The Bears face off against the Lions this Sunday, and Fox 32 has the NFC North Preview, thanks to ChevyDrivesChicago.com! How will Ben Johnson handle his return to Ford Field, and will we see defensive tackle Grady Jarrett after his knee injury? #Sponsored
Subscribe to FOX 32 Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/fox32chicago?sub_confirmation=1
Watch FOX 32 Chicago Live: https://www.fox32chicago.com/live
FOX 32 Chicago delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from Chicago and across the nation.
Watch more FOX 32 Chicago on YouTube:
FOX 32 Headlines: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2-nR6U1joOT92lWD_QLYoNijiDo9uYaP
Good Day Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2-nR6U1joORm02SSjflpEVzL0ydEqeFu
Special reports and stories: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2-nR6U1joOTGGgDx9B31HcT9IM60Al0-
Download the FOX 32 Chicago News app: https://fox32chicago.onelink.me/KNQ9?pid=social&c=youtube&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox32chicago.com%2Fapps
Download the FOX 32 Chicago Weather app: https://www.fox32chicago.com/apps
Follow FOX 32 Chicago on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fox32Chicago/
Follow FOX 32 Chicago on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fox32news/
Follow FOX 32 Chicago on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fox32chicago/
Subscribe to the FOX 32 Chicago newsletter: https://www.fox32chicago.com/newsletters
LUC NILIS. WE’RE IN THE BIG STUDIO TONIGHT. IT IS FOOTBALL FRIDAY HERE ON FOX 32. WE’LL BRING IN TINA NGUYEN FROM HALAS HALL, WHERE THE BEARS PRACTICED EARLIER TODAY, IN JUST A SECOND. BUT FIRST, I NEED TO ASK YOU, CASSIE. MAN, I DON’T KNOW IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE PACKERS LAST NIGHT AGAINST THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS, BUT IT’S ALL PART OF OUR CHICAGO DRIVE. CHICAGO.COM NFC NORTH PREVIEW. WE KNEW THE PACKERS COMING INTO THIS SEASON WERE GOOD, BUT AFTER WHAT I’VE SEEN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THIS SEASON AGAINST THE LIONS LAST WEEK AND THE COMMANDERS LAST NIGHT, DARE I SAY THEY’RE GREAT, ESPECIALLY DEFENSIVELY. >> I MEAN, IT ALREADY LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE READY TO CONTEND FOR A SUPER BOWL. AND THAT’S SCARY WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEARS, THE LIONS WHO ARE JUST TRYING TO FIND THEIR IDENTITY GOING INTO WEEK TWO OF THE SEASON, ALREADY STARTING ZERO AND ONE IN THE DIVISION. AND YOU HATE THAT THE PACKERS ARE IN THE NFC NORTH. BUT IT JUST GOES TO SHOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU CAN AFFECT THE QUARTERBACK. AND MICAH PARSONS COMING IN. HE ONLY PUT UP A HALF A SACK. BUT JUST FOUR TOTAL SACKS ON JAYDEN DANIELS 21 PRESSURES. AND THAT LETS THE DEFENSE DICTATE THE PACE OF THAT GAME. >> YEAH 20 PRESSURES, 21 PRESSURES. THAT’S INCREDIBLE. I SAW ANOTHER NUMBER WHERE IT’S BEEN SINCE 1996, THE 96 SEASON, SINCE THE GREEN BAY PACKERS HELD THEIR FIRST TWO OPPONENTS UNDER 260 TOTAL YARDS. BY THE WAY, IN THAT 1996 SEASON, THE PACKERS WON THE SUPER BOWL. ALL RIGHT, ENOUGH ABOUT GREEN BAY AFTER THEIR THURSDAY NIGHT WIN OVER WASHINGTON. LET’S BRING IN TINA NGUYEN, WHO IS AT TODAY’S BEARS PRACTICE AT HALAS HALL. TINA, GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND I NEED TO GET RIGHT TO THE NEWS. WHO PRACTICED AND WHO DIDN’T. >> YEAH, WELL, ASIDE FROM SEEING YOUR JALEN JOHNSON, T.J. EDWARDS, SHAUN JOHNSON OUT THERE, I THINK THE BIG NEWS THAT WE’VE BEEN MONITORING THIS WEEK, RIGHT, IS GRADY JARRETT. AND WE GOT THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM ONE ON ONE IN THE LOCKER ROOM. HE’S TRENDING TOWARDS. IT’S THE RIGHT WAY. LOOKS LIKE HE WILL BE PLAYING ON SUNDAY. HE WOULDN’T GIVE US ANY DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON MONDAY WITH HIS KNEE INJURY. BUT HE SEEMS LIKE HE’S IN GOOD SPIRITS AND THAT HE WILL BE READY TO GO ON SUNDAY. I DID ALSO GOT THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM FOR A WHILE, ONE ON ONE. AFTER WE GOT WE TALKED TO HIM WITH THE MEDIA SCRUM. THIS GUY, HE’S TOUGH. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, BUT I LEARNED TODAY HE’S GOT A BIG WRESTLING BACKGROUND. BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL IN ATLANTA, WAS UNDEFEATED HIS SENIOR YEAR, EVEN WON A STATE TITLE IN WRESTLING. SO IT GAVE ME JUST A GLIMPSE AS TO HOW TOUGH THIS GUY IS. SO NO SURPRISE THAT OF COURSE, HE’S GOING TO DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO PLAY ON SUNDAY. >> YEAH, GOOD NEWS TO HEAR THAT GRADY JARRETT IS TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING YESTERDAY OF WHO’S GOING TO FILL THAT SPOT IF HE CAN’T GO. AND I THINK THE ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND WITH GRADY JARRETT IS HE’S IN YEAR 11. AND THAT WAS A QUESTION WHEN THE BEARS BROUGHT HIM IN. IS HIS DURABILITY TURNING THE BACK HALF OF HIS CAREER AND HAVING AN INJURY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO COMING BACK FROM THAT. SO YOU SEE A KNEE INJURY POP UP ON THE INJURY REPORT AND YOU’RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, DO WE NEED TO START WORRYING ABOUT THIS? BUT ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND WITH GRADY JARRETT IS ESPECIALLY WITH THIS GAME AGAINST THE LIONS, IS HIS ABILITY TO STOP THE RUN. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE THE FIRST THING THE BEARS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WITH JAHMYR GIBBS AND WITH DAVID MONTGOMERY, BECAUSE JUST LISTENING TO BEN JOHNSON TALK ABOUT THESE TWO RUNNING BACKS TODAY, HE KNOWS ABOUT THESE GUYS AND NO ONE KNOWS THEM BETTER THAN BEN JOHNSON, WHO WORKED WITH THEM FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. AND JUST THE SPEED THAT JAHMYR GIBBS HAS AND THE WAY HE’S ABLE TO BREAK TACKLES AND GET INTO OPEN SPACE. BUT HE ALSO SAID HE CAN BE LIKE DAVID MONTGOMERY AND GET AND BREAK THROUGH THOSE TACKLES AS WELL AND GET THOSE SHORT YARDAGE SITUATIONS, WHICH WE SAW LAST YEAR WHEN DEBO WENT DOWN. BEN JOHNSON LOVES THESE TWO RUNNING BACKS. THEY COULDN’T GET THE RUN GAME GOING IN WEEK ONE AGAINST THE PACKERS, AND THAT’S GOING TO BE ESTABLISHED EARLY. I BET IF THE LIONS ARE LOOKING AT THEIR GAME PLAN. >> ANY OF THE PLAYERS TALKING ARE YOU USUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO GO INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM. YOU HAD A CHANCE TO GO ONE ON ONE WITH GRADY JARRETT, ANY OF THE GUYS ON OFFENSE BECAUSE AS WE DISCUSSED, WHILE DETROIT NEEDS TO GET ITS RUNNING GAME GOING, BOY, THE BEARS DO AS WELL BECAUSE BEN JOHNSON IS NOW RUNNING THE BEARS OFFENSE. AND IT’S ALL ABOUT GETTING THE RUNNING GAME ESTABLISHED, ESPECIALLY IN A MADHOUSE LIKE FORD FIELD, WHERE IF YOU’RE PLAYING FROM BEHIND, YOU’RE IN TROUBLE. >> YEAH, AND WE GOT THE CHANCE TO ALSO TALK TO KYLE MONANGAI. AND WE ASKED HIM, HEY, YOU KNOW, BEN JOHNSON SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK, I WANT TO CALL MORE RUN PLAYS. AND HE SAID THAT IS MUSIC TO MY EARS. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT THE BEARS TOOK AS A SEVENTH ROUNDER. WE’RE ALL EAGER AND CURIOUS TO SEE, HEY, WHAT IS THIS GOING TO LOOK LIKE? ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN GET INVOLVED THERE. BUT YEAH, AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LIONS ARE GOING TO WANT TO TRY TO GET THE RUN GAME GOING. SO ARE THE BEARS RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT’S DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE THAT TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT AND HELP THEM WHEN IT COMES TO PLAY ACTION, AS WELL AS PASSING THE PASSING THE BALL. >> AND ARE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO CHAT WITH BEN JOHNSON EARLIER THIS WEEK. AND HE SAID WE NEED TO RUN THE FOOTBALL MORE. AND HE REALLY TOOK THE RESPONSIBILITY UPON HIMSELF. HE CALLED 20 RUN PLAYS LAST WEEK. NONE INVOLVED THE ROOKIE KYLE MATANGI. THERE WERE SIX OTHER SCRAMBLING RUNS BY CALEB WILLIAMS, WHICH I WON’T ACCOUNT FOR, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL EIGHT, THEY RAN THE FOOTBALL 20 TIMES IN THAT MINNESOTA GAME AND FOR THE MOST PART, THEY WERE AHEAD IN THAT FOOTBALL GAME SO THEY COULD HAVE RUN THE FOOTBALL MORE UP UNTIL THE FOURTH QUARTER, AND THEN THEY STARTED TO PLAY FROM BEHIND. HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU DO YOU THINK UNDER BEN JOHNSON THE BEARS RUN THE FOOTBALL SUNDAY. >> OH YOU’RE ASKING ME TO PUT A NUMBER. I’M GOING TO SAY DOUBLE BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE TO STICK TO IT. THIS IS A PROBLEM WE’VE SEEN WITH THE BEARS OFFENSES IN THE YEARS PAST TO WHERE THEY GET AWAY FROM GETTING THAT RUN GAME ESTABLISHED. SO IT REALLY AFFECTS THE REST OF THEIR PASSING GAME AS WELL. AND I THINK IT JUST ALLEVIATES SO MUCH PRESSURE FROM CALEB WILLIAMS. IF THIS LIONS DEFENSE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT STOPPING THE RUN, IF CALEB WILLIAMS IS GOING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT PASSING THE BALL, WHAT, 40 TIMES A GAME, THIS DEFENSE IS GOING TO DROP BACK IN COVERAGE AND JUST WAIT FOR CALEB TO MAKE HIS OWN MISTAKE. SO I THINK ESTABLISHING THE RUN, ESPECIALLY WITH KYLE MONANGAI, WHO PLAYS A DIFFERENT STYLE THAN D’ANDRE SWIFT, WHO CAN GET OUT IN SPACE A LITTLE BIT MORE. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THAT KYLE MONANGAI PLAYED NINE OFFENSIVE SNAPS, HAD ONE CATCH FOR 11 YARDS, SO USE HIM IN THE RUN GAME, GET SOME MORE SHORT YARDAGE YARDS THERE. AND AS WELL AS SEAN JOHNSON WHO’S HOPEFULLY BACK FOR THIS GAME AS WELL. >> ALL RIGHT LET’S BRING BACK TINA. TINA GIVE ME A FINAL NUGGET. LET ME THROW THIS QUESTION YOUR WAY. WE’RE TOLD THAT OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TAYLOR DECKER DID NOT PRACTICE FOR DETROIT TODAY. THIRD STRAIGHT DAY HE HAS SAT OUT. THEY HAVE OFFENSIVE LINE PROBLEMS ALREADY. IF DECKER DOESN’T GO, THEY’RE IN REAL TROUBLE. DID YOU GET ANY SENSE FROM BEN JOHNSON OR ANY OF THE OFFENSIVE GUYS, KYLE OR ANYONE ELSE YOU MAY HAVE TALKED TO THAT THEY’RE REALLY GOING TO OR DEFENSIVE GUYS? EXCUSE ME. THEY’RE REALLY GOING TO TEST THAT OFFENSIVE LINE FOR DETROIT. >> YEAH. >> WELL, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIONS OFFENSE, I FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE WEAKEST LINK TO THEM. I MEAN, YOU HAVE A NEW CENTER, A NEW LEFT GUARD, NEW RIGHT GUARD. RIGHT. AND
1 Comment
Bears need this, and Williams has to play well.