MIAMI (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Jeff Joniak filed these reporter's notes late Wednesday night from Miami, the site of Super Bowl LIV, where the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will face off:
- Finding the right quarterback coach is as important an asset to give a young quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky that a team provides. His new position coach John DiFilippo is experienced working with many different quarterbacks including Super Bowl winning QB Nick Foles. Former Eagles guard Stefan Wisniewski saw first-hand the impact of the man they call "Flip" during the 2017 season. "He's a really bright offensive mind," said Wisniewski. "He's a super-hard working guy. I think the players around him really like him because he's passionate and he's very high energy." Wisniewski was the starting left guard in Philadelphia's title run in 2017, and now a starter at left guard for the Chiefs since week 16, joined the team in week 6 after an August release by the Eagles.
- With the addition of veteran assistant Bill Lazor as offensive coordinator to the Bears coaching staff, there are some new voices collaborating with Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Kansas City backup quarterback Matt Moore has experience with Lazor in Miami. "You're getting a guy that is determined and focused," Moore said. "I enjoyed my time with Bill. I think he's a great offensive mind. Bill's going to find creative ways to create space." That means spreading and stretching the field horizontally and vertically, which is exactly what Nagy wants from his offense.
- Former Bears quarterback coach Shane Day 10 years later is the quarterback coach of the 49ers and has history with Lazor. They are good friends and both worked for Mike Martz, the former Rams head coach and Bears offensive coordinator in 2010. That team went to the NFC championship before losing to the Packers. Day admits it's a "really small community" of quarterback coaches. He said they spend a lot of time talking quarterbacks. Day also shared an office with Bears passing game coordinator Dave Ragone in Washington with the Redskins.
- Day calls 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo "a great guy to coach", saying he is down to earth and just a good Midwestern guy with some swagger.
- Every year there are young prospects drafted or signed from the directional schools that make it to the Super Bowl and this year is no different. Khalen Saunders is Kansas City's third round pick in the 2019 draft from Western Illinois that was a standout 285-pound running back in high school, now a 324-pound defensive tackle for the Chiefs. Saunders married a Chicago girl and trained in Chicago prior to joining the Chiefs. He is the youngest guy on the Kansas City defensive line.
- Now you take Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy who has never played in a Super Bowl after 11 seasons. And now that he's here, he doesn't know if he will play. He could be inactive. He has not had a carry since week 15. He also remains saddened by the enormous loss of his friend and fellow Philadelphia area native Kobe Bryant.
- "I've been really emotional about it," said McCoy. "I still get teary-eyed. I still get sad. I love Kobe. I have a lot of love for him. Growing up in my neighborhood, growing up in my city, he was a hero. He was special." McCoy eventually became friends with Bryant who would send him jersey's and gave him signed sneakers at halftime of Bryant's final NBA game, that McCoy attended with his former Eagles teammate DeSean Jackson.
- There are always stories of players like K'Waun Williams of the 49ers, who find their way to a Super Bowl. The starting nickel defender had a great season in San Francisco and he could have been a Chicago Bear. He was awarded off waivers to the Bears in 2016, but failed his physical and became a free agent. His job Sunday is huge when Kansas City lines up speedy Tyreek Hill in the slot. Williams has shut down the big play all season, but he will have his hands full with the league's fastest receiver.
- One of the NFL greats passed away this week. Fifty-eight-year-old Vikings Hall of Famer Chris Doleman lost a battle with cancer. Thanks to WBBM's Josh Liss and producer Matt Menke, they discovered that in 19 games against the Bears, Doleman only had nine of his 150.5 sacks against the great Bears offensive line from 1985-1993. Doleman ranks fifth all-time in sacks.
- I called up my Bears broadcast teammate Tom Thayer to find out how they kept Doleman as quiet as they did during that era. "We respected where he was at," Thayer said. He was a great player, but we didn't specifically designate to just stop him. We had a great running game that kept him honest."
- Thayer reminded me that one of Mike Ditka's favorite plays was "Counter 28, pinch OT" or what Ditka always referred to as "Pinch OT". "I was the lead guard on those plays and would run left and hit guys like Bruce Smith, Reggie White and Chris Doleman," said Thayer. Brand new Hall of Famer, Jimbo Covert also won his share of battles with Doleman over the years. It was a team effort to quiet one of the NFL's best pass rushers of all time.
- Tomorrow's (Thursday's) journal will feature Lane Tech graduate and 49er starting guard Laken Tomlinson on how he came to play football growing up in Rogers Park.
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.
