Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unexpected places in the middle of an NFL season. The Chicago Bears needed some in the worst possible way at the start of December. They’d just lost their sixth game in a row. A backbreaking collapse to the Detroit Lions that saw them squander a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter. The team had no momentum and no hope as the Houston Texans came to town.
Then things got interesting. The Bears, despite all expectations, throttled Houston 36-7. By far their largest margin of victory in two years. People were left wondering. Where in the world was that effort the past several weeks? Many chalked it up to the ability of head coach Matt Nagy to keep the players focused and fighting. Part of this is true. However, they may have gotten an extra boost from an outside source.
One courtesy of a connection from a locker room leader.
Danny Trevathan knows a thing or two about tough stretches in a season. Back in 2015, his Denver Broncos went through a period where they went 3-4 and their hopes for homefield advantage were dwindling. Thankfully they rallied to win the final two games, clinched it, and rode that to a Super Bowl championship. One person who helped make that happen was cornerback Aqib Talib.
He was one of the unquestioned locker room leaders on that Broncos team. Somebody who wasn’t afraid to give speeches when the time was. Trevathan apparently took to calling them “‘Lib speeches.” Recognizing the Bears badly needed a boost, Trevathan gave his old teammate a call. Talib was only too happy to oblige as he revealed on his podcast.
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“I actually talked to the Bears,” Talib said on his show. “Danny (Trevathan) called me. He was like, ‘Lib, we’ve got four games left, bro. My team needs some of that ‘Lib, we need a ‘Lib speech. Do you got me?’ And I said, ‘Danny Trey, I got you.’
“He Zoomed me in, I hollered at them, so I really want them to go to the playoffs, you feel me? I’m gonna say it’s because of ‘Lib’s speech.”
What did he tell them?
“It was just about locking in. About December being its own season. It had a lot to do with that, just starting over. The shit that y’all was on during training camp and that first game was finna start— just start over. Wipe your slate clean and start over. Start like it’s a whole new season.“
Chicago Bears certainly acted on that message
The team is 3-0 since Talib spoke to them with the offense averaging over 30 points per game. It’s safe to say Trevathan knew what he was doing. He knew the former cornerback just had a way of communicating with players that would get the message across. It’s no wonder the man is already having success as an analyst calling games. Don’t be fooled by the way he talks. He is a smart, thoughtful guy. He knows what it takes to win.
Whether his words will carry the Bears into the playoffs? That’s another story. He feels the Green Bay Packers are just too strong right now. They’re playing their best football and are the clear favorites in the NFC. Aaron Rodgers should be the MVP for the third time in his career. They throttled Chicago 41-25 in their last meeting. There just isn’t a lot to feel confident about.
Maybe not a comfortable assessment but a fair one.
The Chicago Bears know it’s basically them against the world at this point. Nobody believes they have what it takes to make the playoffs. Nobody believes they’re remotely a threat to chase a Super Bowl. How they use this knowledge is entirely up to them. Talib told them to treat this run like an entirely new season. Thus far they’ve done that to great effect. Whether it will be enough when the level of competition jumps up is another story.
