WEBVTT - Team Captains named as Week 1 arrives | Bears, etc. Podcast 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:06.040 Cut open that DJ Moore episode Touchdown, Touchdown Bears. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.080 I am Jeff Jonian hits. 0:00:07.920 --> 0:00:12.960 Us on Dot E cor What was like playing for 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:13.800 Coachy Boddom. 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:16.439 I don't want to answer any questions like that pressure 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:29.160 coming is a big trouble Dot E gos motes Sweat. 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:28.800 Bears, et cetera with the voices of the Chicago Bears 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:36.280 Jeff jonyac Well, it's game week c W. Tommy c W, 0:00:36.680 --> 0:00:42.120 can't wait c W. Caleb Williams. We are an episode 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:44.479 ninety of the Bears et Cetera podcast, and we are 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:47.640 brought to you by our new sponsor, Geico, and thank 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:49.839 you Geigo for joining us as we look forward to 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.360 a great twenty twenty four season. That's Tom Thayre, the 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:55.200 Super Bowl winning Bears Guard, my broadcast partner at ESPN 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:57.120 one thousand of the Bears Radio Network, and I'm Jeff 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.160 Joniac lay By, a play voice of the Bears. This 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:05.240 episode number ninety reveals team captains Tommy eight of them. Now, 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.640 as Maddie Rufluch said, and we'll hear some from coach Fluse, 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:11.280 there are more leaders on this football team and therefore 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:14.600 more captains. Something that kind of first started back at 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:17.320 two thousand and seven. I guess the biggest surprise to 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:19.960 some people is that Caleb Williams as a rookie is 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.200 a captain. But by virtue of being a quarterback, it's 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:26.800 almost universal that those guys become captains right away and 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.160 this was grown organically. How do you feel about everything? 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:30.880 I'm okay with it. 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:31.120 You know. 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:34.000 The thing about it is first rounders carry clout, and 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.560 as we live up to where they were picked, then 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:38.600 I think a lot of times they have a larger 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.720 voice in the locker room. Jimbo Kovert was a captain 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:44.600 his rookie year and he brought change at the left 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:48.160 tackle on the offensive line position that led to the 0:01:48.160 --> 0:01:51.160 eighty five Bears in the Super Bowl. So it's not, 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:55.320 you know, something that hasn't been done before. But yeah, 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.240 you know you have to carry that voice within the 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:02.600 locker room, on the practice field, the high expectations for 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.680 your teammates and then go to bat and lead to 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:06.240 some wins. 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:08.960 Yeah, it's not forced leadership. Ryan Pulls made that clear 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.639 the other day. We've seen it, Tommy, We're at every practice. 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:14.040 You've seen how he carries himself. You see how the 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.839 players gravitate to him. And I think it's just as 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:20.880 Ryan said, it's fairly natural here, and that's the way 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.840 it's got to be. Player, and I had this conversation 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.760 with DJ Moore today. We'll talk about it late later 0:02:26.800 --> 0:02:28.960 in the week when he joins us as well on 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:32.160 the podcast and on Bears Weekly. But as you know 0:02:32.560 --> 0:02:35.959 better than anybody, players know first in the locker room. 0:02:36.320 --> 0:02:37.919 They know first. 0:02:38.080 --> 0:02:40.320 Who the dudes are, who the leaders are on the 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:43.240 football team, and that is by a natural process. 0:02:44.080 --> 0:02:45.760 Listen, off the top of my head, I can give 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.280 you a list of failed first rounders that had no 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.200 business being in a leadership role on their football team, 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:54.320 and they didn't stay around that football team very long. 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:57.639 And it's every position from quarterback to alignment to defensive 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:00.040 player or whatever you want to look at it. And 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:03.680 you do give the reflection to your team that you're 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:06.960 all in and you're invested in turning this thing around. 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:09.560 And the reason that you were picked number one in 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.519 the draft is because you had those type of credentials 0:03:12.560 --> 0:03:16.639 that even got the consideration. So, like Matt said, there's 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.040 a lot more leaders on this football team and in 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:20.880 that locker room, and I think that's a good thing 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.400 because you and I have talked about the search for 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:27.320 alpha males in this roster, within this roster, and I 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.079 think we're seeing the development of some of those guys. 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:32.079 And it's not always the loudest ones. 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:36.480 Sometimes it's the guys that show the most of the 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:40.280 importance of the game to them and their teammates. So listen, 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:42.920 there's a lot of quality things we can say about 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.320 these team captains, and you know, Caleb is right there 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:47.320 as much as any of them. 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:49.520 All right, let's listen in to Maddy Reflush on that 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:50.240 very topic. 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:54.160 Yeah, I haven't had that before, but again I put 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:57.400 it to a vote with the offense and defense and 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:00.360 had the guys rank those guys, and he came up high. 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.440 So mean, all those guys did, that's what's great about it. 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.840 And we had other guys that had great, great votes too, 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:08.360 just that enough to get into that captain's vote. But 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:11.480 that's a really good sign that he's got leadership throughout 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:12.160 the entire team. 0:04:12.600 --> 0:04:14.680 Can you can you give some insight on your off 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.520 season planning for opponents as. 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:18.680 Far as how you divide that up. 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:22.040 When do you guys get into the twelve teams or whatever, 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:24.960 fourteen teams that you're going to face, and when you 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:26.960 get the players, when did you get the players started 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:27.719 on the titles. 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:30.560 Yeah, so that's always a great question, you know, in 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:31.960 terms of the balance of that. 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:35.240 We do it without even knowing the players knowing it 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:37.479 at times, because we have a bunch of walkthroughs and 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:41.960 we'll feature an opponent during that walkthrough. We'll set up 0:04:41.960 --> 0:04:45.480 our schemes against those guys, their fronts and their coverages, 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:48.920 their particular favorite runs at the next run, their play 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:51.080 actions and screens and all the things that they do. 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:55.200 So you always want to work on the first opponents. Typically, 0:04:55.240 --> 0:04:57.279 you know, we're playing in the AFC, you know, early 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.400 this year, and we don't typically play those every single year, 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:01.920 so and that being our first three games, we certainly 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:04.880 put some work on those guys, you know, and then 0:05:04.920 --> 0:05:06.719 you work on an opponent that might have a unique 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.480 type of scheme during the course of training camp. I 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:12.279 think it's always great looking ahead like that, And again, 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:13.920 a lot of times the players don't know we're doing it. 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:15.720 You know, we just got to work our structures and 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.840 our schemes against those guys. But and then if you're 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:21.120 then you of course work in your division too, You're 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:24.960 working in your division the same thing, and we get 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.760 that during training camp, we work on that exclusively against 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:28.479 our division two. 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:32.640 Dedicate specific days where we's going back we need to 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.560 the spring. So okay, this week we're working on San Francisco. 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:36.839 This week we're working on Green Bay. 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:37.880 Yeah, we do. 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:40.160 We spend a few days on each opponent, making sure 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.560 we're getting it down, you know, the guys. It will 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:44.200 take the guys more time than that to be able 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:47.320 to break those guys down in terms of their specific area. 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:49.960 You know, like seam obviously does our run our run game, 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:52.960 and you know, Dave Burganzi and Travis you know, look 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:56.520 at our defensive run you know, run defense. Uh So, yeah, 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:58.240 we go way back into the spring and we we 0:05:58.560 --> 0:05:59.120 set that up. 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:00.920 Do a third year. 0:06:01.200 --> 0:06:03.719 Does it feel like a bit of a fresh start 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:06.039 or reset that you guys have got the roster turned over, 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:08.360 you got quarterbacks, feel like. 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:10.360 A bit of a fresh start, almost a reset. 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.200 I would say that every year is different, you know, 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:14.880 and next year at this time was going to be 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:16.640 different than this year. You know, we'll have players that 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:20.279 have more experience, We'll have more different guys come in 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:20.920 free agency. 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:23.160 So I think every every team is different. I think 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:24.560 you got to really reset that. 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:27.680 Once you get into February March, you know, and then 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:30.120 really get a feel for the guys, you know, into April, 0:06:30.279 --> 0:06:32.360 and then we really start that April fifteen and then 0:06:32.400 --> 0:06:35.360 start working that, you know, bringing the team together at 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:39.080 that point. And that's a process. We're very authentic about that. 0:06:39.160 --> 0:06:42.919 We're very intentional about that. And like I said, I 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:45.440 can feel this team coming together faster, you know, just 0:06:45.480 --> 0:06:47.680 because of the maturity of it. And some of it's 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:50.000 because of what you said, Herbie, I've been around each 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.360 other for three years, and you know that certainly helps 0:06:52.960 --> 0:06:55.000 that part of it. 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:58.760 With It's obviously been a long and eventful road realm 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:00.640 March to now. 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:03.159 What is your own personal outlook. 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.559 And optimism and energy now going into a regular season 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.920 test here, I'd say it feels like a build up 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:08.120 for this. 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:10.560 Yeah, we're all excited. You know. I could tell the 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:11.240 guys are excited. 0:07:11.240 --> 0:07:13.840 We had a team meeting this morning, you know, when 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:15.760 I broke them down afterward, you can tell the guys 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.320 are excited just about the competition. You know, we're excited 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:22.320 to compete together in a football game. And we're excited, 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.000 you know, full strength and be able to do that, 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:26.320 and we're just excited about that opportunity. 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.560 We get this Sunday, Larry, Larry, what do you got 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:31.360 cut off? 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:34.520 You obviously haven't been in the AFC South since twenty 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:36.520 twenty one, and I think all four teams have changed 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:39.480 coaches since then. But does your experience their help at 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:41.840 all preparing to play those teams this year, especially early 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:42.360 in the season. 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:43.360 It does. 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.760 I got some you know, I've obviously played some of 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.880 those players that are on on the other sideline, but 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:52.440 that certainly helps. So I'm familiar with that. But again, 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.440 they've changed and that's why we did some extra work 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:57.000 on those guys. You know, there's all new coaches and 0:07:57.120 --> 0:07:58.560 so it's it's adjusted and changed. 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:02.280 From that standpoint, you still do the honorary captains each week? 0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:04.800 Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I don't, I 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:06.520 don't I may, I haven't really. 0:08:06.520 --> 0:08:08.360 I mean, I've thought about it already, but I don't 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:09.960 know if I'm gonna do it or not. So right now, 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:12.640 we've got eight captains and I think they're a solid group. 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:15.360 For Caleb, what's the balance that you hope he strikes 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:18.400 in being you know, we're in the seat being a leader, 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:21.360 but also knowing that there's going to be growing pains, 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:23.880 probably for a rookie trying to figure out how to 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:26.560 strike that balance himself. What do you hope Tom part 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:27.840 on him about that process? 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:30.880 Yeah, just be yourself, you know, just be yourself, be authentic, 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:33.600 and you know, let it come to you what she's done. 0:08:34.400 --> 0:08:36.960 You know, he's worked his tail off, he's preparing. You know, 0:08:37.000 --> 0:08:39.160 he's got great passionate you know, in the practicing and 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:42.079 the games, and that'll all come to him naturally. 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:45.520 What else stuck out about Flues today? 0:08:45.840 --> 0:08:49.240 The whole process of getting ready to start the preparation week, 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:52.640 and that will begin Wednesday. Let Matt have the players 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:55.360 come out in the field, get loosened up, throw some balls, 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:58.120 just get back on the practice field and get your 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.640 body mechanically going again. He doesn't put too much into 0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:05.640 it because the process really starts on Wednesday, and that'll 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:10.480 add a whole nother seriousness to the workday of a 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:14.200 Wednesday preparation for a game. And listen, I like the 0:09:14.200 --> 0:09:18.480 way that Matt really has been handling this team since 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:20.480 he became the defensive coordinator. 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:21.800 And defensive play caller. 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:25.080 I'm glad the way that he led this entire offseason 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:27.360 because you knew where you were picking in the draft 0:09:27.640 --> 0:09:29.560 in what it was going to mean to the football team. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:32.720 I liked the see a little bit behind the scenes 0:09:32.720 --> 0:09:36.440 on hard Knocks, the development of the relationship between he 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:37.160 and Caleb. 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.920 But here it is now even for Matt. 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:41.800 For a player, for a guy that never puts on pads, 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:43.960 or for a guy that puts on pads every game. 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:47.199 There's a lot of seriousness that's added come Wednesday. 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:51.720 Sure does. And I also was very intrigued by some 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:54.480 of the line of questioning about how they prepare for teams. 0:09:54.920 --> 0:09:59.079 So a little bit about almost everybody, including teams in 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.640 your division, which you I don't see until Week eleven. 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:04.720 Things will change, but some of the highlights I guess 0:10:04.760 --> 0:10:07.280 from each of those games and preparing for the opener, 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:11.440 certainly because everybody's preparing in a unique way because they 0:10:11.440 --> 0:10:13.560 don't know what they're going to see from Brian Callahan 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:16.199 led football team first time head coach or a second 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.720 year quarterback and Will Levis, You're going to have to 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:22.240 feel your way through the first quarter and then execute 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:22.800 your game plan. 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:26.360 You know, I talk a lot about our old playbooks, 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:29.000 and that was a binder that had four or five 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.320 hundred different pages in it. So if we're preparing for 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:35.880 a team that played a four man defensive front, when 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:38.199 we went to the new play that we are putting in, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.880 we would go to that play and on that page 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:44.440 you would have every design defense that you could possibly face. 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:48.120 Three man line, four man line, bear front. So you 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:50.640 had a chance to look at everything while you are 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:55.040 absorbing the information that was being installed. Nowadays, with the 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.880 modern day tablets that they carry around and they bring 0:10:57.920 --> 0:11:00.520 the meetings with them, it's different than the way we 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:03.079 looked at football then the way they look at it now. 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:06.040 But I was intrigued by what Matt said about their 0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:10.440 preparation of different teams, different fronts and without notice where 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:13.120 they just kind of challenge these guys and where they're 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:16.720 at mentally, without saying, Okay, you guys, in two days, 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:19.240 be ready for the Green Bay Packers fronts. 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:21.160 Now you show up that day. 0:11:21.480 --> 0:11:24.080 They started putting the fronts in that they wanted to 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:26.560 work against, and then it was up it was up 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:27.600 to you to be prepared. 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:30.160 Yeah, well they didn't, and he says in some cases 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.000 the players didn't know who they were preparing for. 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:32.760 That's what I'm saying. 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.120 That was the point I'm making, is I like that 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:37.080 type of challenge to them. 0:11:37.600 --> 0:11:41.280 Tastes like middle Time, Celebrate responsiblely. Midder Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:45.560 ninety six calories and three point two carps per twelve ounces. Tommy, 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:49.480 a revered member of the Bears family, passed away on Monday. 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:54.520 Katie Nagel has been battling some illness and put on 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:59.640 quite the fight, multiple month fight to stay alive and 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:03.440 it did not happen, but widely regarded around here as 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:05.720 one of the nicest human beings you'll ever want to meet, 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:09.600 always had a smile and a kind word. An administrative 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:15.040 assistant for former President Ted Phillips and also working with 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:20.400 the McCaskey family and so George McCaskey at the stadium 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:24.720 unveiling plan at Soldier Field many months ago said she is, 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:28.520 you know, the heartbeat of the Chicago Bears, or something 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.480 to that effect, and he could not be more accurate 0:12:31.600 --> 0:12:36.920 because everybody loved her, so condolences to her family, for sure, 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:38.160 the Bears. 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:40.600 So I went through the list and looked at all 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:44.600 the emails that they sent throughout her battle, and you know, 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.520 there was you know, the initial news was grave, and 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:50.520 then they had some signs of recovery and she was 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:53.920 breathing on her own. And then when you inform me 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:56.400 that she had passed away, it was just like such 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:00.800 a crushing blow because that entire building was pulling for 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:03.840 Katie Nagel, and they were pulling for her family, and 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:04.640 they were pressed. 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:05.080 You know. 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:08.959 A couple months ago, I was writing her a birthday card, 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:11.160 and I was thinking to myself, when is the last 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:14.400 time that I wrote a birthday card? But it kind 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.600 of is a reflection of how much she means to 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:21.600 all of us, and nothing could be sadder. And I 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.400 just hope that the people that got to know her, 0:13:24.480 --> 0:13:27.040 that knew her, that worked with her over the years, 0:13:27.440 --> 0:13:30.280 you know, has a good memory or a thought about her. 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:34.520 Certainly they do having awaits, that's for sure. Darnell right, 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.040 the starting right tackle entering his second year, was asked 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:40.920 a bunch of questions today, including how high his expectations 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:44.720 are for himself and through the end of this he'll 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:48.640 touch on the Tennessee Titans very high. 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:53.360 So it's too high at sometimes sometimes it feels like, 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:57.640 you know, you're reaching for something that's not possible. 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:02.240 But that's how I think, that's how you get better. 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:04.040 What do you know now that you wish you knew 0:14:04.240 --> 0:14:04.800 as a rookie. 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:05.839 There's a lot of stuff. 0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:06.400 I don't know. 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.800 Which something I wish I knew as a rookie. The 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:16.199 main thing being is just treat treat every player every 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:21.240 game the same, not make one player too big or 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:25.280 make like a lesser known player too small, kind of 0:14:25.320 --> 0:14:29.400 just treat every game and every player the same. 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:31.280 I know it was a couple of weeks ago, but 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.840 having had a chance to see what what Cincinnati does 0:14:34.840 --> 0:14:36.760 with some of their odd fronts, do you think that 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:38.800 there's benefit to that and what you're going to face 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:40.360 against Tennessee this week. 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:43.440 Yeah, yeah, it was huge benefiting that because you know, 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:46.080 they run kind of the same defense a little bit 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.000 some differences here and there, but yeah, getting a little 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:53.000 taste for that and just it's not it's not a 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:55.200 defense you see a lot, but it is, I mean 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:59.160 not as much as like a normal four down defense, 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:03.120 but getting your mind back into that mode of through 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:05.120 down defense, it's good. 0:15:05.200 --> 0:15:07.600 It was definitely good work for us. Don't out. 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.000 What stands out about the Titans defensive line is you're 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:12.040 kind of getting game planning and setting. 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.560 Them for so far, I say, the main thing that 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:18.560 stands out is they play hard, you know, and they're 0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:21.440 I think they're well coached, and uh, it's gonna be 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:24.400 a good challenge for us. I'm happy that we have 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:27.200 the first game just by how hard they play because 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.640 I know how hard we play. So it's gonna be 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:33.720 it's gonna be fun matching their intensity. And then you 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:35.600 know they're matching us as well. It's going to be 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:38.120 like a good competitive you know, it's always fun when 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:39.280 it's competitive, all right. 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:42.320 So Tommy, you know, we're looking for big things from Darnell. 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:47.000 So you know, as he says, his standard of excellence 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:50.760 is almost at times seemingly too hard to reach, and 0:15:50.800 --> 0:15:53.880 he has to keep reaching for that regardless of that fact. 0:15:54.000 --> 0:15:57.320 And then about the Tennessee Titans, he's glad that they 0:15:57.560 --> 0:16:00.360 face Cincinnati. And you did the same thing and your 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:03.440 breakdown of things, because they're going to be a three front, 0:16:03.600 --> 0:16:06.400 you know, a three four front, and that's what Cincinnati 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:09.360 moved into many times on their defense when they practiced 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:11.920 against him and played against him. I thought that was 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.200 some really good He perked up about that. He liked 0:16:15.200 --> 0:16:17.400 the fact that they've had a little bit against the 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:18.200 three man front. 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:21.480 First of all, Darnell, your expectations for yourself are no 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:26.760 different than my expectations for you. I see extreme greatness 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:30.480 for you at your position. It is about is the 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:34.640 initial indication. The dedication of the game is super important 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.440 to him, and that's what we saw throughout his rookie year. 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:40.920 And he also realizes that he has to continuously get 0:16:40.920 --> 0:16:44.480 better throughout his whole career and it's never a finished product. 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.560 And so Darnell, right, he's going to have a lot 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:50.880 of responsibilities, you know, to be one of those leaders 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:53.640 of this football team, of the offensive line, kind of 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:56.600 a sounding board for some of these other guys that 0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:59.600 are playing for Chris Morgan on the offensive line. And 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:03.360 you know, I don't ever think that you're gonna put 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:06.720 any type of defensive front out there with limited notice 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:08.560 to a guy like Darnell Wright, and he's going to 0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:11.439 be surprised. You're gonna say, okay, four man front. I 0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:13.320 know that the guard is covered as well. I'm not 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:15.600 going to be looking for as much help. Okay, A 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.679 three man front. A lot of time there's a bubble, 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:20.320 there's a linebacker up over the guard, so I know 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:22.199 I'm probably gonna have a little bit of help to 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:25.840 my immediate inside. So it's just the process that is 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:28.719 being preached to these guys every single meeting they go 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:33.040 through and go to because there's no guarantee that Tennessee 0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:35.879 is gonna line up like you expect them to. 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:37.920 They got some big bodies up there. 0:17:37.960 --> 0:17:40.520 They can easily convert from a three man front to 0:17:40.600 --> 0:17:43.000 a four man front and play at the whole game. 0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:45.800 They have a body now big enough on the interior 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:48.280 of their defensive line that they could play a bear 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:52.760 defense because the six four, three hundred and sixty six 0:17:52.880 --> 0:17:56.480 to Andre Sweat is a big man, and so he 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:59.800 gives that defensive front a little bit of versatility. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.480 The veteran defense looks like they play hard, they're aggressive, 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:05.560 They've always been that way under prior administration to Mike Vrabel, 0:18:05.760 --> 0:18:07.520 and I think they're going to pick up that baton 0:18:07.600 --> 0:18:10.200 and move in the same direction. We'll preview that matchup 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:13.000 in detail coming up on our podcast number ninety one, 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:16.760 which drops on Thursday. All right, let's continue on. We're 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:18.840 brought to you by a PNC official Bank of the Bears. 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.119 One thing back to Darnell before I do move on, 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:26.000 is that somebody asked him as you heard and if 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:28.159 you're just joining us and you're picking the podcast up 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:31.919 in mid stream, here is that one thing he wishes 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:35.560 he would have known before his rookie season is just 0:18:35.720 --> 0:18:39.399 how he looked at players, whether it's the superstar player 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:43.040 versus Maybe not in his words, but my words. I 0:18:43.040 --> 0:18:45.359 think he was trying to insinuate a guy that doesn't 0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:47.600 have that kind of star parer. Treat them all the same. 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:51.240 You can't just elevate your game to meet one guy. 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:54.840 Elevate your game at a high level for everybody you face, 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:56.399 regardless of who it is. 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:58.119 Did you do that? Did you do that? 0:18:58.440 --> 0:19:00.679 You know? It's kind of funny just to aologize with 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:04.840 another story is so you have an outside look at 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:08.119