Coaches Show: Nagy, Pagano on Denver

just spend your weekend good. You know, it's uh reflecting a little bit on the game, and then you get away and you start prepping for Denver, got some some some family time, got to see my son's football game real quick, and then back at it. Household probably was a downer too right after the after the game. Yeah, yeah, that boys, they did. They take that stuff hard. They do. Yeah,

they do take it very hard. And they understand, they know that they know how much work that we all put into this, and the players, coaches, everybody and the fans and so um. Obviously you want to come away with to win. We didn't. So do they leave daddy alone a little bit? Does Daddy need a little time alone. No, they understand, they get it. I think that one of the cool parts that we have going on is that, um, there's no knee to be able to take it out

on them. I mean that one makes sense. You know, these are my boys and they're there to support you, so they care. And I think when you have people that care in each type of situations inevitably that that's that's what means the most. You know, I hate to characterize losses because if if I recall in your in your one of your preseason games last year, your steamed that you lost the game. So that's just your nature, right, But this how would you characterize the sting of this

one versus others? Well, this one, you know it was it counted, it was a regular season game versus the preseason like you're discussing from last year, um and so, and then it's how how it's how it goes, you know, it's it's uh, last year it was against them, they came back and because it was a different type of loss, but they both stung the same. You know, the a loss is a loss to me, it's all about how do you react to it? What's the adversity and and uh,

we know what the adversity is. How do we respond? And that's the challenge right now. And that's why I'm here, is to lead these guys to make sure that we rally behind each other and move on. And you went out to practice today and take your temperature of the team, would you would you think it was good? I mean, it's it's a pretty neat deal when these guys realize that they're sixteen games in the season and as as um you know, as as quick as sometimes that season goes,

we have fifteen more games to play. The only one that matters right now to us right now is playing in Denver, and and so it's going to be here before you know what. We want to fix the problems that we had offensively, keep doing what we did defensively in special teams and try to get that win. You know, it feeds the bulldog a little bit though. That's a

popular term. And I guess in our industry, uh you got you got ESPN on the front page after last yesterday's games and they say this morning, which teams should panic after week one? And it is a comical statement when you break it all down, because sixteen teams are gonna lose opening weeks. So you know, you can't just shove it all the dirt and call it a day. I'll call it a season. So how do you fight that? Even with your own guys a little bit? You know

what you do. It's called horse blinders and ear muffs. You don't listen to any of it means nothing. It means absolutely no. I love you to death. I let you love your media show and everything we got going on. But let me tell you, we don't care about any of that. We care about what's going on inside this building at House Hall. We got each other and that's all that matters, all right. With some of the games yesterday,

did you take a look at some and M? Is it fun to watch some games and see how other things are unfolding around the league? Yeah, you get to see, you know, what other guys are doing, what's going on? M. And I think there's for me in particular, there's situational football that can occur. There's a lot of stuff that happened yesterday in some of those games. Crazy at the end of the games, and so um you use that.

We use it as a as a tool and a resource to to what our players can use and so, uh, you know, hey, we're we know that tonight that uh you know, with the game going on with Denver and Oakland, that'll be able to watch that on TV as well. Right, that'll be fun to watch later tonight, I think after nine o'clock tonight. Uh. In terms of situational football, everybody wants to talk about, you know, the fantasy stats of players, but situational football is what coaches make their money in

and how you guys plan for that. And it starts obviously a line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball football, but situational football separates wins and losses, doesn't that? Oh? Yeah, without a doubt. We talk about it every day. We give examples, we show video clips. There's so many different situations that occur out there. And then there's decision making too, you know, and we had that in our game with whether or not you kicked the fifty one yard field goal?

Do you challenge a possible past interference by Taylor Gabriel? All that stuff goes on, and so we use experiences as much as we can and try to be right as much as you can. You brought it up. I didn't think that was past interference. Tom disagree with me. It didn't seem like anything more than a love tap.

But I mean maybe that's enough when you extend your arms. Yeah, and just by you saying that there with, you have two people and one thinks it is and one thinks it isn't it needs to be, you know, clear and obvious and otherwise they're not going to overturn it. And being we were losing at the time and every every time out matters, UM, it can get you the ball back for a possession, and we just felt like as a staff that that outweighed the challenge of getting it

overturned in terms of mental errors for a week one. Uh, I saw a bunch in the league yesterday. Is that a common probably? You know, just because it is week one. I don't think it has anything to do other other than um, it is exactly that it's week one, and so teams are learning different offenses, different defenses, um, and and it's just a for for everybody to just realize that you don't try to do that this week two,

Week three, Week four. All right, man Naggie, our guest here on the Bears Coach You Show, brought to you by Whippley, CPAs and consultants. UM. When you when you talk about and Mitch talked about balance, when does what's the impact of in balance? I guess, well, you want to be able to if you're if we're speaking offensively, UM, when you become one dimensional, UM, whether that's running the ball all the time and then putting an eighth and ninth guy in the box to stop the run, you

gotta be able to throw it and vice verse. If you're throwing it all the time, now it's a disadvantage to your offensive linement because the defensive lines peeling their ears back and pinning their ears back and going after you. So to balance there makes a defensive coordinator guess what's going on. So when we had sixty five plays and not enough runs, so you know that that gives an advantage to the defense, and we know we want to improve that. You know, you often talk about convicted throws

and they're definitely what we're sung by Mitch. And is that also a part of rhythm? There were points in the game whether it was rhythm starting to brew. Yeah, that was one game where there just really wasn't much rhythm. We'd have a couple plays too at the most and then all of a sudden there was a penalty where there was a delay a game or a substitution issue. And so that that's the stuff that we feel like we we everybody can be better at, and that we

just couldn't get into a rhythm. We weren't in a red zone really much at all, I think one time, and so when you don't get in a rhythm, it just things are choppy, and then it it affects the flow of the game for the quarterback and a play caller. Yeah right, I mean you even admitted the other day

it was a weird kind of game. It was. And who knows how when you're gonna get sucked into those scenarios, right, And we had a couple third and one opportunities that we didn't convert on, and those hurt because now it's fourth and one, you usually have to pump the ball and whereas if you get that first down, now you

get a little bit of rhythm. You extend to drive, you give your defensive break man, Naggie, our guest here on the Bears coach you show, brought to you by Whipplease, CPAs and Consultants, time to step away from WBBM's traffic

and weather together on the eights. Here's Abby Ryan I could grab by David Montgomery as the Bears get back to work here earlier today at Hallis Hall with a ten ten ten practice that Matt has put together over his first two years here as we welcome in back to the Bears Coaches Show at P ANDC Studios at Hollis Hall. Joined the season ticket Priority list for the future. Opportunity to become a season ticket holder, visit Chicago Bears dot com slash tickets to join. Now, that was a

heck of a catch. Had to whip his head all the way around and maintain and hanging out of the football. Yeah, it was. He did a great job there finding that seam. They were in a one high safety look and Mitch made a great throw. So again, those are the type of plays that you wish you would have had more of, and that's that's really what we want to do here going forward. It does accentuate his ability to catch the football.

Though not a body catcher by any means, that was a total hands catch and again that contact balance which he's known for in the run game, came to fruition there in the past game as well. Is that exciting for you? Yeah? We we We always knew that he had great hands, and then you put him in a route. He's catching the ball twenty to twenty five yards downfield. He has good vision, he has a good field for zones, and if teams want to play man too, he can win the one on one matchups. All right, So how

do you approach Mitch this week? Just keep you know, hey, we understand, not just for Mitch but for all of us that that was a rough game. You know, we just uh, we didn't we didn't have it going on. But let's put that behind us. It's time to move on. And how do we attack Denver? What do we do? What do we like? That's all part of the scheming and and uh, you know, it's it's everybody. It's not just the quarterback, it's the offensive lineman and running backs,

so wide receivers, the tight ends into coaching. Yeah, you talked a lot about green grass, and that's that wasn't always available and sometimes it's not going to be available. That is also part of the growth process, right. The big key of this whole thing the season, no matter how it's going to go is growth is a major part of twenty nineteen, right for everybody. Yeah, and everybody knows that it starts at the quarterback position. That's where

everybody wants to look at. And and you get all the credit when you win, and you get a lot of the blame when you lose. But that's how it goes. And so we want to all just keep working in unison and figuring out how we can get better, and we think we'll do that. Versus Denver against the Packers, both teams committed a lot of penalties. Is that part of the sloppiness also of just week one? Probably you do not want to just give that as something as

absolving that. Well, I think if you look, if you look at yesterday's games too, there was I mean, shoot, there were some teams there that eighteen penalties in one game. So I'm sure that's a byproduct of some of it, you know, with with with who these players are and the teams and everything. But some of it's just the course of the game the way it goes for whatever reason.

And um, so penalties, you don't want that those are negative plays that they they you know, they stopped the rhythm of the game, and you want to try to keep that to a minimum. Defense made some really impressive plays throughout the course of the game that that first three series in concert with the crowd, it was vicious. It was awesome football. Right from your perspective on the sidelines. What was it like? It was? Yeah, they they did a great job. They stopped the run all game long.

I think they averaged three point seven yards per carry in the run game, um or excuse me, three point seven yards per player play in the game and forty two to forty three yards total rushing, which is when you stop the run, you're doing things the right way. So we had five sacks, only gave up ten points. So for sure they they I think that's one of the things that we can hang our hat on is every all the questions about how they were going to

do under coach Pagano. I was really excited about that. Yeah, two point one four yards of rush, You're gonna win a lot of games that way. You know, stop on the run like that. Along with eleven negative plays overall, you know there's development going on. Even guys that are in the rotation and I look at Roy Robertson Harris and I can't. I've watched it a lot, just the way he manhandled the front on a couple of rushes because of his length and long arm and getting guys

off balance and using his length. Is this still a player that has all high ceiling? I heard so I hope so he really you're right, you hit a right on the head. I mean he he had. He had a really really good game. He won and dominated his one on one matchups, and he is such a long level guy. I mean the one play he just bulldozed the right guard and or there there they're a left guard and then you know, sacked Aaron Rodgers just by with one hand. I mean it was just a special play.

So just talking to him this morning, he even made mention to me that he left more plays out there. So to know that, to hear that that he wants to do even better, we need that. That's great. I believe that's the type of team you have, though a lot of guys are gonna be talking like that way it is and that's why you know, um, that's the great part is right now, our our defense and they did it last year too when we were working through our offense. They support our guys, they know that this

is a wee thing. We're all in this thing together. There's gonna be hey, there's no shock. There's gonna be a time this year where our defense gives up a touchdown or they give up some points and we gotta on offense pick them up. And that's the beauty of of a of a of a team, a team sport where it's not just an individual thing. I mean, they all need to work together. And so rough game, rough

game for the offense. Defense played well, and now, um, you know, we just want to be able to work off of each other and however we get it, let's get that win. Time for another break here with the Bears coaches showing Matt Naggie in a check of WBBM's traffic and whether you're gonna be on the eight. Here's Debbie Ryan bro Quan Smith five tackles for solo and a good day at the at the office for the Bears defense and the loss of the Green Bay Packers.

Getting now ready for the Denver Broncos. Uh, we touchdown a ro Quan earlier, but you know you gotta throwing Danny Trevethan as a pair. What those two guys are gonna be able to do to um benefit from what's being done up front and then in turn helping out the coverage. It's just a seamless unit. In my opinion, it is. They're working well. And you got Danny Trevathan, who's,

you know, a savvy vet. He understands, um, you know, how to attack lanes and leverage, et cetera from the defense, and he's teaching Roquan how to how to how to practice, how to play, and Roquan just flying around. UM. So those two guys together, when you have guys up front, UM on the front line that are you know, taking up to double teams. Now we have guys on the second line here in in Roquan and Danny that are that are making plays. Are you still doing this year

like you did last year? From no mistaken you have certain guys, you have like a committee of guys that come and talk to you. Yes, yeah, And have you do do that every week? Do you do it throughout the season? Do you do it during training camp? How does that work? What we do know? We just do it during the regular season and we do on our

quote unquote Wednesday practice. So a normal week when we play Sunday, We have them come in at eight o'clock in the morning on a Wednesday and we just kind of talk through things that may have just occurred the previous week, how we can make things better. What it might be travel, It might be a lot of the guys always wanting to try to get you know, first class seats on the plane to the next away game. Um, it might be parking. There's there's little things that go on,

um that are uh, you know, first world problems. And I think that for for for them though, it's it's uh, it's it's a good way for us to communicate sometimes. It's hey, coach, when we pull them back to reps right as we get in the middle of the season, end of the season, when when are we taking the pads off and pull back the amount of reps And

so it's for them to have a voice. And and it's just us, it's just myself and them and then uh um, then I take it back to the committee, which is kind of made up, and I decide whether or not we do it or not. There's a committee one, yeah exactly, yeah, committee of one. But there are things you ask of them as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and and it's it's a give and take, you know, And and it can't be something to where I let them have a voice and then they don't, you know, they

don't see anything happen because of it. Well, in turn, if we're gonna pull back reps, for instance, in practice, we're gonna pull back the amount of reps, then the quality reps that we get better quality and that you can't you can't cut back your reps and not have good fast reps. And so they get that, and then I just feel it out and if I feel like they're doing that for us, we pull back reps. All right,

You're gonna watch Denver tonight. Let's take a snapshot. Look the big smile on your face, because you know, everybody loved Vick Fanjio, So everybody's happy for him getting his head coaching jam. But he's not putting the pads on or a helmet or cleats on Sunday in Denver? Is he? That's right? No? And we do. We all had so much for me and that the one year that we were together, I learned so much just what a what

a good guy is, but great coach. And I know that his players are loving them there in Denver right now. So it'll be it'll be fun next week when we're going against each other and there won't be much texting or phone calling at all throughout the week between us, but once once the game's over, we'll have a lot of mutual respect for each other. If there was something anecdotal that you recall, just what you what did you learn from being around him? Probably the biggest thing is

that um not changing. You know, it's Vick's a big time competitor and sometimes you know, if there's a game where he felt like he could have done better, but I thought he did really well, he'll beat himself up and but he doesn't change, you know. He he gets over it twenty four hours and he gets over it and he just goes back to doing what he knows

and doing what his players know. And so you don't need to really change and try to um recreate the wheel you just sticked and doing what you what you do and um and then you know, probably the other thing too is that he can act like he's a real serious guy and doesn't, but deep down the side, he's he's a he's a jokester and likes to have fun. And he's a good, good hearted guy. What's not fun? It's trying to black Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, is it. No,

they're they're dominant players. They're they're players that you have to know on every single play where they're at. Um, you can help your guys out. Uh And and that's a secret. Everybody understands that. The nice thing is that we get to practice against a guy by number fifty two and another guy on ninety four on those edges. So for between Floyd and mac our tackles are getting some pretty good practice, well seasoned. Indeed, offensively, Joe Flacco

moves over to be the quarterback. Philip Lindsay an undrafted running back who really came out of nowhere and had a great season for them last year. But it's a it's a Rick Skan s Gangrello, right, I say that, right, it's his type of offense. So forty nine h Yes, Yeah, they'll you know, they'll talk, you know with Vic. You know, they'll be into the run game a little bit with that, you know, with him being a uh, you know, a defensive guy. But uh, they'll do they do some good things.

They'll do some good things that'll be some forty nine are based stuff. I'm sure he'll put his own twist on it. But they got talented players over there, and we'll have are handsful, all right. Well, enjoy the preparation. This week got extra time and they got a late night, so that leans sometimes in the favor of the of the team. But you are traveling there and so hydration's big, you know, for this week, in particular with the altitude. Thank you. Yeah, it'll be big for us to stay hydrated,

stay in condition, and get some good rest. All right, Thank you very much, Matteggie. On the Bears Coaches Show, coming up next, we'll be joined by Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pogano. We'll continue on now with the check of WBBM's traffic and weather. Together by the eights. Here's Abbie Ryan. Welcome back to the Bears Coaches Show here at PANC Studios at Hallisall with Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pogano. Kind enough to join us. You're maiden voyage on this show.

We'll be hearing from you every few weeks during the course of the season. Hope you had a nice weekend and work through, work through some meat time as well. Right, Yeah, it was good, good chance to reset. A lot of hard work went into that opener. Obviously didn't end the way we wanted it too, but it's good to be back at work at that highlight. We just heard about Roy Robertson Harris. What a terrific couple of snaps he

had early in that game. Huh Yeah, And you know what, I think it's a byproduct of the work and time that he put in the offseason and training camp was doing the same thing. And he's a big man, he's a talented man, and you know, he wrecked the game. He had some he had some great plays that the first sack I think it was, I mean absolutely destroyed the left guard for the Packers and got off the ground and pulled pulled Aaron down by one hand. I mean, it was a tremendous play. And then he made some

other great plays in the game as well. So with a guy who's big and tall like that and strong, and he's added weight over the years, you know, converting from an outside linebacker to a defensive lineman. But then you're throwing the arm length I believe it's bigger than thirty five inches on the arm. So what does that extra length on a six seven frame do for a defensive lineman? I think just finishing that play. Yeah, if you don't have that length, you can't finish it like

Aaron Lynch going in and getting his sack. I mean, there's something that's a big man's game. It's always has been and it always will be. And uh, you know, if you don't have length like that, you don't reach up and pull Rogers down like that, and you don't make the play that Aaron Lynch made later in the game on his sex. So um, it's uh, it's great to have that length. That's great to have that size and athleticism obviously on third down when you're rushing the

passer and another aspect of that. Guys oftentimes you'll see they'll get in those positions with the length, but they don't have the grip. Did these guys on your line, including a Cheam and Eddie and Kali, all these guys have big, strong hands. Yeah. Again they put the time in, you know, with the with the strength staff and again if you don't have that strength, you don't have that grip,

you don't have the length. All those intangibles, you know, all those things or the tangible things, I should say, then you probably don't, you know, have the ability to finish those plays. Chuck Bogano our guest here on the Bears Coaches Show. It's brought to you by Whip Flee Financial Services. And one of the things that we saw in the early part of the game and your introduction to Bears regular season home game, was a delirious crowd feeding off the energy of what the defense did in

the first three series of the game. What was it like for you to be in the midst of all that, seeing all this unfold, Yeah, it was. It was tremendous. You know, I've been on the other sideline. Uh, my first ball game as head coach of the Colts, you know, was you know, at Soldier Field and didn't then pretty for us, But uh, that was that was an amazing crowd. The fans were tremendous. I've never seen anything like the you know, the national anthem song like that, and I

heard stories, uh, and all those things. But to be able to witness that, you know, firsthand, and and hear the crowd doing that stuff, and then obviously go out and and have the guys execute and perform the way that they did early in that ball game, and and uh, you know, get off the field and forced the punts and things like that and get after the quarterback. It was it was pretty electric down there. Yeah. One of the

the things. One more thing about Roy Robertson Harris is that he's in this rotation up front, and I believe he was in he gave a key maybe six snaps off. So then the very next time that the keem got in the on the field there he got a sack. So that little bit of rest for six snaps is impactful for a guy I like a keem. Then, yeah, no doubt about it. And again they all want to play every snap. Nobody wants to come out of the game.

But you know, when you have depth like we have, you know at all three levels, you know, we've got guys that can go in and the drop off is next to nothing, you know as far as that goes. And these games they all they all seem to be one score games. They're going to come down to, you know, making a play here or there in the fourth quarter and to be able to have guys go in and take some snaps off, some guys and guys are fresh in the fourth quarter to be able to close out games.

That's huge. Chuck Pogano, Bears defensive coordinator, our guest after the Bears Week one loss to the Packers, looking ahead as well to the Denver Broncos. The Bears Coaches Show brought to you by a Whippley Financial Advisors, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears. A step away for a check of WBBM's traffic and whether together around the eighths. Here's Abby Ryan. Welcome back to the Bears Coaches Show from PNC Studio to have us all with Bears defensive

coordinator Chuck Poganto. Great, great future ahead for real. Quine Smith, you get a smile on your face. I know Ted Moniquino talks about him and he triggered really faster early in that game, and that was one of the highlights right there is this continues to slow down from these are the type of plays we expecting. Yeah, no doubt about it again. You know, rare, rare talent, their instincts, athleticism.

We talked about, you know, during preparation leading up to that game, how important it was going to be for us. To stop the run, make them one dimensional. Um, you know, set great edges, build a flat wall inside, you know, get knocked them back with our defensive line, place square, all those kind of things. But then when you got guys at the second level like Roquan, you know, it's kind of like Saball get ball, you know, with him, and he's amazing like that, and you know he's kind

of set the tone the whole defense. Set the tone with that first stop. I think it was attack for loss or second to ten whatever it was. But uh, he's got again, he's got great instincts, he's got great athleticism. M. But again, preparation is off the charts for that kid. And M he's mature beyond his years, and just look

for great things ahead out of him. When you play Aaron Rodgers and we've experienced it so many times, and even back further to Brett five, when you think you got him, you think you've slammed the door and maybe one play or two and honestly, that's really all it took to get one touchdown and make a difference in

the game. How do you how do you look at that as a as a defensive coordinator and keep your guys collectively positive during the course of a game when gosh, we did everything we could, you know, Yeah, you don't know when that play is going to happen. That's why it's so very very important for everybody to go out there and play and give, you know, one hundred percent effort all that stuff, because there's gonna be four or five plays within a game that are gonna make the

difference in that game. Um, you know, he hit one on us, you know, and and it led to that that first score, the only touchdown of the game. But again, you never know when that play is gonna come and and uh, you know we've seen that guy do that, you know, time and time again. But I thought over all, the guys did a great job against him, against that offense, and uh, you know, but and in a tight game like that, you can't afford to give up one play.

And so that's why, you know, we get back to work and you know, looked at every play, um diagnosed every play good and bad. Find areas where we can get better, and we got to be better, you know with a wide zone run. Uh what kind of challenges did that provide? And you guys still how to slam that. Yeah, it's it's uh, it's a tough it's a tough scheme. Um, it seems like we're gonna you know, we're gonna face

it again, you know against the Broncos. I think you know a guy comes from the same family, the same tree, the Shannon tree, that stretched own uh scheme. You know, if you get cut out, you know, they get you running on the front side, and if they get your cut off on the back side, there's huge seams in

your defense. And that's where you know, our guys did a great job and Jay Rogers does a great job coaching the defensive line, Teddy Monicuino on the outside, daily on on the inside, and they did a great job of playing square, setting great edges, linebackers getting downhill. Um, you know we weren't gonna you know, we just said, if they don't get a big play, you don't beat us over the top, you know, they're gonna have a hard time scoring. And and for the most part, we

did that. But um, it's funny when you look at all the drives. We chart every drive and when we don't have a defense, a penalty, or we don't give a bit a big play, they don't score any points on us, and two drives that happened to us a touchdown, a field goal drive. So that's where we got to get better. Is one of the keys to that, And maybe it's key for any rushing attack to try and stop the run is patience, because you know, there's this instinct that takes over. I gotta I gotta get there.

I think I can get there, But maybe it's not

the right decision to do that. Yeah, for for all of us, you know, and and calling it you you want to put pressure on them, but you know, we've we've got the luxury because we've got such great pass rushers and such a dominant you know, defensive frontum that you can cover with seven and still get away with you know, stopping a run with a light box with seven in the box and handle all the verticals and play action pass stuff, you know, the things that go

down the field. But you know, everybody's got to be patient. I gotta be patient, not try to you know, try to do something out of you know, out of the norm, to try to create a trade, to create a huge plays and give them an opportunity. So um, the guys, the guys did again. They did a great job. Anytime you can hold you know that team, you know, and and you know the running backs from up there at two point one per carry, it's a heck of an effort.

What would the emotions like for you being there? Uh, you know it was you know, I think once you kick the thing off, it's like everybody else, you just you know, immerse yourself in the game and all that stuff. But it was so cool, you know, to be back on the sideline, you know, in a real game, one that meant you know something, one that counted. Um, you take a year off all that kind of thing, and you don't have you don't have that, you know, it's

hard to find that adrenaline rush. So it was really cool. And to have a bunch of guys that have already connected with you, except because there is an acceptance also, it's it's a mutual thing at this level. Yeah, it's just a matter of you know, building trust, you know, coach the player player to coach, coach to coach, all those kinds of things. And they've been they've been phenomenal since the you know, first day I stepped on camp, so to speak. They've been they've been outstanding and it's

a great group of guys. It's a great staff that coaches put together. They work really hard, they're very smart, and they're very, very passionate about the game. Chuck Pogano. One more segment to come here on Bears Coaches Show, check of traffic and weather again Out of the Eights with Abbey Ryan. Welcome back to the Bears Coaches Show here at PANC Studios at Hallis Hall with Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pogano. Will look now at what's next, a

little extra time to prepare. You'll see the game tonight against the Oakland Raiders of the Denver Broncos, and what you'll be looking at with these guys, but again, familiar face and a guy that you know very well in Joe Flacco from your days in Baltimore, facing him a couple of times in the regular season once in the playoffs. I think during your head coaching reign in Indianapolis. What are we looking at now at a more mature veteran player in Joe Flacco. Yeah, obviously they you know, a

very talented guy. Seeing everything. You're not gonna surprise Joe with anything. So we're gonna have to do a great job of disguise and things like that. But uh, talented talent guy still has all the arm talent to get the ball down the field. They got a great run game. I've got a good offensive line. Um, you know, three headed monster back there. You gotta you gotta do the same thing we did last week. You gotta set great edges. Um, you gotta stop the run. You gotta make them one dimensional.

But uh, Joe's got the ability to pump the ball down the field, and they got receivers that can stretch the field vertically. So we got to do a great job, you know, at all three levels. It is something of a mind game in Denver because you see they tell you how high you're up and altitude, amya high up? Uh. Personally, I have had altitude sickness, so I always get made fun of that by Tom Thiorem, a broadcast partner. He says, it was all in my head, but I felt the

physical effects of it. Do you even bring it up to your guys or is it just known? Hey, you got you gotta really hydrate for an altitude game in Denver. Yeah, you can go, you know, go crazy with all that stuff you obviously did, so I'm just kidding. No, No, it's it's more hypochondri I'm born and raised. I'm born

in Boulder, Colorado. I was raising the Rockies and so, um, you know, played football at the University of Wyoming, which is seventy two and twenty you know foot elevation, So we know a little bit of something about wind and and all that stuff and lack thereof of oxygen all that kind of thing. But yeah, I coach and Aggie will do a great job with our guys in preparation.

They've played out there before, they understand it. They were there last year, I believe for a preseason game if my mind serves me right, and practiced out there for a couple three days, so um, you'll climatized. But at the end of the day, you know, our guys will do a great job of you know, hydration, Our nutritionists, our sports staff, the trainers, all that stuff, will do everything that they're supposed to do. And um, you got to block it out. You know, it is what it is.

And uh, you know, I'm sure they'll have plenty of oxygen on the side and those guys can put those masks on maybe we can get one put in the box for give you some extras. Well, yeah, you and I'll tell you about that story about that day and a cold winter's day in Denver trying to get ready for that game. Last thing, the collection of past rushing talent in this game is probably the featured attraction, isn't it. Yeah,

no doubt about it. You look at fifty eight and fifty five you know on the other sideline and our crew. It'll be uh, it'll be uh, you know, it'll be something to watch. You know, it'll be great for great for the fans. And I know we'll have to do a great job of protecting our guy and and they'll have to do the same thing. So um, those guys are always you know, battling each other, you know, for for sacks and stats and all those kind of things, and and they don't want to be shown up by

the by the other guys. So it'll be fun to watch, enjoyable to talk to check look forward to it through out the course of the season. Yeah, thanks for having me. That's Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagana Ones who wrap up with coach Gibson's restaurant group wanted to thank you for joining us on tonight's Bears Coaches shows. There's a gift card to enjoy a fine meal at any of their Chicagoland locations. Thank you very much