Bears secure No. 1 pick in NFL draft for second year in a row, beat Falcons 37-17

Bears secure No. 1 pick in NFL draft for second year in a row, beat Falcons 37-17

>>>@# BRINGING IN 2024 WITH THE BEARS WIN, CHICAGO, OVER ATLANTA, 37-17, THEIR LAST HOME GAME OF THE SEASON. THERE IS SO MUCH TO UNPACK IN THIS ONE, BUT I THINK PERHAPS ANOTHER MASSIVE @#HEADLINE TODA THAT NUMBER ONE OVERALL DRAFT PICK BELONGS TO THE CHICAGO

BULLS. WITH THAT, WELCOME INTO “FOOTBALL AFTERSHOW” PRESENTED BY SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY. THE CHICAGO BEARS HAVE WON THEIR SEVENTH OF THE SEASON. @# >> ABSOLUTELY. >> I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. WE WERE PUTTING IN WORK IN THE OFF-SEASON AGAIN.

I KNOW WHAT WE’VE GOT TO DO. I THINK WE’VE GOT TO, OH.@# HOLD ON. HOLD ON. I KNOW. I KNOW. >> GIVE ME A SECOND. >> YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER ONE PICK. DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT @#THE

NUMBER ONE PICK? THERE WE GO. NUMBER ONE PICK, GREAT. NUMBER ONE, GREAT. I WAS REALLY HAPPY, THEY PLAYED GREAT AND TOOK THE BALL AWAY. GREAT. HE GETS IT, COME ON.@# >> EVERYTHING WAS JUST, IT WAS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN

PROGRESSING AND WE ARE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE IT AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON. A FEW MONTHS AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, HAVING NEVER WON A GAME AT HOME. >> IT WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO!@# >> I DON’T, LISTEN.

LISTEN, BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. LET’S REALLY TALK ABOUT YES, THE PLAYCALLING WAS THERE. I THINK IT WAS EXECUTION, EXECUTING THE PLAYS WITH DEFENSE TAKING THE BALL AWAY. YOU SAW @#HOW MUCH THEY GAVE TH FIREPOWER TO KEEP PUSHING, THAT’S SEVEN AND 18.

>> NUMBER ONE IN THE PLAYOFFS! THEY WERE IN THE PLAYOFFS, NO MORE. >> WHAT ABOUT DEFENSE? >> THE OFFENSE KIND OF RAN @# THROUGH IT. RUNNING, THEY STARTED IT ALL. WITH THAT IN THE BACK OF THE END ZONE? MY GOD. MEGAN THROW?

>> GREAT THROW. WHAT HE DID,@# THE RECEIVER SHOWED HIS HANDS LATE. HE COULDN’T REALLY RESPOND TO IT. >> THE FIRST NINE GAMES WERE SIX AND SEVEN AND THE LAST FIVE, WHAT CHANGED? >> THERE WASN’T A LINEBACKER, I TELL YOU THAT.@# SWEAT CHANGED, BABY!

THE QUARTERBACK, WE START TODAY. THAT SAVES YOU A LOT. IT HELPS THEM IN THE BACK AND, ALWAYS. THEY DON’T WANT TO GIVE THAT UP UP FRONT. DO YOUR THING, WITH THE @#PUT BACK. DO CRAZY FLIPS WITH THAT. >> I DON’T KNOW.

>> DON’T WE ALL AGREE? WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING, THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE. @# THAT’S RIGHT. EVERYBODY IS CATCHING IT. >> FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNAWARE, LAST NIGHT, IAN RAPOPORT OF NFL NETWORK HAD A REPORT THAT SAID ALL-TIME, MATT

EBERT FLUS, BEING BACK HIS HEAD COACH OF THE CHICAGO BEARS, LIKE THIS TODAY@#, THIS WAS A DOMINANT, AND ASSERTIVE WIN OVER A TEAM THAT WE MENTIONED HAS SOME NICE WINS THIS SEASON AND LOOK AT THE STATEMENT WIN, THEY WON TWO IN A ROW, WITH

FIVE STRAIGHT. FIVE OF THEIR LAST SEVEN. THIS IS A COACHING STAFF AND A PROGRAM TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION@# AND IT’S HONESTLY JUST BEEN SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH WITH THE LAST EIGHT, NINE, 10. >> LISTEN, CHICAGO. IF ALEX BROWN CAN TUNE — TURN

A NEW LEAF, YOU KNOW WHAT? 2023, YOU KNOW? TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.@# >> YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE NUMBERS, LET ME GO THROUGH THAT LITTLE BIT. 20 OF 32, 268 YARDS 30 YEAR,

WITH 11 CARRIES, THE 45 YARDS UNDERGROUND AND A TOUCHDOWN AS WELL.@# 18 CARRIES, HUNDRED AND 24 YARD, HUNDRED AND 92 TEAM YARDS ON THE GROUND, A REALLY NICE ATTACK, OFFENSIVELY. >> WE CAME IN WITH THAT AND WE ARE PROBABLY GOING @#TO END WIT

THE NUMBER ONE RUNNING OFFENSE, TOO. ONE THING WITH JUSTIN FIELDS, I’VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION, THIS IS MY OPINION ONLY, THAT WHEN HE IS ON THE MOVE, GETTING OUT OF THE POCKET@#, THAT HE GE FOCUSED ON IT. THAT IS WHEN HE IS MOST AFFECT

AND I THINK IT’S ABOUT FIGURING THAT OUT BUT EVEN A PLACE HE MADE, HE MADE NICE THROWS AND HE HAS IMPROVED A LOT, HE REALLY HAS. >> HE KIND OF WAITED@# AND I HA NOT SEEN THAT THE WHOLE GAME AND WHAT I SAW THROUGHOUT THE

GAME REALLY STARTED TO BREAK THAT DOWN. YOU SAW HIM GET OUT OF SITUATIONS TODAY WITH TWO QUARTERBACKS IN THE LEAGUE? I @#FEEL BAD, IT KIND OF DRAWS YOU IN ON IT BUT YOU WANT THOSE GOALS THAT, YOU WANT WITH DJ IN

THE BACK OF THE END ZONE, GREAT. THE ONE HE DROPPED? BEAUTIFUL THROW. GET HIM MORE RECEIVERS.@# >> WE WILL GET MORE HELP. >> BEHIND YOU. >> I WILL SAY THIS. FROM A REPORTER PERSPECTIVE, SOMEONE WHO’S COVERED THE TEAM, ALL WEEK LONG, REALLY THIS WEEK,

THEY WERE PEPPERED WITH QUESTIONS@#, HOW ARE YOU HANDLI IT, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR FUTURE? THIS MAN HAS GONE UP TO THAT PODIUM EACH AND EVERY WEEK AND MAINTAINED HIS POISE AND COMPOSURE AND HIS MESSAGING HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND TODAY @#HE

WENT OUT ON THE FIELD AND IT REALLY FELT LIKE, I AM GOING TO CONTROL IT I CAN CONTROL AND SHOW THE THE I CAN BE THE GUY WITH NO OTHER PLAYER. TO ME, THAT IS WHAT THIS PERFORMANCE FELT LIKE. >> THE WAY IT’S BEEN TRENDING,

THAT WAY. I TELL YOU, HE @#NEEDS THAT. >> AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT YOU DO. I GET IT. THIS WAS A PREGAME, WE DOMINATED , I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS OUR SIGNATURE MOMENT OF THE SEASON. OFF THE GAME, @#FOR DETROIT, TO

BE ABLE TO PLAY WITH A TEAM LIKE THAT? I THINK THIS TEAM STARTED TO REALIZE THAT. WHAT WE CAN BE, IF WE PLAY THIS WAY AND WHEN YOU PLAY THIS WAY, YOU BEAT THEM. THAT’S WHAT @#TH IS.

NOW WE ARE BACK TO WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, PLAY CONSISTENTLY. YOU HAVE TO BE MORE CONSISTENT AND IF YOU DO IT WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT, NOW YOU’VE GOT A CHANCE, HOPEFULLY. THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, I @#THI WE HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, IS

THAT JUSTIN IS THE GUY AND YOU CAN USE THAT TO BUILD AROUND HIM AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO REPLACE HIM. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, I WANT TO SEE@# IF HE IS THAT GUY. I WANT TO SEE IF JORDAN MAY IS THAT GUY.

I GOT TO SEE IT BECAUSE I DON’T WANT THE SITUATION TO HAPPEN WHERE IT’S LIKE OH, WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN. WE COULD HAVE HAD SOME OF THESE GUYS. WE COULD HAVE HAD SOME OF THESE GUYS, @#I DON’T WANT THAT TO

HAPPEN BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THE FLASH. I’M JUST SAYING. JUSTIN FIELDS, I THINK, IS WHAT, 10 AND 11? 10 AND 9? YOU CAN BE AS EXCITED AS @#YOU WANT, I’M NOT EXCITED. WE’VE GOT TO WIN. THAT’S WHAT I AM CONCERNED

ABOUT, I DON’T CARE WHAT THE NAME ON THE BACK OF THE JERSEYS AS, I WANT TO WIN, PERIOD. >> I GOT A BAD TASTE OF FLU SEASON BUT I’M SAYING@#, ON COACHING, WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE. THE RUNNERS GAME IS GOING TO BE

CRITICAL, COACHES ARE GETTING NERVOUS ABOUT THROWING THE BALL, THERE ARE TURNOVERS,@# YOUR OFFENSES COACHES CAME UP AND WERE THROWING THE BALL. THAT’S TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE AND CONFIDENCE IN FIELDS, AND THEY ARE @#SAYIN JUSTIN, YOU CAN DO THIS, WE BELIEVE IN YOU.

>> I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT. >> IT’S A MINOR PROGRAM BUT THERE IS SOMETHING. >> WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE SCHEDULE AND YOU WERE LIKE ALL RIGHT, THE BEARS COULD REALLY GO ON A RUN, YOU LOOK AT THE ARIZONA GAME, FOR ME, I WAS

NERVOUS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT @# FELT LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MAY BE IN YEARS PAST, THEY COULD NOT HAVE CAPITALIZED ON. WHAT DO YOU THINK, ABOUT THIS STRETCH OF THE GAME? CLEVELAND HURTS, BUT THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED @#TO DO.

>> YOU ARE SEEING THEM ON THE FIELD, THEY’VE GOT CONTROL OF THE GAME, YOU KNOW? THEY TOOK THE OFFENSIVE TIME AND IT’S BEEN, WE’VE HAD 10 MORE MINUTES WAS OUR OPPONENTS OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS. @# IF YOU CAN CONTROL THE CLOCK,

THAT GIVES IT IS OPPORTUNITIES. >> HOW ABOUT TODAY? 15 MORE MINUTES. HE’S DOMINATED THE CLOCK. THAT’S HUGE. >> IT’S ON THE SCOREBOARD, THOUGH, THAT’S WHAT MATTERS.@# IT DIDN’T SHOW UP ON THE SCOREBOARD AND YOU ARE ABLE TO SCORE POINTS AND THAT IS WHAT

WE NEED. DEFENSE OF TAKEAWAYS, IT WAS FUN TO WATCH. BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL ARE DOING THAT JOB@#. >> AND THAT IS WHERE THE EXCITEMENT COMES FROM AND YOU START TO SEE THE DEFENSE GO AND YES, OKAY? DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, COME ON,

LET’S THROW THE BALL. COME OUT AND DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. OUR DEFENSE HAS BEEN PLAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL@#, PROBABLY FOR ABOUT 10 WEEKS. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT IN THE RED ZONE, NUMBER ONE RED ZONE DEFENSE. FOR TODAY, WE HAD 75% TOUCHDOWNS

AND WE SAW THAT.@# WE SAW A QUARTERBACK DRAW. THAT’S THE ONE THING. WE HAD THREE DIFFERENT PLAYS TO GET TOUCHDOWNS. AND CHICAGO JUST, YOU KNOW. @# OKAY? SIMPLE ENOUGH. >> WHAT ABOUT COVERING THREE? THE COVERAGE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.

IF THEY PLAY IT THE WAY THEY ARE PLAYING THIS YEAR? NO MATTER WHAT COVERAGE.@# >> IN HIS DEFENSE, YOU KNOW WHEN WE RAN THIS SAME DEFENSE, YEAH. TOMMY HARRIS, MIKE BROWN, RIGHT# WHAT YOU HAD REALLY TALENTED PLAYERS. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT AT THIS

POINT. I THINK, HE’S CLOSE, HE’S GETTING THERE, A LITTLE BIT. @# WE NEED MORE. WE NEED MORE TALENT AND THEN IT WILL BE DOMINANT. IF YOU ADD MORE. IN ORDER TO JUMP, WE NEED THAT HUNGRY THREE. WE NEED THAT.@# >> THE OFFENSIVE LINE OVER THAT,

CAME BACK BUT I DON’T KNOW IF THE LINEUP MADE A DIFFERENCE. I MEAN, IT WAS @#GREAT PROTECTIN , WITH CLEVELAND BROWN AND THE RUSHING PASTOR. OUR GUYS DID A GREAT JOB ON QUARTERBACK DRAW, THESE WERE REALLY NICE BLOCKS WITH A PLAY

ON A ONE TOUCHDOWN RUN@#, SO, Y KNOW. THERE’S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF WITH THAT EXECUTION AND DIES UP FRONT, WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT THAT MUCH. WEBER HAS BEEN A GOOD PLAYER FOR THE BEARS. >> THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THEY’VE

GOT CRITICISM@#, WHY YOU RUNNIN ON THAT SIDE? I’M THINKING IF I WAS HEAD COACH, AND YOU ARE AN OFFENSIVE LINE COACH COORDINATOR, YOU’RE SAYING IT TO ME.@# GOOD IDEA IS WHAT IT IS. >> GREAT IDEA. PATRICK IS A GOOD PLAYER AND

WE’VE GOT TO GET BETTER. YOU CAN CRITICIZE@# BUT THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT ON PAPER. YOU KNOW? >>> REAL QUICK, WE HAVE A LOT TO GET TO, BUT I HAVE A SURPRISE. IF YOU REMEMBER LAST WEEK, I WORK CHRISTMAS SWEATER THAT

NEEDED AN EXPLANATION AND LET’S REMIND OUR VIEWERS OF WHAT HAPPENED.@# >> I DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN AND I ACTUALLY THINK IT’S A LITTLE CHALLENGING TO SEE ON TV SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO EVERYONE HAPPY HOLIDAYS, OKAY?

TO MY JEWISH FRIENDS, HAPPY BELATED CHANUKAH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ANYWAYS.@# THIS IS A FRIEND SWEATER, SHOUT OUT. YOU’VE GOT TO, BY THE WAY. >> NO. >> WE WILL HAVE IT, NEXT WEEK. SHE’S WATCHING.@# >> YOU GUYS? THEY CAME THROUGH

WITH BRAD FOR EVERYONE, MOM PUT RAISINS IN IT AND THE JEWISH TRADITION YOU KIND OF JUST RIP OFF A PIECE SO TAKE A LITTLE RIP @#OFF AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. YOU MAY BE HAD THIS IN FRENCH TOAST. WHAT YOU THINK?

>> WE SHOULD DO THIS LIVE, BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW. >> DEBBIE IS WATCHING. >> I KNOW @#SHE IS. >> HERE WE GO. >> COME ON. IT’S A SWEET BREAD. >> RIGHT. HE’S GOING TO MAKE ME UPSET. ALL RIGHT.

WE WILL GO TO BREAK@#. >> YEAH, GO TO BRE

On the Football Aftershow, after the Bears’ victory over the Falcons, Ruthie Polinsky, Dave Wannstedt, Alex Brown and Lance Briggs recap the game. They discuss the Bears clinching the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row and what they should do with it. They also talk about how Justin Fields looked against the Falcons and more.

#ChicagoBears #JustinFields #AtlantaFalcons

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Bears secure No. 1 pick in NFL draft for second year in a row, beat Falcons 37-17
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