Chicago Sports

The Chicago Bears will be without a key piece of the offense

The Chicago Bears have been bitten by the injury bug big time this past month. The Bears lost their best running back, Khalil Herbert, to the injured reserve last week. Quarterback Justin Fields was banged up pretty bad last week against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears had more bad news to report on Wednesday.

According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, the Bears will lose starting offensive lineman Lucas Patrick for the season. Patrick recently had surgery on his injured toe. He was injured in the Bears’ Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots. Patrick was later put on the injured reserve.

Patrick had a rough season before the injury. The Bears had him as their starting guard. He had two sacks in six games at the position and finished with a pass-blocking grade of 30.8 by Pro Football Focus. Patrick was moved to his more natural position, center, for the Bears’ game against the Patriots. He did well blocking before his toe injury. The Bears had to move Sam Mustipher back to center after Patricks’ injury. The interior line has not done well since.

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MILWAUKEE – The Boston game plan was simple on Monday: They were daring Patrick Williams.

Daring the Bulls forward to shoot the three-pointer, daring him to show some aggressiveness, daring him to look like a former No. 4 overall draft pick.

And quietly – much like his personality – Williams didn’t flinch.

Even more importantly for the Bulls, his performance against the top team in the Eastern Conference wasn’t just a one-off. After a dismal start to his junior season in the NBA, suddenly Williams has been trending from disappointment to very serviceable.

It’s still not the trajectory many were counting on, and it’s definitely not moving as fast as the organization wanted it to, but there’s progress in Williams’ development. Finally.

Just look at his October compared to his November.

Williams was just a guy on the floor the first month of this 2022-23 campaign. A passenger in the car who chose to sit in the backseat and stare out a window.

He posted five games in single digits, averaged just 7.1 points, and grabbed two rebounds a game, leaving coach Billy Donovan to explain why he continued to keep him in the starting rotation.

It didn’t help that Williams told the Sun-Times that it was difficult for him to play with All-Stars, simply because he felt that he had to always defer to them.

That mindset was holding him to just six shots a game over those first seven contests.

Entering Wednesday’s Milwaukee game, there was a shift. Williams was putting up almost nine shots a game over his last 10 starts, averaging 11.4 points per game, while shooting 45.5% from three-point range. His rebounds were up to 5.3 over that span, and he just seems to be more engaged defensively.

There was life in the power forward after all.

That was on full display in putting up a season-high 17 in the Celtics win.

“Obviously they had a game plan, heavy shifts, make other guys make shots,” Williams said. “I did that, but a lot of guys stepped up. I think I did a good job making that next play. If you don’t have the shot, get off of it, and let someone else make the play.

“I’m just playing the game, not forcing anything. I’m at my best when I’m not thinking too much.”

Which is still a work in progress.

Donovan said at the start of the year that the area Williams needed to focus most on was between his ears. Overthinking was leading to too many passive moments. That’s exactly how that first month then played out, with frustration quickly turning into concern with the 21 year old.

The switch seemed to flip in that Brooklyn game on Nov. 1, however, with Williams putting up a then-season-high 10 shots, but also active in other ways, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots.

What clicked? A lot, Williams said on Monday.

“You just mentally figure it out,” Williams said. “The best thing about the position I’m in and the type of player I am, of course having all the physical tools, the skill, having all that, for me it’s just mental. Mental in how I approach the game, how I see it, so I had to realize that was something I could control.

“If I didn’t have the skill, yeah, that would take time to develop. Of course I need to make my skills better, but the hurdle was having that mental aggressiveness coming into the game. Now it’s if I see a play, try and go make a play. Don’t overthink it, just play the game.”

Something he’s starting to do.

Just dare him.

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Bears center Lucas Patrick won’t return this season after having toe surgery earlier this month.

Coach Matt Eberflus revealed the surgery Wednesday. Otherwise, Patrick would have been eligible to return to practice this week after spending four games on injured reserve.

Patrick left the Bears’ Oct. 24 win against the Patriots in the first quarter and was replaced by Sam Mustipher, who had been benched days earlier.

Patrick was the Bears’ biggest offseason offensive splurge. The team signed him to a two-year, $8 million deal to lure him away from the rival Packers. Bears general manager Ryan Poles said then that the team valued his mean streak and hoped it would be spread across the offensive line.

He hurt his thumb early in training camp, though, and was forced to play guard rather than his preferred position of center at the start of the season. His move back to center for the Patriots game was part of the Bears’ self-analysis during a 10-day break.

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Considering the wind and cold for much of the three days of the first portion of Illinois’ firearm deer season, I am surprised that the harvest was up from last year.

Here’s the word from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources:

County 2020 2021 2022

ADAMS 1305 1311 1437

ALEXANDER 257 264 239

BOND 427 478 537

BOONE 79 73 71

BROWN 559 572 655

BUREAU 639 612 609

CALHOUN 360 427 465

CARROLL 355 373 331

CASS 384 386 423

CHAMPAIGN 163 143 137

CHRISTIAN 422 376 403

CLARK 630 692 721

CLAY 735 765 889

CLINTON 474 493 606

COLES 451 466 487

CRAWFORD 561 635 673

CUMBERLAND 544 531 542

DEKALB 78 87 73

DEWITT 223 195 220

DOUGLAS 115 115 120

EDGAR 332 370 424

EDWARDS 227 273 317

EFFINGHAM 614 637 653

FAYETTE 986 1106 1184

FORD 80 81 86

FRANKLIN 749 848 956

FULTON 1202 1154 1249

GALLATIN 235 253 305

GREENE 638 612 634

GRUNDY 151 154 172

HAMILTON 661 729 741

HANCOCK 1056 1001 1128

HARDIN 420 515 548

HENDERSON 308 262 283

HENRY 291 268 275

IROQUOIS 322 282 257

JACKSON 1230 1290 1484

JASPER 693 715 794

JEFFERSON 1087 1228 1249

JERSEY 350 416 425

JO DAVIESS 1029 830 843

JOHNSON 858 866 874

KANE 18 27 18

KANKAKEE 124 140 114

KENDALL 57 47 43

KNOX 686 720 737

LAKE 0 5 5

LASALLE 473 409 427

LAWRENCE 334 366 399

LEE 337 316 314

LIVINGSTON 279 312 268

LOGAN 200 217 193

MACON 157 148 155

MACOUPIN 997 1003 1120

MADISON 384 460 509

MARION 917 998 1186

MARSHALL 408 393 412

MASON 256 258 249

MASSAC 220 238 268

MCDONOUGH 455 488 495

MCHENRY 172 181 129

MCLEAN 412 398 349

MENARD 213 214 215

MERCER 533 538 509

MONROE 670 710 856

MONTGOMERY 523 541 619

MORGAN 378 364 442

MOULTRIE 143146 158

OGLE 442 394 356

PEORIA 545 567 576

PERRY 719 783 969

PIATT 90 83 89

PIKE 1033 987 1129

POPE 888 934 1068

PULASKI 178 190 222

PUTNAM 209 236 228

RANDOLPH 1341 1457 1518

RICHLAND 405 475 487

ROCK ISLAND 462 404 408

SALINE 535 533 628

SANGAMON 330 354 327

SCHUYLER 763 833 904

SCOTT 176 209 190

SHELBY 825 864 883

ST. CLAIR 477 529 576

STARK 126 113 118

STEPHENSON 408 370 342

TAZEWELL 314 339 352

UNION 773 795 812

VERMILION 333 400 369

WABASH 102 118 122

WARREN 294 288 290

WASHINGTON 600 672 771

WAYNE 864 935 1015

WHITE 467 437 553

WHITESIDE 424 348 335

WILL 150 123 134

WILLIAMSON 950 1109 1287

WINNEBAGO 194 167 154

WOODFORD 373 397 434

Total 47416 48964 52354

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Wednesday, November 23, 2022

NON CONFERENCE

Intrinsic-Downtown at McNamara, 5:00

BATAVIA

Waubonsie Valley vs. Raby, 6:00

Marmion vs. Batavia, 7:30

BLOOM / MARIAN CATHOLIC

Thornton Fr. South vs. Lincoln-Way Central, 4:00

Hillcrest vs. Bloom, 5:30

Marian Catholic vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, 5:00

St. Francis de Sales vs. Rich, 6:30

BOYLAN

Rockford Lutheran vs. St. Charles North, 4:00

Marshall vs. Freeport, 5:30

Boylan vs. Richwoods, 7:00

CHRIST THE KING

Hansberry vs. Julian, 11:00

Richards (Chgo) vs. Christ the King, 12:30

CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL

Barrington vs. Hampshire, 11:30

Grayslake Central vs. Hononegah, 1:00

Belvidere North vs. Crystal Lake Central, 2:30

DE LA SALLE / KING

Latin at De La Salle, 5:00

Chicago Military vs. Urban Prep-Bronzeville

Morgan Park vs. Corliss, 5:00

Orr vs King, 6:30

DE PAUL / LANE

Englewood STEM vs. Francis Parker, 4:30

DePaul vs. Notre Dame, 6:00

Jones vs. Legal Prep, 5:00

Lane vs. Niles North, 7:00

DECATUR

Springfield Southeast vs. Peoria Central, 6:00

MacArthur vs. Edwardsville, 7:30

DWIGHT / WOODLAND

Grant Park vs. Earlville, 5:30

Momence vs. Dwight, 7:00

Ridgeview vs. St. Bede, 6:00

Flanagan-Cornell vs. Woodland, 7:30

ELLISON

Pool Playoff

ELMWOOD PARK

Aurora Central vs. Walther Christian, 1:00

Addison Trail vs. Elmwood Park, 2:30

EL PASO-GRIDLEY

East Peoria vs. Roanoke-Benson, 5:30

El Paso-Gridley vs. Olympia, 7:00

FENTON

Montini vs. Wheaton-Warr. South, 4:30

Harlan vs. Fremd, 6:00

Fenton vs. Timothy Christian, 7:30

GENESEO

Erie-Prophetstown vs. Kewanee, 6:00

Geneseo vs. Rockridge, 7:30

GIBSON CITY-MELVIN-SIBLEY

Tri-Point vs. Iroquois West, 5:00

Lexington vs. Prairie Central, 6:30

GLENBARD WEST

Glenbard North vs. Glenbard West, 2:00

Glenbard South vs. Glenbard East, 3:30

GLENBROOK NORTH / ST. PATRICK

Prosser vs. Conant, 5:15

Glenbrook North vs. Wheaton North, 7:00

Niles West vs. Payton, 6:00

St. Patrick vs. Lake Forest Academy, 7:30

GOODE

ASPIRA-Bus&Fin vs. Horizon-McKinley, 9:30

Morgan Park Academy vs. Washington, 11:00

Goode vs. Air Force, 12:30

GRANT / MUNDELEIN

Comer vs. Grant, 11:00

Warren vs. Schurz, 12:30

Carmel vs. Lakes, 5:00

Deerfield vs. Mundelein, 6:30

JOHNSBURG

Geneva vs. Marian Central, 5:30

Streamwood vs. Grayslake North, 5:30

Wauconda vs. Crystal Lake South, 7:00

Huntley vs. Johnsburg, 7:00

LISLE

Evergreen Park vs. West Chicago, 5:30

Westmont vs. Lisle, 7:00

LOYOLA / NEW TRIER

Butler vs. Rauner, 11:15

Bulls Prep vs. Taft, 11:15

Loyola vs. New Trier, 4:00

Lake Forest vs. St. Ignatius, 5:45

LYONS

Maine South vs. Fenger, 6:00

Lyons vs. Lincoln-Way East, 7:30

MAINE WEST

Elk Grove vs. Hoffman Estates, 12:00

Maine West vs. Lake Zurich, 1:30

NAPERVILLE NORTH / OSWEGO

Fenwick vs. West Aurora, 2:00

Downers Grove South vs. Hinsdale Central, 3:30

Naperville North vs. Oswego East, 5:15

Neuqua Valley vs. Oswego, 7:00

NORTHRIDGE

Vernon Hills vs. Wheeling, 4:00

Bowen vs. Northridge, 5:30

OAK LAWN / REAVIS

Lincoln-Way West vs. Bremen, 5:00

Oak Lawn vs. St. Laurence, 6:30

Sandburg vs. Kennedy, 4:30

Reavis vs. Mount Carmel, 6:00

OREGON

Rockford Christian vs. Plano, 5:45

South Beloit vs. Hinckley-Big Rock, 5:45

Oregon vs. Morrison, 7:15

Harvard vs. Newman, 7:15

PALATINE

Glenbrook South vs. Hersey, 3:30

Jacobs vs. Stevenson, 5:00

Palatine vs. Buffalo Grove, 6:30

RICHARDS / SHEPARD

Southland vs. Chicago Christian, 11:00

Richards vs. Eisenhower, 12:30

Perspectives-Lead vs. Marist, 11:00

Shepard vs. Andrew, 12:30

RIDGEWOOD

Leyden vs. Maine East, 5:30

Highland Park vs. Mather, 5:30

Ridgewood vs. Schaumburg, 7:00

Naperville Central vs. Northside, 7:00

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD

Zion-Benton vs. Brother Rice, 2:30

Thornwood vs. Morton, 4:00

Curie vs. University High, 5:30

Riverside-Brookfield vs. Hinsdale South, 7:00

ROCKFORD

Douglass (TN) vs. Rockford East, 10:00

Auburn vs. Young, 12:30

Guilford vs. Larkin, 2:00

ST. CHARLES EAST

Willowbrook vs. Plainfield East, 5:00

Benet vs. South Elgin, 6:30

St. Charles East vs. Westinghouse, 8:00

ST. VIATOR

Antioch vs. Evanston, 5:30

Prospect vs. St. Viator, 7:00

SENECA

Newark vs. Herscher, 1:00

St. Anne vs. Serena, 2:30

Mendota vs. Somonauk, 4:00

Hall vs. Seneca, 5:30

STAGG

Lindblom vs. Plainfield South, 1:00

Nazareth vs. Stagg, 2:30

SYCAMORE

Sandwich vs. Burlington Central, 3:00

Rochelle vs. Sterling, 4:30

Yorkville vs. Belvidere, 6:00

Sycamore vs. Dundee-Crown, 7:30

UNION LEAGUE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB

Foreman vs. Roosevelt, 12:45

Sullivan vs. Phoenix, 2:15

Providence-St. Mel vs. Uplift, 3:45

Lake View vs. Austin, 5:15

Alcott vs. Holy Trinity, 6:45

WASHINGTON (IL)

Yorkville Christian vs. Washington (TX), 10:30

Phillips vs. East Peoria, 12:00

Lincoln Park vs. St. Paul (CA), 1:30

Joliet West vs. St. Rita, 6:15

WELLS

Golder vs. Intrinsic-Belmont, 3:00

Noble Street vs. Ogden, 4:30

Wolcott vs. Wells, 6:00

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN

Elgin Academy vs. St. Edward, 4:30

Genoa-Kingston vs. Aurora Christian, 6:00

Indian Creek vs. Elgin, 7:30

WETHERSFIELD

Bureau Valley vs. Wethersfield, 5:00

Annawan vs. Elmwood, 6:30

Putnam County vs. Stark County, 8:00

WHEATON ACADEMY

Bartlett vs. Plainfield North, 4:00

Lake Park vs. Metea Valley, 5:30

Downers Grove North vs. St. Francis, 7:00

Oak Park-River Forest vs. Wheaton Academy, 7:00

WJOL / ST. FRANCIS UNIVERSITY

Minooka vs. Joliet Central, 3:00

Plainfield Central vs. Lockport, 4:45

Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Lemont, 6:30

Providence vs. Romeoville, 8:15

WOODSTOCK / WOODSTOCK NORTH

Kaneland vs. Prairie Ridge, 5:15

McHenry vs. Woodstock, 7:00

Cary-Grove vs. Woodstock North, 5:15

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The Bears won’t face Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, the second pick in last year’s draft, on Sunday.

He was benched Wednesday in favor of backup Mike White. Wilson won’t even be active Sunday; Joe Flacco will be the backup and he’ll be a healthy scratch.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday that Wilson — who was drafted nine spots ahead of Bears quarterback Justin Fields — needed a “reset” this season.

“We haven’t wavered in our belief that he’s the future of this franchise,” he said.

That’s hard to believe. Wilson hit the low point of his Jets career in Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the Patriots. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards and a 50.8 passer rating while being sacked four times. The Jets managed two yards in the entire second half.

The BYU alum drew the ire of the fan base — and apparently his bosses too — with a postgame news conference in which he claimed little responsibility for the team’s struggles.

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Bears coach Matt Eberflus was noncommittal about quarterback Justin Fields’ status for the game against the Jets as he deals with a shoulder injury. He said Fields is day-to-day and will go through a walk-through Wednesday.

Most importantly, Eberflus said going on injured reserve is not a consideration for Fields.

Because the Bears are having a walk-through Wednesday instead of a practice, they are required to estimate how much any injured player would have been able to participate if they’d held a real practice.

Fields hurt his left (non-throwing) shoulder with 1:42 left in the Bears’ 27-24 loss to the Falcons on Sunday when cornerback Dee Alford knocked him out of bounds. He played the last two plays, ending with an interception, but Eberflus said Monday everything was on the table as far as him playing this week or going on injured reserve.

The injury came at a particularly inconvenient time for Fields as he enjoys the best stretch of his career.

Over his last seven games, he has completed 63.4% of his passes, averaged 167.3 yards per game and thrown for 11 touchdowns against four interceptions for a 97.6 passer rating. He also averaged 98.1 yards rushing per game and scored six touchdowns.

If Fields is out, veteran Trevor Siemian is in line to start against the Jets. The Bears have also had Nathan Peterman on their practice squad the entire season.

Siemian, 30, has thrown one pass this season. He started four games for the Saints last season and averaged 231 yards with eight touchdowns, three interceptions and an 86.7 passer rating. He also started one game for the Jets as a backup in 2019.

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A woman with a concealed carry license was shot after she wounded a robber trying to break into her car early Wednesday in Calumet Heights.

The woman, 23, was sitting in a parked car in the 1300 block of East 89th Street when four men stepped out of a black sedan and approached about 2:10 a.m., Chicago police said.

One of the men, age unknown, flashed a handgun at the woman and tried breaking into her car, prompting the woman to open fire, police said. He was shot in the head and taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Another man, age also unknown, fired back and struck the woman in the left arm, police said.

The woman was taken to Trinity Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition, officials said.

Three men fled the scene.

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WASHINGTON, ILL.– Jeremy Fears Jr.’s return to Joliet West didn’t go quite as planned, but the Tigers managed to hold on and beat St. Louis Cardinal Ritter 75-72 in overtime at the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions.

Fears said something to a Cardinal Ritter player on the way back to the bench with 1:45 left to play and Joliet West leading 65-59. He picked up a technical foul, which fouled him out of the game.

That led to a four-point swing. Then a turnover and a goaltending call combined to get Cardinal Ritter right back in it. The Lions had a wide-open three-point attempt at the buzzer in regulation but it didn’t fall.

Highly-regarded sophomore Jeremiah Fears, Jeremy’s younger brother, left with what appeared to be a twisted ankle with two minutes left in overtime. Matthew Moore, Joliet West’s other Division I senior, had fouled out in regulation.

But the Tigers managed to hang on and win in overtime thanks to juniors Justus McNair and Drew King and senior Jayden Martin.

“It’s not funny, but I think after tonight, counting Jeremy’s freshman year here and Jeremiah’s freshman year last year that’s 14 technicals between the two of them,” Joliet West coach Jeremy Kreiger said. “There competitive spirits get going so high. They don’t know how to turn that off yet. And that’s got to be me coaching them through those moments.

“I’ll tell them that as star players, everyone’s eyes are always on them. While you may not feel like it is your fault, you need to be emotionally in control at all times because you are our heart and we go as you go.”

Fears Jr., a Michigan State recruit, finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three blocks and four assists. Jeremiah Fears scored 17. McNair scored 18 and Martin added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“What I love is we pulled out a win in overtime without our two Division I players on the floor for nine and a half minutes,” Kreiger said. “While we do have things we need to improve, I think it’s better to speak about how those guys willed us to a victory.”

King, who is 6-9, has improved tremendously since last season. His emergence will give the Tigers more rim protectors this season than most expected.

“What he’s done to committing to the game of basketball and the weight room has done wonders for us,” Kreiger said. “That’s changed our team for the better.”

Moline lost to Wisconsin Lutheran, a team from Milwaukee, 90-80 in the first game I saw in Washington. Wisconsin Lutheran shot the heck out of the ball, draining 10 threes in the first half and led by 19 at the break.

The Maroons have two Iowa recruits, guard Brock Harding and Bradley-Bourbonnais transfer Owen Freeman. Harding scored 34 and Freeman added 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Tuesday’s top games

Metamora 87, Yorkville Christian 41: Another game in Washington. I didn’t see this one, the plan is to catch Metamora tomorrow evening. Ethan Kizer scored 17 and Matthew Zobrist had 15. David Douglas Jr. led the Mustangs with 23.

Hyde Park 69, North Lawndale 62: Damarion Morris scored 23 and Cam Williford had a monster game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Another close lost to start the season for the Phoenix.

Thornton 57, Manual 51: Vincent Rainey starts this season with a 33-point effort. That’s a career high for the sharpshooting guard.

Young 85, Rockford East 43: The Dolphins rebound quickly from the loss to Kenwood. Another big game for Daniel Johnson with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Antonio Munoz added 12 points and six rebounds.

St. Ignatius 57, Taft 54: Sophomore Phoenix Gill started for the first time and led the Wolfpack with 18 points. Richard Barron had 15 and Jackson Kotecki added 12. Good early sign for Taft to play a ranked team this close. Frank Paszkowski led the Eagles with 18 points.

Evanston 65, Libertyville 55: The Wildkits trailed at halftime but pulled off the win. Senior Malachi Barrett led the way with 16 and Prince Adams added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Marian Catholic 62, Rich 46: Quentin Jones led the way with 17 and James Bullock added 14. Samar Bures led the Raptors with 21.

Hillcrest 80, TF South 68: Guard Bryce Tillery scored 18 and big man Darrion Baker added 15. Romelo Ali had 25 for TF South.

Bloom 63, Lincoln-Way Central 52: A balanced scoring attack for the Blazing Trojans. Jayden Watson scored 16, Raeshom Harris 13 and Jordan Brown added 12 points.

Lake Forest 62, Bulls Prep 38: Clemson recruit Asa Thomas dropped 32 points and had eight rebounds.

Prospect 69, Antioch 41: Ben Schneider led the Knights with 22 points and Alex Georgakas scored 13.

Proviso East 92, East Aurora 51: Two games into the season and I’m already wondering if the Pirates should have been in the preseason Super 25. Bryce Coleman has opened with a pair of big games. He had 18 points and 14 rebounds against the Tomcats. Guard Jaloni Johnson scored 18 and had seven steals.

Curie 71, Hinsdale South 58: The Chikasi Ofoma/Jeremy Harrington duo did it again. Ofoma had 13, Harrington 12 and eight rebounds.

Mount Carmel 84, Kennedy 37: DeAndre Craig scored 17 to hit 1,000 points in his career.

Beecher 59, Peotone 39: I was impressed with Adyn McGinley when I made my trip down to Beecher last season and he’s starting the season really well. He had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Oak Lawn 74, Lincoln-Way West 50: Hearing good things about the Spartans early. Ayham Salah nearly posted a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Xavier Sulaiman added 21 points.

Lindblom 64, Nazareth 62: Junior Je’Shawn Stevenson exploded for 32 points and five rebounds. He was a perfect 12 of 12 from the free-throw line. Quentin McCoy added 15 points and five rebounds.

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Admit it: While you were watching quarterback Justin Fields getting his hamstring worked on Sunday, you were afraid. Then you saw he hurt his shoulder on the Bears’ last drive against the Falcons and you were petrified, thinking you couldn’t live without Fields by your side.

An injured Fields is the sum of all fears for Bears fans. It’s pretty clear most were willing to accept a season full of bad losses in exchange for development. If, at the end of the season, you were sure the team had a quarterback, the losses would hurt less. It’s a mature approach to fandom, as long as the Bears hold up their end of the bargain.

What you’ve gotten so far has been better than you probably envisioned. Fields has been historically good running the ball. He has cashed in on some red-zone opportunities with his legs and arms. He also has made some throws that left mouths agape, such as his 32-yard sideline dart to David Montgomery against the Falcons.

Each week since the Commanders game has been must-watch television. Fields has been the answer to the clarion call that Bears fans have been sounding for decades about the quarterback position.

Now comes the hard part.

On Monday, coach Matt Eberflus gave a status update on Fields: “Right now it’s day-to-day. We’ll see where he is on Wednesday. So we’ve got time, and we’ll see where it is and go from there.”

For those of you who don’t speak NFL Ball Coach, saying a player is “day-to-day” is part stall tactic, part cloak and dagger. The stalling is so the team can get more advanced imaging. If a player has an injury with significant swelling, that swelling has to go down to get a clearer picture.

The subterfuge part has to do with this week’s opponent. Eberflus would like the Jets to worry about Fields playing, even if the Bears know he isn’t. Coaches feel it’s a tactic that can’t hurt and might help because it means the Jets are prepping for two quarterbacks: Fields and backup Trevor Siemian.

Fans are preparing for Siemian to play, too. I want to be clear: This is not shade toward Siemian. He was an excellent college player and has proven himself as a competent pro. But this isn’t what Bears fans signed up for. Over the last 12 weeks, they’ve given themselves to this team and have been rewarded with spectacular moments. Watching Siemian now lead the team would be a breaking of the contract and a terrible way to end a holiday weekend.

Again, Trevor, no diss. We were promised jetpacks, and nothing less than that will do.

A late brunch or relegating the Bears to background noise while you clean the house might be in order.

The bigger-picture implications are concerning. I feel pretty good about Fields’ ability. I think he has the smarts and mettle to work toward being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The hope is that he’s healthy enough to continue the season and work on things that improve passing-game production. But if he misses many weeks or the rest of the season, the grade will be incomplete.

As critical as I’ve been of general manager Ryan Poles, I would understand if he felt he didn’t have a complete picture after only five weeks of Fields’ excellence. I’m convinced that a better supporting cast can take Fields to lofty heights, but NFL front offices usually don’t make decisions based on small sample sizes. An incomplete grade on Fields makes for a murky offseason of priorities. And nobody wants that.

Here’s hoping Eberflus delivers some good news Wednesday, for Fields’ sake and yours. Sundays in Chicago have turned into a Fields watch party. Everything else is wasted time, and we all have laundry to do.

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