Chapter 1: What are the initial thoughts on the Bears vs. Rams playoff game?
This hour is sponsored by Wintrust.
The views and opinions of Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey. The sports thoughts of Rahimi, Harris, and Grody may change at any time.
It's just sports. Okay, thanks, bye. Rahimi, Harris, and Grody. 10 to 2. On 670.
Can the Bears do it again? Even despite the cold weather, I'm going over and I'm going Bears 34, Rams 31. For Bears-Rams divisional game, I'm taking the Bears. And I'm taking them by the final score of 34 to 30. Bears 30. Rams 27.
I'm going to go with the Bears win here.
Keeping this playoff hopes alive for the Bears. So I'm going with a 38-34 win.
I am also buying into the Bears. I have Bears winning 27-24. Second and goal.
It's on the ground. Williams to the end zone for the touchdown. Kyron Williams patiently waits.
Fourth and goal for Chicago.
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Chapter 2: How do the hosts predict the game outcome despite the weather?
Swift the backs. Williams in the gun. Gets the snap. Four-man rush. Cocks his right arm.
Backpedals and throws in the end zone. Caught for the touchdown.
Underneath the crossbar.
Helmet high. Grab. Touchdown reception. D.J. Moore. First and goal for the five.
Inside of nine to go. Kyron Williams bouncing to the outside. Williams to the end zone.
We go as far as he go. So he's the leader of this team. Shoot. Ice man, man.
Fourth down and four. 14 to the Rams. Shotgun snap. Goes back four. Four-man rush. He's chased. He's flushed. He's all the way back to the 40.
He's backpedaling and throws a pass into the end zone. Caught. Touchdown. Touchdown. Chicago has caught a touchdown pass with Cole Komet open in the corner.
His nickname is the Thicker Kicker. It's never been a thicker pressure moment to send the Rams to the championship game. Mavis at 42, a line, and it's good! And the Los Angeles Rams win!
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Chapter 3: What were the key moments leading to the Bears' loss?
Again, you guys know this, but for our audience listening, when you're covering a game, you're not rooting. I mean, maybe there's some people that are. You're just trying to do the job correctly. You're trying to get everything right because there's a lot you have to keep track of during a game. So you don't have time to think. I was rooting because this has been so fun.
Not out loud, except for Chris Emma's shoulder. I gave him the old Dustin Rhodes punches whenever there was a big play. It's the first time that I can remember and the longest time that I was in my gut rooting for the Bears because this has been so fun and I didn't want to see it end. So that's my perspective on this. It's an extraordinary season.
And you are right, Layla, to open by saying the defense. The defense was fantastic today. and we'll get to more of it, but Jaquan Brisker, the defense to start the third quarter, to not allow them to do anything on that first drive. Dominic Robinson with a strip sack. After the Caleb pick, the defense in the third quarter, that is, the defense performs a three and out.
So many things, like huge thumbs up to the work of the defense and just some extraordinary things by Caleb Williams as well. This is a Plumbers 911 Football Monday. It is presented by Bucy Bank. And I don't know about you guys, but with the now expected roller coaster that is the state of emotions when you're watching the Bears game, you're right. I'm just trying to log plays, even at home.
I do get to yell at home sometimes because that's my house. That's okay. Good for everybody who was yelling yesterday. Yeah, but in a press box, the best you can do is just a deep inhale and exhale. It's like... Gasping is okay. There was gasping, Layla. That would be my press box sound during that Kobe Durant interception. But at the same time...
When you're watching this, I don't know about you guys, but I'm saying to myself, thinking about all the scenarios that did play out this season, and even in these playoffs, to see what happened, for the Bears to be able... I'm like, oh my God, are they really one win away from a Super Bowl? They come back. I did not mind them going for the tie to end the game in that weather.
Ben Johnson talked about the goal-to-go decisions and how they had struggled, and they absolutely had as a team. The defense was not giving them a lot when it came to short yardage at the goal line. I did not mind Cairo Santos coming out there and tying the game so then you could take it to overtime at home where you know your team had been potent and your defense had given you enough.
That did not bother me. That was not my biggest concern. But when I start to think about how this game played out and then I see the extra point go through the uprights, I'm like, oh my God, could I be talking about a Super Bowl team? And you prepare for that. I did pick the Bears. But just going through those emotions and thinking to yourself, what's next? And then how does this unfold?
And then you're in the NFC Championship game. And then the next thing you know, you could be in the Super Bowl. And I'm thinking about the Seahawks. And all of that goes through my head as I'm watching this. And then I just thought... Well, certainly they can beat the Rams now in this overtime, right? And then they get the stop they need to be able to do so as well.
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Chapter 4: What lessons can be learned from the Bears' season performance?
Just take what you can get to get into field goal range. You don't need to do anything super aggressive. This isn't a Green Bay Packers situation going for the kill in the coverage that you want. This is just take care of the football above all else. That's what I was thinking the entire time. So when he's throwing it down the field, it's like, why? Ugh.
And before I could even get the thought out, the ball had been intercepted. And in my mind, the game was over at that point. Because two bites at the apple for Matt Stafford in overtime? That sounds like a poison pill you're swallowing. It did not look good for DJ Moore in the breakdown. The way he was running the route, what Caleb was trying to get him...
It doesn't look good for DJ, but I can add this, and that is that I did not see DJ Moore in the locker room afterwards. Don't know why. Maybe it was an injury. Maybe he didn't want to deal with us. Maybe he'll speak today out at House Hall, but that's the important part. That's the missing part right now. I don't know what DJ Moore was thinking on that. I don't know if he was hurt.
And some of that is... If he was slowed by injury, of course you say he should take himself out. Coaching staff has to have some culpability for that as well. So I'm looking really forward to hearing exactly from DJ's perspective what happened. And I think it's important for us at this time to say, you know, you can call it excuses, but we take head injuries seriously here.
And when he's in the tent for five good minutes at least before he comes back out onto the field, I take that into consideration. This Bears team and their players deserve every benefit of the doubt from me. You can feel however you want about it as a listener. You can say, oh, these are excuses.
We know there's been tape before of, unfortunately, DJ not being on the same page with Caleb Williams. We've seen it out of other receivers. We know that the Rams secondary was biting on practically everything. Kobe Durant could have had two more interceptions in that game.
The truth is also that when you throw three interceptions in a playoff game, a la Josh Allen the day before, it usually is not going to go well for you. That said, I think he thought he was throwing the ball to one place. It was not a misread of a defense as much as it was. Caleb Williams thought that DJ was going one place. DJ thought he was going in another.
And the Rams secondary at that point had seen enough of the Bears offense to where they knew where the ball was going. Yeah, and the argument is, of course, even if the Rams know where the ball is going, you saw the open space as the play developed.
If DJ does flatten the route, if he comes at a sharper angle, then he's in position to, if not make the throw, at least make sure nobody else catches. And I think that's one of the big takeaways. Let's listen to what Caleb Williams first had to say. I think it's important to listen to the guy throwing the ball first as to what happened.
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Chapter 5: What were the key player performances in the Bears vs. Rams game?
Two catches on six targets. I know he had the big catch on the sideline, but he had the drop of the touchdown pass, another drop. Two catches for 44 yards in a game of this magnitude. And you look how far down he is even in targets. And I know he's hurt. But Luther Burton had seven targets. Cole Komet caught all three of his targets. Kyle Menunga out of the backfield caught all four of his.
You mentioned Loveland. He only caught four of ten targets because he had drops. But he at least led the Bears in receiving. Yes. That's how tricky this is. And then DJ Moore had five catches. And you mentioned the touchdown catch. Obviously, I think... It's Rome. Rome has to step up. He's got to take a serious leap in year three because he's a top ten pick.
And I need him to have top ten pick presence when he's on the field.
Chapter 6: How did the Bears' coaching decisions impact the game outcome?
Rome is mine as well. I'll start with disappointing and work my way up to the best game. But look, man. Devin Duvernay starts the game with a... We all know the issues the Bears have had in the starts of games for about half this season. Devin Duvernay with a 37-yard return. The first play from scrimmage is lightning, man. 34-yard catch and run for DJ Moore.
And then Rome, like I said, he had to turn his body a little bit, but... to miss that play was just... That stuck with me for a long time as I was sitting in the press box. You cannot, in this scenario, in this game, in this situation, considering what you know about the Bears, you have to catch that football. So I'm with you on Roman. You're right. He made a couple of other drops as well.
I'm going to go with Caleb Williams for my best because, yeah, he had three interceptions and We're going back and forth on what exactly happened on the Cam Curl interception. From all accounts, it doesn't look like that was on Caleb, that it was on DJ Moore, and hopefully we'll get some clarification from Halas Hall soon on that if DJ does indeed speak. But that play, I mean, that play alone...
The fourth down, the presence of mind, the poise to find a place to throw that ball to Cole Komet, which traveled 51.2 yards off balance with pressure in his face, with very little vision to where Cole Komet is at that point. It was spectacular, and I'm going to give that best game to Caleb Williams.
Number two.
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Chapter 7: What was the overall sentiment in the Bears' locker room after the loss?
Did you have any problem with Bears coach Ben Johnson's fourth down decision?
Yeah, I had a problem with two of them. Kick the field goal. You know how you outscore the best offense in the league? By getting points. I mean, I'm no expert on the topic, but I feel like points help when points are needed. When the name of the game is to score points. Confirmed. Yeah, that said, I need two of those fourth and goal decisions to be instead.
Cairo Santos, go out there and kick field goals in the swirling wind and the snow. And they weren't insurmountable distances either. When you're talking about being at the neighborhood of your 25, for example, and even closer. So yeah, I have issues with that. I understand why you want to go for it, but at the same time, You need points in the playoff games. Your defense was doing enough.
Your defense played sustainably against the best offense in the league. So, yes, I feel like nine points at least were left on the board. This wasn't exactly the 0 for 5 on fourth down that Dan Campbell put up against the Eagles in that loss in the playoffs. But I will say this.
Chapter 8: What are the implications of this season for the Bears' future?
I'm good with his fourth down decisions. One of them did yield a touchdown. I think they just have to execute better. Mentioned Roma Dunze is the most disappointing. Him not getting that block in which you saw DeAndre Swift take flight and get chopped down by a defender. I think that sticks with me too.
The reason they didn't go for two when they scored the touchdown late and ended up tying the game at 17-all with under a minute to play is because he was like, our goal to go was not clean. Part of not being clean is guys missing blocks or not sustaining blocks. So I don't fault Ben Johnson for going for it because I think that's the mentality he needed to have.
I fault more the execution of it, and I think that's something that will be addressed in the offseason. I will say Jeff Schwartz, our friend who's on Twitter all the time, talks about the blocking decision on that play. So if you guys want to check it out, it's on Twitter by Jeff as well. That, again, I'll go back to the first drive and the fourth and two.
And I said in a real time, you could fact check me with Chris Alma if you'd like, if you feel like you need to. But I was team field goal on the fourth and two. Again, because of all the issues you had, because of who you were playing, All of that kind of stuff. And it's the first drive, fourth and two at the Rams, 21, overthrow by Caleb Williams, intended for Colston Loveland.
That ball gets picked off right there. I wanted the points on the board right at that point in the game, so I didn't like that. The other one that got to me, was the Bears' fourth drive of the first half in the second quarter because the drive had been going well. You had the third and two completion to Loveland for 10 yards.
Williams to Mnangai for a catch and run for 16 yards, which was beautiful. Swift had a nine-yard run. Along comes the fourth and one, and this is where they started to get predictable. Kyle Mnangai was not looking good in those short yardage scenarios, and he got shot back right there at the Bulls. The Bears. Bulls. We'll talk Bulls. This is Marshall's time to shine, ladies and gentlemen.
But that was just a bad moment for the Bears, I thought.
Number three, this is 500 on 670 to score with Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grody. And here is question number three.
How surprised were you by the defensive showing by the Bears?
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