All Access: Witzmann preparing for Vikings

I'm Jeff jonnyac here on Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, where at PNC Studios at Hatis Hogan and you sent for the regular season finale? Tom, Can you believe it? It's the regular season finale? At one point it felt like it was going in slow motion, a little bit of very long training camp, and then you whipped through a big chunk of the season of the Bears are in first place, and now you're starting to think playoffs, at least you and I are. They're not.

They were told not to. And then they clinched to the vision big game against Minnesota week eleven, and here we are with the rematch and trying to get a number two seat in the NFC and the playoff picture open for a forty or upset of the Rams and a win by the Bears in Minnesota. How are you taking stock at this whole thing that's sad and happy?

You know, I'm my whole family included, even my mom and dad in their eighties, are always so sad when football season starts to end, the college season, the high school and especially professional football, because it is such a

reason for all of us to get together. But I'm also excited about the Bears of what they're able to accomplish since those days in training camp, throughout the regular season, throughout training camp, of the regular season, and even training camp, we weren't exposed to a lot because the starters really didn't play a lot, so we didn't couldn't put expectations to the season. The only expectations you have that they

were going to play Green Bay Week one. And then when you look at it, how the continuous development of this football team throughout the regular season. That's what kind of makes you happy and sad all at the same time. You're happy to see the playoffs coming on. The Bears are a part of it, but you're sad when you see the conclusion. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel because as people who love football,

that's not what we want to see. And we're certainly excited about the approach Mattneggie's taking about this game going there to win, no matter what, whoever plays, how long, how it's all going to work out. With the Rams game going on at the same time, there'll be a little bit scoreboard of watching and whatnot. They have a plan, they have a process, he says, But I think it's vitally important to have these guys understand it will be a playoff atmosphere. Minnesota has to win to go to

the playoffs. They are going to be rebbed up. And the worst thing you can do as a player, i'd imagine, since you played a night isn't is that you go in there thinking, yeah, we're gonna take it a little easy. Maybe now, don't have that playoff edge. You'll get hitting the moth and get hurt number one, right, Listen, I don't want anybody raising their hand looking to get out of the game. If you're gonna sign up for the game and you're gonna take your equipment to Minnesota then

be ready to play the whole game. This will be by far, by far, the most hostile environment they play in this season. Yeah, it's gonna come in the last regular season game. I think the Bears have been in some environments that have been able to work on their

communication ability and the loudest of environments. But the vengefulness that Minnesota fan base is going to feel during the course of this game, not only to get themselves in the playoffs, beat the Bears for what they did do them on Sunday Night a couple of weeks ago, show them that the way they were respected before the start of the season, thinking Minnesota could be the best team

in the division. They want to reclaim all that. But there's no better atmosphere for the Bears to go in, win this football game, get a bye week, and try to get an upgrade in their division seating tough team, tough scenario, tough stadium. Indeed, at that Viking defense every bit as good as any defense in the league right now. Brian Witchman, the Bears starting right guard, will join us in the program here tonight, joining us as well as Paul's Wriguler engineer in Jordan tredup is our what does

he set up? Set up man? Our producer, yes, our director, our boss today. Anyway, this Viking team, how different is it? In your opinion? After watching tape from the team that the Bears beat in Soldier Field twenty five twenty overcoming three turnovers in that game, Vikings also committed three turnovers and what they are now with a new play caller and a new or maybe I should say what Mike

Zimmer wanted as the mindset. He we don't want that team running fourteen times like they did against the Bears in the week eleven games to run out alun More, the anticipation of what the coach is going to say to a team every Monday morning after they play Sunday evaluates, the team evaluates. The film is always a little scary. But there's nothing like when they fire a coach in mid stride during the football season. They've already lost the

offensive line coach before the season started. But then when you fire a coach midseason, that makes you sit up in your chair, that makes you take kind of recount for what you have been doing as a player, what your requirements are, Are they good enough? And then you have the change in philosophy, and it's a philosophy that has to be in grain in an offense's head when you're going, Okay, we're gonna start running the ball. It's not going to be a pass blocking offensive lineman. First,

we are going to stay in our stance. We are going to be in our stance. We're gonna give you the snap count, and we are going to run the ball behind you. I think forty times the first time, twenty eight runs, last eight for three, twenty something like that. But from watching it, what's Kevin Stefanski, who's the offensive coordinator, has been there since so six and a highly respected

coach in this league. Somebody's even penciled him in even before this promotion as a potential head coaching candidate down the road. He's one of these young guns, thirty seven years of age, Philadelphia born and raised, tough guy and has been around again that Vikings organization a long time, starting with the Eagles and brand Children's. What do you see on tape that looks different than Week eleven anything? You know, Dalvin Cook is a little bit more assured

of himself. You know, when you come back and you're a young football player in the NFL, you're recovering from an injury, you always got to kind of work yourself through and make sure everything lines up perfectly. And I think when you do make the commitment to the run, your formations are different. The use of big bodies near the football, the way your quarterback what he has to

do in order for the team to succeed. Now it's not on his back, it's on the shoulders of five offensive lineman plus a couple tight ends and anybody who blocks for the running back. And sometimes that's relief for a quarterback. Because as much as you want to talk about Kirk Cousins and financially the daily God, he's still

in the same position as Mitchell Trubisky. He's learning a new system, he's learning new terminology, he's learning new teammates, and he's been doing a great job of developing their receivers and such. But like I said, when you change the philosophy of your football team mid stride and you say, look where this is no longer thirty five to forty passes a game, I'm looking to come in here with

thirty runs a game. But if the Bears jump start quickly go up two scores against the number two rushing defense in the NFL, which the Bears are not even allowing eighty three yards a game eighty one one. I mean, you know a little bit of that is banging your head against the wall. I don't stop the run. Dalvin Cook, Jeff has got big play capabilities. This is not this is not a running back that is gonna get you

three point four yards a cliff for forty carries. I mean he could bang off a seventy five yard or at the drop of a hat. So when you have those capabilities, I don't think even though if you got a fourteen point lead against the Bears, I don't think you would ignore it. All right, Well, we're gonna talk a lot about this and about the Bears defense in general and the ability to jump on teams and the

offense setting the stage with some leads. Bears are the only team in the league that has led in every single second half game. They have some insane numbers when you talk about limiting teams to touchdowns and just shutting out teams period, an amazing number forty three quarters this

season without allowing a touchdown this season? Are you kidding me? Well, you know if you're successful on first down and then you open up the opportunity to rush the passer, and what you do well and what you maybe you have a perceived vulnerability of your opponent in those situations, those

down and distances. It gives a chance the Bears that are very versatile up front, they can put their pass rushers against anybody out there, and I think that makes it difficult for an offensive coordinator devise a perfect game plan and pass blocking for the Bears. All right, we're gonna take our first break here on Bears All Access. When we come back, we'll be joined by offensive lineman Brian Whitsman. Tent there, Jeff Joniac here on Chicago Sports

Radio six seventy the Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com, Where at ha asall at PNC Studios. Jeff Joniac and top, They're good to have you with us, and good to be joined by Brian Whitzman, the big rank guard for the

Chicago Bears. How you doing, My friend doing great? Making your radio debut. Listen to the pipe. I know it's like God talking right here. You know, it's funny, you know, right myself a right guard. And then I look at I look at Brian walk in the room, and you say, what's what's changed about the game? And when I look at Brian, I look at his length and I look at the way he uses all of his assets. There's

so much difference between your plan. What were your vitals? Well, if you gotta give me your vitals, well, all right, so I went to the combine. I'm I measured at six three and three quarters? How much um? You know I played as much as two ninety You know, do you remember your arm length? Because he always aggravates him. He doesn't like when I always bring up an offensive. I means drinking. That doesn't matter, but you know Scott's hammer that Now, Now, what are your vitals? UM? Sixty

seven and three eighth and uh through fifteen? I don't remember the arm length. Yeah, but so this is this is what confuses me about Oh say, so I feel if I was six to five I would have been drafted. I was a fourth round draft choice. I thought I'm gonna be higher draft choice. But then you're six to seven, you start forty nine games, every one of your games in college? What the heck happened? You're an undrafted free agent, which I admire even more because of what you've been

able to accomplish. But what the hell are they evaluating? I mean, uh, your small school guy. They look at the competition. You didn't you didn't play the big level guys and in that high division one. Um. But yeah, I didn't uh care what they thought. I just knew I'd did an opportunity in training camp and go from there. By the way I just left. You know what, I

hate that. I hate that measurement. So you spent a lot of time in college at offensive tackle, right, yes, So when you were making the transition inside, was it because of a need of the team that you were trying out for or did they feel that your skills

fed fit better inside? Yeah? So the first two years I was strictly tackle, uh with my first three teams, and then um, finally when Kansas City signed me, Uh, they they tried me out a little bit at guard, and then that second year training or in off season they hopped me in at guard, and yeah, I mean it's definitely a transition, a lot more uh uh isolated, smaller movements, but uh, you feel more secure because you got guys you're right and you're left to you know,

I like it, and I like it, and obviously I've been able to start some games there, so um, yeah, no, I enjoy guard and I mean I like tackle, but I enjoy them both. And my junior year in college I played a whole season at left tackle. So you kind of get that lonely feeling out there when you got knowing that you can touch you the left of you. But now you're the guy you come here within a week later your start and you go to the line of scrimmage and you're also the ignititer for the center

to know that the quarterbacks are ready. Man, that's a lot of information filtering through your head in a forty second span and still know the snap count and understand the timing of what is that being asked to you? How difficult is that? I mean, I guess it was a somewhat easier transition with Naggie a lot of familiarity, but yeah, I mean, you get here and you gotta know the stuff right away, and you just dive into stuff and dive into your playbook and and uh, I

don't have much time for any now. And by the way, when when timers first to the igniter, when you see the right guard hitting the the left hip or the rear end of the center, it's time to go. It's time trying to get that snap going. Did you guys do any of that stuff? And when did that start? And why does that happen? It probably started since you've been in the NFL. Yeah, I would think because they

had a lot of different things they tried. But then now the fact that they have a First of all, they have to have an offensive lineman that has an experience that can maintain everything that's required of him before and still get a tempo that the defense can't, like, you know, completely count on every play. Yeah. Um, in Kansas City, we just did the center. But I think with the center being kind of the quarterback of the offensive line, he has to see everything, so it's it's

important that he's up and looking around. So uh here it's it's good with the guard. Um, yeah, igniting the quarterback right. Brian Whitchman, our guest, here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score. Why saw at the quota UM a mix of academics and athletics. Uh, I was looking for a civil engineering college and uh they happened out for me a scholarship. So it was

best of both worlds. Now you went the easy route, just civil engineering, right, Well, how about that engineering students? I got a ton of respect for a ton of respect. Difficult any one of your like a conference award, an academic award, didn't you. I was reading up about it, and you, oh yeah, I was. I was an academic All Conference or whatever that that list is. But uh yeah, I mean engineers definitely a challenging uh regiment or in college and you really had to balance things and uh

time manage and it really uh yeah. So post career interest in that, oh yeah, post career interest in that and a few other things. Um, I did a externship at Capitol Hill this offseason. This past offseason, I brought that. I saw that It kind of slipped under the radar, but I found out about it. I brought it up to you in the back room a couple of weeks ago. Explain to everybody what that was like and where does your political interests drive you to do something like that?

Oh yeah, I just always kind of been interested in politics and policy and everything and saw that there was an opportunity through the NFL Players Association to do that, and uh I just leapt at it. I was able to kind of intern with Robin Kelly out of Illinois Representative and uh yeah, just day to day stuff. Got to see what a life in DC is about and how how our federal government really runs. Uh, just very interesting.

Is there any similarities in your college education to that or is there anything that you know your education can help you to gain more interest in a political opportunity or not an opportunity, just whatever you're searching for. I mean, i'd say college wise, with civil engineering, I mean that that really just the stress and the rigor of that kind of puts you uh forward in any uh if you go in something else too. But uh, politics wise, yeah, I mean I could see myself possibly uh being a

staffer in DC and then possibly going from there. So I bet you'll learned a lot that you can't share. But it is a crazy places in that. Yeah, Actually a quick crazy story, uh, there's a former Redskins old lineman uh Is in Paul Ryan's office, and he was able to get us into the White House. And while we were doing a private tour of the White House, there was a lady ran a car into the barrier

outside the White House. So the White House went on lockdown when we were in there, and we're like as a sapping before and they're like, no, this has not happened before, like in their time, and so we all ran like we all rushed outside of the Situation room, and it was it was pretty intense. Really. Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, we had an opportunity to go there a lot of many years after we won the Super Bowl UMU, and that was our opportunity to go in there and look at the White House and just

an amazing place. And you know, having an opportunity to walk through there just because we want a Super Bowl championship. It was pretty amazing going through the grounds and inside the facility and what it means to the to us, right and just looking at a painting from there, just the history behind it, and I mean everything in there is just a very historic and just part of our

country's heritage. So and Bryan Wisman, our guest here on Bears All Access from Chicago Sports Radio six seventy of the score, lots to break down as the Bears get up for the playoff before we had to a break here and just the idea of being a six seven guy playing card. What are the inherent difficulties of being

that tall? Yeah, inside, it's all about leverage. So there's deffinitely difficulties going against those those bigger, kind of more compact guys that are shorter and stubbier, I mean, because you got to get leverage below them, and leverage always wins down there. So there's definitely challenges. But uh, I guess my length can definitely make up for that some of that stuff, and you just really got to concentrate

on lowering your pads and getting down there. Because definitely different than a than a six three guard possibly well yeah, I mean, well playing against you know, a couple of years ago, I mean a couple of weeks ago, against Aaron Donald and the speed that he has and his small frame. But you know what, you guys, you and Cody, you and Bobby, you guys work really well together. And it seems like when you talk about fits on defenses,

fits for offensive line play as equally as important. So kind of helps you get a chance to get you know, get your usable leverage and your usable strength. But you're also quick enough to get your hands on the defender before they can ever touch you, which is so defeating, deflating to a defensive lineman. And did you play defensive lineman in high school? Little? Um? I did? I was? I was a All state armable mentioned d n nice any mental recall about when you are fate, like what

you would be thinking in an instant? I mean I was just going against better to little guys in a small town that wasn't even sat look at the grin. I know. Well, I mean you buried people, didn't you. It's a good thing. You're a nice guy, but you have a little nasty to you too. Yeah, finish your finishers, they like to say, definitely, Yeah, Yeah. I mean there's there's a side of me I feel anything, the side of me on the field, and they're completely different. Yeah.

We'll talk more about that when we come back here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score, escape the cold and head to the Riu Palace, Costa mujeris in Cancoon with your favorite Bears players, including Prince Amukamara, Roquan Smith, and Cody Wyhair. Plus Inside the Bears hosts Lauren Screeten and Anthony Adams. Visit Apple Vacations dot com slash Bears to book Today. Bears meet the Vikings in Minnesota coming up on Sunday. You can hear the game on Chicago's

Home of the Bears. It is News Radio seven eighty and one oh five point nine FM. WBM will start our pregame at noon, kickoff at three twenty five. And having as many guys would playoff experience like you had last year in Kansas City. Brian Witzman our guest here on Bears All Access with Tom There. I'm Jeff Joniak is so valuable because Tom and I, you know, obviously been doing this a long time, and we talked to these guys and they really are sometimes stunned at what

the playoff intensity is like. And there will be a playoff atmosphere in Minnesota on Sunday, there is no doubt about it. So if you haven't experienced playoff football like you have, you do realize that it does ratchet up to a whole different level. Can you be one of those guys that explain to players, Hey, listen, you may have heard about this. It may sound like a cliche,

but it is reality. Yeah, I mean it's it's definitely an increased intensity, but at the same time, you can't let that get into your head and distract you from the task at hand. Obviously it's it's one and done for every game in the playoffs, but no, I think you just gotta obviously up your intensity and try to do that more and more. But as the week goes on,

you do your same routine for the most part. Well, so have you been on both sidelines here as a member of the Minnesota and a member of another team here in the new stadium? Uh? Yeah, I was obviously with Minnesota earlier the season, so I mean I had a home game there, And that's kind of my leading up to my questions, because you've had an experience of

practice against those guys. Plus you've been on the offensive side of it when it's nice and quiet in there, but now you're going to the extreme other side of it because it's as loud as you can possibly get. Did you ever sit there when your defense was on the field thinking, oh my god, how can an offense of an opponent even communicating this? Or have you had enough experience communicating with crowd noise at practice and at games and stuff that it's just kind of another thing

that you deal with. I mean, actually, the one home game I had there was the Bills when they played them, and they the Bills got off to an early, pretty big lead, so I didn't really experience that full I guess the noise factor there, but I mean even going back to college, we played at North Dakota State in the Fargo Dome, and that that that place is filled with with noise in an environment, and I mean, yeah, I mean there there's uh obviously in Kansas City it

was loud. That ground shook there, it didn't it. Yeah, I mean it's it's loud, but uh yeah, I mean when it when it's loud, you just uh kind of focus on your man ahead of you, and I mean everything else kind of just filters out. You know, with Matt's offense, are you you're rarely blocking the man ahead of you. I've never seen more assignment changes amongst a group of all the blockers, including Michael Burton and Trey Burton and Adam Sheheen and the tight ends and everything.

You know, you there, there's a good chance that you'll you'll block you know, eight of the eleven guys on on their defense at some time, whether you're pulling on a screen or trapping or whatever you gotta do. Yeah, Um, I mean Naggi is Uh, I don't know how his mind works. I'll never be a I don't think I'll ever get to that where I'm a coach like that. But I mean, it's it's crazy how he uh, how he works and how he uh goes goes through the offense and uh and just puts us in a great

situation to win every week. Did he carry himself the same way as OC and offensive system in casey as he does as the head coach? I mean, I mean it's it's uh, it's it's so similar. It's it's uh, when I got here, it was just such familiarity. Um and and it's it's great to see guys like that don't change and and say the same person they are when when they get elevated that head coach, he just

simply inspires belief, doesn't he as a coach to players? Um, yeah, I mean, I mean, I don't think I've had a head coach that I really wanted to to just do right for as much as him. So right, you know what, I was talking to Jordan before I talked for different

people today. Then they all wanted me to ask Brian that same question about the Matt Maggie because you know, those of us that never never knew him, never knew um, you know, to listen to him one week for the podium and how it came true one week and just everything that we've learned. You know, it's been a great

experience for us to be able to learn about him. Yeah, I'll say this, when I when I was in Kansas City and he headed to Chicago, I mean that was that was definitely like a disappointment that we weren't going to have him anymore. So, I mean, to be reunited was great. Big smile on the face of Brian Whitzman is his Bears get ready to meet the Vikings and head to the playoffs and short order here as we take a break here on Bears All Access on Chicago

Sports Radio six seventy The Score. You can help deserving families by donating a winner coat for the Chicago Bears jewel Osco Coat Drive at participating jewel Osco locations now through February First. Donations benefit the Salvation rp Here. On Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy at Chicago's Sports Radio six seventy to score, bringing you this from P and Z Studios at how I saw you run into fair down in the city at all? You know, because he does live in the Yeah, well we just

we just talked. Get him on the lake, do some paddle board. We will during the off season, you know. I mean, it's a great community. That's why so many players stay in the Chicago Land area because there they love their communities they play in, they grow up in, essentially when they get a chance to stay here, and it's a great supporting community to you know, you're not far from Wisconsin, so you go get your outdoor stuff in right, Right, you're an outdoorsman, right, A little bit,

A little bit, a little bit. Yeah, I wasn't like a big hunter growing up, but I definitely fish quite a bit. Uh. Northern Minnesota. There's an area called of Boundary water is that I went up there probably five times growing up. The best thing you ever cut um most proud of Sure, you know one that's gonna it's

gonna be a tail. It'll grow, you know, I mean, I mean, you can never go wrong when you caught a walleye up there just and and everything tastes better because you're literally out out in the middle of nowhere, no self interception. You uh, we shipping steaks the first night, so you're just in the woods, just grilling the steak up. And I mean it might be the worst steak at the grocery store, and it tastes like a taste like way.

So can you ever do something like that? I belink you'd have the patience, you know when when we are little kids, my dad and my dad and myself and my brother and another guy he worked with in his two sons. We went up to Canada, hitched up two canoes and then paddled back into the boundary waters and camped out for a couple of weeks. It was awesome. It was one of the greatest experiences. And you know, it's different, you know, I I would like to do that,

but I like saltwater experiences. Yes, he does surf, the surfer that he is, uh with that you know that's that's your downtime and trying to get yourself right mentally. What do you do during the season to get yourself felt right mentally? Um? Anything I mean mentally Uh A lot a lot of chill music, I guess, uh my meditator a little bit um you and Lennol Yeah yeah, I mean anything that can get you uh more relaxed,

more focused is something I want to do. So when do you do the meditation and what does that entail? I certainly I've never done that. I probably could use it. If you couldn't do it, I couldn't do it right. Jordan trynip shaking his head. Paul's rank. I'm a type am, I'm high intensity. But what does it do for you? How do you go about to do it? When do you do it? Um? I do it before I go to bed, and just I mean it helps sleep better. Uh just kind of decompressed from from the day of

football and everything. Um, I mean you just put on some very relaxing music and just kind of get in your head and just uh just let let things clear. So you know, like you and the last year of my career, midway point, I went from the Bears to the Miami Dolphins and then your require man, you gotta study, you gotta learn, you gotta know the you cannot have mental airs and all that stuff said. You came here,

you started playing immediately. Was it because of your association a Matt Maggie's system or because of the technology they have today with the tablet and you can have that stuff in front of your face twenty four hours a day. What was your biggest route to playing quick the quickest? Um, I mean, uh, a lot of Obviously Naggi took his system and uh I'd been a part of that, so I I knew some things. But uh yeah, I mean you you just gotta put your head in there. I

mean a lot of it is technique wise. Coaching staff are there's an old lineman, your your on line coach. Uh, they're all going to differ a little bit and technique and really just had to hone in on that. But uh yeah, in general, Uh, we have our iPad, we have everything, so we have it, have it all in

front of us. So when we're home, I mean, you just gotta bury your head and it so when I during my career, when I we go from one team to the next, we have a paper playbook and we sit there and then look at pictures and diagrams and explain what your assignment is according to the stick figure that's tron. Now you have the access to the actual movement of the play while you're learning it. Does that help you learn it quicker at with this technology something

that we weren't exposed during our day with the technology? Um, I mean, I think technology can help, but I mean at the end of the day, you're gonna just gonna be bearing your head and learning the concepts and everything. And I think the those paper sheets that show you the assignment and everything are never gonna grow older anything. Uh,

that's always going to be part of football. Plus, everybody does learn differently, right, some people can't take it from the classroom to the playing field, but they could ace that test in the classroom, much like any any walk of life or that you guys, you know, I mean, I love that classroom where they just they're they're just not dialing in and they have to actually physically run through the place. So that being said, when you played, you played at a very high level, clearly with a

great offensive line. How much better would you guys have been with the iPad. I think I think the instantaneous viewing of it on the sideline, either still shots or because you gotta remember, when we were there, they would take picture polaroids from up in the press box, stick them to a sheet of paper, run them down to the sideline on a fishing wire, and then that's how you would look at it. And now you'd hope that they would take him within succession so you could see, Okay,

did I miss with my hands? Did I take a bad step here? Did I get my head down? Nowadays, the instantaneous, perfect look at what you just did can be so helpful. So do you answer the question you would have been a better player, We would have been a better offensive line, because the offensive line is not about being a player. An offensive line is about being

players together. And I don't think a still shot is going to make me play better, but a still shot or a moving shot, okay, me and Brian, Hey, Brian, I got to come to you a little bit more. Just hang with me, because this linebacker is not flowing so quick. So there's elements about the game that you could talk about that could help you improve from. If you run this play in the first series and you

want to run get in the third series. You can be better by that third series, right, And I think it goes back to if let's say the left side gets a look that we haven't gotten yet. And I mean you look at the you look at the iPad and you see that clearly and how they did that. It's just that much quicker for adjustments when when we get that look as well. Right, you know, looking at the Minnesota game from a few weeks back, you kind of look at, you know, what do they do against

Bobby Massey? What did they do against Charles Leno? And they use the guys you know, on both sides, So it's not like Bobby Massey can only block one guy the whole time. They're gonna, like I said, this offense, they're gonna have to block everybody. They run a line stunt against Brian and Bobby or Brian and Cody, they're gonna have to switch off perfectly. There are a lot more stunts in games today in the league than when you played, And has it increased since the time you've

gotten the league. From defenses, I think they play a lot more defensive fronts now with and a lot more blitzing component to it, whether you're using Roquan or someone else. So I think there's more multiple fronts um that you can use that they do use today. I think it depends on obviously the game situations. So I mean, if if you get off to a lead early and you're nursing that the whole game, they're not going to really have those situations. And obviously a team by team basis,

they're they're they're different with that as well. But uh, it must be fun playing on the lead all the time because you guys have for the most part this season right right right in control. Yeah, it's been a big reason and it's been that it was that way in Kansas City. Yeah, Um, there's definitely uh uh you want to keep them on my numb you want to and I mean it's fun to be able to, uh get that lead and then rely on our great backs.

We have to maintain it. So obviously Kyle Long hurt that enabled you to move into the mix here at guard and you know he is on his way back. Don't know at the time of this show that what his status is going to be. But how do you deal with that as a as a competitor at number one and be as a guy that you know, you've had that starting job in the last seven weeks, right, I mean, Kyle has been been great with me just uh he's obviously it's it's tough when you're away, when

you're watching film and you're not doing anything. But he's been a great leader, and I know what he means to this team. I don't know what he's meant to this team for years. So uh uh yeah, obviously it's been great to be uh be in and um, but if we can get a guy back like that and uh who can make who can also make a difference. Uh, I'm looking forward to You know, so much is discussed and written and even this week, a lot of discussion about the selflessness of this team. You know, you're on

the inside, you're in that locker room. Uh, it's a team than now you're just becoming much more familiar with than you did early in the season, being on another roster and so forth. Do you see that? Do you do you understand what why it's working that way? Right? Um? I think I've been on teams where there are there are those like two or three guys in the locker room that kind of uh uh, they're they're kind of selfish. They they uh, they're about themselves and you really don't

see anyone on a team like that. Everyone bought into when Nagge brought in, and it's just great to be a part of. How are you you know? For you know you you live in itinerary life when you are a football player. How's this flexing been for you? Did you like the move of the two games that would have been noon starts tonight? In this game that you win a game, you're popular football team, so they want

to capitalize on your popularity by that misstart. Are you okay or would you like to say okay noon noon noon, Let's let's get it done. Oh no, I enjoy uh kind of that atmosphere. You kind of soak it in having the Monday night games, and I mean that that's

fun to be a part of, right. Uh you just kind of embrace it, and um, obviously you don't approcha any any different, but uh, you're kind of able to ease into it during that day and kind of uh instead of waking up and going right away, I kind of like being able to kind of lead into it a little bit more right Now, if you play a night game, do you like watching other NFL games during the day or do you kind of like keep to your self and just worry about what you do. I

keep to myself. H Yeah, well no, because I always if we had a Monday night game or Sunday night game, I used to like watching the games um during the day because he's kind of watching what you're about to do, and it's if it's doable for them, then then then I can do it at that at that level or better. So it was kind of more like just watching what someone else is doing that you're gonna do. That's Tom there.

Brian Witzman, Bears Guard, our guest here on Bears All Access one segment to Go, Paul's Oranger Engineer and Jordan trade Up, our producer as we bring you Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to Score all Right. Special thank you to Brian Whitzman, Bears Guard for joining us tonight on Bears All Access. Ruth's Chris would like you to have this one hundred dollars gift card to enjoy at one of their Chicago and Areas steakhouses. Ruth's Chris this is how it's done, but he's got to

inspect it first. Tom there, for some reason, wants to make sure all the eyes are dotted than the teaser crossed. I just think about eating a big steak from room Chris. Then you know that what movie was that? What movie was that? Oh, Nebrata was Nebraska? You never see the movie Nebraska? I mean it's you know, it's a So the movie Nebraska plays, and so everybody starts calling Tom and I say, hey, you know, congratulations on your debut on the silver screen. And we're like, what somebody trying

to play a joke on us? I mean it was I called Tom, Tom, what are you hearing? Yeah? What is going on? So, sure enough, we're in the movie Nebraska, but no one ever asked we're not visually on but they played one of our calls. But one of the funniest things of the whole deal is there's just a bunch of old guys sitting around watching a TV. But you don't see the television, and it's a it's a it's a different kind of movie, there's no doubt about it. And all of a sudden, you hear Tom reading a

Ruth's Chris commercial. So that was a real funny thing. So fast forward. I just can't remember the actor's name down you remember the old as, Yeah, Bruce Dern, it's it's one of us, it's the I think it's the It thinks it's the Giants Patriots super Bowl. And I'm covering the super Bowl and I get a press release from Bruce Dern's company. Hey, you know he's going to be in New York, Like, yeah, I'd like to interview him. I like to find out why you didn't it. Where's

the permission for Jeff and Tom to get in? Even in the credits, you know the movie Nebraska, So we got shut out. I think that's kind of is a local guy, right, But he never called me back, That's that's for sure. Brewstern. Yeah, there's a lot of the actors are from the Chicago area. So anyway, a sidebar story of inconsequence. I ate at Ruth Chris the two nights before we play in the super Bowl back in the back then, and I ordered a steak for two

for myself. I had ordered Porterhouse. Did you go by yourself? No, I went with my college girlfriend. But I ate the whole steak nice. Well, you'll enjoy it regardless. We can guarantee that. Remaining moments here with Brian Witzman the Bears Guard, as we take a look at the Bears and Vikings. You know, this defense of the Bears is prominent, talking about it in very legendary terms about what it's doing.

But there are some other really good defenses in this league, and you guys have faced a lot of really good fronts this year, even on teams that are not playoff caliber, and I think that's really gone under the radar a little bit. I mean, I'll bring up the Bills, I'll bring up the Jets, I'll bring up the Lions, I'll bring up the Giants. I mean, you guys have had your hands full of this year, don't you think. Yeah.

I mean in this league there's a lot of a lot of very talented d linemen and we face a lot of them. Um. I mean you look at it as a you look forward to it as a good challenge that week, uh. I mean, if you want to be the best, you gotta gotta play some of the best. So it just gets us better every week. And this Vikings front is obviously one of those. Right. Well, what do you respect and what what what resonates with you

about that bunch? Um? I mean they just don't have any uh any weaknesses really and on that defensive front, they've got solid guys across the line, and they've stayed healthy. And um, obviously we we had a good game plan last time and uh Noneggie is gonna have a great

winning again. Is it easy? I mean, how long did it take for you to get to know Cody's game and Bobby's Massy's game, because you know, and during practice you're not gonna go one hundred percent, but then all of a sudden, man on Sundays, here it comes, did it? Do you notice there's are a difference about different how you have to communicate with each first of all? Or

are they this similar in their personalities? Um? I mean they're they're obviously the fits you have on your double teams and everything, and I mean you can get some of that in practice, but I mean it's not against uh those those big de linement that have pads on and uh no, I mean just from a communication stamoid, the calls and everything. It takes a few weeks to really hone that in and uh, but I mean they're they're uh great guys, great, uh great communicating and uh

they've helped me out a lot. How would you describe that room your room? Um, I'd say, uh, it's it's uh kind of a quiet but uh but very focused and very Uh everybody knows the role and everybody knows uh that that uh, that unit together is uh something that can be special and uh yeah, I mean just every day you gotta go out there and work, and I mean it's great to be a part of it because uh all those guys have a great energy and

a great enthusiasm every day. Does Harry he stand have I mean, he's a pretty serious guy and he's been here before, so we know Harry very well. But you know, just going to the college game and Notre Dame and the coming back, I'm wondering how that has worked for him, you know, in terms of how his approach has changed from the first time he was here for the second time. But does he allow for uh, You're gonna bite my head off when I see this. Is there Is there

a little bit of fun in there? Yeah? And if so, is there anything regular that you guys do as a unit in that room or is it all business. I mean, I'd say it was a little bit of fun, but uh at the end of the day, uh um, he's gonna coach, coach the technique out of us and uh uh just correct us on everything. And I mean he's a great coach that that just knows where to say and knows how to improve the players. Yeah, he can

communicate well with this players. I think it's Harry's room. Yeah, you can have fun before the offensive line coach gets in there, and then immediately following that's when the camarader starts. But when I watch when I watch Harry practice, when I watch you guys on the sidelines of the game, and you guys immediately get together sitting your positions. Harry has the tablet still pictures and other notes that it's all about coaching football improvement, corrections. And it seems that's

the way Harry was before. That's why he was a Notre Dame, and that's the way he is now at the Bears. But again, you think of some of the changes that he's had to correct or make sure stuck to. You know, James Daniels coming in there, Cody before the start of season, make adjusting his snap and then you coming and involved. That's a lot to put on a play while he's still coaching everybody else that's out there is getting you guys ready to play, right, I mean,

he definitely knows what to say and kind of. I mean he's he's been he's been an ad for a long time. So I mean when when he says something techniq, guys, you know, uh uh, he's speaking from experience and from the history he's had and offensive line play Brian what's been our guest here and remaining moments of Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventies scores brought to you by Igs Energy, Jeff, Jonnyac and Tom there with you.

So Matteggie, I'm sure he's he's already started the messaging process with you guys. But you gotta go in there thinking about playoff intensity and also about winning that game, because if you didn't, if you weren't particularly ready mentally to play a team like that that's going to be ferociously trying to get to the playoffs, you get yourself

hurt at a minimum and embarrassed at the worst. Correct. Yeah, I mean, we know what their mindset is, and we know what ours is going in, uh just approaching it. I mean we're we're in we're in playoff mode right now, because I mean we know that, uh obviously we get in another game after this, but uh uh yeah, I mean from here on out, it's it's a laser focus. And uh yeah, I mean Minnesota's our opponent right this week, and we're approaching it just like any other game this year. Yeah,

but exactly. I'm glad you said that is about the approach of any game this year, because every game has been serious. I think from the way we've looked at up from the outside in and the way that you guys have prepared for it from the inside, from the

inside in. And I that's why I don't think any game is too big for the Bears, no matter it is a play it is a playoff caliber game this weekend as much because it's a division game, even though there's something on the line for Minnesota and the Bears. But you know, when we start talking about next week's game or the net the first playoff game, the same thing is gonna be there. This football team has to get better from what they did last week in Minnesota.

How hard would it be to play back to back. I mean, I can't speak from a coaching staff perspective, but I mean you have to develop a new game plan back to back, and I mean that's tough scheming the same thing over and over. But uh yeah, I mean, uh, it's they're they're familiar with everything. And uh yeah, I mean I mean you kind of did it. You kind of did it with Detroit. Yeah, in a sense, A little bit in a sense. Yeah, I mean with with any team. It's it's tough to beat him back to

back like that. Um. But but yeah, I mean we're just gonna approach it just uh uh. I mean we're not We're not having a different mindset for this game just because uh so and so scenario. I mean, we we're gonna approach it, uh with the laser focus, just like every other week. You know. The little fun that you do have is the defensive personnel coming in the offensive huddle. Is that fun to prepare for? Fun when

you see their number being called? But is there kind of a little bit of pressure on you because you know better succeed um according to the practice plan? Um. I mean I wouldn't say that. I mean, it's it's something exciting and I need. I mean, you hear the fans kind of roar when you have those home games and they run on the field, and uh, it's more exciting than anything. I mean, you're not you don't feel any pressure. It's it's that it's making football fun. Really.

I mean, honestly, I would think, because we all got a little kid in us when you play this game right, so you get your you get you break the huddle with a cheam Hicks and Roy robertson Harris and whatnot. What everything you guys done. Is there a little bit of smirk at the line of scrimmage when the defense is trying to get themselves right to figure out what the heck is going on a little bit? And has there been any conversation defensively in these games that that

madd has pulled these things? Uh no, there's not my pocket cross the ball on those plays. But I mean it's it's fun. Uh. I mean the plays that we've had this year that that have worked like that, I mean those just celebrating the touchdown with the defensive guys. I mean, it's has it been the most fun you've ever had? Oh? Yeah, I mean it's been a fun year. Uh, it's been a really fun year. Um. Well, obviously we've had a lot of success and uh, but beyond the success,

it's that that really togetherness that we've had. Uh, that's just formed throughout the season. Appreciate you. Thanks for coming on. No, you're busy getting ready for the Minnesota Vikens. Brian Witzman our guest here on Bears All Access. That's gonna do it tonight. Thank you for listening. Everybody. For Tom Bear, I'm Jeff Jonihac. Have a great night. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Thanks for listening to

this Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW Athletical Physical Therapy and Ford