Chicago Sports

ATLANTA — Justin Fields got another chance to pull off a late comeback, but again couldn’t get the Bears a win. They suffered their fourth consecutive loss Sunday, losing 27-24 to the Falcons.

Fields led a game-tying drive capped by David Montgomery’s two-yard touchdown run to make it 24-24 with 8:20 left, then the Falcons pulled ahead on Younghoe Koo’s 53-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining.

That left Fields with one last shot from his own 25-yard line with all three timeouts. He got one yard on a designed run on first down, scrambled for four on second and threw an interception on third. Fields targeted Montgomery at the first-down marker on third-and-five with 1:07 left, but threw high and it deflected off his fingertips into the hands of safety Jaylinn Hawkins to end the game.

Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown to Darnell Mooney and the late interception for an 84.0 passer rating. He also ran 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears led 17-7 late in the first half.

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Twenty questions and answers on the upcoming season.

1. Who is the best player in the Chicago area?

Opinions are split between Joliet West’s Jeremy Fears Jr. and Cameron Christie of Rolling Meadows. The senior guards have very different styles. Fears is a pass-first point guard and lockdown defender. Christie is a top-notch scorer.

Fears has a higher national ranking and his experience with the US national team gives him the edge in the preseason.

2. Which players are on the preseason All-State team?

Fears, Christie, Kenwood guard Darrin Ames, East St. Louis forward Macaleab Rich and Simeon’s Miles Rubin.

3. Which teams are the favorites to win Class 4A?

St. Rita, Kenwood and Joliet West are the top contenders. Each team has a significant weakness that keeps them from being the clear choice. The Mustangs have some questions in the backcourt and Kenwood and Joliet West are inexperienced. Young and Curie start the season just a notch below that trio but can’t be overlooked.

4. Is there a team that could make a Cinderella run?

Rolling Meadows is the one to watch. Christie is surrounded by good size with 6-7 Mark Nikolich-Wilson, 6-7 Tsvet Sotirov and 6-6 Ian Miletic.

5. Who are the favorites in Class 3A?

Three of the final four teams in Champaign return the bulk of their starting lineups. Sacred Heart-Griffin, the defending champs, returns all five starters. Simeon is the favorite, but Metamora has a ton back and beat the Wolverines last season in the semifinals.

6. What’s the most interesting development for this season?

The shot clock has arrived. Sort of. The Illinois High School Association is allowing a 35-second shot clock to be used at shootouts and tournaments. It will still be at least a couple years until we see it implemented everywhere and in the state playoffs.

7. Which players have improved the most since last season?

Lyons senior Niklas Polonowski went from almost a total unknown to a Penn recruit over the summer. A trio of big men, Hillcrest’s 6-9 Darrion Baker and Simeon’s 6-9 Rubin twins, Miles and Wes, have taken major steps forward as well.

8. Which players are worth traveling to see?

St. Rita’s junior big man duo of James Brown and Illinois recruit Morez Johnson are highly regarded nationally and can put on a show. Joliet West sophomore Jeremiah Fears has as much potential as any player in the state and has a crowd-pleasing, flashy style.

9. What are the top teams from outside the area?

Sacred Heart-Griffin, Metamora and East St. Louis are all serious contenders for the Class 3A state title. It’s a strong year outside the area. Moline is a powerhouse in Class 4A. The Maroons return Iowa recruit Brock Harding, a talented guard. And they picked up a major transfer from Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6-9 Owen Freeman, also an Iowa signee.

10. Who is the most important transfer?

So many to choose from, but Fears’ return to Joliet West slightly edges out Nojus Indrusaitis’ move from Lemont to St. Rita. Fears turned the Tigers into instant state championship contenders. The Mustangs would have been with or without Indrusaitis.

11. Who is the most under-appreciated player in the area?

Momence senior James Stevenson Jr. is virtually unknown but was a dominant force last season. He’s a 6-6 point guard with great court vision and scoring ability.

12. Which teams were overlooked in the preseason Super 25?

Riverside-Brookfield, Downers Grove North, Glenbrook South and North Lawndale should all crack the rankings this season.

13. What is the must-see game of the year?

There’s no clear cut top game at this point, but the first two weeks of the season are loaded. Joliet West faces St. Rita in Washington. Simeon plays the Mustangs at the Chicago Elite Classic and Kenwood faces Joliet West at the event as well.

14. What is the strongest conference in the area?

The Red-South/Central retains the crown. Simeon, Kenwood, Curie, Hyde Park and Perspectives-Leadership are all in the preseason Super 25.

15. Who are the top freshmen?

The early buzz is around Rich’s Jamson Coulter Jr., Kenwood’s Noah Mister, Andre Tyler of St. Rita and Marist’s Stephen Brown.

16. Who are the top shooters?

Lake Forest’s Asa Thomas, Christie, Ames, New Trier’s Jake Fiegen and Glenbrook North’s Ryan Cohen.

17. Who are the new coaches to watch?

Hyde Park’s Jerrel Oliver is making his head coaching debut. There are two established veterans at new spots: Lou Adams at Rich, Conte Stamas at Brother Rice. Also keep an eye on Jamere Dismukes, who takes over at Homewood-Flossmoor.

18. Which sophomores will emerge as stars?

Jeremiah Fears and St. Rita’s Melvin Bell established themselves last season. Expect Young’s Antonio Munoz, St. Ignatius guard Phoenix Gill and Kenwood’s Aleks Alston to emerge.

19. Who are the area’s best big men?

It’s a solid year for bigs. The Rubin twins, Brown, Hillcrest’s Darrion Baker and Rolling Meadows senior Mark Nikolich-Wilson are all difference makers under the basket.

20. Will the scheduling calm down?

No. It’s a new world due to the IHSA’s rule changes that kicked in just before COVID. Expect teams to continue to schedule games on the fly to replace games they don’t play in tournaments.

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The cover of the program for “The Lion King,” now playing at the Cadillac Palace Theater, boasts the claim that it is “The World’s #1 Musical,” and it is easy to understand why. Now 25 years since its inception, it checks all of the boxes for a quality production: a compelling story, beautiful music (by Elton John and Tim Rice) and excellent performers. But what earns it the top spot is the commitment to costumes, sets, makeup, props, and puppetry. As a first-time viewer of this show on stage, I have frankly never seen puppetry this exceptional outside of a puppet exhibition.

Like the 1994 animated Disney masterpiece, the play opens with the song “The Circle of Life/Nants’ Ingonyama,” which won a Grammy for best arrangement, instrumentals and vocals. The music alone (sung exceptionally by Gugwana Dlamini as Rafiki) is enough to bring tears to your eyes, but when paired with puppets by Julie Taymor and director Michael Curry that mimic animals crossing the plains; giraffes, elephants, antelope, birds …. it’s breathtaking. The audience gasped audibly multiple times, amazed at the sheer artistry on display.

The show boasts gigantic, full-body, human-operated puppets, shadow puppets and pole puppets that work in harmony with the ingenious lighting, sets, costumes (the flower costumes felt phoned in, though) and makeup to create stunning optical illusions and theater magic. Watching a 5-year-old mouth agape at a giraffe towering over his head is worth the price of admission alone.

In a recent Variety article, director Julie Taymor revealed that humor from one country to the next does not usually translate, so the production works with local comedians to craft jokes which can produce local social commentary. For example, a South African production cast Timon as a Black South African actor and Pumbaa was played by a white Afrikaner actor. Taymor was quoted as saying: “Don’t underestimate your audience. … Don’t think because you’re doing something that’s going to have a 4-year-old in the audience that you have to dumb it down.”

However, if I had one major quibble about the play (outside of the patriarchal and monarchal messages), it was that the 1994 film held significantly more emotional weight that the kids in the audience were clearly anticipating and were robbed of. Throughout Act I, a chorus of children could be heard timidly (and eagerly) asking their parents “Is this the scary part yet?” Art is a safe medium for children to process feelings of fear without real danger. Yet when the “scary” parts arrived (Mufasa’s demise, and the creepiness of the hyenas), it became clear that the production had scaled back the scary to earn a G rating. I hope that when a revival comes around the next director leans in and gives us the truly creepy puppet hyenas we deserve. Even the romance of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” was neutered and played for laughs.

However I do appreciate Taymor’s sentiment otherwise. Just because this is a story “for kids” there is plenty for even the most jaded theater snob to appreciate. Peter Hargrave is absolutely enthralling as Scar, able to strike fear into your heart while also evoking laughter. Darian Sanders’ voice soars as Simba in “Under the Stars,” and Nick Corileone and John E. Brady are a dynamic comedy duo as Timon and Pumbaa. And the standout stars of the show were the ensemble dancers and actors whose choreography and fluid movements during transitions often stole the show. The group of female lions on the hunt together held some especially imaginative surprises. Ultimately, The Lion King is a must-see musical packed with once-in-a-lifetime puppet artistry and theater magic.

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A former Bears returner breaks NFL record

A former Chicago Bears player had an up-and-down half. Cordarrelle Patterson fumbled the ball in the second quarter setting up a Bears score. He took the kick return after that touchdown to the endzone for his current team, the Atlanta Falcons.

In doing so, Patterson broke the record for kick return touchdowns. Patterson now has nine kick return touchdowns in his career. He was tied with Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington with eight kick return touchdowns before Sunday’s game. That’s a huge accomplishment for the Former Bears return man.

Patterson was one of the best return men the Bears have had. But he’s not in the same league as Devin Hester. Hester had five kick returns for touchdowns. However, his punt return record is safe for this season. Hester had 14 punt returns for his career. That record isn’t going away any time soon.

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Cole Kmet’s breakout is happening in front of our very eyes.

Tight end Cole Kmet has been Justin Fields’ most valuable go-to receiver this season as the Chicago Bears try to integrate their passing game with Fields’ athletic abilities. Kmet had 23 catches on 33 targets for 274 yards and a team-high five receiving touchdowns entering Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Bears had first-and-10 at their own 49-yard line with 10:18 left in the first half of Sunday’s game, and Fields wanted to go deep to Kmet. That decision was made far wiser by the tight end, who somehow went Animal Style over cornerback A.J. Terrell for the incredible one-handed catch.

If five touchdowns in three games wasn’t enough to put him on your radar, this insane grab will:

Per Luis Medina “Who knew that Cole Kmet had this in him? A player who went a good two years without scoring a touchdown is so deep in his bag of tricks that he is making one-handed catches now. What a remarkable development”.

The catch aided the Bears’ next scoring drive. It was merely a field goal. He has nine catches and 115 receiving yards in the last two weeks, by far his most productive two-game stretch of the season.

Fans react on Twitter

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Southern California moved into the top five of The Associated Press college football poll Sunday for the first time in five years.

Georgia received 62 of the 63 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank as the top four teams held their places after playing varying degrees of close games Saturday.

No. 2 Ohio State received the other first-place vote. Michigan was No. 3 again, followed by TCU.

The fifth-ranked Trojans edged up two spots after a thrilling victory against rival UCLA. The last time USC was ranked in the top five was September of 2017, when it started at No. 4 but spent most of the season ranked in the teens before finishing 12th.

Lincoln Riley’s first season as USC coach has produced one of the best turnarounds in the country, with the Trojans going from four wins to 10, and the regular-season finale against No. 13 Notre Dame and a Pac-12 championship game still to go.

“If you would have told me at the end of last season I would be here now with this group of guys and being able to play for a championship, I would have called you a dead liar. Just being completely honest,” USC fourth-year receiver Kyle Ford told reporters after the UCLA game. “I’m just so thankful for everyone on this team.”

LSU stayed at No. 6. Clemson moved up two spots to No. 7. Alabama held at eighth and Tennessee dropped four spots to No. 9 after getting upset in a blowout at South Carolina.

In their 63-38 victory, the Gamecocks scored more points against a top-five team as an unranked team than any in the history of the AP poll.

Oregon rounded out the top 10 after the Ducks beat Utah in the Pac-12’s other marquee game on Saturday night.

POLL POINTS

Georgia set a school record with its 10th appearance at No. 1 this season. Last year the Bulldogs had nine No. 1s, the most in school history.

Georgia has been at No. 1 a total of 34 times, tying Michigan for 12th most in the history of the AP poll, which dates to 1936.

Southern California is a top-five team for the 283rd time in poll history. That’s seventh most, 13 behind Nebraska.

The top five at being top five: Alabama (451), Oklahoma (430), Ohio State (418), Notre Dame (318) and Michigan (306).

IN

Texas, again.

The 24th-ranked Longhorns, who started the season unranked, have moved into the Top 25 four times. They haven’t managed to stay there for more than two weeks.

A blowout victory against Kansas pushed the Longhorns back into the rankings as they head toward a season finale against Baylor.

OUT

Oklahoma State lost its rivalry game against Oklahoma to drop to 7-4 and out of the rankings again.

CONFERENCE CALL

Pac-12 — 6 (Nos. 5, 10, 12, 14, 17, 22).

SEC — 5 (Nos. 1, 6, 8, 9, 20).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 7, 16, 18).

American — 3 (Nos. 19, 21, 25).

Big Ten — 3 (Nos. 2, 3, 11).

Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 4, 15, 24).

Sun Belt — 1 (No. 23).

Independent — 1 (No. 13).

RANKED vs. RANKED

Rivalry weekend’s highest stakes games:

— No. 19 Tulane at No. 21 Cincinnati, Friday. The winner hosts the AAC championship game.

— No. 10 Oregon at No. 22 Oregon State. First time since 2012 both are ranked.

— No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State. The best combined ranking between the two were also 2-3 heading into the 2016, decided in overtime by a fourth-down spot.

— No. 13 Notre Dame at No. 5 USC. First time both have been ranked since 2017.

THE TOP 25

1. Georgia (62 first-place votes) 11-0

2. Ohio St. (1) 11-0

3. Michigan 11-0

4. TCU 11-0

5. Southern Cal 10-1

6. LSU 9-2

7. Clemson 10-1

8. Alabama 9-2

9. Tennessee 9-2

10. Oregon 9-2

11. Penn St. 9-2

12. Washington 9-2

13. Notre Dame 8-3

14. Utah 8-3

15. Kansas St. 8-3

16. Florida St. 8-3

17. UCLA 8-3

18. North Carolina 9-2

19. Tulane 9-2

20. Mississippi 8-3

21. Cincinnati 9-2

22. Oregon St. 8-3

23. Coastal Carolina 9-1

24. Texas 7-4

25. UCF 8-3

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Questions have remained over how exactly the Chicago Cubs would address their pitcher needs.

While the early free-agent links around the Chicago Cubs have been centered on the shortstops, followers of the sport know that they need to add a few starting pitchers this offseason. We’ve heard the mention of Kodai Senga of Japan, but that’s been the only big name attached to the Cubs on the pitching market until now.

Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic may have provided some insight per the Chicago’s search for starting pitchers as they named a duo that the Cubs have reportedly shown interest in.

“The Cubs continue to be active in the free-agent market for starting pitchers, a group that includes Kodai Senga, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker on their radar.“

Of the two new starting pitchers added to the Cubs’ rumor mill, Bassitt seem more aligned with the needs of the franchise. After earning American League All-Star honors with the Oakland Athletics in 2021, he was traded to the New York Mets prior to the 2022 season.

With the Mets in 2022, Bassitt posted a 3.42 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 90 ERA- (ERA- measures ERA adjusted for park and league where 100 is the average and lower is better) in 181.2 innings pitched. Bassitt also features a mid-90s fastball and would be a change of pace for the Cubs’ rotation.

Taijuan Walker, Bassitt’s teammate at Mets, had a similar season. Walker posted a 3.49 ERA, 3.65 FIP, and 92 ERA- in a tick over 157 innings pitched with the New York team last season.

Bassitt has proved to have more of consistent profile over the course of his career as opposed to Walker and that would be the reason why he represents as a better solution to the Cubs’ starting pitching needs this offseason.

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ATLANTA — Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 103 yards in the second quarter Sunday against the Bears to become the NFL’s all-time kickoff return king.

Patterson’s ninth career kickoff return for a touchdown is an NFL record. He was tied with Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington with eight kickoff return touchdowns entering the game, with two coming as a member of the Bears from 2019-20. Neither Cribbs nor Washington has played since 2014.

Patterson caught Cairo Santos’ kick three yards deep into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium end zone with 4:35 left in the first half and returned it up the middle. He wasn’t touched until inside the Bears’ 5, when he was tripped and tumbled into the end zone to go down 17-14.

To celebrate, Patterson took off his helmet and had teammate Olamide Zaccheaus place an imaginary crown on his head.

The Bears were wary of Patterson all week.

“He’s one of the best players to ever do it,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said Thursday. “So obviously we have a challenge kicking off there, but it’s a good challenge and I think Cairo is up for the challenge and I like where Cairo is. I mean, I like where he is in his mindset. …

“Am I worried about Cairo? I’m not. Am I worried about kickoff? I’m not. I’m excited. I’m ready to compete.”

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ATLANTA — The Bears have a couple of takeaways and are getting solid play from quarterback Justin Fields as they’re tied 17-17 with the Falcons at halftime.

Fields has completed 7 of 12 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown for a 103.1 passer rating. He also has run 14 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.Both teams scored on their opening possession, with the Falcons taking a 7-0 lead before the Bears answered.

The Bears got a big boost from the return of rookie Velus Jones, who had been a healthy scratch the last two games. He returned his first kickoff for 55 yards to set them up in Falcons territory, and the Bears quickly went 44 yards on seven plays. Fields capped the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney.

Their defense also has played well and has taken advantage of two Falcons fumbles.

Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson forced a fumble on punt coverage late in the first quarter to give the Bears the ball at the Atlanta 41-yard line, and in the middle of the second quarter safety Jaquan Brisker forced a fumble at the end of a 19-yard run by Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson recovered that one and returned it to the Atlanta 28, and Fields eventually ran in for a four-yard touchdown.

The Bears came in having lost three in a row and six of their last seven, but Fields has been playing the best football of his career.

Over his last six games, Fields ran for 602 yards and five touchdowns at a rate of 8.6 per carry. He also has completed 63% of his passes and posted a 99.6 passer rating with 10 touchdown passes against three interceptions.

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