Elijah Hicks talks NFL journey, Packers rivalry | Bears Weekly

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Pleasant Ganded and everybody, and welcome in as the Bears get ready to meet their arrivals, the Green Bay Packers, meeting two ten, the most in NFL history, kicking off Sunday at Soldier Field between the home standing Bears and the Packers. NFC North Division play open for business, and so are we. With Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. I'm Jeff Jonahak coming up. We visit with veteran safety Elijah Hicks in the ESPN studio spending the Dallas tonight

Good evening, Tom lots to discuss Big Jeff.

What a week to have a week, you know, when you think of everything that's going in and this week in terms of the division race, and you know, everything that we've been kind of waiting for for the this regular season, knowing at the start of the season the division wasn't going to start until the back half of the season.

My excitement doesn't wane at all.

I'm a little bit angst and I'm ready for Sunday to get here, all right.

What makes what makes you anxious?

Well, you talk about the number of the games inside this rivalry and how there's been It's been so up and down, and the Packers have been on the upside of this rivalry now for a little while, and it's time for the Bears to get back and control this rivalry. And I know everything that took place this week up at hallis Hall, but that doesn't it doesn't tarnish the fact that the Bears have to come out there and

Yeah, you know, and there is a lot of season left and no matter what's been going on, once they get between the white lines and all the cliches you want to use, you know, now you just got a man up, play football and be the best team that day. And sometimes the best team isn't good enough to get the win. But hopefully that'll be the case against the Packers,

There was another team that was three and six last year and now escaping me.

But so the Bears are in a better shape than that at four and five, and now they control their own destiny, so to speak, because they got all the games in the division, so they just got to they got to pull together, pull on the same rope, and get.

It done well.

You know, there may be a lot of talk about the Bears offense going into this game, but I think the talks should be around the Bears defense because when you look at Jordan Love and he's got ten interceptions and fifteen touchdown passes, and you see how well this Bears defenses has been playing throughout the season, and they only gave up nineteen points last week. I think that the Bears have an opportunity, with the super supportive crowd.

At home, to get back on the.

Track of getting turnovers, take getting takeaways, and limiting the opponent's offense to limited amount of success.

Yeah.

He did that last year too, three interceptions in the first half of the season, then one in the final nine games of the season, I believe. So, yeah, he's at ten right now, and that's inviting, And especially when you know the Bears had their hands on a couple of potential interceptions last week they didn't get them. Now's the time you got to make every play that comes your way. Again the whole every snap matters thing, but every opportunity to make a big play, you gotta make it.

Right, the offense has to play safe brand of football. And you talk and that's safe, I mean making sure they don't have any pre snap penalties, make sure they don't have any formation penalties, make sure everybody's on the same page assignment wise. And then you talk about the great interception by TJ. Edwards last week and that how much that meant to the team, the field position that gave the offense, and then you talked about the possible

So the latest injury report, First of all, Montese sweat back. I did run into him, talk to him briefly to this evening, and I says he's feeling a lot better. But yeah, these little nix and next that happened over the course of a season. It's been something he really hasn't dealt with much in his career.

But an ankle.

But back at practice today, Tevin Jenkins not and then limited Braxton Jones and Darnell Arnout right, So that's big news right there that I assume and I expect those two will be back at tackle.

Well.

They got a lot of recovery time until noon kickoff on Sunday, so they have to get as much treatment as they possibly can outside of the practice time, stay off their feet, make sure they're fresh and ready to go on Sunday. Because there are two key components of their offensive line that are needed, and when you talk to the return of Ryan Bates, I think it helps the interior of the offensive line. Whatever is going to happen with Tevin Jenkins, Matt Pryor if Darnell Right plays,

So one of the upsetting things is hearing that Jakwan Brisker is on an injured reserve, so he has not been able to return despite the hopes that he would and that he was. There was a whole bunch of concern, but in the end, you know, definite concern and not able to come back.

I only want him to come back if he's ready and confident to come back. I'm looking out for Jakwan Brisker. I'm not looking out for the Chicago Bear slashed Jakwan Brisker. I'm looking out for Jaquan Brisker. He's a great young man and he has to do with everything is reasonably responsible for him in his future and make the best decision accordingly.

So Thomas Brown will be the play callee. He'll be up in the booth, call in the place for the Bears offense. He's done it before, he did it last year with Carolina, and he met the media on Wednesday of this week, so let's listen in to some of what he had to say about his new role.

George, Kevin Flus and also Ryn, forgive me the opportunity to lead this offense. Also want to thank Shane Walter Conky is lost in this transition of how to fix people and their families and their lives. Mitt Shane back in twenty twenty first working with the Rams and he was phenomenal to me and my family to help on boarders coming to the NFL, and so I just want to say thank you to him. But again it was just odds up moving forward. Excited about the opportunity. This

So that's our focus.

What's the what's your philosophy on the type of voice you want to be for Caleb during games?

Well, first and foremost, I'm always do myself, So I'm a pretty direct person. That's what I kind of told you.

Mere say.

We spoke for the first time, and I've obviously been around about being in the room the entire time, but just in different capacity. So but I think on game day when it comes to how you deliver information, to be solution oriented, to keep myself calm, also keep him calm as well, to kind of decompress it. In every single drive, we have to kind of look forward to what's coming the next drives.

How do you bring creativity.

Down to this album?

I think at this point, when it comes to where we are in the season, you can't reinvent the whill. I'm not gonna try to do that at all. That'll be kind of sen us and aspiral going backwards in

Thomas, what what do you think your quarterback does well and that you need to emphasize in your scheme.

I think it does a lot well.

I think when it comes to just natural ability from throwing the football is I think clearly and obvious. I think being able to understand how to get the ball of his hands as fast as possible when it comes to the constance we kind of just end up dolling up, but also being able to let him you just natural guy, give him a billion of times.

When is when is relevant?

Not every player, but when it comes to especially situational ball, third down, red zone and come alive with that.

Did you what did you learn from last year?

And I know they're not the exact same situation, but what do you learn about coaching up number one pick and everything that comes with it on the field and off the field, and the pressure.

And all that.

Yeah, again I get the question. These are two different players in ability and also mentality wise. Obviously enjoyed that time. I have a brance last year, great dude, great player. But these are different circumstances. But as far as the pressure goes right, pressure to me is a privilege that means people expect something positive from you. So I embraced that, excited about the opportunity to come with the territory at

And so Thomas Brown at the forefront, he'll be analyzed and overall just your thought. I like his direct approach to everybody that I've talked to you say the same thing he tells you. He tells you upfront what he expects of you, and he's very direct.

Well, I like the second that that he says pressure is a privilege, and that is the truth for every single player and any professional sport because you've earned the opportunity to have pressure thrust upon you and your next step and your next goal. And then he's not here to reinvent the wheel. He's only here to take the offense that they've been inserting since the time he's got here and continue that process and that development. For Caleb, He's not bringing in a bunch of new material and

In OTAs, it's the Bears offense. It's the Bears offense. Yeah, but it's the Bears offense. But it's how and when you call it what you're setting up for the third quarter that you run in the first quarter, it's how you adjust throughout the course of the game by what you're seeing defensively that is uniquely put together by a defense for the Bears and how they can attack it.

Everything you said that will come to light on Sunday when they're actually in the game. But everything they're doing up until that point, up into Sunday is they're going out on the practice field and they're running through a practice and then they're going back into the meeting room. And those are the corrections that Thomas Brown can make for Caleb, or he can accentuate the things that Caleb is doing really well.

Right now, all right, that's top there. I'm Jeff Jonniak. When we return, we'll hear from the quarterback coach, Carrie Joseph. The offense it's assistants were available to the Bears today at Hallis Hall. We'll get you set for Bears Packers here on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network, and welcome back everybody. This segment of Bears Weekly is

It's rhythm, you know, getting the ball out out of our hands, getting into the play maker's hands. You know, Hey, number one is open, Let's get it to him, you know, and we continue to talk about that, and uh and when we do that, now those plays become unsackable because the ball is out of our hands.

You know.

We just continue to talk about that, continue to you know, talk about putting the eyes in the right place, having understanding what they're trying to do defensively, and then we can get the ball out.

And that's the plan. Oh man, you're really gonna do that to me?

I think that very well.

Rams game. He did a great job Jacksonville. You know, it's not just him, it's just you know, the course of the game. You know, when you have you know, we got to be better overall. You know, we got a better run the ball that helps him. You know, we gotta be able to do that. We gotta be able to stay out of native place. We can't have penantis. All those things you know affect you know, the rhythm in the of the past game.

So that's just it's a whole collector.

It's not just Caleb, it's it's a it's all of us making sure that we hey still head of the chains.

We'll just to interpret what you were saying a minute ago, is there I guess a habit for Ricky quarterback to kind of have his head swim a little bit, just because you've been through a lot throughout the course of a season and then it's a little bit cloudy.

I won't say his head is swimming. It can happen to any quarterback.

You know, if you know things are not going well, I don't care who you are. You get a hit a few times, you know, your eyes start to speed up a little bit. You start to feel people like you guys are around me, ladies around.

Me right now? You know, I can see Ali over there, but I can still feel your presence.

It happens to any quarterback, you know, and it's just how do you reset yourself? How do you reset yourself? Hey, let's go back to the basics. Let's go back to mastering the basic basics and every concept, you know, every play.

That's what we are right now.

What's that fide line between with him of you want to protect the football, you don't want to.

Him to feel like you can't take chances? And how have you seen him kind of straddle that over the past few years?

You know, I just try to always encourage, Hey, let's be aggressive. Let's be aggressive, would be smart, you know, Let's be aggressive, let's be smart. And that's the message that I've started from day one and I continue to deliver. So now, hey, let's pull the trigger. Let's be smart about it, but be aggressive. At the same time, I said that he's going to.

Be upstairs, So how to let change these sideline communications which we unit.

To heal with.

So basically, you know, me, Thomas, Caleb, we all collaborate together, had we come to the sideline, you know, Chris is there also.

Have we talk about the last drive? Boom?

Then to me as a quarterback coach, get that information to him. You know, as we see the film, you know what adjustments we want to make what happened on that last drive? And then also I'm big at hey, what did you see? Because from the sideline and behind there it's different, you know, so I want to hear what he saw so we can all come together and say, Okay, look what the picture is showing. Think this way. You know, you got to have that conversation. You got to have

I know, people away time.

Quarterback development isn't always linear, and then sometimes there jumps.

Jordan loves an example of that last year where the first half.

Wasn't great and the second half was.

Do you guys point matter point the other quarterbacks on the league to look what happened to them?

I'm pointing to Killer Williams and the Chicago Bears. What can we do to make sure that we got him going in the right direction?

That's our focus.

You know, no disrespect to your question, but hey, let's because he's different you know, he's not Jordan's so I don't know what they did with him, but I know where we want to go as an offense, you know, collectively to help all of our guys, because we have a lot of talent and we got to get everybody involved.

So we're putting a plan together for that.

Thomas, what's the value of his presence in a week like this and a stretch on a body?

Oh?

You know what.

He's authentic, you know, and you know, I love Shane and our prayers go up for him and his family.

And I've been with him for four years. He's done a lot for me in my career. Uh.

Just Thomas' approach, you know, And he's just Thomas is Thomas. Uh, he's gonna keep it real with you. He's gonna be straightforward with you, and he's gonna be honest. So you better take it and you roll with it and you respect it. And like I said, I've been on him

That's who he is. And uh, that's how we're gonna row. Doing too much at the line.

Obviously, he's adept enough and smart enough to make a lot of changes to limbit is it.

Has it been too much the past few weeks?

Nah, I I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that Kelb is very smart. We just got to help our offense, like you said, to put us in a better situation, and we just gotta play better, you know, we just gotta play better collectively, and we just got to stay ahead of the change. NFL, you don't still ahead of the chains. It's hard, you know, it's hard.

So you living as coaches at the line.

He's making good decisions at the line.

Uh, we gotta help him and like now just says, get the ball out of his hands, you know, slow his eyes down so he sees things a little bit better, wants to pla, wants post now, you know. But you know, at the line of scrimmage, things that we've asked him to do, he's done a great job with it.

One week's success or two or whatever does not get guarantee the next week's success. But even the US coaches being al around a long time, when it's a sudden shift like this, are you even surprised at how quickly things can change?

I'm not surprised.

I've been around pro football a long time, you know, I've been through ups and downs. It's every day, every day you have to win. You have to win every day. You have to have a winning habit.

It's the job.

Is the professional we chose, and that's the commitment that you have to make. So I'm not surprised about it. Coaches are not surprised about it. You know, most players are not because you just you got to be great every day. Your best is required every day, playing and simple.

You like the mentality of the team at the moment despite all of this, can you get a feel for it?

I think this organization from top down, I think coach Flus has done a great job of the leadership. And you see how it trickles down because the team is still connected, and it starts top down, you know, respect to the top dollars on down from head coach and the players that have bought into it and everybody's still connected, everybody's still believing, and we're gonna show up Sunday and go play some football.

All right, Tom, there's a lot like out of his mouth right there. I know you're bobbing your head because we're on zoom looking at each other. Fans can't see us, but listeners can't see us. But uh, there's a lot of what we've been thinking ourselves.

Well, you know, I think that you could have cut that interview after he answered rhythm, rhythm and timing. Rhythm and timing, because you know, last week on Bears Game Night Live, we gave an illustration about Keenan Allen and his receptions last week and how quickly the ball was efficiently out of the hand of Caleb Williams, and it wasn't an extended protection by the offensive line.

It was rhythm and timing. And so if you include those same types of.

Passes to DJ to Rome, to Cole to Gerald Everett, even DeAndre Swift and Rochean Johnson, that include rhythm and timing, and you take away all this thinking and your the impossible. I think you're going to have a much more efficiently run offense, a much more confident Caleb Williams, and so I think everything there is possible and it can be done with rhythm and timing.

And I also like the approach of win every day. Uh, it's it's not Sunday, it's win every day.

That's that's been a professional athlete.

Yeah, it's like because you change the game plans week in and week out, and you can't be thinking about stuff from the Rams game. You got to be thinking about stuff for the Green Bay game.

And then when this.

Game is over, you got to start thinking about stuff for the next game plan.

So it is about winning every day.

Nine points a game since the bye week, lowest in the NFL over the last three games. Caleb, no interceptions. That's big, especially with the Packers, Vikings and Lions all in the offing here because they all take the ball away and sack the quarterback. Unfortunately no touchdowns either, and those eighteen sacks and that all has to get cleared up and has to start right now with the division getting underway. We'll continue our conversation on the Bears from

That's Tom Thayer. I'm Jeff Joniack.

This is Bears Weekly out he ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.

Segment to Bears.

Weekly brought to you by CDW people to get it. Welcome back to Bears.

Weekly out of ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network with Tom Thayer. I'm Jeff Joniyak, and our guest this week is Bear Safety Elijah Hicks, Big number twenty two. Getting ready for the rivalry, getting ready with the Packers. Let's start there because you've already experienced some of them haven't gone to Bears way just yet. But you're talking about a guy over there on the other side of the screen, Tom's on zoom with us, that had a

Like good broth, you know, how about for you in your early years.

Yeah, I always love when there's a good rivalry going on. It's an opportunity to, you know, show out for the fans. We know how much it means for them. But on the day to day I mean, I think it's important to stick to your process and have a good process.

So whether it's a.

Really important game like a rivalry game, or whether it's you know, Detroit or someone else, we have the same approach.

So I think your routine is very important.

You're a southern California kid. Did you get up for a reason high school? And at Cal? We know what the Cal Stanford games or like was that Did that give you extra oomph?

I would say, like, you definitely feel the extra vibes and energy throughout the week, especially because how the fans show out all the media attention that it gets. So it's always and then it's always more a physical game when you know it's a rivalry game. So you definitely got to have your chin shot, buckle, douve, and ready to go.

Elijah brought up the fact that you went to Cal. But I was looking at the list of colleges that you chose Cal from and I went to Notre Dame and I noticed one of them was Notre Dame. What was the difference maker for you to go to Cal? Do you want to stay close to home or did they Was it a better football offering than the other schools.

So I was committed to Notre Dame as well. So that was the first school I was committee too. I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, I wanted to stay close to home, but cal was for further, far enough for me to be able to still have that distance. My family's still able to come to games and enjoy them, you know, in the off season and stuff like that. But I was definitely a committee to Nordre Dame at one point.

Well, we have some similarities.

I grew up in this area and I went to Notre Dame because it was far enough away, but it was still close to home for my family. And I played a lot of different positions in my college years. When you talk about converting from a corner to a safety, you know, there's not a lot of guys that have the willingness to do that because it's a different physical approach to the position.

Than play in corner.

So when that was introduced to you, were you accepted of it immediately or did you have to give it some thought.

So one of my good teammates at the time, Cameron buying Them, who is the starting safety for the Vikings. We both were corners at college. Most of our years. So he got drafted the year before me, and they converted him from corner to safety, and I saw that transition and I talked to him like every day, and I was I was just listening to him and how

So that's how I got.

Is the vision of the position the same as a corner, because I you know, you're you guys are involved in coverage nowadays, but you're also involved in near the line of scrimmage type of linebacker play. So does corner skills transfer to safety skills and make you a better safety because you have the athleticism to play the position in the first place.

I think it definitely helps when he comes to covering tight ends and or you know, being.

Flexible to be able to do cover tight ends or slots.

But safety definitely is a lot more like I would say a leadership position where you have to communicate with you know, linebackers and the corners. So you got to be able to, you know, retain a lot of information, be able to be a clear communicator, and you got to really know what the defense is calling and where everyone is because you got to be the one to help people get lined up.

Elijah Hickson Yes here on Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand of the Bears Readio network.

Did that move change your life? In many ways?

It gave you a different trajectory to be drafted as a safety and to be grown here over the last three years. But did that decision change your life?

Yeah?

I did, And I think it is a more natural position for me someone who is you know, I like to look at myself at someone's.

Smart, smart player on the field.

I like to use my brain to help me be a couple of steps ahead, and so being able to use that and anticipate, Okay, this tight ends off, he looks like he's gonna walk back, and it's just a game within the game. At safety, you could play that a lot more.

Oftentimes, young players, especially undrafted or late rounders, they don't get a lot of chance to get on the field. But coach Iberflus believes in playing his rookies. And did that benefit you to get in fifteen games, no matter how you got in your rookie season, to help grow who you are right now?

Yeah, And I think it's important, like no matter who you are, whether you're a late round guy or undrafted, to have a good process and have a good work ethic, and you know, show the coaches that you know what you're doing out there and making plays in practice, because really the game, the games are just a glorified practice. More people watching, but when you look at the film and they're they're doing the same thing that we do throughout the week.

So Kevin Bayard has got a world of experience, and you think about the different things that he's gone through, the different quarterbacks and offenses and everything he's faced. Do you ever pick his brain about maybe what he's thinking while you're watching tape of the next opponent, or what you're seeing in the middle of a game, or just take advantage of, you know, all of his experiences.

One thousand percent. He has so much information. He's been through it a lot. One of my favorite questions to ask him at the beginning of the week is like, what you see from these guys, what are you going to into this game thinking about based off the film you watched, And he shares that with me, and I usually share that with him, and I always like how he his mindset when it comes to approaching the game.

You know, the Bears have had great weather conditions throughout this season, and the field this past Sunday was as perfect as you can get in in November. So as I was watching the Detroit Green Bay tape, I was kind of taken into account the conditions that they were playing in because it was so rainy and the field was so wet. Do you have to kind of find yourself watching a game that has better field conditions to

Yeah, that plays into it, plays a part in it.

But I think at the end of the day, like when I was watching that game, you know, the score was, it was a big score difference, and so you got to see, you know, what do they like to do when when they in gotta pass situations, So you get a understanding of, you know, the play caller, how the guys run their routes, even the mindset of the guys when they're down. So you still could get a lot out of it, regardless of I think the weather conditions.

Yeah, Elijah Hicks, our guest here on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network, that secondary has been loud since the season began. I always felt that it was the heartbeat of the team. Honestly, you guys are deep. A lot of everybody can play in that secondary and were ready stewarding, ready seward. I gotta make it the proper pronunciation there, Uh, Terrell Smith, you got tar various, Gelen Jones, Josh Blackwell yourself? Have you given you guys

Well, you actually have not.

But we're really big on communicating our goals and we're really big on understanding like we want to be the best, and so regardless of what your role is and whether it's some special teams or or defense, it's like when you out there when this secondary is on the field. We need to show out and we all support each other in that and we always talking about being the best every day.

What is your analysis of the Packers right now?

Yeah, I think their offense, you know, they come from the Rams tree, so we see a lot of similarities on film now and they have some you know, talented guys at receiver, they got some speed guys, they got a.

Decent running back.

So it's exciting for a secondary like us who you know, last couple of weeks, we haven't saw you know, too many deep perceiving cores and so this is an opportunity for us to you know, show what we can do. We can have a stamp on the game, hopefully get a lot of turnovers. That's always on our mind. So the ball is gonna be in the air. We see the stats of how many turnovers the quarterback has had, you know, within the six games he's played fully, So we're excited about that and we just.

Want to get our hands on the ball.

Yeah, set your GPS to ball, have hawk mode this weekend?

Yeah right, how important that is when you get the ball and how it correlates to win.

So you know, it's crazy.

Elijah when you think of the beginning of the season, you look at that seventeen game stretch and you go, wow, this is you know, a four or five month road that we're on, and you think of where you're at now and how many division games.

You have left.

It's almost like kind of re energizing the excitement for you guys, knowing that everything that you can accomplish is still ahead of you with all the division games starting with Green Bay on Sunday, So that's got to be an exciting added element to your season. I in my forty years as a broadcaster and player, I've never been through it like this.

So how do you feel about that part?

It feels good knowing that, you know, we've took some ls, but we got this division ahead of us, and we're fully capable of, you know, making plays and getting these wins. So it's gonna be important to just you know, come together and take it one week at a.

Time, all right.

Last thing, I know, you started an Intercept Poverty foundation back in college, which was amazing that you had the foresight and the desire to do that. You came from humble beginnings. It wasn't easy, and you just wanted to give back. Is that still up and running? Do you do stuff here in Chicago? And why is giving back so important to you? The man that it built probably is why. The answer is yeah. I mean I went through a lot growing up. I have a great family,

Students in need at cal Bersley.

While we're still doing things in the community, We're rebranding and stuff like that, but stay tuned.

I like it. I like it helping the community.

Yeah.

Nice, You're a great dude, great football player. Enjoy enjoy the conversation. And that's been too long since we got together and got you on our show.

So appreciate your time. Good luck this weekend. Appreciate that's Bear safety.

Elijah Hicks, Tom and I returned with a preview of the Packers next on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network. Avenue or gently used coke laying around well ahead of your local Jewel Lasco until February tenth, and donate one of your new or gently used coachs to the thirty sixth annual Chicago Bears Coat Drive.

Help keep Chicagoans warm this winter.

Oh, it's going to be toasty and Soldier Field on Sunday for Bears Packers. What a matchup as they come to town as the Bears are getting them off the bye week. Tom, they are owing their last three off the bye week the Packers. I don't know if you care about those statistics on the road, I should say on the.

Road, Well, I know it's fifty nine degrees for a high on Sunday, So I'm excited about.

The great conditions at this part.

Of the NFL football season, and I expect the crowd to be in a fury just to be excited about the opportunity of being there, being loud and trying to make their offense as dysfunctional as possible, in trying to get on the bandwagon to the Bears offense and see what changes Thomas Brown is going to bring. Talk about timing and efficiency and that's what I think everybody wants to see out of Caleb Williams.

And defense will be a major discussion point about the run game because the Packers are going to run the football. More on that now from Coach Washington, the Bears defensive coordinator.

Our guys are excited. We've had a couple of really good days of preparation. They're focused, and I'm looking forward to what we'll do.

I'll take you talk about Jacob's looking different than last year. How does that show up to you and what do you account for?

Just to change the direction in the quickness, very shifty, the burst is there, the confidence is there, and so I think the last couple of years, I think he was finding his way back, finding his footing. But now we're seeing the all pro Pro Bowl caliber player that we've seen from him previously. The confidence is there. He's very quick, hitting the holes, downhill, physical, I mean, he's not looking to avoid anyone. So it's what we've seen previous to the injury that he incurred.

You guys are preparing for Jordan Love. But how impressive was what the Packers were able to do running the football without him at the beginning of the season and just their ability to go almost one dimensional and have success with them.

Well, they've got two backs, two runners behind him that are almost identical. They're they're clones, if you will, same type of traits and makeup strong players, downhill runners, and so he's a bonus with what he can do. He's a Pro Bowl caliber player, but they've really stocked that position with runners who can replicate what they'd like to do with their rushing attacks.

With Jan Reeve, what are some of the things that he doesn't stresses you guys on somebody.

Who just an unbelievable target, really good target, a really good catch radius. And the one thing about all of these skilled players is their tenacity and ability to block at the point of attack and away from the point of attack, and so he's no different. We just have to do a really good job of getting off blocks and just making sure that we control their passing attack.

Is there a challenge in keeping your players on the defensive side focused in lockdown with everything else that's gone on in the building in the last seventy two hours.

No.

And one of the things that I've been consistent in terms of describing the men that I work with as their character, and that doesn't just show up when everything is going well. It shows up in times when things aren't going exactly the way you need them to. And I've gotten to know that and got I've really gotten to a point where I can appreciate that going all the way back to the point we first started working together.

But you were in a situation last year in Buffalo where there was a mi's EAVENM coordinator change on the other side of the ball.

What did you observe.

About how that changed things for that group at their offensive team as a whole when you went through that last year.

Yeah, what I observed is that, you know, one of the things that I had to do as a as a coach on that staff and that situation is just make sure that I kept the guys, our players focused, staff focused, and that we continue to reach for a higher performance, a higher level of performance and execution. And that's what we did then and that's what we'll continue to do now.

Steady steering the ship. Coach Eric Washington. Tommy says the right thing every week. He is never takes a thing for granted, always worried about what's next and what has to be done, and states the objectives quite clearly.

Right you listen, every one of these guys have to think about their own responsibility, what type of technique and fundamentals they're going to use once the ball is snapped. There's no lingering thoughts on the back of their mind of what this team has been going through in the last.

Couple of weeks or even this week. It's about the defensive lineman.

Trying to earn their helmets over the line of scrimmage so they control the Packers running game, and then when the Packers decided to throw the ball, they got to get their pass rushers.

Into the area of Jordan Love.

You know, that's the basics of what the Bears defense has been doing early in the season, and that that's what they have to continue to do at this stage of the season.

He's an explosive dude.

Yeah, he is.

He you know, he kind of burst on the seed when Watson has been injured so frequently that somebody else had to step up to the plate. And oh yeah, you got to step up to the plate while you're introducing a new quarterback to the system. So it's kind of these two guys have grown together. It's not like there's a big separation in NFL time of performance between them.

And what's your opinion of the tight end craft.

You know, he's got five touchdowns, He's their go to guy. He can make a big catch for four yards and turn it into fourteen yards. I think there's a lot of similarities between what he and Cole are capable of doing for their offense. But when he was drafted last year, he was brought into the mix to kind of bring that Nike's and that next tight end that they've been missing for a couple of years inside that offense.

He had drafted a couple of Musgrave too, right, Grave he's rud Yeah.

But again, that tight end position.

You know, they had been missing that for a couple seasons, and so they've been really to grow and develop into this offense.

One nugget before the break, lowest passer rating allowed by Corners this season.

She's not surprise anybody.

According to the Next Gen Stets, the NFL Stats Service, it's Jalen Johnson with a forty one point eight rating. He has not given up a touchdown pass this year and continues to be a lockdown. He'll need to be on Sunday against the Packers. Our final segment coming up next here on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network. This segment of Bears Weekly brought to you by Athletico Physical Therapy. Visit athletical dot com

So that'll be a buzz in the stadium.

But am I off does it feel like a fresh slate air ready to begin a new season?

Kind of a.

Little bit, for so many reasons for the coaching change that they had earlier this week, for the fact that this is an opening up the division games that the Bears fans have been waiting for since the season started. They've showed some they've showed some displays that they can play good offensive football and good defensive football. But now it's the time of the year where Thomas Brown has to help them put it all together. And so I'm excited for what's going to happen on Sunday.

Yeah, couple of key things. A couple guys. You got block as always, right. You can't stop talking about Kenny Clark, who does not have a sack this year. Rashan Gary, who leads them in pressures with twenty eight keep the ball away from Xavier McKinney, Jay Alexander could be a pain at the cornerback position. And Keshawn Nixon, who's their nickel, is an excellent return man, so.

It can't let him hurt you either.

Yeah, you know, all those are key components of the Green Bay Packers. But I want to see the key components of the Chicago Bears light up the scoreboard and light up the defensive part of the field.

All right, top see at noon twelve oh two of the kickoff Bears and Packers right here on ESPN one thousand. That's going to do it for us, thanks to our guest Elijah Hicks and all our producers blecken ub data our next.

Have a great night, everybody,