Will the Falcons pursue Justin Fields? with Josh Kendall + Picks & Predictions | Hoge & Jahns

How much fire is there to the smoke around Justin Fields being a main target for the Atlanta Falcons this coming offseason? With the Bears facing them this weekend, it’s a perfect time to bring in Josh Kendall to shed light on their interest in Fields and what Atlanta has going on down there to begin with, plus our patented 3 Big Questions, Bold Predictions and more!

#chicagobears #chicago #justinfields #atlantafalcons

What’s up welcome in hog and John’s with you week 17 johy we are almost to the Finish Line two games to go and no one knows what to expect this used to be it when we first started doing this podcast this would be this should be the last week of the year yes

I mean Seasons used to end on December 28th and now they go till uh March March yes yeah pretty much it’s so weird with the Super Bowl being right before Valentine’s Day and then all of a sudden you’re at the combine two weeks later right right bam here comes the NFL

Owners meetings yeah th this is a small thing but like if you talk to anybody who covers the NFL the losing the there used to be three weeks between the Super Bowl and the combine and that like losing that one week everybody shows up to Indianapolis just like what the hell

Why like we’re here already like it’s a new season like this is really does not stop so um yeah it’s it’s crazy I don’t hate it I mean and I think there’s might come a day where we have one more game added to the schedule as well um but for

Now two more games to go we’re here with you bears and Falcons this week at Soldier Field last home game of the year johnz the Bears have a chance to win their fifth straight home game wow wow yeah wow sneaks up on you like that I actually did not even put

That together until Matt Eber FL mentioned it in his press conference yesterday of course he did um yeah a good little subtle uh Resume Builder that was the happiest I’ve seen flu in a Wednesday press conference in a long time that’s interesting like just reading the room when his opening

Statement like got into like some analysis of the opposing team this week being the Atlanta Falcons I’m like wow this is like what is happening here and I was like distracted too because meanwhile on X or on Twitter like the the Denver Broncos are imploding yeah

You know Russell Wilson is is is being benched and all his money is being eaten and here’s Matt eberl um giving you the injury report giving you detailed answers and what he expects from the Falcons it just felt different to me from the outset that’s interesting I me

Justin Fields press conference as well which I want to hit on here U make sure you’re following us on Twitter at Adam hog Adam Johns you can read johy on the athletic the athletic.com Hogan Johns um you can find me at algo.com if you are CH Jo die hard my

Newsletter comes out on Friday mornings get you ready for every game um throughout the season so we got a couple more of those to go and you can get that tomorrow so go to allc allo.com dihard to become a diard and we appreciate that support John I mentioned it’s December 28th it’s uh

Really hard to believe but it’s been two years since we lost our good friend Jeff Dickerson um and in his honor we will be giving out the good guy award which was renamed after after JD after he passed away two years ago which was a phenomenal idea by Hub arish um and is

Now on that name cole KT won it last year um it’s still too early in the morning as we record this to reveal this year’s winner but that will be announced later today JD’s family will be in attendance um which is which was really cool last year to do with them on the

Anniversary of JD’s death and we’re going to do that again today um and if you are I know a lot of people listen to this podcast um because we went through this two years ago when we you know all got together and remember JD on the show

Um a lot of our listeners love JD loved covering him followed his coverage for years and so we know you all miss him too uh a great way to remember him if you can do it of course is to uh check out the V McClure and Jeff Dickerson

Foundation and maybe make a donation here at Year’s End in JD’s name uh if you want to do that t V mjd foundation.org TVM JD those are basically the initials for the vomic Clore JD foundation so TVM JD foundation.org and you can hit that donate button just please do two things

I’m thinking of right now is how much JD would find it hilarious if you and I revealed the award winner on this show and how angry and how angry B Finley would be with us just his reaction I would I would I let me get emotion a little bit I I

Would love it um maybe we should do it but no he would think it’s funny well we we’re not technically live right now so yes as as we record you know we’re still hours away from presenting the award but um that would make him laugh hysterically I think and there there’s

Been multiple times this season like as negative as it’s been covering this team especially like early on where I’ve missed like my seat is just a few away from where JD used to like how we would just come in with just overwhelming positivity even though it was surrounded by negativity sometimes

Um you know him walking in with his big bags of Chipotle Panera with you know with his big drinks and all the time and you know the the high guys and he’s always got the you know the suit you know on his TV days and whatnot um I

Really miss that yeah he had a way to give us pep talks when things were getting guys guys guys kind of wait sometimes too serious and too stressful it tends to happen uh especially covering this team um when they’re losing and you know there’s drama and coaches are getting fired like there was

Many times this season where I could uh you know I could have used one of those pep talks quite frankly so um yeah we missed JD and um still can’t believe it’s been two years which is which is unbelievable so uh yeah again check it out Devon McClure and Jeff Dickerson Foundation

It’s it it put that together in honor of of both guys that that we knew well and covered this Bears team and um vau covered the Falcons too that’s who he was that’s the team he was covering when he passed away so this was you know H to have this the matchup

This week is is is kind of crazy and um both of them you know are just outstanding individuals that always made you feel you know put a smile on your face when you talk to them so check it out the V McLure and Jeff Dickerson Foundation all

The money that goes to that Foundation gets split up into various causes that both of them uh cared about deeply and um it’s just a great way to remember them so in the meantime um we do have a game to break down between these two teams that these two guys covered the

Falcons and the Bears um we’re GNA have Josh Kendall who covers the Falcons jump on here in a couple minutes I I did want to touch on Justin Field’s press conference yesterday you were in the room I was listening to it live uh on my drive home from chgo

And uh it just again it’s well I’ll let you go ahead since you you were in the room it just but I know you sort of feel like it was just another week where the inevitable just seems to be on the horizon yeah it

It’s like part of what we do in our job is well reading reading the room in a sense right like body language answers and this is is not the first time but in the past few weeks when you talk to Justin Fields you hear from Justin Fields whether it’s doing interviews on

WGN or yesterday where there’s this sense of finality with him where this this is it it’s coming to an end I don’t know if you got that impression yesterday but I definitely did again um being in that press conference room at H’s Hall yeah I

I the only thing I get careful with with is like not wanting to make that conclusion off the questioning you know cuz there seem you know a lot of the questions and rightfully so are geared in that direction and I think Justin once again is doing his absolute

Best to try to keep the focus on the fact that there’s a football game to win this week and you know to to to be where his feet are as mty RL and Chuck Pagano and basically any football coach ever likes to say um so that’s what’s it’s almost gotten to

The point that it’s a little awkward because I mean and and I understood the question but like even Courtney yesterday asked have you ever had to face this many questions about your future before um and he and his answer was basically like no I probably would have when I was

At Georgia but they didn’t let the Freshman talk to the media so I didn’t have to do that but you know it’s it’s just a weird situation all around yeah I I guess well well media is absolutely part to blame here because we ask the questions and in my experience covering

This team we’re now what 12 13 seasons and I think we’ve experienced this with all the main quarterbacks I remember asking Jay Cutler myself when he got benched for Jimmy Clawson do you think you’ve played your last game for the Chicago Bears and he goes basically yes it’s

Crossed my mind and he ended up sticking around past mark tresman and and um Phil emry didn’t he also play the following week because Jimmy Clawson was so bad no Jimmy Clawson got hurt oh that’s right concussion right yeah that’s what it was um I still can’t

Believe I still can’t believe they bench Jay Culler for bad but this is what we cover um in my experience again this is 12 Seasons you get the big qu big qu big picture question s because the record tells you change is coming right that that there’s the proverbial

Writings on the wall have you especially in those tresman days right like you knew change was coming so it’s all about the big picture because the micro isn’t that important when you know that the macro is going to change um even at the end of the trabis era right you have you

Had a lot of that especially when they didn’t pick up his uh fifth year option and he came back because Nick FES was so bad there was a lot of that so um it can be a bit awkward but this is what happens when things don’t work out if

The records were reversed the questions would be different so it is possible that this is Justin Field’s last game at Soldier Field as the Bears quarterback um and you have to imagine that cross my mind too the Falcons of all teams well I was going to say and this theoretically

Could be against the team that he could be playing for next year you’d put certainly put the Falcons I would on the list of teams that would have some interest now that being said uh Josh Kendall covers the Falcons and has a much better feel for

Uh you know what the Falcons would want at that position what uh who’s who’s going to be their head coach right like that could factor in um the situation can can if if he’s in sort of a lame duck situation next year not Josh Kendall but Arthur Smith um can they

Afford to go down a risky move of of trading for Justin fields or do they need to start all over that’s part of the conversation that’s happening in Atlanta right now as they are middling seven and eight team that’s underachieved this year and comes to Soldier Field um in a game that they

Probably feel like they should win even though they are three-point Underdog so let’s go ahead and bring Josh Kendall into the conversation and uh get his take on all this all right well let’s bring in Josh Kendall from the athletic he covers the Falcons you can follow him

On Twitter at Josh theathletic and you should be this weekend as the Bears play the Falcons Josh thanks for taking some time to to jump on with us what uh I I can’t figure out the Falcons are they good are they not good is their coach coming back what’s going on

Here no I mean I don’t think you can make the argument that they’re good they should have been good you know they came into the year Arthur Blank said this was year three of a three-year plan because that’s how it had been explained to him by Terry font no and Arthur Smith um

They sort of took their medicine they thought they were taking their medicine with 27 and 10 seasons the last two years and this was going to be the year um that it that it paid off for them the NFC South did everything it could to provide you know a nice and easy Road

For them and still this team is you know could be staring another seven and 10 season in the face his chances of making the playoffs are slim to none we’ve seen some flashes on offense and on defense the defense has actually been pretty good that only increases the frustration

You know this is this is a seven and eight football team um in the worst division in football I think Arthur Smith will be back I’m there are no guarantees of that um I think as much as anything that’s the point with Arthur Blank is and his ownership of this team

And his life I’m not sure unless he just absolutely has to he wants to make a coaching change and I think if you’re the owner you can you can find reasons for Hope I’ve heard this argument well nationally I’ve heard it even locally on the radio here in Chicago that the

Falcons are just a a quarterback away from being one of the better teams one of the best teams in the league so is that true and who’s that quarterback in the future from being one of the best teams in the league no that that’s you know that’s unrealistic from being a decent

Team a playoff team if they had a if they had an average Quarterback average Quarterback play this year would they be a playoff team yeah I think that’s fair to say the quarterback play has been really poor the defense um barring a you know a I say a few but it was really

Four straight late game letdowns that cost them games that are understandable given how much weight they carry have carried all season and all game um for this offense this team get the average Quarterback play they’re in the playoffs who is that quarterback I don’t know everybody especially this week will say

It it’s Justin Fields I’m not convinced that it’s going to be for a variety of reasons but if you’re Arthur Smith right now and you’re convincing Arthur Blank that you need to come back for a fourth year which I mean I think it’s reasonable to suggest that’s what’s

Going on behind the scenes then what you have to do is convince him of that very fact we’re just a quarterback away I finally put all the pieces in in place I thought it was going to be Ritter it really would have been great if it was a

Ritter who’s a third round pick but it’s not now I know who my guy is and this is my guy I don’t think you’re if you’re Arthur Smith at this point you can even sell I’m gonna go get a quarterback you have to say to your owner I’m going to

Get that guy I know I can get him by doing this this this and he’s the answer so I was gonna ask you the Justin Fields conversation he gets talked a lot about up here that the Falcons would be an obvious fit is it that big of storyline

Down there is it just something that sort of comes up every once in a while yes I think it’s I think it’s almost as big a storyline down here because of Justin’s connections to the state um and you see a lot of outside talk saying Justin Fields is Arthur

Smith’s ideal quarterback I think all of that is overblown I think Arthur Smith the idea that Arthur Smith wants a guy of Justin’s skill set for his offense is wrong Arthur Smith would rather have we’re we’re living in a hypothetical World here but if you went to Arthur

Smith and said you can have Kurt Cousins or you can have Justin fields that that that’s not a conversation for him he wants a quarterback look at Desmond Ritter the guy that he really thought was going to work Desmond is just athletic enough to run some RPO to run some Zone read stuff

To get out of trouble every now and then but but Desmond Ritter is not a great athlete they picked Desmond Ritter because they thought Desmond Ritter was a quarterback in sort of the traditional sense of the word that’s what Arthur Smith wants more than a guy who is a

Dynamic threat in a variety of ways including the Run game that’s one of the reasons I don’t think they go after Justin Fields they also passed on him in the draft right too right like there’s they had their shot and when Trey Lance who is not the same but you could argue

As has similar skill sets was available and and TR was available for 18 months the Falcons had no interest in that whatsoever I just don’t I I think the I think we’ve gotten carried away with the idea that Arthur Smith just wants a guy

Who’s G to be dynamic in the Run game so how about the quarterback that’s there now with Desmond Ritter who took over last week got a win Taylor hinei and I know he you know had his chance earlier this year too and struggled just what did what’s the talking point down there

Uh about what Taylor hinei gives the Falcons right now in this moment you know to try to sneak into the playoffs and just do better than what Desmond Ritter was doing right now he just gives them a little bit of Hope and he gives them he

Gives them an excuse to sort of unclench their various body parts this is a team that had just gotten so so tight and you could see why they were given games away you know they know that they should be in the playoff hunt they know that they’re realistically not you know it

Was just it had just gotten really really tight so Taylor hanii not only gives you just a different option at quarterback but he’s a guy who has said I I promised myself three or four years ago anytime I get a shot I’m gonna let it all hang out because that’s when

I’m at my best I’m not going to put the weight of the world on this thing I’m playing with house money frankly I didn’t think I would be in the NFL this long we’re going to go out there and we’re g to let it fly and normally I think that would drive a

Control minded coach like Arthur Smith nuts but right now it has helped this team just relax a little bit and cut it Loose it looked good last week that you know that style can also get you a four interception game in a heartbeat that so the Falcons are just hoping you get two

More good games you win those two and you get all sorts of help bjn Robinson the Bears drafted his backup but you’re covering the actual Superstar I mean that with all due respect to Roshan Johnson but but how good has bejan Robinson been for the Falcons just in

Terms of of making that offense work when there’s changes at quarterback he’s been very good he hasn’t been great but he’s been very good he’s been on a kind of a roller coaster ride which you expect from rookies but but has also been exacerbated by the quarterback play

It’s been exacerbated by what I would suggest is some not panicking the coaching staff but you know I think that offensively they jerked the wheel back and forth trying to find something that’s going to work and so sometimes you get a heavy dose of bejan Robinson sometimes you get

A much lighter dose of bejan Robinson when you get a heavy dose it usually looks pretty good he’s not a guy he’s not an old school back he can run between the tackles but you’re not going to line him up and run him he’s not going to be your primary back you’re

Going to run in between the tackles you can see why if everything else works a great fit in this offense though because you got Tyler algir who can take those yards you throw him in as a dynamic piece like Cordo Patterson who’s a little less Dynamic than he was but

Drake London you know he he is guy is the wrong term because he’s more than that but he can do a lot of things and he he is not going to be a guy you build your offense around but he can be a great change of

Pace Josh we had a running joke here especially last year that the Falcons were turning into the Bears South because it seemed like so many players U from the previous regime here under Ryan Pace were migrating uh down to the Falcons last offseason with him yeah

With him um which leads to the question you know what exactly is Ryan Pace’s role in that organization how much say does he have over or influence is probably the better word over you know any decisions that are being made because it sure did seem like for a

While there he got added to that Falcon staff and then all of a sudden these former Bears players were were and none of them were that great but a bunch of them were were jumping down there it’s hard to know in this organization because they really Pride themselves on

Being really tight lipped I think and I think they do as good a job of that as anybody in in the in the league in terms of maybe you know letting people outside the building think things that are not necessarily true inside the building but

I will say this they put a huge premium on knowing a guy we we know what that guy is like on a day-to-day basis we have seen him in the locker room we have seen him work regardless of what it looks like on the field we you know we

Believe that you know there are guys out there who are portrayed as something they are not so we would like to have firsthand knowledge so anytime they have that they’re gonna air on the side of that guy so what Ryan did with the Chicago guys was he could vouch for them yes

This guy’s not not going to be a problem in the locker room yes this guy’s going to work the way we want him to work etc etc I don’t think it’s any more than that I do still think Terry fno is the guy who’s running the show here what do

You think Ryan Pace well well I guess to further this conversation with Justin Fields like do you think Ryan Pace would have enough influence or his his his backing would be enough for the Falcons to to take a serious look at Justin Fields no I think that Arthur Smith will

Make you will get 97% of that vote um so I I don’t even think that you know I do think that they work collaboratively my gut my sense is that it’s 51% Arthur and 49% the front office does that Dynamic change as Arthur Smith loses a little footing with the organization maybe it

Does but at the quarterback position that’s a 90 that’s a 90s something per Arthur Smith decision I believe yeah and and that I mean in terms of making the decision that makes sense I still think that you’d want to tap into you know if you have a guy on your staff that

Drafted the kid and you know knows what went wrong in Chicago and I’m sure has been still watching him closely I would think you’d still lean on you know where he would be at in that evaluation even if that evaluation Josh is you know what it didn’t work out he wasn’t quite the

Guy we thought he was and and and you know maybe maybe we shouldn’t trade for him yeah I think that here here’s what it comes down to for me I think that Justin Fields is a great value and a great option for somebody who has the

Luxury to say this might work and might be a home run Arthur Smith has used up all of his this might work play Arthur Smith has got to find a guy that he can sell as this will work and you can’t sell that with a straight face to

Anybody with Justin fair or not I mean Justin might be a home run somebody might trade a two and a four for Justin fields and look like the smartest team in the league next year I could absolutely see that being a possibility but you can’t sit here and

Say that’s a guarantee and if your Arthur Smith whether it’s true or not you’ve got to be selling this is the guy I know he is going to be the guy Josh this is my last question for you you have the Bears right below the Falcons in your power rankings um so how

The heck did they lose to the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago this is the Atlanta Falcons experience you know they you know they they can be they can they’ve had six 400 yard games I think only the Dolphins have done better than that and then they just throw out some stinkers

And then Arthur Smith plays really conservatively in the rain and you’re going down into you know you’re at you’re at about two and a half minutes you’re driving you’re at the 10 yard line you’re up seven to six you’ve got a chance to you know put the game away

With a field goal or really put it away with a touchdown and Desmond Ritter throws one of the most inexplicit inexplicable interceptions in a season of inexplicable turnovers Carolina marches 90 yards on a defense that’s usually pretty good I mean that’s just the Atlanta Falcons experience that’s how it works

Here so do you have an inkling on this game cuz the Bears are actually favored they are at home it’s going to be cold a small chance of of some snow I don’t think it’s going to be that significant but um any feel for for what might

Happen Sunday zero how do you feel for this team I mean same on this side right I mean I you know if if you told us which Bears team and which Falcons team were going to show up if the best of these two teams show up it’ll be a fun game if one

Of them shows up and throws out a stinker you know there’s just this is how you get to be six and n and seven and eight is you are kind of an incon consistent mess and so you know let’s roll the dice out there and see which

Two teams show up all right Josh well we appreciate the Insight we’ll be following you at Josh theathletic on Twitter and of course on the athletic thanks so much man thanks for having me so John’s I found that super interesting that you know and that’s why we bring in

Reporters that cover these other teams to sort of get their perspective and it makes a lot of sense that I don’t know that they can afford to you know take a stab at Justin Fields if Arthur Smith is coming back but that being said my what else what are their other

Options like if you’re making a list of trade candidates Justin Fields should be at the top of them um but he threw out Kirk Cousins name and there’s you know Kirk Cousins could very well be available too true true but he’s a free agent yeah right he’s coming out of contract and I

Would think the Vikings want to to resign them I mean Adam there might be 60 quarterbacks about 60 quarterbacks who who play games yeah this year for in the NFL like that that is an insane amount and a lot of them aren’t good I’m convinced that Justin Fields is

Good now he’s not great that’s why we’re in this predicament with the Bears um that’s why it becomes maybe more complicated decision than is should be in a sense you know we went through that our last podcast but um if I’m an opposing team who has questions a

Quarterback and you’re like making lists of potential trade candidates or potential options we’ve know we the Bears have done this in the past Ryan Pace did this you like Matthew Stafford like they’ve created list like this in the past yeah I would imagine the Justin

Fields like he he has to be on it if you’re the Atlanta Falcons and it has to be a serious discussion Russell Wilson might be on the list oh yeah now he is for sure since he’s he’s basically out the door in Denver uh actually he

Literally might be out the door I got the sense just especially with that tweet from we see this like quarterbacks just go away the Marcus Mariota did last year with the Falcons yeah he just bye-bye and wasn’t with the team the lastek wasn’t a TV show included just

See yeah it was kind of awkward watching the quarterback on Netflix uh when we got to the final episode all right well that’s the Falcon situation and and there certainly are a lot of connections to the Bears here we’ll see how this game plays out on Sunday and we got to

Talk about it so let’s get to our three big questions three big questions I’m keeping uh speaking of you know big picture little picture there’s big picture questions bigger Bears roster concern running back or Center I like bringing up this because bejan Robinson is going

To be a tough one to tackle on Sunday okay so but we’re talking Bears running backs what’s the bigger concern here 100% Center um wait is this a bit is this about this week or just overall no overall okay yeah Center 100% Center running backs

You can we’ve seen it I mean it’s been choppy this year with the Bears running backs but you know KH Herbert looked a lot better last week you can always find somebody to plug in which would be the argument for doing the opposite of what the

Falcons did like you know in the draft and draft bej Robinson as good as he is um Center has now been an issue for a while with this Bears team and it’s to me frustrating and they got to use whether it’s a considerable amount of

Free agent money on a guy they know is good or you know at least a second round pick on a center which right now they don’t have a second round pick they got to get this fixed in the offseason I I think we’ve seen in recent years young

Centers drafted High first three rounds come in and be immediate starters like I think there’s a pretty good track record of that at least as of late and I’m for that scenario right go draft a true Center not someone you could think you can move to Center go draft a center who has

Played that position for multiple years in college who was comfortable pointing out the Mike linebacker communicating with the quarterback and all of that find that experience find a good one go draft one yeah 100% especially if you end up moving back with that second first round pick maybe acquire a second

Rounder and then you can use that later first rounder or maybe it’s an early second round or whatever it ends up being on a center that’s kind of a sweet spot to find these guys that end up playing for a long time they got to get it fixed all right bigger Bears roster

Concern part two pass rusher or wide receiver you know it’s interesting because at both spots they have a number one that’s why I merged these two but they don’t necessarily have a top number one right like Montes sweat’s been great unbelievable but he’s not you know considered in the max

Crosby KH Max of the world maybe he will maybe he’ll still get better here maybe there’s still chance I think he flirts with it well he is right now but yeah he never did in Washington and maybe he was just being overshadowed by the rest of

The guys on that D line so maybe that’s coming that’d be great um and honestly that part doesn’t matter they have they have number ones at both of these positions but I I I look at both of these spots right now and I’m like but

Who the hell are your number twos who do you have enough depth at either of these positions um my answer to this right now if you’re gonna make me pick between the two is actually going to be wide receiver though because and I was thinking about the this yesterday I’m

Like if Darnell Mooney is out the door and I think we both think he probably is and even if he’s not like they need more wide receivers they they don’t they don’t have who are their other wide receivers you’re going in next year feeling great about Tyler Scott veis Jones

Jr they need help at wide receiver and I would almost say with the Emer and the reason why I’m going with wide receiver over pass rusher is basically because the defense is better right now overall like the impact you would get from another wide receiver to winning

Football games I think would be greater just because you need more help on offense than defense I think they add at both positions in the off season if you look at some of the advanced stats one they’ll tell you that the TZ effect it’s real the test factor it’s real but you

Know what the Bears still aren’t destroying quarterbacks they could be better at Rushing the passer um where Matt eberl doesn’t have to simulate pressures or send different pressures at quarterbacks in order to get them off their spot the the TZ effect as a multiplier has been greater

Than the DJ Moore effect on the wide receivers that’s now put it you could probably make the argument though that DJ Moore’s presence has helped open up Cole KT’s big season I think that there’s probably been a multiplier effect there but what about with the

Rest of these wi outs it it really has not been the same is the effect that that Montes sweat has had on on that defensive line and by the way they still need a three technique in my opinion I think that becomes part of the quarterback conversation the last thing

I would say about a wide receiver whether you’re keeping Justin fields or drafting Caleb Williams or Drake May first overall I think you have to draft the receiver at some point as well 100% there’s some good wide receivers great class for did you see that kid last

Night on UFC was it is his name Taj Washington I want to say the senior um he already declared for the draft and he still played um he’s also a senior he had some he had some eligibility left but I guess he declared he still played and he played

Really well there’s a lot of talent running around right now in these bowl games I could already I’ve already seen the uh doesn’t look like UFC Miss kale Williams that was ridiculous last that’s a to Total sidebar but like are we really making conclusions about a quarterback who didn’t play in

The game and the game was a bowl game yeah these bowl games you don’t know who’s motivated by what louville lost to Florida State how invested were they in that game last night because they look like a completely different team than they were all year like come on we we’re

Not if if you want to poke holes in Caleb Williams just focus on the Notre Dame game don’t don’t don’t focus on a game he didn’t even play in yeah yeah you know if you’re going to focus on anything how about that he was there and cheering them on and like welcoming

Everyone to the sidelines and all that yeah and he was all over that you know he you could tell him how happy he was for I’m blanking on the kid’s name now the cube I watched like most of this game yeah right there something like

That no no but they but they were all very happy for this us quarterback um did I just recreate a human being Miller Moss Miller Moss see I knew it was something Eminem related Mitch [Laughter] Morris it was fun though it was a close it’s close the these these games uh a

Lot of these games have been tough to watch this was so Mitch Morris red shirt soft more you know this guy was a big- time recruit too though like like let’s not make conclusions off Caleb Williams again on a game he didn’t play in a bowl game get me out get out of

Here all right question number three um this might be a little bit rep repetitive but I wanted it in here because of Josh joining the show the Falcons obviously up this week number three how robust and competitive will the trade market be for Justin Fields I think it’s going to more

Competitive than most think all it takes is like one team thinking it’s betting against itself a lot of this is just sort of my own Instinct but I’m looking around the league and I’m looking at the subpar quarterback play and I’m looking at basically the question of how many teams

Would prefer to have Justin Fields right now over the quarterback that they have which is a big argument for those that want to keep Justin field and I get it the problem is the Bears have access to Caleb Williams most of these other teams are not going to have access to

Caleb Williams or Drake May unless or Jaden Daniels unless they want to trade a lot of capital to move up and get one of these guys when they can give up less capital and get Justin fields and I just think that by the time we get to

February by the time we get to the NFL combine and those scenarios are laid out in these front offices I I just feel like there’s going to be one team that feels compelled to take a chance on Justin Fields perhaps even for a first round

Pick I I’m not ruling out a first round pick it’s I’m not saying that that’s likely but I’d be shocked if it’s less than than two I think this is going to require like a lot of patience too because the evaluations of these draft prospects aren’t over you almost have to

Prepare yourself for potential surprise like you could be sold on Caleb Williams on January 5th like this is where we’re going but you know what what if there’s like some accident or something you know like you Jaylen Carter thing last year yes yes or or like he goes ice skating and he slips

And Falls or something I just don’t feel like Caleb Williams is ice skating in this scenario okay um riding his bike okay I’m with you on that one okay it’s winter here in Chicago Bear with me uh be weather uh but but you get my point right

Like and I think some of the teams that might be interested in Justin Fields will probably want to get their evaluations complete right like some of these teams May convince themselves you know we got a shot at Jaden Daniels you know at the end of the first round until

You don’t yeah now I gotta call Ryan poles it’s interesting because I would on one hand I would think that you if you’re going with Justin Fields you’d want to figure that out before free agency you’d want to make that pivot for free agency um if you’re

The team acquiring Justin fields on the other hand like you just said I mean there might be some teams that aren’t sure until literally draft night if they can get JJ McCarthy yeah right or Jen Daniels and maybe they lose out on them and then maybe that’s when

They want to go for Justin Fields it’s gonna be complicated that window from the combine where a lot of conversations happen to like the draft like those are going to be that’s a big win though for Ryan PS if he’s making that change at quarterback right it’s not only the evaluations of the

Rookies but the conversations of what the trade market could yield for well Justin Fields it’ll be interesting to see what this packing order is you know Kirk Cousins Russell Wilson Justin Fields they’re all going to have their own arguments Fields is obviously the youngest most explosive

That’s the other part like you could go all in on your pitch to to Kurt Cousins and he’s going to be like well I like my house in Minnesota I’m just going to stay here for two more years right although he lives in Michigan in the off season close enough yeah all

Right uh let’s get to over unders as well uh these are always submitted via Twitter as we talk about more specifically this game against the Falcons yep let’s go fast amount of times bejan Robinson does something amazing this is from TJ sorry the amount of times bejan Robinson does something

Amazing that makes you want to throw something at the TV over under three and a half you know what makes me want to throw something at TV the amount of times this guy on my fantasy team got me like less than five points this

Season it’s been a I I I like ban a lot but it’s been up and down and and and it’s and and it was interesting hearing Josh talk about this because he’s like well when they use them it looks pretty good and then there’s just they sometimes they

Don’t okay well maybe use your Dynamic weapon so I’m going to take the under on this especially when you consider the bears run defense and the focus that they’re GNA have on stopping pan this week yep I’m going with the under uh you may get one two runs um but the bears

Run defense is the best in the league um this is from Trevor number of times a receiver screen goes for negative yards I’m assuming this is for the Bears two and a half I’m gonna go just under but there will be two of them two we almost

Got the veis Jones Jr uh Tyler Scott um double um Jet Sweep uh last week whatever I’m going I’m so sick of this they’ll be one for like negative4 yards and everybody will be extremely unhappy um this is from Cole number of times Fields gets visibly frustrated at gaty

This week over under one and a half I’ll take the under yeah yeah um that was like the first time we’ve seen all year and according to Matt eberl um that instance against the Cardinals was a debate whether to be under Center or imp pistol my guess is G he just forgot to

Put that part in the play call yeah and he’s just like yeah and and Fields just want to get going and just it’s hard to communicate out there sometimes I don’t think that that was that big of a deal um I’m going to take the under same this

Is from Ron over the times mention Justin fields is from Georgia over under on the times mentioned Justin Fields is from Georgia three and a half it’s a pretty high number uh 100% comes up a couple times I’m gonna say under though I think I’m G say you’re gonna get like and the

Georgia native something like that yeah so that counts in my book so maybe you get four or five okay so you’re going over all right one more this is this is from the real Mikey mentions Justin Field’s hypothetical future in Atlanta or elsewhere outside of Chicago over under

Two and a half I’ll take the over on that same yeah I’ll take the over on that one I think there’s at least three be pregame I don’t know if we’re factoring halftime but there might be a halftime discussion and then it’ll get it’ll come up again at some other point

So some good over unders this week I like it fun all right let’s get to the game it’s on CBS um make sure you check check that it’s weird that two NFC teams are playing on CBS but it does happen usually like once a season these days so

CBS noon Falcons at Bears the Bears are a three-point favorite in this game gold predictions I am going to go with Cole KT scoring twice and I think it qualifies as bold because he didn’t practice yesterday we don’t even necessarily know he’s 100% playing he was out of practice though he

Was yeah I I look he’s he’s one of the toughest players on the team I think he’s gonna find a way to get on that field and I think he’s got a decent matchup this week so I think Cole KT finds the end zone twice that’s my bold

Prediction this week wow wow wow I’m gonna say four sacks for the defense Bears defense okay I wanted to say five but that might be getting carried away I’m going to say four sacks from the Bears defense they’re all over Taylor haniki they stop the run Force the ball into

Hani’s hands and becomes a long day for the Falcons okay fair enough all right let’s uh let’s get to the predictions for the game you you want to start no okay I’ll start I’ll go I’m gonna stick with the same kind of Point range that I’ve been

In the past few weeks um I think the safe bet is that the Bears defense is going to be who they are it may get interesting in the fourth quarter might be nice if the offense does its part a little bit more but I’m going to say

236 Bears I think the defensive progress is we wheel wheel real it’s wheel wheel it’s wheel um they have every right to be excited about what they’re doing I like that jayen Johnson’s talking about shutouts that’s where their mindset is at at I don’t know if they do it um but

I think they could beat the Falcons yes 236 Bears I wonder about the Falcons motivation in this game um they’re still technically in it they did play better last week I think hinei gives them a little bit of a boost but I think the challenge this week is is much tougher

Against this Bears defense um I don’t feel great about this at all but I am picking the Bears I think we we’re underestimating the Falcons a little bit I think this is going to be a little bit more of a slugfest not a lot of Point scored maybe one of those games that

Ends up with a weird score Bears 16 Falcons 15 do you think that the Bears have like one offensive explosion game like left in them I don’t know if it comes this week because I think the Falcons defense is pretty good I’m talking like like a like a

Washington like game where yeah I my answer to that question is no um because it should have been last week that should have been that game they’re up 21 nothing they they they that could have been and should have been that game and it didn’t happen in the second half I

Think that’s part of why I was sort of disappointed at how it all played out towards the end because and you heard that with Justin Yesterday by the way like they have this goal of 28 points they got to 27 and he wasn’t happy with

It because it’s like they had 21 in the first half he thought they could have scored 40 and they probably should have so um yeah I the the better op the opport Unity would probably be be against that that FAL uh sorry the Packers defense next week because Joe

Perry we we can’t talk today no we can’t well that’s my that’s the first time I couldn’t talk you’re keeping track well for me yeah um regardless that Packers defense is a mess on the back end so I would say next week would be a better opportunity to go off offensively but

Then again you’re playing the Packers and it just doesn’t really ever happen it never ever works that way so that’s the hesitation there so anyway those so we both got the Bears winning I have a little bit lower scor game and tight with a one-pointer uh with the Falcons

Covering but um there you go with bears and Falcons that’s not cliche talk that’s real talk all right five other games to get to here we start Saturday night on ABC um I believe this is your Monday night football game this week even though it’s on Saturday because Monday

Night is the uh they got the we got the college football oh double header playoff going on on Monday so uh you’re getting a Saturday night Monday night game ABC 7:15 it’s the lions at the Cowboys Cowboys are six-point favorite seems like a lot I thought so too yeah

I’m gonna take the Lions the cover I’m gonna take the Cowboys Cowboys have been very good at home they they’ve been scoring like crazy this year uh at home I something about this Lions team I don’t I don’t like how they’re they’re not peing at the right time you think

They’re a pretender not a contender I think they’re Pretender for the Super Bowl yeah I mean I obviously they already won the North good for them um the double check can they improve their playoff seating here or are they pretty much locked in where they’re at see if I get a quick look

Here conference uh okay so they are the okay they could technically move up to the two but the Eagles have a very easy final two games here so if the Lions lose this game they’re the three seed most likely I guess technically they could still be the one everyone’s 11 and four

Up there so yeah they’s still something to play for there um I just think the Cowboys have been too good at home I’m gonna take the Cowboys okay that’s is a lot though I don’t feel great about it all right next one we tried to reach out to the man who

Died in this Pursuit uh they were unavailable for comment Michel back still one of the best CBS noon Dolphins at Ravens man the Dolphins are just grinding through a tough December schedule yeah yeah this um I don’t think we’re appreciating what they’re doing enough I I love their story I I don’t

Know if they’re a contender or Pretender um I think this game is interesting but as we saw in prime time last week the Ravens are for real they just beat the 49ers they’ll beat they’ll beat the Dolphins by that by that margin they they’ll cover it’ll

Be a good game but they’ll cover so yeah this is an interesting this is interesting for a few reasons um first of all I do think the Dolphins are a contender and not a pretender and the biggest reason why is Vic fangio’s defense is secretly been one of the best

Here yes yes late in the season and what he does this week against this Raven’s offense I think will be very interesting Vic comes up with these plans that just you don’t see coming and this sort of reminds me of it’s it’s a much different type of offensive um scheme in quarterback

You’re going up against but remember what Vic did in December to the RS when he broke sh mcvey’s offense yes and so right now it seems like the Ravens are humming but what is Vic Fango going to have up a sleeve in this game it’s also interesting to me because from an offensive

Standpoint the Ravens are getting a very similar matchup here in terms of scheme going from Kyle Shanahan to Mike McDaniel so but different Personnel I know different Personnel yeah so though the 49ers have weapons all over the place and they don’t have Tyreek Hill speed or models although dbo Samuel’s exceptional

In his own right the hook on this is where I’m going with dolphins I just think three and a half’s a little bit too much here I like the Dolphins to keep this close maybe a little bit of a let down after the Ravens we’ve seen this a lot this

Year by the way the team that gets crowned is like whoa look at the best win of the year and then the next week they lose I think the Ravens did it earlier this year once too did they kill the Lions and then the next week lose to the Browns or something like

That so I’m I’m taking the Dolphins okay I like it oh did I pick what’ you do no I picked the Ravens you did yeah you did changing it now all right Fox noon Cardinals at Eagles Eagles our 10 and a half Point favorite trying to get back on

Track um you want to see a team blow out the Cardinals yeah I do I think it’s let me present you jayen Herz in the Philadelphia Eagles yeah they’re gonna win by two touchdowns here yeah I uh I’ll I’ll take the Eagles too I I think that makes sense uh where

Where’s our friend Patrick Finley CBS noon Panthers at Jaguars the this is the game of the week for the Bears we’re a little delayed in this podcast even bringing this up but if the Jaguars win this game Johns the Bears lock up the number one pick yes yes um

So I included the Cardinals because they have the second overall pick right now right so count on the Eagles beating them but like the Jaguars aren’t playing well man no they’re not like I’m a bit if if you’re Ryan PS you’re you’re you’re watching this game because Trevor

Lawrence is is clearly hurt with multiple issues and they’re reeling bad now and the Panthers seem to be playing a bit better for Chris tabber like we just talked about with Josh they they beat the Falcons not too long ago like I’m concerned about this game I’m I’m

Picking the Panthers to cover I don’t think they win but this game is going to be very interesting yeah I picked the Panthers last week against the Packers to cover and that was only five points that game was interesting yeah it came right down to the wire now for a while

It looked like the Packers were going to cover easily and then they they gave it up late um I’m going to do the same thing here with two extra points I’m going to take the I’m going to take the Panthers to cover against the Jaguars

And I think this is this is probably a game that’s simultaneous with the Bears game and that that Bears fans are going to be sweating out trying to you know I’m already picturing Greg brags Jr just yelling and throwing things at about 250 yeah but what else is new and and it’s

And he won’t even be watching the Bears game at that point he’ll just be watching what the what the Jaguars are are blowing against the Panthers at that point I mean pretty much lock that up like this this one is like the Panthers are definitely covering but they could win

Yeah yeah all right uh finally the Packers Green Bayon Rogers gold Bears NBC 20 your Sunday night game Packers at Vikings Vikings are a two-point favorite despite the fact that watching Nick mullets is just not an enjoyable experience I do not recommend who’s playing quarterback I don’t think he’s playing quarterback for

Him this week he’s not are they gonna go to Jared Hall Jared Hall I I thought I read that that it’s everything’s on the table so we don’t know who’s playing quarterback mhm mhm um I’m going to have to take the Packers because of of that situation H they cover and

Win I think if they’re if they’re gonna bench first of all I think they should be playing jiren Hall who’s the the rookie out of BYU um I mean what are you getting at this point with Nick Mullins and Josh dos you technically the playoffs are still

Available for you I get it but I don’t know I I I’m gonna take the Packers I don’t feel great about this at all I just don’t think the Vikings are that good I think their defens Is For Real yeah but when you’re it’s never good when you’re talking about starting Nick Mullen

Or Josh dobs or yeah the other guy am I blanking on his name he just said it like two seconds ago Jared Hall Jared Hall yeah yeah all right uh there’s your picks for the week we both have the Bears winning and um I’m just going to say

This now it would be the last time I picked the Bears to win a game this season because I am not falling into the Trap next week of picking them to be the Packers again just not doing it it might get me go Bears how many times are we gonna do that why

Not he hates kids Aaron Rogers hates kids it’s probably true yeah all right we’re out of here follow us on Twitter Adam hog Adam Johns you can follow the show Hogan Johns on Twitter as well get all the merch at Hogan johns.com thank you for hanging with us

Today as we jump into week 17 bears and Falcons we will be back on Sunday following the game to wrap it all up will the Bears have the number one pick in the NFL draft locked up by the time we start that show it’s very possible

We’ll find out go Jaguars I think or we got say like a chicagoan jaguars go Jaguars go Jags yeah talk to on Sunday see you