Mooney: "I have an edge" | All Access

doing well out there in Chicagoland and heart's unknown. As we get you set for another edition of Bears All Access. I'm Jeff jony Aac along with the broadcast partner from News Radio seven eighty at one oh five point nine FMWBBM. Mister Tom Bear, they are Chicago Bear. How you doing, Tom, I'm doing well, Jeff, looking forward to a Good Thursday Show. It seems like there's a little momentum of conversation picking up all around the sports world, and I think it's interesting.

Whether it's a star date or a rule change, there's always something to talk about, always something, certainly in National Football aggwhere Jim Miller holds it down at Serious XM NFL Radio along with Pat Kerwin, Jim, how are you and that this top topic obviously today was the NFL looking at some potential rules changes, and of most importance was the on side kick alternative, which they did not

officially vote on today. Yeah, I'm certainly a lot going on, like he said, of starting to hear some some good news with everything concerning COVID nineteen states opening up. Obviously, governors are around this country country opening up sports and training camps that probably will happen here this fall. And then the good news today even Roger Goodell announced that coaches and staff will be able to return to a lot of their facilities next week. So they're hoping that

is the plan. Hopefully everybody will be able to do that around the National Football League. But yeah, the rules changes were the big news today, Jeff. And again the proposals that were out there concerning the sky Judge two proposals, basically we're scrapped and now they'd come up with a new proposal that they don't know it yet or not. Whether they'll utilize it here this fall. It sounds like it'll be tested during the preseason, then it'll be kicked

to the Competition committee. Whether they'll allow in terms of the sky official or booth official. However you want to give the moniker of the name that that still has open possibilities that that could be utilized here this fall, and coming up at the bottom of the hour around six thirty, we'll be joined by rules analyst Dean Blandino to break that thing down as well. And coming up period about six ten Darnel Money, fifth round draft pick one are the three the Bears chose here in twenty twenty.

The rookie receiver will join us out of Tulane, and he will have a lot of confidence. I know that he's a very confident young man and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as a lot of these draft picks in the twenty twenty class time at JIM have had. So we'll be looking forward to talk to him about wide receiver play. An next Bears assistant, Perry Fuel named today to Senior Vice President of Officiating Administration.

He's going to oversee day to day operations of the department and be a liaison a guy with a couple of interim head coaching jobs. He's been a defensive coordinator to this league. He's worked his way up and he knows what goes on inside the heads of coaches, head coaches and general managers time. Yeah, I think anybody that's going to try to make a football decision should have some type of football in their background, whether it's coaching, playing,

you know, just the development side of it. So I think it's a good decision. Perry is a good guy and again, responsible decisions that are being made in the terms and the rules and the guidelines on football. It's good to have that experience. Yeah, especially you know, especially for that fourth and fifteen play. How if you're an

NFL coach, how would you look at that play? Especially it was scheduled to be at the twenty five yard line, so that was tabled and I think rightfully so I think a lot of coaches wouldn't want that because if you don't get that fourth and fifteen, essentially your opponent is already in field goal range. I don't know why it wasn't. Was that maybe the thirty five yard learner

even the potential forty yard line. And I think all the stats on you know, basically on side kicks, it's a little bit false pad because or a little bit false you guys, because there was a story out there today that any team trailing h you know, that had tried to use an onside kick had lost games. The record was no wins, one hundred and four losses. There were numerous teams that actually had an opportunity. And it

goes back last year Atlanta Falcons versus the Saints. Atlanta basically recovered two on sidekicks and had a chance to win the game, but three sacks is really what derailed them. So I think some of the misnomers about the on side kick, I don't think coaches and I think even owners still want to take the foot out of football just yet. They liked the third phase, and maybe they can revisit how to make on side kicks more meaningful again, right, And I think we all in agreement on this show

that we talked about many times. I don't want to see that a third phase get anymore derailed because it offers a lot of excitement, and I know there's the health issues involved, but Tom and Jim, that's such a major part of the history of the game. I hate all these little changes, but hopefully it won't get too crazy. I mean, you heard mister Rooney over there in Pittsburgh

say it was too much of a gimmick. Well, you know the thing about it is they kind of change the on site kick a couple of years ago when they made them even out the players from one side of the ball to the other, so there is no player at the front line of defense that's going to get overwhelmed by, you know, having multiple bodies come at them.

So I think they did make the play safer. I think when you open up a team to get a fourth and fifteen, you're just opening up the possibility of the biggest receiver inviting a pass interference one on one route, and you know, that kind of adds to the you know to the fundamental flaws that could happen in a play like that. And so I'm glad that they're going to keep it, try to work and keep the onside

kick into the game. Yeah, I hope. You know, a couple of years ago, when the new kickoff rule was established, supposedly the Competition Committee was going to reach out to all the special teams coaches to see because after that first year they came back and saw how much on sidekick recoveries had dropped. It had plummeted from twenty three percent to essentially less than ten percent. It actually came in it eight percent last year. Believe it or not,

it doubled. We saw one in the Bears game, obviously the Lions Bears game prater, and they recovered an on sidekick. I believe maybe is the one who recovered it, but they basically doubled on sidekick recoveries went from eight percent up to thirteen percent. My point is, if you go out and maybe you talk to some of these special teams coaches, maybe they can come up with some creative ideas to get that number even a little bit closer

to the twenty percent margin. Because even that, to me, I'll take my chances with an onside kick than a fourth and fifteen. The percentages just aren't in your favorite And as Tom mentioned, could be a gimmick. We're just a pass interference by the defense could get a team back in the game. I don't want to see that, and I don't think anybody else does. That's Jim Miller

top there. I'm Jeff joning ACQ. Will be joined by Darnell Mooney, the rookie receiver for the Bears coming out of the break here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Welcome back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural guests, and home warranty products to over one million customers trusted the country. Learn more about IGS

Energy at igs dot com. Jeff Joning acc along with Tom Thayer and Jim Miller joining you for our typical Thursday and I run down and this is the final show of May. Did you guys feel the month went slow or did it go fast? You know, it did go slow just because of the scenario we're in. There's not a lot to look forward to the next day, so you're kind of going through this the same old thing. But then Joliet got hit with a series of storms of this past weekend and a kind of through everything

into a tailspin. So it gave you a different concern outside the concern of pandemic. So it's kind of an just a spring in the Midwest. Yeah, it's kind of groundhog day because the kids are home from school and you got schooling. Now they're they're done, thankfully, but it was this kind of groundhog day every every day Jeff, I mean doing virtual zoom ins with my son's teachers and professors and other students and that of course come

up and talk football. So yeah, I went pretty slow, so I went back to schools what I did, Jeff, Right, So you'll be you'll be happy. The calendar will flip to June. Oh yeah, and it will get us closer. I mean, it is moving in that direction. There's tons of amenum we're talking about it. You mentioned the coaches. According to the commissioner, good doubt could return all thirty two got to be able to do it though at once, and he's going to continue to maintain that competitive balance.

And then in the memo that they gave with the players Association, they're they're trying to see if they could get the players, at least some to return to facilities before the offseason program ends. I'm certain that some players would really like that to happen. Guys, Oh, of course, Jeff.

You know that's you know the thing about offseason training for football players, It's it's different than just training as a as a normal citizen, like with you, because you know, you need that extra bodies around you when you're going through for these attempts of these weights that they got to get you ready to prepare football. You need the surrounding support, you need the security of spotters, and it's something that you can't go in your garage and do

by yourself because it's too dangerous. And so I was thinking about this and it'd be interesting for Jeff and Jim so to me, I think, you know, speed is a hard recovery if you're not doing it every day,

just like strength is. But it kind of like which of the two when the players get active again, is going to be the hardest to recover the strength not getting on an everyday basis in their own weight rooms, or speed because they're not challenging themselves in the open field and doing the running drills that they would be in a football sense. Yeah, I had yesterday. I had the opportunity to talk to Joe Flacco on Sirius and he basically said it, Jeff, I think there are players

out there, I think, young and old. They want to go to work. Man. It's time to go to work, is what it is. And I talked to Bill Callahan today, the offensive line coach of the Cleveland Browns. He said he's going out of his mind. This guy has coached over forty years. Forty years, he said to me, for me to hold a virtual meeting with players, He goes, I can cover the wide zone all day long. I can cover the techniques and all that, but Tom, you and I both know you got to get out on

that field. You gotta do the shoots, you got to hit the sleds, You got all these other things that you have to do, and there's only so much that can be accomplished in terms of the install in a virtual world. You gotta get out. And that's specifically when it comes to building chemistry on a football team. Even veteran players like Dwayne Brown, the starting left tackle out there for the Seattle Seahawks. He said it best. He goes, We're gonna have a small window coming out of training

camp to get this chemistry down. And Tom, that's one of the hardest things to settle. Who are your top five offensive lineman? How is that going to settle itself out? Because you're going to be distributing all those reps. So I think everybody overall is looking to get back to work in Chemistry is one of the biggest things that you build here in an offseason and it's all been missed. You can only do so much in a virtual world.

And you know what I think, Jeff as I was reading a report today and when you talk about the virtual world and how you have to get into the minds of the other players, Philip Rivers in a zoom meeting was going over his cadence in the way he uses his cadence at the line of scrimmage, so the offensive members can become familiar with the tone because he's gonna have a different tone to his cadence than probably

the last quarterbacks he's been through. He probably has more similar larities to Peyton Manning than anybody who's been there since. So I mean, those are the like the little details that they have the ability to do. But it's not reality. But you're you're giving everybody a sense of how Philip

Rivers talks and reacts at the line of scrimmage. Waiting Darnell Mooney, a Bears rookie receiver, and that coming up at the bottom of the hour will be joined by Dean Blandino, the rules specialist who works for a Fox Sports and the NFL and the NCAA. This is Bears all access brought to you by a GS energy all right, So as we bring it closer to home, it talk

Bears in terms of this situation right now. What units are most affected on the Bears by this lack of being face to face on the field, working out, getting strong and those types of things, learning from the new offensive quoches and whatnot. You know, you know, to me, it's what is about the offensive line because you're talking about five guys sometimes you add seven to eight that

have to work as one unit. They have to be completely together in design, footwork and understanding of the terminology that you're listening in the huddle. And so you're bringing in a new offensive line coach, you're bringing in multiple new offensive lineman. They're going to be fighting for jobs and it's really hard to work on the specifics of the choreograph technique that you have in an offensive line

when you don't have a hands on approach. Because if one Castillo is making a correction to Rashad Coward at right guard, he has to make sure Bobby Massey and Cody Whitehair the center and guard next to him, are on the same page and they're listening to the information that the right guard's getting because it affects the center and the right tackle. And for me, it's just going to be the young players overall. What do we always say the players who make the biggest jump is comes

from year one to year two. So think of players like David Montgomery, all right, his opportunity is the in this offseason to make that jump from year one to year two where you probably have your biggest jump as a player. He's missed all that. He's missed it all through the OTAs, through the mini camps. And we'll see if they're able to get something done here in the next month or so, if players are able to report back. So I worry about first year players going into their

second year. And I would say any of these young draft picks because as Tom will back me up on this, it's one thing much like Bill Callahan or say any of the Bears coaches to say, hey, guys, on a virtual meeting, he explains everything. All right, guys, you got that? You understand it? Yeah, coach, I got it. Oh do you got it? Because if you don't got it, you're gonna get us all fired, is what you're gonna do. Because they say I got it and Tom will back

me up on this as well. That is the most abuse saying by players in THEFL I got a coach, Well I got it, I'll get it. Yeah, you don't got it because you went out there for your first rep and you screwed it all up. That's not what we coached it to do. So I think the young

players will certainly be affected by it the most. Tom in that scenario so well, these young players or even the new players that come to the Bears, because if this doesn't go according to exact plan and you're still maintaining you're going to start a training camp, is it going to feel like the world's spinning one hundred miles an hour for these guys because they didn't have the benefit of this day to day in face's be if they do, if it's spinning out of control, then it's

their own fault because you know, Jeff again, when we were carrying around three hundred page playbooks, it's different than carrying around your tablet. You have access to it at any time. You know, the worst thing you can do is transfer I got it to the practice field an hour later and you're completely lost because the coach is looking at you and said, hey, one hour ago, you told me you completely got it, and obviously you don't. There's no proof in the pudding when you're going through

these virtual meetings. If you're saying I got it, they have to assume you got it because there's no proof

an hour later on the practice field. So if you are, you know, when this thing starts to get in motion, if you go out field and you're completely lost, it's gonna be evidence of it wasn't that it didn't mean that much to you in the first place, and you know, and then it gives them reason to, you know, put that check mark next to your name in terms of, you know, a guy that really went above and beyond and made sure you understood the information by the time

they got here. That's town fair. Jim Miller, Jeff Joniac here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score now joined by till Any wide receiver Darnel Money, one of the bears three fifth round draft choices, the five ten plus wide receiver and pick number one seventy three out of Gas and Alabama, kind enough to spend some time with us tonight. How you doing, Darnell things? Going well, Yeah, I'm doing pretty good about yourself, doing great,

doing great. Now. I know this, You've talked about it, and almost every member of this draft class, for whatever reason, whether it started from their college recruitment or being snubbed in high school, or their draft standing in the NFL, this particular group, and we've interviewed many of you already in this draft class, all seemed to be motivated in a sense by being overlooked at some point in their careers. You're certainly one of those guys. We've heard you say it.

But how good does it feel to know that your guys here in Chicago, your Bears front office people, your coaches, you were coveted. Was that the first time in your life playing football that you feel like you've been coveted by somebody to play this game? Very true? Very true. I do feel that way. But at the end of the day, I take I take the ones that are critiquing the bad way and are looking for me to to for them to be right. So I mean, kind

that's something to prove all the time. But um, like you said, I mean with with now you know the quarantine going on, I mean I feel like I have an edge of just uh team against guys that are in the NFL and they always had a trainer and never had to push for their selves. And I feel like I have an edge that way. So hey, Darne Ell, I's reading an article about you, and I really love the short answer you gave. And the question was why draft you? And you said, I'm not a risk I'm

a good investment. Why aren't you a risking? What's the investment? The Bears are getting U outside the speed element that you've you know, everybody's talking about after the combine. I'm a great route runner. UM a guy that uh, he's gonna do more than give you speed. He's gonna do He's gonna give you something explosive with the ball. It's just gonna be. I mean, everything that you can ask were that you feel like you haven't seen, You're You're

definitely going to get that out of me. The contested catches the all around receiver as you h you would um dream of of everybody just having the all around package. I feel like I have that, Darnell Jim Miller, Jim Miller here, good to talk to you, my friend, and welcome to the Chicago. If you were to do. Assess your game. What areas do you want to work on where you feel you need to improve personally or maybe just the feedback coaches there is they'd like you to

improve and that you've been working on. Um just uh, I mean in college, I kinda like rounded off on my releases instead of like being a little bit aggressive with the DV. But um, I tend to like, you know, tend to go a little wider. But m I learned from past practices of going to get a longer DV of just being a little bit more aggressively has worked in my favorite So doing that and then um, um, you know, not going so well, I mean, not spreading

out on my releases. But because just something we did add to Wane that I had to get out of it. I have it. I mean I didn't like it at first, and then I had got into it, and then I got to get back out of it. So I mean it wanta be a it will be a hard thing change with us. Is Darnel Mooney out of Tulane Bear's newest wide receiver. Yeah, they talk about your Speedboy and it's Elite four three eight at the fourth fastest at

the combine. But I'm more interested in what you've had to say about your route running because not every kid, and you included, you didn't get to run the entire route tree at Tulane. We've heard that, and most college kids don't. So when it gets to the NFL, it's a little challenging and there are a lot of numbers

to support that. But you feel that you are so driven to understand the route tree that you think you're going to make an easier transition that way, because that's a big part of the battle, the biggest part of the battle getting off the line of scrimmage in the National Football League for young receivers. But when did you start trying to, as you put it, master that route tree? Um, I will have to say about my sophomore year of college, I just started being more fatigueing of like my routes.

I never thought of myself as like a fast guy. I always thought of myself as a guy as good at getting off the release and then and then running my routes of win. I never thought of myself as a fast guy. The fast thing just came U. It's just a you know, an increase of what us I have. Hey, Darnell. In the last ten years, the Bears have had some pretty exciting playmakers like Devin Hester and even Teriq calling nowadays. And there's a quote that says, you're a playmaker with

a ball in your hands in space. Do you have any special teams visions in terms of a returner when you come up to the NFL. Oh, yes, definitely. I mean I did probably return high school. I did probably return my freshman year of college. And then I just caught him during during practice. It was just like it was just a thing that the coaches were having me do. I mean, if anything went bad, I was able to go back there. But Parma turn good concerns. I mean,

I'm comfortable with doing it. If I'm if I had the chance to do it, I will. But I mean that's another thing. If you say, like if I if I had the ball in like space, things can happen on the good side. But um, I mean, promaturn is very It's a very easy thing to do when um, I can just do my own thing. I don't have

a certain way to go. How has the install gone virtually in terms of digesting the offense, I know, what can be voluminous maybe compared to what it was that too lane and maybe the attention to detail the Bears are going to be asking of you during when you guys do get on the field to execute these play calls. I know they probably have installed quite a bit. But how's that gone for you? Oh, it goes, it goes. I mean it has won't very smooth for me. I mean I don't have a problem with it at all.

I'm collecting all the information very very easy. I mean, yeah, I don't. I don't have a problem at all. Darnell Mooney our guest final question from us here tonight, and it's more of a statement than a question. But I don't know if you know this or not, but your receivers coach, Mike Fury, you're getting to know him obviously three zoom. In the last twenty years in the National Football League, Darnell, he is one of the three hundred and ninety seven wide receivers that have hit a thousand

yards in a season. There's only been eleven by rookies. M But that's saying something because that's a former defensive back. So you can tell him you know a little bit about about his NFL playing days. Mike Furrey looks like he's ready to play right now. He's seen the muscled up receivers coach and you're thinking that guy, that guy

would be pretty tough as a dB two. Yeah, yeah, man comes very I can't wait to get on the field with them and work when he's a He's an up temple coach and uh up temple person as well as I just love his mindset and the mentality he brings every day. Very good. Well they're now, we'll be looking forward and when we get off together back in normalcy here and get to see you up at Hallisau and best of luck on getting things rolling for your

rookie season one. You'll probably never forget in the National Football League. Thank you, Darnelmonia Tolay and our guest here tonight on the Score Sports Radio six seventy as we break down the Bears from twenty twenty here on Bears All Access. Coming up next, well, we joined by Dean blandinol football rules analysts and specialists. We'll take a news of the day look at what happened with the NFL owners meeting. We'll return after this on Chicago Sports Radio

six seventy to score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by CDW. People will get it and learn more at CDW dot com. Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer your Bears broadcast crew, along with former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from Serious x M, NFL Radio our producer Tonight Brandon Orloski helping us out as we get

you set for Bears Football twenty twenty. Rules it's always a topic this time of year, and after the NFL owners got it virtually done today, joined by Dean Blandino, football rules analyst for the NFL, Fox Sports at NCUBA and as a Good Cause podcast. Dean, thanks for joining us, the former vice president of officiating in the National Football League. We'll go right to it. What did you think today about the fourth and fifteen conversion alternative to the outside

kick being table for discussion? Yeah? Usually, and I know there are a lot of people at the league office that that want this to happen. And usually when when something gets tabled like that, they they didn't have the votes, you know, So however they did it if they can VISs the you know, the virtual room, and um, ultimately it didn't have enough votes. To pass, so they tabled it. They're gonna try to They're gonna try to have more discussion, work through some of these issues. Um, I don't know.

I don't know if they're gonna get to twenty four yes votes. They're gonna they got some work to do. But whenever something like that gets tabled, the you know, the league office wants this to happen, and they don't. They don't want to. Uh, they don't want to go down without a fight. Right now, Dean, is an open debate, you know, Is it like the Lincoln Douglas debates when they're up there trying to, you know, fight for each

side of this argument. And you know it was there ever a time that maybe it was gonna be swayed in that fourth and fifteen direction. Yeah, you know, it is an open debate. I don't know. This is obviously right new ground. Virtually usually when you have these discussions, there's there's two people from every club. Everybody's in the same room. The entire competition committee is there, and you can you can go up and speak your mind and

have and have that conversation. This was done virtually one person from every club, So I'm sure there was some dialogue, but probably not as much as when you have coaches in the room and things like that. Um, I think

this has gained momentum. Probably two weeks ago you wouldn't have thought this was even going to be this close, and it certainly gained some momentum because again I think there are people in the league office that are pushing this to want this to happen, and uh, you know, I think there, like I said, they about some work

to do. I think there's still some issues. I don't hate the idea, but I, like, you know, whenever you're going to make a fundamental change to the game, I just think you need to make sure you've been out of all the unintended consequences. So we'll see what happens. Yeah, Dan, that's where I want to go with it, because much like the past interference call, no call that just got to went away, like the Dodo bird, I want to

cover this rule because of the past. Today it says to make permanent the expansion of automatic replay reviews to include scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul and any successful or unsuccessful try attempt. I believe last year it only happened like ten to twelve times, but yet they felt it was enough to where they wanted to move forward and pass this rule. Yeah, that was something you know. Like you said, it doesn't happen very often.

It does take the pressure off the coach that during a tribe, regardless of what happens, regardless if it's ruled good or no good, it takes the pressure off the coach that he doesn't have to challenge. It puts it on replay. Scoring play that's negated by penalty, turnover that's negated by penalty. Doesn't happen very often. But again, it takes it out of the coach's hands. They don't have to use that and potentially lose the time out. And it makes it an automatic review, which I think is

a good thing. But again, it doesn't happen very often. Dean Bland, you know our guest, a football rules analyst on the NFL, Fox Sports at NCUBA J wanting to us here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. I'm old school. I'm an old fashioned I like things to say the same. I resist change, big Dean. So this fourth and fifteen idea really me personally as a play by play guy and a lover of the game.

I just I know safety comes first, I do, but the whole idea of moving things away from the kicking game aside from that, just in the kick return game and whatnot. I just worry down the road that the elimination of some really exciting plays, no matter how lack of success percentage, just say there is what it would be something that we're going to miss. At the same time. Um, but I do like the idea of expanning the defenseless player protection for kick and part return. Yeah you know,

I'm like you. Where again I don't. I don't think this needs to be changed in terms of the fourth and fifteen. This is not a player's safety change anyone that tells you that the data. There's no significant data that says, you know, the fourth and fifteen play is any more or less safe than an onside kick. It just they don't have that at this point. UM. I like the the execution of the onside kick. If you have if you're a team like Atlanta that has a kicker that can that can do it, Um, you know,

more power to you. M I do like the protection. Look, the defenseless player protections have been a significant in a much needed change over the last however many years, twenty five thirty years, and in allowing the kick returner that extra protection that not just when they catch it, but until they have the time to protect themselves, just like a receiver. It's more or less been officiated that way, but to put it in the wool book, I think

is a necessary step. Being like the pass interference and like the fourth and fifteen on site, is there another powder keg topic out there that we're going to be paying attention to twenty twenty and beyond or are we waiting for the first on site kick to come up and then the whole argument will restart depending upon who gets it or doesn't get it. Yeah, I mean, this onsine alternative isn't going to go away, you know, if they if they do eventually get the votes, and maybe

they call for another vote. I think I think the big thing now is going to be right a sky judge that concept. They agreed to have a preseason experiment and I think that's going to be the next the next big thing. Somebody up in the booth. We already have a replay official, but can that replay official? Can we expand their per view and let them help the crew in other areas other than catch no catch and

scoring plays and things like that. So I think it'll be interesting to see how much of an experiment we get, you know, how much of a preseason are we going to get, and are we going to get you know, a good indication of what that could look like during the regular season. So I think that's probably the next big thing. Yeah, Dan, I want to piggyback off of what you just stated there, because it would be an

eighth official added to the crew. And I'm not trying to be a negative nelly or anything like that, but you know, you look at it, and this is what Troy Vincent talked about, the VP of football opposite at the league office, about the recruitment of officials. If you have to add more officials, and that would be an eighth official added or god forbid, say during the fall some of the officials get COVID nineteen, will there be extra officials available for games? How is the recruitment of

officials going to expand it and get it up to date? Yeah, I mean, there's no question to come down to people. That comes down to personnel and having qualified people that can step in. There are seventeen officiating crews, there's seventeen replay officials. M I can't sit here and say all seventeen are are on the same level in terms of competencies.

Just like anything else, they are going to be some people that are better than others, And I wouldn't say that all seventeen of those could step right in today and be an eighth official up in the booth and

handle additional duties. So that's the challenge, and I think the NFL has to continue to find the right people, coach him up, teach him, train them, and get them ready because yeah, we're going into a season with you know, something that hasn't happened in our lifetime, and who knows what's going to happen, with people potentially getting sick, and you're going to have to have people ready to go to step in. So I think personnel is going to

be is going to be a big challenge. Remaining Monimus with Dean Blandido, the outstanding rules analysts for the National Football League a Fox Sports NC Doubla, as well the former VP officiating the National Football League, Dan What's your how will now? After the interference experiment. How will that now translate? Do you think on the field, Yeah, it's it's unfortunate. I have never I've never seen a rule change go in for one year in my time that

was just not even proposed the following year. It was just a complete and like and these aren't my words, I mean Troy Vincent Stead, it was a complete failure and to have you know, just the way it was implemented. It just they struggled with finding the right standard, and I think it started to affect the officials on the field and wondering, you know, what is and what is and if that's not past an inference, if you don't overturn that, I'm not going to call that the next

time out. So so I think again getting back to if past the aference is a problem, let's get back to the route where where where does it start? It starts with the officials on the field. Teach, coach them up, make sure they understand what it is. I think we saw all the unintended consequences of reviewing those subjective foulsum play out last year. Not and as you think about a sky judge and adding things to to what's reviewable, those are got to be some of the you know,

some of the considerations. You know, how far is far enough? Do we need to fix every little thing? Or can we let the officials officiate and let replay help when when it's necessary, Dane real quickly. For me, my entire career, I was on kickoff return and then when I looked at the new formation of the kickoff return in the XFL, it was really appealing and I think it added a safety element. Plus it gave them an opportunity to return

and have an exciting play continue in football. Has there been any conversation No, I mean implementing, but at least talking about it. Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I'm a part of the NTA rules meetings, the competition community meetings. We definitely discussed it. M I know, the NFL has discussed it, and uh, you know, I was a part of the XFL, so I got to see it, you know, play out, and it did exactly what what we thought it would. It kept the return in the game ninety four percent

of kicks will return. It eliminated reduce some of those high impact collisions, and it kept an exciting play in the game. And it actually, you know, it made it safer. Small sample size, certainly, but I think I think it's there's something to be said for that, for that formation. And there's no question the NFL has has talked about it. In terms of implementation, who knows, but they definitely it's

on their radar. Let me ask you this team, because the past interferniture rule going away, so it leaves the possibility of another Saints Rams game. How is the mechanics of the sky judge or this idea they're going to cultivate here and then the competition at a committee It sounds like they will decide it through the preseason games. How will those mechanics work out? If you if you

have any information on how that will work here this preseason? Yeah, yeah, so you have you have wireless communication amongst the seven officials on the field and and upstairs to the replay booth two way communication. So the way mechanically it would work, from my understanding, is that the on field officials could solicit information from the replay official upstairs. They would have to do that before twenty five seconds are on the

play clock. So the play ends, there's a ruling, they can get help from upstairs, ask for help on certain situations and the replay official using the video could provide that help. The way it's set up now, once we get to twenty five seconds on the playclock, now we're getting ready for the next play. There's nothing that the replay official can do, so to be interesting to see if that communication can be seamless, if it's not interrupting

the flow of the game. The last thing we want is the officials waiting and standing around after every other play waiting for somebody upstairs to kind of give them a green light. That's going to just destroy the pace of the game and I think that would be counterproductive.

So we'll see how it goes in the preseason and then, like you said, I think the competition could be they'll have the ability to discuss it and potentially, you know, it's the commissioner could put something in for the regular season if they feel like it's it makes sense and the experiment worked. All right, Dean, we'll let you go. Really appreciate you taking the time tonight. Good informative stuff, Dean, Blando, Stay safe out there. Football rules analysts doing a great job.

As always. When we come back, we'll continue to look at the Bears at twenty twenty. Break things down from today as we continue on Bears All Access is brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy. Jeff Jonny Ac top there, Jim Miller with you until the top of the hour. Tide is offering free laundry services to the families of

Chicago Land frontline responders until the end of May. Visit Hope dot Tide Cleaners dot com to find a location near you. Jim Miller, tomp there with you, Jeff jony Ak wrapping things up. Good to talk to Dean Bland. Yeah, I know, Jim, you talked to him all the time. They're on Serious XM. But it really makes an understandable for the average person, just average football fan, clears up some of the diminutia of the of the rules. Yeah.

I think he does a great job. I think, you know, he and Mike Perrera have been you know, the last two, you know, being a former NFL head of officiating, do a great job and their explanations and I just think just a straightforward, common sense approach. I think Al Riveron has somewhat struggled a little bit and and hopefully he'll continue to get better moving forward. But a lot of these officials, and I even talked to ESPN's John Perry today,

who was really very excellent in explaining the points. Like you said in Layman's terms, that all the fans out there get a good idea and perspective of what they're trying to accomplish. It's not an easy job. I think we all understand that the human element is a part of it. They're gonna make mistakes. It's a fast moving sports. But at the end of the day, golf fans and all football fans in general, you just let the right call. I think everybody wants the right call and how it's

executed down on the field. Hey, Tom, you you threw a trivia question at me before the show started about pass interference. Let's let's see if Jim Miller's on it as a former NFL quarterback, Big Tom, what do you got? What play? Is? What play as the most pass interference called on this past season? Anyways in the NFL? What play? What do you mean? Like? What first, second, third, or fourth down? Because Jim, the reason I was asking you This is because fourth and fifteen just invited the element

of pass interfere creatively designed pass interference plays. But when I went back and looked at it, the most penelty, the most pass interference penalties were called on what down and distance. Oh, I would probably say third and short, third and short to medium is what I'd say. Well, it's it's first and ten. It's first and ten and um, that's what surprised me the most most, Jim, when I looked it up, because I was thinking too, I was thinking, you know, third and ten and above I thought would

be the most. And I think maybe it's defensive backs or defensive players getting caught off guard when there's an equal run pass threat at that point you get a double move, you reach out grab them, and that probably more because you know you're going for the juggler right away, catch a defense you know, maybe napping a little bit to start a game, and you know it gets a

little handsy down there. Well, that would I mean the same theory because third the reason why I bring up third and short to medium, because that is still a rundown when it's when it's third, and that's where to me, defensive backs get a little bit grabby. So let makes sense on first and second down because or first down in terms of doing it, because the balance is there

where it could be run or pass. Is really the line of thinking you know I was going with, but add it is surprising on first down would be that that down that's has the most from the right. Another question, another question for both of you you. You in regards of the on side kick. So yeah, you have at the end of the game and everybody understands it's going to be an onside kick, and then you have the lineup.

But you look at these coaches like a John Gruden or Sean Payton, where they'll pull that onside kick because they recognize there's a frontline, a blocker on kickoff return that leaves this spot too early. So that's an element that you can't take out of the game because all of that is a good investigative work by the special team's coach. And so you know, it'd be weird if they took the end of the game on side out of it, but they didn't take the end game on

side kick out of it. Yeah, Well, it actually happened in the Miami Buffalo game last year. They they're in a surprise on side kick and it worked. You know, I think they just need to go back because two years ago when they implemented this rule, and we know what was about players safety, about the return game and all that stuff, and you can't overload. As you mentioned, Tom, leave it up to the special teams coach. After the year,

we know that it plummeted. They were supposed to reach out to all the special teams coaches and try to come up with an idea what would make the on site kick have more bite. Again it we used to be twenty four percent, you could recover them. Now it plummeted to less than eight the first year eight percent, and now it's already back up to thirteen. So put

it in in the special teams coaches hands. I think they'll be able to get it back up to that twenty percent margin where it has more influence and can be utilized in a game in the home stretch. That's Jim Miller, Tom Fair, Jeff Johnny Act. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score wrap the things up before we hand it off to the top of the hour. Jeff Johny Act along with Tom Thare

and Jim Miller. Thanks to our guests earlier tonights we had darn Al Mooney and the fifth round pick wide receiver for the Bears, and guys, I am excited about a guy with that kind of speed because yes, it's going to take a while, and I think I'm right Jim on this young receivers. I don't care how town. Getting off the line of scrimmage in press at this level is the biggest challenge that he will face. Yeah, well, there's no doubt one because of his size and his weight, right.

I believe he was listed, you know, in one hundred and seventy five and no whole gain a little bit, but they can be thrown off by some of these big corners. And let's be honest, I mean, you got all these monster receivers coming out. Teams have been drafting going back to the legion of Boom by the Seattle Seahawks, bigger and bigger corners, and that can throw off a young receiver who won. He's probably going to get stronger in the weight room so his path can't be thrown off.

But you know, I'm glad you brought up the special team's aspect of it, Jeff, because I think from that standpoint,

that's where players can have an impact early. You know, when you look at players like whether it's Antonio Brown when he broke in the league, or Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys where do they make or even Tyree Hill right he's known as a receiver, but he is the biggest impact was as a returner early in his career, and I think fully Mooney could have an impact from that standpoint if he's utilized punt returns and maybe incorporated in the kick return side of it as well, you know,

Jim and Jeff. One of the most interesting articles I read read by Darnell is that in the latter part of his college career he started to take note of the size of the cornerbacks he was playing against and he would alter his route running style accordingly. And he had a difference of route style against a taller, lankier corner than he did a shorter one. So I'm really interested to see if that's information that he can take

and utilize in the NFL. And I know that the cornerback talent's a lot different, but there is an obvious observation you make of your opponent, whether you're an offensive lineman looking at the defensive lineman or receiver looking at a cornerback. And I think the presidence of a veteran speech to like Ted Jin Jr. Will help the young man out a little bit. Knows a little thing about speed and how to use that to your advantage. And the rounds not just go routes. All right, we're at

the time, feltas, Thanks very much. Thanks to Dean Blandino who just texted and said thanks for having me. He was very It was very good. That's down there, Jim. We'll talk to you next week. Pick fella sounds good man, And thanks to brand G. Darlovski, Jordan tread up, Dan Billy and thank you for listening. We'll talk to you next Thursday night on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Thanks for listening to this

Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by Miller Litte