What Jeffery Simmons brings to Bears defense | Bears Weekly

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0:52 Is Eric Ostrowski.

0:54 Tom, word broke this morning with multiple reports indicating the Bears are landing one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have announced it. The Bears have yet to at this point. But your first reaction first before we break it down.

1:17 He's an amazing player. There's no doubt about it.

1:20 And when you look at the past in free agency at the early stages, Reggie White was 31 when he went to the Green Bay Packers. Miles Garrett is 30 years old when he went to the Rams. So when you look at a guy like Jeffrey Simmons, and we both were up close and personal with him when the Bears were practicing against the Tennessee Titans this year, Not only does he come in with a reputation of being one of the best defensive linemen in the league, but he proves it week in and week out.

1:48 He plays a majority of the snaps.

1:50 He's a great teammate and excited to see what he does for the building.

1:56 Immediately, this is not a ramp up. This is not a warm up.

2:00 He is ready to go.

2:01 Yeah.

2:01 Interestingly, I read this from Adam Schefter.

2:04 Jeffrey Simmons, the first defensive tackle in the common draft era since 1967 to be traded.

2:10 From multiple first round picks. There's so much that's coming out.

2:14 Since 25, he is number one among defensive tackles in sacks, number one in tackles for loss, number one in pressures, number one in pressures after double teams, number one in quick pressures, number one or tied for first in six turnovers caused by pressure.

2:33 And number one on sacks on third down at nine and a half.

2:38 He is a top 100 player, He's a premier defensive tackle and a chess piece as well, Tom, with this imaginative defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, and what it does to everybody else up front and on the defense in general.

2:53 He is a multiplier.

2:55 That's the best way I can describe Jeffrey Simmons.

2:57 Well, you've said it because when you read all those glowing stats of what he's been able to accomplish since he's been in the league, I would like to see some of the stats of what the other guys have been able to accomplish because of Jeffrey Simmons.

3:09 And you brought it up.

3:11 It does a lot more for the entirety of the defense than just Jeffrey Simmons. And so when you talk about the creativity of Dennis Allen and where he's able to put him and how now he's in control of the pass blocking responsibilities by the opponent. It says a lot what Simmons can do for the whole defense.

3:33 The thing is, he is long, no question.

3:36 6'4, he's got a big wingspan, but he bats down passes, which, you know, on your way to the rush, at least.

3:41 You get your hand up in the air.

3:43 I always felt that that was an underrated quality for defensive linemen. One of his favorite players to watch was J.J. Watt, who was a king at that. He just found a way to get his paws up there and get in the path of the football. Other qualities, Tom? as we saw, he's ferocious. He'll be the alpha. He is a talker.

4:04 He talks smack on the field. He was getting into it with Ben during the practices. He is a disruptive force with elite production, referred to by Dave McGinnis, our old friend who passed away a couple of years ago in Tennessee, as a grizzly bear. Well, that's the highest compliment you can pay A player the Bears want on their roster if he gets the grisly grade.

4:26 Of Ryan Poles and his staff.

4:28 That means you have checked every box that makes you a Chicago Bear. The city, I think, is going to love this player, Tom. The way he plays the game is with intent to be violent, ferocious, and loves the game. And that's a prerequisite for any Ben Johnson player to be on the Bears.

4:48 Well, when you go back.

4:49 And you talk about the amount of tip balls he's had throughout his career and he's good at it, he's good at it because he gets penetration.

4:55 He gets into the backfield.

4:56 He gets within a distance of the quarterback that he can read his throwing motion and his eyes and where he's intent.

5:03 On throwing the ball.

5:04 But when you talk about that type of pressure and penetration, it also factors in on stopping the run.

5:11 And so that's what you're.

5:12 Going to see mostly out of Jeffrey Simmons. He's an every tier player. He can play short yardage goal line. He can rush the passer and he can play the run. So Jeffrey Simmons is capable of doing anything.

5:26 Taking on double teams, obviously, when you're that talented, you know, it could be frustrating, but he's only happy to do it.

5:32 Apparently that's that's the word.

5:34 From Tennessee. Also off the field, a teddy bear. Two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. But playing in a city like this, where football is king, can you imagine the reception he'll get?

5:47 Well, he talked about being a grizzly bear. He talked about him being a teddy bear. I just want to see him be a polar bear. You come from Tennessee. There are going to be some conditions that, you know, that it's going to be fun to watch him play in, but it's also going to be fun to watch him play in the indoor conditions like Minnesota and Detroit. So I'm excited to see the entirety of his game, not just one element.

6:15 Yeah, and it's not just pass rushing.

6:16 Powerful against the run.

6:18 Tommy uses that leverage, explosive off the ball with a strong punch. So working the edges of offensive linemen. is something that not everybody is able to do with continued success, but he's got a high success rate in that time. He has an offensive guard. Knowing what that's like. How would you analyze that aspect of his game?

6:39 Well, you know, selfishly as a guard, I'm going to be begging for help from my office and tackle or my center. But the thing about Jeffrey Simmons, he affects the responsibilities of eight guys. And that could be the running back who's helping chip. That could be the tight end. Who's now going to have a designated one-on-one assignment. And then it's going to be a part of the everyday identification of where he is lined up. So you have the most effective, uh, pass protection against him, what is going to open up opportunities for other guys.

7:11 How crazy is that this week, the Seattle Seahawks acquire Quentin Nelson, an eight-time Pro Bowl left guard. And this week, the Bears have reportedly acquired a dominant defensive tackle in Jeffrey Simmons.

7:27 I'm assuming... They'll both be on the field on Monday night.

7:32 But, you know, Jeff, how are they going to be on the field? Jeffrey Simmons is 100%.

7:36 Ready to go.

7:37 He does not need to have an assignment. He can basically be told what to do according to the down and distance and where he's lining up. When you talk about an offensive lineman, you have a lot of information that you need to ingest, and not only how it affects you, but how it affects the guys you're playing next to. So it's going to be an interesting– you know, battle to pay attention to, but they're both great players.

8:04 In their own right.

8:05 And then I mentioned multipliers.

8:07 So with Montez Sweatback, Austin Booker, Shamar Turner, Grady Jarrett, Contavious Street, Neville Gallimore, Simmons added to that, Dio Adengbo in a couple of weeks off of IR.

8:19 Suddenly things look different up front.

8:22 Game day activation, man, it's going to be a battle. And you better perform well during the practices to make sure that if you want to have a game day jersey, you're going out there to do everything you possibly can, no matter what time and day it is, to impress your position coach, the head coach, and the coordinator. So it's going to be an interesting improvement, I think, along the entire defensive line.

8:46 And what was given up reportedly, when you have a player like this, You're hoping, obviously, you're going to be finishing towards the bottom of the first round of the draft, and you're on a rookie contract with Caleb Williams.

9:01 This is an open window to go and win now.

9:04 Of course.

9:05 I mean, this is, look, this is, again, I bring up the Reggie White trade because that was right at the beginning of free agency. And he came into the Green Bay Packers at 31 years old, and he changed the entire culture of that building, of that team, and ultimately where it got to, and that was the Super Bowl.

9:24 That's the same expectations I have for Jeffrey Simmons, for this team, this organization today.

9:30 In this building.

9:31 He was a top 20 pick of the Titans, beloved in that building and in the Nashville community. He is from the Deep South. His soon-to-be rival in Chicago will mark a new point in his career and his life's journey. So, outstanding football player, and we'll be excited to welcome him to Chicago when it becomes official from the Bears.

9:55 All right, Tommy.

9:56 What number is he wearing?

9:57 Yeah, we don't know that. We don't know that yet.

9:59 We don't know that. yet.

10:00 Montez Sweat and he are, you know, old teammates at Mississippi State. So there's a friendship there as well and mutual respect. Coming up next, we'll visit with our player profile of the week.

10:11 It's guard Jonah Jackson.

10:13 This is ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.

10:18 Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer chatting about the Bears. It must be Bears Weekly.

10:23 Well, if it's Bears Weekly.

10:25 It must be the home of the Bears. ESPN Chicago. Welcome back to Bears Weekly.

10:31 This segment brought to you by Athletical Physical Therapy. Visit athletico.com to request an in-clinic or virtual appointment and start feeling better tomorrow. Jeff and Tom with you. Jonah Jackson has been an ideal fit for the Bears. Tommy, a mauler, a leader, and a... A splashy addition to the Seattle offensive line at the guard position after sending draft picks to Indy for the eight-time Pro Bowl guard. Quentin Nelson certainly made attention, a bold move for a player in the final year of his contract. But the Bears have their own star, a right guard, and that's Jonah, one of the influential Bears. Offensive line coach Dan Rochard recently said this about Jonah. He's a commanding presence, an innate

11:08 ability to get things on track.

11:10 He's violent.

11:10 There's a physical nature to him. We thrive on him.

11:14 He's the gauge.

11:15 Here is Jonah Jackson.

11:17 He said it to me before. He says, I'm the barometer. But, you know, coming from a guy like that who's coached so many great players throughout the years, it means a lot. And he knows I love him and we love each other. And I credit him a lot for, you know, my kind of rebuild over the past two years and get my confidence back and play in the position. Because, you know, I had a little rough year in 2024 is what it is. But, you know, being back with him and being able to do the things I've done with, that offensive line group, I'd say it's helped me and the rest of us.

11:47 It's confidence fleeting at times.

11:49 I wouldn't say this appears on a heart in a heartbeat, but you know, when you're not out there on the field, you know, you're not able to display your skills and what you're able to do. So yeah, sometimes it does go away.

12:00 So how has he remolded you, I guess, into the monster that you are a right guy right now, one of the premier guards in the NFL, in my opinion, and not, I mean that.

12:12 I credit all my offensive line coaches through the years. They've helped me develop into the player I am. But him, he's special in what he does because he's going to make sure every box is checked, every I is dotted, every T is crossed. And that's essential to what we do. And he's helped us tremendously.

12:29 Every one of those guys, do they have a different angle to their approach?

12:33 Definitely.

12:34 Yeah, every offensive line coach is different. Some a little more louder than others, some a little more calm and I'd say he's got the happy medium. You know, he could dig into you and show his side of he's got some vinegar in him, but also love you up when need be.

12:46 Is it great to hear or is it uncomfortable here that these things that he just explained to me are leadership qualities that maybe you are an underrated leader and a go to guy on this team when. times are tough or hey you know get on my back and follow me are you are you accepting of that responsibility.

13:06 Definitely definitely you know it's it's a it's a part of the position we play we're the we're the protectors of the unit and you know we hold ourselves to a very high standard and so does everybody else in this building and um yeah it's good to hear but you know we got to keep it rolling keep it consistent and i feel like that's something he helps me continue to do how does he do that i'm just staying on top of he doesn't let anything fall through the cracks you know even with Joe in 11 years, he doesn't let anything fall. He'll coach you up. Like you're a rookie. You know, he stays on top of everything.

13:33 Yeah.

13:33 We talk about Joe's fundamentals and technique is glowing. He's the blueprint to guard, but then your blueprint also, I'd.

13:42 Say he's another factor as to why I've been able to be able to see what he does. The consistency he brings to the table as reflected upon the entire group.

13:50 It's quite the group. And, I know we've discussed this before, but it's worth reiterating just the impact of the rest of the guys. It's not just the O-linemen doing their thing. I mean, we got some, can I say badasses?

14:04 Some dogs.

14:05 At receiver, tight end, running back. When you guys watch tape together as a team, the offense, when you see that stuff that's going on behind you and the side of you, what do you see?

14:20 I mean, they're... They're a reason for why we were able to have big runs and explosive plays. You know, we handle the front seven, and I'm not saying that's an easy job by any means, but when you see Kalief Raymond, Roman Dudenze, Luther Burton coming in like heat-seeking missiles to safeties, being able to spring Kyle and Dre for 20, 30-plus, it's special.

14:38 How about the tight ends?

14:39 They're inserting. I can't forget them.

14:42 They're inserting into that.

14:43 That's the best run-blocking, catching tight end group I think I've ever seen.

14:47 Right. They were just getting going. And that's not hyperbole. I mean, that is.

14:51 That's the truth.

14:52 Yeah, that's the truth. That run by Swift against Green Bay when Cole Komet had a perfect block. I mean, some of these blocks are, like, perfect. Yes. And that's hard to admit for any offensive player to say anything's perfect.

15:04 And credit to them. You know, they take it very seriously, and, you know, they take pride in being able to block. Our motto is no block, no rock, and, you know, they take it to the fullest.

15:13 When you watch yourself, what do you see?

15:15 I see somebody that's, you know, playing good ball but growing still. You know, I'm still finding my groove and finding consistency in my play, and there's always room for improvement.

15:24 Is it a title shift difference than what you were before, or you think you've just been sharpened?

15:29 No, I wouldn't say it's a title. I've always been capable of playing to where I believe I can play, and I feel like there's still heights I haven't reached yet. It's just being able to do it consistently and being on the field. That's definitely been the main thing.

15:44 When things aren't going well, as Dan referred to, you get everybody on track.

15:49 How do you do I wouldn't say it's more so like me speaking to them, but just in my actions, you know, running off the ball in Indy, you know, taking Indy coaching points to team, taking the team reps to the game. And, you know, I'd say we do that consistently among us, five each week.

16:07 And Indy, for those who don't know, not Indianapolis. Individual workouts. I know. We do a lot of shortened stuff in this business, that's for sure. How much pride do you take, then, in the non-visible world? work that goes in that no one sees to be the offensive lineman at the level you.

16:25 Are yeah i mean it's it's everything it's the foundation to what you are as a player you know but what you do when people aren't watching whether it's working out whether it's putting an extra time on and off the field and you know that builds the confidence that you need the technique that you need to be able to block guys and you know make this.

16:41 Offense go tom thayer often tells me that you know he used to Getting that weight room, it's a confidence boost. Your strength is there. Do you approach the weight room the same way? Does it give you confidence on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays?

16:54 Oh, yeah.

16:54 And we make it competitive in there, too.

16:56 Explain.

16:57 We get to pull-up days, and we all see who can do more, who can put more weight on their back while they're doing the pull-up and see who makes it look perfect. So, you know, it ties into everything we do.

17:08 How many pull-ups can you do with no weight on?

17:12 On a good day, OTAs.

17:16 When you're fresh?

17:16 Really hammering five days a week, probably like 16.

17:19 Yikes. There's not a chance I could do one right now.

17:23 You got it. All you got to do is start doing some black pull-downs. Build the foundation.

17:27 Right, right.

17:28 What's the biggest challenges to keeping yourself healthy? Obviously, injuries happen, but tough guys like you, you play through stuff. You're always going to play, but maintaining your body and your mindset. How do you do that?

17:42 We have a heck of a corner here in the Chicago Bears, you know, training room, dieticians, coaches, things like that, that, you know, help us stay on top of what we need to do. This is like we get to play a kid's game for King's Ransom. So to be able to just go lift and take care of my body is not even, shouldn't be that challenging. And, you know, being able to do that and striving that and help me stay on the field, I'd say is crucial.

18:05 All right, let's go through the guys real quick. Little nuggets. Maybe we don't know. Theo, let's start with you.

18:11 Theo. The Canadian brass. He's a very prideful player. He's got great, great skills, great ability. And I feel like he hasn't even reached heights he's able to.

18:23 Let's talk Ozzie.

18:24 Ozzie, another one. Young dog. A lot of potential, a lot of ability. We've seen it last year and it's hopefully come to life this year.

18:32 I happened to be on the bus with the offensive lineman on the way to the stadium the other day. Ozzie was holding court back there. It was a Sunday morning. Usually there's silence. Ozzie's holding court.

18:42 Yeah, all of us do. You know, we all play a part in this thing.

18:45 Joe Tooney.

18:46 The blueprint. The gold standard.

18:48 Garrett Brandberg.

18:49 The commander. The leader. The director. The general.

18:53 Darnell Wright.

18:54 Everything all in one. Everything. The unicorn.

18:57 Jonah Jackson.

18:58 The barometer, according to Dan Brochure.

19:00 I got to put Braxton in there, too, because he had a heck of a return this year. I feel bad when a guy just gets banged up again. How about Braxton?

19:09 Tough as nails. He'll keep scratching, fighting, clawing, so he's got nothing left.

19:15 And then the backfield, Menunga and Swift.

19:17 The two-headed monster. Both of them can make people pay or make people miss. they're very special.

19:24 I i came up with last year the swift and mighty back because i call my own guy mighty and he loves it you know we're the same size.

19:31 Except he's got the head's about three times he don't like when i say that.

19:38 Um life boy from football gets interesting when you have another child congratulations thank you sir how many now in the family Three.

19:46 Wow.

19:46 Yep.

19:47 Got the trifecta.

19:48 Yeah.

19:49 Always a blessing. You want to run home when they're babies to see what's.

19:54 Next, right?

19:55 Yeah.

19:55 They change every day. Right.

19:56 Three, two, zero.

19:58 They look different every single day, and there's nothing like walking through that door and hearing them scream out loud.

20:03 Are you able to just get away from it all when you hug those munchkins?

20:07 Definitely.

20:07 They're bought into the game, too. They know what's going on.

20:11 Really?

20:12 What are their ages?

20:13 Three, two, and freshly born.

20:15 And so the three, are they all?

20:18 One's a girl, three, boy, two, boy, fresh.

20:21 And everybody is getting the raw introduction to life in the world of football.

20:27 Oh, yeah.

20:28 They love it.

20:29 They like to throw you around a little bit too?

20:32 My son, he's about ready. He might call football soccer ball.

20:36 He does? Why?

20:37 Because he plays soccer, so he thinks he's doing what I'm doing.

20:41 That's funny. On a more serious note, what are the biggest challenges awaiting this football team as we move forward?

20:48 I'd say there's challenges each and every week. Every team has their monsters that you've got to handle and somehow deflate their ability to affect the game. And, you know, I feel like we have a great group that's established a good culture and we're able.

21:03 To do that.

21:03 We're the monsters of the midway.

21:05 Yeah, yeah.

21:06 And we got monsters ourselves.

21:08 Exactly. You're one of them. I'll tell you right now, I've so enjoyed getting to know you in the last year. Your personality pops. I can see why Dan says what he says. I see why your teammates talk about you the way you do. You are a broad. You just keep things right here. I try my best. Has that always been the case or have you... jumped all over the place i'd say.

21:29 It's always been the case you know i've been an even keel guy you know i'm one of five so i had to find my my niche in the group so i feel like that's been.

21:37 It tommy he's a mauler he's a leader as we've heard from dan rochard and a trusted pro for dan and also for bears head coach ben johnson who had him in detroit what's your opinion of jonah jackson.

21:51 I love these interviews, and I think for all Chicago Bears fans, they should be mandatory listening because you learn a lot more about the person than you do in a two-minute interview post-game or an interview like that. And I feel like I know Jonah Jackson better now after the interview, and I admire all of his qualities because when he came aboard to the Bears, like he talked about the 24th season and what's been going on since he's been a part of this offense, a part of Dan Rochard and his coaching staff, He's the perfect fit.

22:23 Coming up next, we hear from the starting quarterback, Caleb Williams.

22:26 Welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Jones.

22:36 This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by Chevy Drive Chicago, Chicagoland, and Northwest Indiana Chevy dealers. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Chevy Silverado, the official truck partner of the Chicago Bears. Check out a Chevy Silverado at your Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy dealers.

22:51 On a streak of back-to-back 300-plus yard performances, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams goes up against what they call the dark side defense of the Seahawks.

23:01 Yep, another nickname for a Seattle defense.

23:03 This one engineered by head coach Mike McDonald and coordinated by Aiden Dirty.

23:08 Obviously, that's the best defense in football right now for stats-wise and players and scheme. And so it's going to be fun for us. It's going to be a challenge for us. And we accept that challenge.

23:20 We've got to go out there.

23:20 We've got to execute.

23:21 We've got to do our part.

23:23 That's focused on the details, our fundamentals, our foundation, what we're built on, and our identity. From there, you play, you play, you play, try to be the least penalized team out there, and then you look at the scoreboard at the end.

23:36 That's how we think about it. Their identity is unbelievable.

23:42 They don't allow deep plays, so you've got to be as patient as possible.

23:46 That's obviously true.

23:48 You know, hard, you know, the whole game trying to be patient, patient, patient. So it's a challenge for me. It's a challenge for our offense. Being able to take the dirty yards, protecting the football. They do a good job with punching the ball out and interception. I think they're second in the league or something like that with the amount of turnovers that they've had.

24:03 I think 12 turnovers or something like that.

24:06 In half the year. And so, I mean, they rallied to the ball. They got players. They got the scheme, like I said. So, I mean, they're they're fully equipped over there to do whatever they need as a defense and as a team.

24:19 And so, like I said, it's going to be a fun challenge for us.

24:22 Ben said that he noticed you've been getting the.

24:25 Ball out a little quicker and I've seen it bear out in.

24:28 The stats the last couple of games. What do you attribute that to?

24:31 And do you try to strike a balance between getting out quickly and doing what you do?

24:37 Whenever it shows up, do what I got to do.

24:39 That's my mindset anytime, whether it's dropping back and throwing the ball, getting the ball, into my guys' hands just because of who we got out there and give them the best ball so they can go make a play for us, play.

24:51 For the team.

24:53 Or if something happens and we either mess up protection or I'm scrambling or something like that, it's time to go make a play. And so the balance is there. You've got to focus on it. You've got to try and hone in. You've got to try and hone in. And then when things go wrong or anything like that, it's time to go make a play. That's the simplest way to put it.

25:14 Has there been a conscious effort to get it out?

25:17 Yeah.

25:17 Yeah.

25:18 I always want to keep progressing, keep finding ways to get better, keep finding ways to help this team, keep finding ways to be.

25:25 The best player that I can be. And that's, that's been a part of it.

25:28 And so the opportunities I think of, of me getting the ball out have shown up more.

25:32 I think just reading the defense, seeing the defense, and then just.

25:35 Believing in my guys and being confident, having open communication throughout the games, through our practice and, of where they'll be so I can, you know, get the ball out faster and trust them and throw it in anticipation. And then when those times do show up, you know, let's light up the scoreboard or let's light up and, you know.

25:51 The second play starts.

25:52 And so it's a conscious effort to try and get the ball out to them, have the open communication, figure out where they're going to be, know where they're going to be, and deliver a good ball to them so they can go make the most of it so, you know, I don't have to move as much and we can keep, you know, chugging along, having a long drive.

26:07 The more time you're around, Ben, what do you– what have you come to appreciate just about his play design and seeing stuff that might look a little bit unorthodox, but him installing it as if this is going to work no matter what?

26:19 Yeah, I think, I think that's one of the coolest things about Ben is that when he installs a play, like every play is going to work.

26:27 Every play is going to be an explosive. It doesn't matter if it's a short yardage run.

26:30 It doesn't matter if it's a, you know, 50 yard bomb play that he puts in or, you know, anything like that.

26:35 It's, it's you know, it's, it's his confidence.

26:38 It's his, it's his faith in himself and his play calling his coaches.

26:42 Um, and then, and then obviously all his film study.

26:44 And then, um, he also just takes an account to, to what we'd like as players, uh, what we, what we do well as players, what we don't do well. Um, and he puts all that together. And so, um, those are, those are a few things. And then I think his mindset, um, you know, out there, it's, he, he believes in us.

27:00 He believes in himself. He believes in his coaching staff.

27:01 And so, um, I mean, when we get out there, we got full faith in each other as a team, from coaches to players. And so when you have that and you have a head ball coach like that.

27:14 It goes a long way throughout the building.

27:16 I appreciated what he had to say at the podium this week. Man, the bright lights are on. And we're on last week. They're on this week. They'll be on next week. We've got Christmas Day. You've got Thanksgiving. This is his time to shine.

27:26 And listen, man, the Iceman's coming for the dark side.

27:29 Yeah.

27:29 And that's what it's all about.

27:31 And I really appreciated this week's conversation from the podium because you talk about the confidence he speaks with. He doesn't need a long question to give you a significant answer. The continuous developing relationship between he and Ben Johnson and all the other offensive coaches in that room.

27:50 And the backup quarterbacks.

27:52 I think that Caleb is in a fantastic spot.

27:56 I'm excited to see.

27:57 What Caleb's capable of doing in the most difficult of playing atmospheres.

28:03 A hundred percent, Tommy, exactly the case. A couple nuggets on the Seahawks. They have not allowed 200 yards passing to a quarterback yet this year. That's seven games. They have allowed eight touchdowns, eight interceptions, 17 sacks. In 41 games under McDonald, they've allowed... Jimmy Garoppolo to hit 300 in week 18 of 24. Baker Mayfield last season in a 38-35 Seattle loss. And they beat the Rams in week 16 last year in overtime. 38-37 Matthew Stafford, 457 in the playoffs. Drake May threw for 295 in a loss.

28:38 That was the Super Bowl.

28:39 I think that the Bears.

28:41 I have the capabilities to go up there and put up those kind of numbers.

28:45 And when you think of the Super Bowl last year.

28:47 The New England Patriots offensive line didn't play very well, and he almost threw for 300 yards.

28:52 So can the Bears do that?

28:55 Can Ben Johnson creatively put together a game plan that's capable of that? Of course.

29:00 Up next, the voice of the Seattle Seahawks, Steve Rabel. This is ESPN 1000 of the Bears Radio Network.

29:06 Bears. It is good!

29:08 Bears Weekly.

29:10 Time expires!

29:11 A deep dive into all things Bears. And the Bears win! With Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer, this is the home of the Bears. ESPN Chicago.

29:23 This segment of.

29:24 Bears Weekly is brought to you by Athletical Physical Therapy. Visit athletico.com to request an in-clinic or virtual appointment to start feeling better tomorrow. With Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer, I'm Jeff Joniak, and our special guest in this segment of Bears Weekly, Steve Rabel. He is the voice of the Seattle Seahawks. but he's much, much more than that. First six seasons of the Seattle franchise. He played wide receiver, later joined the broadcast crew, was an award winning TV news anchor in Seattle from Louisville, Kentucky to Georgia Tech. to the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, former second-round pick of the Seahawks in 1976, in the booth at 28, 22 years as an analyst,

30:02 to the play-by-play voice in 2004. Wow, what haven't you done?

30:06 Good Lord.

30:07 You're Mr.

30:08 Seahawk.

30:09 I had no idea. I mean, you know, I lose track sometimes. I'm getting to be that age where you sort of forget where you left the keys. But my God, I had no idea I did all that stuff. No wonder I'm so tired. I got lucky enough to be drafted by the Seahawks. And in the very first year, and what made that most interesting and most, you know, fortuitous for me was.

30:31 As an expansion team in 1976, the expectations weren't that high, as you would expect. And so we came here and we played and we won, you know, pretty early in 78, 79. We had a couple of good teams. And so I had a chance to kind of grow with that team. And the team grew in the in the market, in the area. And they loved us. And and so I did a bunch of, you know, speaking and commercials and things while I was playing. And that's sort of what led into what has become, you know, for me, a pretty, pretty lucky break and getting to do This, along with TV news, people in Seattle just sort of bought me as doing Seahawks football as well as being a news anchor.

31:12 And now I just get to focus on football and take the other six months to get out of town. Sharon and I take off and go visit our friends and family or go overseas and eat our way across Italy.

31:23 There you go.

31:24 I love that idea.

31:25 What's your favorite Seattle stadium that you've played in? Because you played in the Kingdome, you got the renovations at Washington, then now you got this new stadium and everything that's talked about is the enormity of the noise.

31:37 But the Kingdome, man, that thing was pretty loud itself. So you have an experience everywhere. What's your favorite stadium?

31:45 Yeah, I have to put it at Lumen Field. Pretty high marks, in fact, over the Kingdome. The Kingdome was a great Utilitarian space. And it got us pro football and pro baseball. We shared that stadium for all of my career and probably the first 20 years of both the franchises before the Mariners built their stadium next door.

32:10 There was some talk at one time when the roof tiles started falling off the kingdom ceiling and that, yes, a new stadium was going to have to be made. And should we build a new stadium that maybe has a roof that slides between the two facilities?

32:27 Yeah.

32:28 And that was kind of initially talked about and then pooh-poohed. Paul Allen, in his brilliance for so many things, but in this case specifically as our owner, he said, I'll help build this team. I will buy the football team. I will help build the stadium. Ask the fans, you've got to come in, though, with me. We need to have a referendum to build the stadium. And we're going to build a great facility, which it is. And he wanted to build one that kind of went back to the days that he went with his dad, who was the librarian at the University of Washington. They went to Husky games. And he remembered sitting outside in an open stadium.

33:10 at Husky Stadium and how great that was for the home field advantage for the dogs. And so he wanted that for the Seahawks. So they designed the stadium with that roof that kind of comes up like this and it just routes all the noise right back down onto the field. And truly, guys, I mean, I take my headsets off once in a while just to get the sense of things. And it is, as Jeff, as you know, you guys have been here. It is so darn loud.

33:39 It's just really incredible and a terrific home field advantage. So, yeah, I love Lumen Field, except for the one thing. There's only the one bathroom in the press box for us. That's the thing, because us old guys, we knew. Al Michaels and I stood in line waiting to run in.

33:57 There the other day.

33:57 Oh, my God.

33:59 It's just one of those things, but short of that, it's a great facility.

34:02 Yeah.

34:02 Loudest stadium I ever called a game in and it includes domes. So my ears actually ache on Monday morning or in this case, it'll be Tuesday morning. We're on ESPN 1000 of the Bears radio network with Tom Thayer, Jeff Jonah, Steve Rabel. So we, we certainly love the matchups on the field, but we also as football folks love the genius behind the schemes. And so you've got Ben Johnson on one side for the Bears, the head coach, and Mike McDonald, a defensive man as the head coach on the other side.

34:32 Are you as intrigued as we are?

34:33 Oh, yeah, without question. I look at what you guys have done, and especially since getting Caleb back the last couple of weeks, just incredible offensive performance. So many weapons. And all that said, you know, we got this boy genius on the other sideline as well. Our guy who now I think he's I think he's all of 38 now.

34:56 I mean, I've got I've got khakis older. He he is he is so specific about how he wants that defense played and how every player responds to each other. Tom, when you were in the offensive front, you knew offensive linemen, you know, you're kind of all tied together on that string. That's the way this defense is. I think it's going to be fascinating. You know, we just faced a pretty good offense, in fact, the number one offense in all of football in Kansas City Chiefs. And, I mean, absolutely shut them down. I was amazed myself. I thought, okay, we might give up 100 yards this week to K-9, Ken Walker III.

35:39 36 yards, I think.

35:40 Yeah.

35:42 We held him to, I mean, it was, it was just a remarkable performance. So I think it's going to be a great test of minds, great test of wills, but ultimately, as we all know, it's the guys on the field that actually have to have to pull it off.

35:53 Can you have a conversation about the Seattle Seahawks head coach defense, all the talent, everything you guys were able to accomplish and not talk about Smith and Jigba. The kid is fantastic, man. He is as legit as you can get at that position.

36:06 I'm trying to think of a better player at his position in all of football right now. Because everybody comes into a game and your guys will too. Your defense will as well. How do we take number 11 away? And nobody's been able to find a real way to shut him down. It's a tribute to him. Defenses try, but he is an amazing pass route runner. You know, we had a pretty good one here in Steve large and he was, you know, my teammate. And if, if you can back up a hall of famer, then I figured I was, I was pretty well to kind of carry his water for him. But, He was a remarkable receiver in different ways. I've never seen anybody that does the things that Jax does. He's so smooth and he's so quick out of his breaks at the top of

36:54 his route. I mean, everything he does is perfect. I don't know if you guys saw Hard Knocks. You probably did. All of us football junkies watch that. And they did a thing where they filmed him running pass routes. And they did his entire route tree, you know, the quick slant, the quick out, the post all the typical routes and then they they uh electronically i don't know how the hell they did it but they edited it all together and it showed him every single place at the top of the route looked exactly the same wow so you had no idea where he was going on his pass route and if you're a defender and you're backing up and you're trying to figure out what's this guy going to do to me by the time you figure it

37:34 out he's already passed you or he's already underneath you on a quick route And the other thing that he doesn't get credit for is he's so darn tough. He takes the most wicked shots sometimes after catching passes across the middle or on those slants, and he just pops right up off the ground. I don't know how he does it. I'd be in the hospital, as many receivers would be. But he is the best I have ever seen right now at what he does. And I've been now with the National Football League. This is my 51st year.

38:04 So one word on your defense. One that's really intriguing for me is Nick Emanuari.

38:09 Plays everywhere.

38:11 He is that magic guy that makes this particular defensive scheme really go. Because, as you said, he plays everywhere. They can line him up over the slot. They can line him up as the end man on the line of scrimmage. They can take him outside. Say we had it last week. K-9 comes out and lines up wide on, I think it was the left side. the line of scrimmage for an empty backfield for Mahomes. And he'll go out there. And then before the snap of the ball, he's two steps down to the line of scrimmage and he's blitzing. He can drop across the middle. He can rush.

38:47 He can do anything. He is a remarkable talent. The biggest thing is just trying to keep him healthy because he throws his body around so much and takes so many shots. but he's the guy that kind of makes that go.

39:01 It's hard to ignore Quentin Nelson being traded there. The only saving grace for the Bears is the difficulty of learning a system within a couple-day period for a guy like Quentin Nelson to go in there and play to the expectations of his game. So will he play, and what do they expect out of him?

39:20 I expect that they're going to get him in there to play. I saw him. He was already at the office today. So coming in with his backpack on and, you know, he's, he, he just looks tough. You know what I mean? I, he just, he just makes me nervous even probably being anywhere near him. And, and, Then what is the scheme that I have to, what are we going to do? I mean, how are we going to set it up? He is a left guard. Well, we've got a pretty good left guard. You know, we've got a guy we drafted number one last year that played, you know, all season long and has played every down this season at left guard. So do you shift him over to the right? Our left tackle is banged up, going to be out a couple of weeks. What are

39:58 we going to do? Mike's going to be asked that, and I'm sure he's not going to answer any of it because he doesn't want to give you guys any indication of what you're going to face on Monday night. But, boy, what a great addition Quentin Nelson is going to be to the offensive, to an already good offensive line. Not playing as well as we'd like to be right now.

40:16 But when we get our two running backs back, maybe this week we'll see at least one of them. Then you put that guy in the middle of that offensive front. Holy smokes.

40:25 All right, Steve, thank you so much. Appreciate it on short notice. And we will see you Monday night.

40:30 My pleasure.

40:31 Thanks.

40:31 Look forward to it.

40:32 Yes, sir.

40:32 That is Steve Rabel, one of the greats in Seattle. Sports history, let alone the Seahawks, as he said, better than five decades in that market.

40:41 We'll take a break.

40:42 Tom's Thoughts coming up next here on ESPN 1000.

40:44 Bears Weekly is back, and so are Tom Thayer and Jeff Joniak on ESPN Chicago.

40:50 All right, welcome back to ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network here on Bears Weekly.

40:57 Time for Tom's Thoughts. No team is normal.

41:01 Listen, we're at a point in the season that there is, you know, this is what remind me of this is, is we sit and talk before the season starts and they go, Hey, what's this team's record going to be?

41:10 What's this or who are you picking here?

41:12 Listen, after a couple of games in the NFL season, it's impossible to pick because you don't know what the roster is by that time. And so from this part of the season, moving forward for the bears and their opponents, you're not going to play who you saw on the depth chart week one.

41:28 So there is no team that is normal.

41:30 It's about how do you make the adjustments against the normal.

41:34 That you thought you had.

41:36 Race to great.

41:38 And this is Colston, Luther, Luther, Luther, and Roma Dunzey. I think all these guys have greatness out in front of them. And I think when you have three guys on the same team and Ben develops a scheme for them, These guys are going to be great. And it's not only if which one of them is going to be great.

41:59 All three of them have the capabilities of being great. And I think that really makes it difficult for any defensive coordinator they're facing. But you're not just trying to take one guy out of the lineup. You're trying to contend with three or four different guys that have the ability to be great.

42:18 Don't be afraid to go solo.

42:21 Right.

42:21 And this isn't your high school dances. This is about tackling. When you look at the bears, I like that.

42:27 I like that.

42:28 I like regular season.

42:30 They're not, they're averaging at about 32 solo tackles a game outside of one game.

42:36 They had 45.

42:36 So.

42:39 If the Bears' defense, no matter how Dennis Allen lines.

42:43 Them up, if they can have some really good solo tackle and limit the after-success of a play, whether it's a pass reception, initial contact by a running back, or a quarterback that wants a scramble. So you turn last week's New England, some of those pressures into sacks. You turn some of the initial contact into a run that maybe has a yard gain or a loss or even.

43:08 The after effects of a reception.

43:11 Give me solo tackles in this game because they're going to.

43:14 Be uber important.

43:16 But somebody during the course of the four quarters multiple times is going to have to come up with a super important solo tackle.

43:24 Same could apply to special teams.

43:27 A hundred percent. And I, and that I agree with you there.

43:30 And some of the solo tackles that we've seen, you know, whether it's Jack Sanborn's hit a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta or Daniel Hardy this past week, whomever.

43:40 Yeah.

43:41 You got to get them on special teams specifically. And one thing I will say, it's the most talented punter game we are going to see maybe in the last 20 years.

43:56 Yeah, Michael Dixon and Torrey Taylor, both from Australia.

43:59 Amazing.

44:01 Both can do the banana ball, both of them.

44:04 Yeah, but you see the Minnesota, his punter, he points towards the sideline when he's hitting a banana ball, and then the punt returner catches it back in the center of the field. Wow.

44:16 It's amazing.

44:17 It's amazing the curvature that he has to the flight of his football.

44:21 Hmm.

44:22 We've got to give a shout-out to Tony Medlin, head equipment man, Chicago Bears. 38th year, the Bears' coat drive got kicked off on Wednesday up at Hallis Hall, along with Jewel Osco and the Salvation Army. Gently used coats, new, whatever the case may be. You know you have them in your closet.

44:37 Get them out. That's right, man.

44:38 Get them out of there.

44:40 Give them to somebody who needs them.

44:41 Like thin the herd, man.

44:43 Cause there's, you got coats in there where they have the bears logo on there.

44:46 Or no logo. Somebody needs that winter jacket.

44:50 All right, Tom, we're headed out to Seattle. Don't be late. It's a long plane ride, Tommy.

44:55 I'm eating salmon tonight just so I can be ready for it.

44:59 The executive producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrowski. Thanks to Kendra Smith and the ESPN studios and our Bears producers, Dan Brilley, Jordan Trudup, and Katie Fox.

45:07 For Top There, I'm Jeff Joniak.

45:09 This has been Bears Weekly on the radio home of the Chicago Bears, ESPN Chicago. Have a good night, everybody. Amber and Ian are coming up next.