Terell Smith on Vikings matchup, seizing opportunities | Bears Weekly

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Here are your hosts, Jeff Chiliact aka the Mayor of Bearsville and his sidekick, Tom the Surfmaster Thayers.

While we roar into week twelve, the Bears hosted Surprising eight and two vikings at Soldier Field Sunday at noon. Good to have you alongside with Bears Super Bowl winning guard Tom Thayer.

I'm Jeff Joniac.

Coming up.

We visit with second year cornerback Tarrell Smith in the ESPN studio spind of the Dows Tonight.

We thank Hendra Smith.

Thanks to our producers Dan Brilliant, Jordan Treidap from the Bears, and the executive producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrowski.

Tom Good Evening.

I'm trying to get a feel for exactly who these Vikings are and I can't quite figure them out. I know they're very talented. Defensively, Sam Darnold's having a big comeback Player of the Year type of moment at quarterback, or maybe it's put it in the category of comeback career moment for Sam Darnald has bounced around a lot, and they've got Aaron Jones and they've got Justin Jefferson, and boy, they've ripped off some nice wins.

But you know what's great about that, jeff and I'm glad that you bring all that up.

But look at the reverse side of it.

Minnesota Vikings are trying to do the same thing with the new lead on offense Chicago Bears. There's not the analytics, there's not the tendencies. You don't understand how the offensive coordinator thinks you see the offense being able to play a better brand of football. What we know about the Minnesota Vikings is they're willing to take chances at the

Here's my theme this week, Tom, have some fun and make a run. Yes, what do you got to lose? You got seven games?

Man? I love it. I do you know?

Let it run? Is that Caleb running for first downs? Is that the running game? Running for first downs? Is that the Bears as a team making a run down the home stretch here. There's so many different ways that you can look at it. And after, you know, after thinking about this game for a week and what the Bears did on offense last week, I think I think there's you know, some concern up there in Minnesota just because they don't have analytical proof on what the Bears are gonna come out and try.

To do, attempt to do and can do.

Tom, in your opinion, what did cale legs getting seventy yards last week? And pick them up all those first downs on third down maybe due to what Brian Floores wants to do against him in terms of pressure.

Well, the thing about it is, now I'm thinking of Brian Flores.

Do I have to keep a spy at.

Home instead of being able to have an exotic line of scrimmage with multiple bodies on the line of scrimmage? Do I have to keep one at the second level at all times in case Caleb decides to run with the ball, And then that kind of helps the offense because there's a limited.

Amount of blockable bodies up with the line of.

Scrimmage, so you know, and then you have to be concerned about the assets that they can Jeff Joni X word deploy at the offensive line of scrimmage because when you're talking about the amount of quality receivers they have receivers out of the backfield, listen, you better fulfill those

So in the two games that they gave up the most rushing yards this season, that happened to be Week seven against Detroit they got beat thirty.

One to twenty nine.

They gave up one hundred and forty four yards. That's a pocket throwing quarterback, obviously in Jared Goff. Then against the Rams the following week, they lost that game as well. I lost by ten, And that's Matthew Stafford, a pocket throwing quarterback. They ran for one oh seven and thirty two carries, didn't get a lot of yards per carry, but they managed to hit that one hundred mark. They did again against San Francisco, but San Francisco won that game.

I'm looking.

They played the Giants, Frisco, Houston Packers, Jets, Lions, Rams, Colts, but Anthony Richardson didn't play in that game. If I'm not mistaken, then Jack, So they haven't played a quarterback like Caleb correct.

You know when you go back and you watch the Jets game and you look at Aaron Rodgers uses instant against this Minnesota Vikings, it's not necessarily he was. He had greatness thrust upon him in that game. But he knew the avoidable, he knew how to extend protection, he knew how to step up in front of the rush, and so there's kind of interesting aspects that you have to look at depending upon the quality and the athleticism of the quarterback that they're playing against. But as you mentioned,

Yeah, it's an interesting chess match and it's Thursday, so that means it's coordinator Thursday time. Thomas Brown at the podium today. Didn't want a lot of flowers about what was accomplished in that game offensively in light of the loss. Here he is Thomas Brown, second time of the podium this year as Bears offensive coordinator.

Boys, in this game, we played the game to win and we came up short. But I want to start first by saying how much I appreciate the response from our coaches and our players, because last week on Wednesday really challenged the entire group, all the coaches included myself, all the players, to do more, to give more, to be accountable, to practice harder, so we have an opportunity

So we continue to.

Keep talking about the principles that lead towards us playing well, starting first with how we prepare, the mentality behind it. And you know, football is a violent game and the rewards those to play the game viol only, so taking it from a preparation standpoint throughout the week so hopefully show them the right way on game there.

It's hard to find weaknesses in this defense to.

Do a really good job they I don't know Brian Floyes all that well, but I've met him a couple of times. I think one of the biggest compliments you can get as the coaches, your unit takes on your personality, and so they are aggressive, they are attacking, they are opportunistic, and so it's gonna be important for us to go into the game. To me, always first and foremost like play with no fear, Like we're not gonna coach scared,

So why fear what hasn't even happened yet.

So I think about our guys being able to have confidence in the game plan to build that based on preparation throughout the week. Then on game they later up man like, we don't fear failure or fear mistakes. You learn from those opportunities and they continue to keep swinging.

Thomas Caleb said the other day with what felt different with you?

And he said, we felt like we were more in control. You've been on the headset now the entire season, but to be in that spot where you're calling plays.

Can did you feel that same?

And like what would control look like for you?

Yeah? Man, I feel good. I think it all starts with how you prepare.

To me, when you get the game day, either done enough to give yourself a chance to play well all you didn't, so I kind of had good piece of mind just based on what we did throughout the week, the game plan put together, and again my goal is always to put us in the best spots for our guys to make plays based on tennessees, based on how we set the game up, based on formation, motion variations.

So definitely believe in you know.

Marying and running the past, marrying formations and motions. From a defensive standpoint, they're basing a lot of their calls off of obviously your previous tendencies, which I had none before this game here obviously, but also off of just your alignments like two by two, three point one formation into the boundary, similar motions. So trying to do a really good job of you know, put a seat of down in the in the minds of the defenders before the ball stamps to give us an advantage of able

Really you didn't simplify the offense, but how did you want to make sure you clearly communicated on Sunday first time he's hearing your voice and you guys are making that transition together.

I think it's a working in progress throughout the week.

I think just making sure that I'm communicating clear and concise to him and also asking the voice feedback. Just as far as do you want some reminders in the headset about this particular play. Do you want to reminder by the motion standpoint, that's my job again to take alleviate stress.

Off of him.

I think, as you did design of offense and call the game, I want to try to find ways to alleviate stress off the two more secual positions, which is the line and the quarterback. So we can do that

With regard to With regard to Adam's question, are there wrinkles that you can add incrementally each week? That are you know what you want to do uh each week or can you only basically run Shane's offense?

Yeah, I definitely understand the question. The wrinkles I want to add is what it is best for our team. So it's regardless of what I may want to do

So do you know things that like next year you would do totally differently than what you know that you can't do now that you want to do in the back of your mind or the things like that.

That's that's much different.

And not which I had the luxury of thinking about next year, you know, But I definite understand you know what you're what you're asking me, But honestly, I know it sounded like coach speak, but I am where my feet are, and today we have a great opportunity to go have some situational working third down. He's got done with workings in two minutes. And in the all season, what I kind of do my brainstorm and thinking about what I want to do. I think about what I

All right, So love everything he has to say. He says every He says all the right stuff. Tom does he not.

He does, but he's not prepared. He doesn't know these questions beforehand. He's answering off the top of his head, and he sounds super intelligent and really sustinct to the point of what they're asking him. The only question I didn't like is about next year. Listen, man, keep that that's not even your in your windshield. And then the

He's got a lot of weapons to choose from, a lot of things to implement, and he speaks his mind right to the point.

Love it.

That's Thomas Brown, That's Tom Thayer. I'm Jeff Joniac and this is Bears Weekly. Coming up next our interview with Terrell Smith, the Bears second year cornerback. It's all here on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.

Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the Voice of the Bears, Jeff Jack.

This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by IGS Energy. Welcome back to Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network with Super Bowl winning Bears guard towm theairre.

I'm Jeff Joniack.

We're brought to you by IGS Energy, and our special guest this week is the man they call Smitty or tea time. As I found out from the University of Minnesuotarel Smith. How you doing man, Thanks for taking the time.

Good, how are you appreciation Let's go through.

Those right away.

Tea time?

How'd that start?

So that started back in high school with my track coach started calling me that probably like my sophomore year in high school, and then it just stuck.

Yeah, tea time because when it's time to go, you're flying. You won the hundred meter right in the state. What'd you run it in?

Ten thirty two?

Not shabby, min man? What's your forty time?

Four for one?

All right? That works for me.

And then Smitty is from head coach Matt Eberflus. Is that taking rooty in this building?

Oh?

Yeah, that caught him real quick. Yeah, like first first day or two.

Yeah, that was it.

It's a no brainer. Really, you like it?

Right?

Yeah?

It's cool.

Every single person that I've ever grown up with in my life that their last name is Smith, they immediately became Smitty, So something.

Kind of you're born with Hey Trell.

So my brother in law played eleven years for the Atlanta Falcons and he lived in Gwyette County. Oh and I remember this big water tower above the city and it says Gwinnett is great?

Why how did you make it from Gwinnett to Minnesota?

You know, Coach Fleck, I just had a really good relationship with coach Fleck, and like just the whole recruiting process with him was just really good. And that really that was like the main question that like during the whole draft process too, everyone was asking me, like why did I go all the way to Minnesota?

But I enjoyed my time there.

I really liked coach Fleck, and so that's why I went out there.

It's a great program, you know.

So Jeff and I have been broadcasting for the Bears for a long time, and we've actually broadcasted games within your college stadium and some of the coldest weather that we ever been There was an outdoor game there in Minnesota. Do you think that the time you spent in the cold weather in Minnesota has benefited you playing in Chicago and some of the conditions you have to play in Oh.

Most definitely, yeah, because I think it's coded erit in here and then playing outdoors, like I think the coldest game I played there was like negative two, like my senior night.

So yeah, most definitely.

How did Fleck treat the cold weather?

Did he make you.

Guys practice outdoors all year round or did you have an indoor facility that if conditions were cold enough, you guys would go inside.

So we had an indoor, but like we will practice outside, probably like twice out the week, so like two of the like three practices would be outside and then like the probably like the Wednesday practice or something would be like an indoor.

But other than that we were outside.

Hey, Tom, we know what game that was. It was the coldest I've ever been, so metrodome roof collapse because of the snow.

Yeah, I heard about that.

So we had to go. It was a night game.

We had to do our TV show outside the stadium, and I've never been colder. I shivered so much I could barely speak for the live show was at ten thirty at night.

Yeah.

So we get to the game.

And I'm like, Tom, I don't know, this is gonna be hard game to call. And the game almost got canceled because the field was so iced over. It was so hard the players thought it was going to be danger But that was the game. Two things happened. Corey Wooten Bears defensive ends sacked Brett Farb that was the last play he played in the National Football League. And Devin Hester broke the punt return record in that game.

Oh?

No, no, no, no, the super old one?

Yeah, the Bloomington Yeah? How did how do you guys play in that cold one?

I feel like for me, once it gets like ten degrees, everything else under that it kind of feels the same in my opinions, just.

Cold to me.

I think cornerback is the most is the second most difficult position in professional sports to play outside of quarterback. And when you think of that, the trial and airrors that you went through in college. When your college career came to to an end, did you know that you had the qualifications to make it as a cornerback in the NFL.

I feel like I did, especially like my senior year. I would say my confidence I was like everything was just through the roof and I.

Was just playing really well. So I always knew that I could play in the league.

But my senior year at Minnesota was whenning, like everything like really clicked for me.

So when you came to OTAs and then it transfers to full pad practice, were you going up against receivers in the NFL going wow, man, these guys are so much better in college or because you played in the Big Ten and you saw some of the best receivers in professional football.

Was it a shock to you or did you say, oh, man, I can do this.

I wasn't really a shock.

It was more so of me like having the confidence and going out there like knowing that I could do it. I would say just the biggest change for me was just the speed of the game. But then once all that slowed down, it was just regular football.

Trrell Smith our guest here on Bears Weekly and yes being one thousand of the Bears Radio network, Jeff in Tom breaking things down getting ready to play the Minnesota Vikings that Soldier field.

Did you have a team growing up?

I was a big Tom Brady fan.

So Patriots, all right, see that comes out of left field, Gnette, But what what?

Why?

That was the first football game I've ever seen, like when I was like, I think it was like five. They were like the first team I've seen on TV, So I was like, I'm gonna roof for them.

Were you ever in an NFL game before you became an NFL player?

Yeah, we went out to uh when I was actually in college. They all took us out to a Bikings game.

Does it ever get old? That energy rush never gets old? Do you thrive off of that?

Oh?

Yeah, most definitely, especially playing defense, like third down, like the crowd being loud and everything. I'll say like, it never gets old. You like you always like feed off the energy of the fans and everything. So it's just like a great feeling all the time.

All right, Trell, you're on the field. Tom Brady's over there in a nice suit and tie. Do you go over and say hi to them? If you had a sharpie? Would you ask him to sign anything? Or did you kind of walk around with the little swaggers? Now I'm a member of the NFL.

Yeah, I seen him. I've seen him over there. There are warm ups.

I wanted to go over there and say what's up, but he was he was talking, so I just kept warming up and just let him be.

You know what's kind of cool trail.

So I was sitting on the sideline with Peena Tillman, and so Peanut, as we are in a conversation, he saw Tom Brady and as excited as you were as a young kid and a fan of Brady, Pinu goes, hey, I want to go out and introduce myself to Tom Brady. So I so, you know what I thought was kind of cool, because if you're thirty five or twenty five, it's still exciting to see a guy that you think about that played the sport at a high level and had some great accomplishments.

Yeah, yeah, most definitely for sure.

Yeah, Peanut introduced himself to Randy Moss in his rookie year and shut him down. I'll never forget that. Oh yeah against the Vikings, that sold your field.

All right.

So that being said, when you take the field this week, you got a guy like Justin Jefferson running around out there along with Jordan Adis are running around. These are like a Batman and Robin duo. That's as good as any in the league. How do you mentally get ready for those two guys?

Just just sharpen our tools and practice.

Just make sure going into the game we know all of our alignments and assignments. Make sure our feet are nice and clean during the game, have a good hands, and just play football from there.

We both love John Holk. I feel he's an outstanding defensive back coach. He gets guys to play as hard as anybody.

In the league.

What do you hear ringing in your head every time you go to work or you're on the field that you know it's coming from John Holk and it's coming back to you in your head like all good coaches, right, What is it?

Uh?

Just him screaming finished to the ball, just playing with tremendous effort. Just just play play a game at one hundred miles per hour.

Hey roll.

So it's kind of a weird schedule how you face all your division teams towards the end of the season. So as you get into Green Bay and you get into Minnesota and Detroit and the rest of them down the road, do you feel it in the locker room a little bit more, a little bit, a little bit more seriousness of the games when you're playing division games?

Yeah?

Just yeah, I think so like division games, it's just I guess it's just the bigger feeling like it means more.

I guess. So I would say most definitely.

And it's physical, which you that's your game too. You know, can't have a tough defense without corners who like to tackle. Sure, so you Kyle right right, Tyree. Well, we appreciate it and know your time is limited. Good to get to know you a little bit and good luck the rest.

Of the season. Thanks for your time. Appreciate you all right for Tom and Jeff.

That's Terrell Smith, Will Beckham Moore previewing the Bears and Vikings for Week twelve here on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Networks.

Bears Weekly with the Voice of the Bears for twenty four years.

Chef Joney Chef.

On the Bears Radio Network, or.

Gently used coat laying around.

We'll head to your local Jew until February tenth and donate one of your new or gently used coach to the thirty sixth annual Chicago Bears Coat Drive help keep Chicagoans warm this winter. Jeff in Tom with you here on Bears Weekly time. Just listening to Terrell Smith, and we're getting to know some of these guys we haven't met or talked to really too often in their time

It's why I love this secondary. I love everybody in it.

But it's a position of confidence.

And if you don't have a special skill set and the athleticism to live up to what you required your job requirements are, you can't play the position. But again, you have to have a position with the athleticism that's complimented by confidence. And Charrell Smith, he's a fifth round draft choice. He's not a high profile guy coming into the league, so he has to prove to the coaches that he belongs and I think every step of the way he's done that throughout the early stages of his career.

And just listening to Coach Washington today, the Bears defensive coordinator' hit from him in our next segment as well, there's still going to be a rotation, so to speak, with Terrell Smith and Tyreek Stevenson at that corner position.

Good.

You know, you keep fresh athletes on the field, you keep hungry athletes on the field, because every single rep that you have of being on the football field.

You have to have production.

You have to show that you know what you're doing mentally and you're capable of doing it physically.

So Justin Jefferson the Bears missed him last year, right he was injured. So he's tenth in receptions this year, second in yards tied for ninth and touchdowns with five, first in yards per catch at fifteen to five, and second with the second longest reception in the NFL ninety seven yards against the forty nine ers. He does a

At that position.

And you know, obviously it's an aero show right now in the NFL for the most part, has been for a bit. But we even, I mean we look at all these other wide receivers and you hear people talk about them, is Justin Jefferson arguably the best.

He's one of the best because Justin Jefferson is making the quarterback. When you look at the development of some wide receivers throughout their career, it's the quarterback that's making the wide receiver. And when you look at Justin Jefferson, his route running, his ability to get open the crossing routes that they run. He is taking Sam Donald and

All right, Well, Darnold is playing some good football.

He does have some turnover worthy plays to keep an eye on, and that's something the Bears are going to focus on. Now from a pass rush perspective, can they get the heat on him. They got a solid offensive line. The right tackle Brian O'Neil very good. It is a lowed just one sack this season. They lost their left tackle. But Cam Robinson comes over from Jacksonville. He faced him in London. Big guy likes to steer guys around the edge, make him go the long way to get to the quarterback.

I guess bumps and bruises.

There's we got no excuses, players and coaches. We're out there. It's our job to execute. It's our job to play the run and affect the passer, whetherver down it is and so. And like we said, in our position, whether you're if you're in the front o line in D line, there's very after the first week, there's very rarely you're gonna be one hundred percent. There's always gonna be something, But never can that be a situation that that takes away from what our expectations are or what we do.

How do you see Montes handle a stretch when he has sat?

And the thing about Montes when you're around you talk to him, yeah, is whether it's his production or someone else, he wants to see the team and the group succeed. It's not just about him individually. Obviously everyone wants the numbers right there. But what we all when you talk about frustration, you're looking forward to.

Our number one goal is to win? Uh?

When when when the game? When our run numbers when our pass rush affect the quarterback, and I think that's where whether it's his stats, or it's Dex's stats, or it's Chris Williams stats, that's what we're Our goal is right now is however it comes up. Is the more plays we play and the more opportunities run on the field, the more opportunities we are all going to have to eat.

And that's what our goal is.

Do you see him individually press him a little bit which was seen natural?

I don't think I haven't noticed in pressing. I think a lot of just the whole group right now. As you talk about or he said reset, I think it's more just the basics details, fundamentals, intensity, rush angles, hand uses, ability to fin never stop our feet. I think that's more when you look at that, that's more than just the details, increasing the execution, the discipline, the intensity about what we're doing. Is there some legitimacy?

Is there some legitimacy to Montez has to make an adjustment this year to all the different things teams are throwing at him.

He's kind of elevated his stature.

I don't think it's so much that he has to adjustment we got to have awareness obviously of where people, what they're doing, how they're protecting five man, six man, seven man, chips, all that sort of thing. But two, it's as as he plays and he affects the game, which is that's why he's here, That's what he does, that's what our defense completely change. He's showed up here

Yeah, that's coach Smith, and he did say, you know, he leads this team in pressure so that everybody keeps their own statistics.

Coaches keep theirs as well.

So he's still affecting change and that defense and how it's impacting the passers.

Everything Travis Smith said after the first sentence, I could not listen to all I wanted to hear. It says we have to affect the run to rush the passer. And that's the key ingredient for the Bears success on the defensive line is making sure that they're stopping the run.

In three of their five road games, they've hit pretty good runh numbers. They're committed to the run. They've got three point ninety seven a carry, but it's enough to get the job done. They've hit one hundred as a team five six seven times so far in this ten game season, five rushing touchdowns and thirty one big runs of ten yards or more.

So they're getting it. They're getting it done.

Aaron Jones is here now, and he concerns me as a pass receiver to in this game.

Oh, I agree, one hundred percent. I have all the respect from the world for Aaron Jones. He's a good multi dimensional back pass and run. But the thing about it is if the Bear can what did they remember last week before the game, we are asking for a quarter yard more per attempt on the running game. If they can continue what they did last week per rush attempt, the Bears can go toe to toe with these guys offensively,

Bears average five to two six to carry. Last week, Let's big second best of the season. They had six point one against Washington when they ran for two to h two their season high, and five two four in London against Jacksonville when they ran for twenty nine and one f two. So, uh, that's you asked for a tom you got a lot more than that.

I know I did, and I was surprised and I was impressed. At the end of the game, but now let's see your repeat performance.

All right, we come back.

We'll hear from coach Washington as the Bears get ready for the eight and two Minnesota Vikings here on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.

Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Jonian.

This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW. Be able to get it. Jeff and Tom with.

You as the Bears you're ready for a Minnesota Vikings arrival.

The Vikings, I believe.

Of one five in a row here in Chicago, So put a stop to this. Eric Washington, the Bears defensive coordinator, at the podium today with a preview of what to expect from the Vikings.

Excellent trio of performers that will compliment this offense, Darnold Jones and obviously Jefferson. These guys do a really good job of making this system go. There's explosive There are explosive plays throughout this offense, and especially from the quarterback position to mister Jefferson, they do a really good job of running the football to set up their play action game. So we're gonna have to make sure we're on top of our keys, that we find a way to make

And with Monteze, I realized that his presence allows other people to do some good things.

But are you waiting for that.

To sh we we that's a that's a weekly aspiration and goal. Everything that we like to do starts with our four man rush, first through third down and including two minutes and whatever we like, whatever we desire to do in terms of sending an extra player should compliment that. But uh, we we have to have the production with our four male rush.

Is Montes and I know at this time of year nobody's percent, but is he playing through some stuff that's making it challenging him for him to be as impactful as as both he and you would would prefer.

Montes Is is getting himself ready to compete. And you know, no one at this time of the year feels great. And that's not something and I don't I don't intend to speak for him, but that's not something that I see him dwelling on or focusing on when I watch him practice, when I watch him engage. Our entire process to get to Sunday, We've got to go out and find a way to be at our best when our best is required.

Sam Darnold's actually a lot better against the Blitz than when the defense sort of sits back.

I know, you guys know blitz lot, but how do you take that information and use that interview?

It's good to know.

I don't know that it will impact our planning, but certainly as soon as you send an extra person there are some coverage things that are pretty certain that you have to be in from a blitz standpoint, you're going to be in man coverage. You may be in some type of fire hole coverage where you're three hundred and three deep, and so now that efficiency may be involved with the fact that he can really anticipate the coverage structure and the coverage premise of the defense.

By the way, Darnald is the number one rated blitz quarterback this year right now, one hundred and fifty quarterback rating, believe it or not, he's done a nice job with that.

So handle that.

It's a breakdown of his distribution.

How often does it go to the running backs and how often does it go to the tight end. And then justin Jefferson, it'd be interesting to see how he distributes the ball and what is the coaching process to Sam Darnold. What are they telling him about the immediacy of decisions as long as he sees a blitzer coming, whether it's right, left, or center, And what is his thinking process through all that.

Well, he's got so many, so many options now TJ.

Hockinson's bat and that correct has really changed how they're using the tight end the tight end numbers have exploded, and it's only been a couple of weeks, but he makes a big difference.

Yeah, you know, you look at the tight end play around the league. I think if you if there is a tight end that's an asset to the offense anywhere around the league, it's a It can be the best friend of the quarterback, the distance of the route, the inability to match coverages with some of these good athletes that are playing tight end, and so you see it all around the league and it shouldn't surprise you if when Hockinson came back and came back to work.

So here's your distribution, Tommy Jefferson and Addison eighty six and forty one targets, Jones thirty three, the running back Jalen Naylor, the nickel inside twenty six, twenty two and twenty two for the other two tight ends Johnny Munt and Josh Oliver, who's banged up, don't know if he's gonna play. And Hockinson just arrived on the scene, but

Hamm with two.

Well, one thing you know as a defense is you're preparing to play against your opponent. If you're formulating this plan of having these certain amount of blitzes, you know where their hot red is gonna be. So you have to understand who has responsibility against the hot red depending upon what area of the field you're blitzing. So that's part of the chess game of defense against offense.

All right, let's talk about their defense.

We haven't really talked about that in great detail. They got some really good pass rushers and Jonathan Grenard Pat Jones thought that is one of the weaknesses. And now he's got seven sacks. And then Van Ginkel is scary. He's playing really really well and he's he's one of these Wisconsin guys.

Played with TJ. Edwards. They tore it up in Wisconsin together.

Yeah.

You know the one thing about Minnesota defensively speaking, you have to make yards on first down because of any of their downs, first down is probably their most vanilla of downs. And then they get into second, third down, depending upon the down and distance, and that's where you see a little bit more exotic of a line of scrimmage.

So if the.

Bears can have that success and stay in control of the chains by second and manageable, third and manageable, you're gonna see a Bears offense that is going to be able to use their assets to attack whatever line of scrimmage they see. So to me, it's more how successful can the Bears be on first down to make sure that they have opportunities to succeed on second and third down?

Is giving up the third fewest yards on first down and a first down average of four to six to.

Eight, way way below the league average. Okay, but they're doing a good job.

If this is a Bears team and they're averaging five yards on first down, that means you're so you said they give up four point six eight yards.

Per play right on average? Yes, on average?

Okay, so I'm gonna round up because that's the ways.

But that's fourth best in the league right defensively.

But what I what I'm saying, I'm talking I'm thinking about the Bears offense. If you can average around that five yard mark on first down right there, you're in second and five, So that just gives you so much more that you can choose from on second and third down.

If you can have a profit on first down.

Alls I'm saying is you can't go into first down, Jeff and end up second and eight second nine, because then Minnesota has the opportunity to be a little bit more exotic and aggressive at the line of scrimmage. If you can have success on first down that's nearly five yards, it gives you.

A lot more control than Minnesota.

At the same time, they're number one in the league in average arge to go on second down at eight point seven.

So the MAT's not making sense right.

But I'm a Bears fan, so I look at You've can look at.

All these analytics, and I'm thinking out the way, how do you put.

The Bears in the best position to succeed.

Give me, give me a profit on first down, and then I'm going to be in control of the series.

You know that word profit last week and I had it in my notes, never got to it during the game, But that word has been used by coaches and take your profits, take your profits and run to the bank with your profits, you know what I'm saying. That's a great word to use for this offense right now, for the Bears just take your profits.

Right, and you know that's a kind of the way you have to go about you know, specific down in distances is get what you can get out of it, all.

Right, Richard Hi Tower Bear Special Teams Core or to the podium today as well. We'll hear him in our final segment coming up next on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.

Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the Voice of the Bears, Jeff Jolian.

This a Bears Weekly. He brought to you by Anthletical Physical Therapy.

Visit Athletical dot com to a question in clinic or a virtual appointment and start feeling better tomorrow. Tom injury report looks some pretty solid looks like Tevin Jenkins could be back this week at left guard, and that's good.

You know, you bring experience back to the position, especially since Ryan Bates has a has an injury issue and Jake Kern I think come in, came in and did a respectable job. But you know it's always better to have a guy who's experienced at that position.

And then Elijah Hicks working through an ankle so I don't know what his status from. Yeah, he's been good though.

Yeah.

I feel bad about that because he's a guy that we did an interview last week and I you know, he's answered the bell and he's playing a good brand of football and I want to see him.

I want to see him there again.

Yeah, we'll see what happens when the injury report comes out tomorrow.

Okay.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hitower obviously a lot of questions about that black field goal and different scenarios regarding it. He handles that today at the podium.

On every play, in every situation that you look at, every team's vulnerable on something because it's about who has the chalk last, So every team's vulnerable, and anything we see, we always correct it, and just like any other play on the football.

Field, so we correct everything.

And we didn't get the desired result on that play, and that's disappointing. So I'm hurting for our guys and I'm hurting for our fans. But we're going to turn the page and we're looking forward to coming out and fighting versus Minnesota. What I told our guys is an adversity you have, and it strikes in life, you got to get up off the mat. You bleed a little bit and sometimes you bleed a lot, but you got to get up and fight.

And that's what they will do as they get ready to take on a really good special teams unit. For the Minnesota Vikings, punter's got a big leg kicker, is you know, a replacement kicker, So they had injury issues there. So Parker Romo doesn't have a lot of experience. He was on the Bears practice squad briefly in twenty three, so I don't know what his familiarity is with Soldier Field, but he's gonna find out quickly, that's for sure.

But you know, I think that, you know a good thing.

The conditions aren't going to be like they were today because that would be a factor in the football game. I think Sunday they're going to be a little bit more pleasant. So bring them on.

Let's go and once again the last home game in a while. It'll be three road games then for the Bears, Vikings are going through that. Now they'll get this is their third road game, then they'll have three home games. The way the division has worked out, teams are doing the three thing, and it is rare. That doesn't happen every year, So you just gotta work. You gotta work through it.

I you know, even as disappointed as and the results last week, I still like the division games at the end of the season.

Yeah, that's going to do it for us. For cornerback Terrell Smith, appreciate him. Thanks to our producers and you for listening. For top there, I'm Jeff Joniak. We'll talk to you twelve oh too. The kickoff Bears vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday. This has been Bears Weekly on the radio home of the Chicago Bears ESPN Chicago. Good Night, everybody Black and abdava Our next