Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
5 On It & we examine Caleb Williams' big-game confidence (Hour 3)
15 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What insights were shared about Alex Bregman's press conference?
This hour is brought to you by Vasectomy Clinics of Chicago. Number one. It's a special edition of Five Honor. We've got Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris and CHSN's Clay Harbor all in the house. And this is an amazing Chicago sports week. Bears are in the playoffs. The Cubs introduced third baseman Alex Bregman. Before we get into it all.
Got to let you know, Spiegel and Holmes will broadcast live from Cubs Convention tomorrow afternoon from 2 to 6, and they have a star-studded lineup. The man himself, Alex Bregman, will join the show at 4.45. At 5 o'clock, second baseman Nico Horner and 5.15, manager Craig Council. So Spiegel and Holmes, Cubs Convention tomorrow, 2 to 6. Don't miss it. Now here's question number one.
What were your takeaways from the Cubs introductory press conference for Alex Bregman?
I still don't know who's playing where in the infield. So that's, that's cool. That tells me that maybe there's an awkward conversation that hasn't happened yet. I don't know if that happens at Cubs convention, because as I said, I think in the hour that we followed the Alex Bregman press conference, we seem to kind of figure out people's roles throughout the season and
So that may be the case here as far as seeing how that goes. Jed Hoyer even went so far as to bring up the 2016 team and how they had players playing all over the diamond who were versatile. Javi Baez was the example that was most notable. But if I had to guess, Alex Bregman's probably the everyday third baseman. It's just a matter of how they want to use Matt Shaw.
But the problem is Matt Shaw's greatest value to this team is still his defense at third base, although his offense made leaps and bounds in the second half of the season.
My biggest takeaway is this. Playoff dreams are no longer deferred. Salaries now are. And that's a new way of doing business for the Chicago Cubs. And that's a good way of doing business for the Chicago Cubs. Don't know what's going to happen with the 2027 work stoppage on the horizon. But I can tell you this. It seems like whatever conversations need to be had last summer between Jed Hoyer,
in between Crane Kenny, in between ultimately Tom Ricketts, got had in a way that they understand that this is the future. This is the only way they're going to be able to compete with other big market teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers who have shown they'll defer it all for a chance to win World Series after World Series after World Series.
And now maybe the Cubs can sneak into what should be a Dodgers dynasty window.
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Chapter 2: How does Caleb Williams demonstrate big-game confidence?
Like, what's the over-under that you can accept at halftime? And that's really where I come down to this question. If you think the Rams are good for 500 yards, which they very well could be, and we've seen the Bears give up practically that number before for shy... How many yards are you willing to let Matt Stafford have at the half?
150.
The entire offensive output of the Steelers? They were like 175.
I'm just saying 150 because maybe the running game's not going and he just ends up with a buck 50. He averages a league best 276 yards per game. So I understand why that's the concern. I'm not, I'm not really worried about halftime stats because as we know, the halftime stats rarely with a bears game look like the end game stats.
I think the, the number you got to, I was going to say turnover margin, but that's not it because last time I checked the bears were minus two in turnovers last week and won the game. It's points off turnovers. That is, is going to be the defining thing. I looked at Saks for a minute and said, maybe that'll be it.
But no, they could sack Matt Stafford three or four times, but if they don't get turnovers and get points off those turnovers, that's where they're going to be in trouble. They've got to find a way to get back to being the best version of themselves, which has happened almost exclusively.
against teams that are not in the playoffs and certainly not remaining in these playoffs and so i think they have to find a way to not only turn the ball over to get the takeaways but to score points off the takeaways and if they have more of those than the rams they should be in decent shape to make something happen to at least have a window open to them in the fourth quarter
Yeah, Bears 9-0 when forcing multiple turnovers. They're 3-6 when they don't. I think that's obviously a big one. But another one I think is big is running the football. And I know the defensive backfield is the weakness of this Rams team when I watch it, but I think the Bears need to get the run game going for the play action. And also, what's the best way to stop Matt Stafford and Puka Nakua?
Keep them off the field. Keep them off the field. And the Bears averaging on the year 145 rushing yards per game, third in the NFL. The last three games, they're 27th in the NFL, averaging 87 rushing yards per game. If you want to go out there and slay Goliath, the team that most people think is probably the best team in the playoffs right now, a lot of people do.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of trade rumors surrounding Nico Horner?
I want a small Cheval menu. It's a burger, it's fries, it's shakes. Let's go.
And Olin knows his stuff, man, of course. Small menu, work on the double teams, or double teams haven't been as good as they have at the beginning of the season. They haven't been able to get those two big offensive linemen moving on to the second level. There's guys shooting gaps, Dahlman, even Tooney, even some guys are getting beat that we're not used to seeing.
Get back to that small menu, just focus on the double teams, getting some movement, and run the ball.
Number four, the first NFC head coach opening is expected to be filled with the Giants and John Harbaugh reportedly finalizing a deal that leaves eight other NFL head coach openings. The teams, the Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Titans, Falcons, Cardinals, Raiders and Dolphins. Which team do you think will make the next head coach hire and which candidate do you believe will be their selection?
So our supervisor, Ryan Porth, is a Titans fan. God bless him. And because of that, he's seen some things. Like guys like LeFleur and Vrabel walk out that building. And supposedly, according to the street... Mike McCarthy is in the building right now.
Wow.
And Mike McCarthy caused the reaction of Ryan Porth to tell us, don't let that man leave the building. Wow. I think the Titans are probably the team that hires first because they've got a head start on their interview process. I don't necessarily know that they'd hire Mike McCarthy, though, because I think Mike can do better.
Well, I think Mike might have more power there than some other places. And he's someone who clearly has had sustained success, if you will. He'll give you a chance to be in the playoffs. And in that division, it's interesting. What I once thought of as a weak division is not weak anymore. With the way that Jacksonville is playing under Liam Cohen. With the way that obviously...
They've held things together with the Colts in Indianapolis. And the Texans look like they could win the Super Bowl this year. So I think that's just a tough place right now. I don't know if I'm going with that one. I think the next team to hire a head coach might be the Dolphins. Where are they going?
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Chapter 4: How do the Bears plan to tackle the Rams' offensive strategies?
And I mean, you go back, Red River rivalry. He's a freshman. He comes in. Oklahoma. He wins that game. I mean, you even look at last year. How many comebacks did he have that the Bears just didn't win the football game? Right. And what makes me think... know that he is that guy that is calm, cool, and collected. Look at all the games this year.
How many games near the end of the season were the Bears in situations where they had to have it for the playoffs to put themselves in a seating position? And he always shows up in the second half. And there are just guys that do that. There are specific guys, quarterbacks, I've been around some, that when... The chips are down. You need that last-minute drive.
Chapter 5: What key stats will determine the outcome of the Bears-Rams game?
They're going to come out. They all have the same personality, which is crazy. They're going to crack some kind of joke. Like, all right, boys, we got them where we want them. You know, something like that. And then you're going to go downfield, and you're going to score a play. And you know everybody in that huddle has faith in them.
And Caleb has shown so much that the faith that they have in this kid ā Obviously, you just go back to last week. Everybody believes that there isn't a point where you're out of this football game, and it starts with Ben Johnson and just works its way down to this entire roster.
Let's listen to what Caleb Williams had to say yesterday, once again being calm, cool, and collected.
That's never been a worry of mine.
proving a doubt is wrong or anything like that it's a little extra motivation um in that sense but it's not it's not for me to prove them wrong i know who i am um you know not everything happens within 365 days or one year my first year even my second year third year whatever case may be so it's the it's my mindset to be able to keep growing um it's my mindset to be able to um
Keep that mindset of knowing who I am. Keep that mindset of, you know, I feel that I'm the best when I'm on the field. Keep the mindset of, you know, I'm the best when I got, you know, the other 10 guys around me that are fighting for me. I'm the best when I got, you know, the best coach in the world.
And so being able to, you know, have that mindset, being able to have that mentality going into the years or the weeks or the months and things like that, that's kind of how I go about it.
And I believe everything he said right there, right down to specifically the part about having the best coach, because now he feels like at this point in his second season, his first in Ben Johnson's offense, he feels like he's been unlocked and he feels like I have a chance with the weapons around me. to survive in any situation. And I don't even know why I said survive.
To thrive in any situation, even if things don't go the way I plan for them to go early in a game. I know as long as I keep getting out there and having more chances, more drives, I'm eventually going to come out on top. And more times than not, this season, that's exactly what has happened.
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Chapter 6: How do the Bears' recent performances affect playoff hopes?
This guy's got an array of moves. I don't think it's a good matchup. I think Theo Benedict ā is a guy that works hard in the run game. He might help. He's going to get population to the ball. He's just that madman that's running down the field. If there's someone that's still up, he's going to try to carry DeAndre Swift an extra yard, an extra two yards. He plays aggressive.
He plays to the whistle, and he loves that about him. But in just a strict pass rush situation, you have to help him. And I think Ben Johnson will. Dan Rochard will get them all coached up as much as he can. You've got good coaches, man. And I trust those guys to know exactly what Theo can do and what he can't do. And what he can't do is go one-on-one with Jared Verse many times in this game.
I think we're also going to see more of the, I don't know what we ended up calling it. I know Wombo is a name for a concept of it, but we did see some four tight end sets the last couple weeks. So I wonder how much that might play into what we see on Sunday.
Yeah, Sean McVay, he's so good because he's first in the league in motion rate. The Bears are second. He's first in the league in play-action rate. The Bears are second. They have similar type offenses. He uses tight ends more than Ben even does. Terrence Ferguson, their first pick last April, he's going to be back this week.
But even besides that, obviously you know they've got a plethora of tight ends. You've got Higby. You got a number of guys that can make the plays over there, and they can all block, too. These guys, you can run the ball with these tight ends on the field. You can split them out. You can do pass plays with them. And then you got Puka Nakua. People talk about him in the receiving game.
Yes, he's the best receiver in the NFL. He is also the best blocking receiver in the NFL. This guy blocks like a tight end, and he gives them an advantage in the run game as well. If he's on a DB, he's throwing them out the club. Marshall's got thrown out the club before. He's throwing these DBs out the club.
This guy is one of the best blocking receivers in the league, and it's really impressive to watch because typically you've got these big-time receivers. They don't want to block. They want to catch footballs. Pukunikua does everything.
First of all, I've never been thrown out the club. Second of all.
What about metaphorically?
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Chapter 7: What role does coaching play in the Bears' upcoming game?
But it's the way he's saying it. That doesn't sound like somebody he's not going to trade.
You know what it is? He's out here saying things like, come on, Bruce, read between the lines. He's not going anywhere. Wink, wink, nod, nod. Like, yes, I understand the message you're trying to convey, but you're also trying to leave the door open so that if perhaps, I don't know, Nico Horner gets traded, you never said you weren't going to trade Nico Horner.
You know what this reminds me of?
What's that?
One thing that I think everybody's like, oh, she hates Ryan Poles. You know what I thought he handled pretty well publicly, even though I don't love the return on the trade and I didn't love the idea to begin with? The handling of it was well done. What Ryan Poles had to say about Roquan Smith. Do you remember that?
Yeah, the guy without the agent that they couldn't negotiate with.
St. Omni, the agent in our hearts. But he said our feelings about the player haven't changed. And he said, our feelings about Roquan. I don't even think he said the player. That might be misquoting him. It was more heartfelt than that. But he was like, our feelings about him haven't changed. So it was Roquan that changed, and appropriately, he got the bag.
He went to a different team, and he got the honors that went with his performances. Pro Bowl, All-Pro, etc.
All-Pro. Don't forget the All-Pro, yeah.
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