WEBVTT - Previewing Bears-Falcons | All Access 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.760 The following is a presentation of the Chicago Bears Network 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:07.800 and Chicago Bears dot Com. Download the Chicago Bears Official 0:00:07.800 --> 0:00:10.799 mobile app for up to the minute Bears content every 0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:15.440 day and now welcome to Bears All Access, your all 0:00:15.520 --> 0:00:20.200 access passing to Chicago Bears football. Bears All Access is 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:24.200 brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by Athletical 0:00:24.239 --> 0:00:28.479 Physical Therapy and cd W. Back with you once again, 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.000 This is Bears All Access. Jeff Jonnyak and Tom Thayer 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:32.920 from news Radio seven eighty and one oh five point 0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:36.680 out FWBBM with our producers Jordan Trutup and Dan Barelli. 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:38.440 We thank you and the guys at the score, we 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:41.239 break down tomorrow's kickoff betweugh the Bears and Falcons from 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:44.199 the Mercedes Benz domat Atlanta. We got a lot on 0:00:44.240 --> 0:00:46.159 the docket. Here. We'll hear from the play by play 0:00:46.240 --> 0:00:49.000 voice of the Atlanta Falcons, West Durham. We'll hear from 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:51.560 safety to Sean Gibson, a chunk of our feature interview, 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:53.720 and our Bears player profile. To hear on Bears Game 0:00:53.760 --> 0:00:57.200 Day Live Sunday morning at ten thirty on Fox. We'll 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.160 touch on the passing of the Great Gayl Sayers the 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.800 age of seventy seven. We'll talk about that and here 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:05.400 from some of the players and coaches involved in this 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:07.400 week's game. Tom, how are you looking at this matchup? 0:01:07.480 --> 0:01:08.960 I think it's a game that the Bears should have 0:01:09.000 --> 0:01:11.360 the confidence to go in there and win. Along their 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.760 development path. That's the unique thing about the Bears early 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:17.360 in this season. They still have a ways to go 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:21.160 to eventually be the team they have the capabilities of being. 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.720 But I think confidently they should go down to Atlanta 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:27.680 and really have the belief that they're the favorite team 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:30.640 against the O and two Falcons. Health is wealth. That 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:33.880 is the new catchphrase. I guess health is wealth because 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:36.200 if you keep your health, you're gonna earn your paycheck. 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:38.280 You're gonna help your football team. And right now the 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:40.600 Bears are knockout Wood is about as healthy as any 0:01:40.640 --> 0:01:42.520 team in the league. You still have a limited label 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:44.840 on Kaloe Mack and his sore knee, and then you 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:48.360 got the Atlanta Falcons. Julio Jones, Tech McKinley, Klea McGarry, 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:51.800 the right tackle, and Ricardo Allen. He is out. That's 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:54.640 been the injury report all week for the Falcons. It's long, Yeah, 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:56.520 it is, and I think that's going to be the norm, 0:01:56.560 --> 0:01:58.960 maybe early in this season or throughout the whole process. 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.600 But I look each team, they have the luxury of 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:04.800 having a bigger roster. When you talk about that sixteen 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:08.920 man practice squad, it's gonna pay dividends throughout the season. 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:12.400 And like you said, health is wealth. But I think 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:14.920 the guys that are always thought, man, I don't know 0:02:14.960 --> 0:02:16.880 if I'm ever going to get an opportunity to play 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:20.040 in the NFL. I would just be prepared and waiting 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:23.200 for that opportunity to come, and when it does, I'd 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:25.520 make the most of it. John Jenkins is out going 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:27.360 to be out at least three games with a thumb injury. 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.160 They brought up a Daniel mccullors from the Pittsburgh practice squad, 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:34.000 but he's got experience. Massive guy, massive guy in size 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:37.239 eighteen shoes. Well, he's got a six seven, three hundred 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:40.679 and forty pounds frame. He plays low, he uses good 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:43.000 center of gravity no matter how tall he is. And 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:46.840 now you're talking about you better can't dedicate two offensive 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.520 linemen to him if the point of attack is going 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:52.120 to be in that interior position. And we don't know 0:02:52.160 --> 0:02:54.079 if he'll be active or not with his debut and 0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:56.959 maiden voyage with the Bears, but certainly an option. I 0:02:57.040 --> 0:02:59.640 want to go to Bill Laser toom the offensive coordinator 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:01.959 at good things to say about the developing improvement of 0:03:02.000 --> 0:03:05.320 the offensive line, and in particular, I think we both 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:10.240 were very impressed with the physicality of James Daniels. You 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:12.040 should keep getting better, right, I mean, this is the 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:15.440 point where guys really in their careers start taking off. 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:18.560 So so hopefully it's a it's a good match with 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.359 how he's being coached, and you know, hopefully there's a 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:24.000 good continuity with the guys next to him. I'm you know, 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:26.119 the two guys on both sides of him. I think 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.079 you put all those things together with a guy who 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:29.760 really wants to be good. I mean, I think this 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:32.480 is the time in his career where you'd like, naturally 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:34.960 to see him take off. So hopefully that's what we're seeing. 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.040 And next to him it's Charles Leno Junior and Cody 0:03:37.080 --> 0:03:39.840 white Hair with long consecutive game start streaks, right, And 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:42.520 I think they're really fortunate right now that they can 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:45.240 keep James at one position. Yeah, he may be the 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:47.880 emergency center if they ever did get into that need. 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:51.000 But now James being able to develop at the left 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:54.440 guard position. Countless amount of reps with Charles Leno and 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:56.320 the amount of reps that you can get with Cody 0:03:56.320 --> 0:03:59.640 white Hair. It's as valuable as his role itself. Is 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:03.320 how offensive line works together, and we've seen some really 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:06.480 considerable development from the end of last year to where 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:08.560 they're at going into Game three. For me, the biggest 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:11.880 development is the nasty. The nasty. Last week he was nasty. 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:14.280 He was looking for somebody to hit, and he did 0:04:14.280 --> 0:04:18.000 so in a very aggressive manner. Wanca steel finish. That's 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:20.760 the whole finish. You know, they talk about being physical, 0:04:21.040 --> 0:04:23.279 but they talk about finishing and that's what you're seeing 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:25.000 out of James. All right. Coming up next, we're gonna 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:27.240 visit you with a voice of the Atlanta Falcons West 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:29.920 Durham coming up next on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:32.239 The Score. Hey Bears fans, it's important to stay connected 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:34.640 now more than ever, and at Motorola we love Mega 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.279 that possible with the new Razor, you can enjoy staying 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:40.400 connected a little bit more. It's a phone, it's an accessory. 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:44.200 It's an icon reinvented Hello motto Jeff Joni Actom There 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.039 back on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:49.680 is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy. 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:53.359 Welcoming in the long time legendary voice down to the 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:58.120 south of the Atlanta Falcons, my brother West Durham. He's 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:00.840 always been real kind to me. You know. That's that 0:05:00.960 --> 0:05:03.680 southern hospitality that we'll miss this week because we won't 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.039 see you, but we'll be thinking about you. How are 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:08.039 you doing. I'm great. It's good to be with you guys, 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:10.440 and uh and welcome to twenty twenty in the NFL 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:13.240 where we do things virtually, but we'll miss seeing you. 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.880 And heck, I gotta be honest, I missed the opener 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:19.840 because of some testing issues and things like that, so 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:22.960 you know, uh, first game i'd missed, a second game 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:26.200 I'd missed in seventeen years doing these games, but came 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:28.840 back in time to do my first virtual football game 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.000 last Sunday, and man, that was that was hard to take. 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:33.760 Fellas I'm not gonna lie to you, but great to 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:37.720 be with you, so as it's to be nice about it, 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:41.800 as I can't as it's unraveling before your eyes. I 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:44.360 know the angst and the pressure. We want, we want 0:05:44.360 --> 0:05:47.320 our teams to win, but is it's just you can't 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:50.640 you have no control of watching what's happening and your 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:54.560 team's devolving. What's going through your head as you call 0:05:54.640 --> 0:05:58.039 the game, because you know, we compartmentalize things, but we're 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:01.520 looking at it also from a fan's perspective. Absolutely, And 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.120 you know, it's funny because I had a conversation on 0:06:04.120 --> 0:06:06.359 Tuesday this week with somebody who's kind of been with 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:08.640 the organization as long as I've been doing the games, 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:11.440 and they said, okay, in terms of the gut punches, 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:13.640 is that top three? And I said, well, everybody knows 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:17.200 what number one is, so yeah, it's not far behind. 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:19.640 Because I really felt like, but you know, Jeff, you 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:22.080 and Tom have done the game so long together. When 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.400 you do the games and you kind of know one another, 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.800 you can say early in the game, and Dave Archer, 0:06:26.839 --> 0:06:29.000 who's been with me and Jeff, you've known arts for years. 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:33.440 Dave put it in great concepts early when Atlanta did 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:36.919 not score touchdowns after those turnovers, and in the league, 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:39.400 especially this league, you know you've got to be able 0:06:39.400 --> 0:06:42.040 to maximize stuff like that in short field, and the 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.640 Falcons didn't get it done. So when they were kicking 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:47.279 field goals, arts sat on the air. I hope we 0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:50.440 don't come back to regret not getting touchdowns. And sure enough, 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:52.760 when Dallas got to score late in the game and 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:54.920 they put the other one on the board, we knew, 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:56.200 good and well it was going to come down to 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:59.400 recovering the onside kick. And it is disappointing. It is 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:03.040 discouraging because it's gonna be hard given the schedule for 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.640 this team. Now the challenges. You got to shake the 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.440 mental thing and get ready to play Chicago, Then you 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:11.200 got to go to Green Bay on a Monday night. 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:13.720 Then you come back and play a Panthers team that's 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.200 also looking for a stride in your first division game. 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:19.400 And look, we're in this thing and these teams are 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:21.920 going through all this stuff, the fans are going through it. 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.200 So it just it almost exclamates every game, and so 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:28.080 therefore it's hard to start oing two. But they got 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.080 to get it. They got to find it quick because 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:32.960 it's not going to be easy the rest of the way. Hey, West, 0:07:33.080 --> 0:07:35.800 what side of the ball has the opportunity to absorb 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.000 the pressure. You know, Bears, they're still a developing offense 0:07:39.080 --> 0:07:42.640 competition at the quarterback position. They have higher expectations out 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:44.920 of the Bears defense. But when you look at Atlanta 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:48.680 met Matt Ryan MVP. You got Dan Quinn control with 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:52.200 and Raheem Morris on the defense. But so what side 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:55.280 can absorb the pressure? You know, all the back's needed 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:58.640 in Atlanta. Well, I think the interesting thing is, Tom, 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.000 had you told me that who Jones is gonna be 0:08:01.040 --> 0:08:03.680 full go this week, I would tell you the offensive side, 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.040 we're not sure where he is. Quite frankly, I'm not 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:10.880 sure he'll play. That's just me personally. The injury list 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:12.800 the guys that were out of practice was nine ten 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:16.520 deep on Wednesday, So let's see kind of where this 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.960 is by Sunday, I would say. Offensively, although they struggled 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:24.160 to run the ball again, defensively, we were awfully encouraged 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.800 by the way last season ended and the way it finished, 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:28.760 going six and two in the second half. The offense 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.400 and the defense seemed to be really kicking in and 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:33.520 yet here, you know, you look at the two quarterbacks 0:08:33.559 --> 0:08:35.720 Atlanta's played in the first two weeks, the numbers are 0:08:35.760 --> 0:08:38.560 like sky high. I mean, Russell Wilson's playing at an 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:41.560 incredible level, and then Prescott got it got it going 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:44.480 last week. After the early struggles, he started to find 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:46.559 the group in the second half. But I'd still side 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.920 to the offense in terms of a group that can 0:08:48.960 --> 0:08:52.320 withstand the flurry and still bring it every week. I think. 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:54.600 All right, I got a weird question for you going 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:57.240 into the week three this season, when Dan Quinn and 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:00.440 the coaches put together your practice squad, do you have 0:09:00.520 --> 0:09:03.720 the type of bodies with experience on that practice squad 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.320 that maybe can come in and fill the void if 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:08.880 you do have multiple injuries at one position, even to 0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:15.760 contribute depth wise. Yeah, I think they can, especially as 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:19.120 it relates to linebacker. I think they feel like they 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:21.520 kept a couple of guys there that are really important 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:23.760 to them. I think the other end where they probably 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:27.440 helped themselves more than anything else, is they kept the 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:30.480 slot receiver guy. You know, if Jones goes down and 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:32.760 they've got to make a one week exception, They've probably 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:34.720 feel like they can push a guy from that squad 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:38.559 up the offensive line. They've moved some guys through transactions. 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:41.920 They brought John Wetzel back. I mean, if if let's 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:44.280 say they have an offensive lineman go down, they probably 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:47.200 okay there. The area that concerns me the most is 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:49.840 probably the secondary. They get a big injury in the 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:53.160 secondary again like Ricardo Allen, who you know, left the game, 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.800 that could be something that could handcuff them long term. 0:09:56.800 --> 0:09:58.960 They've got a lot invested in a j. Terrell. They've 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:01.480 obviously elected to go Isaiah Oliver at the other corner. 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:04.000 But Keyan O'Neil, and you guys know this, Keano O'Neil's 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.040 only played four games in the last two years prior 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:09.280 to this season. That was really really difficult for them 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:11.720 to take. And so they need to stay healthy. There's 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.840 no question about that. West Durham, our guests, the voice 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:16.599 of the Atlanta Falcons is the Bears get ready to 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.280 go down to Georgia. This is Chicago Sports Radio six 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:22.120 seventy the score. You mentioned Keyan O'Neil. He's a guy 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.360 who just throws that body around with reckless abandon and 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:28.280 I will not forget the twenty seventeen opener when he 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.720 whacked Tarik and three remembers it too. Is he still 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:35.760 play that way. Yeah he does. And that's with you know, 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:38.920 two years ago going through an injury on opening night, 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:42.120 right and then comes back and last year they lose 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:44.520 him in Indianapolis to an achilles injury. But yeah, he 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:47.080 still brings it. And the amazing thing is a couple 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.640 of years ago they signed this kid, Demante Kyz from 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:53.480 San Diego State, where they can move Neil to the nickel. 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:56.560 They bring Kaz into play, and you know, most teams 0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:59.160 now or what, they're three to three five now for 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:02.360 the most part, and Atlanta gets into that nickel almost 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:05.560 on every down. And with Kz on the field, he's 0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:08.559 as physical as Neil is. The funny thing about him 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:12.360 is he's twenty five pounds lighter, but they get pretty 0:11:12.360 --> 0:11:14.400 physical in the middle of the field, just like DQ's 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.280 teams did in Seattle. And I think that's one of 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:18.960 their calling cards for sure. Hey, West, when you look 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:21.920 at the centerpieces of your offensive defensive line, Alex Mack 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:25.400 and center Grady Jared on the defensive line six foot 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:27.800 three hundred and two pounds, the guys explosive. Man. I've 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.120 always liked him as a player, but I've also liked 0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:33.200 Alex Mack. There are two roles on this team. When 0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:35.520 you look at them, oh and two, are they the 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.439 guys that can come in and be the leadership type 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:41.280 of personalities you need? Yeah, I think so. I think 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:44.040 especially in the case of Jared Tom I think that 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.320 when I look at Grady Jared, I see the prototypical, 0:11:47.880 --> 0:11:50.439 you know, one technique in the NFL now right. He's 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:53.800 a guy who's gonna be point of attack. He's slick, 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:56.440 He's a little Aaron Donald Leish if you will, in 0:11:56.559 --> 0:12:00.280 terms of size and space. I'm excited about his fewer 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:02.400 I thought he got a well deserved contract. He's a 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:05.680 local kid, so everybody here rallies to all of that. 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:09.640 He played at Clemson, so all those things have built 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:13.200 him to succeed here. And he's been a pleasure to 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.559 work with from our standpoint, but also within the franchise, 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:19.760 he's a lot. He's a big community guy, which is huge. 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:22.880 But in times like this, I think Grady Jared's voice counts. 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:26.040 I think it counts a lot in that room. I 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:29.320 think the other guy whose voice Alex mackew mentioned, I 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:32.160 think Matt Ryan is also that guy. Matt Ryan. Every 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:34.720 quarterback is the face of a team, but Matt Ryan 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:37.560 has because of the experience he's had here and the 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:40.520 years in the investment he's put in this community. He's 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.719 as much the heartbeat of the team as anybody else 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:47.000 is now too. And it's interesting. He's aged beautifully, as 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:48.840 I tell him. He hates when I say it, but 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:52.240 he's aged beautifully because of all the things he's been through, 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:57.040 and it's almost like he understands maybe his cause is 0:12:57.080 --> 0:13:01.360 to get this thing back. And I've always been impressed 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.480 with the way he just handles all of it, from 0:13:03.520 --> 0:13:06.800 locker room to game, to media to all that. But 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:08.599 I think he and Jared are really kind of the 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.120 heartbeat of the team in many ways on both sides 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.720 of the ball. Max important, don't get me wrong, But 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:16.440 Alex Mike is a quiet guy. He's a he's not 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:20.320 a verbal guy. Good interview, not a great interview, you 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:23.079 know what I mean. He's just that guy that's steady 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:25.640 and shows up every day to snap it. Really, what 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:28.280 do you got with him? My three point three yards 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.480 to carry? Now? Is it? What's the product here? Because 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.520 we've seen what he's capable of at this level well, 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.120 and that's the thing we all came in thinking Okay, 0:13:37.160 --> 0:13:38.920 you're getting him on a one year deal that LA 0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:42.480 is responsible for about sixty percent of and you kind 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.240 of start figuring up games and you think, okay, well, 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:48.160 let's see he's playing. He's touched the ball thirty seven 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:51.720 times combination of running pass and two ball games. So 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:53.520 you divide it up, and that's a pitch count of 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:57.080 about eighteen touches a game. Dirk Cutter threw out twenty 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.480 to twenty five in the preseason, and I just never 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.480 felt like that was realistic, to be honest, I think 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:05.240 it is what it is at this point, you know, 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.520 And that's not a cop out answer. I think you've 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:09.920 got to invest in Gurley and let him be your guy. 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:12.000 You really got to have him in the red zone. 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:13.760 I thought last week one of the times when I 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.679 was talking about them kicking field goals and not scoring touchdowns, guys, 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:18.959 they didn't have Girly in the game. They were going 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:21.080 to Edos Smith on short yardage. And I think you 0:14:21.160 --> 0:14:23.840 gotta go with a muscle back, if you will, and 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:27.280 Girly's that and Tom. I'll say this, Jeff, when he's 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:29.720 really good, you'll know it early. He was good early 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:33.520 against Seattle. He was decent against Dallas, but it tailed 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:35.800 off pretty quick for him. And I don't know if 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:37.640 that's just gonna be kind of the up and down 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:39.800 we're gonna get through the year or not. I'm interested 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.920 to see against your front and your front seven, in particular, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:45.600 how Sunday goes for him. Wester of our guest voice 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:47.960 of the Atlanta Falcons. So Calvin Ridley, all of a 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:50.640 sudden is blowing it up in everybody's mind. But you're 0:14:50.640 --> 0:14:53.200 on the inside, so you've seen the development yourself. But 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:56.760 as a route runner, you are better, aren't they. Yeah, 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:59.480 he's really he came here. I don't want to say 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:02.480 he was a this product because the ACC guy and 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:05.080 may want don't want to give Alabama that much credit, right, 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.600 But look at all the guys from Alabama that have 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:09.440 gone to the league in the last handful of years. 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.440 And we can take Jones, who obviously came here a 0:15:12.480 --> 0:15:16.240 decade ago, but now you look at Cooper Rugs, Ridley, 0:15:16.400 --> 0:15:18.360 think of all the guys they've just put in the league. 0:15:18.840 --> 0:15:22.280 Calvin came here incredibly polished, and I think it'll be 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.560 fun Sunday with Riley on the other team. To be honest, 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.920 I just think that's a unique story for those kids. 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:30.360 And he's come here and been fantastic, and he's become 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:35.360 very quickly a guy who has a voice. He has 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:38.880 a voice and is a really good leader. Harry Douglas 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.840 does some suffering our pre and post games and still 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:43.680 talks to a lot of those guys. And he made 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.040 the comment a couple of weeks ago that that Calvin 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.880 Ridley has quietly become one of the leaders with a 0:15:50.000 --> 0:15:52.840 young team, and some of these younger guys are leaning 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:54.440 on him to say, Hey, what do we need to 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:56.480 do next? And we're talking about a guy in his 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:59.000 third year. We all more in the loss of one 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.040 of the greats of the game at Gail says, you 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.760 and I both had the opportunity called Devin Hester's kickoff returns, 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:08.200 and you've called some other great offensive players. But wouldn't 0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:10.120 you have loved to have just one crack at it. 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.920 He'd be a challenge to capture him, wouldn't it. I 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:16.400 told this story the other day. I met him in 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:20.160 nineteen seventy four when I was eight years old at 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:24.280 the Final Four in Greensboro, because Kansas was in the 0:16:24.320 --> 0:16:28.200 Final Four with NC State, UCLA and Marquette and my 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:31.960 dad was a huge GAYL. Sayers guy. My dad loved 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.520 Gayale Sayers and my dad who was doing the PA 0:16:35.560 --> 0:16:37.960 at the Final Four though there's another story Joniac for 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:41.720 another dinner. My dad was doing the PA and he 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:44.120 came and got me in the seats at the Final Four. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:48.040 Between games on that Saturday afternoon, Kansas played Marquete in 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:51.120 the afternoon they lost. Ucla played NC State that afternoon. 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:53.480 He came and got me and said, I want to 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.800 introduce you to somebody, and he took me to meet 0:16:55.840 --> 0:16:58.960 Gail Says. My dad was just very few times in 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.600 his life that I ever my dad not be able 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.240 to generate conversation, but around GAYL. Sayers, he couldn't do 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:06.880 it because of my dad had done Brian Piccolo's games 0:17:06.880 --> 0:17:09.199 in college at wake Forest. Not many people know my 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.840 dad did wake Forest long before he did North Carolina, 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:14.760 and he had done Brian Piccolo's college games, and he 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:17.840 knew from Brian's widow Joy how much GAYL. Sayers had 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.399 met to Brian. And so when my dad went to 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.040 meet GAYL. Sayers, he was speechless and to me, I 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:26.320 was meeting I was meeting the trading card. I was 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:29.080 meeting that three D graphic you got in the cereal box. 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:32.439 I was like, holy cow, that's the guy who you 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:34.880 know made me want to watch football. I have those 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:38.000 cards too, to this day. I always remember my Gayl 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:41.359 Sayers cards. And I don't know how anybody in their 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.960 right mind could ever say anybody ran better big time. 0:17:44.200 --> 0:17:47.520 Oh no, no, he said A standard and a great 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:49.119 story I heard this week, and I knew you've heard 0:17:49.160 --> 0:17:52.200 a hundred of them. Was I heard somebody talk about 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:54.400 him at the Hall of Fame. And when he would 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.760 go to Chris Berman said this the other night. When 0:17:56.800 --> 0:18:00.080 Gayl Sayers would go to the Hall of Fame, everybody 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.000 in the Hall of Fame went to Gayl says the 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.240 two guys they would go around. All those guys in 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:06.880 gold coats who were great players would go find Gayl 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:10.560 Sayers and Jim Brown and say thank you, and they 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:12.480 should have. It was at the Hall of Fame that 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.840 I was from Mike Singletary's induction. I ran into Gail 0:18:16.240 --> 0:18:19.359 and it's the rare time I've asked somebody to sign something. 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:23.479 And as Tom knows, there's no better penmanship ever in 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:28.440 sports by any player. Coach or executive that has put 0:18:28.440 --> 0:18:32.400 his pen to an item. Gail takes his time. He 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:35.560 took his time sending a perfect autograph, Right, Tommy, That's awesome. 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:39.560 That is awesome, most perfect penmanship for a Hall of Famer, 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:43.360 because he's he signed thousands of autographs, you know, I mean, 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:46.760 so he's he's he's a credible guy. You know what too, 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:49.879 is about his his post career success. I think I 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:53.280 think it's a little bit understated because he transitioned from 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.320 a short career into being, you know, a well known 0:18:56.400 --> 0:19:00.680 businessman here in the Chicago business market. Yeah, my dad 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:05.320 passed away from a neurocognitive situation, and I know Gail 0:19:05.400 --> 0:19:07.880 did too, And it's a it's a it's a hard 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:11.280 goodbye in a lot of ways. And so, uh my 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:13.600 prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. And 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:15.320 certainly we've got a lot of close friends in the 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:18.920 Chicago area who who my family has known for years, 0:19:18.960 --> 0:19:21.040 and I know what he meant to that community, and 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.200