Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Libraries Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show

Kevin Fishbain talks Bears-Packers, Chicago's slow starts

09 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What insights does Kevin Fishbane share about the Bears-Packers rivalry?

5.178 - 9.747 Kevin Fishbane

Kevin Fishbane. I got fishy business. Okay, Fishbane. Bears beat Ryder for the Athletic.

0

9.827 - 19.866 Marshall Harris

Are you talking about how the Bears had 10 days off between games after their two best passing performances in the first play from scrimmage against an all-blitzing defense was to let a blitzer come free?

0

19.906 - 23.914 Kevin Fishbane

Kevin Fishbane talking Bears. Hey, Kevin. Kevin Fishbane from the Athletic. I love your name.

0

Chapter 2: How did the Bears perform after their long break before the game?

23.934 - 27.962 Kevin Fishbane

It's a great name. Yeah, great name. On Chicago Sports Radio, 670 The Score.

0

30.068 - 53.716 Leila Rahimi

Kevin Fishbane is the senior writer at The Athletic who covers the Bears. He hosts the Breaking In with Kevin Fishbane, a sports media podcast. And the guest this week is appropriately Jeff Joniak. So Jeff will be on Kevin Fishbane's podcast. And congratulations to Kevin Fishbane, who yet again was named the National Sports Media Association's Illinois Sports Writer of the Year for 2025.

0

54.517 - 66.523 Leila Rahimi

And dare I say it, One of the things that Maddie Reflus got right the most and absolutely nailed was that award doesn't just go to anybody, but it goes to Kevin Fishbane twice. So congratulations, Fishy Business.

0

66.904 - 67.806 Mark Grote

Way to go, Kevbo.

0

68.147 - 68.448 Leila Rahimi

Yeah.

Chapter 3: What challenges do the Bears face in their upcoming playoff game?

68.748 - 69.43 Marshall Harris

Thank you, guys.

0

69.53 - 69.871 Leila Rahimi

Thank you.

0

69.891 - 83.042 Marshall Harris

It means a lot. Great honor. Congrats. Thank you. Thank you. And yeah, Floose got that right. And I think Ben Johnson will learn from Floose and never say anything to me about that award or about me about that award.

0

83.062 - 87.869 Mark Grote

He'll just question you about, oh, you didn't like that play call there, Mr. Fishbane? Yeah.

0

87.889 - 98.845 Marshall Harris

You didn't like that? How did you like that interaction, Mr. Fishbane? I mean, the funny thing was, Marshall, I liked the call. I did like the call. He was a little defensive.

98.865 - 100.348 Mark Grote

It was a great question, by the way.

100.809 - 122.819 Marshall Harris

It was. Yeah, I just wanted to know about the timing. Actually, we found out a little bit more as the days went on that maybe the timing could have been... a little bit better with the operation there. But hey, guys, I got a fun fact for you. Oh, fun fact. Love fun facts. Here we go. I was trying to think about, this is obviously a special date, January 9th, for your show, for Mark Grody.

122.84 - 129.768 Marshall Harris

Thank you, Kevin. And so I wanted to see what is the Bears record when playing on Mark Grody's birthday?

131.149 - 132.07 Mark Grote

Wow. This better be good.

Chapter 4: How has Ben Johnson's coaching style impacted the Bears this season?

183.328 - 200.548 Marshall Harris

Oh, yes, yes. So a few of us, I kind of, at the end of that season, I was like, you know what? I think I'm better off watching this one at home for my health and sanity. And the Bears gave up 21 points in the fourth quarter to lose 31 points. And that was on Mark Grody's birthday.

0

200.568 - 200.728 Leila Rahimi

To who?

0

200.748 - 202.331 Marshall Harris

To the Minnesota Vikings. Against the Vikes.

0

202.671 - 206.137 Leila Rahimi

Oh, man. When you had to bring up Omicron as part of the record.

0

206.157 - 208.281 Unknown

Were we still on Zooms back then?

208.301 - 215.493 Leila Rahimi

Oh, yes. Yeah, we were, right? Yeah, and don't forget the nickname for the guys who filled in in the NBA during that time. They were Omicron LeBrons.

216.595 - 216.675

Ooh.

217.33 - 238.428 Leila Rahimi

Yeah, that was a thing. Kevin Fishbane, by the way, joins us via the Circa Resort and Casino Hotline, CircaLasVegas.com. And once again, a congratulations to you, Kevin. So that may be a good jumping off point as any, just the play calling and that discussion because... Ben Johnson was fired up when he said that to you. We saw him give it back a little bit.

238.488 - 259.251 Leila Rahimi

But we've all talked about how notable his attitude was after the loss to the Lions. And now he seemed to very much so carry that same energy throughout the entire week. What do you think his, it's either frustration. I joked that somebody must have betrayed him. How would you put into words his mentality that you've observed this week throughout his press conferences?

Chapter 5: What is the significance of January 9th for the Bears?

364.463 - 385.95 Marshall Harris

The offense needs to start fast. The offense needs to sustain drives. What I find really interesting about tomorrow's game thinking about this slow start thing has been such a topic of conversation, is one of the best opening drives they had all year was against the Packers three weeks ago. And that was the fourth down trick play where the snap went over a common on guy's head.

0

386.07 - 398.183 Marshall Harris

Up until that point, it was a really good drive. So I wonder if, and I asked Declan Doyle kind of about that drive, and I was just trying to see like what things they could, I don't know if there's anything they could take from that. But I think there's,

0

398.163 - 419.037 Marshall Harris

As everybody might be looking for a little glimmers of hope, I think that this is an offensive scheme that while I do believe Jeff Halfley has had the upper hand in maybe six and a half of the nine quarters, I do think that Ben Johnson knows what they can do, especially against a Micah Parsons-less defense, to find success.

0

419.638 - 424.305 Marshall Harris

They just have to be consistent and make sure their red zone trips are touchdowns, not field goals.

0

424.285 - 442.808 Mark Grote

I should have had this in front of me. I know that I had screenshotted it and used it, by the way, on the Take the North podcast, Kevin, because we're all part of the same family here now that Dan's working for The Athletic. But you had the numbers. When is the last time the Bears scored an actual touchdown on their opening drive in a game?

443.97 - 463.371 Marshall Harris

November 2nd, Mark Grody. That was hours after the Dodgers won the World Series, to put that in perspective. That's actually... I was going to say, not only is it the last time they scored a touchdown, it's the last time they scored points, period, on the first draft. They even had a field goal. Because the two, or I should say the three...

464.144 - 482.774 Marshall Harris

Most productive drives since then, they've turned it over on downs. They've gone for it on fourth down. And then they've had a bunch of three and outs. They've now had three of the last four games, I believe, they've had to punt on their first two possessions. And what's funny is at the start of the season, you guys remember that opening drive to open the season?

482.794 - 484.537 Marshall Harris

You're like, okay, this is a new era.

484.697 - 485.158 Leila Rahimi

Here we go.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.