1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: This is football Queens, then Nattie, brought to you in 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: part by Postman Law and Vice Skyline Chilly on ESPN 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: fifteen thirty Cincinnati Bengals, My. 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 2: Apologies, Bengals and Bears on Sunday. You just heard the 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: guy with the deep voice. We're at the Holy Grail 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 2: Sunday morning, starting at nine am. Courtney Cronin, who is 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,159 Speaker 2: like the hardest working person at ESPN. I hear in 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 2: the mornings before our pregame show on Sundays, Best on 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 2: Best Week Ever, And then I look up and she's 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 2: She's doing live hits from where the Bears are playing. 11 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: She's on Clinton and Friends. She obviously covers the Chicago 12 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: Bears for ESPN. She's the pride of Indiana University and 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: kind enough to talk Bengals Bears with us for a 14 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: few minutes. Courtney, It's good to have you. Good afternoon. 15 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: How are you. 16 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 3: I'm great? How are you doing doing well? 17 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: I'm sitting there on Sunday morning, thinking, man, the Bengals 18 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: are going to beat the Jets, and Chicago's going to 19 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: beat Baltimore, and it's going to become a two team 20 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: race in the AFC North. Obviously, neither of those things happened. 21 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: What went wrong against not Lamar Jacks and the Ravens 22 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: last Sunday for the Bears. 23 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, they kept committing these like horrible penalties and they 24 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 4: were flagged eleven times last week. 25 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 3: So when you get in the red zone, your tight end. 26 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 4: False starts, it's third and five and Caleb Williams takes 27 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 4: a sack, the left tackle gets beat off the edge. 28 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 4: Like you're not going to come away with many points 29 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 4: in the circumstances, and like they. 30 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 3: Were moving the ball well in the first quarter. 31 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 4: Like they had more first downs, more plays than Baltimore 32 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 4: had combined. 33 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 3: I think Baltimore in three plays. 34 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 4: Yet they were in a situation where they just cannot 35 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 4: come away from the red zone with anything more than 36 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 4: a field goal. 37 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 3: They were one of three last week, and I think 38 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 3: that killed them. 39 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 4: That's killed them against you know, good teams this year, 40 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 4: it's killed them against some not so good teams. And 41 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 4: that's become a problem here. That has been an alarming 42 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 4: trend that they're trying to fix. And you know, it 43 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 4: boils down to a lot of different things. Red zone 44 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 4: efficiency isn't just get down there and score, It's how 45 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 4: are you doing it, and when you're putting yourself behind 46 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 4: the chains because of false starts. 47 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 3: And I hate using. 48 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 4: The same cliche phrasing, but they use that they use 49 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 4: here that everybody's not on the same page. 50 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 3: Like I don't know how you fix it, Like you're 51 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 3: nine weeks into this thing. 52 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 4: Like the fact that you've been using the same excuses 53 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 4: since training camp is kind of ridiculous, And at some 54 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 4: point it becomes indicative of how it's coached and who 55 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 4: these players are. 56 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: Man, it sounds un awful, like like you're talking about 57 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: our team Courtney. Yeah, uh so you have red zone issues. 58 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: They're amplified when you have injuries at the wide receiver spot. 59 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: Who's Caleb Williams going to be thrown to on Sunday? 60 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 4: So Dj Moore, Roma June Day and Alamide's a Kias 61 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 4: were practicing today. They were limited, but that's a good 62 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 4: sign because they were without four receivers yesterday, Like it 63 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 4: was a real thin group and I don't think that 64 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 4: that is going to be the case on Sunday. 65 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 3: Dj Moore doesn't miss games. 66 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 4: You remember he had a groin injury against Washington, was 67 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 4: in the hospital for a night and ended up playing 68 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 4: against the Saints the following you know, six days late. 69 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 4: So that guy is an iron man Roman Dunes. They 70 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 4: hasn't missed time for an injury. And I know he's 71 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 4: only played you know, what is it like twenty four 72 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 4: twenty two games in. 73 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 3: His career so far. But he'll you know, he's gonna 74 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: play this weekend. I have no doubt about that. 75 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 4: Polkomet comes back, so you get another tight end back 76 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 4: in the mix. Somebody who missed his first game since 77 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 4: he was drafted by the Bears in twenty twenties that 78 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 4: it was really weird watching a game on TV last 79 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 4: week when he had not The last time he watched 80 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 4: a Bears game on TV was when he was still 81 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 4: a student at Notre Dame. So that's that's a good 82 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 4: sign for the offense that health is trending in the 83 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 4: right direction. 84 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 3: They frankly don't. 85 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 4: Have that many problems health wise on offense. It's defense, 86 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,119 Speaker 4: given why they just signed CJ. Gardner Johnson, where they're 87 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 4: they're pretty sin right now at the cornerback position. But 88 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 4: Tyree Stevenson will be coming back this week. He was 89 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 4: a full participant in practice and with with Gardner Johnson, 90 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 4: feeling that nickel role. 91 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 3: I anticipate he will be playing this weekend. 92 00:03:59,240 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 4: That way. 93 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: Courtney Cronin is with us from ESPN covering the Chicago Bears. 94 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 2: How would you encapsulate Caleb Williams season? So far? 95 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 4: It's been up and down, which I know is is 96 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 4: not a great way to describe it. 97 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 3: But there have been good moments. 98 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 4: I know that nationally people want to look at this 99 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 4: and think, God, he's not Jayden Daniels, He's not Drake May, 100 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 4: he's terrible, He's not Boneicks. It's taken a long time, 101 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 4: and I don't need to go down the hindsight game 102 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 4: of like would they have done it differently, would they've 103 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 4: chosen somebody differently? 104 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 3: This is the quarterbacks they have in the quarterback that 105 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 3: they're going to try to make it work with. 106 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 4: There have been moments where you have seen Caleb put 107 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 4: it together and put down some you know, touchdowns, you know, 108 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 4: put some together some touchdown drives that have looked impressive. 109 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 3: Has he done it against the best defenses? 110 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 4: Not really, but like the Raiders win, he got them 111 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 4: in position there at the end of the game, they 112 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 4: were able to walk it off with a blocked field goal. 113 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 4: He got them in position to walk it away with 114 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 4: a madefield goal. The following game against the Washington Commanders, 115 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 4: they haven't put teams away yet. That's what you need 116 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 4: to see the next step of Caleb Williams growth. 117 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 3: Can this team. 118 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 4: Outside of that Dallas game against that defense which looks 119 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 4: like the Bengals defense right now? Can you do it 120 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 4: against a good, respectable defense where you leave nothing in 121 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 4: doubt and you win the game because of Williams, not 122 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 4: in spite of him. 123 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: Well, he's not going to get that opportunity against the 124 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 2: Cincinnati defense on Sunday Courtney. As you will know, where 125 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: has Ben Johnson put his fingerprints on this organization. 126 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 3: I think there's been. 127 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 4: A culture shift here that's kind of like the easy 128 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 4: thing to say, where there is an accountability factor, like 129 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 4: I thought, you know, Ben kind of throwing his hands 130 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 4: up last week about the penalties, being like, look like 131 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 4: we're coaching it a certain way. I'm putting it on 132 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 4: the players now like they're months into this thing. You 133 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 4: go back to the first practice where he's throwing the 134 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 4: first team offense off the field during a day where 135 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 4: they weren't even in pads at training camp because they 136 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 4: couldn't get lined up properly. Like that's the intensity that 137 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 4: he brings to practice, and I know that that's continued 138 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,119 Speaker 4: on players have asked for so the accountability factors there, 139 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 4: the professionalism factors there, and I mean I even say 140 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 4: that with accountability, it goes back to him too. Like 141 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 4: the issue last year with the coaching staff with Matt 142 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 4: Eberflus is that when there were mistakes, the coaching staff 143 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 4: tried to talk their way out of having to take 144 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 4: accountability of it. 145 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 3: Ben Johnson last week. 146 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 4: That I didn't like the call that I had and 147 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 4: the QB sneak was a bad call at the goal 148 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 4: line because they didn't have any timeouts left and they've 149 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 4: wasted time off the cloth. He's taken blame for not 150 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 4: getting the run game going. You know, he takes it 151 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 4: very personally because he spends more time there than he 152 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 4: does with a passing game. But there's just a lot 153 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 4: here that feels a little different, like there's an adult 154 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 4: in the room when it comes to Ben Johnson and 155 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 4: what his coaching staff has has brought in. But I 156 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 4: think from that too, you've seen creativity injected into this offense. 157 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 4: It's just can they do it on a more consistent level, 158 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 4: because we have been told they used tight ends a 159 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 4: lot in Ben Johnson's offense. I haven't seen that you 160 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 4: drafted a guy tenth overall in Poston Lovelin, like look 161 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 4: at Tyler Warrens stats, look at Colston Lovelin's big difference, 162 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 4: and I just think that that's a growing you know, 163 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 4: that's Ben Johnson learning as a play caller and as 164 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 4: a head coach. 165 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: You're responsible for more than just the offense. 166 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 4: So it's making sure you can manage all of those 167 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 4: things and still inject the creativity that you saw, you know, 168 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 4: routinely over four quarters of a game with much different 169 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 4: personnel in some areas, but also being able to get 170 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 4: more out of guys that might be lesser personnel. And 171 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 4: you know, he's he's been a big proponent of this 172 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 4: run game. He feels that these guys are the ones 173 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 4: that he can work with. It's not Tamer Gibbs, it's 174 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 4: not David Montgomery. But they did have two games back 175 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 4: to back where they ran the ball effectively, and I 176 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 4: think it's it's been showing that he can make it 177 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 4: work with who they have to work with right now, 178 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 4: and not making excuses of I'm going to force them 179 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 4: to learn my offense and trying to work things around 180 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:49,679 Speaker 4: to make it easier for certain players. 181 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well said Courtney. Awesome stuff. No, you have a 182 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 2: lot going on. I do appreciate the time. 183 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 3: Thank you so much, No problem, thanks a mout. Take care,