Cut over that DJ Moore and zone touchdown touchdown Bear. I am Jeff Jonahlitz is not DONI go, what was like playing for Cody Good. I don't want to answer any questions like that pressure coming is a big trouble.
Donnie go, Mottest.
Sweat Now Bears, et cetera. Brought to you by Geico with the voices of the Bears, Jeff Joniyac and Tom Thayer. All Right, we got a post holiday matchup at Soldier Field coming up against the Seattle Seahawks the day after Christmas. But for now we'll recap the loss to the Lions and get ready for that Seayawk team battling for a playoff spot in the NFC. With Tom Thayer, the Super Bowl winning Bears guard. I'm Jeff Jonahak and this is Bears, etcetera. Episode one. It's brought to you by Geico.
Tom.
How you feel?
I feel good?
You know?
Disappointed in the game?
You know?
You and I we talked all week about clean complete for Caleb, and we had a good k but unfortunately we didn't have a clean game at the beginning of the game. And the Bears are a team that has the existence where it's not necessarily playing a perfect game,
but they can't give the opponents opportunities. And that's the most frustrating thing about probably six games that you look at this year, maybe five that if you take out, you know, maybe one to three plays every game, they could have been completely different and we could be talking about a completely different record and a completely different team.
So I still that kind of fuels my frustration. But then again, I'm still all on board with Caleb and I'm excited to see what he's been able to accomplish under some difficult circumstances, and I hope his best has yet to.
Come, you know. And I think that's part of the frustration is that I think at one point, just a couple of weeks ago, we had talked about the Bears, how many touchdowns they've scored, how much they've allowed, how many field goals, and it came down to like a twelve field goal difference in the season. And so that's
just it. For a time, for the most important time of the season, it was a play or two or three that spelled the difference in a win or a loss, and unfortunately leaning more towards the loss side of it. So that's the frustration thing.
You have to some way keep that message of positive inside the locker room. And I know we'll get to that when we talk about the message that Thomas Brown delivers to the players. And you have to have that guy that's waiting for his opportunity to come in and play. And we've seen guys like that. You know, you're Dominique Robinson and you're Elijah Hicks, and these guys that have come in and been able to play because of injuries. You know, they got to be excited about their opportunity.
All right, let's dig into the game before we hear the status at house with head coach Thomas Brown. Let's talk CATB because I felt I keep using the word poised. They felt it was poised. He reflected at the podium today on some misses. We'll get to that as well. But over handled the blitz of the Detroit Lions did. Has suffered two sacks, but again no interceptions. I think they blitzed him on thirty nine percent of his dropbacks, early downs thirty percent, so that's early in the game
and so forth. Those are the things that slow down that production. I believe in the first half of games, which has been a rash obviously.
Right, But you know, the thing you have to take away from it is Caleb is seeing the blitzes. He's understanding what has to happen after the ball is snapped. And that's the part of the quarterback progression throughout a rookie season that you want to see him increase the most because you don't want to have him develop a reputation that if you blitz them then it really creates problems for him. There's times where if you blitz him,
he creates problems for you. So in terms of what are the encouraging signs of growth, and you look at that aspect of Caleb's game, I'm liking what I'm seeing. Do I want to see him throw forty times a game? Not yet, but I'm not shying away from it if he has to.
Right, And the plays he's making are, you know, really impressive, and he's got an undeniable connection. It's been growing all season long at roma doonesay and of recent weeks Keenan Allen.
Yeah, well, listen, man, you know, probably the only reason that we leave DJ more out of that is because he's been consistent since he's been here. He's one of the ultimate NFL tough guys, and we've seen it do it a little bit more from not the necessarily the running back position or running the ball with wide receiver
sweeps and stuff. But when you look at what Keenan has been able to do in the last four or five weeks and what Rome has been increasing during his whole rookie season, it's encouraging to see that relationship develop between a young quarterback and a young receiver, but also the maturity that the other receivers are putting on display that should be an example to all the other guys.
Good news, Chicago United are just getting brand new planes with all the bells and whistles, like Bluetooth connectivity screens at every seat in the room for everyone's roller bag. United proud to fly the Chicago Bears and you two let's dig in now with the status at allis and head coach Thomas Brown is weekly visit here on Bears et cetera. All right, Thomas, thanks again for joining us here on Bears et cetera to recap what happened yesterday
and look ahead to Seattle. You know how much time, First of all, do you give thought to what you're going to say every day to the team, and that could be obviously before the game, night, before the game, and then after the game, win or lose. It strikes me as you're a guy that you're just whatever comes to mind you don't like dwell, Oh yeah, am I accurate on that in the little time I've gotten to know you?
Yeah, says a balance of both.
I think when it comes to team meetings and messaging kind of leading up to the game, I've tried to kind of, you know, have somewhat of a script of what I want to say and why I want to say that. I think it's important I always have a will thought out missus to kind of say in front of the group, not just wasting time and wasting words. Postgame is definitely all about reaction. To me, depends on how the game goes. As you know, I'm a straight shooter,
So I'm gonna tell them like it is. I'm gonna talk about what we did well, we didn't do a good job of and also how much is it's gonna be a collaborative effort, so it's never isolated the players and his player's fault. So only because we get paid as coaches to coach these guys up. It's our job, regardless of circumstance, to demand a better effort, better response, and better execution.
As a player yourself and in the highly competitive SEC NFL player as well, What did you like hearing from coaches and any coaches over the course of your history, even back to high school strike a chord with you, like, you know what, if I ever i'm gonna coach, I'm gonna be like that.
Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest with you.
I'm kind of a weird dude, so you know, my thought process is a little bit different when I when I played one that had zero desire to be a football coach ever, never thought about it one time. It's pretty adamant about not being a coach. Oh yeah, my father will always tell me it. Talk to me about, you know, that being a possible path for me when I got done playing. But I was a huge introvert when I was probably I was probably twenty three years old in my life, never shy, but I just keep
to myself. Made a few words that is obviously changed a whole lot because what the heck happened? Because now I probably talked too much. Two things happened and you get married, so you had to communicate with your wife. You have children, so got to communicate with them. And
I seen this profession. If you want to have an opportunity to be the best teacher leader and also elevate, you better open your mouth and know have something to say and when you do that, so those things help change, you know, my introverted nature and the kind of making me who I am right now. And I'm still growing and continue to be a better version of myself every single day. But to me, when it comes to coaches
at Mexigan, I was always about inspiration over motivation. There were there were external factors that could obviously impact my emotions, but my job every day was always internal regardless of what you said or how you said it, that really.
Mattered to me.
I wasn't looking for some some pregame pep talk to get me going. I was always motivated by the player that I wanted to be and what I want to represent. So I think oftentimes people confuse motivation and inspiration would be in the same which is different because motivation is the exterior force. Inspirations internal force which I've always leaned more on my internal forces than I am on anthy outside.
And I would imagine players in general, they've got to motivate themselves.
Yeah, I mean, you wouldn't be here if you did have some level of motivation and also inspiration from an internal standpoint, and ultimately, to me, you get to play a child's game with grown man responsibilities and grown man money.
You should be motivated enough just by that.
But I do also take great pride in what I say in front of the group, how I say it again. To me, it's more about trying to find ways to inspire them and so to motivate them, because motivation, in my mind sometimes.
Is more short term and more emotional.
I'm trying to struggle cord on something you have in deep insidy to bring the best out of you.
The more my thought process.
So, how do you inspire a team with a nine game losing streak?
Yeah, I mean you continue to be consistent. I don't.
I don't believe in delivering the same messages, but I think it's important to be consistent as far as your approach, and I think when it comes to leadership, I told those guys before the game.
The night before the.
Game, I think it's always easy to be a leader when things are in great standings. Everybody wants to be a leader when stuff is great, when everybody's telling you how great you are, and everybody's winning and there's there's no pressure. The difficult about leadership is being able to take on responsibility regardless of the situation and still stand tall and still have integrity about yourself. So that's one thing I prought myself in I think these players can
attest to. I have been the same from day one, from the moment I got opportunity and green Bay to step in front the team for the first time and deliver the offensive.
You keys the victory to this point.
But to me, it's all about just trying to figure out how the ways to continue the man more always looking tronly first, because to me, I think, uh, you know, I share with the guys the night before for the game. You know, losing versus being a losers two different things. So losing is more about the event that happened till you. Being a loser is more of you taking on the
characteristic of being a consistent loser. And so losers have a habit of always blame other people, never taking accountability, never looking in with the first losers have terrible workers, they can still complain about the result that from the work they don't put in. And so to me, it's about suppering the two of those thought processes and being able to keep those guys locked in and keep them engaged and put for better effort.
Are you seen by body language and looking in the man's eyes that that's on the upswing still despite the skin?
Yeah, I mean I think so.
I think if you look at you know, from when things took over, obviously it was a dramatic for a lot of people because they were obviously different. You have different tides of people you've been around. And so we got two coaches we got fired in the season, and I think guys felt differently about it, I think, and also changed his thought processes about what the expectation was going to be for the rest of the season when you end up firing two coaches in season, So I
think it affects people differently. But I think if you look at the progression, even though we haven't got a result, we want it from the San fran game. Up until yesterday, we have been training to write direction in some ways, but also still putting things to clean up.
You know, I particularly look at young players in this because veterans, you know, they've been through a lot. Sometimes they can just complementalize. Sometimes they isolate whatever they need to do to get ready to be a pro. And so I was talking to Romadoonesay after the game, for example, on Marquee Sports after the game, and yeah, he was upset about the fumbles, but you know, still has to come back and make the play, and he made several plays and the trust in Keen or excuse me, the
trust in Caleb to him. But afterwards, you know, he had a pretty good positive attitude right owned it. But I said, you know, it's not always going to be this way. You're not going to be going through this league in this kind of situation, you know, So hopefully the young guys can see.
The Yeah, I think every player is different. Are you talking about the young guys in particular? That's probably one of the best ones of highlight because he's been shouldn't be consistent throughout the entire year. Obviously, the two funnels are inexcusable. Two turnovers are excusable. But again, what I do love about Rome is Rome is consistent. Rome taxes accountability and also Rome doesn't flinch, So when things don't go right, even from a practice standpoint of you see
him a mess of wrap up. He rally ever, makes the same mistake twice and he was able to kind of rebound and move on past. That was the true test of a future leader for years to come for this organization. But also what matters the most is when the biggest moments hit the stage. This guy has made a ton of them throughout this year. They've probably been celebrated more if the result of the game was different.
Some of these kind of critical two two minute drive calls, two minute plays, fourth down calls, and is winning one on one, separating and making a critical moment at a critical time.
The best thing about Caleb yesterday was you complete the sentence.
It was consistent.
I think continue to find ways, just one I just said in the press conference a minute ago that shoot or shoot. He keeps shooting, so I'm gonna continue to
give him opportunities to shoot. I think I always try to find ways that got him in the right direction to keep him level headed again, He's a highly competitive at times, probably gets too emotional and not in a bad way, but to me, I would always prefer to have that versus just hasn't, doesn't don't really care about the effect, but I always trying to find ways to manage emotions right, never getting too high and never getting
too low. I think it's important to be critical and self reflective, but also be able to give you yourself the right amount of grace so you can move on past what has happened and get ready for a game in three days.
Okay, offensive line, I mean, I don't even know what the coaching staff. It gets like you're doing what you can, but things keep on cropping up. And I feel for Braxton. Obviously his season is over with the ankle, but then you know, just the st we talk about defense and sudden change change for an offensive lineman, you know there's no notification, Bam, you're in and you got to go and deal with the best in the business on the
edges every week. What's the best advice from an offensive mind like yourself for these guys right now because they're not playing next to each other very much.
Yeah, I mean, to me, it's important of reps and also mental reps. There's no way in the world that anybody has an opportunity to get every single look of what might happen and transpired throughout the game. It's virtually impossible the amount of time that we have a particular visuon just now stepping into a major role that you haven't been in before. Obviously, O line is a developmental position, is also a spot of continuity, and we haven't had that,
which is tough for a number of different reasons. But to me, my advice would be to be where your feet are right. So don't worry about the game, because
game isn't here today. Today's about beating. To be locked in for the team meeting twelve forty five, be locked in for the offensive defensive meetings, to be locked in, engaged for the walkthrough, and all those reps are kind of end up leading tools you beat at your best on game day, so when that time comes, you can be at ease, be at peace, and just cut it loose and keep swinging them all. Right.
Let's look at Seattle. The Bears defense is going to deal with a GENO Smith, the veteran. But you know, I look this up. He has thrown thirteen interceptions under pressure. That's the most in the NFL. So is that going to be the key?
I think most quarterbacks are the same. I think if you affect them to affect the way they throw the football. I think if you can get to them early in games and hit them, most guys, I don't care what they say, we'll get rattled to some degree. But Geno is a veteran, really good football player. They do a really good job of mixing up different looks from off
of the standpoint, using motion, using tempo. I have a ton of talent of guys on the outside, so understanding how to win matchup is going to be a big part of it. I think the Russian coverage always plays together, so those things are kind of tied together hand in hand. So I think being able to understand how to pick and choose our spots to bring pressure to affect the quarterback, but also we're not bringing pressure, but get home.
Before they got backs, they got back tight ends. But they got a guy that seems almost on hoverable at times in DK Metcalf.
Now.
I know Jackson Smith and Jigmas tearing it up top five in the NFL and a lot of categories, but with a guy so big, so fast, so different, what's the challenge.
Yeah, I think the side speed combination is the biggest challenge obviously if you just had one of those things. Obviously guys that can't run fast as one, but a guy that can be physical to top of routes, who can also box you out and play grass basketball on top of being having world class speak and can be difficult. I think, uh, the understanding of our God to accept the challenge no matter who's going to be a lot over.
The top of them.
But also we mix up things from a cover standpoint, so we have a good use of signal high coverages with playing zone behind it, playing man behind it, but also putting the umbrell over top of him players themselves well.
And lastly, Mike McDonald, you guys go way back to You enlightened me this morning, way back to University Georgia, so I looked it up. So you were in strength and conditioning at that time and he was an intern.
It was it was my first my first job, so humble beginnings for both of us. But I mean Mike has been a real dude from the beginning. Obviously kind of just follow him throughout the years. We kind of staying contact here and there from time to time, but a bright coach. Congrats to him again on getting his first head job opportunity and in a tough division, but a winnable division, and getting his team going in the right direction.
So looking forward to battle with him.
We'll obviously probably say some helos before the game starts, but once the game starts, we'll obviously go do some battle on the grass with out players and let's see what happens.
In NFL coaching terms, two young guys. He's the youngest head coach in the NFL. You're right behind him. A couple of years thirty.
Eight, he dethroned Don McVeigh the youngest for seven years in a row, which is impressive. But yeah, I mean this really good football coach, really good person as well. So other than Thursday, I wasn't the.
Best, all right, and try to have a nice holiday.
Thank you.
I appreciate you too as well, all.
Right, appreciate your time. Kind of an interesting story in a background how he got into coaching and his personality and whatnot. But I do really do appreciate his frankness though he does not sugarcoat a thing.
He too. That's the one thing I've always liked abottom of the most, and I get I like him more
every time I hear him talk. And because it's not going in there with a bunch of pre prepared questions, he's kind of talking from his heart, talking from his experiences, telling us that he was an introverted guy at twenty three years old and kind of came out of his shell, and the fact that he was a strength and conditioning coach early in his career, because I think it's almost you need to work every level of the NFL in
order to become a head coach. So I still enjoy what I hear out of Thomas, And the only thing I would I would like you to ask him and for the audience, now that he's called a couple of games from the field as opposed to calling a couple of games from the booth, the pros and cons of each, and I would like to hear his explanation because I think it would be fascinating because it's something that we've all wondered about, and so you know, maybe you could
just present that question to Thomas without giving not without telling him that before hand, and see what his immediate answer is.
Hey, when you in your era, did those guys handle the sidelines that they go upstairs?
Personal preference? Yeah, there was nothing that they had to go, you know, upstairs and call down the sidelines. The communication involved in that has changed so much before when they would take still pictures and then slide them down a clothes line from the press box to the sideline, that
was your video. Evidence that these guys now can go right to their tablet and look at real time exactly what your opponent is doing, the corrections that you need to make, the adjustments that maybe an offensive line coach is trying to look at all five guys instead of just one person. So it's all about personal preference and experience that you have in terms of you know, how you want to call the game.
And this is just popping into my head. It matters not right now, but as an offensive lineman. You know, obviously you're you're dealing with Dick Stanfill every day and every snap I come to the side, Lions. You guys sit together on the bench, and but did you ever have the occasion to talk to the offensive coordinators? Did the coordinators come over to talk to you guys?
Ever?
Now, rarely to never. The only thing I would do is get yelled at by Dick giff. I made mistake coming off the field on my way to get yelled at by Dick Stanba. It was kind of a double edged sword from sideline to the bench.
All right.
Another guy who's been very frank and honest and open with everything that's gone on and with a very delightful delivery to do so, only too happy to speak speak with the media is the quarterback Caleb Williams. Let's listen into his press conference at Hallis Hall Monday after the loss of the Lions.
You know, we got to find a way to secure the ball, whether it's between myself or room. But I will say that I could have gave him a better you know, I could have gave him a better slot for the ball and where it needs to be. I think it was a little bit too too much on his hip, and uh, you know, from there it gets pretty ugly.
So when drafted a reputation about being able to catch the contestant.
Balls balls, he's obviously proven that. Why do you think he's so good at how much conference? When you just throw it up like you yeah, no, I have all belief in him.
I mean, you know, even after we that one mistake between him and I and then him catching that pass and then you know, fumbling again, you know, walked over to him, wrapped him up, told him I'll come, you know, right back to him, and we did just that. So, you know, having belief in him. I mean I've seen him do it. I didn't watch it on uh YouTube or anything. I've actually seen Rome do that in games
versus us when I was in college. So watching him live too, watching him in his YouTube you know, videos and things like that too, you know, seeing him here, you know, with us through camp and games and things like that. He has a reputation for for a reason, and he's pretty pretty consistent. So you know, anytime we get a chance to have a one on one with Rome, you know, I have full, you know belief that at the least it's going to be a at the at the at the most, it's going to be in completion.
And so.
I have all belief and faith in him every single time that that ball goes up in there.
Excited you were the night that you guys were both drafted.
You find out a couple of picks after you like how vital has having him here been for your growth as a quarterback. Yeah, it's been great to be able to have.
A young guy with me like Rome, spectacular person, spectacular player. Like I said, I've seen it for now two years, and so being able to have him here and grow with him, just you know, our relationship over the years is going to be you know, vital I think for the for the team, and so been able to to to be able to continue that, continue to grow that it's.
Gonna be really fun.
I really really vital, like I said, And so you know, I think he's gonna gonna get better, especially with the guys that he's had here this year with him. You know, Rome with DJ and and and Keenan, two guys has been doing it for a while. You know, I think it's I think it's helping him him being able to watch those guys and how they do and how they work.
Do you have two or three Do you have two or three things, two or three points of emphasis that you would really like to do well at good position the next two games and season, A couple of things you would really like to nail down.
Yeah, I think, uh, these uh, these fumbles that I've had for two to three weeks now, you know, you know, I think turnovers are you know, the the They're obviously a part of the game, but trying to eliminate those only helps our you know, chances of winning. So I say that's one being able to just keep being efficient the most that I can. And that doesn't just mean
when I throw the football. That's with all of the alerts, the time, the play clock, making sure you know, cadence and things like that, helping off into lineing out you know, whatever the case may be, alerts, all of that. So, you know, i'd say, that's so I gave you around four or five things right there the once.
You just mentioned, you know, the cadence, the alerts, the things you're doing at the line of scrimmage. Can you help me understand how much I don't know easier is the right word, but like how much more comfortable you.
Are with all of that? Yeah, I would say, probably.
It comes to you now compared to a couple of months ago.
Yeah, No, I would say, I'm I'm a lot a lot more comfortable with that, getting up there, being fashioned, with the cadence and things like that, you know, getting up there, sending them you know, the motions of when they need to be snapped or when they you know, sending a motion and using my cadence with the motion to to be able to undress, uh, to be able to uh, you know, figure out what they're in or figure out, you know, what they're about to do, or have an idea at least.
And so I think through this year and through this time, I.
Think I've I've gotten more comfortable and actually a lot more comfortable.
I feel like with those things.
Kyle Brex and Jones after the year and Tevin's hurt and you know that kind of newity has been an issue with the office.
I'm just curious, this is such a thing as a quarterback kind of being connected or at rhythm with in sync with its offensive line.
And has that been an issue or do you think it's If so, is that something that really needs to improve, you know, next year is looking ahead?
You know, yeah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't.
I will say that you do build a connection and and you figure out what's your linemen block like, and so you you kind of figure out, you know, where you can be in the pocket.
You figure out all.
Those different things of of of what they're good at and and maybe what they're not so good at and so being able to maneuver in the pocket and things like that. You you you do get a sense of you know, you play so many snaps and downs together that you kind of figure it out, you know, through time and through field, and so you know, when there's guys that go down, you know, like Braxton and Sevin, I wouldn't say I think I mean, I'll be honest
with you. I think the guys that you know, they came in, you know, I think they did a solid job when they came in, and you know, throughout this whole season, I think the guys are done.
A solid job when you know, our guys have gone down.
So I wouldn't say that, you know, it's it's been a you know, a complete deficit because obviously it's a part of the football game. It's a part of football is guys going down and uh the next man has step up and you know, do the job just as well or better.
And that's the you know, that's the goal of you know, when that happens.
But being able to have those guys step in, being able to you know, have things like that and you know them do you know them do a good job and all of that. I think, I think that's what they did yesterday. But it sucks having our guys go down, because, yes, you do kind of get a feel for how you're alignment block and how they block together. And so having those two guys go down, you don't have as many
reps with, you know, a couple of other guys. It does in a way you kind of you don't lose the connection, but it's it's, you know, a little different. You obviously made a ton of good throws in this game, and I would zero it in at the beginnings of games just about every week, and it was a micro but.
That first throw, yeah, it was frustrating. Can Yeah, it was really frustrating.
I ken it ran a great route, ran up, pushed not didn't push off, but ran up, pushed up on his route, snapped off and the ball was just a little too much juice, a little too far behind him so he couldn't react, and you know, frustrating.
Definitely frustrating.
But anything stick out about what he said.
No, he's just a mature guy that says it in a real honest and open way and he likes you know, you get the developing relationship between he and Rome, and I think that we talk about that a little bit more because they are too incoming rookies from the night that we are introduced to their experience on draft night to where they stand today. And I think when you have the opportunity to be a young quarterback and listen to the experiences of guys like Keenan and Rome are
Keenan and DJ, You're super fortunate to have that. But it's also you know, living through The only reason I'm using the word struggles of the offensive line is because of the amount of injuries they've had. And I think, you know, that's a whole part of the experience of Caleb's rookie year that'll probably never forget because the continuity and that consistency that we always talk about, he hasn't been blessed with that. So again, Caleb has never disappointed
me at the podium. And he's a kind of a guy that I really pay attention to and I listened to. He's not, you know, the cliche speaking guy that I let one word come in and one word leave. I actually listen to what he has to say.
Right, He is not a cliche guy. No, no, not.
About him, and I didn't know what to expect. You know, when I used to hear him talk in the preseason, before the season ever got underway, and he would go up to the podium and speaks as intelligently as he was. I used to say to myself and I probably said it to you, man, this honeymoon's almost over. I think we'll hear a different speaking quarterback when the regular season gets here. And I've never been more wrong about anything.
This dude has come up and he's lived at the podium like a veteran, got.
A nine game losing streak, and he remains positive, you know, even with the Santa had on at the podium today. You know, you know, yeah, what's happened has happened. You got to get ready for the next game, and you know you got to, you know, the the lingering aspect of everything, the mountain of what I keep calling it's heavy to lose so many games in a row. Somebody's got to be a glimmer of light and somebody's got to take that lead and say, hey, guys, we got
to get regroup. We've gotta go out there and play another game. On Thursday. I mean, we've got two games left, let's go. That's it.
Well, he's got self he's got self confidence, and that's the key ingredient here about a quarterback. About Caleb is he is so self confident that he's not looking at as a nine game losing streak. He's looking at how can I get better? How can I finish this thing out on a high note. How can I go in there and deliver a message to my teammates even though I'm a young guy of positivity. And that's what I
like most about him. He's he's a super self confident guy that doesn't hide behind a low pulled hat or sunglasses on or just you know, saying than at the podium. He's he's delivering that group of press that sits out in front of him, and he treats him with respect.
All right.
For example, as you heard break down on the first throw of the game to Keenan Allen. You know he owned it, you admit it. Frustrating, frustrating, you know, trying to figure out what went wrong there. You know a lot of quarterbacks they you know, dismissed that out of hand. Give you a structure of the play and go on to the next question. But he gives you some some depth to it, you know, and how he viewed it and what he needs to do to get better. It
tastes like Miller time celebrate responsibly. Midler ruined Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ninety six calories three point two carbs per twelve ounces. Let's dig into Seattle because we're not going to preview the game in another podcast this week. We'll bring the other one out on Friday to recap the game against the Seattle Seahawks, a team, as I said, fighting for a playoff spot. They they controlled their destiny before losing by three to Minnesota on Sunday. A sixty yard field
goal didn't make it. They also were intercepted late by Gino Smith was intercepted, so that extinguished the comeback bid. And so now they need some help. But that'll really focus their attention because it's now must win situation for them. But you know, let's throw the wrinkle in of a holiday.
You look at it differently than most guys. Listen. I know that, but you know it's a factor I would think in some level, having to pack up come all the way from the Pacific Northwest to Chicago, day after Christmas. Even though it's business, it's football. I get it, But is there a natural.
I don't know what the.
Word sneaks into the conversation here that could impact your preparation in a negative way if you're Seattle, excuse.
Me, you know, not really, you know, because Jeff, once you get on the buses to go to the plane, Ben, it's just you guys, And I know it's Christmas Day and you're getting ready to play the day after Christmas. But you're talking about a football team that's still fighting for their playoff lives and they need to come to Chicago and they need to have a winning, a good showing and win the game in order to keep on the path of a rookie head coach that they envision
for themselves. And so you got the emotions and the impact of a rookie coach. You have a quarterback that may have been left out for retirement a couple of years ago that he's reinserted himself in the starting quarterback role and he's got a new contract and means it a lot to the success of this football team. He's got a group of receivers that can go toe to toe with anybody. He's got a running back that just got back in the mix after having an injury situation
in Walker. He's got a good defense. Seattle's got that reputation of you playing them at home. How that environment's going to be. But they're flying to Chicago, and once you get on that plane, man, it's you against everybody else.
And I don't think that. I think that's kind of the camaraderie of a football team when you know that you got everybody else in America at home, you know, by eating a big family feast and stuff, but you're going to work, and you know that's part that's actually kind kind of the cool process of being on a football team where you're uniquely doing things that very few people are.
All Right, So they're eight and seven a shot at the NFC West title. A Rams would need to lose to the Cardinals and then week eighteen it would be La Seattle for the division. I know we're talking about their potential playoffs, but it is just gonna set the edge for the game. And so the Bear's gonna have to meet that emotion right out of the gate. I don't know what the crowd is going to be like.
The day after Christmas at Soldier Field. Hopefully it's a big crowd, but it is a Thursday night game and we shall see. But the number one thing is for me, the defense is something that the Bears were going to lean on this season, and for a time they could, but right now they're having some struggles, certainly on first down. We mentioned the Detroit game. The thirty plays produced some really significant yardage three hundred plus yards and Jared Goff
was thriving on play action as a result. Right now, the Bears have given up the most yards on first down in the NFL. And so this Gino Smith and company, they're among the leaders in first down production. Is this a place to start on Thursday night for the Bears? Defense better on first down? Because we always talk about third down and situational football, how about first down?
Okay, put yourself on the coaching staff of the Seattle Seahawks. So they're looking at the film of the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions, and what did Detroit Lions do well on first down? Everything that you just mentioned, so you know what Seattle is going to do on first down. They're going to have a similar style, a similar game plan that Detroit did, and they have the good running game that they can give you a play action fake.
They have a good quarterback that it's got some similarities to him that Jared Goff does. They got some big time receivers and tight ends that if they see somebody susceptible to being faked out by a play action fake, that they have a receiver that they can go to. So until you cure that, that's what you're going to
face week in and week out. And so I think the Bears if they can put Geno Smith in an uncomfortable position after he gets through as a play action fake, and then you can kind of challenge his fundamental throwing position. But maybe that's when you get the interception, that's when you make the play. So again you're going to have to put up with what was just done against you well and get it stopped.
Have a new or gently used coat Landeran head to your local jewel Osco until February tenth and donate one of your new or gently used coats to the thirty sixth annual Chicago Bears Coat Drive help keep Chicagoans warm this winter. Gino is throwing thirteen interceptions of his fifteen under pressure. That's the most in the NFL interceptions under pressure, And I know that's been a topic for you in recent weeks. To what end me to, you know, create
the pressure that can you know, affect the quarterback. That's what this league is all about. You have to protect your quarterback and affect the opposing quarterback. And I think offense is doing some things, especially to the edges, that take away that ability to consistently affect from the outside and on the inside. You know, I don't know what Jervon Dexter situation will be for this game, but there are some guys you know, doing some good work insight.
I mean, we don't talk about Byron Coward ever. And of course Chris Williams, he's getting like twenty snaps on average a game, but yeah, I think he's got the fifth most defensive snaps. Now on this team, they're they're creating some, but can they create enough to cause Geno to give it up?
Well, you know you got Pickens and Ford as well on the inside of that defensive line to Marcus Walker has that versatility. So I think it's about keeping a fresh defensive line in there so they can play as an aggressively and as quickly as they possibly can to win those battles up front. But Kyler, Gordon, TJ Edwards, Tremaine Edmonds. You got to start, you know, as you use that word deploy, you got to start bringing those guys. You got to start challenging the protection of the offensive line.
Then bring a blitzer. See if you can make Geno Smith try to escape pressure. You know, challenge, like I said, is fundamental throwing position. So you may not do it conventionally. You may not line up there with four defensive linemen and rush again's five defensive linemen. You got those guys that are super creative in TJ and Kyler, and you can use Tremaine as well. So you're coming right down to the last part of the season. You got to
do something that's unexpected. And if you get a favorable Bears crowd in there and they're as loud as you hope they will be, then you going to be able to get off the ball a little bit quicker than their offensive line.
Who scares you more DK Metcalf because of what he is or Jackson Smith Injigba because of what he is, and that is one of the top ten receivers in many categories in the National Football League.
You know Metcalf does because you know, I was kind of thinking about his numbers over the length of his career. He's got career numbers, and I think because he's done it so successfully with a lot of different quarterbacks and a little different a lot of different styles of play, different head coaches and stuff. I And look at his size, man, I mean, this dude is legit, you know what, six four, six four and a half two hundred and thirty pounds, just completely ripped and chiseled like like you.
As a player back in the day.
Look.
No, he looked exactly like Tom Thayer. He looks like an offensive lineman.
If I look like DK Metcalf, I'd never wear a shirt. But I'm just saying, if you're talking about the two good receivers, they have to me, Metcalf is the type of guy that he's a target that had kind of stands out on his own because of how big he is and how well he gets off the line of scrimmage and how quickly he can get open and stay open well.
Brought to you by PNC Official Bank of the Bears and Bears Fan Steinhoffels is a proud partner of the Chicago Bears. This Bear season, Steinhoffels is partnering with Special Spaces Illinois to create dream bedrooms for children battling cancer. For every false start caused by the Bears defense during a home game, Steinhoffels will donate one thousand dollars to Special Spaces Illinois shop in store and online at Steinhoffels dot com. All right, let's flip it over and look
at Mike McDonald's defense. Youngest coach in the NFL at thirty eight. As you heard the story with Coach Brown. They go back to their days at Georgia. It's in your mind. You think of Baltimore and that constant pressure. Now I haven't watched enough tape to see exactly what they're doing. I just know they've got some names. They got a good nose tackleing Duren Read. They've got, obviously Leonard Williams he's healthy again. They've got Demontrey Jones, he
can do some damage. They got Witherspoon on the back end of the defense. They got Rieke Woolin, who a couple of years ago as a rookie was outstanding. He's been somebody that's still mixing it up. He takes chances back there on the back end. What's your overall look at this defense. I think there's a bunch of different guys they're gonna have to keep an eye on in this matchup to try and.
Stop Well again, I got to take the look from the Seattle Seahawks defensive coaches and scouts and what am I looking at on tape? What do I think are the deficiencies of the vulnerabilities of the Bears offensive protection and the blocking up front? And then that's where I start my game plan, because when you talk about Leonard Williams, this dude is a mountain of a man. He's a
big guy, he's a good athlete, he runs well. You know, he's kind of built a new home in Seattle after being in New York, and it's you know, this defense has always kind of had a reputation because when they play at home, it's so loud there that they kind of display a different sense of quickness than you see when they're on the road. And I do think they're a blockable group. And so the creativeness of Caleb the way Thomas Brown see his play calling against what this
defense is going to be offered. It's going to be about the offensive line and how the offensive line can be you know, increase of production within the running game. Last week they had fifty nine yards rushing. You probably got to almost triple that against Seattle. And then the protection and see if there's a vulnerable defensive back of safety that you think if we get the right matchup, this is a guy that we can go to multiple times.
And that's what I would like to find, is that one receiver and even include Cole Comet there if we can go to them multiple times for Caleb.
Three four defense, a couple of old Bears on this roster, Travis Gibson and Roy Robertson Harris whom the Bears faced in Jacksonville in London. Yushena Nuosu is an outstanding linebacker and an edge guy. He'll come in and cast some grief as well. And I mentioned Devin Witherspoon from the University of Illinois and Julian Love Jillian Love still living in this Chicago area, Notre Dame guy that's on the
offensive side of the ball. So interesting selection of names here to look at for this team at three four defense, Tommy three four defense coming to town.
But you know, you get a new head coach, the first thing he wants to do is try to bring in as much of his own personnel as possible and see who are the guys that are keepers once he gets there. And you know, one thing I think about a three to four defense is play action and running game because when you have two linebackers that are playing off the ball, that means two offensive linemen should have running starts at a guy that's smaller than them, and
that's movable. And again I'm just talking about four to five yards of carry, and I think that's what three four defenses allow you today. And then play action passing because when you talk about three four, you know you're talking there's a linebacker that you're going to be responsible for, and there's three down linemen and so now there's sometimes when you have five guys blocking three, five guys blocking four. So that should be a winnable battle for your offensive line.
And give Taylor, give Caleb that extra three quarters of a second that could really help his production and his identification.
Seattle's the most penalized team in the NFL on defense, most yards, most penalized. Does this create opportunities for Caleb with the fifty to fifty ball? You know, why not? They're throwing a lot of flags.
I you know, I was, I was begging for that last week. I think if you have a guy that can be an accurate downfield as Caleb can, then you have to find a primary target with one on one coverage responsibility and then put the ball into a catchuble area for the receiver and then challenge that defensive back what he wants to do. When you see the touchdown catch by Keenan last week or the big fourth down catch by Romadonsa, they have these guys on staff, they
have them aboard and then throw DJ Moore in there. Somebody, Jeff is gonna have to be man dea man single coverage.
No question about it. I like your enthusiasm and your excitement level. Hey, you're ready to go right now. This is a Monday, and I can't wait till Thursday.
And I don't know if it's just how I feel about the development of Caleb or just to see the return on the opportunity these guys have.
All Right, We're brought to you as well by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois right here at home, driving access toward healthier communities through it all. All right, So Bears and Seahawks, we'll have it for you. Seven fifteen out of ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network Special thanks to head coach Thomas Brown for Tom Theay. I'm Jeff Joniac. Thanks for listening. Everybody. Please subscribe now to the Chicago Bears official app, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or
wherever you get your podcasts. And Merry Christmas to all, and happy Holidays to everyone. Bear down,