Tony Kornheiser (2:55)

Yeah. So I mean I don't look at a Bears game with the eyes that you look at it. I wasn't a fan for 60 years. I mean I'm familiar with the franchise. I look at it with far less passion. I remember watching the first half and thinking that Caleb Williams was doing very well. I'm pretty sure he completed his first 10 passes at that point. It looked to me that he was making the leap from rookie to second year quarterback. The Bears at that point were comfortably ahead. When they got the pick six, I thought they would win the game comfortably. But Caleb Williams did not have a good second half at all. He missed wide open targets. He probably held the ball a little bit too long. So I watched with interest today as you did as well the morning shows and I heard a sort of a consensus among football players, former football players, that Caleb Williams in the second half was reverted to what he was doing last year.

Mike Wilbon (3:43)

Yeah.

Tony Kornheiser (3:44)

And so I thought to myself, well wait a second, he was the number one overall pick in the draft. If you're telling me there's a book on Caleb Williams and last year wasn't good and he reverted to that this year, then I would think maybe you have to wonder if you're a Bears fan, is he indeed the great quarterback going forward? But like you Mike, I don't want to make a judgment after one game, one game with a rookie coach with a brand new system. I just wonder if anybody saying, you know, we could have taken Jaden Daniels and we could have done that.

Mike Wilbon (4:18)

We're not saying that he's got to be deprogrammed from the Eber flu era. First Tony and then Ben Johnson. Let me just mention this. And you're familiar with both these people cuz when you used to travel you were there in their faces on Sunday after their games. I mentioned two coaches and their starts. A guy named Joseph Gibbs went 0 and 5 in his first year on the way to four Super Bowls, three of them victorious. And a guy named Bill Walsh went 0 and 7 on his way to three Super Bowls and I don't think he lost any.

Tony Kornheiser (4:48)

Yep.

Mike Wilbon (4:49)

So I, I, I, I know it's tough to put Ben Johnson in that category just yet. All I'm saying it Takes time is my point. It takes. And by the way, it's not just Caleb. The defense got shoved and hit in the mouth in the fourth quarter. They couldn't stop a nosebleed in the fourth quarter. So, you know, that group has a lot to worry about, too, just as much as Caleb. Let's move quickly to J.J. mcCarthy. At least he's a good son of Chicago. In his first ever NFL start after missing all of last season playing in his hometown, the Vikings quarterback struggled in the first half. But down the stretch, particularly in the fourth quarter, McCarthy threw two touchdowns, ran for another, got the team, the Vikes, a win. Tony, what does last night tell you about McCarthy specifically? Easy for me to say. And the Vikes.

Tony Kornheiser (5:40)

Okay, so Minnesota was a good team last year. They were a playoff team last year. They must think that this kid is very special because they let their quarterback, Sam Darnold, walk. They let him walk. And they handed the team over to a kid who had never played a single down in the NFL in the first half. His first half was no better than Caleb Williams. Second half, it wasn't. But really late in the fourth quarter, he was great. As you say, passing, touchdown, passing, touchdown, rushing, touchdown. He won the game. Caleb Williams is at home in a division game with a big lead, and he couldn't close. J.J. mcCarthy closed that game out. I watched him in Michigan, Mike. I was never really wowed. I didn't think he was as good as Caleb Williams. I didn't think he was good as Jaden Davis. I didn't think he was good as Bo Nixon. I did not. But he doesn't lose games. He's. Now it's only one game in the NFL, but college in the NFL. His record is 28. 1. It's 64. 3, I believe, if you add his high school time in the Chicago area. So that reminds me, Mike, honestly, of Jalen. Hurts. Not a flashy arm, not great statistics, not anything where you go crazy. But he wins all the time. And wouldn't you rather have the W, Tony?

Mike Wilbon (7:00)

Yes. And I tell you what else impressed me most about J.J. mcCarthy was his calm. You throw that pick six, and a lot of guys fall apart at that point. And he. He didn't. The evidence is that he didn't. There was immediate evidence as he went up and down talking to players. It was great. Jeff Saturday said, I think this morning that, you know, a lot of times linemen, you don't want to see. No. Troy Aikman said this last night. Linemen don't want to See you after you were thrown a pick six, telling them to calm down, it's going to be all right. So it was a great point. He was calm. There was a poise about him. He is clearly well coached and was well coached in his red shirt year. See, Caleb Williams didn't have that. So in a way J.J. mcCarthy's got an advantage. McCarthy was well coached last year in prep for, for this season. Caleb Williams starting over last night was his debut in many ways as well. But JJ McCarthy's got an edge there. The Vikings weren't just good last year. The Vikings won 14 games last year.

Tony Kornheiser (8:03)

Yeah, there. Well, there's a. Well, this is an important point to make. He didn't. J.J. mcCarthy didn't join a team that had just lost 12 games.

Mike Wilbon (8:12)

That's right.

Tony Kornheiser (8:13)

He joined a good team. He joined a coach who is. Now, let me get the number 27 and 9 in one score games. That is a tremendous record. And he became, look, it could fall apart next week, but he became the first guy to, in his rookie debut at quarterback, win a game by being down 10 or more in the fourth quarter. The first guy to do that since Steve young in hello, 1984. Come on, let's move.

Mike Wilbon (8:41)

Wow.

Tony Kornheiser (8:42)

Yeah. Let's move to baseball and the bizarre coincidence of Dodgers pitchers taking a no hitter into the ninth inning in two games of their last three. The first one they lost with two outs in the ninth, they lost Yamamoto's no hitter, then lost the game to Baltimore. Last night Tyler Glasnow carried a no hitter through seven, the bullpen held it through eight, then gave up a leadoff double in ninth to Colorado, but they won the game. Wilbund. This maintains the Dodgers one game divisional lead over the Padres, who won last night in 10. What, if anything, is truly at stake in the race for the NL West?

Mike Wilbon (9:12)

Tony, it entirely depends on how you look at it. And because this involves my Cubbies, I have skin in the game. And when I'm angry because they've lost or the Bears have lost, I stay up and watch the Padres and Dodgers even when the games are all the way west. And what, what is at stake here is the wild card team. The second place finisher is likely to have to play three games at Wrigley in the playoffs to start the playoffs while the division winner gets a buy. Now, I would like to see my team. Actually, I'm okay with the wild card. They're not going to catch Milwaukee. And having three games of Wrigley in the bias is fine. Keep playing because the team with the bye doesn't always get it done. But the Dodgers are equipped. I don't want my team there because I don't think they're ready for the pressure of division winner expectations. You guys are supposed to move on. The Cubs aren't ready for that. The Dodgers are. I don't think the Padres are ready for that either. So therefore, I'd like to see the Padres in that three game series in Chicago if it goes three. But I think the Dodgers should hold on to first place. That's what's at stake.

Tony Kornheiser (10:18)

Yeah, I mean, I'm not so involved in that division race that it matters to me that much. The Dodgers are going to make the playoffs. The Padres are going to make the playoffs. The Giants may make the playoffs from that same division. And what's great, as a fan, is that the Padres and the Dodgers absolutely hate each other. And that's good. But you know, the Padres are a really good team. I just want to step back and say this one thing to you. Yamamoto and GLASNOW gave up one hit in 15⅔ innings. Is that something I could interest you in? Because the Dodgers can hit. Everybody knows the Dodgers can hit. They're second in runs in the National League to the Brewers. They're first in ops. They're first in home runs. But what if they can pitch, Mike? I think if they're starting pitching, and it would include those two, it would include Ohtani and it would include Clayton Kershaw if they pitch. I think they repeat as World Series champions. I do.

Mike Wilbon (11:09)

Well, Tony, they've had a lot of injuries and it's interesting to see if people can hold up all year. And I do watch the Dodgers closely and I love that division, largely because of what you just talked about. The Dodgers and Padres hate each other and it is theater.

Tony Kornheiser (11:23)

Yes.

Mike Wilbon (11:23)

Now, I don't want to see them both advance. I want to see one of them go out in the first round, obviously. But Tony, it's fascinating. There is something at stake and the approach, what they have to do, the wild card team makes it even more fascinating to see if they will advance. It really does.

Tony Kornheiser (11:39)

All right, let's take a break. Coming up, is spitting on a football field more common than we think? We will ask Jeff Saturday about that.

Mike Wilbon (11:46)

We'll also ask him why Penne Sewell struggled so much against Micah Parsons. Because both of them are going to the hall of Fame, that's why.

Tony Kornheiser (11:55)

All right, I made a mistake. I made a mistake. The Steve Young game was in 1985, not 84. But it's still 40 years.

Mike Wilbon (12:01)

40 years ago.

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Tony Kornheiser (13:32)

Let'S get into the NFL trenches with our great friend ESPN NFL analyst and our pal Jeff Saturday. Let's start with this. Lions right tackle Penny Sewell struggled against Micah Parsons. What did you see there? And is there anything you would recommend to Sewell for the next matchup?

Jeff Saturday (13:50)

Yeah, I mean, let's be honest, you don't see Sewell struggle very often. I mean, he's one of the best right tackles in the game. I will tell you, the situation they were in. Being down significantly always makes it more difficult. And now you got a fresh Micah Parsons with a back injury that you're going to have to go face makes it hard. But, but, but when you're, when you know, when you're where you are with Detroit and having the new coaching staff and all that, you can't get beat inside, right? If you're going to get beat, at least make him run the hump. Make him chase your quarterback. Getting those flashes and making golf reset his feet cost him one interception. Just a tough day to sew. He'll, he'll rebound next time they play.

Mike Wilbon (14:29)

All right I'm going to try to go to last night's game without expletives. That holding call, Jeff, against Darnell Wright was a game changer in many ways. I am still angry about this. Do I have reason to be?

Jeff Saturday (14:46)

Absolutely. You try to make me cuss, too, because it was. It was a terrible call. Like, I mean, he traps him down, open hand, puts his face in the dirt. We're all taught as offensive linemen, when a guy's trying to drive into you, especially on the outside, if he's trying to just keep driving you, you just trap him down. Use his force and his weight against him. He's unbalanced. So use that to your advantage. And a referee clearly sees there was no, like, full yank. He just basically trapped him. And we all use that technique. And again, it finishes the bull rush quite a bit. I was disappointed in the call. I think, you know, Aikman agreed. We all agree, and it was a game changer. And I'll say this about it. The problem for me was the Bears allowed that play to snowball into Caleb making a dumb play on, you know, on the intentional grounding, right? Then they. Then they. Then Santos misses the field. So all of that transpired at the very end of the third quarter. But you can't let one bad play turn into a bunch of bad ones. You know what I mean? And that's kind of what they did.

Mike Wilbon (15:48)

Well, let's get to a bunch of bad ones. Four false start penalties. This is the same garbage we watched in the Eber FL era and probably in the negie era before that. Jeff, you. You did this. You lined up thousands of snaps in your life. Why do the Bears, particularly since we're talking about them, have so many false start penalties even now under a new coach?

Jeff Saturday (16:12)

I honestly have no idea. And I'll be honest with you, I remember Tom Moore, the offensive coordinator for us for so many years there in Indianapolis and a hall of famer. You know, he used to tell us, men, if you can't get the snap count right, we're going to go on one and everybody in the business is going to know when you're going to go. And they'll have the same advantage that you think you car it is a weapon, and you need to weaponize the snap count. And if you're too dumb to figure out the snap count, we need to find somebody else. And it really is that simple. I mean, I hate to say it that way. This isn't like somewhere on the road where you can't hear anything you're at home, you have everything going in your favor. You have to find focus, listen to that snap count, and then tell guys around you, hey, let's use it as a weapon to get them offsides, make them slow down the rush, use it for our advantage when we're run blocking. But very disappointing. And again, I know part of it is early in the season, but that's day one. Stuff like get the snap count handled. Really disappointed in that because again, it puts you behind the chains. With a quarterback and a new play caller, it's tough to overcome.

Tony Kornheiser (17:14)

We have missed you. You are excited. This is really good. We'll get out of here.

Mike Wilbon (17:18)

Let's get right to it.

Tony Kornheiser (17:19)

We got. All right, so we've had spitting ejections in the pros and in college the last few days. These spits were blatant. Everybody saw them replayed the 30 times. Does this seem way out of line to you or does spitting go on under the radar quite frequently?

Jeff Saturday (17:37)

No, it's disgusting and it does not go into the radar. I don't understand it. I mean, I honest to God, like, first of all, I would never spit on somebody else. But, but having, I mean, how do people keep their head in that situation? Like, it just, it leads to all kinds of nonsense that's just, it's, it's way out of bounds for what we do for a living.

Mike Wilbon (17:56)

Right?

Jeff Saturday (17:56)

We're all there to, to, to perform for our team, to take money home for our families. All of those things that you're getting so bent out of shape, they're going to go spit on another human. Makes absolutely no sense. And so, yeah, I, I, I got no, you know, I got no tolerance for it. There's no, like, oh, well, he should have done. No, no, no one should be doing it. I, I'm, I'm all for ejections the minute you see it. And honestly, I don't think I ever remember it happening except Romanowski, like, years and years ago when I was playing. But after that, I literally hadn't heard of that since, until, you know, week one of the NFL season. So terrible look for, for our game. Guys need to control it and, and end it.

Tony Kornheiser (18:36)

Thank you, Jeff. Great pleasure to have you so much.

Mike Wilbon (18:40)

Back on the show. Great.

Jeff Saturday (18:42)

Love being back with your fellas, fired up for this season.

Tony Kornheiser (18:46)

Let's take one last break. Still to come, good news for the latest variation of the NFL kickoff, and.

Mike Wilbon (18:52)

The U.S. men's soccer team gets another shot to get it together tonight.

Tony Kornheiser (18:58)

You know, Mike, I'm surprised. I would have thought that there was a lot more spitting and we just didn't know about it. So I'm surprised to hear what you think.

Mike Wilbon (19:05)

I'm glad to hear that that he's never seen it. I hope it's not trending. I don't want to see spitting trending.

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Tony Kornheiser (21:00)

Happy time people. Happy 25th birthday, Ricky Pete. The 49ers wide receiver caught four passes on Sunday for 108 yards in San Francisco's 1713 victory in Seattle. Pearsall was the next to last player taken in the first round of the 2024 draft out of Florida. What makes Pearsall stand out is that he was actually shot in the chest by an assailant in a robbery attempt last August. Pearsall recovered and made his NFL debut 50 days later. In his first game, he had three catches for 21 yards and finished the season with 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. This year Pearsall is starting and the 49ers need him because George Kittle is out for weeks.

Mike Wilbon (21:43)

Well, that was a big shoes to fill and Deebo Samuels out isn't out of town. So I mean this is an important this kid is so easy to root for for me, Tony. I found myself doing that on Sunday.

Tony Kornheiser (21:56)

Happy anniversary, Chip Kelly. On this day 12 years ago, the very successful Oregon coach made his NFL debut as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Philly ran off 53 plays in a first half blitz of Washington. The Eagles jumped out to a 337 lead before hanging on to win 33 27. Kelly went 2621 with the Eagles and then had a disastrous 214 season with the 49ers. Kelly went back to college at UCLA for six quiet seasons going 35 and 34. Last year, Kelly was Ryan Day's offensive coordinator on the national championship Ohio State team and now he's offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll for the Las Vegas Raiders, who won their opener.

Mike Wilbon (22:37)

Tony, I think all those experiences add up to make him a wonderful candidate to do exactly what he's doing with the Raiders. Everybody talks about the chart Denver. How about if the Raiders are any good with their offensive weapons and Pete Carroll and there's a lot of ain't no brain drain in Oakland. There's brain gathering, it seems to me. Did I say Oakland? You know what I meant.

Tony Kornheiser (23:02)

Yeah. Happy trails to a blue pit for Luke Kishaw. Last night, angel shortstop Zach Neto tracked down Kishore's fifth inning pop up to short center. Netto bobbled at four five times before coming away with the catch. This highlight, while enjoyable, was not indicative of how the game went for the Angels. LA committed four errors, Kishol had three hits and the Twins won 12 to three.

Mike Wilbon (23:26)

Yeah, we're at that portion of the program where it's got to be something bizarre to get the Angels into the show, you know, Once again, we haven't mentioned them.

Tony Kornheiser (23:34)

Irrelevant. Other than Mike Trout.

Mike Wilbon (23:35)

Other than Mike, we haven't mentioned them in five years.

Tony Kornheiser (23:38)

Big finish. Here we go. Tiger woods, who I know you love, posted a video of himself hitting balls on the Range. Are you excited?

Mike Wilbon (23:44)

No, I'm excited to see Tiger woods play golf and I'm not expecting it anymore. The range, no 75% more than of kickoffs were returned in week one. I bet you're happy about that.

Tony Kornheiser (23:56)

Yes, I'm more than satisfied. I'm more than happy. I'm thrilled by it. It's the great fun play if you can. Keep it safe, keep it in the game. The Las Vegas Aces go for their 15th win in a row tonight against your Chicago Sky. Who you got?

Mike Wilbon (24:09)

They are mine. But it's not about who, it's about how many. 30 points. 40 points. Pick what you want. U.S. men's Soccer against Japan and a friendly tonight. Is that significant?

Tony Kornheiser (24:21)

I'm not the right guy for this last one. Giannis and Greece beat Lithuania to advance to the Eurobasket semifinals. Your thoughts?

Mike Wilbon (24:28)

Giannis now gets Turkey and Sengun on Friday and Shingoon is Houston is going to be even a bigger figure in this NBA season than people understand. Houston has a chance. Houston's going to be a problem.

Tony Kornheiser (24:43)

Houston has a problem or will be a problem. We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.

Mike Wilbon (24:49)

I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. You can get the podcast on the ESPN app or Apple podcast. Talk about stepping up. It's not time to level up your game. Introducing the all new ESPN app. All of ESPN all in one place. Your home for the most live sports and the best championship moments.

Tony Kornheiser (25:10)

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Mike Wilbon (25:13)

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