Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Jarrett Payton expects more from Bears' run game against Packers in playoffs
08 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Jared Payton.
Chapter 2: What motivates Jarrett Payton as a sports figure?
My name is Jared Payton, and I am here to motivate you today. Former NFL running back. Jared Payton wearing his father's number, number 34, and looking like the old man. Look at this run. A gorgeous job by Jared Payton. The son of sweetness.
Chapter 3: How does Jarrett Payton reflect on his father's legacy?
There's Walter with his Cubs jacket on. And here he comes up. His son, Jared, is with him. Sweetness. What an ovation. Sports anchor for WGN. You know me. I'm the resident running back. Jared Payton with Rahimi Harrison-Grody on Chicago Sports Radio. 670 The Score. Uncle Luke got me hooked on Hennessy, so thank you to Uncle Luke. That'll wake you up. Shout out to Uncle Luke.
Shout out to Two Life Crew. Shout out to Jared Payton, who joins us on the Circa Resort and Casino Hotline, CircaLasVegas.com. Jared Payton in Arizona. Are you going to watch your alma mater play tonight? Layla, I am so ready right now. Man, we just got off the plane about an hour ago with my daughter. She's excited. She's got her nails painted with the U on her fingernails.
She is, like, ready to get 305'd out tonight. And, man, we're getting the opportunity to watch my Canes tonight and take on Ole Miss. So hopefully I can bring home a dubbed ā and then get the dub on Saturday as well with the Bears. That would be the perfect end of my week. Teach them young, Jarrett. Don't teach them to be like these kids who don't care.
The U on the fingernails while doing the U with the hands is a flex. That's what I'm talking about. You already know, Layla. What's going on with you guys? We're trying to figure it out, Jared. Whoa, whoa, whoa, Marshall. Marshall, stop, man. Layla brings the energy. You over here sounding like someone stole your lunch money. What's going on, man?
First of all, I hope Miami beats the absolute tar out of that school up north because, you know, I am a Mississippi State graduate. School up north? Ole Miss. Ole Miss is the school up north.
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Chapter 4: What are Jarrett Payton's thoughts on the Bears' playoff chances?
But it is. It's the University of Mississippi, first of all. I don't give into all that other crap. So, yes, good luck to your team tonight. Do you feel like there's a distinct advantage? And I'll tell you why I'm down. But do you feel like there's a distinct advantage because that team doesn't have a head coach? Yeah, I think there's definitely something there.
They scare me a little bit, though, Marshall, just because of everything that happened with Lane Kiffin, and it just seems like they're re-energized. Offensively, they're a good football team, and so they can put up numbers and score points. The only thing that I love at this time of the year, and just football in general, is that if you have a defense that...
Chapter 5: How does Jarrett feel about Miami's football team performance?
you have a chance to win any game. And so that's where I look at Reuben Bain and these guys. They got an opportunity to get after the quarterback. And when you're taking down teams like Ohio State and Texas A&M, you got to be able to win in the trenches. And I think both sides of the ball with this Miami team this year, Mario Cristobal has done a really, really good job
of making sure that they can dominate on both sides of the football. And so that's what gives me a little bit more hope going into this game, as good as that Ole Miss offense is. Well, holding Texas A&M and Ohio State to 17 combined points in the first two rounds, they have every reason to be confident about that defense showing up. Yeah, we are. It's really cool.
I've been really close with Mario through this whole process this year and just staying in touch with him, talking with him. When we start to think about it, man... They're getting some Justin Scott from Oak Park, and he's on that defensive line. So Mario is really taking a liking to Illinois and Chicago with the talent that we have in Chicago.
And so trying to get more kids to go to the 305 and be out there in the sunshine, play some football. And we got another kid going, too, as well. From South Elgin, this kid Gavin Mueller, a tight end. So he's going to be going down to Miami. He's actually already there. So a lot of kids from Chicago going down to my old stomping grounds and enjoying life in shorts and T-shirts and sunshine.
All right. So you want to know, let's get right to it, Jared. First off, quick question. Who do you have more faith in winning their next game? The U or the Bears? Come on, Marshall. Why you got to do that, man? Why you got to do it? I'm thinking both. Honestly, I feel confident in both. Honestly, I don't know.
Probably a little bit more confident in Miami winning, but I still think the Bears at the crib, man. This playoff football at home in Chicago. The weather seems like just listen to Demetrius Ivory talk about the weather and how it's going to be on Saturday. Man, it could be a nice little muddy track.
with the snow and rain combined, whatever it is, to really get this ground game going with Kyle Menunga and DeAndre Swift, I think that's where this game has to start. They have to find a way to copy and paste that same game plan from the Philly game into this matchup. And that's the issue right there. The Philly game. That's the last time I believed in this team was watching them in Philly.
Ever since then, I'm like, where is that offense that you're talking about? And it comes down to two things. Can they replicate what happened against Philadelphia, which was a fine performance, their best of the season, and can they stop anybody? Show me evidence they can stop someone. Yeah, I was having this conversation this morning, though, Marshall.
Yeah, that always is going to scare us, and I think as Bears fans, we know that. We all watch this team, and sometimes you get scared a little bit. Even last week against the Lions, you were thinking, can they stop anyone? But lo and behold, though, you guys, those two first drives, they held them to field goals.
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Chapter 6: What challenges does Jarrett see for the Bears against the Packers?
I'll never forget that Philly game. Marshall and Layla, when they were running the football, they were panning to Eagles guys walking off the field, and they were just like, we can't stop this. We're tired, man. And then the offense wasn't doing what they needed to do for them, so then they're back on the field again, and they're like, all right, y'all ready again? Let's do this again.
It hurts defense's souls if you are just catching blocks and getting pushed back You don't want to do that all day. At some point, you want to be able to like, all right, can we stop this? But if you keep doing that, man, that is the recipe for success, and especially the way that it seems like the weather is going to play and what their strengths are. I run the football.
I just want to see more. Just mix it up outside zone. I want to see some stretch plays and just like get that defense going. And when you have guys like Swift who are who can cut back and press it, get to the hole and then get back north and south and stay there like that's what. That's where you start to see them having fun. And these offensive linemen want to do that.
They hate pass blocking all the time. And then the biggest ones want to get out there and run, man, but get, do what they love to do. Get yourself a win and stay in this dance, beating your arch rivals, moving on to the next round. Yes or no. Pappy Van Winkle coming up this month or nah.
Hey, listen, if the Canes win tonight and the Bears win on Saturday, I think I'm going to pop the top on one of them, man. So, Marshall, just stay in your DMs. I'll let you know where we're going to be at. Hey! I like that. I like that. In the words of Uncle Luke, I want to rock right now. Jarrett Payton, have fun tonight. Thank you, guys, man. I'll talk to you later. Bear down. Bear down.
We love it. Jarrett Payton, the WGN-TV sports anchor. As you guys know, you can catch the Sports Office on the free WGN Plus streaming app on your smart TV weeknights. It is live at 730. The GN sports crew will break down the biggest stories in Chicago sports with a laid-back vibe as they hang out in their corner office. And good luck to Jarrett watching Ole Miss and Miami tonight.
I do like Miami in this game. School up north. Yes. Up north. The fact that you call Ole Miss the team up north. Oxford is north of Starkville. I think of Canada. It is what it is. I love it. Coming up next here on Rahimi Harrison Grody, we get to talk to Chris Sims. He works with Mike Florio, of course, on Pro Football Talk.
The former quarterback I know will have a lot for us as we get ready for the Bears and Packers game, and we'll join him next.
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