WEBVTT - With the ‘flow state’ go the Packers; the future of the NFC North 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:14.880 I'm Rett Lewis, and this is NFL inside Report. The 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:17.520 Green Bay Packers have won the NFC North in every 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:20.880 season with Matt Lafleur as their head coach, earning the 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.320 number one seed in the postseason this year and getting 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:27.320 set for another match up with the San Francisco Forts. Meanwhile, 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:30.080 the rest of the North didn't make the playoffs, and 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:34.239 now two franchises are starting from scratch new GM's, new 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:38.159 head coaches coming in Minnesota and Chicago, and our Stacy 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:41.040 Dale's is here to talk about all of it with us. 0:00:41.080 --> 0:00:42.720 And Stacy, I know you're gonna be covering that forty 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:46.159 nine Packers game. And look, I know the temps. I 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:48.640 know you love them. It wouldn't be a Stacy Dale's 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:53.280 appearance at lambeau Field without some negative degrees or zero 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:56.440 degree temps. AM. All right, that's exactly correct. Can I 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:58.840 tell you what I just did, Rett, I literally just 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:03.400 jumped on Amazon Me yesterday and I bought heaters, infra 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:06.560 red heaters for my crew because we're gonna be at 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:11.080 LAMBA on Saturday morning. We're gonna be there from well, 0:01:11.120 --> 0:01:15.040 i'll get there around until ten thirty, but we're gonna 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.160 be reporting until about four in the afternoon. So I 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:21.120 did buy two heaters for my crew. So for you, 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:26.679 Dale's right there, Reporter of the Year with that, with 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.360 that move that that's the quickest way to the cruise. 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:34.960 Heard right there, food and warmth. So that's that's good work. Um. Look, 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:36.800 this is an interesting matchup for a lot of reasons. 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:38.560 Let's start with the fact that it might feature the 0:01:38.600 --> 0:01:41.160 return of some key players for the Green Bay Packers. Obviously, 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.840 we saw David Bactieri come back week A teen. I 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:46.720 know the Packers are hoping to have JayR Alexander and 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:50.520 to Darius Smith. How do you judge the potential impact 0:01:50.760 --> 0:01:54.720 of those returns for a team that is actually done 0:01:55.000 --> 0:01:58.400 pretty well without them. They have, which is why mattal 0:01:58.480 --> 0:02:00.560 Fleur has been just so impressive the way he's kept 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:04.960 this thing together despite some of the adversities along the way. 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:09.399 I think for me, seeing a player like David Bactier, 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:13.640 who returned in a week eighteen twenty seven snaps against 0:02:13.639 --> 0:02:17.520 the Lions, they've been trying to like slowly sort of 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:20.200 coddle him back, if you will. Rhett and I like 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.200 the plan they've had. The guy had an a C. 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.800 L less than a year ago. Um, they've been extremely 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:28.560 conservative with him. But to get those reps in Week 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:31.520 eighteen along with Josh Meyers another starter there on that 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:36.120 offensive line. Billy Turner getting healthy again another knee injury, 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:40.639 so playing with knee injuries, but they're getting healthy, and gosh, 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:42.600 this is one of the best left tackles in football. 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.560 Aaron Rodgers loves him. I don't anticipate if he plays 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:48.480 a lot rhet I don't anticipate any drop off there 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:52.280 in terms of responsibilities and keys with the offensive line. UM, 0:02:52.320 --> 0:02:55.760 and then defensively, they're also getting extremely healthy. Uh, to 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:58.240 not see za Darius Smith all year long with the 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.960 back injury. Literally he played one game. It's gonna be 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:05.200 for him about unleashing the beast, right, because that's what 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:07.079 he does. He comes off the edge and he hits 0:03:07.120 --> 0:03:11.399 happened second and one fifteen seconds left and Ryan will 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:16.880 be dropped. Sack buys a Darius Smith. But to add 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:18.440 Gi here, I think is the big one on the 0:03:18.440 --> 0:03:21.200 back end. He had a he had an interception actually 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.760 against the Niners back in Week three when they played 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:26.959 and the Packers won that game. Garoppolo going deep on 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:31.919 first down into double coverage. He just picked off Alexander 0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:34.600 and he's back in the forty nine territory and he's 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:37.760 inside the courting attacking it about the thirty one yard line. 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:41.800 Want to play that time by gyre Alexander. There was 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:44.920 nobody in his zone, so you're gonna see him go 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:47.840 all the way across the field and make the play 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:50.480 as soon as the receiver on his side ran that 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:53.840 did route that input, he freed him up and with 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:56.720 the kind of speed he has, he just ran it down. 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:58.720 This was a good look and play. It's a good 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:02.720 look and throw, but Alexander just beat him there. He 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:07.600 is just another instinctual, phenomenal player. And their secondary has 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:12.360 been awesome, turnover laden all season long. They have just 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.960 been a nemesis to deal with. Resul Douglas has been phenomenal. 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:23.560 Pies half again and zone and picked off intercepted by 0:04:23.640 --> 0:04:29.479 Russell Douglas and the Packers are gonna win it. But 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:32.040 I think right, I mean, you played. You understand when 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:34.120 you get back to your full strength, it gives you 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.960 a little mental edge too, so I think that could 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:38.960 be a big part of it as well. And then 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:42.720 this this matchup, just in general is super intriguing, right, 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:44.719 the forty Niners go from one of those, you know, 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:48.080 one of those historic playoff matchups with the Cowboys in 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.720 Round one, they win, and now they get another one 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:54.240 a little bit more recently, Um, it's been even more interesting, 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:56.120 specifically for the forty Niners, who have had all the 0:04:56.160 --> 0:04:59.080 success in this matchup in the playoffs recently. Rodgers has 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.080 never beaten befo the Niners in the postseason. Uh. Matt 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.200 Laflour obviously lost the Kyle Shanahan and the championship game 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:08.000 in nineteen his first year. So I mean, look, they 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:10.600 all mean a ton at this stage in the game, 0:05:10.680 --> 0:05:12.480 but like it feels like there might be a little 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:14.599 bit extra when when these two teams get together in 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:17.919 the postseason. You're spot on your spot on because that 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:21.280 Week three game was like that. Okay, I had the 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:25.240 Packers the first two weeks, they're they're they're awful performance, 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:28.039 three point performance against the Saints and then Detroit on 0:05:28.080 --> 0:05:30.400 Monday Night football, and then they go to San Francisco. 0:05:30.640 --> 0:05:33.720 They beat Detroit, go to San Francisco. After that game, 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:37.359 Rogers was oddly emphatic at that stage, like, you know, 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:40.640 it's Week three It's like that was a major growth 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.640 moment for us. It felt like in the locker room 0:05:43.680 --> 0:05:47.480 today that we finally had the energy that I've been 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:52.440 waiting to see. And uh, before the game, it wasn't 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:55.840 the type of energy we had in Jacksonville, but I 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:58.279 knew we needed to spark, and the energy in the 0:05:58.279 --> 0:06:00.200 locker room post game that felt like a win. You know, 0:06:00.240 --> 0:06:03.240 felt like there was such a growth moment for us. 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:05.359 And I'm really really happy for the guys to feel that, 0:06:05.480 --> 0:06:08.080 and you know, it feels like, Okay, now we're on 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:12.840 our way. He talked about they beat us twice, they 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:16.800 beat us up twice in nineteen. Those are tough, tough ones, 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.680 you know, tough. Yeah, the road trip out west from 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:23.440 Green Bay is always tough, but it feels a lot 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:25.760 better when you're going back to a win. So he 0:06:25.839 --> 0:06:31.760 remembers everything. His recall is fascinating and listen, I he's 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.400 in a zone unlike I mean. I asked him about 0:06:34.440 --> 0:06:37.000 it this week and he called it a flow state, 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.159 slow state. I think what you want to do is 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:45.479 have that flow state be a continual thing. The flow 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.479 state is kind of the words that we've used to 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:52.640 talk about being in the zone whatever whatever that means, 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:56.840 it's it's it's really when you're playing your best in 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:59.800 the game seems to slow down a little bit. It's 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:03.240 a flow state for Aaron Rodgers. And there's so many variables. 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:05.440 I need to, you know, dig into that a little 0:07:05.440 --> 0:07:08.880 bit more. But he's been in a flow state all 0:07:08.960 --> 0:07:12.640 year long. And I don't care about the rivalry. I 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:14.680 don't care about the matchups. I just think he has 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.920 dialed in and look out because he really has played remarkably. 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:20.720 You can put all of the things you think about 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.360 the guy on the side, whichever way do you think, listeners, 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:28.080 but he's been phenomenal on the field, Oh absolutely. And look, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.880 he's in contention to be an m v P for 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.280 the fourth time in his career, which is which is 0:07:33.280 --> 0:07:35.920 pretty rare are form, you know for players. Obviously you've 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:38.360 got you know, Peyton Manning up there with five um 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.600 and and you know Rogers certainly in striking distance of 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:45.400 that mark. But you know what, while that is important, 0:07:45.400 --> 0:07:48.320 and he's he's talked about, you know, the significance of 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.200 those kind of individual accolades. He was asked this week 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:55.119 about legacy, right, what what what did you take away 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:58.160 from his answer on legacy. The thing I've enjoyed about 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:02.160 listening to him is completely everything, and he agreed on 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:06.120 legacy red especially playoff legacy that he was asked about. 0:08:06.200 --> 0:08:12.080 To your point, um, success he often based on championships one, 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:18.200 and it starts with the quarterback position. Success is often based, 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:22.160 you know, for quarterbacks on championships one. A lot of times, 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:29.920 I think success individually is much more than that, and failure, 0:08:30.520 --> 0:08:32.800 you know, on the on the flip side of that, 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:36.559 failure is is not, in my opinion, shouldn't be based 0:08:36.559 --> 0:08:41.599 solely on on your losses. So I think he realizes 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.280 this is the moment, right, we've heard about the last dance, 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:48.199 this and that. I think after what we saw last season, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.720 as good as they were to lose to Tom Brading 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:53.800 the NFC Championship game, I just think he's playing with 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.920 literally nothing to lose. He understands this might be his 0:08:57.080 --> 0:09:01.960 last dance in Green Bay, and he understands and recognizes, yep, 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:04.840 a quarterback success is going to hinge upon and he 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:07.200 does have one Super Bowl, how many Super Bowls, how 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:10.480 many championships they have, So I almost feel like he's 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.440 possessed this year in a way to win, to win 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.240 this one, I don't feel like there's any pressure there. 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:18.120 I don't feel like they're going to come out flat. 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:21.840 I feel like he is in a zone, his flow state, 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:25.640 and he realizes this is my time and I have 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:28.280 to shine, and I don't. I think he's so extraordinary 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:30.360 at what he does at the quarterback position and just 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:33.720 who he is mentally, Like, he's really smart, and I 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:37.040 just think he's dialed into this thing. Yeah, it certainly 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:40.240 feels that way. And it does feel like that he's 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:46.680 had somewhat different temperament um with the media in particular, 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:50.000 or just maybe a little bit more of an openness 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:54.000 and accessibility. It feels like, even with the COVID restrictions 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:56.520 that we've all been dealing with in the last two years. Um. 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.200 And he did talk a little bit today about the 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.920 impact that's some of his teammates and coaches have had 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:05.920 on his demeanor and the way he interacts with teammates 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.000 and coaches, which of course comes with age two. Right, 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:12.880 But how did you kind of observe those the experiences 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:16.040 he was talking about in that fashion. Yeah, Thomas actually 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:18.679 brought one of them up with Joe Philbin, right, who 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.200 spent a lot of time with from a coaching standpoint 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:27.960 to player standpoint, Um, I think Rogers and many respects 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:31.400 is misunderstood. And I think that he is at a 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:34.680 point in the last two years in which he is 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:40.760 literally guiding this ship with Matt his coach, and so 0:10:40.880 --> 0:10:43.120 much of what happens on the field is because of twelve. 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:47.920 And I think that he has gratitude that we don't see. 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.000 And I think he's just at a point if I 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.360 were too and I don't like to ever, you know, 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:55.040 put my words in somebody else and what have you, 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:58.160 where he's like, this is the truth, this is who 0:10:58.240 --> 0:11:00.680 I am. And even though there was a little misq 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:02.360 in the truth at some point along the way. We 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:05.320 won't get into that. But um, I just think that 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.160 he cares about his teammates and I know that because 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:11.360 I've talked to them. Rhett, Like, if I went and 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:14.200 I said to everybody at NFL Network, what kind of 0:11:14.200 --> 0:11:17.720 guy is Rhett Lewis? People love you because your person 0:11:18.200 --> 0:11:23.760 yeah right, yeah, person though that that that becomes your 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.320 that becomes who you are. And internally with the Packers 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:29.880 talked to lots of coaches and lots of players. They 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:32.760 love their teammates. They think he's a great leader. He 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:36.800 Aaron Jones talked about it this week, how he may 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:39.240 have expectations of you, but he's willing to lead you 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:41.760 and guide you to get to those places. And I 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:44.160 think A. J. Dillon is a really good example of that. 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:47.800 How he's developed in past protection and the receiving game. 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:50.680 A lot of that has to do with Rogers and 0:11:50.720 --> 0:11:53.720 his belief in him and um taking him under his 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.280 wing is here's here's where you need to go with this. 0:11:56.520 --> 0:12:00.040 He does it with his offensive line. Uh. And and 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.880 they played hard for him, that old line plays like 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:06.199 they go all out for that guy. And to think 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:13.120 about Billy Turner has been out and you know, Elton, 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:16.079 all of them, and and to still achieve the results 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:20.800 they're getting speaks to that position. So I just I 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:24.520 think to your original question, Um, he's pretty coveted in 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.240 that locker room. Just lastly, because you've talked about the 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:29.360 last dance here a little bit, do you feel like 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:33.560 any of this piece, this flow state that he's talking 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.920 about is a result of just kind of understanding and 0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:40.120 being okay with where he is in his relationship with 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:42.600 the Packers, even if that means it's ending this year. 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.600 I think he is. I think he's very comfortable rat 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:48.360 to your point at where he is in his shoes. 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:51.360 I think he's so gifted and so good. Now it's 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:54.320 like going to adjustin Timberlake concert. It's you know you're 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:56.760 gonna get every time you watch him, you know, it's 0:12:56.760 --> 0:12:58.719 like you know you're going to get a performance that's 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:03.959 gonna blow the joint. And I think Justin knows and 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:05.960 I'm not staying there the same or whatever. But like 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:09.679 I think of great musicians, I think of extraordinary musicians. 0:13:09.760 --> 0:13:11.160 What are you going to get when you go to 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:13.680 the concert? Are you going to get an average performance? 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:16.560 Are you're gonna get the best? I just they know 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:20.440 they're the best. Everybody knows they're the best. And they'll 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:22.800 probably end up doing a world tour when they're finished. 0:13:23.360 --> 0:13:27.600 So you know, last dance world tour, let's say it. 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:30.280 You never know, that's great. It's a great way to 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:33.280 put it, uh Stacy and and look, you know the 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:35.880 dance is going to continue, um, you know, for as 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:37.679 long as they can keep themselves alive. Here in the 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.079 postseason and March towards Super Bowl fifty six, here in 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:42.400 l A. We know that three other teams in the 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.079 NFC North didn't have that opportunity. Lines were eliminated with 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:47.800 first year head coach Dan Campbell, and now the rest 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.560 of the division starting from scratch do gms and new 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:55.920 head coaches in Chicago in Minnesota still to come, also 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:59.199 still to come on this episode of Benefit Inside Report 0:14:13.400 --> 0:14:15.840 back here on NFL in Side Report are Stacy Dale's 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:19.600 back here with us and expertly covers the NFC North 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.280 and so much more throughout the NFL for US, and 0:14:22.360 --> 0:14:24.240 so I felt like you were the perfect person to 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:28.320 talk to about the half of the division starting over 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:32.120 with new decision makers in the football operations side of 0:14:32.120 --> 0:14:35.880 the personnel side. Terms of the Bears firing Ryan paces 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.440 GM Matt Naggi is head coach, and then the Viking 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:42.280 somewhat surprisingly firing GM. Rick Spielman thought maybe Mike zimmer 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:44.880 might go. He ends up going as well, So completely 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:47.760 new power structure there for both those franchises. Let's start 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:53.400 with the Bears, and does the futility at quarterback ultimately 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:57.840 come back as the origin point for why we're back 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:02.200 at square one for Chicago? Yeah, Because if you don't 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:05.640 have the right quarterback head coach combination or coordinator combination, 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:08.600 and you lose, You don't, you don't last in the NFL. 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:10.720 It's just to cause an effect. And let me clarify, 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:13.160 that's not to say that Justin Fields is not going 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.920 to be the solution, but all of the people who 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:19.200 tried and failed before Justin certainly led to this point 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.640 as well. That's correct, that's correct. What's interesting is that 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:25.800 you know, um, George mccoskey took over his chairman in 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:28.800 two thousand eleven. Four head cotches have been relieved of 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.400 their duties, Three g ms have been relieved of their duties, 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:35.280 So that's a ten year span. So when you consider that, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.720 what has the quarterback done right, Jay Cutler, and then 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:41.920 what you bring in guys like Mike Glennon and Nick 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:45.520 Foles and Andy Dalton, and now you draft Justin fields 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:50.480 in Matt Risky. Excuse me, I got a great guy? 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:52.000 How could I leave him off the list? But my 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:55.640 point being was there have been sort of a revolving 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:59.000 door of quarterbacks and coaches right now. I just think 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.960 the Bears. It's your point right on Justin Fields, like 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:05.520 this guy has a lot of potential. One way stumbling 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:14.440 trying to cut it back. Justin magic back touched. And 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:17.880 that's why the George Murkaski press conference end of season 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:20.960 exit press conference was so interesting because he never even 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:25.160 really mentioned Justin's name. I do think that while he's 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.440 going to hire, it'll be his decision on the GM 0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:31.160 and the coach. He's got to give them some freedom here, 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:34.840 He's got to give them. He admitted, I'm not an evaluator. 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.400 I'm a fan of football. I'm just a fan. I'm 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:40.480 not a football evaluator. Um And as a fan, what 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:44.360 I see as a dynamic player with a lot of potential, 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.520 a lot of ability, a lot of heart, and a 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:52.360 strong work ethic. So if he's not evaluating the quarterback, 0:16:52.400 --> 0:16:54.800 who is he wants to know what kind of plan 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:59.040 they have for Justin fields. So we're looking for a 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:02.520 general manager and a head coach who would develop not 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:07.240 just the quarterback position, but the talent around him and 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:12.159 establishing a strong defense, help the quarterback to bring the 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.679 Bears to success. M Justin will not be an active 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:19.240 part of the search process, but we'll be very interested 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:22.119 to hear from both general manager and head coach candidates 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:26.040 what their plan is to get the most out of 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:29.679 the quarterback position for us, and I would hope that 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:31.600 they have a plan for him because I think he's 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:36.240 tremendously talented. I think with the right system for him, 0:17:36.359 --> 0:17:38.920 I really believe. I mean you would you could speak 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.119 on this. Building a system around the quarterback regardless of 0:17:42.119 --> 0:17:45.360 who that guy is allow you to be successful, right, 0:17:46.400 --> 0:17:49.399 So you know, I just I think that there's a 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:51.800 lot to be determined with fields, and I think you 0:17:51.880 --> 0:17:55.160 need the perfect pairing head coach and GM and give 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:58.199 them some freedom. But sure, sure you better hope they 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:00.720 have some stability because there's been a lot of turnover 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:04.159 at the coaching and the GM position in Chicago, and 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:06.320 fans are frankly because I live in this area of 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.600 the country, they're they're tired. Yeah, is there a I 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:11.680 mean like they've obviously been interviewing a ton of guys 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:15.520 and requesting a ton of both head coach and GM interviews, 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:17.840 Whereas you know, like in New York they're gonna hire 0:18:17.840 --> 0:18:20.080 the GM first. In Minnesota, sounds like they're gonna hire 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:21.879 the GM first and then let the GM make the 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:24.119 head coaching higher. It seems like in Chicago kind of 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:27.920 had a bunch of both. Uh, candidates for both positions 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:29.919 come in a kind of at the same time. Is 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.399 there a formula that they want this thing to look like? 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:35.320 I mean, like, have you have you gathered anything on 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:40.320 that front? Well, based upon watching how this process has 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:42.199 been laid out, when you see a guy like Ed 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:45.320 Dodds and Matt Eberflews come from Indie or you see 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:51.720 Joe Shane um and mode models of success but also 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:54.960 internally linked to that success as a as a team. 0:18:55.720 --> 0:19:00.600 So I'm a I'm almost starting to den know that 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:02.560 some of what the Bears are doing is they want 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:05.800 to they wanna a tag team combination that know each other, 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:11.200 that have a plan together. Um, but it seems counterintuitive 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:14.240 or counterproductive to you know, hire a head coach without 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:17.119 first getting the GM because to me, you just you 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:20.080 start there. Well, you'd like to have a good relationship, 0:19:20.200 --> 0:19:23.280 like like a symbiotic relationship between those two people, since 0:19:23.320 --> 0:19:26.640 they're going to be linked in almost every decision that's made. Yeah, 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:30.840 And also the other interesting wrinkle here is Bill Pollian's involved. Right, 0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:34.080 He's been hired as a consultant. He's obviously had a 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:37.720 great deal of success, success both with the aforementioned Bills 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:42.639 and historically and the Colts. Um, he's one super Bowl, 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:46.280 you know, he's he's hired great head coaches, a Tony 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:50.800 Dungee like um, But where do you where does that 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:53.320 lie in terms of your investment? Right? I think Bill 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:56.840 Pollian is somebody, as I've watched over the years, has integrity, 0:19:56.880 --> 0:19:59.800 and you know, it strikes me as somebody who wants 0:19:59.840 --> 0:20:02.360 to always do the right thing for the team. He's 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:05.600 not Chicago Bear after this, so you know, I'm just 0:20:05.760 --> 0:20:08.680 I'm cure all be curious to see how much that 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:12.960 impacts his his presence impacts the decision making process along 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:15.400 the way. But again, they got a strike. They've got 0:20:15.400 --> 0:20:18.840 a strike gold and uh. The other interesting part of 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:21.320 it is, you know mc george was asked, are you 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:24.959 gonna involve you know, justin fields in this? And you 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:27.600 can laugh at this, you might not, But if this 0:20:27.800 --> 0:20:31.879 is the quarterback of your future, you know, shouldn't you know? 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:34.760 You have an idea of what he likes, at least 0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:37.600 sitting down with him and saying what kind of offense 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:39.880 do you like? Do you want to be a traditional 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:41.840 pocket Paszard? Do you want to do you want to 0:20:41.880 --> 0:20:44.960 be more of a Josh Allen do you want to 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:47.399 be at Kyler Murray? Like what what do you? What 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.600 are you looking for? And how can we marry this 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:54.159 thing for success? Now? I look at Minnesota right and 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:57.680 I look at the quarterback situation with Kirk and here's 0:20:57.680 --> 0:21:03.040 a veteran quarterback a decade in and what's really interesting 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:06.560 is his best season of his entire career was in 0:21:06.560 --> 0:21:12.000 two thousand nineteen first playoff win. I think, right, um, 0:21:12.119 --> 0:21:16.480 they go ten and five and if that's the best 0:21:16.520 --> 0:21:19.400 season in your career and they don't have success, how 0:21:19.440 --> 0:21:21.440 what are you? How are they going to be looking 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:23.880 at the quarterback position in terms of the new GM 0:21:23.920 --> 0:21:27.360 and the new head coach because a lot of people are, 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:30.240 you know, up or down on Kirk Cousins outside of 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:33.160 his brilliant numbers. I mean, the guy can he can 0:21:33.240 --> 0:21:36.000 dance out there with the football. But you know he's 0:21:36.000 --> 0:21:39.080 got talent. There's a lot of talent in Minnesota. When 0:21:39.080 --> 0:21:42.080 I look at their roster, I'm thinking, like justin Jefferson 0:21:42.280 --> 0:21:46.760 and Westbrook and Delvin Cook and Madison, like they got 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:50.040 talent for days on that roster. The defense has to 0:21:50.080 --> 0:21:53.880 be way better. But how does Kirk Cousins fit into 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:57.400 that long term picture of a new GM and head coach, big, 0:21:57.960 --> 0:21:59.840 big part of it. I mean, because it's in some 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:02.199 shape or form, you're gonna be tied to the decision 0:22:02.480 --> 0:22:05.000 to either keep him or cut him one way or another, 0:22:05.240 --> 0:22:07.560 and for better or worse, like you're you're gonna be 0:22:07.600 --> 0:22:09.720 tied to that decision. And then I'll bring this back 0:22:09.720 --> 0:22:11.480 here as we kind of bring the Packers back into 0:22:11.480 --> 0:22:14.280 the fold. Um. They're the gold standard in the division, 0:22:14.400 --> 0:22:16.160 right and have been for the last you know, two 0:22:16.160 --> 0:22:21.080 decades whatever it is. Um. And so I remember talking 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:23.840 um when the when the Lions drafted and Dominican Sue 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:26.159 and the rest of the division saw how dominant Sue was. 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:28.360 It felt like teams in the division, We're going out 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:30.679