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Ольга Паршикова
  • 2 months ago

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00:00Fox Sports welcomes you to the following presentation of the National Football League.
00:13The Bears last year drafted the guy they hope changes their franchise and after an up and down rookie season for Caleb Williams, they pair him with a new head coach in Ben Johnson.
00:22The Bills got an MVP season from Josh Allen, but met a familiar fate. Another close loss in the playoffs to Mahomes and the Chiefs. A new season, another chance.
00:37And here we go. Who's ready for some football? A sight for sore eyes as these guys take the field. The Chicago Bears, the Buffalo Bills on a perfect night in Chicago.
00:49We welcome inside Joe Davis, Greg Olson. Pam Oliver joins us in just a moment with the same finish last year for the Buffalo Bills. It's the same stories that it sets up this year.
01:00They got the MVP at quarterback. They're the favorite to win the division again. But can they get over the hump? Can they conquer the Chiefs?
01:07Well, I think when you ask Sean McDermott, the head coach of the Bills, you get the, you know, can you get over the hump? He'll tell you, well, we got to go through a whole new season.
01:14None of the 13 wins from last year. We don't get to bring any of those with us. This season's its own journey. It's its own story.
01:21But make no question about it. When you ask Bills fans, the assumption is they're going to win the division.
01:26They're going to host playoff games. And the only question around this team is how do we take that next step?
01:31And I think if they're going to do it for as good as Josh Allen is, as good as this Bills offense is, it's going to be this young defense.
01:38Five new draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. Sean McDermott knows for them to win those games late in the playoffs, they're going to have to get better play from that defense.
01:48And this offseason, they've gone out and made those moves.
01:51Well, as far as the Bears go, they hope that they have their Josh Allen in Caleb Williams.
01:55And they think they have the perfect head coach to pair him with. Ben Johnson takes over.
01:59And there's a ton of optimism here.
02:01There is. And the Bears have a firsthand look at what that consistency at the three most important positions in football.
02:08The general manager, the head coach, and the starting quarterback.
02:11And that's something here in Chicago they haven't had for a long time.
02:15So Ryan Poles, he makes the big hire, the bell of the ball.
02:18That was Ben Johnson to go along with the first overall pick from last year.
02:22The expectation is Ben Johnson, the quarterback whisperer, will build this team and get the best out of Caleb Williams.
02:29And they can have that stability they've been searching for here in Chicago for a long time.
02:34All right. For more on those Bears, down to Pam Oliver.
02:37Well, Joe, you can talk schematics and innovation where Ben Johnson is concerned.
02:43That is, of course, what he is famous for.
02:45But in Johnson's view, the team can use a little bit of a mental makeover.
02:50Being mentally tough is something that Johnson has preached from the moment he got in the door.
02:56He told us that means managing emotions, maintaining focus, how they respond to setbacks, blocking out the noise.
03:04There is plenty of noise and curiosity surrounding the 2025 Bears.
03:09Fans are starving, but they are also intrigued.
03:12Joe?
03:13Yeah, I think we all are getting ready to watch this.
03:15And the Spanish-language broadcast is available on Fox Deportes.
03:21Ben Johnson's Bears won the toss.
03:23They choose to receive.
03:24He didn't want to wait any longer to get his quarterback on the field for his preseason debut.
03:28It's Caden Davis continuing to handle the kicking duties for the Bills.
03:38Now, what a perfect night we have here in Chicago as the Bears and Bills go head-to-head.
03:43And it's Tyler Scott who's back to return this.
03:46The thing bounces around.
03:47He brings it out of the end zone.
03:49Boy, oh boy, they'll be backed into their own end here to start things.
03:54So, here he comes, Greg.
03:55We get our first look at Caleb Williams.
03:57And you get our first look at Caleb Williams paired with Ben Johnson.
04:01And, of course, this is where the conversation starts here in Chicago.
04:05So much hope drafting Caleb Williams last year.
04:08First overall pick.
04:09And he didn't have to start to his career that everyone was hoping.
04:12They think that a lot of it was just organizational structure and having a defensive-minded head coach.
04:18And, like always, there's a lot of reasons why it doesn't go according to plan.
04:22But right now, with the structure and stability of a guy like Ben Johnson and the roster they've built around him,
04:29all eyes now are on Caleb Williams or hindsight.
04:32It'll start from their own eight-yard line with a play-action pass.
04:36And there is one of the guys that they're really excited about, Colston Loveland,
04:39the 10th pick of the draft out of Michigan, surprised a lot of people by going with a tight end.
04:45But I know one person in love is a guy standing next to me here.
04:47Hey, listen, now, I'm a huge tight end fan.
04:50You know that.
04:50I'm biased.
04:51You take a guy 10th overall at the tight end position,
04:54what you're saying is he's not just going to have tight end production.
04:57He's going to have maybe wide receiver 2, wide receiver 1, borderline type of production.
05:03That's the impact that they think he can bring to this Bears offense
05:06as they build it in the vision of Ben Johnson around Caleb Williams.
05:11It's been a long time since the Bears have had an offense that fans could get excited about.
05:15Signs from the defense in recent years, but can they get the offense?
05:18Pretty good start to this one.
05:20It's another tight end in Cole come in.
05:23All the way out near the 45-yard line, again, of 28.
05:28And so take a look here.
05:29You've got two high safeties.
05:30They're going to push, and he's just going to run right down, run a middle bender.
05:35Just runs right by the Mike linebacker,
05:37and that's something that they really are harping on with Caleb Williams.
05:42Last year, it was a lot of improv.
05:43It was a lot of playing off script.
05:45And that pass to commit, that back foot hits the ground,
05:48ball is out on time accurate, and allows for a lot of run after catch.
05:52That's really well executed there by Caleb Williams.
05:54All right, into the 45, after two plays, in rhythm to the outside, he goes.
06:01And DJ Moore fights forward for five yards.
06:06How different is this going to look?
06:07I mean, obviously, Bears fans hope it looks a lot different in the results,
06:11but scheme-wise, how different is this going to be?
06:13The track record of Ben Johnson is they want to throw the ball and play action on early downs.
06:18We saw it on the first possession here to start the game, the first play to Loveland.
06:22He wants to get under center. They're going to mix under center and gun.
06:26They want to mix in play action.
06:27They want to take the stress off the quarterback and the offensive line
06:30and get the ball out of his hand on time to open targets.
06:34He plays three throws. Here's the first run.
06:37It's the rookie out of Texas State, Deion Hankins, for seven and a first down, but a flag down.
06:43Landon Jackson, the tackle for Buffalo.
06:48Holding. Offense number 52.
06:50Ten-yard penalty, second down.
06:53It's one of the new offensive linemen, Drew Dahlman, at center.
07:01That's another topic that is front of mind here in Chicago, that offensive line.
07:06And you talk about Williams in his first year, you can't talk about that up and down year
07:10without talking about how under duress he was, getting sacked 67 times.
07:14That's the most in NFL history that a quarterback's gotten sacked, so they put a lot of focus in that O-line
07:21and making this a better team around him.
07:24Second and 15. Time to throw.
07:32Up and tight end, Loveland again.
07:35Got 19 yards and a first down to the 41.
07:39And he had all day to throw behind that revamped O-line.
07:43Just a really nice job.
07:44This is his read.
07:45He knows if this hook player doesn't get enough depth, Loveland's going to be able to get right over the top of him.
07:52That's Joe Andreessen, Buffalo Joe.
07:54They like to call him back home and just doesn't get enough depth under that crossing route.
07:59Now, that's the third target and completion to a Bears tight end on this opening drive.
08:04Let's go, right?
08:05Hey, they know he's in town.
08:06Take-ins again off the left side, has a seam, and gets five.
08:12We were talking about the offensive line, and really at this point, last year you had every excuse built in
08:16why it was going to be a rough rookie season for Caleb Williams.
08:20You got everything you need around him now, don't you?
08:22I think so, and I think that's been part of the beauty that Ryan Poles, the general manager,
08:27and Ben Johnson have done, and they've been able to do it quickly.
08:29They acquired those three interior offensive line, and Drew Dahlman, the center in free agency,
08:35they traded for Jonah Jackson, traded for Joe Tooney.
08:39Here's some pressure, off-play action, Williams moves, throws low, looking for Zaccheaus,
08:45defended by DeMar Hamlin.
08:47Because the understanding is, so much of the blame so often is placed on the offensive line
08:52when a quarterback takes as many sacks as Caleb Williams did a year ago in his rookie season,
08:57and so often, it's always a combination of things.
09:00It's the quarterback holding on to the ball too long, not playing within rhythm and timing of the offense,
09:05and then, of course, it's free rushers and blown assignments.
09:08No quarterback in the NFL faced more unblocked rushers than Caleb Williams last year as a rookie.
09:17First third down for Chicago, third and five.
09:19Williams in, rhythm again.
09:21There's Zaccheaus, and Aramide Zaccheaus takes it to the end zone for the Bears' touchdown.
09:2636-yard touchdown to finish off a 93-yard drive to start this game.
09:36Well, I'll tell you what, the Ben Johnson era, even though it's the preseason,
09:39couldn't have started.
09:40Watch the switch release here and what it does creating leverage for Zaccheaus,
09:46and then it's just man coverage.
09:48Runs past DeMar Hamlin, the safety, and it's nothing but green grass ahead.
09:53The Bears are back, baby.
09:58That's exactly what's going through every single Bears fan in this stadium right now.
10:03I guarantee you that.
10:04Got our quarterback, got our head coach.
10:08Wins the parade.
10:10Zaccheaus has been making plays throughout training camp, makes one here for the touchdown.
10:14Over from Washington, having a career year with the Commanders last year.
10:22He's in the end zone to start this game.
10:27How much is Caleb Williams going to play in this game?
10:29They said a lot of it would have to do with how good it looked.
10:31If it looked sloppy, they'd want more, kind of shake off some of the rust.
10:35If we want to watch him play a lot, that's not a great sign because that was nearly perfect on the first drive.
10:40Five out of six, 97 yards and a touchdown, and they go 92 yards in four minutes.
10:50Cairo Santos with LaVisca Chennault back to return it.
10:54Perfectly placed inside the five.
10:58Here comes Chennault trying to make his case to make this roster, and Chennault is throwing down at the 34.
11:03I was asking what it was going to look like this year.
11:06Got a pretty nice look right here.
11:08All right, so this is the over route to Colston Loughlin.
11:10Hits his back foot, one hitch, ball out on time to an open receiver.
11:15This is the seam route on the first drive to Cole Comet.
11:18Look at the timing.
11:19This was not what we saw out of Caleb Williams,
11:22but this is exactly what Ben Johnson has been emphasizing all the way back when he got here in the spring.
11:29The system will create open targets.
11:31Oftentimes, it's going to be his first or second read.
11:34They need Caleb Williams to trust the play, trust the protection,
11:37and when that back foot hits, it's one hitch and that ball is out.
11:41That opening drive is everything they've been preaching to Caleb Williams since they hired Ben Johnson.
11:48Not nearly as much anticipation about what you're going to see from the Bills offense.
11:52That Josh Allen will not play.
11:54They start off with Mike White, a quarterback, and Ray Davis on the ground.
11:58Stopped by Jervon Dexter.
12:02So White in a battle with Mitch Shubisky, the former Bear, for the backup job.
12:09What a pretty impressive first game of this preseason.
12:12Three and out on the first drive.
12:13Led two touchdowns from there.
12:17Eight season in the NFL.
12:18First one with the Bills.
12:24On second down.
12:25I look to throw it for the first time.
12:27There's one of the new Bills in the Flats, Joshua Palmer,
12:30who they get from the Chargers, and he gets a short game.
12:32Yeah, so of course, any time you're talking about the Buffalo offense,
12:37and I know he's not out there, but it all starts and stops with Josh Allen.
12:40He's the best player in the league, MVP a year ago,
12:44and what he's able to do two years in a row,
12:47and again, we talk about sacks on the other side with Chicago.
12:49Two years in a row now, the Buffalo Bills have surrendered the least amount of sacks.
12:54And last year, least amount of sacks given up,
12:56a combination of Josh Allen's mobility and a very good veteran offensive line.
13:01And also, you only have eight turnovers on the season.
13:04It's not hard to understand why they're one of the best offenses in football.
13:08Going to have a false start right here on Ryan Vandermark.
13:11Offense number 74.
13:13Five-yard penalty.
13:14Third down.
13:17Well, the Bills last year under Sean McDermott did what they always do.
13:21Another 10-win season.
13:23And they're sixth in a row.
13:24They went 13-4.
13:27Charge into the playoffs with that amazing offense
13:30and the MVP regular season from Allen.
13:33The pass defense struggled,
13:35and it was a sign of what would bite them in the playoffs
13:38for the same finish they've had four times now in the last five years,
13:41losing the Mahomes and the Chiefs.
13:43Ten their season.
13:44And that is back-to-back false starts on Vandermark.
13:48Offense number 74.
13:50Five-yard penalty.
13:51Third down.
13:52But these Bears fans are getting ready for the regular season, too.
13:55It is, and it's interesting.
13:56What's funny is Vandermark, he's not waiting for the center to do his head nod.
14:01So you'll see the right guard will kind of throw his left hand.
14:04That's the indication that everybody said.
14:06And then you see that the center's taking his head nod,
14:09but for whatever reason, Vandermark is going before the center even nods his head.
14:14Again, the starting left tackle, Deion Dawkins, is not playing tonight.
14:18The first two, the third and 19, and the throw underneath is incomplete.
14:24And the Bears defense, which figures out of the gates to be the biggest strength of this team.
14:28The first two, the first two, the dominant start to this game.
14:44Early punt for Brad Robbins.
14:45And the touchdown score, Alameda Zaccheaus, back to return.
15:04High punt and a fair catch coming from Zaccheaus back at the 23-yard line.
15:09Here at Soldier Field, he's saying, son, let me tell you about a time, better times,
15:17and how good it's going to be when we get back.
15:2539-year-old Ben Johnson, son of a long-time college and high school coach,
15:29climbed through the rinks quickly from the Dolphins to the Lions and pretty much had his pick.
15:35With all the NFL head coaching openings, this was the start.
15:38If there was a draft for coaches, he was going to be the first pick.
15:42He wanted to come here to Chicago, where he teams up with Caleb Williams,
15:46who hands it off here to begin the second drive to Deion Hankins.
15:50You know, for the same reason the Bears wanted Ben Johnson to come pair him with Caleb Williams,
15:57Ben Johnson wanted to be the coach of the Bears for the chance to coach him largely.
16:01Yeah, and I think the reason Ben Johnson was so appealing, to your point,
16:04he's really been the number one head coaching candidate for the last two or three hiring cycles.
16:08Across the league, and it's really the McVay and the O'Connell, where, yes,
16:13you get the schematic advantage of an offensive play caller, you get the quarterback development,
16:17but you also have a guy that can stand in front of the room and command the entire roster.
16:23Hankins again gets a few.
16:24You know, there's a humanity when you talk to him.
16:26You know, you see the personality of a McVay and an O'Connell when they're doing a press conference.
16:31You've got to remember, Ben Johnson, for the last couple years,
16:33his only job was to get the best out of Jared Goff and the Lions' offense.
16:37Well, now he has to stand in this locker room.
16:39He has to stand in the meeting room, and he's got to be able to command the defensive line
16:43and the defensive backs and all the other pieces that make up an NFL roster.
16:47And there's a certain personality and a presence that comes with being the head coach
16:52on top of the X's and the O's that I think people spend too much time talking about.
16:58Bill is showing pressure here on the third down.
17:00They'll bring it.
17:01Williams to the sideline has D.J. Moore.
17:03Timing route for a first down.
17:16There's a lot of optimism around here.
17:18You see Roma Dunze, he's in the slot.
17:20D.J. Moore's out to the outside, one-on-one.
17:23Just man read across the board.
17:26And Caleb Williams now, with the weapons they've put around him over the last couple years,
17:31they're young, they're athletic, they're talented, and they're a tough matchup,
17:35especially for some of these reserve Bills defenders.
17:38Straight drop on first and ten.
17:40Williams again, giving time out of the backfield.
17:42Hankins threw it behind him.
17:43I want to go back to something you were talking about with Ben Johnson,
17:46you know, having to command the room.
17:48We showed that shot of him at the press conference.
17:50Nice tie-on.
17:51Big smile.
17:52Looks like a nice guy.
17:54That's a little bit misleading.
17:56This guy get after you on the practice field, right?
17:58He's intense.
17:59I mean, make no mistake about it.
18:01The word out of camp, he says it.
18:03Caleb Williams, you know, to a man, he is a very commanding.
18:08You see an injury there coming off the field.
18:10There's Hankins limped off.
18:14There's Brown replaces him.
18:19Yeah, and he's out there on the screen.
18:20He's been incomplete.
18:21Yeah, but we were talking to Ryan Poles last night, and he said the last couple weeks in practice,
18:26we've seen a real change in Caleb Williams because he was getting wrote hard.
18:30He was getting overly coached and really critical in a lot of the small things that Ben Johnson wants to see.
18:36And they said the growth that he has had over the last five to ten days had been exactly what they were hoping to see.
18:43And I'm not really surprised after that opening drive, based on what Ryan Poles says, makes a lot of sense.
18:49It's the old cliche of we're going to make it as hard on you as we can during practice so the game seemed easy.
18:54Absolutely.
18:54Coaching him hard, throwing everything in the playbook at him, and then bearing it back from there.
19:00A little bit of a head start right there for Javon Solomon.
19:05And Bills are saying they're drawn off, but no luck.
19:08Defense number 56.
19:09Third and 10 becomes third and 5.
19:11Third down.
19:12Third and 5, pressure coming.
19:41Good blitz pick up there by Brown.
19:43Throw to the outside is incomplete for Adunze.
19:47Roma Adunze, the first-round pick last year, couldn't quite pull that in.
19:52But again, I just like the way the ball is coming out of Caleb Williams' hand.
19:56He's not holding it.
19:57He's not second-guessing his read.
19:59Great job there by the back on the blitz protection.
20:02That ball needs to be caught.
20:04That ball is accurate.
20:05It's on time.
20:05There are going to be tight windows on this press coverage on third down.
20:08And those are the plays as the course of the year goes on.
20:12Roman Adunze has got to make.
20:13Torrey Taylor is the punter.
20:15Brandon Codrington back to return it for Buffalo.
20:31Codrington watches it sail over his head, bounces into the end zone.
20:34And so a touchback, the Bills will be back on offense when you come back to Chicago.
20:46Now, what a way to start the college football season on Fox and to start the Arch Manning era for the Texas Longhorns.
20:53A playoff rematch.
20:54It's Texas and Ohio State on Big Noon Saturday, August 30th, only on Fox.
21:01Doesn't seem like it was that long ago.
21:03And got back there, J.T. Barrett, who's the quarterback at Ohio State.
21:08He's the quarterback's coach for the Bears.
21:10And so a key figure somewhat behind the scenes here in Caleb Williams' development.
21:15Out of the change of possession, Ray Davis goes straight ahead for a gain of five.
21:19That is progress after they went backwards on their first drive.
21:24Yeah, so give me the conversation about this Bills offense and kind of a smattering of some starters, a lot of reserves.
21:31Buffalo's taking a very different approach than Ben Johnson and the Bears.
21:35But last year, in pretty much every statistical category, we talked about how good the offensive line was,
21:40their ability to protect the ball, only eight total turnovers.
21:44They're pretty much great in all categories.
21:47Red zone, turnovers, obviously starts with having an MVP caliber quarter.
21:52White with a back shoulder strike for a first down to Tyrell Shavers.
21:57And it seems like every time you hop online to study these Bills, there's a new article written about how great he is.
22:03Yeah, if you can make it count that he's been the MVP of this Bills preseason,
22:07you know, we get all these clips in the sports scans of all the local articles.
22:11And it's kind of how we do our research into what the word is around camp of teams that we don't cover every week.
22:16And there is not a day that goes by that there is not an article written about the camp that Shavers has had.
22:22And it's a very deep position, maybe no superstar Bills receiver.
22:25They're hoping Keon Coleman is that guy, but he's making a push to make this roster.
22:31That throw is incomplete out ahead of Jackson Hawes.
22:34Shavers was undrafted a couple years ago, mostly practice squad in his two years with Buffalo.
22:40He had one catch last year.
22:42It was a 69-yard touchdown, but then he shows up in camp this year a little bit bigger, a little bit faster,
22:48and has been turning heads from day one.
22:51Yeah, Joshua Palmer, we saw him targeted in the first drive.
22:54Of course, Keon Coleman, you know, here entering year two.
22:58Second round pick from last year.
22:59The expectations of him going into the season, they said everyone on our team,
23:03he might have had the best offseason as far as just getting his body, his mind ready for what they think is going to be a breakout sophomore year.
23:12Underneath, White finds Elijah Moore, who's tackled promptly by Jonathan Owens.
23:22There's those offensive ranks you're talking about.
23:25The offense, not the question.
23:27I don't know what they've got there.
23:29Yeah, if you're here and here.
23:30For the young offensive coordinators out there at any level of football,
23:35if you protect the ball, you generate explosive plays,
23:38and when you get down in the red zone, you come away with touchdowns.
23:41It doesn't really matter your rush rankings, your yards per game,
23:44but none of that really factors.
23:46You're going to score a lot of points, and only the Detroit Lions have scored more last year.
23:51On third and five, White gets rid of it.
23:54Incomplete, just ahead of Kenanaki Latu.
23:57The rookie tight end from Washington, and a step on Ruben Hippolyte.
24:01And it's fourth down.
24:03The punt team comes out.
24:05I just don't think Mike White did a great job getting his feet reset.
24:09You see Latu here just working man coverage underneath.
24:13He's got a step.
24:14Just the ball's put out a little in front.
24:15Probably a ball that needs to be caught, but at this level, some young guys, some nerves.
24:21I'm going to put that ball on that front shoulder pad, make it an easy catch,
24:25and give him an opportunity to run with it after.
24:27Rookie receiver Luther Burden is back for the Bears.
24:30Another guy they are fired up about.
24:32Short punt from Robbins.
24:34Fair catch from Burden.
24:367-0 game in the early going.
24:40Preseason game in Chicago.
24:42Impressive first drive for Williams and the Bears.
24:44McDermott's Bills trying to strike back.
24:48Josh Allen, a franchise-changing quarterback.
24:51First-round pick in 2018.
24:53First player in NFL history to have 40 touchdowns, five consecutive seasons.
24:58Crown Jewel last year wins the MVP for the first time.
25:01First bill to do it more than three decades as he cut the turnovers again and again and again to a career low last year.
25:07Guy whose ears might be burning down there with Pam Oliver.
25:11Yeah, Joe, we were watching the graphics, and a lot of that stuff Josh didn't even know.
25:15All we know is you're a great quarterback.
25:17Last year really proved that with the MVP.
25:20Tell us some of the things you're determined to do in year eight.
25:24Yeah, year eight, you know, continue to go out there and learn and enjoy the game.
25:29Play the best that I can play.
25:31Be the best quarterback that I can be.
25:33Be the best teammate that I can be.
25:34Every year I feel like I'm learning things and just going out there and trying to apply those things.
25:38An example of learning is what?
25:41I was not trying to be sideline roadkill.
25:47So learning things like what?
25:49For you, you're so advanced.
25:51You're so skilled.
25:52Everybody respects your game.
25:53Yeah, understanding what defenses are trying to do when they play against us.
25:57We get different tendencies from people.
26:01You know, I see different things.
26:02And going out there, again, just trying to be as mechanically sound as I can be and try to put the ball where it needs to be.
26:08And I think last year we did a good job of that.
26:10But obviously there were still times where, you know, I wasn't where I should be.
26:14And it starts with my eyes, it starts with my feet, and just trying to make sure those things are marrying up.
26:18To the dismay of a lot of fans, you know, they didn't feel like the Bills really addressed your side of the ball during the draft, went more defense.
26:27What's your assessment of the job that was done during the draft, and were you looking for more?
26:33Listen, I trust our front office.
26:35I trust our coaching staff to develop the talent that we have here.
26:37All I have to do is focus on going out there and then getting it to the right people and whoever's open.
26:42That's my job, and make sure that our offense is trying to, you know, rolling on all cylinders.
26:47And that's all I'm trying to do.
26:49On a personal note, you married your best friend, Haley, over the offseason.
26:53Tell us just how that side of your life has settled you into being an even better player.
26:58I mean, to have the support that I do at home, and to have someone that I share similar, you know, life interests with, and wants in life, and, you know, it's an awesome feeling.
27:12And I get to support somebody as much as she supports me.
27:15So, very, very happy, obviously.
27:18Congrats on everything.
27:18Thank you so much.
27:19Appreciate it.
27:20All right, Pam and Josh.
27:22Thank you for that.
27:23Appreciate it, Josh.
27:24It's time, you know, we put so much focus on Caleb Williams.
27:27And there's a great example of why there's so much focus and why he's such a key.
27:32Spajan drops back to throw and delivers a perfect toss to Luther Burden, the rookie, for a first down in the Bills territory on a gain of 22.
27:41But, look, you go back to when they drafted Josh Allen.
27:44They go a different direction.
27:46Chances are they're not close to what they've become.
27:50Yeah, and it's easy to look back now and say, oh, it was a no-brainer.
27:53But at the time when they drafted Josh Allen out of Wyoming, it was not a universally acclaimed pick.
27:59So, you've got to give a lot of credit.
28:01Sean McDermott, the head coach, Brandon Bean, the front office, talked about how the three of them have been connected for all of this success.
28:09And, like I said earlier, it's the three most important positions in football.
28:13Bidgin immediately under pressure.
28:14Heaves on downfield and finds Maurice Alexander.
28:18Right, a touchdown in the first preseason game.
28:21Nice diving catch right here.
28:25Yeah, nice job here.
28:26Just avoids the pressure.
28:28Really nice job there by Johnson, the running back, picking up the pressure.
28:31They're going to take a look at whether or not he got this before it hit the ground.
28:36We have a timeout on the field for a virtual measurement.
28:40Yeah, and taking a look is going to look a little different these days.
28:43All right, so take a look.
28:44First, let's see if there's control.
28:45Our first virtual measurement for us here, Joe.
28:52This is a big day.
28:53Hey, you'd be able to say you were there when.
28:57It's important to note the ball can hit the ground as long as it's not determined.
29:02Correction, there will be no virtual measurement.
29:03The game was stopped for review.
29:07You were on it.
29:08Yeah, there we go.
29:09I knew I was right.
29:14So we're going to take a look at whether or not he was able to pull this one in.
29:19And we'll take a break while they do.
29:22Let's get a little preview, a little cliffhanger.
29:24What do you think?
29:26Yeah.
29:30Got your verdict coming right here.
29:33Oh, we got a virtual measurement.
29:35There we go.
29:36Previewed that.
29:38A little bit short.
29:40It was a catch.
29:41They reviewed that.
29:42Took care of that.
29:44I got just the guy to sort this out for us.
29:46And, of course, there never is a bad time to talk to our man, Mike Pereira.
29:49Hello, Mike.
29:51I know virtually I'm confused right now because I thought they were going to actually review this as to whether it's a catch or not.
29:57They ruled a catch in short.
29:59The previous play as to whether or not it was a catch.
30:02Oh, now they're going to do it, Mike.
30:03So I think the whole thing, you know, Joe, with the virtual measurement, you know, I think this is going to be fine.
30:10But it's just a little bit out of sorts right now because this is an incomplete pass because at least I feel it's an incomplete pass because he doesn't have total control when the ball hits the ground.
30:22So, you know, they misspoke initially and then they're really hot on showing the virtual measurement and how it works.
30:29So it shows it was short here.
30:31Now they're going to look and they're going to I would assume that they will look at this to reverse it to an incomplete pass.
30:37You know, my feeling and Greg, you were on it.
30:39You know, he had maybe a little bit control, but that shot from the side showed that the hand kind of came off the ball.
30:45So I think after the virtual measurement that seemed to work this time, they'll go back and reverse it and it will end up being useless.
30:56Yeah, I agree.
30:57I agree.
30:57Mike, first of all, you look amazing.
30:59It's always great to see you.
31:01Yeah, I agree with Mike.
31:02I thought from the head on shot, it was hard to see.
31:05Again, as Mike so clearly stated, the ball can hit the ground as long as it's not determined it lost control.
31:10But that side angle, I thought it was pretty clear it was an incomplete pass to review.
31:15The pass was incomplete.
31:16This will be a successful challenge for Buffalo.
31:22Yeah, you're right, Mike.
31:24Just a little out of sorts this whole thing.
31:25And so you wanted to say something about the virtual measurement, too, but it's as if it never happened after the incomplete pass.
31:31And hey, I think there's no rules in how we use you and how we don't use you in the preseason.
31:36Like we can keep talking to you.
31:38What else?
31:38Oh, God.
31:39Yeah, right, right.
31:40This is the only time when Mike Pereira is involved and there are no rules.
31:44But from a football perspective, what else are we looking for rules-wise this year?
31:49You know, I really like what they did for the kickoff.
31:52Please reset the clock to 2-0-2, the time when the ball hit the ground of the incomplete pass.
31:572-0-2.
31:58You know, the fact of the matter is that dynamic kickoff worked last year.
32:03The number of injuries went down to the same rate as you would have in a normal play.
32:07And so they actually increased the kickoff return somewhat to 22% to 32%, but I think now by taking the touchback and making the touchback go out to the 35%, you've really discouraged teams to settle for the touchback.
32:23The risk is now pretty much a hefty risk to put the ball to 35%, so I think we're going to actually see that that kickoff, that we're going to see more returns, maybe up to the 50% return, which I think is great.
32:36And, of course, they've made some changes, and you're talking about the onside kick.
32:42You can onside kick at any time now if you're behind.
32:45You've got to certainly declare.
32:47But, you know, overall, I think really the changes were good, really good, solid changes.
32:52That's a completion to Tyler Scott, a little bit short of a first down.
32:57Mike, always good to talk to you, my friend, and I know we'll be talking to you plenty this fall.
33:01Well, we know from his time in Detroit, Ben Johnson is not afraid to go for it on fourth down.
33:09No surprise here.
33:10This is something that he and Dan Campbell in their time were kind of out in front of.
33:15The idea of continuing to push the envelope with fourth down tries, kind of a no-brainer here, especially in a preseason game.
33:23On fourth down and two.
33:27They'll look to throw for it.
33:28Pigeon steps up, flag in the secondary, man comes free for a first down, Maurice Alexander inside the 20.
33:37Pigeon's fun to watch, 13 yards and see what the call is.
33:41Early indications are defensive holding.
33:52Holding, defense number three.
33:55The final is declined, result of the play is the first down.
33:58How about Pigeon making something happen here?
34:01Yeah, and Joe Andreessen, number 44, the defender of Buffalo.
34:04That's like the cardinal rule there.
34:05The rule is you don't come up, so keep an eye on him.
34:08He's going to pick up this shallow cross from the other side.
34:11The rule is, Joe, you don't leave your man until the quarterback crosses the line of scrimmage.
34:17Because in man coverage there, once they pass that route off, your job is to not tackle the quarterback.
34:22You've got to stay with your man, or also give up a big play.
34:25Closing moments of this first quarter.
34:27Britton Brown with the head of steam in a game of seven.
34:32Andreessen there with the tackle, along with Dane Jackson.
34:35And that should bring this first quarter to a close.
34:38A successful first quarter it was for the Bears.
34:41A successful first look at the marriage of Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.
34:45As they go 92 yards and four minutes to open the game.
34:49Hope is alive in Chicago.
34:57The Bears offense last year.
35:00The average for the game was 283.
35:03194 in the first quarter here.
35:05And they had not had a first drive touchdown all last year.
35:09They get one here in preseason game number two, going 92 yards.
35:13On the move again with a second down and short at the Buffalo 9.
35:24Tyson Bajan has taken over for Caleb Williams.
35:27Hands it off to Britton Brown.
35:29And he sets up first down and goal.
35:32You know, so something else I think it's interesting.
35:34And Mike pointed out the new rules on the kickoff, Joe.
35:37And how teams are going to strategize whether or not they kick it in the end zone.
35:41I think another big factor that teams are going to start playing with is
35:44the idea of, in these situations now, it's first and goal from the six.
35:49In the old, old days, when the touchback brought the ball out to the 20.
35:53Goal-to-go situations, you settle for a field goal.
35:56You kick a touchback.
35:57Your opponent gets the ball in the 20.
35:58Nowadays, you go for it on fourth down, tight in the red zone.
36:02And you kick a touchback, you're giving up 30 yards.
36:06Your ball's on the 35-yard line.
36:08So, teams are going to have to decide, am I willing to get three points to give up 30 yards of field position?
36:14But even in the event I don't get a touchdown and I fail on fourth and goal,
36:18my opponent now has the ball inside their own five-yard line.
36:22That's 30 yards in the other direction.
36:24That's three first downs.
36:25So, the kickoff rule, yes, for the kickoff and kickoff return.
36:28But it's also going to be a significant factor for how offensive coaches manage goal-to-go situations.
36:34Settle for the field goal.
36:35Pretty good chance it's at least going to be a wash.
36:38And decent chance you're going to be down four on the whole equation.
36:41Go back and score a touchdown.
36:42Speaking of scoring touchdowns, that's what Britton Brown does.
36:46We talked how high they were about Luther Burden.
37:00Look at number 87 here, the young rookie.
37:03Short motion.
37:04Watch him crack on the edge here against Amar Hamlin.
37:08They said they think he's as talented a wide receiver who's come out of the draft.
37:12But when you earn targets in the NFL by how you block on the edge,
37:16and I promise you, when they show that film, the touchdown's great.
37:20Burden's going to get a lot of love on that rep.
37:22Caro Santos tacks on the extra point.
37:25And the Bears begin their second quarter with their second touchdown.
37:30This is the play that kept them alive.
37:32Bajan dancing around on fourth down and finding Maurice Alexander.
37:37It's 14-0 Chicago after Britton Brown finds the end zone with a great block.
37:42From the rookie, Burden.
37:46Back in Chicago.
37:47And we welcome it back inside.
37:48We've got a special guest with us.
37:50Kevin Warren, the president of the Bears, is with us.
37:52Kevin, a pretty darn good start for your club down there, huh?
37:55Excellent start.
37:56So it's good to be back in Soldier Field, see the fans,
37:59and to see the team get off to a good start.
38:01And always, of course, optimism for any team, excitement this time of year.
38:05But it seems like there's an extra level of hope, extra level of excitement
38:09for what you guys have done coming into this year.
38:11Yeah, you can feel it.
38:12I mean, Coach Johnson and Ryan Poles, they've set the tone.
38:15I'm so grateful for the support of the McCaskey family.
38:18To think that Miss Virginia McCaskey, and God bless her soul,
38:21her first game was 100 years ago.
38:24Wow.
38:25And to have this franchise 106 years old is just an honor and a blessing
38:28to serve these fans here.
38:30It's spectacular.
38:31Yeah, I know firsthand, just having a chance to play here for four years,
38:34just how important the McCaskey family, and, of course, Virginia,
38:37some of my fondest memories, or her telling the young rookies my first year,
38:40the history of the Bears, and her father in the NFL was fascinating.
38:44But from a football perspective, talk us through just the process
38:47of how you land on Ben Johnson.
38:49Of course, we know over the last couple cycles,
38:51he is really the target everyone wanted across the league.
38:54You guys get him.
38:55Just take us inside that process and how happy you are with the way it worked out.
39:00I mean, Coach Johnson is amazing.
39:01I mean, you know, in this business, this is a coach's league.
39:05And to have him, he has all the attributes that you want in a head coach.
39:09He's transformative.
39:11He has a high EQ, a high IQ.
39:13He's demanding.
39:14He works hard.
39:16He's a leader.
39:17He relates.
39:18He understands players.
39:19And you see the creativity here tonight.
39:21So it was a blessing for him to join us.
39:25He and his family, and we are absolutely ecstatic that he's here.
39:28And I'm grateful.
39:29We all are grateful for the relationship that he and Ryan have developed
39:33of working together.
39:34That's a huge deal, right, that you get people that are compatible
39:37as people working together every day.
39:39Yeah, this business is hard enough.
39:41It's demanding enough.
39:42So when you have your head coach and Coach Johnson and Ryan as a general manager
39:46and even our ownership on the same page,
39:49it gives you a chance to have a chance.
39:51And so it's been great so far.
39:53He's working our players incredibly hard.
39:57They've bought into what he stands for, his leadership.
40:00He knows this division.
40:01And he has a standard of excellence.
40:04And so it's good to have people like that on your side.
40:06They're down and 10 coming up here for the Bills early on.
40:09Second quarter.
40:12White steps up to throw and gets set.
40:14Andrew Billings there to bring down White and make it fourth down.
40:22Nice job there by Billings.
40:23He just wins one-on-one against Chase Lund, number 77 of the Bills.
40:28And they're high on this Dennis Allen.
40:32We haven't talked yet about him,
40:33but maybe the most important move of the offseason,
40:36aside from the hiring of Ben Johnson,
40:38was bringing Dennis Allen in as the defensive coordinator.
40:41He's had great defenses everywhere he's ever been.
40:45And what helps with Coach Allen, he's been a head coach before.
40:47And so to be able to be eyes and ears for Coach Johnson,
40:51it really is great.
40:55And, you know, even some of our assistant coaches that we've had are really,
40:59they've added a lot of energy to our building.
41:02And you can see how the players not only practice, but how they play.
41:05No, plenty to talk about on the field.
41:07What's the latest for the stadium project?
41:09I know a lot of your focus is devoted to that.
41:11Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, we have a great site in Arlington Heights,
41:14326 acres of land,
41:17a beautiful piece of land.
41:19And now we just have to bring it to reality.
41:21We, you know, this is a jobs opportunity.
41:24You're talking about 56,000 construction jobs,
41:28over 9,000 permanent jobs.
41:30And the good thing about it is in Cook County.
41:32It's where Chicago is.
41:33It'll add a lot of panache here.
41:35We've never hosted a Super Bowl here.
41:37We've never hosted a final for another college game.
41:39So it's coming along well.
41:41So hopefully we can get it approved in the fall veto session.
41:44Yeah, talk a little bit more about how important it is,
41:46especially for the fan base.
41:47You talked about the history.
41:48Maybe no franchise in the league has the history that the Bears do.
41:52Keeping it in Chicago.
41:54Before the pass was thrown, holding defense number 29.
41:57Five-yard penalty.
41:59Automatic first down.
42:00You know, as opposed to maybe going to some of the surrounding areas.
42:02How important is it to you guys at the organization to keep the future home of the Bears in Chicago?
42:08You know, one good thing about it is Chicago and also Arlington Heights is in Cook County.
42:13We're in the same county.
42:14So it's important for us to work this out.
42:17But it looks like, you know, it will afford us an opportunity for everyone across this great state of Illinois that we live in to be able to benefit from it.
42:26I mean, our fans deserve an opportunity to have a world-class stadium, to be able to watch Chicago Bears football.
42:34It's a great design.
42:36It will be comfortable.
42:38We'll have an opportunity for our fans to tailgate.
42:40And the great thing about it, we have a train station that drops right off in the facility in Arlington Heights.
42:46So we're looking forward to proceeding forward.
42:48Tyler, Scott goes for 35 yards right here.
42:50So we have the site pretty much figured out.
42:53How about what's the place going to look like?
42:55What do we know design-wise?
42:56I mean, it will, you know, our whole goal in designing the stadium is that if you walked a Chicago Bears fan into our new stadium and blindfolded them and took the blindfold off,
43:06when they would look around, they would be able to tell you you're in Chicago.
43:09And because it will have attributes that come from the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois.
43:16But it's a beautiful design.
43:18It will have an ETFE roof, translucent roof, but it'll be comfortable and it'll be able to allow us to bid for world-class events.
43:26That's awesome.
43:27We'll talk about world-class events.
43:28And I know a project and a new kind of initiative that's close to your heart and really the NFL in general,
43:33which is the fast-paced growth of flag football, both for boys and girls.
43:39We just saw some of the world championships of the girls' flag football.
43:42How important is that to not only the NFL but here to the Chicago Bears organization?
43:46I mean, it's our lifeblood.
43:47I mean, you think about the standard that Virginia McCaskey set and you're talking about powerful women.
43:54But for us to be able to embrace these young, talented athletes and now it's an Olympic sport,
44:01and they have a chance to get college scholarships.
44:03But it was great to host these talented flag football student-athletes out at our facility
44:08and just to watch their energy and commitment.
44:12Again, back to building for the future.
44:14The NFL has done a great job with both boys and girls' flag,
44:17and we're fortunate with the support of the McCaskey family to be able to carry this forward.
44:22The Bears knocking on the door again here, and there's Luther Burden with a first down grab.
44:27The Bears getting a step on Trey Herndon.
44:31Well, we showed you on the touchdown run.
44:33He's willing to be physical.
44:34He's willing to participate in the run game.
44:37Now it's a third down conversion working out of the slot.
44:40It's where he had a lot of his success in college, and they are high.
44:44The trio of DJ Moore, Roman Dunze, and, of course, Bird, and now the young rookie.
44:48They feel with the two tight ends they have, this skill group is young, talented,
44:54and that's the idea of what they're looking to build around Cato Burdens.
44:58Actually going to be a little bit short there, it looks like.
45:03We may have another challenge-slash-virtual measurement mashup.
45:12Let's see.
45:14The Bears are challenging the ruling on the field that the runner was short.
45:17We'll review the play.
45:19Time out on the field.
45:26All right, Kevin.
45:27Hey, sure appreciate the time.
45:29Exciting times around here.
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