Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone (12.21.23)
“So, they have a good returner that they’ve played and elevated the last handful of weeks. (Steven) Sims, I anticipate him being brought up to the roster by the end of the week for sure. So got to do a good job playing leverage versus them. Very familiar with the coordinator. He (Frank Ross) was my assistant for three years in Indy, my first three years there. So, they do a lot of the same things we do a lot of the similar schemes, protection. So very familiar with this team and their personnel.”
I know we talk all the time about when there are injuries, how it trickles down to you guys, but I’m just kind of curious, like say on your punt team, how many guys do you think were out there that maybe weren’t normal? I’m like, Duron (Harmon) was out there, right? I think protector who hasn’t done it all year. So how many new guys did you get out there last week?
“On the punt? We repped a handful of new guys. And when you’re doing that, you’re training those players leading up to it. So it goes back to the offseason program. You’re trying to get guys as many reps as possible in different spots for these moments. So, you’re trying to train guys throughout the process of training camp and into the season and even on the rep teams and look, teams that we have. You want to get guys as many reps as possible for when those opportunities arise, and they have to now step into the game so that they feel confident in their abilities to protect and play in those spots. So you know, guys like Harrison Bryant has played in a number of different positions for us on that unit. So those guys, credit to those guys for being able to be inserted at any time possible. Duron has done some things in the past. He actually was a backup PP for me in New England and he did it in Atlanta. So, it was an easy choice for him to play in that spot this past week.”
How much pride do you take when you have like a core special teamer like D’Anthony (Bell) and you see him get an opportunity to play on defense and play as well as he did? How much pride do you take in seeing a guy like that get that chance and thrive?
“I take a lot of pride in that. Developing young players and seeing them ascend and having greater roles on offense and defense. I mean, really, if you look at the core group that I coached in Indianapolis, all those guys have elevated their play and have found ways to make significant contributions offensively and defensively. And then D’Anthony has the opportunity with our safety situation to have more opportunities defensively and played a great game last week on defense for us. Hopefully, we can continue to develop those guys and bring them along while they’re still giving me contributions as well.”
What is it about him specifically that allows him to kind of be ready to step in and play like that?
“I think he just has a knack for the ball. I do. I think that whenever he can process quickly and just play football, I think he does a really good job. He’s got pretty good instincts.”
It seems like we talk about Dustin (Hopkins) more than we talk about Corey (Bojorquez), but can you just talk about the contribution that Corey makes week after week and just how amazing he’s been?
“He makes it difficult on returners for sure. You saw this past week, had two muffs. We ended up getting one of them, which was great. It’s hard to catch a lefty like him. He can definitely put the ball out there. He can also get it up, elevate the ball pretty well and he’s really been a great player for us right now and he continues to improve and understands how we want him to play the game and he’s improving in his plus-50 ball as well. So really excited about how he’s come along and gave our unit and our team, I would say an advantage to be able to control the field.”
Coaching your team, obviously, but do you think the wind is why the Bears didn’t try the 54-yarder at the end of the half?
“Yeah, definitely. Different than in past weeks since I’ve been here. The wind has really gone the other way. It’s really usually coming out of the Dawg Pound, but it was coming at us, coming from the tunnel and we knew that the distance going that way was going to be a much harder kick. So, credit to our defense, obviously, for keeping them out of that range to be able to attempt that kick. I was actually hoping that they were going to attempt it, but they didn’t.”
Across the league, I think there’s six punt return touchdowns, only one true kickoff return touchdown all year. Is the rule changes to emphasize it that much or coverage teams that good? What do you think that is?
“No, the return rate has definitely gone down and I don’t necessarily think it’s the fair catch that’s really brought the return rate down. I think it’s more[that] teams aren’t bringing the ball out of the end zone for whatever reason. I think some teams are just content to get the ball at the 25-yard line, but I think once the year is over, something will happen with the kickoff play. Something will be adapted or they’ll adopt a new type of rule or whatever you want to call it. But like I said, I’m content with how the rule is. Like, if you want to return the ball, great. If you don’t, great. But I think being able to start the game and after every score, have a kickoff is definitely something that I would definitely – obviously, I’m a special teams coordinator, but I’m all for that. I don’t like changing the game and making it like a gimmicky play or – the kickoff is an exciting play if you take that away. I don’t know.”
Kicking down at the lakefront has been a problem for a lot of guys over the last decade since Phil Dawson, whether it’s this time of year especially, but just all season long because of wind. What’s been Dustin’s approach that’s allowed him to sort of buck that trend and have so much success at the stadium?
“I’ve said it a bunch. I think that his process throughout the week, understanding how he approaches each week, communication with me and the specialists has just been phenomenal. I know that we had talked a lot about earlier in the year about trying to – I know you guys had asked about going down and him getting comfortable in the stadium and brought it up a couple of weeks ago and talked through it. It changes so much down there that it’s hard to go down on like a Thursday because whatever you get on Thursday is going to be completely different than you get on Sunday. So those guys have been content about just, okay, whatever we get that day, we’ll attack it, make the adjustments. Like this past week, the wind was way different than we’ve seen at any point in this season. So going toward the tunnel was way different than we’ve had the first 15 weeks of the year.”
How do you think the relationship between Dustin, Corey and Charley (Hughlett) develops? And what about that relationship helps them find success together as a group?
“No, they get along extremely well. They’ve all been in the league for a number of years. So I think that just having the respect for each other, they just have good chemistry. They really do. They all connect well and it’s been great for that operation. They’re easy guys to coach. They don’t really push back to me at all with anything. So if I have a recommendation or a suggestion, they take it and they apply it and if they disagree, then they’ll express their feelings. But I feel like we’ve had really good communication with that group and all those guys work extremely hard and are true professionals, all three of them.”
With the wind the way it was the other night, the other day, was it an easy decision when you and Kevin (Stefanski) are talking about deferring and taking the ball so you had the win behind you in the fourth quarter?
“Kevin and I talked about it pregame and I thought that he made a really good decision to take the ball. I thought that was the best thing. We wanted to have the win in the fourth quarter, and I think that he did a good job by taking the ball there. Yeah.”
I know you talked about Dustin last week, but he’s five points from catching Jim Brown for the all time scoring in one season. Can you just talk about that?
“Like I said, he’s been a great player for us. The execution has been at a high level and fortunately, he’s made a lot of his kicks. And like I said before, I think he’s done a tremendous job for our team and the confidence he has in our coaching staff, the head coach, GM, owners. He’s earned every bit of credit he deserves and I think he should really be, in my mind, get every accolade you could get. I think he’s done a really good job and he’s earned it. So, he’s been great for us.”
He going to take you to the Pro Bowl?
“I hope not. Yeah, I hope not. I really do.”
MVP of this team?
“MVP of this team – Jeez, I probably shouldn’t even say answer that question, but I’ll answer it for you. Obviously, I’ll say, Dustin aside, I would say 95 (Myles Garrett). He’s just ridiculous. I’ve never seen a player – I’ve been in the league since 2005. I’ve never been around a football player like that guy. It’s unbelievable. And I think when you actually get to see him in person, it just looks way different. And to me, he’s hands down. It’s not even a question. He’s hands down the best football player in the league. Defensively, he’s hands down the best. There’s no one that’s even remotely close to him, in my opinion.”
How did the South Dakota State jersey go over?
“He forgot the jersey, so I had to wear a Jack Rabbit sweatshirt. But I will support Pierre (Strong Jr.) I think the finals, the Sunday before the national championship game. So, I wish they would play that this week. It’d be so much better to just get it done, but they don’t want to do it I guess with the bowl games and stuff. Yeah, so they should really get that game. Whoever’s in charge of scheduling that, I would recommend you move it to this week. But I love 1-AA football. The playoffs are exciting, and congrats to the – I mess with Pierre and called them the little Jack Rabbits, you know. But congrats to the Jack Rabbits.”
What’s been the best jersey in those Friday meetings all year?
“The best jersey? Anthony Walker has a plethora of jerseys, so he comes every week with something different. So he really keeps us on our toes, I guess. Disappointing to say this, but there has not been a lot of other guys that have followed suit. It’s really me and Walk to wear the jerseys on Fridays.”
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