touchdown in the previous two quarters and held them to four scoreless quarters. I mean they were, they were with four quarters without a touchdown scored the Eagles in the first half. Two, three and outs, a five play drive, a seven play drive for three for three points that first half and the time of possession was 21 minutes to nine minutes. It was an absolute utter domination. If you would have watched the first half of the game not knowing anything about the NFL and said which team won the super bowl last year and which team was 5 and 12, you just said, oh wow, the Bears must be looking for a second super bowl win in a row. They looked like the absolute dominant class of the NFC playing that, that game just now winning over the Eagles in Philadelphia 24 to 15.
Matt Abeticola
If I may, I, I don't know what's going to happen, but I am awarding a much deserved, much delayed game ball to one Nashan, right. That play that he had after the inexplicable interception on the Screen pass where after the missed extra point, the Bears lead was cut to one. Here come the Eagles on the Chicago 36. Barkley rips off a 15 yard run and they run their little adorable tush push on third and one. And what happens there is no. And I. The moment I saw the. The. Was it one of the side judge ran in and threw the beanbag. And you saw it. You saw him throw the blue beanbag. And I'm standing up saying, it's a fumble. That ball is out. And as soon as he threw it, you knew it. And it just took time for everybody else to realize what was going on. The moment that beanbag is thrown, that means you've got a loose ball. And Nishan Wright went and took it. He not only took the ball on their signature play, he snatched their soul. That's what he did. They say, here we go, here comes our little tush push and nobody can stop it. Well, you know what? The Bears can. And they did. And that was the game. That's when, that's when you felt it. You felt all the air go out of that building. Not as much as at the end when you could hear the let's go Bears chant. But Nishan Wright, that is, that may be the play of the year.
Dan Bernstein
Well, he's certainly made other plays that could be in consideration for plays of the year as well. And I'm looking forward to hearing later in the week from Dennis Allen when he's asked about that, that particular play, because we, we heard it going into this game earlier this week about how, how he likes to defend the tush push, where it's more of a rugby scrum from Dennis Allen's perspective. And I want to know if it was inserted this week where you take a guy off the edge and you go after the football that we're gonna, we're gonna stand up the guys in.
Matt Abeticola
Front of the quarterback, as long as they're not down, as long as they're not dead yet. Take the damn ball.
Dan Bernstein
Like, I, I want to know if that was inserted or if that was there all along or if Dennis, this is what we're going to do to counter that this week. Because whatever it was, and if it was all Nishan Wright, if it was part of the defensive set now, was absolutely brilliant play. And like you said in our text conversation, if he doesn't get awarded a game ball, Nishan Wright just said, I'm going to go take one. This is my game ball.
Matt Abeticola
He's going to get it himself. Because the only the Other thing I expected was Kevin Warren to run into the pile on grand tickets, grab the ball himself and go running with it, man. I also, I want to throw a couple bouquets in the direction of Caleb Williams. Rough day for him on balance, because it was the. The wind made it difficult to pass the ball for everybody. But I want to single out Caleb Williams on the drive that sealed it while we can. Look at that 28 yard touchdown pass to Cole Command, which by the way, with 20 touchdown receptions as a Bears tight end, now he has tied Greg Olsen for second among tight ends all time in Bears history. Second only to Coach Ditka for receiving tight ends or receiving touchdowns for a tight end.
Dan Bernstein
Awesome.
Matt Abeticola
And on that series, there were three plays that Caleb Williams made that mattered. There was they, they got the ball on their own 41. On a third and four, Caleb Williams stayed in the pocket. He waited for DJ Moore to come open and he feathered a pass to him over outstretched hands. He didn't zap it to him. He didn't try to do too much. He just laid it right on him for the first down. And then there was another third and four and it was on Caleb Williams to read the play at the mesh point and he did with Swift in the backfield. And they had Zacchaeus as a zero route possibility, depending on who crashed, depending on which blockers they had outside. And they sent Comet in motion. And it was Caleb's call to make that little reverse pivot flick out to Zacchaeus who was able to convert it for the first down. Then that set up the touchdown because of everything else that they were doing. But that was, dare I say, outstanding high level game management at that point from Caleb Williams.
Dan Bernstein
Well, then I'll piggyback on that as far as Caleb Williams and something that stood out to me today on what he did well, and I think it was a deliberate part of the game plan from Ben Johnson and Declan Doyle. Caleb completed three, three passes today, rolling to his left, which is a very, very hard thing to do. And what it does, though Dan is rolling out the opposite direction is it makes him keep his proper body posture as a quarterback to have a proper throwing angle. And it also takes off extra miles per hour on those throws. So it requires some nice touch, it requires him to see the play develop before it actually happens and then requires really nice touch. And he made three excellent, including the touchdown pass to Cole Comet going to his left. I think it was deliberate and part of the game plan and it slowed him down just a half A step in his brain to make that excellent throw. And he did it three times. And it was, it was awesome to see that. I put that in my notes. I highlighted it all three times. Just outstanding play calling, outstanding execution by Caleb Williams and one other player I want to highlight. There was actually a formation, a sequence that, that Ben Johnson ran three times. Also it was with DJ Moore going not in motion, but after it was post snap, going in motion left to right. And the play ended up going as a, as a running back off tackle the left side. That broke yards every time and it was just in the first one. DJ Moore didn't really quite execute the block. It's just the. Or, I'm sorry, he rolls, he goes left to right and the play goes off tackle, off right tackle. The first time he didn't quite get the block he needed to, but Manangai was able to get downfield for an explosive play. They did it three times with DJ Moore coming from left to right and the play worked every single time. And it was just, it was a really great play call. And it was something you don't see where DJ is just out there to block. Normally DJ is getting the ball. And then a fourth time they did it where DJ moves, doesn't get the ball, and the ball goes to Luther Burden going left.
Matt Abeticola
Good catch.
Dan Bernstein
Really creative. But yeah, we're really creative what Ben Johnson did. And I love how he uses the same formations to run three or four things out of it like he talks about with his offense. But really, really great, great touch by Caleb on those plays rolling out left, which is very difficult to do.
Matt Abeticola
They did this on a day where Williams was less than his best, when the conditions were terrible, when not only was it windy, the turf was bad and for whatever reason people were slipping and sliding. This is a hybrid turf, I believe, of some artificial and some bluegrass. I think it's called the hero turf.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, it happened to. It happened to Moore, it happened to Burden, it happened to Blankenship for the Eagles on that easy wide open first down by Cole Colson Loveland. So, yeah, I mean, I don't know if they needed a longer cleats, what the deal was, but it was not good.
Matt Abeticola
Well, also Ozzie Tropillo got the start at left tackle and we weren't sure if we, looking at everything we learned during the week of whether or not it was going to be Theo Benedict. They did provide some help on that side, but I think you're looking at the old line. I, I think this will be remembered as not only the game in which you saw this offensive line for this era of Bears football, the idealized offensive line, but their performance with two 100 yard rushers. Now my, at my advanced age, my memory may be faulty. I can't remember The Bears having two 100 yard rushers since I was a kid. And I want to say it was against the lions in either 84 or 85. I think it was 85 where it was. Peyton and Matt Sui were both over 100 yards rushing. They almost did in the first half of this damn game. Yeah, but. But this was a historic Bears rushing performance. And I could be wrong. I could. There could have been some game where they ended up. But usually it's not in some loss that you forget because you can't pile up rushing yards like that in a loss.
Dan Bernstein
Well, Dan, I just looked it up. The last time The Bears had two rushers go over 100 in the same game was today.
Matt Abeticola
Thank you. Okay, thank you.
Dan Bernstein
So before today though, it was actually. You were right. November 10, 1985 against the Detroit Lions. Walter Payton, Matsui.
Matt Abeticola
There was. There was. I, I don't, I don't retain a.
Dan Bernstein
Lot and now you didn't look that up before this.
Matt Abeticola
I, I swear to God, I, I ran downstairs and sat down here and I didn't have you think I got time start calling all this stuff up?
Dan Bernstein
Well, yeah, you got a, you got a super computer in your hand, so.
Matt Abeticola
I know, but I'm not Google that easy. I'm not that good at using it.
Dan Bernstein
No, you're not. I can, I can guarantee that technology grandpa over here. Unc, as the kids say, just Jesus, this to.
Matt Abeticola
To win it. The number of times I kept thinking, well, it's a matter of time before the Eagles figure this out. It's a matter of time. And after that interception, I said, all right, well, you know, they hung in there for a while, but Jlix Hunt came up with. Careful with that name. Comes up with the interception on a screen pass on second and one. But I'll be damned that Nishan Wright came in there and made that play.
Dan Bernstein
Right. And you have a. Another interception by Kevin Byard on the, on the, on this game. So they just keep the takeaways that, that forced fumble and that recover by Nishan Wright. I mean, just unbelievable. A couple other guys I want to point out on the defensive line in the run game today, Montez Sweat played excellent against the run. I thought Joe Tryon show Yinka also played against the run really well. Grady Jarrett gets his name Called again for having plays in the backfield. So he's. I don't know if he's getting healthier. I thought his knee was just going to be an issue that was going to keep him limited the entire year, just with his age. I don't know if he's getting healthier, if it's feeling more comfortable, if it's an extra shot in the knee before the game, whatever it might be. But he's. He's stepping up a little bit and he's. He's creating a little. Little action in the backfield, denting that pocket a bit and being a force in the run game. So it's nice to see.
Matt Abeticola
I'd also like to say thanks to the referees for not calling the DPI on Amen Obung Bemega when he was. It was obvious interference.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I didn't get that at all.
Matt Abeticola
Okay. All right. Well, that. That's one you take.
Dan Bernstein
We'll take it, though. Yeah, for sure.
Matt Abeticola
You remember. But the. The steadiness with which they just continued to run the ball in multiple ways. It wasn't the same play over and over again. We saw zone, we saw duo blocking. We saw the trust in the interior of this line. What a game by Dalman. And if we were, we're talking about Tuney as a Pro Bowler. And Jonah Jackson is going to have something to say, too. Yeah, he's had a brilliant year. He's been plowing people over, just finishing off plays. I mean, really outstanding stuff. Really, this. This kind of game, to do it the way they did it on the road, in workmanlike fashion, sends a message here. This. This sent a message. The Bears are a winning team. And. And I think it's one thing to say, well, they're definitely going to the playoffs. I don't think you can be begrudged for doing. Matty, exactly what you've been talking about for the last couple of weeks of. Of thinking bigger. Of thinking bigger than you. This team should win a playoff game. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
No, I didn't. And we talked about that after, you know, they got to 8 and 3. And the last time a team started 8 and 3 after 11 and missed the playoffs was 1996, the Kansas City Chiefs. So that's why I started with it last week. Like, let's. Let's not think about, hey, this has been a great season. We've, you know, we've. We've surpassed the expectations going into this year. No, you're there. Like, let's talk about playoffs. Let's. Let's talk about getting a playoff win. Let's talk about hosting a playoff game or two at Soldier Field and let's get in some wins there. One thing, another thing I want to point out about Caleb and highlight our young quarterback bears third drive of the game. If you remember, on second, second and one, there was a pass to D.J. that if it was a tough ball, if he holds on, he threw it a split second too soon. If he holds on a second longer, then a DJ's open. Catching that ball towards the sideline could break it up the sideline. But the play I wanted to highlight was the third and one. The very next play, the QB keeper, the scramble where he steps up in the pocket, goes back in the pocket, steps up in the pocket, goes back out of the pocket. Yes, like a zipper. And there aren't many guys that have those feet at quarterback. And it's, it's, I mean it was almost comical. It's like, it's like I'm expecting like the Benny Hill theme song to play as he's, you know, to going up and back and up and back and then, and then he breaks off to left and scrambles out for some yards. And I laughed about it. It just, it's, it's, it's not fair what he can do with his feet to defensive linemen.
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Matt Abeticola
Thanks.
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Matt Abeticola
And Ben Johnson didn't overthink this. That I know that Vic Fangio wanted to make Caleb Williams make throws to beat them and he didn't have to.
Dan Bernstein
I'm glad he didn't, Dan. I'm glad he didn't overthink it. I'm glad that you know that. Let's run the ball. Run the ball. Run the ball. And we've learned that with, with Ben Johnson. He wants to be a run first guy. He wants to be smash mouth, win at the line of scrimmage and run the football. And man, let's not, let's not not give our bouquets to Deandre Swift and Kyle Manungai. Obviously we recognize their yardage here and what They've done for Bears running backs, but they are just. They run hard. Every play. Every play, they run hard. It doesn't matter who it is, if it's Swift or it's Manunguy Manangai looks like, I mean, after 12 games, looks like a different player from, from the first couple weeks of the season. It's unbelievable how well they're running the football right now. Both those guys.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, this is not the Cincinnati Bengals. And for those of us who are waiting for Manungai to kind of validate a performance like that, they were running over Jalen Carter. You know, they were, they were, they were running over real guys. That's Zach Bond. This, this, this is not the Bengals. This is not the Giants. And to do it on their turf, they emptied out that building. And I'll tell you this too.
Dan Bernstein
That was awesome.
Matt Abeticola
Philadelphia fans are correct when they say fire Kevin. I don't know if it's going to be tonight or tomorrow. That guy's gotta go.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, he's got to go. It's quite the, quite the difference from last year to this year.
Matt Abeticola
That. There it is. And this is not to take anything away from the Bears performance. Please, please, please do not interpret it as such. The Bears played great and there's something clearly wrong with the Eagles offense.
Dan Bernstein
Well, I'll tell you what, if I was ever a professional athlete in any sport, the last city I'd ever want to play in is Philadelphia. Man, they are just, they are, they're brutal.
Matt Abeticola
They're awesome.
Dan Bernstein
Got their first three and out. They're getting booed.
Matt Abeticola
They're awesome. And booing. Letting them take it down to the two minute. And how about the camera catching Santa Claus leaving the building? Oh, because famously that they kept showing the Grinch. But remember, that's what was always said. Well, the Philly fans are so tough and so mean. They boo Santa Claus. Yeah, that was, you know, for growing up. That's what they would always say about the Philly fans. And then to show a disheveled Santa Claus who is just bereft, you know, sort of shambling out, shuffling up the vomitory and out of the building. Beautiful.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, it was great.
Matt Abeticola
Just beautiful.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I don't. Well, I mean, after not, not going for the, the extra point on their last touchdown to make it an eight point game, I don't, I didn't quite understand that, why they went for two there, you know, take the point, make it eight points. So it's only one score game. I love going for the field goal there at the end and seeing that field goal go wide left and the backdrop is nothing, 85% empty seats. It's just, it's beautiful. Like what, what the Bears did to those fans and to that team today was just remarkable.
Matt Abeticola
Especially. I can't highlight enough the fact that the game changed when the Bears took the ball on the tush push. I can't say it enough, I can't highlight it enough of the, the symbolic meaning of that. It's not just The Bears are 9 and 3 in Ben Johnson's first year and, and perhaps overachieving. Definitely overachieving. We can say it, it's okay. It's not a bad thing to overachieve. But they lined up on a third and one coming and nobody had any second thought it was right after the interception. They're rolling, they're coming to take the lead and bang. Everything changed because of Nishan Wright's individual effort to decide to crash. It's very easy to run up to the pile or to half ass it over to the pile, but the moment he saw the football exposed and Jalen hurts knocked down, watch him. He goes immediately forward and tugs and tugs and rips that thing out of there and ends up recovering the fumble. What a play, man.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, no, that's a great play. And the, probably the signature play of the season for the Chicago Bears, but still with five games to go and I really, I cannot wait to hear Dennis Allen talk about it, get asked about it because I'm sure that they've watched tape and watched over and over and over in the Eagles when certain situations, when Jalen, Jalen hurts, how he, how he turns, which way he turns to lean and go in. And is that, is that the side that you had Nishan Wright come through and say, all right, this is what we're looking for on this particular play. We get in the scrum, our secondary guys, our deep guys, you push their guys push into, into his lead and then a Sean comes in. So I really cannot wait to hear him break that down and talk about it, how that was implemented based on what they saw in game film. So really just a great play. The guy has had some signature defensive takeaways this year for the Bears. He leads the league in individual takeaways at eight. Just a remarkable season for a guy who's come here on a one year, just over one million dollar deal. And as we talked with Kevin Fishbane yesterday on the show on forward progress, you know he's playing himself into a contract. Hopefully it's here with the Chicago Bears. But we'll see what all breaks down.
Matt Abeticola
Let's run down some of the numbers for you. Caleb Williams finished 17 of 36 for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception. I didn't calculate his rating because I don't care. Kyle Manungai, 22 carries, 130 yards and a touchdown. DeAndre Swift, 18 carries, 125 yards and a touchdown. Caleb Williams scrambled for 13. D.J. moore had a carry for 10. Luther Burden 1 for 3. Cole Comet was the leading receiver, caught all of his targets for 36 yards and the score. Luther Burden had four catches for 33 yards. Colston Loveland had three catches or 28. Olamide Zacchaeus two catches for 19. D.J. moore two catches for 17. Swift with a catch for 13, a dunze, just two catches for eight yards. But it didn't matter on a day when the passing game was secondary to steamrolling the other team with a memorably successful rushing afternoon. I would like to go back actually, if you have that. I don't know if you have that 85 box where you said 11-10-85. I'd like to know if the, if the total between the two Menungai and Swift was actually higher than Peyton and Sue because I don't know if Peyton was like 170 and so he was 130. I just, I just remember them both rushing for 100. I think Peyton and Roland Harper may have actually done it many, many years before, but that is that, that is to have two guys over. Two guys at 125 or over. That is. There's a lot of questions that need to be asked in Philadelphia right now. You talk about, you can imagine what those post games sound like. Probably lighting things on fire. My God.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. And I mean the entire states of Pennsylvania with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. I mean the post game reaction after the Steelers loss to the Bears, I mean, did you see the video of was James Harrison?
Matt Abeticola
I didn't, but he's like the Bears are laying waste to Pennsylvania right now.
Dan Bernstein
Calling for everyone to be fired. I think the Bears have won Pennsylvania more than Trump did.
Matt Abeticola
Now if only the Bears could go to Happy Valley right now and do horrible things to everybody there.
Dan Bernstein
As long as the Bears play the nitty Lions.
Matt Abeticola
No, don't even play him. Just go and. Just go and do bad things to people there. As long as awful things are happening to Pennsylvania. See if they can have a sinkhole open up right under Happy Valley and just eat the whole city.
Dan Bernstein
What did I say? I Said it was the 20, the 85 season. Right.
Matt Abeticola
It's what you said. You said it was 11-10-85 when they last had two 100 yard rushers in the same game.
Dan Bernstein
Yep, I got you. 11-10-1985. Chicago Bears win 24 to 3. Scored touchdown every quarter. A field goal in the fourth. Let's take a look here.
Matt Abeticola
So the total here was was Menungai and Swift at 130 and125 were at 255. I'd love to know what because it was Peyton and Suey.
Dan Bernstein
Walter Payton had 107, Matt Sui had 102.
Matt Abeticola
So they this was by a mile.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
Matt Abeticola
What an all time day. And it goes back to the offensive line. Do you think they're going to cop out and like give a game ball to the entire offensive line if Nishan.
Dan Bernstein
Wright doesn't get one? I'm done with it.
Matt Abeticola
I, I seriously, I. What? Nishan Wright should get one and like permanently and he should he or like like the equivalent of like a golden share. Like, like a, like a golden game boss.
Dan Bernstein
Like a golden tom share. Matsui. Matsui. 102 yards on 16 attempts. 17 was as long.
Matt Abeticola
Okay.
Dan Bernstein
And then Walter Payton. 107 on 26 attempts, 19 for as long.
Matt Abeticola
But that was the lowly Lions back. And this is at Philly. This was a battle of eight and three teams. Unreal. Unreal. And just what an opportunity for Ben Johnson. Watch the coach of the year numbers. Now you start.
Dan Bernstein
What if, what if the Sean Wright gets the game ball and he gives it to Kevin Warren? Would you be mad?
Matt Abeticola
Would be hilarious. I also thought now this is the difference between the way modern coaches think and others. When the Bears had that was it fourth and one or third and one and they ended up being driven back? I think it was actually it was a third and one and Manungai ended up being driven back late in the game. If they had tush pushed it there, if they had just lined up to show it and they would never do it because Ben Johnson has too much professional respect at this. Maybe there's a rookie head coach, he probably wouldn't have done it but that, that would have been that chance. Okay, your tush push didn't work. Watch us pick this up.
Dan Bernstein
But you know what's one thing surprised me about the Eagles this game? The entire game was the, the play, the effort of A.J. brown. You know I just, I, I mean he was, no, he was competing the whole time for all the, all the controversy and drama we've heard throughout the season about what's happen and how he's unhappy with the offense and wants the ball more. Just thought he was. He was playing, playing pretty hard. And it's, it's. At one point he caught a ball that was contested and he stood up and he, you know, he flexed a little bit and I was like, man, I'd love to have a guy like that, that size who just looks like an absolute like monster linebacker catching passes for you.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, it was a great play that he made on that touchdown too, because I thought Wright was going to pick it.
Dan Bernstein
I did too.
Matt Abeticola
He just reached over and got it. A.J. brown finished with 10 catches on the 12 targets, 132 yards and two touchdowns. Devonte Smith, five receptions for 48 yards. But man. Saquon Barkley, 13 attempts, 56 yards with a long of 15. That dropped pass.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, yeah. All by himself. Nothing but grass around him. Yeah, nothing but green. And Colson Loveland too. That dude, he has, I don't know, two spectacular catches a game.
Matt Abeticola
Now he's got iron vices for hands.
Dan Bernstein
It's crazy.
Matt Abeticola
He's. That guy's. The strength and size of his hands. You can see it. I mean, even on some mundane catches, it's not. That is not a body catcher, as they say. Looking at the tackle numbers and obviously these get adjusted after the teams watch film. Jaquan Brisker had five tackles. Bayard with four right. With four right. Also with the forced fumble and the fumble recovery, the Bears did not have a sack, did they?
Dan Bernstein
No, I don't think they. They had one really good pressure.
Matt Abeticola
Yep. And Brady Jarrett had a couple. He had. We had one tackle at the line of scrimmage. I don't know if it was a tackle for loss, but it was sort of an unspectacular defensive day with the exception of a couple of those. Those remarkable plays. And yet another that. That interception by Byard again reading Hertz's eyes the entire time. Look. Look where he starts on that play. Look at the distance. If you. If you can look at the all 22s. Look at the distance he covered from the moment Hertz got out of the pocket. And he recognized that he was looking downfield.
Dan Bernstein
He.
Matt Abeticola
He tracked that. He hunted that one down.
Dan Bernstein
If next gen had a stat like that, the, like most yards covered for an interception, no, that'd be great. My favorite play of the game though, was the one where Andrew Billings is chasing Jalen Hurts down the right sideline. He's coming out of the pocket. Hey, man.
Matt Abeticola
Hey, man.
Dan Bernstein
Do you remember Bills on his horse and the horse died.
Matt Abeticola
That poor horse. That poor horse.
Dan Bernstein
And then he had to get off the horse and chase after him on his feet.
Matt Abeticola
Yes. Would you remember the beast Quake? Do you remember when Marshawn lynch, they said that everybody in Seattle was jumping up and down, that it registered on a seismograph? Yes, I. I think that happened just with Andrew Billings trying to chase him down.
Dan Bernstein
So great. I love. I love watching that man play and then strangles the clown here. If you see the. The comment on the screen, the. It's now called the shush push.
Matt Abeticola
I like it.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, it's good.
Matt Abeticola
I like it. That's cute. It's cute.
Dan Bernstein
Rip Larry horse.
Matt Abeticola
Oh, no, he didn't kill Larry. Larry's okay. As far as I know.
Dan Bernstein
He doesn't ride Larry horse from the pond.
Matt Abeticola
No, no, no, no. He didn't ride Larry. Maybe they have to do it with him. Like. Like Andre the Giant in Princess Bride where they had to suspend him by on metal cables and walk the horse underneath.
Dan Bernstein
Or maybe the horse gets on Billings back.
Matt Abeticola
The horse that rode in on him. Bears have nine wins.
Dan Bernstein
Yes, they do, buddy. And they are going to the playoffs and they're going to win some playoff games. Hey, I'm telling you, start thinking bigger. Why not start thinking bigger with this team, man? It's just. It's too stupid. It's too stupid right now not to. I mean, look at what happens with the coaching staff in place. I mean, this is just ridiculous. A year ago today, Dan, Matt Ebufluz was fired.
Matt Abeticola
And Jim Boylan's still fired, too, now that I think about it, while we're savoring things, yes, Matt Eberfluss is still fired. He's not on the Bears anymore. That was a year ago.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Look at where this team is. A year later.
Matt Abeticola
You know what happened? I got fired.
Dan Bernstein
Yes, you did.
Matt Abeticola
Yes. So Matt Eberfluous got fired, and that was good. And then I got fired. That was kind of bad. But then I'm here, so now it's good, actually.
Dan Bernstein
So. So in the order Boylan got fired, Ibroflus got fired, you got fired, I got fired.
Matt Abeticola
Right.
Dan Bernstein
Trifecta.
Matt Abeticola
Yes. But I'm back and Boylan's not.
Dan Bernstein
Well, he could be. Maybe he's doing a podcast somewhere. Maybe he's doing it like South Sudan with Luol Dang. And that's why you don't know about it.
Matt Abeticola
Doing Jim Boylan unfettered. It's not even hooked up to anything. But he's sitting in a car.
Dan Bernstein
That's him in a car driving. And it's Jim Boylen unbuckled and he' drives in the walls. Oh, boy. Bears win today, 24 to 15 in Philadelphia. They are now the 2 seed in the NFC. Amen.
Matt Abeticola
And just, just don't make this like the, the commanders last year. And as, as you say, make it matter. Make all this stuff.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Make it matter, man. Like let's, let's not be satisfied with. We surpassed expectations. We won more than we won last year. Don't be satisfied with that. Let's take this and go, man. Let's take this and run. Who we got? We got Packers 2 in the next three weeks. Let's kick the shit out of them too. Let's go to lambeau and drop 50 on those assholes. Come on.
Matt Abeticola
I don't know if they're going to be dropped. 50?
Dan Bernstein
Who cares? Why not? Why, they certainly could. I mean, that was a 10 to 3 score today. @ halftime, they completely and thoroughly dominated the world champions. And you know, you could have easily been up 21 to.
Matt Abeticola
Three. They were falling forward for six.
Dan Bernstein
Yards. Yeah, it was.
Matt Abeticola
Great. You know what was great? You know, it looked like a college game in some.
Dan Bernstein
Respects. When you see like the second week of the season where you have like a top 10 team.
Matt Abeticola
Playing. Yeah. That looked like a pre conference.
Dan Bernstein
Schedule. You know, you're like Ohio State taking on.
Matt Abeticola
Rambling. Yeah, yeah, well, about that. But you know, it's one of those things where like Illinois plays Northern or something like that. And you just. That's what that looked like. And that was at Philly. That was at Philly. There's my guess is. And I'm, I'm not exaggerating when I think they might launch their OC tonight or tomorrow. They, they might just do it. They might want something and. But they're not stupid. Howie Roseman is not stupid. This isn't a team that generally behaves rashly. But they're 8 and 4. It's not like, you know, they've. They've still got a season here.
Dan Bernstein
But. Oh, yeah, no, they're still. I mean, they. Again, if they don't make the playoffs now at this point after being 8 and 3, now 8 and 4, that's going to be a complete, I mean, unbelievable finish. Hey, listen, just see him again. Just so you know.
Matt Abeticola
Dan.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Second week of the college football season this year Ohio State played, they hosted Grambling and they beat them 70 to 0. Just so you.
Matt Abeticola
Know. Okay, well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit on that, but this is, this is one of those wins. I'm not saying that it's, you know, 44 nothing in Dallas, but this is, this is a, a huge victory. If you're a Bears fan, if you've seen a lot of these seasons, I don't know where it goes from here, but I've always said this, that the best time to be a fan is when you know your team is getting good. And I think this is one of those times. I know it's non linear and that goes for Caleb Williams. It goes for having to play with no linebackers with everything else that they deal with. But this is one of those times where even if, you know next year they were to win the super bowl, when you, especially if next year they were to win the super bowl, when you have those marking points and you know it when it happens and you can say, I remember that day when I first started to think bigger, when I first started to really believe that there was more to this than beating bad quarterbacks and taking advantage of a favorable schedule. When you really said this, this team is good. This may be that.
Dan Bernstein
Day. Yeah, Dan. And you know, the schedule is what it is. The Bears and the Patriots, I think are have the two worst strength of schedule wins in all of the NFL. That's fine. Neither one of these teams sat down and picked out their schedule or what divisions they're in. It's just that's the way it came out and you got to go out and play the games. The Bears are now nine and three and like you said, it's not linear. This season needs to be exclusive in and of itself. You look at the commanders last year, they go to the NFC Championship game with a rookie quarterback and Jaden Daniels and there was a lot of talk the Bears missed the boat and the broat. They should have taken Jaden Daniels. They made a mistake with Caleb Williams. Look what Jaden Daniels is doing. Look what Jaden Daniels did with his team. Look at the commanders this.
Matt Abeticola
Year. Well, that was the counting report on Daniels was that he couldn't hold.
Dan Bernstein
Up just because it was 12 and 5 last year they go to the NFC Championship game. There was no guarantees that anything was going to happen this year that they would make it back to the playoffs or get that or take the next step and win the Super Bowl. Because you build season after season. That's not a guarantee. Take this season right now. Live within this season, you have five regular season games left. Live within those five games let's go out there, put together the best game plan possible, execute more plays than you fail. Let's win more games. Let's get in the playoffs, let's make a playoff run. Live for this season as it is right now. Don't worry about. Let's build on this after this year, this year and next year. You have no idea what next year looks like. Maybe next year's better. Maybe next year's a lot worse. Living this.
Matt Abeticola
Season. And look what Ben Johnson's doing on the.
Dan Bernstein
Road. Oh, yeah, he's got. He's got more road wins than Matt Eberflu's had in his tenure as Bears.
Matt Abeticola
Coach. He's got more road wins than home wins. I mean, look what. Look what they're doing when they travel. And you talk about the things that they say can travel and things that don't travel, but an offensive line like this, being able to trust those guys up front, and you get the feeling that when the play is called and they break the huddle and you notice the other thing.
Dan Bernstein
Too.
Matt Abeticola
Did. Did we see Caleb kill a play? Did we see him Can. Can or kill. Kill in this.
Dan Bernstein
Game? I saw can one.
Matt Abeticola
Time. Okay, he might.
Dan Bernstein
Have. Yeah, I saw it one.
Matt Abeticola
Time. But that tells you that Ben Johnson had a leg up on Vic Fangio. That tells me that in the chess game, when they were able to stick with their first call and read the fact that it was a light box, we saw a lot of that. What is it? 4, 2, 5. With. And however they were covering it, but the fact that they didn't have another. They were pointing and pointing at each other and trying to figure it out. And him touching. Going to the ear holes. It tells me that whatever this game plan was, was what they had in there. They weren't going to. Second call, third call. They were coming out of the huddle ready to fire off the line and get. And the number of missed tackles, too. Yeah, a lot of them started to weigh on.
Dan Bernstein
Him. It's one thing to get a lot of missed.
Matt Abeticola
Tackles. They were. And the vision from both running backs knowing how things were blocked, being able to see how things were blocked, that's how it's done. And that means you're having some good practices. That's what it looks like when you're. When it's not just a coach saying, we had a great week at practice. When you have somebody, when the game plan matches up with the looks that you're getting and there were no surprises, and you say, okay, you're going to come out with this, with this box again, we're going to, we're going to run right over you. And then when it, you did have to make a decision when I was highlighting that fourth quarter decision by Caleb Williams to make the throw to Zacchaeus, when you do have to decide when they are showing you different things and it's working, what it comes down to is really good coaching. It's really good.
Dan Bernstein
Coaching. Yeah, no, for sure. And it's, it's amazing what happens when you have NFL caliber coaching staff in your locker room. You know, I'm gonna tell you the, the thing, and I've said this before about, about Caleb and I think it's, it's his greatest attribute right now in, in year two and what are we, 29 games into his NFL career is the fact that he's got a Teflon coding when it comes to making mistakes or failing to execute and how he. The mental ability to live one play at a time is absolutely remarkable. And if there's, if there's one thing I could take and insert it into every kid that I've coached throughout the last five years, it would be the ability to like take one play and live one play at a time. And once, once one play ends, like just, you know, and it's like the Ted Lasso thing where he tells his players to be a goldfish, to have the memory of a goldfish and just forget about what happened immediately before and move on. His, his natural ability to do that is just, is, is remarkable. And it makes me jealous to see him have it at such such a high level. And if we could insert that into, into kids, man, at the youth level, it would be amazing. What were you gonna say? What am I cutting you off.
Matt Abeticola
On? It's okay. I just breaking a little breaking news here. Ben Johnson ripped his shirt off in the locker room. And I don't know what this means for our guy, Ari Levy means free hot dogs and wiener circle. I didn't know if it had to be on the field or. But, but I think we should. I'm going to text, I'm going to see what I can find out.
Dan Bernstein
Here. Well, if not, get, get some for the show, would.
Matt Abeticola
You? Ben Johnson took his shirt off in the locker room and everybody went completely apeshit. Everybody went.
Dan Bernstein
Crazy. Apparently Vic Fangio took his pants.
Matt Abeticola
Off in the locker room, started waving him around. He threw him at the offensive coordinator trying to strangle him. Oh, my God. That is that locker room right now. The joy in that locker room to see a Shirtless. Ben Johnson finishing off good, better.
Dan Bernstein
Best. So this.
Matt Abeticola
Was. Well, we reached that point in the.
Dan Bernstein
Season. This was Ozzie Trillo's second. Second start, right. Isaac Pillow's second.
Matt Abeticola
Start.
Dan Bernstein
Mm. I'm. I'm excited. If he is the starter moving forward, I'm excited to see what he looks like. Give it three, three games from now. There was a couple opportunities where he. He looked like a guy making his second start, but this. The natural ability that he has and to be able to get out in space a couple times the ball carrier kind of got past him because his feet got kind of stuck in cement. I'm really, really excited to see the coaching staff work with him and see what happens if he stays at left tackle for the next five games and see what happens. What that offensive line looks like going into week.
Matt Abeticola
18. Yeah. Especially with him playing next to Tuney. And it's so funny that we finally heard his name called because of a false start. It was like, what? Oh.
Dan Bernstein
No. But you know what, though? They could have actually called it either guy because Tripillo moved.
Matt Abeticola
Too.
Dan Bernstein
Sure. I was kind of hoping they would have called it on.
Matt Abeticola
Ozzy. So it reminded me. It reminded me of being in high school when the smartest kid in our cl. One of the smart kids in our. In my high school class got an answer wrong in class. And the teacher this in AP US History. And the teacher just kind of went, no. And the rest we. Immediately there was. It was just a quiet. We all stood up and we all gave a very slow, building standing ovation because it was the first time this person had ever gotten any question wrong. And that's how I felt about Joe Tooney. It's like, well, you're. It's.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abeticola
You're. You're entitled. You don't have to.
Dan Bernstein
Be. You're entitled to one mistake. You.
Matt Abeticola
Can. You can make a mistake. We're all here for you.
Dan Bernstein
Joe. This from a guy from shy. They gave Ben shirt to Warren. He took it off and gave it to Kevin.
Matt Abeticola
Warren. Here you go. Go build a.
Dan Bernstein
Stadium. Wait, where is that other one? Oh, this is a good name. The Boylan Punch Clock.
Matt Abeticola
Podcast. I'm Jim Boylan. Welcome. Now punch in because we're gonna talk some basketball boy. God.
Dan Bernstein
Right? Maybe. Maybe like this guy says, maybe Nishan Wright got Ben's.
Matt Abeticola
Shirt. So give him.
Dan Bernstein
Something. No game ball. Here's my.
Matt Abeticola
Shirt. Seriously, what does the guy have to do? What is the. If he doesn't get a. What are we going to do if he didn't get A game.
Dan Bernstein
Ball. Well, I think if. If he would have scored a touchdown on that and that forced fumble recovery, then he probably could have.
Matt Abeticola
Gotten. I figured it out. I figured it out. Nishan Wright has to get the stadium built. That's. That's clearly what it is. It's that he. Nishan Wright's going to have to go to Springfield. Nishan Wright is gonna have to break bread with JB Pritzker and say, listen, man, look, we need some tax certainty here. We've got to get this pushed through. And he's gonna call a special session that then, then, and only then, apparently, will Nishan Wright get a game ball. If he actually comes up with a way to put together the perfect stadium deal, he's gonna have to design it himself, too. He's gotta get a degree in architecture. He's gonna design the stadium, and he's gonna have to supervise the building of.
Dan Bernstein
It. All right, here, this message from Rob. I love the Lions revenge game. So it's week 18. What if. What if the Bears have the number one seed on the line with a win over Detroit and they. And they draw 52 on.
Matt Abeticola
Them. Yeah, but they're going to rest Caleb and they're going to do it with the Beijing.
Dan Bernstein
Sea. Oh, that would be even better. No, because then even. Even at that point, Dan, like, even if the Bears go into that.
Matt Abeticola
Game and they're like, you don't have to finish that.
Dan Bernstein
Sentence. I.
Matt Abeticola
Know. And yes, you're right. Do not finish that sentence. I totally agree with you. And yes, I gotta.
Dan Bernstein
Finish. So they're 13 and three going into that game. And Bajan starts and score. He drops 63 on him. You gotta start this Beijing guy in the.
Matt Abeticola
Playoffs. I told you, he was.
Dan Bernstein
Just. He was just warming the field up for this Bajan guy. Oh.
Matt Abeticola
Boy. It's like Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe. Oh, well, that was really fun. That.
Dan Bernstein
Was. This is.
Matt Abeticola
Great. That was just.
Dan Bernstein
Spectacular. Hey, what did I tell you today on.
Matt Abeticola
Dbu? You told me you thought the Bears were going to win the.
Dan Bernstein
Game. And that's why I said they're going to win outright. And I took the plus.
Matt Abeticola
Seven. Well, good call. Good call. I still like my Bulls bets for the game tonight. Damn it. You can say what you want. I've got Isaac Okoro hitting a.
Dan Bernstein
Three. Just all he needs is.
Matt Abeticola
One. Just. That's all he needs. Come.
Dan Bernstein
On. All he needs is.
Matt Abeticola
One. Daddy needs a new pair of.
Dan Bernstein
Shoes. All right, so are we petitioning the NFL for a every, every year Black Friday game? Two o' clock for the.
Matt Abeticola
Bears. I'm in. I'm in. I haven't eaten anything today because I ate so much last night.
Dan Bernstein
Night. Oh. I had a whole. I. My lunch was a. I had a whole plate of.
Matt Abeticola
Leftovers. Oh, no. I could. I couldn't look at food all day. I couldn't look at anything. I will later, though. Ooh. Tonight might be a. Like a. Watch the bulls and get Al's.
Dan Bernstein
Night. Al's.
Matt Abeticola
Beef. Well, yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Meanwhile. That's.
Matt Abeticola
Great. A couple other.
Dan Bernstein
Things. So.
Matt Abeticola
Jealous. What is going on in that Benedict Cumberbatch commercial? We're talking about his white couch and I.
Dan Bernstein
Think. I think it's. I think he's reading Amazon.
Matt Abeticola
Reviews.
Dan Bernstein
Okay. Yeah.
Matt Abeticola
He.
Dan Bernstein
Those. Yeah, he's. He's reading, so it's his beautiful voice and that. I get it.
Matt Abeticola
Okay. Thank you. And then when they showed. When Amazon.
Dan Bernstein
Showed. You know how I knew that, Dan? I watched the.
Matt Abeticola
Commercial. Oh, I kind of half.
Dan Bernstein
Watched. Okay. All right. There you.
Matt Abeticola
Go. When. When. When Amazon did the bit with the.
Dan Bernstein
Cheesesteak.
Matt Abeticola
Yes. Why was the cheesesteak the color of spackle? Why was it gray? It's not usually gray like that, is it? I've had cheesesteak. I've been. I've been to Philly. I've had a.
Dan Bernstein
Cheesesteak. Well, it depends if you use cheese whiz or if you do it like a white. A white.
Matt Abeticola
Cheese.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. All right.
Dan Bernstein
Because. Yeah, I've seen him. I've seen them white. Maybe it was just the color of the.
Matt Abeticola
Lighting. It was not at the flat top. Whatever. Whatever. It was less than appetizing when they were. If they was supposed to be a. Some sort of half advertisement for a cheesesteak. No tanks for that one. I'll pass on the gray.
Dan Bernstein
Meat. Just skip that.
Matt Abeticola
One. Yeah, I.
Dan Bernstein
Will. You know who does a pretty good cheesesteak is Jersey Mike's. Yes, they do a pretty good.
Matt Abeticola
One. They're good. It's good. They can't figure out who their spokesman is, but other than that, it's good. Now I am. I don't have a response yet, but I'm still researching whether or not there's going to be free hot.
Dan Bernstein
Dogs. Well, he's busy right now trying to get orders in.
Matt Abeticola
Place. Hold on. I'm going to find out. I'm doing some hardcore journalism here. I am working with sources to find out if in fact Ben Johnson removing his shirt in the locker room means free hot up there. It is.
Dan Bernstein
Tuesday. Free hot.
Matt Abeticola
Dogs. Tuesday Wiener circle. Free hot Dog Tuesday. You literally heard it first here on Forward Progress. I have this on the best possible authority that the Wiener Circle will be providing free hot dogs because of Ben Johnson taking his shirt off.
Dan Bernstein
Tuesday. That's great. That's great. This message here. Remember how hard we were on Deshaun, right. In the preseason? Remember the Vikings game? Remember you did not like the Sean.
Matt Abeticola
Wright.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. You liked him less than Sudanese.
Matt Abeticola
Basketball. Well, you know, nothing, nothing really gets. Gets me going. Like my issues with South. No. South Sudanese.
Dan Bernstein
Basketball. South Sudanese basketball. Sorry. Yeah. And so now, I mean, you know, fast forward, what, 11 weeks and you're like, you're the president of the Nishan Wright fan.
Matt Abeticola
Club. Because I needed to take up for a guy whose game ball was stolen by the team president and CEO because it was his.
Dan Bernstein
Birthday. Right. I think that this guy, the guy. I think this.
Matt Abeticola
Is. No, this is.
Dan Bernstein
Murdered. This.
Matt Abeticola
Is.
Dan Bernstein
Right. This is actually. Yeah. You were quoted in our week one post game. Throw it to Deshaun right side every.
Matt Abeticola
Play. That's correct. That is absolutely.
Dan Bernstein
Correct. Very good. Just say.
Matt Abeticola
It. Hey. Absolutely true. There's no question. And we should also note that they got off the field on a third down in an early dime defense that had both KYLER Gordon and C.J. gardner Johnson on the field together.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. So I told you that he, that he was going to do that, man. We talk. He talked about that. Talked about the cross training and using all these pieces like an offensive coordinator with lots of different offensive weapons.
Matt Abeticola
So. Well, this is. Here's the bottom line with this game. At least for 24 hours, at least until we reconvene and do this again on Monday. Feel free to get a little silly. I am allowing you. Go ahead and dream, Go ahead and enjoy. Go ahead and luxuriate in this because this is one of those wins. You know them when you see them. It wasn't all that pretty because Bears football can. Can look good even when they're not slinging the ball all over the place. We'll leave the Caleb Williams talk for another day, for another time. And yeah, to win a Super bowl, there's going to be at least one game where they're going to make Caleb Williams throw for 400 yards and four touchdowns to beat you. That's going to.
Dan Bernstein
Happen.
Matt Abeticola
Yep. That a really good defense is going to make you do that. But let's not worry about that right now. What matters is the Bears are nine and three and they just embarrassed the Eagles and they have. They have run roughshod over the state of.
Dan Bernstein
Pennsylvania. Next up, Penn.
Matt Abeticola
State. Seriously, just please, please. You have conquered Pittsburgh. You've conquered Philadelphia. Now in a pincer movement, head toward. Pencil tucky head. You can, you can go to Harrisburg and then head straight up the Susquehanna and then take out Happy Valley. And then, then we will have liberated the world from our.
Dan Bernstein
Oppressors. Yeah. And they've dominated the NFC east this.
Matt Abeticola
Year. This is great.
Dan Bernstein
Stuff. Yeah. Maybe we can get them moved to the NFC east and they can play all those guys who haven't they played, so. Oh, yeah, they. Yeah, they. Everybody. That's.
Matt Abeticola
Great. They are taking the.
Dan Bernstein
North. A clean sweep of the NFC East. They took the East, Dan, and they're not giving it back. Damn.
Matt Abeticola
It. There it is. Well, they didn't say they weren't going to get back the.
Dan Bernstein
East. Well, I just said I'm going to keep.
Matt Abeticola
It. They'll take the east for a while to play with it. They'll have fun with it. They'll give it back in bad condition. That's what they'll. They'll return it, you know.
Dan Bernstein
Unusable. It was pretty bad when they got it. And to think the. Think now the Dallas Cowboys, who are the hottest team in that division, may make a run, take that division over, get to see them again in the.
Matt Abeticola
Playoffs.
Dan Bernstein
Eberfluss. Oh, the Matt Eberflu's revenge game. They're gonna be like, coach, how do you feel about this revenge game coming up? Why is it revenge? You coached the Bears. I did. I coached the.
Matt Abeticola
Bears. Huh. I got a beard and I wear glasses. I look smarter. Caleb Williams was asked about Ben Johnson taking his shirt.
Dan Bernstein
Off.
Matt Abeticola
Sexy. All he said was, he's a man of the people. You know, I gotta say, he doesn't look terrible. He's in, he's in. He's in pretty good shape. Well, he's young. He's 37. Yeah, he's got 30.
Dan Bernstein
Excuse. Older than that, isn't.
Matt Abeticola
He? 38.
Dan Bernstein
Maybe. Yeah, I think he's.
Matt Abeticola
39. Yep. There it.
Dan Bernstein
Is. Now, you remember how good you looked at 39? Remember how good I looked at.
Matt Abeticola
39? You look good. Now, that's what's not fair. Yeah, see, I don't. You don't? You don't. You're one of those guys, like, I'm telling you, you're gonna be one of those, like old, like European looking guys with a big head of white hair.
Dan Bernstein
Overhand. Yeah. I think once, once I go fully white here on my, on the. I'm gonna top. I'm gonna. I'm Gonna start.
Matt Abeticola
Smoking. Start.
Dan Bernstein
Smoking.
Matt Abeticola
Smoking. Yeah. So unfiltered European cigarettes. And start. Start wearing ascots. You'll be one of those guys. Well, I think, I think we should wrap it here. I'm. I'm too excited. And the, The Bears are 9 and 3. They have defeated the Philadelphia Eagles. And I can't wait to get going again. We're going to be back on Monday with DBU with forward progress. But now, hey, weekend is just starting. Another two days to hang and we get. We're going to be watching college.
Dan Bernstein
Tomorrow. Can you confirm this? Dual nipple rings for Ben.
Matt Abeticola
Johnson. Yeah, well, he was dripping hot wax on them too. Yeah, because he, he ripped off his.
Dan Bernstein
Shirt. No, that's what he. That's what Nishan Wright got to do instead of a game.
Matt Abeticola
Ball. Yeah, he ripped off his shirt. He was wearing latex underneath. And then they ripped the latex off and they hung him up by his nipple rings like. Like a man called.
Dan Bernstein
Horse. So Bears Patriots Soup Bowl Part.
Matt Abeticola
2. Better go to Super.
Dan Bernstein
Bowl. Oh, man, this is great. All right, Danny boy, what's the plan for tonight? You just.
Matt Abeticola
Eaten. I got.
Dan Bernstein
Bulls. I got. Oh, yeah, Bulls. That's right. What time they.
Matt Abeticola
Play? 6:30. I got plays to diagram.
Dan Bernstein
And. Is that on.
Matt Abeticola
TV? I got work to.
Dan Bernstein
Do. Is that on TV? Can we all watch that? Is that.
Matt Abeticola
Accessible? If you like. If you want to. If you have Bulls and Hornets on your menu, go ahead and.
Dan Bernstein
Enjoy. Yeah, I think I'm, I think I'm worn out after that. After this game.
Matt Abeticola
I'm. Come.
Dan Bernstein
On. No, I think we're gonna. I think we're going out to. We're gonna take the kids out to like an ax throwing thing.
Matt Abeticola
Tonight. At each.
Dan Bernstein
Other? No, like.
Matt Abeticola
There'S.
Dan Bernstein
Okay. Yeah. Not eat each other. No, they just, they do that on the. Out in the.
Matt Abeticola
Backyard. Kids have at.
Dan Bernstein
It. Yeah. Oh, no, I don't tell them they do it on their own. All right. Great win. So the Bears take down the eagles in Philadelphia 24 to 15. The bears are now nine and three and firmly on top of the NFC North. You have the. The packers at eight, three and one. The Lions at seven and five. The Minnesota Vikings at four and seven. And up next for your Chicago Bears, the Green Bay.
Matt Abeticola
Packers. That's going to do it for us. Thanks to our friends at beer church. Thanks for hanging out. Have a great.
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Have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally.
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Matt Abeticola
Us? Cut the camera. They see.
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Dan Bernstein
By Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
Matt Abeticola
Affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Date: November 29, 2025
This episode breaks down the Chicago Bears' statement 24-15 upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. Dan and Matt analyze the Bears’ dominant rushing attack—highlighting historic performances by Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift—impressive coaching from Ben Johnson, defensive heroics led by Nishan Wright, Caleb Williams' game management, and playoff implications. The tone is exuberant and celebratory, with plenty of passionate, fan-centric banter and the duo's signature mix of expertise and humor.
Bears’ Style and Significance
First-Half Domination
Monangai & Swift Set Modern Franchise Record
O-Line Credit
Smash-Mouth Identity
Game Management
Other Contributors
Fortunate Officiating
Change in Team and Fan Expectations
Message to Fans
On Philadelphia Fans:
“If I was ever a professional athlete in any sport, the last city I'd ever want to play in is Philadelphia... they are, they're brutal.” – Dan (21:07)
On Ben Johnson’s Locker Room Antics
Playoff Vibes
Fan Perspective
Next Up: Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers – Anticipation is high. “Let’s go to Lambeau and drop 50 on those assholes.” – Dan (34:56)
For full context, hear the episode for the hosts’ trademark energy, comic relief, and more in-depth play breakdowns!