Welcome in Tubble Bears Weekly, a Chicago Bears Network production download the Chicago Bears Official Act, brought to you by Verizon to follow the team on the go. Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Atletico Physical Therapy, Beth Rivers, CDW, Connie's Pizza by Gens.
Energy, and Miller Life Kierra.
Your host, Jeff Chilneac aka the Mayor of Bearsville, and his sidekick, Tom the Surfaster Thyer.
So we're cooking back today and taking stock of what's transpired so far in the Bears twenty twenty three season.
No football this week, Week thirteen.
It's the bye week and time for us to welcome in our special guest and good friend, Bears quarterback Jim Miller to the program Serious x MNFL Radios moving the chains with his partner Pat Kerwin. They do a great job, Jim, of course, with us every week of the offseason. Too busy for us, Tom in the regular season.
We get it.
The guy is scanning the globe of the National Football League, but he's still has time to drive down from Michigan each week to be a studio host for our new partner TV partner on the Bears coverage of this year from Marquee Network, Jim Miller, everybody, how you doing big? Jim doing great?
Good to be with you guys again.
I know you do deep down. You love the Bears. You played all over the place, but you love this team absolutely.
I love the Bears, hey man. It pains me that they're struggling the way they are. A lot of good people work in that building that are very loyal, have been there a long time, and you certainly want them to have some success and hopefully they'll be able to turn this around.
Jeff, I wish that you would get a sound effects board, so when you give Jim Miller an introduction like that in all of his accomplishments, that you have that fake crowd applause behind, just a backup, just a backup.
What you're saying.
You know.
The thing is, I don't need it, because the fans love what he did for the Bears. He was gritty man, gritty to the core, gritty to the core as you were, Tommy, and I like to think I am too, not as a football player, but anyway, thanks to our producers Jordan tread Up and Dan Burrelly from the Bears and Today of the ESPN one thousand studios, Ja Cantu and Jake McGrath. Our executive producer of the Bears Ready Network is Eric Ostrowski.
All right, zero to four, to four and four now four and eight through twelve, with five to go against Detroit at home at Cleveland, Arizona Atlanta home at green Bay.
To wrap us up, we'll start with Tom. Go to Jim.
Give us some perspective on what is left, not what is behind us, because we're going to get into that throughout the show and look at things that have gone well and things that haven't.
But what is the vision right now with the final five?
Yeah, I mean a we're going to talk about the elephant in the room when you talk about evaluation of outdo our football at the end of the season on a team that their arrow is starting to point up for the first time in a while, when you talk about a couple divisional opponents left and how much improvement a team can make.
But individually, what Justine can show.
Us about the future of the quarterback position with the Bears. And I think when you look at a guy like Justin it's just not how do you throw the ball. It's how do you use the offense of the play that's being called, and how do you use your assets?
And that's number one arm talent.
Number two is your escapability and athleticism, but also how are you dissecting the information play by play mentally and how efficiently are you using it? So, yeah, you know you can talk about hopefully there's no more changes on the offensive line. The defense is playing better, Montes Sweat has to make sacks. But if this team is going to be a division competing football team, it's going to be about the future of the quarterback position.
Yeah, I think for me, I think when you look at those five games, I think the Bears lately they have competed much better where they've been in position to win games at the end of the game. Obviously, the Troit game got away from them, but you know, even if you go back to Denver, I mean, that was a very winnable game in their grass, So they put themselves in position to win games. They were able to close this one out against Minnesota. But realistically, Jeff, I
don't think three and five. It's to win three out of five is too much to ask. I think the defense is playing much better. I don't think the teams that they're playing other than Detroit are formidable teams. Two of them are basically playoff teams when you look at three of them. When you look at Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta is a playoff team. But it's not a very strong division when you look at the NFC South, and I
don't think that's too much to ask. I think the offense just needs to continue to grow, is what I think. In the quarterback needs to play consistently, Jim, So if.
You said three out of five, would you be disappointed if it wasn't five out of five?
Because to me, I think you.
Got to prove in the that locker room that on the road or at home you can win the division games. And so if you said three out of five and you had them losing against Detroit and green Bay, that would be as as disappointing as if they went zero to five.
Yeah, well, I agree with you. You got Detroit in your house in Chicago, bad weather, all the things that you talked about, Tom, and hey, they just lost to green Bay on Thanksgiving date. When you look at Detroit and even Week one where the Bears played terrible versus Green Bay, who was not a very good football team. They're very young, much like the Bears, that make a lot of mistakes. And I think you're right. I think it's a winnable game against Detroit at home, and that's
where it needs to be. You need to split in your division minimum.
Jim Miller, Tom Thayer, Jeff jionigak here on Bears Weekly out ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network. All right, let's look overall at what has transpired, what they've dealt with, and what they've handled. And you got to start with the coaching staff. Maddiberflus having to remove two assistant coaches, including the defensive coordinator.
And now taking on all of that.
From your perspectives, how has he done in doing all of those jobs and being the CEO of the football team in addition to being the coordinator of the defense.
Well, I'll jump in quickly to me.
As you see the significant improvement of the defense. You see a lot of personnel being used. Eight defensive lineman. The linebacker position has improved steadily throughout this season, and the way.
You've had to.
Readjust the defensive backfield due to injuries and rookies, I think, and if Matt Eberflus going forward, he should stay the defensive coordinator. I think he's got a significant attachment.
To this defensive group of personnel.
And when you have the head coach as a play caller, whether it's offensive defense, players understand that they they're held up to, you know, accountability and their preparation.
And their performance.
So I like what Matt Eberflus, the defensive coordinator, is done up.
Unto this point with this group of guys.
I think he's been tremendous. He even just look at these last two games the impact. Four turnovers in each game against Detroit, four turnovers against Minnesota. I think he's gone outside the box in terms of his blitzing because everything the sacks really weren't coming until they got Montese sweat, so you credit that move to trade and get Montese sweat. I think he's been formidable against the run too. He can really set the edge. Obviously, the stats show it.
The Bears are top five at stopping the run, and now they're starting to have a pass rush and I think we're starting to see they've developed some pretty good depth at their defensive backs. You know, the time period where Jalen Johnson was out, Brisker's been out, Eddie Jackson's been out, Tyler Gordon's been out, But at the same time,
guys like Tyreek Stevenson has started to develop. How about even this last game before he hurt his Hammy, Carrell Smith I thought played really well and they were trying to pick on him. Minnesota was and he led the team in tackles. So this defense is pretty darn good. And I think Matt Eberflus really deserves a round of applause because you know, since he's taken over it, they've done nothing but steadily climb. Like Tom is referring.
To, Yeah, number one against the run right now in yards points per game is getting better as well.
I know it's a big picture.
When you look at it and where they're at near the bottom of the league in that, but you know they've also given up a safety in five return touchdowns. That eats into that a little bit. You got to give credit to general manager Ryan Poles too, acknowledging that Chase Claypole was not a fit here moving him on, but adding the Montese sweat, which you indicated, Jim, that has been the multiplier that we believe he is, because in my opinion anyway, Justin Jones has played a lot
better on defensive tackle, getting more pressures. Javon Dexter is starting to play better. They're just getting a little more oof out of it. And when you're throwing the blitzes as well, and you still got to keep an eye on sweat and the twists and games that they're playing Fellas. I think it's been a home run and I hope it only gets better.
Glad that they've been able to think outside the box and their creativity and Jim brought up the four turnovers each of the last.
Two weeks and it's nice to see him doing it.
Gets an experienced quarterback like Jared Goff at home when he didn't give up very many interceptions to the opponent, and then they took advantage of an inexperienced quarterback within.
The system and Joshua Dobbs.
I think going forward, when you look at creating competitiveness on your own roster, it's going to be an interesting going forward because of some of the names that Jim has mentioned.
One other note on the polls angle the extension for Cole Comet Andrew Billings, who's been a big part of that run defensive turnaround from a year ago, and of course Sweat getting his ninety eight million dollars. We'll delve into all that. We'll look at the offense, of the impact and the injuries of how that unit has transpired over the course of the season. This is Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
Is Bears Weekly with the voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Jonyak on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly, he is brought to you by IGS Energy with Tom Thayer. Our special guest this week Jim Miller, the former Bears quarterback from Sirius XM NFL Radio's Moving the Chains. I'm Jeff Joniak. All right, let's talk on offense first before we're gonna do what we're gonna do here. Tonight is three top Offense, three top defense, Special teams, look at the rookie class. But I want to touch on the injuries. Jim will start
with you. You certainly lost Justin Fields for four, Khalil Herbert for four or five, Devin Jenkins before the start the season, Nate Davis a handful as well, and you mentioned earlier in the show the brisker of the Gordon Eddie Jackson got to throw in Braxton Jones in there. On the offensive side, missing a half dozen games, Tremaine Edmunds a couple that impacts your team, and everybody does, but the offensive line in particular. I think it's been quite the
job by Chris Morgan to settle that group. And even in the course of games, Lucas, Patrick Deevin, people have lost snaps during the game, the removal of Cody Whitehair from the starting lineup, always got to be on call to get back in there to play the garter center.
It's been some kind of musical chair going on there.
Yeah, I think you.
Said the right word. You said settled, but I think it's been unsettled. You know, it really has been unsettled since training camp, and finally it is starting to be what it should be, because if you remember, go back to training camp, Nate Davis wasn't even there all a training camp, you know, and then you have the injuries at center and all those things, so the guard position has been influx. Finally, they the lineup that they want so it is finally settled. But I think throughout that
they still were able to run the ball. I think the issues have been in past protection and things of that nature, you know, and those guys got to learn to make, you know, to play off each other.
In terms of the twist games, we.
Talked about that earlier and there early in the season, I thought they had some problems picking up twists. That's just lack of communication because those guys weren't together.
Now it's finally settled.
Darnell right is playing really well at the right tackle spot, Davis is in at the right guard spot, have Lucas Patrick at center, put Tevin Jenkins as a left guard, and we could argue is he a better right guard than a left guard, But they want to try him at left guard and we'll see where it goes. And then of course you got Jones back. So I think it's the most settled it's ever been. But the last four weeks they've rushed over one hundred yards and it
hasn't been a problem. I mean, these guys are pushing the ball exactly what they want to do. I just think in terms of the pass protection, it needs to be a lot part of it on the quarterback because the quarterback's been in and out, as you mentioned Tyson Bagent and now Justin Field's highly healthy back in there. But the passing game has to be more consistent, and it should be because the offensive line is more settled.
Yeah, it seemed like the popular word at the beginning of the season was chemistry, because if there's any position like the defensive backfield and the offensive line, you need
multiple practice snaps together to develop the chemistry. And I think early in the season they were exposed a little bit by not having that type of chemistry to put up with the talented defensive lines they are playing against in the early part of the season and a lot of the stunts that they were going to try to take advantage of this offensive line with and unfortunately for the Bears, of the defensive line of the opponent one. However, throughout the process of getting this offensive.
Line settled, understand who's going to play where and when.
Now you got the communication between Nate Davis and Darnell right, you have them, of the relationship between Braxton Jones and Tevin Jenkins, and I think when you have that group together for multiple games, multiple snaps whether they're on the road with the silent count at home with the verbal count, this offensive line is playing well. The running game is proof of that, because sometimes it's as difficult to organize the running game with a makeshift offensive line.
But if you can.
Keep this offensive line together in healthy, in having one thousands practice snaps that you can.
Put together, you're going to help this team tremendously.
And would you guys agree that they faced a murderer's row of defensive lineman really, you know, let's take it down the list. Rashan Gary week one, you had George Carlaftis week two along with Chris Jones Kansas City. What else we've got?
Tampa?
You got Shaq Barrett, Vita Vea. You've had to deal with twice, Danil Hunter DJ Wanham has been a pain to the Bears. You had a deal with with Aiden Hutchinson. You're gonna deal with him again. You had to deal with Max Crosby. Who am I missing? Because they've had and every you know, I'm not just saying it's the Bears, but this young group has had to learn how to fly, how to deal with some of this. These guys that I just mentioned are all top twenty in the league in pass pressures.
These guys are good.
You think about the Thursday night game against the Washington Montens and Montes was there, Chase Young was their first rounders on the inside, they provided pass protection to have a record setting night.
By DJ Moore.
So you know there are you know, full groups of defensive linemen they played well.
Against and the individuals.
But to me, I think our best judgment is what you do the second time around.
Against divisional opponents.
So this week when you to the next game the Bears play against the Detroit Lions, it'll be interesting to see how much better the offensive line plays against that group, including Hutchinson, Because now you're at home, you're in a cold weather atmosphere, you're on natural grass and things. A lot of things change about an indoor team like Detroit. So I'll be looking forward to see how the offensive line plays against Detroit when they play him at home.
They should feel pretty good because they kicked their fannie for about fifty eight minutes of the game the last time they plied him up in Detroit, all right, and.
Came down to one play.
Right, You look at Darnell right, he loses that one on one matchup against Aiden Hutchinson and the game ends in a strip sack fumble of Justin Fields. I hope Darnell Wright remembers that play because it should stick in his crow.
It really should so.
But they handed it pretty good to the Detroit Lions, and like Tom said, second time around, payback. That's what That's what I would be thinking as a player. Enough of this, Hi, can I ask you?
I'm sorry, Jeff, I want to ask you about that protection though, because if you think about that protection and how loud the stadium was, they give Darnell Right no help, they get the corequarterback starts in shotgun, then still has a three step drop after that. I don't think that that was the best protection. That was the best drop area for a guy like Darnell Right going against Hutchinson. So I do think there would be some rethinking if that same scenario presented itself in the future.
I agree with that it was a tough situation for him to be in, but nobody wants to hear about the labor beat.
Labor paints Tom deliver the beat.
I thought. Overall, though, you know, Hutchinson in that spin move is deadly he's always going to go to it, and throughout the game, Darnell did a really good job on him. But again, yeah, it doesn't matter when you lose, right, everybody looks at the facts of the matter. All right, let's look at our top three offensive players so far this season. We'll lead off with We'll lead off with Big Jim.
Well, of course, you got to say DJ Moore, you know, and look what he's provided. I mean that game against Washington and just how you know, you just see even this last week against Minnesota, even on those wide receiver screens, the guy's just plowing forward to you know, to make plays.
You got to turn to Cole Comet.
I think he has at at times just shined, even this fourth and ten that he converted against Minnesota. But he's made and he's been a steady blocker. He's getting more involved in the passing game. And for me, my last guy, I'm gonna say, darn out right, I think you know when you look at him, he's been thrown into the fire. That Tom just you know, gave an example of a difficult position he was in.
But you can see him.
He can physically move some guys and he's a guy that you know at times have been asked to pull and he moves really well for a big man, So I'm excited about his future.
When you look at the young right tackle.
Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna put throw Tevin Jenkins in there because of a lot of the drama that we've seen since he's been here. He's really settled into a position that I think that he can become one of the most more powerful offensive guards in the division. And he really does a lot to help a guy like Braxton Jones continue to develop into the left tackle position, and Tevin is playing for where they not where they drafted him for, but how they expected him to play.
Number two, I'm going to go with Cole Komett as well.
Because I think he's really taken a position, the whole tight end position, and kind of single handedly handled every role that you need out of that position and he's
done it well. And number three, it's Roshawn Johnson because if you look at the running back position and if you want to have an offense that can do multiple things with a talented quarterback like justin for a guy that can block, run and catch passes equally as well, where if you want to go to a hurry up offense, you're not exchanging the running back position in and out.
So that would be my three.
I'll go DJ DJ. Of course, met out all expectations. Cole Comet fulfilling his potential, no question. He's grown significantly and I love what they're doing him now with the chip and then sneaking out and being able to take a pass, and he catches everything and he makes you pay for it trying to tackle him, And that to me is the element and the physicality that we want this Bears team to look like.
He's your favorite player.
Nah man, I'm just telling the truth.
And then and then and then I gotta I gotta throw Tevin in there, because Tevin has a chance to be a star. He has a chance to be a star guard in this league. All right, We got to take a break. More coming up, we'll look at the defense. We come back here on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
Thiscus Bears Weekly with the voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff j on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW people who get it with Tom Thayer, Jeff Joniek, and Jim Miller, our weekly guest in the off season, kind enough to join us here on the bye week. It's not a bye week for him, though he is working grinding on serious x MNFL radio. It just makes me happy, though, to see the three of us together. You know, I miss you, Mills.
Hey, I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Looking forward to the holiday season, so I'm wishing you guys the best.
It's always gonna be with you.
Jim our toime. I bet he you know. I know you're not getting a Christmas tree.
Tom.
If you do, it's gonna be a Charlie Browner. I got my tree, Jim, you cut yours down from the backyard. Is this how it works? No, up there in the heaven of Michigan.
Oh, it's all about efficiency. So the fake tree is in play.
Ah, you're a fake fake tree guy. Uh man, it's in play.
Can't be messing up the house.
My wife gets all upset about it, cleaning up all the needles that it ain't happening.
I'm disappointed to hear that you gotta have the balsam aroma in your house, right, the live tree and all the pain when it does shed all those knee All right, Tommy, we'll start with you defensive players.
Top three defensive players. Be interesting to hear. How we all look at this.
Well, I'm gonna go TJ.
Edwards, my number one defensive player, top two in tackles ten out of the twelve games.
I'm gonna go with.
And I say this with a little bit of apprehension because I believe it's the most difficult position in football outside of quarterback. I'm gonna say Treike Stevenson. I know that he's been attacked a lot. It's just a really fragile position. If they didn't have him in Terrell Smith, there may be a big void at that position. You may have to change Kyler Gordon around. And then when I look up front, I like what your Von Dexter's doing. Okay,
so just listen. It's not that he is the main key to the future the success of the Bears defensive line.
I think that's Montese.
However, if they don't have significant develop from the interior or the defensive line, you're not going to hear much from the outside of the defensive line because there's not going to be any threatening weapon on the inside. And I think Tabon Dexter Senior is really coming around late in the season.
Yeah. Yeah, for me, TJ. Edwards is a lock. I'm with Tom.
I mean, look at the just the amount of tackles he's in on so many plays, interceptions, they've delayed blitz to him, They've used him in all types of capacity, and the versatility that he's shown has been great Defensively. I'm going to say Jalen Johnson in the secondary, not because of the player as of late, but prior to training camp I interviewed him. I said, hey, here, it's your contract year. I said, what do you need to do? He said, Jim, I need to get more turnovers. I
need to provide turnovers. Almost had a pick six versus Detroit. Obviously, he almost had another pick six versus Minnesota. But he is getting the turnovers in the interceptions, and he is shown to be a quality coverage corner in my opinion. Lastly, I'm gonna say I know it's early, but it's going to be Montese sweat because you can tell as soon as he arrived in Chicago, the guy basically gets off the bus and he made a difference in an impact
right away, so learning the defense. But even this last week against Minnesota, he's drawing a double team in Jaquan Brisker. They blits him off his side, Jaquan Brisker gets the sack or disrupts the play just due to the double team on Montese Sweat.
So he would be.
My third guy new to the Bears, but I think he's already had a significant impact and the Bears defense has played much better with him in it.
That kind of training camp, if I was doing this, I was going to be predicting Kyler, Gordon, Jaquan Brisker to start and probably tremain Edmonds, just because you know the impact of the leadership of Edmonds immediately, and those two guys were training then they got hurt. So their season is still rolling into shape and we're seeing what playing time together as a unit is doing for those two guys as well. I love the futures of Gordon and Brisker, I really do. I'm gonna TJ's a slam dunk.
I think he's having a Pro Bowl season. I hope, I hope it happens for the guy because he was the first guy to sign in free agency in the league period. Not just because it's the Bears, but he wanted to come here. This is and he's leaving a Super Bowl contender. Whether they were gonna resign him or not is irrelevant. He wanted to come and be a Chicago Bear. It means a lot to him. He takes every snap seriously and takes it to heart. I just love his attitude. I love how he plays. He's not
a big talker. He just goes out there and grinds and he is. He's thumping, he's finishing. I'm gonna go Tremaine Edmonds because again the aforementioned leadership part of it. I think those players do look up to him. He comes from a winning program, he comes still as a young player with a lot of time to grow into that position in this defense. And I'm gonna go Jalen Johnson. Yes, the takeaways are starting to come and by all means
he should have had five interceptions and do touchdowns. Host got so and even though when he returned that he went back to the middle of the field instead of going up the numbers and following your blockers. That could have been a bigger play as well. But he's backing it up. He says he's the best. He wants to be the best. Yes, he wants to be paid. But he's allowing like a fifty two percent catch rate this season, and that's pretty much in line with his whole career.
Teams have stayed away from him in the past. This season, they've they've had their shots at him, and he's really had done a nice job. All right, let's look at Jeff. We're all quick, Jeff and Jemmy.
You think of the dropped interceptions by the Bears, Jack Sanborn, TJ. Edwards, two or three by Tyreek Stevenson, a couple by Jalen Johnson. You add those interceptions to this defense, the profile of this defense is completely different.
That's a great point, as it is. It is good.
The run defense is outstanding. They do have to get better stopping people in the red zone. The offense has been really good in the red zone, really good on third down. So these are areas that need to work on. All right, we all touched down the rookies here at some point, so the rookies to watch certainly arrow up on Dexter. We all agree, yes, hands in the area. Yes, picking same thing. He's not getting a lot of snaps. He had eleven snaps last week. But you know, you
you feel him out there, you do. You definitely feel Darnell right. One of the prettiest plays the Bears have used is whether it's a quarterback pool on a sweep with with justin a power move or running back is when Tevin Poles when Darnell Wright polls, I absolutely love a tackle poll. Tyreek Stevenson as a bright future and I just I think he's weathering the storm. We did a feature on him a couple of weeks back, and it's never been simple for him. He was the last
guy picked on his youth football teams. Nobody wanted the guy. He kept grinding crap, kept grinding, grinding, turns himself into a second round pick and he gets to start in week one here at the NFL level. Terrelle Smith to me, he's a quiet storm. That's a guy to watch and see what happens next. Called reliable by John Hook before they even played a single game this season. So and we got to talk a little bit here about Tyson beagent. He surprised us, all right, I guess although we saw
hints of it during training camp. Jim, you're a quarterback. Tyson Bagent, whatever his future might be, we know that he can come in there and win your games.
Yeah, I think minimum, you feel really good with him as the two. That's all you can ask your number two to do. If you lose your starter for a four game stretch, can your starter win half of them? And he did that, And you know, just look at that game against Carolina that he gets to win.
In here, you've got the number one overall pick in.
The NFL in Bryce Young in Tyson Beagent, undrafted out of Shepherd, who was the better quarterback? I mean, you couldn't tell a difference, you know, so athletically he's he obviously has good football intelligence because he played a ton of games in college. Obviously, the one hundred and fifty nine touchdown passes, he's been there, he's done that and it didn't overwhelm him at all. So I think minimum you feel very good at him as a number two. But hey, what can he develop into? Is can he
develop into a starter? There's something there with Tyson bagen.
You know, Jim, I have a question for you about the quarterback position. So I really like when they used to have that Gruden putting the quarterbacks through his paces on the blackboard and stuff.
So if you took a quarterback that.
Played two years limited college football, you know your Trey Lances and guys like that, and you played it. He had a same question for a guy that played four years of college football.
Is there one.
Question you could ask them to see or kind of get a feeling of where they're at mentally after the amount of football they've played.
Yeah, I think you can can get to how much football intelligence a player has or how much experience he has. I mean, I'll never forget this. Imagine this. Jordan Love when he was coming out, obviously now the starter for the Green Bay Packers, I asked him, I said, hey, you're going to the best, one of the best hard count play or hardcount quarterbacks in the league. I said, can you give me an example of your hardcount? And he said, what's that? And I said, you don't know
what a heart count is. He didn't know what a heart count was, So how much do they know? I mean, he had never utilized a heart count in college football, and here he gets now he knows because he's spent three years behind Aaron Rodgers, what a heart count is and when do you utilize it? And it's a weapon, So things like that a lot, you know the football inexperience.
I think you can really get to the heart of it, whether it's a Trey Lance, whether it's any quarterback who doesn't have a lot of starts in college, and how much do they really know?
Jim Miller, Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer. This is Bears Weekly. Let's take a here on YESB one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff Jonik on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly brought to you by Athletico Physical Therapy. Visit athletical dot com to request it in clinic or virtual appointment at started feeling better tomorrow with Tom Thayer, Jim Miller, Jeff Joniac breaking things down. We've gone through the offense and defense. We got to touch on special teams. Jim never played a special team snap?
Did he?
Did?
You hold?
Okay, look how indignity got right there?
These kickers man tilted towards me, tilted away, tilted this way, whatever dude, just kick the ball.
Did you have what were your moments with kickers, and you probably had a handful of them. Did you take it instructively and open mindedly or did you tell him what's up?
Yeah? I obviously honored their request. But at the end of the day, like I said, when I'm throwing a football, hey, sometimes in shotgun, I'm not going to get the laces all right, So I don't want to hear about laces out Dan. You know what I'm saying. Just kick the ball, dude. That's your job. You got one job. But they're very specific. Some guys that want the ball straight up. One guy, I want the ball tilted toward him. One guy wanted
it tilted towards you know, towards the holder. And it's just but they're very meticulous on how they need the ball. When any other position guys are just like whatever, dude, let's go.
Did you ever flub one?
Yeah?
I flubbed a couple, but it was a bad snap.
It was a you know, one thing that's funny about specialists kickers and punters is so back in my era, Jay Hilgenberg, snap punts and extra points and field goals and he was so good at it that that's the way he was raised by his dad, thankfully. So I was a backup snapper, and the nicest guys in the locker room is the kicker and the punter when they're trying to get the backup snapper to come out early
to throw snaps. To those guys, they'll buy you lunch, they'll tie your shoes, they'll get your helmet out there early.
Mori Buford and butt head Man when they want you to come out.
And throw them, you know, anywhere between twenty and fifty snaps, they're your best buddy.
Well did you always oblige?
Yeah?
Did you give him some? Did you give him a hard time?
No?
I didn't.
You know.
First of all, I also paid attention because jay Is elbow started to get bad. So the less snaps that he could throw and practice, the better that he would feel on the weekend. But you know, watching I could see butt heead kind of sneakingly walking by and make an eye contact, you know. And more Buford buying your postseason gifts that no one else did, because.
You know, you're a kid in here.
What do he gets you? What do he get you?
He got us these really nice, specially engraved bone knives with carvings on them and dedicated to the Super Bowl. Insaid I still have it, So, I mean I still and there's other things that they came aboard. But you know, like I said, the when we didn't have food offer to us, the lunch offerings, Hey do you need anything, We're going out.
You know, he's car washed.
That's a funny group. When that's a funny group.
Jim, did you what did you buy?
Would you cough up as a starting quarterback for your offensive line? Anything?
Well, well, cash is king number one, So.
I got they got envelopes. They got envelopes as well, whether.
The equipment managers things like that. I bought airline tickets things like that in the past. But to me too, it was important to take care of guys who who help you out, like whether it's uh, you know, Tony Medlin, people in the equipment room, the training room.
Uh.
You know, you just like to think because you got you know, as Tom mentioned, sometimes you have special requests, you need things done. They've got to go above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak. You know, for example, Carl Pacarski, who used to work for the Bears for a long time. I mean, that guy scrub more footballs for me than anyone, you know, so I
had to, you know, much like a kicker. You want that film off the ball, and he would go above beyond whether he throw them in the dryer or scrub them and all the things to get those things right where they needed to be on game day.
But yeah, I was I'd like to think I was pretty generous. I wasn't good Saint Nick that way.
Oh my gosh.
Well, you know, as a guy who interviews the head coaches, I've gotten a few bottles of wine over the course of my career. But one of the nicest things that ever has happened in my career was anyone who was involved with anything to do with any of Coach Garon's shows or anything were invited to his home after the season in Lake Forest.
And it was a great time.
I mean it was it was guys from the TV station, the camera guys. Tom was a no show. I don't know why, but it was a fun time. We're playing ping pong and watching football. That was That was a That's the only time that's ever happened, But that was that was pretty cool. All right, let's get into the special teams players.
Uh.
I'm gonna lead off with this one. Obviously, it's it's Cairo Santos.
What he's done, and I just interviewed him.
We're gonna do the feature this week on Fox our Game Day Live show coming up this week before the Detroit game. It's not really you know, even Iberflus was talking about leg strength, but he says it's just the swing of his leg, the timing, the the process. It's not that he's actually gotten a stronger leg. It's just he's hitting it so well right now. And it shows on the kickoffs. Every single one has gone into the end zone this year. Whether they've chosen to take him
out or not, that's up to the returner. As it was on the final game, final snap of the game against Detroit, kanay wog Wu trying to come out and have Keystone cops into the game there. But it's just been accuracy coming back from missing that kick to kick four in the game winner against Carolina when he made one and there was a penalty, he had to go back five yards hit it again. So he's number one. I'm gonna go Jack Sanborn. I still believe he's the
tackle leader on special teams. He plays rockham soccam. That's his game. He's the Sandman. According to eber Fluse, I call him the jack hammer. And then it's a toss up. Travis Homer's always been a great special teams player and he is still. But I got to give Rasheim Green with a couple of block kicks so far this season. Jim, Yeah, I do.
Like the Rashem Green because he has been a factor in terms of block and field goals. It's pretty much a shoe in with Santos, like you mentioned, fifty five yarders even against Minnesota seem to be you know, it's a walk in the park for him, and he's been deadly accurate from that standpoint for me coverage wise, I like your pick on Sanborn, but I'm gonna say Tyreek Stevenson.
You know, when he's been thrown in there, he's in a couple you know, hits that the Benex Buller, I think it was the Detroit game for get his helmet in there and forced a turnover. So kind of double dip in there with Tyreek Stevenson.
You know, I'm gonna go with Patrick Scales because he said a landmark this year snapping for at least one hundred games in the NFL throughout a career, and the easiest position to be cut from is the long snapper, because if you start throwing off the timing of a punter or a holder kicker combination, you're going to be gone. And I think Patrick Scales and some of the conditions that he's been able to snap in over the last couple of years, he's done a really good job.
Jalen Jones has been a good.
Cover guy over the last couple years, and so I think the more that he's involved in special teams, even though he's had an injury, you know, he's really a solid player. And look, I'm not going to deny Cairo Santos.
Is due because then the guy is as good as.
A kicker in the NFL, and the conditions sometimes he has to kick in aren't always perfect.
And ninety two in his career since becoming a Bear outstanding work. Now I think it's one hundred and one field goals made here as a Bear during this portion of it. I know he had a couple kicks again as a Bear early on before he left and came back all right. What needs work is the net punting average. Trent and Gill in his second year. He can bang kicks, no question, we've seen that, but the overall net result has not been good. It's it's last in the NFL
and that's been that way for several weeks. And the return game is what it is, the league is what it is. It's so disappointing Jim and Tom that you can't return kicks anymore. They're banging it out of the end zone or not choosing to return it. And you know, a few fair catches, I know there hasn't been many. Maybe there'll be more as the weather changes. I'm just it's one of the most exciting plays in sports and
they're taking it out of the game. And I get the whole injury thing, but I don't know how you guys feel about it.
So just one thing I'd like to say is about the punting game. When you talk about the stats of Trent and Gill, to me, I.
Think it's the NFL as a whole.
When they had the rugby style punt introduced to the game, that took over for coff and corner punting, And to me, sometimes when you have Okay, I'm going to give you a banging rugby style kick, but it goes in the end zone where you're kicking from one hash or the other and they don't allow you to cough and corner kick. To me, it shows a lack of faith in the talent of punters. But it also takes yards away from them. So I'm in disagreement with that portion of it, And Jeff,
you know my feelings. I have a whole kickoff return game. I don't have to sit here and complain about it.
There's only been two kickoff returns for touchdowns this year, the guy from Houston and I believe Marvin Nim from the Denver Broncos. And you want to know what it's actually I think going to bode well in favor for Devin Hester in his chances of getting into the Hall of Fame because no one has done what he's done, and nobody will probably do that in the future with
the new rule that's in play. And I guarantee you probably in the off season when the owners go to the owners meetings, they are perfectly fine with not having kick returns.
All right, We're going to take another break.
One more to go here, on Bears Weekly on ESPN thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
Is Bears Weekly with a push of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff Jack on the Bears Radio Network.
Want VIP access to every Bears home game, exclusive seating, sideline credentials and more now available. Get the ultimate VIP fan package this season by visiting Chicago Bears vip dot Com. Our remaining moments on the show with Jim Miller from Serious EXMNFL Radios, Moving the Chains and Tom There, I'm Jeff Joniac.
Week thirteen does not include the Bears. They're on the bye week.
How the league stacks up is a week to week discussion, Jim, you talk about it every single day on Sirius XM NFL Radio. Right now, who are your Super Bowl teams? If the season had to end right today, Who's going to the Super Bowl? Let alone winning?
Well?
I think yeah, we're gonna find out a big development here in the NFC side of things when San Francisco goes to Philadelphia.
San Francisco is looking legit.
They added the two pass rushers and Randy Gregory and Chase Young, and they are starting to play to their potential and everybody's healthy, they get Trent Williams back. So this is going to be a key game that could decide it on the NFC side. So like both of those teams in Philadelphia and what San Francisco is bringing
to the table, kind of leaning towards San Francisco. And I think for the AFC side of things, there is a couple of teams that are surprising, and I think Jacksonville is a team that you got to keep your eye on down the stretch. Certainly Patrick Mahomes with all the things he's done. So those would be my two teams that really stand out that I think have a really good shot.
You know, let me say something about the forty nine ers in brock Purty. I have friends that bring it up all the time because I'm at Iowa State grad. But nobody's like ready to say yeah.
There's always the yeah.
But I mean he's in an ideal system with a guy that knows how to use him and develop him. It's Kyle Shanahan and that offense, and he's got weaponry. He's got McCaffrey, he's got Deebo, he's got Ayuk. They're tearing it up that way. They can run the ball. They like running the ball. The system's great. We passed the yeah butt stage Jim and Tom Wayan too.
So I mean, he hasn't really played an entire season yet, so he's still a young quarterback. But I think he's shown enough that you feel very confident that he's your guy.
I mean, think about that. Think about Kyle.
Shanahan, the guy's coming back from elbow surgery in every but he knew he was the starter before draining camp started. So I think Kyle Shanahan has a very good belief that he's their guy moving forward. And I think he's shown enough that that he's a really good player.
You know, in the professional boxing and WWE, how they have a guy that walks out in front of the champion holding up a big belt and he's got all this crowd getting riled up. If you look at the Dak Prescott's or the Jalen Hurts or the Patrick Mahomes, these guys all have that reputation where they're, you know, already presented as great quarterbacks and Super Bowl caliber champions.
Rock Purdy he's the understudy. He's the understudy who's finally.
Making the show look as good as if the star component was playing, and until he goes out there and finishes and wins a big playoff game because of the injury that happened to him last year and how San Francisco fell off the ledge. Once he goes out there and wins throughout the playoffs and and even the Philly the Philly San Francisco game, it's still a home field advantage.
The crowd noise, the travel and everything.
If you put them in an even stadium like at the super Bowl and the crowd noise is supporter for ball teams, you'd see a different performance. And you know this week is Lane Johnson If he doesn't play, is he a big as big as of a miss as if you had one of the key components miss when you think about San Francisco's pass rush and how much that could derail the offense of Philly.
Jim, I have a couple of questions in the AFC. I know at some point in the show weeks ago, when Miami was off to a great start, I think we talked to Miami as a potential super Bowl. Maybe that's still the case, but Miami and Baltimore, what is your analysis as they go down the stretch.
Yeah, well, there's a lot to like about Baltimore because Mike McDaniel has that defense playing well. They've got like over five guys that contributed sackwise, So I do like what their defense is doing. But you just wonder with Mark Andrews being out at the tight end, that was kind of Lamar Jackson's security blanket, and so this past
week they weren't is explosive. The receivers did a little bit more, but more is going to be counted on their wide receivers, but Lamar, for whatever reason, Mark Andrews was still leading the team in receptions. It's been like that every year under Lamar, and so we'll see if their offense can branch out. Baltimore is an interesting team. They are the number one seed, but I tend to think I think Jacksonville is a team that's really going to come on strong. To me, they have a strong
roster in terms of backups. That's much better because look at Baltimore right now, their past seasons have all been injury right, It's been Lamar Jackson goes down, Ronnie Stanley he's out now again. So Baltimore's starting to deal with a little bit of attrition.
Tom Detroit, Sound of the Docket. We'll get into that here for a couple of minutes before we wrap up the show. But do you look at them as a contender?
No, I do not. I think they still have some deficiencies.
I you know, it's again if they play on the whole, at home or on the road. If they play on the road, I think they're a beatable team.
I think that you can kind.
Of create an uncomfortable pocket for Jared Goff. He's got limited escapability. Although Saint Brown and the tight end position and the running back position, they do a nice job. But I still don't see those guys as going deep into the playoffs and threatening a legitimate playoff team in their home away from Detroit.
Detroit has to play a perfect brand of ball.
I do like the weapons on offense, but what has it been the last couple weeks. It's been Jared golf. When Jared Goff is off, that's where they run into problems. He had turnovers against the Bears, turnovers against Green Bay and that that bit the Lions. And I think Dan Campbell in his special Team's call of going for it right, his guy's got a history of going forward in moments, and this is probably the first time it's backfired on his team. So they're dealing with a little bit right now.
I do think they're formidable, but there's still a paper lion in a lot of ways.
Like Tom referred to don't let Jared Goff get in rhythm and Week fourteen against the Bears at Soldier Field, Tom will Justin fields in the RPO game that shredded up Detroit. Be the plan with design runs and the deep ball to DJ, is that it?
Yeah?
I think they had a nice scripted play on the first series and it's something I think that they can repeat if need be. Justin is going to be more in control of the volume of the ignition switch of the offense. So I actually look for them to be a little bit more explosive than they were in Detroit.
All right, to look at the draft real quick right now? Picks one and four are the Bears? Still a lot of season to go in the shelf could continue, Jim, what are we looking at here? We only have about a minute and a half to go. Give me your thoughts. You already I'm sure doing a little draft work as you get ready. For the Senior Bowl. What's your perspective on the strength of this draft in the first round.
Yeah, there's well, there's a lot of good offensive linemen. We've talked to Jim Naggy. It's very deep at offensive line and in defensive line as well. So edge rushers you can always look there. And I think you're obviously exploring quarterback. You know, whether to justin how he finishes. I think quarterback there's gonna be one steering him right in the face. And there's probably about four good guys when you look at Michael Pennix, bow Nicks, You've got
Greg May certainly there in Caleb Williams. So the Bears will have to do their homework at quarterback because I do not think that that position will be ignored because it hasn't been consistent enough for Chicago so far.
Jim, I appreciate you being on, buddy, Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and Tom rest up. We got we've got a five games stretch.
We need you, buddy, We need you. That's gonna do it for us.
Thanks for listening to everybody. Our executive producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrowski. Thanks to Jay Cantu and Jack McGrath and Dan Brilli and Jordan tread Up. All our producers for Tom Fayer and Jim Miller. I'm Jeff Joniyak. Thanks for listening. This has been Bears Weekly on the new radio home of the Chicago Bears ESP and Chicago Coming up next Bleck and Abdalla.
Good night, everybody.
Thank you for listening to the Chicago Bears Network presentation The Bears Weekly hosted by the Mayra Bearsville, Jeff Juniat and Surfmaster Tom Thayer. Podcasts are available on the Chicago Bears Official Bears Weekly has been brought to you by Apple Podcasts. Ben Rivers, Igs Energy and Miller liked