The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Ep. 178: Wrapping up the Bears’ season after locker cleanout

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis report from Halas Hall after Bears players cleaned out their lockers on a somber Monday following their season-ending loss to the Eagles. Where do the Bears go from here? And how important will growth from Mitch Trubisky be in 2019?0:50: An update on Trey Burton3:30: The Bears did not save their best game for the playoffs6:00: The honeymoon is over, so now what?10:30: Hear from Allen Robinson about why he’s confident in the Bears’ offense moving forward15:15: What changes may be made to this offense?18:20: What will Matt Nagy learn from this season?22:00: Looking ahead to Ryan Pace’s offseasonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 177: And just like that, the season is over

Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Alex Brown and host Laurence Holmes were in disbelief as Cody Parkey’s field goal hit off the uprights and the crossbar, ending the Bears season early. The guys break down what the team is feeling after a heartbreaking loss in the Wild Card round, whether or not Cody Parkey will still be on the Bears next season, and look ahead to the expectations for the team next season. 0:30 – What is the feeling in the Bears locker room after the loss?4:45 – Can you believe that is how the Bears season ended? 7:15 – Does Cody Parkey have a job with the Bears next season?9:00 –Bears need more accountability for lack of performance12:00 – Evaluating what was a really good season for the Bears 13:00 – What to expect from Mitchell Trubisky next year14:00 – Is there a way to keep Vic Fangio? 15:00 – What do Bears need to clean up for next season?16:00 – Does sour end to this season dull optimism for next year?17:15 – The Nagy/Trubisky tandem going forward19:15 – Evaluating Trubisky’s game and season as a wholeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 176: A Philly Special with Dave Zangaro

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro joins JJ Stankevitz to get a full scouting report on the Eagles, and what Bears fans should expect on Sunday from a team that seems to be peaking at the right time. 0:50: Is Nick Foles going to do it again?2:40: How much does Foles elevate the play of everyone around him?4:45: What to expect from an improving Eagles O-line against the Bears’ front seven6:30: We know Golden Tate and Alshon Jeffery well here, how strong is the Eagles’ group of pass-catchers?8:15: How quickly will Doug Pederson abandon the run if it’s not successful early?10:25: Just how good is Fletcher Cox?12:20: Is this defense as beatable as some people think with downfield throws?14:15: Quick anecdotes about former Bears and current Eagles DB Cre’von LeBlanc15:15: How have the Eagles handled going on the road defensively?16:45: So…are the Eagles peaking at the right time?18:00: How’s local product and kicker Jake Elliott getting on?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 175: Breaking down Bears-Eagles

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis preview Sunday’s Bears-Eagles playoff tilt, complete with these questions: Will the moment be too big for Mitch Trubisky? And can the Bears’ defense counter Nick Foles’ pixie dust?0:45: Is Mitch Trubisky ready for the playoff spotlight?5:00: A blueprint for success for Trubisky against the Eagles’ defense7:30: How big an impact can Jordan Howard make?10:15: The biggest player vs. player matchup of the Bears’ offense vs. Philly’s defense14:40: How good have the Eagles been since Nick Foles started playing again?17:00: Is the Bears’ defense good enough to just play its game and stop Foles Magic?23:10: Picks to click for Bears-EaglesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 174: It’s official: Bears vs Eagles in the playoffs

The Bears finish the season 12-4 and now they know who they will face in the playoffs. Laurence Holmes, Matt Forte, Lance Briggs and Alex Brown break down the win over the Minnesota Vikings and when they really knew this Bears team was a legit contender. The guys also debate what the most intriguing part of the matchup is as the Bears will have to face the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. Plus, Lance shares a story about how the Bears celebrated a bye week with a group outing in Las Vegas courtesy of a private jet provided by Brian Urlacher. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 173: Joint podcast with Eagles Insider Reuben Frank

On this special edition of Under Center, J.J. Stankevitz welcomes in Reuben Frank from NBC Sports Philadelphia. How are the Bears approaching their game at the Vikings? How aggressive will Matt Nagy be with his starters and playcalling? Would the Bears rather play the Vikings or the Eagles in the playoffs?Reuben explains why the Redskins game isn't a guaranteed win for the Eagles. Also, if the Eagles did sneak into the playoffs, how dangerous a team are they?1:00 - How Philadelphia fans are viewing the Bears/Vikings game?6:00 - How will the Bears approach Sunday's game in Minnesota?9:00 - J.J. Stankevitz believes the Bears will help out the Eagles.11:30 - Matt Nagy's sudden impact with the Bears.15:00 - Bears should be worried about the Eagles in a potential playoff game.20:00 - No one should assume an Eagles win in Washington.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 172: How much should the Bears rest players against Minnesota?

JJ Stankevitz and John “Moon” Mullin discuss what Matt Nagy’s rest strategy could look like this week against Minnesota (1:10), and if it’s better to face the Vikings for the second time in a week than a red-hot Philadelphia Eagles team (7:35). Plus, JJ and Moon debate whether or not it’s fair to still feel like 2019 is going to be the year this team really becomes a Super Bowl contender (12:10). Finally, Minnesota's really a 6.5-point favorite this Sunday (19:35)? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 171: Bears win ugly and improve to 11-4

Once again, the Bears won ugly and improved to 11-4 following their win against the San Francisco 49ers. Laurence Holmes chats with Matt Forte, Lance Briggs and Alex Brown about the mixed bag for the Bears offense, as well as their concern level following the sloppy performance. Plus, the guys weigh in on the fight that broke out after a late hit to Mitchell Trubisky and who is the team they LEAST wish to play in the first round of the playoffs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 170: The Bears aren’t taking their foot off the gas

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis look at why the Bears’ culture won’t let them ease up after winning the NFC North, plus the guys look back at the 2017 draft day trade with the 49ers that got the Bears Mitch Trubisky. Also, Bay Area News Group columnist Dieter Kurtenbach joins the pod to talk about how Oakland is handling the Khalil Mack trade now that the Bears are good, and why San Francisco still has something to play for this weekend. 0:55: Moon’s covered playoff teams before, so what is he looking for out of the Bears over these next two games?3:25: We get the impression winning the NFC North didn’t actually matter much to the Bears, which is a good thing6:00: Re-visiting the trade that got the Bears Mitch Trubisky: Why revisionist history is useless when this team’s going to the playoffs13:50: Welcoming Dieter Kurtenbach of the Bay Area News Group with this question: What do people think of Jon Gruden?15:35: With the Bears’ first-round pick in 2019 will at least be in the 20s, how is the Bay Area viewing the Khalil Mack trade now?18:05: Dieter says it’s “patently hilarious” that Mack has more sacks and forced fumbled than the entire Raiders team19:50: So where will next year’s Bears-Raiders game take place? Oakland? Santa Clara? San Antonio? London?22:50: Why the 49ers still have something to play for this weekend26:50: What’s gone wrong with Solomon Thomas? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 169: The Bears are NFC North Champions!

Sunday was a glorious day at Soldier Field as the Bears beat the rival Packers to clinch their first NFC North championship since 2010! Matt Forte, Lance Briggs and Alex Brown join host Laurence Holmes to break down the victory and look ahead to the playoffs. How far can this Bears team go? And what is their ceiling in the long term? 0:22 – 2-for-1! Bears win NFC North and knock out the Packers4:30 – Breakout game for Leonard Floyd?6:15 – What worked offensively vs Green Bay? 7:05 – Charles Leno proposes to his girlfriend after the game9:40 – Where do the Bears need to improve most heading into playoffs?11:20 – How can Bears avoid complacency? 15:00 – Are the Bears a year ahead of schedule?16:10 – What’s the ceiling of this Bears team?19:20 – Where can Trubisky continue to improve? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.