Cowboys have NO CHANCE to catch Eagles, Will the Bears shut down Jordan Love and the Packers? | FTF

Danny, are giving the Cowboys a chance to catch the Philadelphia Eagles?

No.

No? No.

No chance. No chance. I think what Dallas is doing is really impressive and it's a little too late. Not to just be totally beholden to the odds makers, but the Eagles are minus 900 to win the NFC. They're a 9 to 1 favorite to win the division.

The side-by-sides of the remaining schedule, it's very hard for me to see either thing needing, like, you would need Dallas to win out and Philly to go three and two. Or to be 11-5-1 for Dallas and 11-6 for Philly. Or sure, you could have Philly having a losing record there.

Yes.

But I think that is way overstating the problems on Philadelphia. Like, you guys are talking a lot about the supernatural funk.

Thank you.

And I get it. You guys were a show on TV when the supernatural funk happened. And sure, there's a lot of the same characters that are involved. But this team is the defending champion.

This team has an impressive resume this season. So did that team. That team was the defending NFC champion. That was 10-1. Resume, including beating the Chiefs like this team has beaten the Chiefs and some other really – I'm thinking of the Chiefs because I remember the game, some other really good games that season.

But we're, you're two games in, right, it's a two game losing streak right now for Philly against Dallas who's playing as well as basically any team in football and the one seed in the NFC and that's all of a sudden like a doomsday scenario. These are not embarrassing losses for Phil. They're the vibes are bad. We're in complete agreement on that their offenses underachieving. We they're the most expensive offense in football and their 24th and

yards and 19th and score like offense is underachieving. We

agree with that. But this Eagles team is not bad. So but a bad team. It's a definitively not a bad team. But I where I disagree with you is I'm not, to me, the warning signs did not start in the second half against Dallas, because even that Dallas game, they're up 21-nothing.

The warning sign started way before that. Now, I don't know if we can throw up the Eagles' schedule or not, but if you remember the games leading into it, that Green Bay game was 10-7. We were like, what is going on with the offense?

Was the Lions 16 to 10? It was 16 to...

16-9.

16-9. So the offense, you're right, they're in the bottom, 20th-ish in scoring and yards. They also have more three and outs than any team in the league. Yeah the the passing offense to me feels bordering on broken and

say one has been one of the least effective running backs in the NFL this season. So that's why to me I the I think the Vegas odds are way I am not saying it is better than a 50% chance it happens,

but giving them any chance to me, it's like a one in four shot that Philadelphia collapses.

Danny, you don't buy like, and I know we can split it any way we want, but like all two game losing streak, would it, if I also say like four and four in their last eight, like, oh, four and four, but like, you can be like, well, actually five and four in the last nine.

I know it's strange, but if you start to look at it

as sort of a festering issue that has finally come to the.

Yeah, but the teams that they have down the stretch, I still think that they are considerably better than. Like, I don't think they're gonna lose.

One of them has Peyton Manning in the quarterback. I don't know. That's a game they could lose.

But they are favored by three. They'll be favored in four of their last five? Yes. And you say they need to lose three of those games. They need to lose multiple games in which they are favored down

the stretch.

Like their last two.

Okay, Nick. But you were saying it was a close win over Detroit or it was a close win over Philly when last year, well, that's just, they just know how to win. The Chiefs are the champs and they just know how to win those close games.

The Eagles are the champs that have won some close games. And then go, Brew. The Chiefs had last year a basis of six consecutive years of excellence. The Eagles have, we went to the Super Bowl, then we looked really good and fell apart entirely. We went to the Super Bowl, and then we looked really good and are teetering.

That's where we are in the timeline. So that to me, and there is so much more. The Chiefs last year was like, what's wrong with the Chiefs and inside there celebrating after a block field goal when they're the you know, they're the making a documentary about a potential

three-peat. They felt good. The Eagles on the inside seem as not at all as confident. If you will that everything is okay as Kansas City did last year. Yeah, I'm with Danny now. I'm

not saying zero chance. I think it's very, very slim. I mean, I do think we over-scrutinize. And look, in fact, they bring it on themselves. If the Eagles didn't have all this foolishness coming out of the locker room with A.J. Brown and all that stuff,

we probably never would have started looking at every single game and you know all the offense is going look I Get 10 7 against Green Bay 10 points. That's all you scored. That's a great win though That's Green Bay you held them to seven points Detroit So you only scored 16 still a great one like they you said. Detroit, Green Bay, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and the L.A. Rams, who everybody feels

is the best team in the league. That was this — like, I do think, Danny, here's where I probably differ with you. If they lose to the Chargers, then I think they could fall into that supernatural funk again. Three straight losses, Dallas is right on your tail. Then I think they

could plummet. But right now, I'm not ready to say that. The only problem with that is Dallas is an underdog in Detroit. Dallas can lose this game too. Dallas absolutely can lose this game. And I think you're picking them too, right? I think Dallas is gonna, my belief is, I think Dallas is gonna go four and one down the stretch. Do I think Dallas is going to my belief is I think Dallas going to go four and one down

the stretch. Do you think Dallas is going to catch them?

The like I said right now, if you offered me an even money bet on it, I would say no, but if you offered like the Vegas odds, absolutely. And right around I'd say about a one in four chance because so the Dallas to me has a couple games. I would be shocked if they lost. I would be shocked if Dallas lost to they have Minnesota. Yeah, and I'd be shocked if they lost if

it's meaningful week 18 to whatever's less than left of the Giants at that point. They're probably trying to lose that right the Giants and so I would be shocked if they lost those games. So for me, the question is, can the Cowboys go 2-1 against Detroit, the Chargers, and Washington to get to that 4-1?

I think 5-0 is unrealistic. Eight straight wins, I think, is unrealistic. So to me, 4-1 is reasonable. Philadelphia, like, and this is the other reason I pushed back against the Kansas City Comps from last year. Kansas City last year in the regular season, it was ugly, it was weird, they lost once.

We are three quarters of the way through the regular season and Philadelphia's lost four times. So it's the idea that they are, yeah, listen, they play ugly, but they always win.

No, they don't. I think it's weird, Danny, and again, I'm the vibes guy, which is kind of silly, but I do think there's some validity to it. And I do think there's some validity to Ben Johnson changing the culture, right? Vibes are silly, but culture is meaningful. So like, wow, Ben Johnson has a great culture there,

and they really believe each other, and they're supporting each other. So if you think that is great, and you see the vibes or culture in the Eagles locker room that seems like the opposite of the Bears and they played and it really went that way. I'm surprised that you don't give it as much validity

to the bad vibes in Philadelphia.

I give, I agree that the vibes are bad and I also think that last year we watched A.J. Brown read a book on the sideline and they won a Super Bowl.

Yeah, the vibes were not great last year. Last year they never lost. Last year they started two and2 and the vibes were bad. They never lost.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Four days ago, Chicago ran for 300 yards on them. Like, the week before that, they blew the first 21-point lead the team has given up this century. Like, we are, we have moved past the, it's ugly and it's weird, but they win to the, we have lost in embarrassing fashion and back to back games. That's now where we're at with Philadelphia.

So and Dallas on the other hand has the exact opposite feeling. It's like, Oh, we played the last two Superbowl champions and in comeback fashion games, we were down in the fourth quarter against both of them. One of them, both. Yeah. We were down in the fourth quarter against both of them. Won them both. They've also lost to Arizona and Carolina. And yes, pre-trade deadline.

I understand.

But Dallas is not some juggernaut.

I don't think Dallas is a juggernaut. But I.. What do you think they're going to go down the stretch? Four and one? Yeah, three and two, four and one. Okay. If I win, then I ain't going into week 18. Philadelphia has to win that game to win the division.

All right. Great news everybody. You like cool stuff. We're here for a treat. Ben Johnson you know said we're winning in spite of our passing

game not because of it. None of us are pleased with that

Whoops.

Clarified that turns out he on Caleb he can do is get better each week and I could be more pleased with how he played well that's great. That's the problem with editorializing and that's why

we have cool stuff like packed stats you don't have to you

know.

And yeah, as the numbers speak for themselves exactly what it's cool. I brought my briefcase with all my cool stats and why you mentioned that Johnson yes, Cole come that will be on the show X just over 10 minutes or so. We go to number one. And Wilds, I know you like Mike Vrabel, but Ben Johnson should be the coach of the year. Here's the thing. Look back. Explosive plays. Okay, hold on.

This was the Detroit Lions last season. Remember these numbers 154 rushing yards per game, 109 explosive plays second in the NFL. This is the Detroit Lions at this point last season. Show me the bears through 13 weeks, 154 yards rushing and 102 explosive plays the most in the NFL. It is a remarkable one year transformation. I don't know how that graphic got in there. Yeah, I was a little distracted. It might have been a mistake.

It might have been intentional. It might be my screen saver.

Looks like KW playing ping pong.

You guys can't fit in the same jacket.

Jacket, seriously.

But honestly, the fact that he got Detroit's offense to Chicago with Caleb not playing like Jared Goff in one year is remarkable. He should be the coach of the year. Do you think it's outrageous. Like do you think Vrabel just

I have a mean take.

I don't want to say it.

You want to trade seats so you can pretend you're.

He called me a liar from the

Sometimes I feel like coach of the year is a little bit of a diss. It's like a little it's not like yeah coach of the year Sean McVay coach of the year Andy Reed it's like over a good for you for this team. Oh my God I can't believe it.

Oh this quarterback.

So do you not want it.

I still want it but it is a little bit of a no way.

I think personally is very. I mean we'll see how the rest of the season goes but that team won four games last.

So here's the favorite.

He's brought a lot of new players.

I wouldn't hate it. Listen, I think there are actually a handful of deserving candidates. I think Mike McDonald in Seattle. I know he's not as high as last year. There are, you know, it's a dis award again. Yeah, but I think he's a legitimate candidate. Shanahan is, again, like almost too good of a coach

to be allowed to win the award. Here is where I think this, I didn't know that, that last year's Lions offense with Jameer Gibbs and all those weapons is now this year's Bears offense.

That is a great stat.

Thanks, buddy.

Here's the other piece of it. It's the coolest stat. Thanks, buddy. Here's the other piece of it. It's the coolest there. There are two tried and true ways to snap turn a team around. One is quarterback take a massive leap. And the other is what the Bears are doing.

And that, to me, is more coach related. Because Caleb, eliminating the Saks has been huge. And I do think he is considerably better in the last year but I and I give Vrabel some of the credit for the Drake May and he picked up Josh McDaniel and all of it culture but a lot of the Patriots turnaround is their second year quarterback is playing like an MVP the

Bears to me it's more coaching related. And so that to me is a legit.

Cool stat, I think.

Thanks, man.

Josh McDaniels can win assistant of the year.

I think he deserves that.

And Ben Johnson can win.

Offensive assistant.

Well, there's not a, I think it's just one. Robert Solomon, man. Wow, Bruce trying to give the Niners all these awards. I do. I get it though. They're carrying birdie like if it's on tough lift. You guys want another cool stat? Yeah, this one's even cooler.

Alright, great. Do they go and they get cooler as it goes on? Yeah, actually not this week. Oh, I think I led with my cool stuff. They're all equally cool. Stay tuned. Alright, the Bears

defense. Well, it's gonna take take. Yeah, I know. This is Jordan. Love stat.

It's going to take away a win Jordan Love. year.

Super Bowl route caliber team

Jordan Love has coming off the only game in his career where he had four touchdowns with no turnovers associated

with it.

Who's got the least turnovers in the league? You know?

Probably you guys, the Packers.

Oh, the Packers.

Yes, for giveaways.

That is true.

Yeah, the most Jordan loves it. Yeah, but three interceptions is when he does it. They play a lot of close games when he does it.

They lose, but not everyone. So that listen, I think that that's cool. The less you say what school that well, you will just big believer in that turnovers the worst thing you can do, which is probably true.

It's it is, but I think it's I don't like that. I actually think it's. I don't. Love leading the league and take it was not going to stay there. I think it's not sustainable. It's just on the

ball bounce. You know, right.

Okay. But I that's that's

less so about the Bears part and more so about the Packers

part.

Brew, you agree with. My at this point my preseason take that he's the most intriguing player in the league this season like the player whose variants will impact who does or doesn't win the Super Bowl more than just about anybody. I think he's up there I think now who's become interesting is Drake May just because if can he continue to

play this way in the playoffs that was being treated but yeah but I mean he's

up there for sure. With Drake, I think it's pretty clear. He has to be excellent for them to have any chance to win the Super Bowl. I think for Jordan, it's a little different in that I think he has to avoid disaster because I think they can just lean on, not for four playoff games, but for they might be able to win a playoff game where Jordan Love

throws for 125 yards. And so I think that I'd be very interested if the Bears can turn

them over.

I think we need another cool stat.

You want one more.

This a little bit cooler if you have. I don't know how many you have in there. I have one more game that we haven't talked about yet. I think it's pretty cool. If you don't mind. Yeah, I do say so myself. Everyone's gonna be talking bills and bangles about the quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Josh Allen. Definitely. I hope you are too. I'm not. Okay. It's actually gonna come down to the rush defense. The coolest thing in the NFL. The bangles 31st ranked rush defense, the bills, the 30th ranked rush defense.

Can either of them stand up? I think someone earlier called this the old double must win. The Bengals have rushed for 120 or more yards in four of their last six games. That coincides with when Joe Flacco took over. So if the Bengals get competent quarterback play, they also are able to run the ball.

The Bills, of course, the number one running team in the NFL. So these are two good running teams going up against two of the three worst rush defenses in the league. Which one do you trust more? I mean this to me is a disaster stat for Cincy because I think the Bills have a legitimate great running attack. I think the Bengals running attacks fine. And so I like this I didn't I knew the B bills had a bad run defense because it's what Wilds talks about it at every conversation on or off the air. The bank kind of thought it was right. We

just knew the Bengals kind of had an overall bad defense. I

didn't know what specifically do they do they brought the Bengals? Yeah. Do they have a bad defense against a good running team? You tell me. Well, the the Ravens decided not to run. Why? Stonewall, Cincinnati, they're calling it.

Oh, my gosh.

No way.

Steel curtain.

You really believe him?

I said that, and you guys laughed me off the stage

when you said yesterday that I was.

He's still upset that we didn't. He said, you're in trouble, bro.

I got to tell you. I was coming down the stairs for a fun hang. He said, you're in trouble. I said, what?

The Bengals, they shut down at defense. I told you.

Drew, I did. He wouldn't have done that when the Patriots were terrible. I'm telling you, I am telling you, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving show, the long tail of that, how it has impacted Wilde's opinions of all of us

not and his takes he was like I was disrespected I was proven correct on and I didn't get my just do I was no one came on TV the next day because we were Monday got lost. It was foggy. It was festering. And I had to play a great game. All week, and you brought it back, Parker.

It's a cool step.

I was like, I knew there was no data for it. I pulled a Sports Illustrated headline. And he's like, you just pulled a Sports Illustrated headline. That's just support. I said, I know, but if someone agrees with me. It was Bengals. Bengals defense. It was. And they're better. And I go, they're like, get out of here.

Yeah. They're like, pack your stuff up and you're shared office in the league. By the way.

I said they're good. And I was still don't think that they're good. I don't think they're good. I don't think that the Bengals Jackson. Because the Ravens are broken. They can't run them all? They could. They wouldn't let them.

Why?

They wouldn't let them throw in the game?

He ran for a 30-yard touchdown.

Immediately.

And then the Ravens coaches said,

you know what, the Nets is tearing the show apart.

They plugged that hole.

This guy. I'm telling you. The Bengals defense is going to win a week now. Yeah, are we okay about last week? Still mad about stuff from five years ago. What you're mad about Ryan? That's really inside. He's mad about pandemic stuff.

Joining us now on the OT a guy. I know loves it as well. Caught a touchdown in that game talking to this guy. No one in four years tight end of the Chicago Bears Cole commit Cole

thank you very much for joining the show. I'm worried about Ben though if he's taking his shirt off for a regular season win over Philly where where does he go from

I don't know what the next level

is after he goes shirts off. Dude I'm just as curious as you are man. So I guess we'll have to see where it goes. Thanks for having me, Danny, obviously. But what I can't believe, I can't believe we're working with Greg here, especially on Packer

Week.

This is kind of nuts to me. So no, I'm just messing with Greg. Huge fan of yours, and thanks for having me on the show. This is great. I'm glad you addressed the elephant in the room because I was going to ask, how does it feel looking at me, someone that you grew up probably hating? I don't want to speak for you.

Just how does it feel just in this moment right now? Well, first of all, hate's a strong word. Hate's a strong word. I think as you get into the league and you become more aware of what it is, you grow more of appreciation

for all players. But that being said, yes, as a kid I did grow up maybe hating on you a little bit. The Greg Jennings Madden video did help your cause a little bit in my household. But nonetheless, excited about the game this weekend and it was always great watching you and the Bears play twice a year.

Yeah, so you can speak to this rivalry from a different perspective than a lot of us, even who has played in this rivalry. Like, I obviously was drafted by the Packers. Most guys who play in this rivalry are drafted by the team, and then they, or just are on the roster, and then they're kind of thrusts

the into this rivalry, but you growing up in the area being a fan from childhood. How different and unique is this rivalry rivalry for you?

Yeah. Well, it's really special. I mean, like I said earlier, watch this game multiple times a year and it was always a big deal whenever the Bears were hosting the Packers at Soldier or we went up there up to Lambeau. And it's really a great game to be part of now. And one, I definitely don't take for granted.

For me personally, my sister's boyfriend, Lucas Van Ness, plays for the Packers. So there's that family element. And then I mean one of my best friends Nick who was in my in my wedding is a diehard Packers fan and I can't even get him to wear

my jersey. The only time he's worn it was actually overseas in London when he came to our game last year. But that's beside the point. But yeah I know it's a it's a

big rivalry here in our in my family got a lot of connections and it's a lot of fun for sure. At all disappointed in your sister little bit of a traitor. I don't know. I'll say it if you won't. I mean a little bit right. I guess I guess she's a traitor twice a year. So I mean she'll root on and she ran for me specifically, but I don't know where her allegiance truly lies on

Bears. I can speak for your sister right now. She's with the good guys.

Let's just call it what it is.

Take it easy.

Take it easy. Cole, so the shirts off thing is one thing, but you've been in a Bear since 2020, your whole career. You've had three head coaches. This is an offensive transformation. It's night and day from what you guys were last year

to what you are now. Can you, beyond what we see in press conferences, what is it like playing for Ben Johnson and what makes him different than other guys

that have coached you before?

Yeah, man, well, it's been awesome. It's been a great experience so far. I think Ben, he's just so on top of everything. And he's super detail oriented. And obviously we've seen the intensity at times. I'm sure you guys have seen that.

And, you know, we feel that every day, but he's also able to have some fun with it too. And you see that with all the trick plays and all those types of things. So he keeps it fun in that regard. I think really what stood out to me is just, and what's really come on along for us recently here, is our run game and his passion for the run game

and scheming it up and the way he installs it. It's been a lot of fun to be part of, and I think that's what has got a lot of buy-in from the guys across the board on the offense. Not just the offensive line and backs, but that migrates to the tight ends

and wide receivers as well. Just just him highlighting and showing the importance of everybody on a given run play. And I think that's why, you know, we've been so successful here the past few weeks.

Cole every year when I was in Green Bay, we drafted. We seemingly drafted a receiver and you have been one of those players that you get the deal. Obviously you get drafted. They drafted Colston Loveland. You were a focal point in the offense. This year has been different for you.

However, you're still impacting the offense in the passing game. But more importantly, you are actually killing it in the running game. Speak to, like, what that's been like, what that adjustment has been like for you, because a lot of guys struggle when they're asked to do something that is not as exciting as pass catching.

Yeah, it was definitely adjustment at first. But I think, credit to Ben and the coaching staff, what they do such a good job of is putting guys in positions that they're best at and doing that consistently throughout the year. And I think I felt that with myself

in terms of the situations I've been put in within the run game and in the pass game as well. And then you see that across the board with everybody else. But it's been fun. And I've been having a lot of fun winning this year and you know do whatever I got to do in order for us to get wins and get W's and obviously that's you know being a big part of the run game and then you know when the ball does come away going to make a play. So it's been a lot of fun and I know all the guys across the board whether it's DJ Rome guys who have also been here in the past that maybe have had a little bit of adjustment as well. They're all bought in as well.

And we're all about winning. And I think that's been showing up here recently. So the running game has been super successful. Ben Johnson's clearly a truth

teller. You know he said you guys have been winning in spite of your And I watched the full press conference. calling out Caleb. He says, you know, he's just one of 11, and it's about footwork and depth of target on routes and all these sorts of things.

But like, I guess the follow up for me on when he said, you guys are winning in spite of your passing game is like, what's then realistic for the passing game the rest of this year? Is this the type of thing that we got to wait to see the passing game

and you guys win because of it next year and you need an off season or do you feel like you guys are close. I personally feel like we're close and I go back to you know our run game the first three four weeks of the season before the bye and we weren't ranked very highly in that regard either. And we got that thing fixed up and I think what we saw on tape with the run game was that things were there but we just kind of had to continue to wrap it and get on the same page with it and I think there's some there's something to that with

our pass game as well. I think you see at times things are open and whether we don't hit it or guys aren't at the right depth or you know we need to be better with our timing and getting to our landmark and our spots. Those are all things that kind of play a part in the past game having success and obviously it's been a few weeks here since we've had a lot of success here in the past game but I think you can see on tape where those opportunities are we just got to go out there and execute on it and you know I know we're working tirelessly here to get that fixed during the course of the week of practice and the and

the practice reps practice reps that we do get. Cole there's so much focus obviously on Caleb and you know the history of that position in Chicago. Can you contextualize like where he is now versus where he was last year and where you think he ultimately can get to. Yeah, well, obviously everyone sees all the talent the arm talent the ability to move out of the pocket all those type of things and he's had that since the moment he walked in the

building here. I think from my standpoint, and I don't really keep up, I know you guys have some of the stats on the screen, you know, I don't really look at that too much in terms of dictating how he's playing or whatever. But what I noticed from him more so from last year to this year is his operation within the huddle, getting guys lined up and I think that's where his biggest growth has been.

And I know it's a huge challenge for these guys coming from college to pro and you know they go from looking at the sideline to a picture of Kermit the Frog and relaying a play that way to now you're in a huddle getting a play call from Ben Johnson having it having delivered to the guys with confidence and in an effective manner in a timely manner get everybody lined up recognize the defense and then get the right play that that that you gave in the huddle so

there's a lot to it and I I've seen a ton of growth from Caleb in that regard that's been really cool to see. Cole there's nothing that really galvanizes the city of Chicago quite like the bears. What did you make of a 1000 plus people in sub freezing weather lining up for a free four dollar hot dog at the Wiener Circle.

I felt like it was a perfect encapsulation of our city. Yeah. I mean this I'm not surprised at all. I mean you knew this was what was going to happen. So it seems like everyone was wearing their jackets and came prepared for the line. But no it's cool to see.

I mean you know obviously when when the Bears are doing well I remember this when I was a kid for the times when you know they'd gone win streaks or that

or that Super Bowl year.

The city's on fire and it's a lot of fun to see the fans having a good time with it. So I was glad Coach Johnson could help feed some feed some people in Chicago this past

week.

All right. Alright, well keep proving them wrong. They were doubting you guys against Philly or an underdog against Green Bay. Beat those Packers, okay?

Good luck, man. Good luck, man.

Take it down.