Our Rival Recon series continues with Paul Allen, who has been calling Vikings games on the radio for more than 20 years. He shares his thoughts on why the NFC North is so fun, concerns facing the Bears week 1, his love for Soldier Field and the impact Bears President Kevin Warren had on his life. Carmen and Michael also discuss what to expect from Ben Johnson's first training camp and the recent PFF rankings for offensive lines around the league.

The Chicago Football Show kicks off its Rival Recon series, where someone who covers an NFC North opponent joins the show for the next three episodes.

This week, Matt Schneidman, who covers the Green Bay Packers from The Athletic, breaks down the team's key offseason questions, debates if the NFC champion will come from the North and shares a hot take that Bears fans don't want to hear.

Scott Bair, Carmen Vitali and Mike Norman also dive into Marquee Sports Network's NFC North position power rankings and rate the best head coach and quarterback entering the 2025 season.

Scott Bair and Michael Norman dive into ESPN's player projections and what they tell use before the first snap of the season. They also tackle the Bears 2025 schedule, picking out their favorite storylines going into each matchup, the importance of the opening four games, and if a potential must-win game exists.

Later, we invest in some manifest with a little game of This or That. Scott tees up Michael with different end-of-season outcomes and Michael picks one to come true. Is a walk-off win in Washington sweeter than a Bears Top-3 defense, or even a 4,000 yard passing season from Caleb Williams? Play along with us and let us know your preferred outcome.