News Bears Team Notes

[Chicago Bears]

What Kevin Warren wants the Chicago Bears to learn from Kendrick Lamar

What do pre-Drake beef Kendrick Lamar and the Chicago Bears have in common in Kevin Warren’s eyes? They’re right on the cusp of greatness.

During the latest episode of “1920 Football Drive,” the Bears president used the iconic rapper, whose Super Bowl performance earlier this year is the most-viewed halftime show ever, as motivation for a team he believes has a chance to make magic in 2025.

Though Lamar was already among the best rappers in the world before he body-bagged his rival in a rap battle that took over the entertainment world, his stardom went to a whole other level when he released “Not Like Us,” a West Coast-inspired diss track hand-crafted by famed LA producer and beatmaker Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, aka DJ Mustard. (Also of “MUSTARDDDDDD!” fame.)

But the ground-breaking collab didn’t happen overnight. As Warren recounted to the Bears players and staff, it took time and persistence.

Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren opened camp with a story about DJ Mustard (@mustard) sending Kendrick Lamar 450 beats over six months — and on the 451st, Kendrick finally texted, “WE GOT ONE”

“Many people are just one clip away from having Not Like Us,” Warren said pic.twitter.com/D9CPFGxxpG

— kendrick Lyrics (@WordFromKdot) August 15, 2025

“This young man Mustard…over a six-month period, he sent Kendrick Lamar a song clip he had written 450 times. 450 different opportunities that he had written. Finally, he wrote one, and Kendrick texted right back, ‘We got one.’

“There’s something special about this organization. Coach Johnson, his staff, Ryan Poles, all of you in here. We got one. But the key to it in life is so many people are one clip away from that opportunity to have ‘Not Like Us.’ They stop at 449. So please be relentless.”

Call it corny if you want, but the man has a point.

Since watching the 1985 crew win it all, Bears fans have been waiting 40 years for another winner. Most of the time, they weren’t close. Other times, they were an injury, a double-doink, or one play (or player) away from breaking through.

In particular, we’ve been waiting four years for Ryan Poles to take the North and never give it back the way he promised the Bears would. He’s rebuilt and revamped this roster for four off-seasons in hopes of realizing that goal, but the vision hasn’t yet come to pass. We’ve gone through two franchise QB hopefuls in five years and watched Matt Eberflus do his best to make the current one, Caleb Williams, go insane as a rookie.

But football demands resilience in the face of obstacles, requires you to get up from failure after failure before immortality can be reached. Not every roster is a winner, just like not every beat is going to turn into a monstrous, chart-topping hit.

Chances are that Warren’s optimism won’t be fully realized in 2025. After all, this squad probably isn’t ready to win it all this season with a young QB and first-year head coach. But that’s the beauty of sports. You never really know until the games are played.

Here’s hoping the Bears embrace their inner Kendrick Lamar this season and go scorched earth on the rest of the league.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...he-chicago-bears-to-learn-from-kendrick-lamar

 

[Chicago Bears]

The Bear’s Den, August 18, 2025

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARSSSSSS

Caleb Williams sharp in preseason debut as Bears dominate Bills – Chicago Sun-Times

Williams’ first drive ended with a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus.

As Bears CB Jaylon Johnson, DL Shemar Turner progress toward return, CB Terell Smith exits with knee injury – Chicago Sun-Times

Smith was carted off the field late in the first half and quickly ruled out for the rest of the game against the Bills.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams leads first-team offense to preseason TD – Chicago Tribune

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears starters saw their first preseason game action Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Winners, losers from Chicago Bears’ 38-0 Week 2 preseason win over Buffalo Bills – SI

The Chicago Bears blew out the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the 2025 preseason. Here are the big winners and losers from the game.

Bears learn a lot in joint practice against Bills – 670

Bears head coach Ben Johnson recognized the challenge his team faced Friday at Halas Hall. The Bears welcomed in the Bills, a team that has won the AFC East for five straight years.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Report: Commanders are shopping RB Brian Robinson – NBC Sports

The Commanders are shopping running back Brian Robinson Jr., Jordan Schultz reports.

Kevin Stefanski is hopeful Shedeur Sanders, Kenny Pickett will be able to do more this week – NBC Sports

With the Browns planning to name a starting quarterback this week and with common sense pointing in the direction of veteran Joe Flacco, that’s only one of the questions for Cleveland to answer.

Panthers to sign UFL MVP Bryce Perkins – NBC Sports

Andy Dalton left Saturday’s game with an elbow injury, so the Panthers are adding a quarterback to the roster for the final week of the preseason.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears: Preseason Week 2 game chat – Buffalo Rumblings

Tune in live with Bills Mafia during Bills at Bears!

7 winners, 3 losers from the Lions’ preseason loss to the Dolphins – Pride Of Detroit

The Lions lost to the Dolphins, but which players for Detroit had a winning performance?

Packers beat Colts, Sean Clifford puts Green Bay up late – Acme Packing Company

Green Bay didn’t hold a lead until Sean Clifford put them up inside the two-minute warning.

New England Patriots 20, Minnesota Vikings 12: Well, That Happened – Daily Norseman

Not a lot of excitement for purple fans

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Bears starters shine in 38-0 preseason victory over Bills – Windy City Gridiron

Your best source for quality Chicago Bears news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

Chicago Bears’ Tyson Bagent is the 30th ranked backup quarterback per PFSN – Windy City Gridiron

Your best source for quality Chicago Bears news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/chicago-bears-news/96486/the-bears-den-august-18-2025

 

[Chicago Bears]

Chicago Bears process and execution reason for excitement in win over Buffalo Bills

The Chicago Bears crushed the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, 38 to 0, and even showed mercy on Buffalo, taking a knee before scoring their sixth touchdown of the game as time was winding down, or it could have been 45-0.

There’s plenty of reason for excitement after a lopsided outcome like that. The first team offense looked tremendous. Tyson Bagent looked the part as the team’s QB2. The defense didn’t allow the Buffalo offense to sustain drives. It was pure joy to watch.

Now the pessimists will talk about how Josh Allen and most of the starters did not play for Buffalo, and that’s certainly true to an extent.

Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter if the Bears beat Buffalo 45-0 or 24-21; it’s preseason, and the result doesn’t matter. There is something, however, that is exciting to see, and we certainly didn’t see it last year.

The Chicago Bears operated like a well-organized professional football team.

The Bears were at the line of scrimmage consistently with plenty of time to spare. It gave them ample time to set up at the line of scrimmage and make the appropriate calls or any adjustments that needed to be made.

Last season, this offense was constantly plagued with either the play coming into the huddle late or the team coming out of the huddle late (or both). It didn’t give a rookie quarterback enough time to get set at the line of scrimmage and resulting in penalties like delay of game or a blown-up play.

Another thing that was a constant hindrance last season was the number of illegal formations and procedure-type penalties that happened constantly. They were drive killers, and there’s nothing worse than watching a team constantly trying to overcome shooting themselves in the foot.

Last night, not only were they clean getting out of the huddle and to the line of scrimmage, but we didn’t see piles of those types of presnap procedural penalties.

Let’s look at the Bears’ penalties last night. They were called for seven, and five were accepted.

Drew Dalman and Luke Newman were both called for offensive holding penalties. Jeremiah Walker was called for defensive pass interference. Austin Booker was called for a roughing the passer penalty.

In terms of procedural penalties, Stephen Carlson was called for a false start in the second half.

On the Bears’ final play of the first half that resulted in a Tyson Bagent sack, Ozzy Trapilo was called for illegal formation, and Luther Burden was called for an illegal shift. That one play was a complete disaster. But that was it. One play. The Bears failed to execute well on one play.

This was the first time we saw the Ben Johnson way being executed on the field. Forget the fantastic score; the Bears played clean, they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, and the team reflected the attention to detail that Johnson has been hammering into them since May.

The Bears operated the way fans expect them to operate. They were a well-oiled professional team. The results of this coaching staff are starting to materialize.

We don’t know if this team is going to win 7 games, 10 games, or 15 games, but what we do know is that we can expect this team to execute a lot more like this and not what we saw in 2024. For a culture to be broken and a new one established, this is what you needed to see on the football field.

Ben Johnson and the Bears are on their way.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/c...ason-for-excitement-in-win-over-buffalo-bills