Houston-Carson, Bears prep for Rams, MNF | All Access

the season where to begin? Right now, this very second. The Bears at the number two seed of the NFC, and they'd be hosting the La Rams, the seventh seed in the NFC. It's just fun to think about. There's a whole lot of football left to play, but another win in the NFC would certainly harden their stance toward that end. Dummy, you know how many carts you have before the horse by hooking break? If you even listen that topics they start this show six weeks, I have

all season. Hey listen, you have a whole in front of that car. I understand that, but it's fun to talk about. It's fun to daydream a little bit. I mean, hey, listen, the NFL's putting this stuff out there, putting playoff matchups already out there. Who's playing who and when it's fun to think about. I think you should just focus on the Rams for this Monday night. See what type of

team that you can bring out to Los Angeles. He had a bad experience there last year, and see if you can turn it around and have the growth out of the offense that you need in the consistency out of the defense that you've had. No the defense has done a good job just making sure they don't score a lot of points. The Bears just haven't scored a lot of points against the Ram. They split the last two meetings. To me, it's coming around to be a

bit of an interesting rivalry because that eighteen game. The Rams are ticked off how the Bears beat them. They they just didn't believe the Bears were better than I mean, they went to the Super Bowl obviously and lost, but I remember covering super Bowl week that week, and you know, came up that the Bears had somewhat of a game plan that Bill Belichick used to stop them. So that's in the back of their mindset. To me, there's a

little rivalry Bruin. Yeah, there is. You know, there's two young head coaches that have taken over organizations that needed to get a little spark going and they have both been able to do that. Now, when you get into this year of each of the coaches and the battles that they've had, wins and losses, you know, it's another

and they're all Marquee showcases. You know, the game at the Coliseum, the game at Soldier Field, and now the game at the new Ram Stadium that Jeff, I gotta believe if this was being played under normal circumstances, fifty five to sixty percent of the fans would be Chicago fans. And I think it would be a great spectacle to see on Monday night opening of your new stadium and seeing it filled with blist. You know, doug On, well that people had that one circled. First of all, it's

a beautiful place. I mean, that's number one, and that's a destination. Obviously it's la and you are exactly right. The Bears fans would have gobbled up tickets. It would have been quite the showcase game on Monday Night football, no question about it. Well, you know last year when we are at the Coliseum and you could see everybody

filter in from every different direction. When that stadium opened, you know, two out of every three people that were coming in that we're sporting some type of Bear jersey or color. So it would have equalled it this year. But you would have been here, you'd been able to hear the Bears a lot more because the sound would not escape with like it does the old Coliseum under

the roof of the new stadium. This is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Entergy, Jeff Joniak and Tim There with our producer Julio Rosas, Jordan Trentup, Dan Burrelly also our producers. Tonight we got radio analysts of the Rams coming up to Marco far the former Rams defensive tackle, will also be joined by dhc He's been the star to finish the job the last two weeks on defense for the Bears. Outstanding Special Teams player DeAndre Houston Carson

joined us at six thirty. Here's a snipp today Town from Nick Foles because the number one topic that comes up is a Hi, the offense going to improve, But two I got a deal there in Donald, so there's some insight here from the Bevers quarterback. Trust. You know, every team has a different plan for players is talented as him. And I was his teammate once upon time, and it was when he was younger, and I just remember going through practice and I didn't really know who

he was. I think he was Rookie of the year and it was his second year. I'm like, why can't we block this guy? Like we have two guys on him and we are still not blocking him. And then years later I realize why. The dude's unbelievable. So obviously we have to respect and teams had different plans for him. But at the end of the day, when you play a game, it comes down to trust in your teammates.

You can't focus on him. The dude might make a couple plays in the game like he's one of the best there is, so he might, but the game's not over after he makes one play. You keep moving on. So the big thing is getting going through this week, having our plan for their defense, and then going out there and executing and ultimately trusting him one another and playing as one. But these days are huge, watching the practice film and like an hour so whenever we will

will be huge. Because then we can make corrections. But obviously he's a talented player and I'll look forward to playing against him. Was that your approach when you played great players, Tommy? I mean, you know he's gonna make a player too. Just can't focus on it wrecking your game plan. No, but you know you have to have a thought process going in there as an offensive lineman, as an offensive line So if you're an uncovered offensive lineman, Jeff,

you can never be hitting nobody. You do not have the luxury of just sit there and scan somebody. You gotta go and you gotta fortify the block of Aaron Donald. You got to go to the backside of whomever's blocking him. And if you're an uncovered lineman to the right side, you gotta bay elbow to have you have your buddies backs. That's the whole game. There's not a play where there's an offensive lineman they should not have some type of contact with somebody to ultimately take a toll on them

as a game wears on. And that would be your plan for Aaron Donald hit as much as possible. Well, you know, Jeff, listen, we're not introduced to this plan, but we saw a plan like this last year in the Raiders game, after a team got hurt and when they went after and they attacked Khalil Mack relentlessly, they gave an im medium indication those other ten guys will beat us, but you're not gonna beat us. And I think that's the same approach that you have to have

with Aaron Donald. You have to attack him from every possible angle. All right, we'll talk about it with DeMarco Far, the Rams radio analysts coming up on our extra report. This is Bears All Access with Tom Fare. I'm Jeff Joniak, and we're brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Welcome back to Bear's All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to Score with Tom Fair. I'm Jeff Joniak, and we're brought to

you by IGS Energy. Choose clean energy for your home at igs dot com because every good choice adds up to a better world. Welcome back, everybody, and a good choice is to get the radio voice radio analysts of the La Rams and former star defensive tackle four the Rams to Marco Far on the line, always entertaining and always a delight to talk to and we say good evening to the former RAM And now how long you've been doing the games now on the radio? Oh my gosh,

let's see. Uh since two thousand and eight on a pregame show and then nine rotated to the booth. Well getting there, Like Tom always says, you get a decade as a player, you get a decade in the now. You know. Now you get two careers going, so you're all You're still a young man too, no doubt. Jack Snow was a guy that did the broadcast when I was a player, and uh, you know we always talked about doing this post career and you know here I am. I love it, man. It's the closest thing you can get,

the plan without the paint. I love. Yeah, I hear you. You know Jack Snow because Tom and I when we go to the o RCA Dome in Saint Louis and boy to Sofi Stadium looks so different, right and DeMarco we'll talk about but Jack Snow. We loved talking to Jack Snow Domer, like you know, he gave time. I don't know why, and I'm gonna embarrass you a little bit. He called you two ton timey remember why why When when I was at Notre Dame, Jack Snow used to

come back and help at spring practice. So over the course of my four years I got to know him pretty well and talk to him socially after coaching and after practicing stuff, and it was just, uh, it was just great time getting to know Jack and his stardom and everything he meant to the Rams and professional football, no doubt, Tom, have you ever seen his eyes? Was he wearing sunglasses? I bet he was? Um, well, you know, we we got to when we got to see him,

it was more of inside at the dome. Yeah, he was like, bum phillips. You know you don't wear a hat indoors, so you know. Ye. Hey, So tell us first of all about so far. We're bummed we can't travel right now, as I don't know if you guys have been traveling at all as a as a radio crew, but we're not traveling. It looks like a masterpiece. When I pull up the game the team notes every day, that's the first thing you see. It's it's like the new shiny toy of the National Football League and almost

their centerpiece facility. It's sure, it costs a lot and sure does look nice. How's how's it playing? It's gorgeous. It's play as well. I mean, look, it's built straight up. I believe field level is three stories or three floors below ground, so it's built straight up. When they get fans in there, they're gonna be right on top of you and it's going to be loud. And I love the way they have the roofs. It's kind of like a Foe roof. During the day, it looks like one stadium.

Then when it turns night, when it's when it gets dark outside and they raise the lights. I mean, it's made for primetime. It is absolutely gorgeous. I mean you you guys have been the Dallas remember when Dallas was brand new, the same feeling. It's like, wow, this is unbelievable. But just take that up a notch. They've done a great job at the stadium. Hopefully the team can do

a great job defending that place. It's gonna be tough. Well, hey, DeMarco, speaking of defending that place, So you were listed at six one two seventy six. Aaron Donald is listed at six one two eighty in the Landed Giants where you guys playing, you were so successful. What trait do you need in order to be six so successful at that size? Well, for me, it was a great get off grant anticipation. I gotta jump the snap count. I mean, I really got to get into you before you get into me.

You know, if you got you know, fifty sixty sometimes you know, eighty pounds on me, it's gonna be tough for me to move you or be effective. But that's the difference between me and Aaron. Aaron is just so darn strong. I mean, he is absolutely a monster so and he's lighter than what you think he is, so he can actually project himself into you. And then he's got enough strength to get his hands or get your

hands off him. And he's always in the play The second thing is football, like you know what's coming, read those stances, get into the playbook, get into the film study room, see if you can get a jump on that offense and know where they're going, and then and then try to beat him there. But with Aaron, looked, he is so good, so strong, so everything that even if he's out of position, it's still a good position for him. He can just put your body in the hole.

If you've hooked him. So he's absolutely tremendous and I agree with him. Man, he can actually get better from this point. There's a lot of things that he can actually improve on to get better. You know, being an offensive lineman and playing against Reggie White, the Great Reggie White. If he lined up over you, you know that you are a marked man and you you're gonna have a

long day. So watching the Redskins game, Aaron Donald lines up over the left tackle, over the right tackle, over the right guard, and then he's started sociding who he wants to line up. So if he chooses you early, do you should you consider yourself a marked man? By Aaron Donald? Well, I mean you know who you are. What do they say at poker if you can't spot

the mark and under an hour it's you. Yeah, So you know, if it's an obvious passing down, I mean during the middle of a game where it's you know it's time to make a play and he lines up over you, that tells you something. Either you're that guy or he feels good from that spot. But you have to move him around because you know every protection scheme is both to stop him. So if you vary the places he's gonna be. It just makes it tougher for the offense to pick him up, saying with J. J. Watt,

he moved around. You didn't know where he was going to be from snap to snap, and that affected the offense. All right, here's a nugget for you. It just occurred to me. You know, I knew you were a great player. I remember you were living in a half sacks season, but for some reason I had Aaron Donald stats up and I just you, guys, he's just played his hundredth game. You played a hundred games in the NFL. Now here's the deal you had. You had thirty six and a

half sacks. I'd say that's a very very good career. Right, you were disruptive, you're you were claps in the pocket. Yeah, your young friend over there right now, he's got seventy nine and a half and it seems like he's just getting going down. Here's where you got him though, he's yet to intercept the pass you got. You got three and you and you had more tackles. So you can play that on your resume. You go toe to toe with them, but oh, look look at their careers. One

hundred games. So you see what you did, You see what he's doing. Can you put that in the context for us? No, I've never seen anything like this his production. Uh not from that position. No. I mean I used to love watching John Ramball play. I used to love watching Warren sat play. Right, young, You know all the guys of my era, they were tremendous. They were they were game wreckers, they were they were problems. But it's been nothing like this to where you can win at

will from anywhere. I mean, he can rush over just about anybody on the offensive line and win. Uh yeah, this is truly unbelievable. And there was a year I believe it was two seasons ago where he finished with eleven. He had a chance to break the record I held for for Sax Buying and Terry Lyman for the for the Rams, and he finished with eleven, and he kept staring me down from the bench like eventually I'll get you. And the next year I think he had twenty Yeah, yeah, yeah,

two elevens. He had an eleven and fifteen and seventeen, and they went up to twenty and a half and eighteen. He he blew your doors up, absolutely, and that's what he said without even saying it. Hey, DeMarco, is Jared Goff the key ingredient this offense or is there another ingredient that equally is important. Well, he's the guy, he's the quarterback, he's the trigger man. I mean, yeah, he's the most important guy. You have to keep him upright and you've got to get him going if you're going

to be successful on game day. But I would say the running game. Sean mcvay's offense is dependent upon a running game. Getting the defense to buy play action. That's how you get Jared Goff on the edges. That's how you create space for those those those crossing routes, those tight end screens and whatnot. If you don't buy run, you could just sit on it and get pressure on Jared Goff. That's what teams did last season. So yeah, I mean he's the guy. If Jared Goffs throws for

three hundred, he's the player of the week. That's awesome. But I bet there was a credible and a consistent running game that kind of paced him, So I think that's most important. Daryl Henderson or a key Acres, the rookie they just brought in, or Malcolm Brown They've been

using three guys pretty much all season long. It does not matter who carries the football, but you have got to keep the defense honest and pace your golf Gram's analysts DeMarco farre the former defensive tack over the Rams, our guest here on Bears Out Access, brought to you by IGS Energy with Jeff and Tom breaking things down. I'm looking at your tight ends, Gerald Everett. He's got some big play to him. Tyler Higbee. You know he's got three to all came against the Eagles in one game,

but he's proven to be worth every penny. What did those two add to the dynamic? Because we could easily just talk about Robert Woods, we can easily talk about Cooper Cup. But what are those guys bringing to the table. Well, there, there we look. Gerald Everett is a big play waiting to happen, and they move him all over. He's kind of the age. They line him up as a fullback in the eye and he can lead up on linebackers. Is not his Ballywood, but he's willing to do it.

But that opens everything up. Think forty nine ers offense with their fullback. It's just it's the same sort of weapon you can use in the passing game. And Higby is just like George Kittle. I mean, George Kittle, I think is the top of the league. If you line up with a smaller guy, he can block you. If you line up with a bigger guy, he can run around those guys. Higby is up that same vein. So they have this a similar approach with the tight ends

that the Niners do. Depending on what you do to line up against their personnel group, their tight ends should have the advantage or a one on one advantage. So you know, Higby is a guy that kind of goes quiet, he goes dormant, and then all of a sudden he pops up and has you know, a great stretch or a big game or a big month or whatnot. And Gerald Everett has been a guy that's kind of found his niche in the offense. So you know, I'd like

to go twelve. A lot of people will like to go twelve two tight end sets and stay in it. That keeps defenses kind of balanced, and you can pick that apart. But you know, it's just been a little bit tough, especially last week when the forty nine ers kind of get ahead and you you have to throw to keep up. Hey, DeMarco Jalen Ramsey. Um, you know he's pretty out, pretty loud, instigating type of guy. So is it something that you want to match wits with him or just ignore him every time that he has

a chance to be on the play. Well, if you're gonna match wits, you better be pretty good at trash talk, and you better have thick skin because he's gonna stay on you. But man, I mean he has been worth every penny you hear about guys and their reputations and then you see it up close, you get to see him in practice. First of all, his body, it looks like he's from Mars. I mean, they just don't make cornerbacks that toll, that lean, with that long of arms,

that can run like that. So that's impressive. I mean, he's really good in one on one. He can shut you down, to shut you down corner that is that guy. But he's also the Rams hurt his hitter right now. I mean he is a violent tackler. I mean he really really sets the tone defensively. So and they're moving him around there, put them in the slot, they put them outside of the numbers. That putting him just about everywhere, and he can cover just about anybody. So love his demeanor,

love his attitude. As long as it's within the white lines, you have to keep it there. Yeah, we found that out a little bit with Golden Tape. That seemed to be a person issue there. So they did hit him with that one. A little bit of fine it. What can I make a point there? Yeah, every golden whatever Golden tape got at the end of the game. And look, I never advocate fighting and throwing punches or whatnot, but watching those two go at it during the game, Yeah,

he earned everything he got, really he did. De Marco, What is your view and what are they talking about in LA about the five and one Bears, because we certainly hear a lot of local concern and whatnot despite that record. What's what's the more view from your point of view? Now as you've broken down some of their tape, Well, the first thing that jumps out is their defense just big, strong, up up the gun. And look, we've the Rams have played Chicago, so we know about a key Hicks, I

like Bala Nichols in the middle. I mean, Khalil Mack is the guy that you have to account for like Aaron Donald, and you know Robert quinn is. You know he was here, so the Rams know him and good linebackers. So the first thing that jumps out is defense is going to be tough to move the football on the ground, and Chuck mcgonno really has them playing well, so that's gonna be tough sledding for the Rams. The other side,

it depends on what Nick Foles you get. Nick Foles is a guy that, in my opinion, when he's hot or when he's on, can give anybody fits from elite on down. So you hope you catch the bad nick Foles, and you hope that the Bears can't replicate what the forty nine ers did last week with these jet sweeps and these tosses away from Aaron Donald, just making the defense have to really sing for their supper. So you

hope some of that can't translate. But like you said, if Nick Foles gets rolling, if that offense gets rolling, couples with that defense. And I know some people like to say that the Bears maybe aren't as good as the five and one record, which I don't understand. They're five and one. You are what your record says you are. But if the offense can match what the defense is doing, I think the Bears are going to be in it

come December. Hey, Mark DeMarco. When you look at the Bears defensive back Kyle Fuller, in the last couple of weeks, he's had a couple of game changing plays. One of them the flag was picked up, one of the flag was kept on the ground, and they were both legal hits. As an ex defensive player, when you see those types of hits, whether they happen on behalf of the Rams or other defensive players around the league, is it frustrating to you or do you just say, hey, that's the

way of the game now, even though it's so disappointing. Yeah, there was a hit here a couple of weeks ago. Excuse me, it was actually up in Washington, the one that knocked oh my gosh, who was starting for Alex Smith. Kyle Allen. Yeah, Kyle Allen, Yes, Kyle, And yeah, I mean he's scrambling for a first down and Jalen Ramsey, like we talked about, came up and just absolutely tattooed him. Now,

it's an angle tackle. There's one guy trying to dive out for a first down and there's a corner or a DV coming up to stop him, and they flagged him for it. They gave him a free first down and knocked the guy out put in Alex Smith. But I mean, look, if what do you want him to do? You can't let guys just have first downs. You're not thinking player safety, you're thinking off the field. So I always judge it by this. If the defender had the chance to do something else, then you should try to

err on the you know, the side of safety. Get it, don't penalize your team and try not to hurt someone trying not to take your guy in the head. But if it's his bang bang, there's nothing he can do. You know. I feel bad for the officials they have to make those calls, but it's like, man, I mean, the defense they're playing football too, you know, you can't

penalize them just for doing their jobs. So it's just one of those things, and it's one of those things you have to swallow and move on the next play. All right, demarc I'll appreciate all the time, and good luck on Sunday and good luck for the rest of the season. For you. Guys, and too bad we can't say hello when we get there. But maybe down the road, maybe in the playoffs. Who knows, no doubt. I hope

so good. A good talk to you, Rams Radio analyst to Marco far always a pleasant personality who enjoyed on him over the years when we went down to Saint Louis, Tommy and visit with him. I had some great, great folks down there in Saint Louis. I'm sure they missed their Rams, but they got a home now with the La Rams. We'll talk about all that with DeAndre Houston Carson coming up at the bottom of the hour. Thanks for joining us tonight. This segment of Bears All Access

brought to you by Microsoft Surface and CDW. People do get it. Learn more at CDW dot com. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score, Hey, Bears fans. It's important to stay connected now more than ever, and at Motoroada we love making that possible. With a new razor, you can enjoy staying connected a little bit more. It's a phone, it's an accessory, it's an icon reinvented Hello motto. Jeff Jony Act, Tom Thayer, good to be with you once again as we await DeAndre Houston Carson to join

the program. While we wait for that, we got the news of the day injury wise, Tommy rest days for Ted Yean Junior and Jimmy Graham and Danny Trevathan. So that's been pretty much the case so far this season. A key mix out with an illness. Today, Shrik McManus working through another injury growing now it's a hamstring and Buster Screen with an ankle. He left the game briefly on Sunday, So he's important in this matchup, there is no question because of Cooper cup in that slot is

one of the best slot guys in the NFL. Listen that position in the NFL, Jeff, it's equally as important as any defensive position out in the field, and sometimes it's more of a picked on position. So yeah, the importance of Buster's Screen since he's come in here, his ability to tackle, his willingness, and the desire to play

physical brand of football. Hey, it's it's been good for the Bears and he has an important role on this team, especially against this upcoming offense and limited today Dion bush Is he tries to get back with his hamstring and Richeed Coward time with a finger injury today, so he

was limited at left guard. That makes me nervous because one thing about playing against Aaron Donald, if you don't have perfect hands and feet, it's almost impossible to try to get in front of him and sustained contact to keep him off the running back or off of the quarterback. So you're gonna have to go in there with a healthy, confident offensive line. And you know, I guess Rahat is the best candidate to put in there, But if it

had to be Alex Bars, he has experience. Yeah, working through his shoulder injury himself, he was a full go today. Interesting to hear DeMarco Farr talk about it. We saw it on tape when you watch the Rams game. Yes, the flash sweeps and running away from Aaron Donald, keeping things on the edges. Do you think that's the best way to go about it. Yeah. I think in any pass play, you got to get the ball out of

your hands of the quarterback as quickly as possible. I don't think he ever wanted him to know the direction contact that's coming from, and you got to take an advantage of his assets. If you have a guy that has such tremendous burst off the line of scrimmage. You can trap him, you can run draws against him to take him out of his confident space on the field. Seven and a half sacks right now leading the NFL for this guy, Aaron Donald. Bears have gotten you to

seeing him here the last couple of years. All right, time to welcome in our guest tonight here on Bears All Access, Bears safety and special team star DeAndre Houston Carson to the program. Welcome to six seventy to score and All Access. How are you doing tonight, DHC? I'm doing very well. Thank you for having me our pleasure.

Thank you for your time. What a wonderful last couple of games for not only the team, but you know, for you in terms of the opportunity to get in there at the end of the game at at the most critical time to try and finish finish the game, and you've had your hand on the ball in both cases.

How does that make you feel right now? Well, like you said that, the number one thing is obviously one and I was definitely very happy to do my part at the end of those games and to help contribute to the team win Hey, DeAndre, I want to go

over those two plays real quickly. So at the Tampa game, when you guys were in the huddle to last play the game, did you guys mention around the huddle, Hey, it's fourth down, so understand the importance of this down, because again echoes back to the Tom Brady thing, thinking that it might have been third down. Did you guys say it amongst yourself that it's fourth down? You know what, I'm not actually too sure if it was relayed you know,

around the guys, but I could see for myself. You know, I knew it was fourth down, and I think I think most of the guys knew. Um, you know, just in that situation, looking to the sideline and getting the personnel and and looking at the down the distance. That's something that are that are safety stid. You communicate on every play. Um, so I don't think there might there might have been any extra emphasis, but the safety stid communicated down the distance and the person down group us

in the game. Okay, now let's go to the last play in the Carolina Pathers game. You guys break the defensive huddle, you back into your position. You see kind of a semi stack receivers. Take us through from that moment on what you're thinking and how you just kind of like slid so confidently into the position that you were defending where you made the interceptions. But can you take us what is going through your mind when you

see the offensive formation setting up in front of you. Yes, I was just I was just considering what what my role was and then you know what the offense potentially could be presenting us with, and so it was just happen to be perfect storm that was that was my zone on that play, and so I was just thinking, you know, get back to my get back to my landmark, and the D line did the great job. Russian and

throw was there and just came down with it. DeAndre Houston Carson our guest here on Bears All Access with Tom Thayer. I'm jeff Jonah Yak. I got a lot of compliments from teammates. There's a lot of respect for you in that locker room, and you know, a Keem Hicks in particular, uh was was very strong in his postgame comments about what you are all about, what your preparation is all about, and you know, and I had your special teams coordinator Chris Tabor on the Bears Coaches

Show on WBBM on Monday night. We talked a great deal about you as well, because you know, I look at you as just a pure football player and not put into the box that sometimes happens with special teams stars, and I would put you in that category as well. But the work that must be done to be prepared defensively to go in at any moment because you don't know, you don't know what the situation is going to be here, you are going in these last two games a clench

critical moments. Just how do you fare it out? Your time and you and your your amount of investment in terms of tape watching with all the defense tape and then you got to do all your special team stuff as well, how do you balance that? Yeah, so as far as tape goes, you know, the way, the way I look at it is, I'm a starter on two different phases of the game. So you know, obviously I watched it. I watched a lot of tape on special teams um and I prepare it like a starter in

that aspect and then on defense. Just you know, the way the NFL works out and football works out. You always have to be ready. So I try to watch film like I'm a starter as well on that aspect um and that way. And that's something I've been trying to do since my rookie year. I had a coach gave me some really good advice and say, you know, get your routine solidified, in your habits solidified so that way. That way, when your time comes, you don't have to

change anything. You're already your routine's already the same, and you don't have to be trying to scramble to try to change things because it's your opportunity. You'll be ready for it when it comes. So that's the approach I've tried to take. I try to take, you know, do the same thing on Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesdays and leading up to the game and my pregame routine. I tried to do everything the same. That way, whenever the time comes, I don't have to to BATTERNI just be ready for it.

You don't. You don't have to be nervous or like, oh my gosh, what I do next, because you know, hey, just a couple of weeks ago, I had a conversation with Javam went whims and saying, you know, there were times in his rookie year, especially against he was like, oh my god, don't don't put me in the game. I don't He admitted it, like, I don't. I don't know if I'm ready, and he was. It turned out he was. He was ready. He played a really good

game against the Vikings in Week seventeen. But not every player learns that right away, that it is a commitment that you have to do. You have to do it that way. And and in your case, who was the coach that told you that. I just assume you were going to be that way anyway without his advice, because

you've just seen that type of a player. Yeah, so my oldest Starger teams coach Jeff Rogers was the one who who gained that piece of advice particularly, And also, you know my rookie year, I was kind of up and down too as far as being active and not being actious. And there were some times so I didn't know if I was going to be active until hour and a half before the game. So I just had to had to prepare like I was going to be up. And I think that's just something that stuck with me

since then. You know, d throughout my entire career, from the first game to my last game, I was on kickoff return. So I take a big special interest and I have never been. This is probably the most exciting year because last week or two weeks ago during the broadcast, Jeff was making it a description. He said, nine and a half yards deep and he's gonna take it out. How exciting is that for you guys? Last week was a different animal because the kicker was kicking at ten

yards out of the back of the end zone. But when you know that it's every ball is returnable because of Cordarrel Patterson. How exciting is that for you guys as a group understanding no matter how far or what the hanging time is, there's a good chance you're coming out with it. Yeah, it's definitely exciting. Anytime eighty four

has a ball in his hands, it's exciting. And so for us, as you know, we just try to make our blocks and give him any sort of alleyway because we know he can go to distance or any play and so that, you know, that's exciting to be a part of that. And it's also a great responsibility to make sure that you know, we're doing our signments and making our blocks and do what we need to do because you know, we all want to be successful in

that aspect of the game. You know, if you guys were going out to La and circumstances were normal, this would probably be a majority Chicago crowd. As you go into these stadiums, Atlanta, Mercedes stadiums, or even Carolina, how are you tapping into your emotions to make sure that you're mentally prepared, emotionally prepared to go out and play a game from beginning till end, because you know you could have a little downtime in the course of the game.

But how what is the challenge of staying excited? It's excited the whole time. So again, I had a coach told who said one time that execution fuels emotion, and so I've always tried to operate in that way not to get too emotional. You know, before the game, when you when you when you know the game plan and you're confident in the game planning, confident in the preparation you put in all week, and then you go out there and you execute what you've been practicing. To me,

that that feels emotional more than anything. And obviously, you know, the crowd noid and the adrenaline and all those sort of things you know also play a major role in that. But right now, I think that the saying holds even more true just because you don't have that extra external influence as far as you're adrenaline. So it's really about executing your job, and when you do that, it's exciting.

And then you know, there's there's times in the game we're not having fans um, you know, if you can really tell, and I know for me um, like on special teams, a lot of times I kind of depend on the crowd noise to tell me what's going on, Like if the crowd if I'm making a block and the crowd is is screaming, I know that you know, the return is probably start running with the ball, funny

to keep blocking it. So there's times were kind of it's kind of weird while I don't have that feedback, and so I just there's been a few times while I've been blocking, like five seconds after the whistle just because I don't know, I don't know that the whist has been blown. I don't know if he's down yet or not. So There's definitely like small things like that that I wouldn't have thought about before the year started.

That's been interesting playing without fans this year. Do you know what it would have been interesting the last listening to the stadium the last two weeks, either your play on the fourth down against the Tampa Bay or what you would have done to the Carolina stadium on an interception of a play like that, So you know some of that noise in support or disappointment that you know

you kind of walk out of the stadium. You know what the feeling is because you've heard it before, but it would have been nice to hear for yourself in the last two weeks. Yeah, no, no doubt, no doubt. And actually those two plays, and I think a lot of times in football you can probably assess you're so locked in that sometimes you don't even notice what's going on around you. Things just slow down and you're just like in the zone. And so for me, that's kind

of housetout the last the last two weeks. Like it. Maybe I don't know, I can't speak to that, but maybe it would have been different if there were fans there. But I just feel like I was just so zooned in and locked in. I didn't really even notice whether it was quiet or loud or you know what I mean. I'll tell you what. From a broadcasting point of view,

it Soldier Field where it Soldier Field. I cannot take my headset off, even during timeouts, because I did for a you know, for one of the games, and I took it. It's like it's like you're in some he's backyard and there's a few people there and you hear some rumbling noise, but that's about it unless the loudspeakers are cranking music or something. It was too eerie for me.

I also thrive on energy and enthusiasm, and that just natural thing that happens when you take the air, So I have to keep my headset on with a lot of crowd noise that's cranked up in there, just so I don't lose my focus. So I can only imagine what it's like for you, guys. DeAndre Houston Carson, our

guest here on bears All Access. You know, you got a lot of history based on your roots at William and Mary, because whether people know it or not, it's where you were taught the game there, you know, at a very key level. But you know, Mike Tomlin's a class in ninety five, Sean mcdermock the class in ninety eight. The great Marv Levy was a head coach there. Lou Holtz was a head coach there. Dan Quinn coach there

on an entry level as an assistant coach. There's a lot of coaches and that those types of minds of football that that came out of that institution one way or another. Either he went there and played there or they coached there at some point. Why is that in your opinions as a graduate and a product of William and Mary, you know, that's a that's a good that's

a really good question. I would probably say it's just at a certain point when when you can name a list like that of people who have gone before you, I think it becomes part of the culture. Um, it's kind of like, I don't know, football and South Florida or something. It's like, all these people have come out of there, and you try to try to understand exactly why, and I think it's probably nuanced, um, exactly why that is.

But I think it becomes part of the culture. You know, you've seen people who have done it from where you are, and so you know what the blueprint is and you know that it's it's possible, you can do it. So I think I think that's part of it. And then also I think for coaching, at least that women Mary, I think it's has to do it. You know, just the type of people that go there, the type of

people that attend that school. Um and not the same, not the same everywhere else, but typically you know how how they motivated individuals and and guys who know how to work and put the put the work in. So, like I said, I think it's probably nuanced, but but it's definitely really cool to look at to look at that list and know that you know you're in the line. Joe Brady even the offensive coordinator for the Panthers, Now I was a teammate with him. Um I wait and Marry,

so you know it's just it's pretty cool. Wait, you're a teammate of his. Yeah, yeah, so we definitely played together one year, I really can't remember play together. Might have played together two years. Um I waiting and Marry and a great guy, really good football coach obviously, but that's gonna be that's gonna be a little bit weird because he's on the sideline now as a coaching and you're not that old yet. You get who hate to go. I mean, I know he's I think he just turned

thirty one or he's gonna turn thirty one. But that's a great sir. I didn't know that one. That's a that's a good nugget right there. And I interrupted you said something about what DJ. I was just gonna say. There was another coach on the staff as well, DJ Mangas. We played together for a year as well. So it's just, you know, it goes to what you were talking about as far as the culture and all the guys who

come out of that program. I mean, it's pretty unique to be a part of that a D. Now that we're obviously five or six weeks into the regular season, considering you went what you went through in the off season, do you feel that you did come in prepared physically

or would you would there? Would there would you change anything about the way you got prepared, knowing now what you know, but you never knew that before in the history of your football life, what you were going to get prepared for, the restraints, the time, and all the new protocol going on. For me, I want to say I would change anything. It was it was in a weird way, a kind of a blessing in disguise, and in two ways when it come down to the way

the offseason went. We had a lot of time to just watch film obviously because we couldn't do practices for OTAs, so we're able to be very specific in detail with a lot of with a lot of the film and a lot of the assignments um and then for for training purposes. It was it was unique because there was a stretch of whatever it was, seven months straight where you could just focus on training the way you want

to train. And so for me it was, you know, I feel like it was good to be able to take advantage of all that all that time that we had. And also you know, with my a daughter who was born in March, and so just being able to spend time with her and still you know, do what I need to do. What it coust of my career was it was a blessing in disguise as well. So now I don't think I would change anything, and it was, it was. It was kind of not fun, but it's interesting to be a part of to be a part

of the season. Yes, it is. It's one that you will never forget and hopefully the end of the rainbow has some some great surprise and some great reward for everybody involved. Before we let you go and really appreciate your carmon outs in time with us for tonight. This is DeAndre Houston Carton, the Bears safety and special teams player as the Bears get ready for the Rams. Uh, what's your what's your sneak peak preview of this Rams team that? Uh, Now, you face the last two years

in a row and in big moments. I mean it's a big, big attention game and this one is no different. Yeah. You know, Coach Pagano says something that I think is um very applicable. He says, this game is the biggest game, um, and that's it's because it's the next game. And so we try to take that approach. Um. They're they're a

really good team, very well coached. You know, they got a lot of good players, and so we've just been putting in a game plan and you know, hoping to go out there, EXEQ and you play at a high level out there on Monday night, Well, you have a great time. Good luck and thank you so much for your time. You're having a great season. Man. Hope it's hope it ends well. Okay, thank you for having me on again. I really appreciate it. Our pleasure. DeAndre Houston,

Carson Bears Safety. When we come back, we'll hear from snippets of today's news conferences. Buy Zoom with Nick Foles and Matt Naggie, Tom Fair, Jeff Joni here in Chicago

Sports Radio six seventy to score. The Chicago Bears Network, presented Inside of the Bears, brought to you by Verizon and Anthony Adams and Lauren Screeden cover the world of Bears football on and off the field, every Sunday nine eleven o five pm on Box thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at Chicago Bears dot Com around the Bears Official app. Jeff and Tom as we look ahead and out of the Rams up. You know the Bears did go a little up tempo the it's in the scheme.

Matt Naggie has done it many times over the course of his coaching career. Tommy, but Nick Foles today asked when he feels is the best time for it because things were looking good. I think the big thing is communication, Like I'm constantly talking to coach Naggy, and we have an idea of what we want to do, and the coaching staff has an idea of what we want to do. So there'll be specific times where you implement change a

pace or change with this or different personnels. It's always good to have that and for us to do that effectively huge. I think it's shown it's something that we can build on. It's shown in games where we've been down and we've had to go no huddle, and it's helped us get back in games that once again, theoretically statistically we should have lost at that point in the game,

but we weren't. We didn't because our defense did a great job giving us the ball back, especially teams did their job, and we were able to put points on board with that no huddle. But I think it's great to have that ability to go do that when you need it. Tommy, what do you think of it for the Bears in this particular offense. I like it if you can go on the field fresh and you have an attack that can create fatigue in the opponent's defense. I think it is a good pace, a good change

of pace. However, I would always have to look and take defense into consideration if the defense just came off the field after an exhausted drive. No, I'm not going no huddle because if you don't get a first down, then your defense is right back on the field, and then you're putting those guys in a tough spot. If I get the defense that has a three and out,

they're well rested. Man, I'm going on the attack, and I'm going on the attack, and I'm gonna bring it vertically at least a couple times early to try to try to see if I can get behind the defense within that no huddle attack. So I like it. I like the pacing of it, and I like the fatigue that creates if the defense doesn't get a chance to change personnel groupings. Did you hear Nixon tire and news

conference today? By chance? Not the whole thing? No, no, no, But they're the confidence that is oozing out of this man's pores about his teammates, where they're going, what his expectations are, how dangerous he wants his offense to become. He is that he just it's natural for him Matt Naggie talked about it. He's not trying to be flip. He's a guy that rides on emotion and lives in

the moment. He spoke about it obviously after the game about you want to lose pretty or win ugly, And what he meant by that was that, you know, he cares about winning first and foremost. Right, Well, you know what, also, if you had a chance to go back and you had to look at you had a chance to look at the table, what things can you do specifically to make this offense better considerably? And I think there's a

lot of elements in every single play. For example, the first play of the game, they run a rollout pass to Jimmy Graham and they got the receiver. Team throw the ball to Jimmy Graham immediately and put him on the offensive while he's attacking the defender. So it's just little things like that. It's like on the eighth play of the game, Cole Comet and Rashad Coward both pulled from the left to the right hand side. They hit

the same guy. Now if they have more reps in time to communicate after watching the tape and they run that same play again, and they know exactly who their responsibility is that place turn it into a forty yard game. David Montgomery is not cutting it back into an unblocked tackle, and it's for a gain of one. So when you're talking about how much better you can make this offense,

that's why Nick Foles is exciting. He sees the same thing on tape that anybody who's invested or spent a lot of time watching tape and understanding football that they are there is considerable improvement they can make just by getting things timed up more correctly. And obviously the old line needs to be consit more consistent obviously, both run and pass protection. And you know, plays like to Darnell Mooney.

You talked about it at length during the broadcasts. He can, but is not his skill set where you're really looking to use him is he's not to go up and get it guy. He's to go up and go after a guy and go you know, the Bears are the only team in the league without a forty yard pass play this year, you know, so that is something that I could see down the road too, in timing when he gets behind a defense and he's streaking down the sideline and folds hits him for a touchdown. You know,

I know you. You always kind of tease me when I say things are repetitiously done. When you talk about Darnell Mooney, if you can get him in a pattern where he's running away from Jalen Ramsey, you're gonna have a lot better chances. Percentage is to succeed rather than throwing a fifty fifty ball up against those two, because that is advantage defender. All right. I'll be interesting to see how they deploy that boy. Ramsey. He talked to go back on YouTube if you want. He was chatting

up everybody. They had him miked up for the Bears game last year. He took cracks at every Bears receiver. It was something, all right, we gotta take one more break. We bear it back. Some final thoughts as we get you set for Bears Rams Monday Night Football. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score Bears and Rams on Monday Night Football. A battle of top ten defenses. Tom they're allowing a nineteen points

a game, Bears one of the best as well. Khalil mac third and NFL pass rush according to the Pro Football Focus with a winning rate of twenty two percent. Aaron Donald can wreck a pocket. He got the Bears making leg difficult for opposing quarterbacks. I mean Jared Goff, he has a big you know, he's got to remember what happened in twenty eighteen. Things did not go well. They put pressure on him and thinks started to deteriorate.

But the Bears are I have low completion percentage against these guys, so you know it's gonna be interesting battle. It's strength versus strength, and those corners are playing so physical right now for the Bears, but strength strength. So, I mean, you gotta figure out how to block Aaron Donald, and they have to figure out how to block the three Kings as you say, and that's Robert Quinn, Akiem Hicks, and Clill Mack. To me, you know you have three

options defensively speaking for the Bears. How you could set it up against that offensive line in the Rams. You got one guy you got to concentrate on, and that that is Aaron Donald. Get him block and you can have some success. Go out to Leonard Floyd. Yeah, that's what you keep saying. We'll find out about the X Bear he's got a couple of sacks for the Rams.

That's gonna do it for us tonight. Thanks to everybody involved, including Julio Rosayas, Jordan Tredup, Dan Burrelly and most of all you do are listening for Tom there, I'm Jeff Joniac. We'll talk to you on WBVM four fifteen pregame show seven fifteen Monday Night. It's Bears Rams and this is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score Good. Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes,

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