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A.J. Klein Chicago Bears

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Jeff Okudah was Justin Fields’ best friend when the latter was a sophomore at Ohio State. The quarterback and cornerback wore the same number, lived in the same apartment building and spent time in each other’s room almost every day after practice.

When Okudah said on Sunday that the Bears quarterback is faster now than he was in college, he knew what he was talking about.

“In the offseason in college I was fast,” Fields said Wednesday. “But during the season, since I did not run as much in college, I probably would lose speed. But since now that I’m running constantly, I probably keep my speed from the offseason.”

Fields and the Bears are still learning the best way to keep him fresh.

Bears quarterbacks typically run a few gassers — sprints across the width of the field — during practice. Fields will probably skip them, and other extra conditioning, this week. He’ll double down on treatment from trainers, too, after admitting that his legs were sore during the 31-30 loss to the Lions.

“I don’t even know if it was the hits; it’s just the running,” he said. “My legs just felt heavy after the game. The guys on the strength staff said that my load has been pretty high, so just been doing a little bit of tapering back this week in practice.”

It’s all part of adjusting to life as the most dominant rushing quarterback in the league. Fields has run for 555 yards in his last five games, the most ever for a quarterback during that span. Sunday — heavy legs and all — he ran for a 67-yard touchdown run, the longest for in franchise history for a quarterback. He broke his own record, set just a week earlier.

“I would say it’s pretty amazing — the numbers and the ability to run,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “And then to see his growth in the passing game. And then, really, to see all those guys around him starting to gel … It really helps our running game. It helps the runners.”

An efficient passing game is the next step. The Bears lost Sunday, in part because of a pick-six Fields threw to Okudah, his old friend, in the fourth quarter.

The sheer volume of runs, though, is a burden put on few other quarterbacks in the league. In the last five games, Fields has run 62 times, which is 25 times more than any other quarterback and tied for 15th-most in the league. Fields is averaging 9 yards per carry during that span; no one else in the top 20 of carries during that span can top 5.9.

Fields leads the Bears in rushing yards and could even finish the season as their leader in rushes. His 104 carries trail Khalil Herbert by four, though Herbert is on injured reserve for at least another four weeks, and David Montgomery by 11.

It’s new territory for modern NFL teams — and for Fields himself.

He ran often as a sophomore at Ohio State, carrying 137 times for 484 yards in 14 games. During eight games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Fields ran 81 times for 383 yards in eight games. Take away 52 sacks, though — in the NCAA, sacks count as rushes for negative yards — and Fields ran 8.3 times per game.

He’s averaging 10.4 this season.

With seven games to go, he’s preparing his body for even more.

“I pretty much get that training during the game,” he said. “I get that conditioning, extra work during the game — and then recover during the week and get my body ready to go on Sunday.”

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New Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly’s connection to some of the younger hitters on the roster is obvious. He was the club’s minor-league hitting coordinator for two years and named field coordinator not long before president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer approached him about an opportunity on the major-league staff.

Perhaps overlooked is the advantage of his presence at major-league spring training the past two years.

“Just being there to help throwing batting practice,” Kelly said in a video conference call on Wednesday, “and being a familiar face has made that transition a little bit easier.”

Kelly, who coached in the Dodgers farm system before the Cubs hired him ahead of the 2021 season, pointed to his background within the organization as something that can help him stick in a role infamous for turnover. As the Cubs move out of their rebuild, they’ll be looking for homegrown hitters to make a long-term impact, players Kelly will have known since their minor-league playing days.

That’s a leg-up Kelly’s predecessor didn’t have. Greg Brown was an outside hire last year, and the lockout cut off contact between him and his new players for his first few months on the job.

Kelly will be the Cubs’ eighth head hitting coach in 12 seasons.

“He’s done a fantastic job as a coordinator,” Hoyer said. “He’s built great relationships and done a great job working with [director of hitting] Justin Stone and working with all the coaches and all the young hitters. And we really did like the continuity.”

Jared Banner, vice president of player development, echoed Hoyer’s sentiments.

“He’s a special person,” Banner added, “a really special leader, and I’m not surprised that he’s gotten this opportunity.”

Kelly was a little surprised, in that the job wasn’t on his radar when Hoyer broached the subject.

Going into the offseason, Kelly said he was looking forward to seeing the impact he could make as the minor-league field coordinator. Then, he had several conversations with Hoyer about the major-league hitting coach opportunity and talked to manager David Ross and other members of the coaching staff.

“It just seemed like a really good, natural fit for me,” Kelly said.

Since accepting the job, Kelly’s been at work getting to know his players and fellow coaches better. He’ll have three assistant hitting coaches, with Juan Cabreja and Jim Adduci joining Johnny Washington.

“Everybody has their own specialty, and we’re going to leverage each of those,” Kelly said. “A Swiss Army Knife is how I’ve described it to our guys: We’re one unit, one little knife, but within that knife, there’s a bunch of different tools that we have to use and we can pull from depending on the situation.”

As for his players, Kelly said connecting with them has been a fun part of the transition. His conversations have been focussed on feeling out the hitter’s individual routines, goals and what makes them tick.

He’s had a head start for several of those meetings. About half of the hitters on the Cubs’ 40-man roster have spent significant time in the minors the past couple years, even without counting rehab assignments.

Kelly is also a familiar face for Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner, the longest tenured Cubs hitters on the roster, thanks to spring training. Not to mention, Kelly’s brother Jason, then an assistant coach at the University of Washington and now the Huskies’ head coach, recruited Hoerner coming out of high school. Hoerner ended up at Pac-12 rival Stanford.

“What we strive to as coaches and instructors is building that relationship first,” Kelly said. “Once you have that and you’ve established that, then you can actually start to make some really good gains, maybe some swing changes, or things that need to happen that take some trust and some relationship-building to get accomplished.”

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Cole Kmet did not practice Wednesday

The Chicago Bears have been putting a lot of points on the board lately. Tight end Cole Kmet is a big reason why. The third-year tight end has had back-to-back games with two touchdowns a piece. His scoring streak is in jeopardy in Week 11 as he was added to the Bears’ injury report.

According to the Bears’ injury report released Wednesday, Kmet was out of Wednesday’s practice with a thigh injury.

The Bears continue to have several concerning injuries on the report. Teven Jenkins missed the game against the Detroit Lions in Week 10, he did not practice. A banged-up Bears secondary added Kyler Gordon to the list with a knee injury. David Montgomery, who missed practice due to personal reasons, will be needed in the backfield this week as Khalil Herbert was sent to the injured reserve Monday.

Wednesday’s DNP list

OL Teven Jenkins, hamstringTE Cole Kmet, thighRB David Montgomery, PersonalDL Al-Quadin Muhammad, KneeDB Kindle Vildor, Ankle

Wednesday’s limited participation in practice

DB Dane Cruikshank, hamstringDB Kyler Gordon, knee

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Three offensive starters missed Bears practice Wednesday.

Tight end Cole Kmet, who was kneed in the thigh by Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah late in Sunday’s loss, did not practice because of a thigh injury. Kmet said after the game that he did not consider the injury serious. He’s been one of the Bears’ biggest contributors, totaling five touchdowns over the past three games.

Running back David Montgomery sat out for a personal reason. His involvement in the league’s best rushing attack is critical this week after the Bears put Khalil Herbert on injured reserve Tuesday.

Guard Teven Jenkins, who missed Sunday’s game with a hip injury, sat out for the same reason. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee) and cornerback Kindle Vildor (ankle) remain out after sitting during the Lions game.

Rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon was limited because of a knee injury and safety Dane Cruikshank was limited because of a hamstring issue.

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The 6-8 Chicago Bulls head to New Orleans to face the 8-6 Pelicans in a rematch of last Wednesday’s game at the United Center.

The Chicago Bulls will look to stop a two-game losing streak as they head to New Orleans for a one-game road trip before heading back to the United Center on Friday. As of 1:00pm Wednesday afternoon, the Pelicans have listed Zion Williamson as out for tonight’s game. Coby White remains out for the Chicago Bulls.

Through fourteen games of the 2022-23 season, the Bulls have seen their ups and downs. An odd trend thus far that has surfaced includes a 0-7 record on Friday, Saturday or Sunday games, making Chicago a crisp 6-1 on weekday games. I assume this trend will even out, but whether this is coincidence or not, the Bulls need to change some type of approach to their weekend games.

Now let’s move over to the blog bets that have turned as sour as sour can be. After a 6-2 start to the season, we are on a brutal six-losing streak, matching the Bulls actual record of 6-8. While I like the Bulls chances in NOLA tonight, I’ll leave their spread and moneyline on the table and will head to a player point total to get us back on the right track. Sit back and let’s lock it in for some winning action on the court and in the wallets tonight as we look to get this damn monkey off of our back!

2022 Bulls Best Bet Record: 6-8 (6 Game L Streak!!)

Zach LaVine Over 22.5 Points (Sportsbook Odds May Vary)

For the Chicago Bulls to get into the win column, it could very well take a spirited and efficient performance from Zach LaVine tonight. After two average scoring nights in Chicago’s two most recent losses, I expect LaVine to be the focal point of the offense with an uptick in aggressive and confident scoring attacks.

In 2021-22, LaVine was fantastic in the two meetings with New Orleans, pouring in 39 and 32 points in each game. The Bulls split those two games with the Pelicans. Now after a 23-point outing in a loss last Wednesday to these Pels, and the Bulls staring a 6-8 record in the face, I’m willing to bet on Zach putting together a big night to lead Chicago on the road this evening.

The total in this game stands in the mid 220’s, offering an indication that we should see a healthy amount of points from both sides in this one. Taking Zion Williamson out of the lineup for the Pelicans, could open up some driving lanes for someone like LaVine, and while I like Zach’s chances behind the three-point line tonight, I think we could see him score on multiple levels throughout the game.

As for the Bulls’ chances tonight to win this game, while I’m not betting on their side, I will give some trends that could give us some optimism that Chicago can enact some revenge after last week’s loss.

Over the last 21 meetings in New Orleans, the Bulls are 15-5-1 against the spread. Over their last 8 road games versus teams with a winning home record, the Bulls are 6-2 against the spread. The Pelicans are 2-5 against the spread their last 7 games on zero days of rest. They are 6-17 against the spread in their last 23 Wednesday games, and 1-5 against the spread their last six following a straight up win.

I’m staying away from them on my bet slip, but I do like the Bulls chances to get their seventh win tonight, and to split the season series against New Orleans. Give me a big night from Zach LaVine for a big part of the winning recipe for both the Bulls, and to end this nasty six bet losing streak that I have put together. It’s a long season, don’t give up on me or the Bulls just yet!! See Red and GO BULLS!!

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A former Chicago Bears running back found a new home

The Chicago Bears had a lot of talent in their preseason backfield at running back. The Chicago Bears kept David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, and rookie running back Trestan Ebner. In the preseason, the Bears tried out undrafted rookie free agent De’Montre Tuggle in the preseason.

The Ohio Bobcats’ product was a longshot to make the Bears team or practice squad this season. Tuggle’s fumble in the Bears’ preseason game against the Cleveland Browns hurt his chances of staying in Chicago. However, Tuggle is getting the opportunity to play football professionally again.

According to a statement by the Arlington Renegades, Tuggle was drafted by the team in the second round of the XFL draft.

The XFL will start its regular season in February 2023. Renegades coach Bob Stoops will coach Tuggle this season. It’ll be interesting to see if the former Bears running back can use the XFL as a springboard to get back into the NFL.

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When a wide-open Cole Kmet hauled in a 50-yard touchdown reception against Detroit on Sunday, the idea, the promise and the threat of Bears quarterback Justin Fields coalesced, at least for one play. At that moment, a coaching staff’s and fan base’s most earnest desire could have been summed up in one sentence: More of that, please!

It doesn’t matter whether Lions safety Kerby Joseph simply forgot about Kmet or whether he was so worried Fields was going to run with the ball that he decided to ignore the tight end. What matters is the lesson from the play that needs to be embraced: Fields’ legs should lead to more opportunities for his arm.

The benefit of all this running should be more big pass plays.

To date, that hasn’t happened nearly enough.

If I were on the Bears coaching staff (looks at phone, still not ringing), I would press for more throws from Fields, specifically more deep throws. Everybody is in love with the running game these days. The Bears’ track club of Fields, Khalil Herbert (now on injured reserve) and David Montgomery has pushed the team to the top of the NFL in rushing attempts (360), rushing yards (2,017) and yards per carry (5.6). And it’s not just the Bears who are running more. Other teams seem to be falling in love with the running game again.

But let’s assume it’s a fad. Until notified otherwise, let’s stick to a much older trend, the one that says that teams, in order to be successful, have to be able to stretch the field. If you’ve been watching the Bears’ games, you know it’s not breaking news that they’re last in the league in passing attempts (208) and completions (123); second from last in passing yards (1,494); and tied for fourth from last in completions of 20 yards or more (21).

One passing stat is reason for optimism. Fields has four completions of 40 yards or more, which is tied for 12th in the league. It suggests that opponents are worried to distraction about his ability to tuck the ball under his arm and take off. It means receivers get some alone time. To reiterate: More of that, please!

It would be nice if offensive coordinator Luke Getsy would open up the passing game in the final seven games of the season, starting Sunday in Atlanta.

I know: If only it were that easy. The Bears’ offensive line knows how to run-block. It struggles in pass blocking. It’s a big reason why Getsy and head coach Matt Eberflus have embraced the idea of Fields as a running quarterback. If he’s going to get pulverized, let it be by a linebacker or safety, not a defensive tackle who has trouble keeping the pounds off.

To make matters worse, it’s not as if the Bears have receivers who have shown the ability to get open consistently. But before we put the linemen and receivers in stocks on Michigan Avenue, where they can be properly ridiculed, it’s important to know that Fields bears some of the responsibility for the offense’s lack of a legitimate passing attack. Even when he does have blocking, he tends to lock in on one receiver instead of going through his progressions. His accuracy has been suspect (58.9%, near the bottom of the league). And sometimes he gives up too quickly on a pass play and takes off.

But running is good, right? We all agree it’s been tons of fun watching him tear up defenses, right? Absolutely. Somehow, the Bears have made 3-7 entertaining. Who thought that possible?

Yet the biggest goal of the season is for Fields to make progress as a passer. So far, the progress has been slow. There certainly have been flashes. A few of his passes have been so perfectly thrown they could have produced a poetry anthology. But there have been head-scratchers, too, like the pick-6 he threw against the Lions. Mostly, the sample size has been as big as an hors d’oeuvre tray.

The Bears’ run-first offensive approach gives them the best chance to win, even though they’ve lost six of their last seven games. But winning should be secondary to Fields’ development.

Given the size and speed of NFL players, it’s hard to imagine a running quarterback holding up over time. At some point, the Bears are going to have to find out if the kid can throw. He’s thrown for more than 200 yards in just one game this season. His backers will view that as criticism or a lack of belief. It’s neither. It’s more a matter of eyesight. It’s hard to believe in something you haven’t seen yet.

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Going into the season, it looked like the Bears didn’t have enough wide receivers to cobble together a viable group. Now they have more than they know what to do with on game days.

The long-term goal surely is to build from the top down by finding a wide receiver, perhaps with their upcoming first round pick, even better than Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney. In the meantime, though, assuming Claypool is ready to operate at full capacity, they have a solid group already.

It has been a deliberate acclimation for Claypool, who played 33% of the snaps over his first two games since coming over from the Steelers in a trade that cost the Bears’ a second-round pick. He has three catches for 21 yards and one rush for four.

“It’s not going to work out every single week where everybody gets involved and everybody gets the touches that they need or want, but we’re certainly trying to do that,” coach Matt Eberflus said when asked if getting Claypool more involved is an urgent matter. “We’re trying to get Claypool the touches and highlight his athletic skill, like with all of our players.”

But Claypool isn’t like the other players. He was arguably the best receiver on the team the moment he entered Halas Hall, and the Bears paid a high price to land him. They’re also evaluating whether to give him a massive contract extension in the offseason.

Claypool said he was “prepared to be more involved” after getting just 19 snaps against the Lions on Sunday, but didn’t express any frustration.

“I’m not letting that get to me,” he said. “I just got here.”

Claypool indicated last week he expected to have a handle on the playbook by the time the Bears visit the Falcons, so perhaps those last two games were the soft launch and Sunday will be the grand unveiling of the new weapon.

Or, maybe it’ll still be a while.

Quarterback Justin Fields said Wednesday that Claypool is progressing well despite changing teams midseason and having missed the Bears’ foundational work of installing the offense in the offseason, but the playbook is complex.

“You kind of have to work him in slowly,” said Fields, who has been putting in extra time with Claypool daily. “Our routes have a lot of details in them, so it’s tough for him to come in and learn every little detail of every route.”

Everything the Bears do needs to be concentrated on next season, so beyond Claypool and Mooney, they need to use the last seven games to get clarity on which other receivers — if any — are part of their future.

That means rookie Velus Jones and reclamation project N’Keal Harry can’t continue to be inactive unless Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles have already concluded they aren’t part of the plans. That’s unlikely in either case.

Pringle is a curious situation because he was a high-priority signing by Poles coming off a career year of 42 catches for 568 yards and five touchdowns with the Chiefs, but he’s the Bears’ oldest wide receiver at 29 and has missed a lot of time with injury since early August.

“[He’s a] physical guy who can really block the point in the run game,” Eberflus said. “He’s a big body… a good route-runner. That’s what we see.”

Eberflus has rejected the idea of treating this season largely as a runup to 2023, repeating Wednesday that his intent is to play whoever gives him the best chance to win each week, but it’d be prudent to reconsider.

Equanimeous St. Brown, for example, is highly valued because of his playbook mastery and run blocking, so he plays more (65% of the snaps) than any receiver but Mooney. But he wasn’t targeted once against the Lions.

In the long term, the Bears need playmakers at that position. It’s time to find out how many they have.

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The Chicago Bears added help to their defensive line

The Chicago Bears need help on the defensive line. The unit has been subpar this season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears are graded dead last in the league in defensive pass rushing. The Bears added depth to the unit on Wednesday.

According to Adam Jahns with The Athletic, the Bears added defensive end, Taco Charlton off the New Orleans Saints practice squad.

Charlton was a 2017 first-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. He was a standout defensive player for the Michigan Wolverines in college when he won All-Big Ten honors. He had ten sacks in his senior season at Michigan.

Charlton hasn’t seen the same success at the NFL level. According to the statement by the Saints when they signed him, he’s been to a few other teams since he was drafted by the Cowboys:

The Chicago Bears need an edge rusher

Charlton hasn’t been productive this season. And he wasn’t super effective in the sack department for the Steelers last season. However, the Bears might be able to use him better in their system. If he can be even as productive as he was with the Cowboys, that would be a major improvement for the Chicago Bears, who traded away their edge rusher, Robert Quinn, this season.

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