Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (12.12.25)
Opening Statement:
“All right, good work out there with the guys. Finishing touches tomorrow and then get on the airplane. Really good opponent, NFC opponent, really good combination of scheme, players. So, really great challenge in front of us. So, we got to be about our business when you get on that airplane. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Did Denzel (Ward) come close to potentially playing or was it just too risky?
“Yeah, I think, as you know with every injury, you have to treat the injury and unfortunately wasn’t able to make it this week.”
Will it be Sam Webb then?
“We have different guys that will work through there.”
He’s relatively new here. I know he played for Denzel the other day, so what have you seen from him in the short time he’s been here?
“He has fit in really well. Has played meaningful snaps for us on defense and on special teams. Really brings a size element, speed element of physicality. So, like what Sam brings.”
It seems like the most guys that you’ve had out for a game. So how do you feel about having to head into a challenging game like this with a little bit of a skeleton crew in some areas?
“That’s part of the game, Mary Kay (Cabot), and a lot of what we do as coaches is work through contingency plans and see who’s available. And there’s always uncertainty going into football games of who may or may not play, so we just work through those things. You deal with whatever’s in front of you.”
With Trayveon (Williams) having been here before, can he be up to speed fast enough to have a role on Sunday?
“I think so, yeah. For sure, yeah. Very intelligent player, veteran. So, he can do whatever’s asked of him.”
Teven’s (Jenkins) obviously starting in Wyatt’s (Teller) place. If, for some reason, Joel (Bitonio) and Zak (Zinter) can’t go, who’s the option?
“We have different options that we’ve worked through all week, and then we’ll see what it looks like in the next 48.”
I know Joel does everything he can to play, so if he’s able to be out there, how important to have that continuity when you’re missing those guys on the right side?
“Yeah, obviously, continuity along the offensive line is ideal, not always realistic. But if you can have your veterans out there when you’re dealing with some of the injuries, that would be beneficial. But like we said before, you got to get everybody ready to play.”
Some of your questionable guys, do you feel pretty good about Mason (Graham) being able to get out there?
“I think it’s hard to say, Mary Kay. I think with all of these injuries, I think you have to treat the injury, treat the players, see how they respond today, see how they respond tomorrow, before you can really make a decision.”
The weather element of this game, obviously you know what it’s going to be. How would you prep your guys for it?
“Yeah, listen, weather’s part of the game. It’s the same for both teams. Like I’ve told you guys before, we deal with elements, we don’t control them. So sometimes it’s wind, sometimes it’s rain, sometimes it’s really hot days, sometimes it’s really cold days. You have to focus on doing your job regardless of what the elements are.”
Kevin, how was this week different than last week for Deshaun (Watson)?
“Just a continued progression for him physically, mentally. I think he did a nice job with what we asked him to do.”
How important has he been to the growth of those young QBs in that group?
“I’d give Deshaun a lot of credit. I’d give Bailey Zappe a lot of credit. I think there’s always value when you get reinforced coaching points from your peers and from your teammates. I think Tommy (Rees) and Mus (Bill Musgrave) do a great job in that room, but it doesn’t hurt to have guys that have started games in this league to answer questions and to provide experiences to our young players.”
Kevin, KT (Leveston) obviously going to start at right tackle. Montez Sweat for the Bears seems to primarily line up on that side. How much of a challenge is that going to be for KT and what has Sweat meant to that defense?
“He’s a great player. We’ve played against him when he was in Washington, we played against him when they traded for him in Chicago. I have a ton of respect for how he plays the game. He’s big, physical, disruptive in the run, disruptive in the pass. So, it’s our job as an offense to try to limit him. Not going to be about one person.”
Kevin, when you were in Minnesota, did Bud Grant ever offer you any tips on dealing with the cold?
“I could tell some Bud Grant stories. You know, that playoff game, we’re playing the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs outside at the University of Minnesota, and Coach Grant was one of the captains of the game. Negative six at kickoff, and he came out wearing a Vikings polo, which is unbelievable. But just sending that message to the team, that, similar to what I just said, you just deal with the elements, and he had a way. Just being there all those years, you heard the stories about not having heaters on the sideline and channeling the Eskimos in terms of how to deal with the winter and the weather and the frigid temperatures. So, Coach Grant had it figured out.”
He was 88 at the time.
“Pretty impressive, yeah. He was a great human being. You don’t have to hear me tell you how good Coach Grant was at his job and as a person. I also remember, he was in the office almost every day, so you’d see Coach Grant at his office, and he’d come in a lot of times during the winter and there’d be a deer carcass on the top of his car. He’d go park the car for the day and the deer would just be there, and then later in the day, you’d see the car go around the back to the dumpsters and he’d throw the deer carcass in the dumpster. So, I’m an avid indoorsman, so I didn’t understand exactly what he was doing, but pretty special to be around him like I was.”
This is a Bears defense that has the most interceptions in the league right now. What has your conversations with Shedeur (Sanders) been like, knowing that they’re prone to taking the ball away?
“Yeah, I mean, as a team, they lead the league in turnover margin. They lead the league in interceptions. (Kevin) Byard is as good as anybody at playing the quarterback’s eyes. They have great ball skills at a lot of their positions; their guys are really good at that. So as a quarterback, you have to understand all those things and then you have to play your position. You got to trust your eyes, you have to trust what you see, and you have to make accurate throws. We have to do a great job with those throws when we’re receivers and tight ends and running backs and securing the catch in those types of situations. But they do a really good job, so it just means that we have to be on top of what we see, and then great in the pass game. But you have to also go into this game understanding that you’re going to have to do your job really, regardless of what’s going on the other side.”
I know you expect guys to hustle all the time, but when Blake Whiteheart chases down the punt return the one week and then that two-point try the next week, is that something you’ve noticed, and you point out?
“Without a doubt. I mean, Blake has played a lot of important reps for us this season, over the years. He’s a guy that works really hard at his craft; he’s one of the first guys in the building every single day. And effort is something that you always point out, and there’s effort to be shown on plays like that, where things aren’t going your way but you’re going to do anything you can to get him on the ground. I mean Teven Jenkins at the end of the two-point play, the hustle. So yeah, I think that says a lot about those guys.”
Kevin, I know you guys brought in (Maurice) Hurst on the practice squad. Would he be an option for elevation on Sunday?
“Potentially, yeah. Those are all things that were weighing, but good to have Mo back in the building.”
Kevin, do you have to prepare your guys for the intensity of a game where the team that you’re playing, it’s December football and they’re in the thick of the hunt for the NFC North and all of that?
“I think our guys understand, certainly, what our game is versus a really good football team. We respect who they are, but at the end of the day it’s going to be a physical 60-minute football game like you would expect. So, I think the guys are excited about the opportunity.”
Kevin, going back to the cold and some of the injuries, specifically a guy like Joel. How does that factor into the equation, how the cold could impact those injuries?
“Yeah, I don’t know that it’s factors too much into the injuries themselves. If the guys are able to go, they’ll go. Obviously when you’re talking about muscle injuries, you need to make sure you’re keeping those guys warm throughout the game. So, that’s something that I think both teams will be hyper-aware of, but we’ll see how those guys respond before we make a decision.”
Kevin, now that Shedeur’s had several weeks of practice as the starter, is there something you can point to during the practice week, operationally, that he’s doing better or is going smoother just because you’re now in routine?
“Yeah, I think it’s all the above. I think the more turns you get at something, the more comfortable you get. You’re working with a new center this week, so that’s a different challenge in a good way, where you have to get on the same page with Wyp (Luke Wypler) and have some dialogue and conversations about certain things that you’re doing in the game. So, I think all of it for a young player is important. I think it all adds up.”
In terms of those guys having 18 interceptions and the 27 takeaways altogether. How do you make sure that, with Shedeur, that he can maintain his ability to go downfield with the ball, but just also being careful with the ball?
“I think that’s our job, to design a game plan and then our players to go execute it. Listen, this is a very, very good defense, like you mentioned, leading the league in takeaways. We understand all of that, and we respect that, and you watch the film and you prepare for that. But at the end of the day, we’re focused on being efficient and explosive on our end, and when there’s opportunities, we’ll take them. And if those opportunities aren’t there, we’ll move on and wait for the next one.”
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