Sports talk radio in Chicago took an unexpected turn on 104.3 The Score when co-hosts David Haugh and Jarrett Payton took a listener call to break down the Chicago Bears’ latest fourth-quarter defensive breakdown – only to discover the caller was analyzing game film from a Wisconsin correctional facility.

Opening the segment on the Haugh & Payton Show, Haugh addressed the unusual dial-in location before jumping into the Xs and Os.

“Derek is in prison in Wisconsin. Is that correct, Derek?” Haugh asked.

Derek was candid in confirming his situation, explaining that he’s currently serving time in Wisconsin for a firearm violation, following earlier mar*****a charges in Illinois. But before he went into any of that, he made his question – and concern – crystal clear.

“Thanks fellas,” Derek said on the call. “First-time caller, long-time fan. Love you guys. And I was just wondering what your analysis of us losing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, and how that affects the team long-term?”

He even mentioned that he has an uncle with season tickets, and that he follows his team every Sunday. As for the reason for the call, Chicago’s fourth-quarter collapse against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 made it necessary.

The game looked like it was going to be a blowout for three quarters. Quarterback Caleb Williams returned from a Week 2 hamstring injury and put on a nearly flawless performance – 30-of-36 completions for 305 yards and a touchdown – and the Bears had dismantled Atlanta to build a 31-7 lead late into the second half.

But with a short turnaround looming before a home game against the New England Patriots on Thursday, head coach Ben Johnson chose to preserve his roster. Hoping to avoid injuries and keep his core contributors fresh on four days’ rest, Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen pulled several starters with 12 minutes left and a 24-point cushion. That gamble backfired immediately.

Pulling out the frontline disrupted Chicago’s defensive assignments, and an offensive turnover opened the door for Atlanta to mount a furious 16-point rally. With the deficit cut to 31-23 and the lead evaporating, Johnson had to abandon the rest plan and scramble his starters back onto the field, only escaping after cornerback Kyler Gordon forced a fumble on third-and-16 with 2:54 remaining.

After the game, Johnson admitted that looking ahead to New England dictated his substitution strategy in the fourth quarter.

“Yeah, you’re trying to thread the needle a little bit,” Johnson said. “If we didn’t have the Thursday night game, I don’t know that we would do things like we did. So that’s part of the equation. … We had to win the game first and foremost – which we did – but of course, we wanted to think long-term also.”

Derek brought out that exact technical miscalculation to the airwaves, asking whether pulling early to prepare for Thursday night was worth the risk of losing control of the game in front of them.

Haugh agreed with the caller’s point, arguing that Johnson’s attempt to look ahead to Thursday almost cost Chicago a winnable game.

“The double-digit lead that evaporated because of Ben Johnson’s attempt to keep his players fresh for Thursday night’s game,” Haugh said. “Ben Johnson talked post-game about threading the needle, trying to thread the needle. And I do think it was a little too careful. I do think it was premature.”

Payton acknowledged the difficult balance coaching staffs face during a short turnaround, but both hosts credited Derek for delivering a sharp, rational assessment of Chicago’s game management.

“Shouts out to Derek, though, he’s locked in on the Bears,” Payton said, prompting Haugh to close the segment by quipping that the caller was definitely a “prisoner of the moment,” while Payton simply added, “No pun intended.”

The call resonated because neither side treated it as a joke. The hosts engaged Derek strictly on the merits of this football critique, proving that whether you’re sitting at Soldier Field or watching from a correctional facility, watching a 24-point lead nearly evaporate stings the exact same way.