Chicago Sports

Call us doubters, call us skeptics, call us heathens. We’re the people who aren’t sure about Justin Fields as a passer. We want to know if the Bears have a quarterback who has the ability to get yards not only with his legs but with his right arm.

It’s why those of us who aren’t all in on Fields’ passing just yet were impressed for the vast majority of the Bears-Packers game Sunday. It wasn’t just that the kid was hitting receivers left and right, at one point completing 11 straight passes. And it wasn’t just that he was showing off his arm on completions of 56 and 49 yards. It was that he looked like a veteran QB, calmly going through his progressions in the pocket like a couch potato perusing Netflix titles.

He was excellent, which is why late in Sunday’s game, we doubters were believing, we skeptics were climbing aboard and we heathens were asking to be baptized.

And then the last three minutes happened, with Fields throwing two interceptions and the Bears losing 28-19 at Soldier Field. Chalking that up to inexperience would be fair if everyone, me included, hadn’t been ready to write that we had just witnessed a passing of the torch from the 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers to the 23-year-old Fields. Trust me on this one. Odes were being prepared. What’s the opposite of an ode? This: The Bears can talk all they want about Fields’ leadership and talent, but there comes a time when proof is not just needed, it’s demanded. Sunday was one of those times.

Again, Fields was excellent. But he wasn’t excellent enough for long enough. It’s something of a trend.

In the first three quarters of games this season, he’s thrown a combined 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.

In the fourth quarter, he’s thrown a combined three touchdowns and six interceptions.

Sports teams have conditioned us to be mindful that everything is a “process.” We get it. Fields is learning on the job. But a process implies a payoff, with the currency being late-game heroics. Or am I missing something here?

With the Bears trailing 20-19, Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander stepped in front of Equanimeous St. Brown and picked off Fields’ pass. Fox analyst Mark Schlereth blamed Brown’s route running for the interception. You can buy that, you can ask what a former offensive lineman would know about routes, you can say St. Brown should have batted the ball down or you can blame the quarterback, which is what most Americans do in this situation. But you can’t ignore the play’s import. With the game on the line, it was a big mistake.

And then another mistake when the Bears, down 28-19, needed a miracle. Instead, Fields threw a pass meant for Dante Pettis that was too easily hauled in by the Packers’ Keisean Nixon.

Fields finished 20-of-25 for 254 yards.

“One of my best games passing-wise,” he said. “I mean, of course the stats aren’t going to show that, but I felt really comfortable out there in the passing game.”

He looked it. He threw some achingly beautiful passes, including a highlight connection with N’Keal Harry early in the fourth quarter. The injury to his non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago had offered hope that, when he returned, the Bears would have to pass more and we’d learn more about him as a passer. We did. It felt like a corner was being turned Sunday.

As usual, Fields was spectacularly entertaining. He made a cut in the first quarter that was so devastating, it made Nixon look like he was dealing with his own 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The ensuing 55-yard touchdown run was Fields’ third of more than 55 yards this season.

The next step in the “process” is quarterback-led victories. The inability to close out games isn’t just him, of course. The entire team seems to view the fourth quarter as an opportunity to knock off early.

Rodgers doesn’t have a good cast around him, either. Yet he managed to pull a game out of the emptiness of an empty season for the 5-8 Packers. For the 3-10 Bears, the postgame chatter was about a young quarterback making strides.

The next step is a big one, maybe the most important one: Fields has to start finishing what he started.

In the closing seconds of Sunday’s game, there was Fields being talked to/consoled by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and there was Rodgers saluting Bears fans, the same group he had mocked inside the same stadium last season. That torch hasn’t been passed just yet.

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Can anyone slay the red-and-black dragon?

If so, it’s probably going to have to be the Big Ten that does it.

No. 4 Ohio State goes to Atlanta — the belly of the beast — to take the first crack at No. 1 Georgia in the Peach Bowl, one of two College Football Playoff semifinals on Dec. 31. If the Buckeyes can’t handle the unbeaten defending national champion, No. 2 Michigan could be next in line to try. The unbeaten Wolverines begin with No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

The final poll was revealed Sunday, with the playoff foursome and pairings unfolding as most expected they would. Still, critics have things to howl about, as always. Did Ohio State really deserve to get in despite getting throttled by Michigan in its last game and not playing for a conference championship? Is TCU, which didn’t lose until the Big 12 title game against Kansas State, really one of the best four teams in the country considering it opened as a 91/2-point underdog against an opponent not named Georgia? Is the playoff fully legit without Alabama, which would — and this is just a fact — be favored in a bowl matchup with any team in the land other than the big, bad Bulldogs?

This isn’t the first year things have broken heavily in favor of Ohio State during the committee’s final get-together. The Buckeyes — in the final four only because USC lost the Pac-12 title game — open as 61/2-point underdogs, a modest number that speaks to the ongoing perception that the talent level in Columbus poses a serious threat to any opponent, even an SEC superpower.

“It has been an emotional roller coaster,” coach Ryan Day said on ESPN. “But when you go through a few days where you think that maybe your whole season’s gone, and then all of a sudden you start to build hope and then you start to see the opportunity where everything’s right out in front of you, it’s almost like a second lease on life. …

“You get an opportunity to go play in this thing, you’re two games away from a national championship.”

And if the Buckeyes do beat Georgia, if onetime Heisman Trophy frontrunner C.J. Stroud outduels Stetson Bennett, if Marvin Harrison Jr. impacts the game like the best wide receiver in the country could, if Day’s sometimes-shaky defense rises up like Urban Meyer’s did to end the 2014 season — the first year of the playoff — with a national title, take a flying guess what might happen next.

An Ohio State-Michigan rematch for all the marbles. It boggles the mind just thinking about it.

Committee chair Boo Corrigan said no consideration was given to trying to avoid a Buckeyes-Wolverines repeat in the semifinal round. Maybe that’s true. Then again, it never fails to get harder to believe what the committee says the closer to the playoff we get.

The Buckeyes just plain backed in. Still, as Corrigan did the media rounds, he took pains to refer to the Buckeyes’ win against Notre Dame as a compelling one (even though it was an ugly game and the Irish are a run-of-the-mill team) and their loss to Michigan as having been more competitive than the final score indicated (it wasn’t).

“Again,” Corrigan said, “we looked at getting the right four teams.”

That’s the whole idea — for one more season after this one. Starting in 2024, the playoff will expand to 12 teams and there will be so much more to argue and complain about. It’ll be a delight.

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Luke Getsy has earned a lot of respect this season, but it’s respect for doing things that Matt Nagy didn’t do, not things that he has done right.

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy did absolutely nothing to help the Bears win a game today.  His playcalling was in a word abysmal in a game in which the Bears led by two scores.  The Bears could have gone up by more but Luke Getsy was predictable, conservative and downright baffling.  There have even been questions about if his play calling got Justin Fields injured two weeks ago. 

The Bears did everything possible to lose the game.  They took the ball out of Justin Fields hands, they ran David Montgomery up the middle on second and long and third and long situations.  They got so predictable with their bubble-screen game that Green Bay started racking up consecutive tackles for loss on the play calls.

Getsy has been extremely conservative all season.  He calls more runs on third and long than you would expect him to do.  Yes, the Bears have struggled in pass protection, yes Justin Fields hasn’t been great in obvious passing situations,  But to eliminate all hope by completely stifling your offensive attack is just irresponsible.

The Bears then go into their two-minute offense down where they have to score to win the game down one point and Justin Fields throws a late interception with a defender clearly draped on top of the receiver.  Justin Fields hasn’t been in enough two-minute offense situations so he hasn’t seen enough coverages in that situation to not make a mistake and then makes a horrible throw that costs the Bears the game.

For the Bears to be successful in 2023 they’re going to have to figure who the problem is. Is it not enough trust in Justin Fields?  Is it too conservative of play-calling from Luke Getsy?  We won’t know until 2023 because the Bears in close game in the fourth quarter have been absolutely horrible.

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The Chicago Bears couldn’t finish against the Packers

The Chicago Bears looked poised on Sunday to beat their rival for the first time in years. The Bears led 19-10 in the fourth quarter before giving up a couple of late scores to drop eight straight to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers didn’t have a great game plan, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers made enough plays to beat the Bears. He was helped by an efficient running game that gained 175 yards.

The Bears will drop to 3-10 as they head into their bye week. The loss wasn’t a complete bust for the Bears. The Bears’ offense looked competent for most of the game. Quarterback Justin Fields played well, and his wide receivers had their best game of the season. Here are three studs and duds from the Bears’ loss to the Packers in Week 13.

Studs

Justin Fields

Fields missed the Chicago Bears Week 12 game against the New York Jets. He was cleared to play earlier this week. Fields didn’t miss a beat as he picked up from where he left off against the Falcons by improving as a passer. Fields had 254 yards passing. He added another 71 on the ground.

Fields gave the Bears an excellent opportunity to beat the Packers. But the talent around him and conservative playcalling in the fourth quarter didn’t help Fields, or the Bears put the game away. (Fields threw two late interceptions where he had to force throws when the Bears trailed the Packers.)

Chicago Bears wide receivers

The Bears’ wide receivers corps had their best game of the season as a unit. They made some great grabs against a good Packers secondary. N’Keal Harry had a great route and catch against All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander for a 49 yard reception. (The drive ended in a missed field goal after three conservative play calls by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Two runs and a short pass to David Montgomery.)

Equanimeous St. Brown was the Bears leading receiver with three catches for 85 yards. Chase Claypool caught five of his six targets for 28 yards. He was featured a lot in the first half before he suffered an injury. Claypool returned to the game but didn’t seem to be used in the same way the game plan called for before the injury. Cole Kmet, not a receiver but a solid pass catcher, added six catches for 72 yards to the passing attack.

The Chicago Bears tank job

The loss dropped the Bears to 3-10. It will keep them near the top of next year’s draft board. They’re currently on course for the number two draft pick. They’re behind only the 1-9-1 Houston Texans, who the Bears have a tie-breaking win over. The Bears looked competitive without appearing to go out and beat the Packers.

The Bears’ conservative approach to offense and defense seemed like a franchise trying to lose. Or that could be Matt Eberflus’ system. There’s no way to tell with this team right now. The lack of talent on the roster makes it hard to evaluate anyone on this team. That’s the scariest part of watching the Bears this season.

Duds

Cairo Santos

Santos had a forgettable game against the Packers. The Chicago Bears kicker missed an extra point in the first half. He had a 40-yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter that would have extended the Bears’ lead to 22-17. It was a low kick that was easily blocked by the Packers’ defense. There’s no reason the 40-yard kick had that low of a trajectory.

Chicago Bears penalties

The “S” in H.I.T.S. stands for playing smart. Nothing is smart about what these Bears are doing in December. The Chicago Bears’ secondary had several starters out with injuries against the Packers. They did well covering in the first half on the stat sheet. But they were aided by grabbing jerseys and not being called for pass interference or holding penalties.

When the Bears got flagged for those infractions in the second half, the defense gave up passing yards. The Bears had finished with five penalties for 63 yards. The Packers had just two penalties for 20 yards. The Bears should have had more. And the penalties that were called were the difference between the Bears snapping their losing streak to the Packers or waiting until next year.

Matt Eberflus

Eberflus said he wanted to play Fields if he was healthy because Eberflus is trying to win. He’s not winning. The Bears haven’t done that since October 24th. Eberflus and the Chicago Bears coaching staff risked Fields’ health to have him play in this game with a lineup missing many starters on offense and defense. Eberflus didn’t put the team in a position to succeed this season or in the future. The Playcalling set the Bears up to lose.

One wonders what the staff thinks Fields is learning this season with a poorly constructed roster. Many Bears starters against the Packers won’t be on the roster next September. If Eberflus wants to take risks on Fields’ future health to win games, he deserves to shoulder the blame when the Bears lose. And boy, are they finding ways to lose.

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The Bears squandered their chance to topple the Packers, but Aaron Rodgers wasn’t the one who buried them this time. They did it to themselves with missed kicks, shoddy run defense and a brutal interception at the end by Justin Fields.

The Packers beat the Bears 28-19 as Mason Crosby put them ahead with 32-yard field goal with 4:49 left, and cornerback Jaire Alexander picked Fields at the Green Bay 28-yard line with 2:52 remaining as the Bears were looking for a field goal or more to win it.

The final blow came when the Bears needed a stop to get the ball back and have another shot, but gave up a 46-yard touchdown run to wide receiver Christian Watson. The Packers cemented it on a two-point conversion pass from Rodgers to tight end Marcedes Lewis, putting it out of Fields’ reach at 28-19.

On the Bears’ last, desperate push, Fields threw another interception, this time by Keisean Nixon at the Packers’ 5-yard line.

In his return from a separated non-throwing shoulder, Fields completed 20 of 25 passes for 254 yards and a 75.7 passer rating. He also ran six times for 71 yards, including a 56-yard scramble for a touchdown.Rodgers was unimpressive and erratic, completing just 18 of 31 passes for 182 yards and an 85.7 rating.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos, who set the franchise record by making 93.8% of his field goals in 2020 and was at 94.1% going into the game, missed an extra point on David Montgomery’s touchdown run in the second quarter and missed short on a 40-yarder with 11:40 remaining.

The Bears also allowed running back A.J. Dillon to go for 93 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

The win was the Packers’ 787th, moving them one ahead of the Bears for the NFL’s all-time lead.

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SAN DIEGO — On your marks, get set, go.

The winter meetings have set the stage for a whirlwind week, with the inaugural MLB Draft Lottery, Rule 5 Draft, manager press conferences, a charity auction benefiting the new Boys & Girls Club in Uvalde, Texas. And, of course, there’s always a spike in signings and trades.

“We’re in the market for good players,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during the GM meetings last month. “So, we’re not that positionally focused.”

That answer has the benefit of not revealing too much. But the Cubs’ wealth of young players who are comfortable at multiple positions means the team isn’t as positionally restricted as the more established clubs in the league. The Cubs could add a power bat at a number of positions. They need reinforcements in both their rotation and bullpen.

Here are the Cubs’ most pressing needs entering the winter meetings on Monday.

Pitching

A top free agent pitcher came off the board early, with the Rangers signing Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal. But as of Sunday afternoon, Carlos Rod?n, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw still headlined a star-studded free agent class.

There’s also been buzz around Koudai Senga, the right-handed free agent coming to MLB from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Senga’s representation planned to meet with the Cubs at the GM Meetings last month, in an early survey of Senga’s suitors. The Athletic reported on Sunday that the Cubs had also checked in with two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

The Cubs will need to add plenty of “quality innings,” as Hoyer put it, this winter. They’ve shown a knack for getting production out of veteran relievers on short-term deals. For example, look at Chris Martin, who signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Red Sox last week.

A year ago, he joined the Cubs on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million plus incentives. Then, he posted an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio (10), the Cubs traded him at the deadline, and he finished the season with the Dodgers in dominant fashion (1.46 ERA with LA).

So, while bolstering the bullpen will take more transactions, the Cubs’ rotation additions will be the bigger indicator of success next year.

Catching

Willson Contreras, who declined the Cubs’ qualifying offer last month to enter free agency, leaves a hole at catcher and in the lineup. So, who will join Yan Gomes behind the plate?

The Cubs have shown interest in World Series champion Christian V?zquez, according to multiple reports. And his defensive prowess lines up with the team’s priorities at that position.

Contreras headlines the free agent catcher class, which, along with V?zquez, also includes Gary Sanchez, Omar Narvaez, Mike Zunino and Tucker Barnhart.

Offensive boost

The Cubs have the flexibility to add power at a number of defensive positions: Shortstop, first base, center field. If they want to get a little more creative, the list could go on.

The strength of the shortstop free agent class this year has been well documented, and Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson are still available.

The Cubs are excited about power-hitting first base prospect Matt Mervis’ emergence this year. But they still could use someone with more experience to pair with Mervis at first base and DH next year.

Two top first basemen have already found landing spots. Last week, Anthony Rizzo re-signed with the Yankees for two years, $40 million guaranteed, and Jos? Abreu joined the Astros on a three-year, $58.5 million deal. But the Cubs were unlikely to compete with teams willing to commit that much to a first baseman when the North Siders hope their future at the position may already be in the organization.

The center field free agent pool got a little more interesting a couple weeks ago, when the Dodgers non-tendered Cody Bellinger. His offensive production has dropped off since his 2019 MVP season, but that also caps the market for a player with a sky-high ceiling. The Cubs could add a consistent center fielder or fill the position by committee, as they did last season.

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As expected, quarterback Justin Fields’ return changed everything about the Bears’ offense.

In his first game back since suffering a separated non-throwing shoulder, Fields led the team to a field goal on the opening drive and has the Bears ahead 16-10 on the Packers at halftime.

Fields has completed 7 of 9 passes for 126 yards for a 118.8 passer rating. He also has run four times for 71 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Running back David Montgomery added six carries for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, has completed 12 of 20 passes for 112 yards with a touchdown for a 92.1 passer rating.

If the Bears hang on to win, they will saddle the Packers with their first losing season since 2018.

Both teams are on a bye next week, then the Bears finish the season with home games against the Eagles and Bills, a visit to the Lions and the finale at Soldier Field against the Vikings.

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Well, the Super 25 currently contains no results nullification and that’s always great. Other than that I’m not sure how solid everything is. It’s a long, long season and we are still getting a handle on all the teams.

The biggest decision on the top end today was over the third spot. It was a tough decision between Joliet West and Young. The Tigers have a stronger overall resume with wins against St. Rita, Metamora, St. Louis Cardinal Ritter and Romeoville. But Young’s game against Kenwood came down to the final second and Joliet West lost to the Broncos by six.

I was at both games though, and there were long stretches where the Tigers outplayed Kenwood and that wasn’t the case in the Young game. So that, along with the better resume, has Joliet West in the three spot for now.

Benet received a fairly big jump, leaping from 13 to 8. I reserve the right to move a team up or down drastically the first time I seen them play. There is no reason to remain beholden to preseason rankings that were basically a guess. The Redwings looked very good.

Lincoln-Way East joins after beating Oswego East. West Aurora drops out after losing to the Wolves and to Yorkville.

The Foxes, Marist, DeKalb, Waubonsie Valley and Barrington are all teams I have an eye on that might have cracked the rankings if other teams had fallen out.

Super 25 for Dec. 4, 2022With record and last week’s ranking

1. Simeon (3-0) 1Wes Rubin is deadly from three

2. Kenwood (4-0) 3Calvin Robins delivered

3. Joliet West (5-2) 2Already battle-tested

4. Young (3-1) 5Two buzzer beaters already

5. St. Rita (2-3) 4Don’t give up on the Mustangs

6. Brother Rice (7-0) 6Hosts St. Rita Friday

7. Rolling Meadows (7-0) 7Beat Glenbrook South

8. Benet (7-0) 13Impressed at CEC

9. Hillcrest (5-0) 9Handled Oak Lawn

10. St. Ignatius (5-1) 8Faces R-B on Saturday

11. Curie (5-2) 10Talented but not clicking yet

12. Glenbrook North (6-0) 12Hosts Evanston Thursday

13. Bolingbrook (4-1) 14Keon Alexander stepping up

14. Bloom (4-1) 15Knocked off Thornton

15. Oak Lawn (5-1) 16Fell short vs. Hillcrest

16. Marian Catholic (5-1) 17Balanced group

17. Mount Carmel (5-1) 18Lee Marks adds a lot

18. New Trier (5-1) 20Faces Rolling Meadows Saturday

19. Evanston (6-0) 21Quietly coming together

20. Lincoln-Way East (4-1) NRKnocked off Oswego East

21. Oswego East (6-1) 11Beat West Aurora twice

22. Lyons (4-0) 22At Glenbard West Saturday

23. Hyde Park (4-1) 23Jurrell Baldwin can play

24. Proviso East (3-1) 24Had the week off

25. Lemont (6-0) 25Plays Lane on Saturday

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Georgia, Michigan, TCU and Ohio State were chosen Sunday to play in the College Football Playoff, giving the Big Ten multiple teams in the four-team field for the first time.

The defending national champion and top-ranked Bulldogs and fourth-seeded Buckeyes will meet Dec. 31 at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The second-seeded Wolverines and third-ranked Horned Frogs, the lone first-timer in the final four, will play at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, the same day.

The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 9 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and it could be a rematch of rivals Ohio State and Michigan in what will soon be Big Ten country as the conference expands.

The rivalry dates to 1902, but the Buckeyes and Wolverines have never played outside of their annual regular-season game.

With some drama, but not much controversy, the CFP selection committee’s top four fell into place over the championship weekend. The most interesting part of the unveiling was whether the committee would pair Michigan and Ohio State in the semifinals and if Alabama might be able to slip in as the first two-loss playoff team.

In the end, the committee sprung no surprises.

Committee chairman Boo Corrigan, the athletic director at North Carolina State, said Ohio State’s big wins against Penn State and Notre Dame helped push the Buckeyes in over Alabama.

“As we looked at the total body of work, the committee was comfortable with Ohio State State at No. 4 and Alabama at 5,” he said in an interview with ESPN.

Corrigan also said the committee did not make any special effort to avoid having a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan in a semifinal.

Georgia (13-0) won the Southeastern Conference championship game in a rout and coach Michigan (13-0) similar took the the Big Ten title.

TCU (12-1) suffered is first loss of the season in the Big 12 championship, falling in overtime to Kansas State. The loss made it an uneasy night for Heisman Trophy contender Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs, but in the end they had already built enough equity during their improbable season to stay in the top four.

At a watch party for TCU players and staffers at its Fort Worth, Texas, campus, cheers broke out when the Frogs landed in the bracket during ESPN’s announcement show.

Ohio State (11-1) was given a second life in the playoff race when Southern California lost the Pac-12 championship game Friday night. A week after star quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes lost at home to coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, they slipped into the final playoff spot, the best of a flawed batch of contenders.

Alabama (10-2) was fifth in the committee rankings, missing the CFP for just the second time in its nine-year history. The Crimson Tide, with a little lobbying from coach Nick Saban, were hoping to become the first team to lose two games and make the playoff.

The committee instead simply moved Ohio State from fifth last week to fourth this week, setting up just the second matchup ever between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes. The only time Georgia and Ohio State have played was in the 1992 Citrus Bowl, a Buckeyes’ victory.

“They got a lot of really great players because we recruit a lot of the same kids,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

For Georgia, it is the second straight CFP appearance and third overall. This time, though, Smart’s Bulldogs enter as the No. 1 team and clear favorite after following up last season’s national title with a perfect season.

Stetson Bennett and the ‘Dawgs will try to become the first team to repeat as College Football Playoff champions.

Ohio State is making its fifth playoff appearance. The last time the Buckeyes were the fourth seed was 2014, when they won their last national title.

Michigan is in for the second time, again as the second seed after losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl last season.

TCU becomes just the 13th different school make the field in nine years. That lack of variety is one of the main reasons the CFP will be expanding to 12 teams in the 2024 season.

The Horned Frogs, whose only national title came in 1938, have never played Michigan.

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