Chicago Sports

Ozzie Guillen may just find his way back to the south side if reports making the rounds are anything to go by.

It appears the Chicago White Sox are set look to the past again in their quest for a new skipper.

Ozzie Guillen, who piloted the club from 2005-11 and is now a Television analyst, will interview next week for the White Sox vacant manager’s post, sources told Michael Allardyce of NBC Sports Chicago.

It is not unclear how serious Guillen’s candidacy may be, but he recently said he is open to discussing a potential return to the dugout.

“It is not in my plans. I don’t know if it is in the White Sox plans,” Guillen said on NBC Sports Chicago earlier this month, per Allardyce. “Even if they think I can help them for next year, I’m very open to listening to it.

“Let me be cocky,” he added. “Nobody in baseball knows this ballclub better than Ozzie Guillen.”

Guillen won 678 games as White Sox skipper. He led the team to a pair of division titles and became the first Latino manager to win a World Series when he helped the franchise end its 88-year championship drought in 2005. He was also a fan favorite on the South Side during 13 seasons as the White Sox shortstop.

The outspoken Venezuelan has not managed for a decade. His last attempt was an ill-fated campaign with the Miami Marlins in 2012. The Marlins disciplined Guillen during that season for his controversial comments about Fidel Castro and fired him after the club lost 93 games.

The White Sox managerial post opened when Tony La Russa resigned late in the season due to health problems. La Russa’s squad underachieved in 2022, finishing with a .500 record one year after winning a division title.

White Sox has already interviewed Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Kansas City Royals coach Pedro Grifol, and both left good impressions on the organization, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB.com earlier this week. Former Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington is also in the mix.

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1. Mount Carmel (8-0)

Saturday at No. 2 Loyola

2. Loyola (8-0)

Saturday vs. No. 1 Mount Carmel

3. Lincoln-Way East (9-0)

Won 28-21 (OT) at Bradley-Bourbonnais

4. York (9-0)

Won 34-8 at Oak Park

5. Simeon (8-0)

Saturday vs. Lane at Gately

6. Glenbard West (7-1)

Saturday at Hindale Central

7. Hersey (9-0)

Won 49-6 vs. Buffalo Grove

8. Lemont (9-0)

Won 49-6 at TF South

9. Prospect (8-1)

Won 64-24 at Rolling Meadows

10. Marist (6-3)

Won 34-6 at No. 23 Brother Rice

11. St. Rita (7-2)

Won 30-6 vs. Notre Dame

12. Warren (8-1)

Won 48-6 vs. Zion-Benton

13. Maine South (7-2)

Won 28-21 (OT) vs. New Trier

14. Crete-Monee (7-2)

Won 25-22 vs. No. 19 Kankakee

15. Prairie Ridge (8-1)

Won 56-49 vs. Crystal Lake Central

16. St. Charles North (8-1)

Won 32-31 (2OT) at No. 18 Batavia

17. Wheaton North (8-1)

Won 36-20 vs. St. Charles East

18. Batavia (6-3)

Lost 32-21 (2OT) vs. No. 16 St. Charles North

19. Kankakee (7-2)

Lost 25-22 at No. 14 Crete-Monee

20. Lake Zurich (8-1)

Won 35-0 at Waukegan

21. Plainfield North (9-0)

Won 35-0 vs. Oswego East

22. Naperville Central (6-3)

Lost 31-3 vs. Naperville North

23. Brother Rice (6-3)

Lost 34-16 vs. No. 10 Marist

24. St. Francis (8-1)

Lost 25-14 at IC Catholic

25. Sycamore (9-0)

Won 28-0 vs. Morris

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The Blackhawks are still theoretically tanking, and their largely unrecognizable roster is proof of it.

Anonymous or not, though, their overlooked players have demonstrated impressive amounts of scrappiness and resilience through the season’s first few weeks.

The Hawks rallied from two goals down to stun the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime Friday, winning for the second time in four games. Philipp Kurashev and Connor Murphy led a third-period comeback before Max Domi picked the top corner on a semi-breakaway two minutes into the extra session to thrill a lively crowd of 18,753 at the United Center home opener.

“Winning’s fun, right?” Domi said. “I’ll take it.”

Before the game, the Hawks debuted a new intro video that ties their slogan for the rebuild era — “Ready to Work” — in with Chicago’s blue-collar everyday culture.

The video was well-produced. But coach Luke Richardson was notably the only member of the 2022-23 Hawks who actually appears in it, demonstrating just how few marketable players the Hawks have left — and how much additional turnover the roster will likely undergo by season’s end.

That lack of talent will likely catch up with the Hawks eventually. Four games hardly represent a sufficient sample in an 82-game season. They certainly won’t complain about exceeding expectations in the meantime, though.

“They really showed a lot of character in that room, and that’s a credit to the leadership on this team,” Richardson said. “At the end of the second period, we had a good push, so there was a lot of belief. Coming out for the third, I knew we were going to be there at the end.”

Starting goalie Petr Mrazek suffered a minor injury late in the second period and was replaced by Alex Stalock. Richardson said Mrazek will be re-evaluated Saturday but Arvid Soderblom was recalled from Rockford after the game, with Alec Regula sent the other way.

Kubalik returns

Former Hawks forward Dominik Kubalik got a trial run through the weirdness of being in the United Center visitor’s locker room during the preseason, but Friday marked his official return as a new member of the Red Wings.

He returned with a vengeance, tallying two points — including a sly tip-in goal off a shot by fellow ex-Hawk Olli Maatta.

Kubalik was part of Detroit’s first splashy offseason in years; they also brought in David Perron, Ben Chiarot, Andrew Copp and Ville Husso during free agency.

“That was No. 1 thing for me when I talked to the Red Wings, that they’re trying to make another step forward,” Kubalik said. “It’s a good sign for me. I was really happy to be part of it.”

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WASHINGTON – Patrick Williams is still conflicted with his exact place within this Bulls roster.

Unfortunately, it’s an inner-fight he’s losing.

The No. 4 overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, admitted to the Sun-Times on Friday that while he doesn’t read social media or care much about what fans even think of him, he is starting to feel the mounting pressure of playing with All-Star players like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, and where he exactly fits in.

It wasn’t in the win over Miami in the season tip-off, and it didn’t come in Friday’s 102-100 loss to the Washington Wizards.

So where?

That’s what the 21-year-old power forward is trying to figure out.

“I definitely feel it,” Williams said. “As a player, you know when you play well. But I think it’s tough. I don’t think it’s easy to play with stars. Anybody can get the ball and score, but I think it’s tough when you want to win and you play with stars, it’s tough. You gotta find different spots that you usually don’t have to find, offensive rebounds, transition, things like that. That’s where I think I have to find my buckets, just being aggressive.”

It was pointed out to Williams that he had shown at times an ability to score in bunches, especially when he put up 35 against Minnesota in the season finale last year. Of course that came with DeRozan, LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all sitting out.

“In those games those guys weren’t playing there were obviously more touches to go around,” Williams said. “That’s not a knock on those guys because they are who they are. They’re All-Stars and we need them to get going in order for us to be really good, but it’s just a total different dynamic when those guys are playing and when they’re not. That’s with any team.”

Almost any team.

Williams did acknowledge that Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey – who came from his draft class – seemed to have life figured out in playing alongside All-Stars like Joel Embiid and James Harden, as well as making an impact on the game himself.

That’s the path Williams is trying to navigate, but seemingly still getting lost on that journey.

In the win over the Heat, Williams played 28 minutes, scoring just four points on six shots and grabbing just two rebounds.

In the follow-up against the Wizards, he did show some early aggressiveness in attempting a three-pointer just 90 seconds into the game, but in his 14 minutes of work in that first half, finished with three points, not a single rebound or assist, and a minus-9 in plus/minus.

Then to start the third, Kyle Kuzma – the player Williams was defending – hit back-to-back threes, forcing coach Billy Donovan into a timeout just 51 seconds into the second half with the deficit up to 12.

That deficit got up to 17, and it was once again time to lean on one of those All-Stars.

DeRozan scored six in the third and then another 12 of his eventual game-high 32 in the final quarter. It still wasn’t enough.

After Bradley Beal gave the Wizards (2-0) the two-point lead with a contested bank shot with 7.4 seconds left, DeRozan tried to play hero again, shooting what would have been the game-winning three from the top of the arc.

DeRozan did say he was looking to get downhill and try to draw the foul or the plus-one, but “I couldn’t turn the corner, so I just sized him up, tried to get the best look possible. It felt great.”

As for Williams, he finished with seven points, a rebound and a team-worst minus-23 in plus/minus. His search for his place remained ongoing.

“I’ve been talking to them about it and trying to figure it out,” Williams said. “I’m totally confident we will. Specifically, because of the player I know I am.”

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As soon as Crete-Monee senior Lynel Billups-Williams caught the punt, a coach on the Kankakee sideline said “that’s a touchdown.”

A few seconds later, after a burst down the sideline and then across the field and into the endzone, Billups-Williams had gone 60 yards to put the Warriors ahead for good.

“I felt it too,” Billups-Williams said. “Everyone was screaming ‘poison’ at me and wanted me to get away from the ball but I knew I had it. There was so much space and opportunity.”

The No. 14 Warriors needed several of those big plays to beat No. 19 Kankakee 25-22.

Billups-Williams was all over the field. He caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from junior Cory Stennis early in the third quarter. It was a dynamic run after the catch, full of broken tackles and quick dodges. He also had a crucial sack in the fourth quarter.

“We lost to them last year and that’s been on all of our minds for a long time,” Billups-Williams said. “We had the fight to win this game and everyone contributed.”

Stennis ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run with 9:24 left to put Crete-Monee ahead 25-14. That proved crucial when Kankakee drove down and scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Larenz Walters to Karson King with 10 seconds to play.

Crete-Monee recovered the onside kick to seal the win.

“The collective effort by our defense was outstanding, “Crete-Monee coach John Konecki said. “And the kids were resilient for 48 minutes. That’s been one of the strong points of this team all year long. They never quit.”

Stennis was 9-for-14 passing for 127 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He had 14 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Stennis transferred from Rich and had emergence has allowed do-it-all star Joshua Franklin the luxury of doing a little less this season. Franklin had four catches for 39 yards and was a major factor in the defensive backfield as well.

“We have so many more threats this season,” Franklin said. “That’s going to be a huge factor for us in the playoffs.”

Tyrell Hester had 14 carries for 81 yards for the Warriors (7-2, 6-0 Southland), who clinched the conference title with the win. Crete-Monee is a contender for the Class 6A state title. The Warriors losses were to Lincoln-Way East and Merrillville Andrean, Ind.

“We’ve done a nice job this season of finding different ways to get our very talented skill guys out on the field and involved,” Konecki said. “The second season is coming. We’ve been tested during the season and now we just want to stay healthy and make sure the kids are on point.”

Kankakee (7-2, 5-1), which lost to Fenwick in the Class 5A state title game, has had an odd season. The Kays lost to Nazareth 2-0 in Week 1 and then weren’t challenged again until Week 9.

There is a ton of talent on the roster, including highly-regarded senior Jyaire Hill, one of the state’s top recruits, and running back Tony Phillips. Hill caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Larenz Tate in the second quarter.

Phillips had five carries for 64 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

“Penalties killed us,” Kankakee coach Derek Hart said. “There is a lot of stuff we need to fix still. But that’s probably one of the best teams we will see. I love where we are at but we have a lot of work to do to get ready for next week.

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WASHINGTON – Patrick Williams is still conflicted with his exact place within this Bulls roster.

Unfortunately, it’s an inner-fight he’s losing.

The No. 4 overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, admitted to the Sun-Times on Friday that while he doesn’t read social media or care much about what fans even think of him, he is starting to feel the mounting pressure of playing with All-Star players like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, and where he exactly fits in.

It wasn’t in the win over Miami in the season tip-off, and it didn’t come in Friday’s 102-100 loss to the Washington Wizards.

So where?

That’s what the 21-year-old power forward is trying to figure out.

“I definitely feel it,” Williams said. “As a player, you know when you play well. But I think it’s tough. I don’t think it’s easy to play with stars. Anybody can get the ball and score, but I think it’s tough when you want to win and you play with stars, it’s tough. You gotta find different spots that you usually don’t have to find, offensive rebounds, transition, things like that. That’s where I think I have to find my buckets, just being aggressive.”

It was pointed out to Williams that he had shown at times an ability to score in bunches, especially when he put up 35 against Minnesota in the season finale last year. Of course that came with DeRozan, LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all sitting out.

“In those games those guys weren’t playing there were obviously more touches to go around,” Williams said. “That’s not a knock on those guys because they are who they are. They’re All-Stars and we need them to get going in order for us to be really good, but it’s just a total different dynamic when those guys are playing and when they’re not. That’s with any team.”

Almost any team.

Williams did acknowledge that Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey – who came from his draft class – seemed to have life figured out in playing alongside All-Stars like Joel Embiid and James Harden, as well as making an impact on the game himself.

That’s the path Williams is trying to navigate, but seemingly still getting lost on that journey.

In the win over the Heat, Williams played 28 minutes, scoring just four points on six shots and grabbing just two rebounds.

In the follow-up against the Wizards, he did show some early aggressiveness in attempting a three-pointer just 90 seconds into the game, but in his 14 minutes of work in that first half, finished with three points, not a single rebound or assist, and a minus-9 in plus/minus.

Then to start the third, Kyle Kuzma – the player Williams was defending – hit back-to-back threes, forcing coach Billy Donovan into a timeout just 51 seconds into the second half with the deficit up to 12.

That deficit got up to 17, and it was once again time to lean on one of those All-Stars.

DeRozan scored six in the third and then another 12 of his eventual game-high 32 in the final quarter. It still wasn’t enough.

After Bradley Beal gave the Wizards (2-0) the two-point lead with a contested bank shot with 7.4 seconds left, DeRozan tried to play hero again, shooting what would have been the game-winning three from the top of the arc.

DeRozan did say he was looking to get downhill and try to draw the foul or the plus-one, but “I couldn’t turn the corner, so I just sized him up, tried to get the best look possible. It felt great.”

As for Williams, he finished with seven points, a rebound and a team-worst minus-23 in plus/minus. His search for his place remained ongoing.

“I’ve been talking to them about it and trying to figure it out,” Williams said. “I’m totally confident we will. Specifically, because of the player I know I am.”

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As soon as Crete-Monee senior Lynel Billups-Williams caught the punt, a coach on the Kankakee sideline said “that’s a touchdown.”

A few seconds later, after a burst down the sideline and then across the field and into the endzone, Billups-Williams had gone 60 yards to put the Warriors ahead for good.

“I felt it too,” Billups-Williams said. “Everyone was screaming ‘poison’ at me and wanted me to get away from the ball but I knew I had it. There was so much space and opportunity.”

The No. 14 Warriors needed several of those big plays to beat No. 19 Kankakee 25-22.

Billups-Williams was all over the field. He caught a 62-yard touchdown pass from junior Cory Stennis early in the third quarter. It was a dynamic run after the catch, full of broken tackles and quick dodges. He also had a crucial sack in the fourth quarter.

“We lost to them last year and that’s been on all of our minds for a long time,” Billups-Williams said. “We had the fight to win this game and everyone contributed.”

Stennis ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run with 9:24 left to put Crete-Monee ahead 25-14. That proved crucial when Kankakee drove down and scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Larenz Walters to Karson King with 10 seconds to play.

Crete-Monee recovered the onside kick to seal the win.

“The collective effort by our defense was outstanding, “Crete-Monee coach John Konecki said. “And the kids were resilient for 48 minutes. That’s been one of the strong points of this team all year long. They never quit.”

Stennis was 9-for-14 passing for 127 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He had 14 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Stennis transferred from Rich and had emergence has allowed do-it-all star Joshua Franklin the luxury of doing a little less this season. Franklin had four catches for 39 yards and was a major factor in the defensive backfield as well.

“We have so many more threats this season,” Franklin said. “That’s going to be a huge factor for us in the playoffs.”

Tyrell Hester had 14 carries for 81 yards for the Warriors (7-2, 6-0 Southland), who clinched the conference title with the win. Crete-Monee is a contender for the Class 6A state title. The Warriors losses were to Lincoln-Way East and Merrillville Andrean, Ind.

“We’ve done a nice job this season of finding different ways to get our very talented skill guys out on the field and involved,” Konecki said. “The second season is coming. We’ve been tested during the season and now we just want to stay healthy and make sure the kids are on point.”

Kankakee (7-2, 5-1), which lost to Fenwick in the Class 5A state title game, has had an odd season. The Kays lost to Nazareth 2-0 in Week 1 and then weren’t challenged again until Week 9.

There is a ton of talent on the roster, including highly-regarded senior Jyaire Hill, one of the state’s top recruits, and running back Tony Phillips. Hill caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Larenz Tate in the second quarter.

Phillips had five carries for 64 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

“Penalties killed us,” Kankakee coach Derek Hart said. “There is a lot of stuff we need to fix still. But that’s probably one of the best teams we will see. I love where we are at but we have a lot of work to do to get ready for next week.

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WASHINGTON – It was quite the debut for the Bulls’ Zach LaVine.

The two-time All-Star showed off his ball-handling, the improvements he’s made in the pick-and-roll game, and his ability to be an aggressive cutter.

Unfortunately, it came against the organization’s player development staff and guys that shoot video for the team rather than actual NBA players, and it occurred at Georgetown University on Thursday rather than the Wizards’ Capital One Arena on Friday, but with a tricky left knee situation like the one LaVine is dealing with beggars can’t be choosers.

LaVine missed his second consecutive game of the road trip, as the team’s medical staff and LaVine’s camp made the decision to have his first game of the 2022-23 campaign come at the United Center on Saturday, as the Bulls host the Cavaliers.

As far as how this will be navigated moving forward, that remains the unknown for everyone involved.

Besides this current back-to-back, there are three more coming up on the schedule by Nov. 7. The way Donovan explained it, it’s very unlikely that LaVine would be off this knee management schedule by then.

“It’s hard just to go in and say, ‘OK, here’s the schedule, and here’s the games that we’re going to rest him or manage him when he’s feeling great.’ ” Donovan said. “You know if he’s feeling great he’s obviously going to want to play, but I also think we need to be smart and this is more the medical and doctors, those guys looking at, ‘OK, sometimes it’s not in that moment, it’s a cumulative effect of something happening later on.’

“There may be some times where he does feel OK and the doctors, our medical group, says, ‘OK, this is the game to rest and get yourself back.’ So I can’t tell you I’ve looked at the schedule and here are the games we know [he’ll sit].”

What no one could answer – including LaVine – was has this become the guard’s new normal at this stage in his career? He had the clean-up surgery in the spring, got his five-year, $215-million free agent contract in July, and as late as Wednesday, there was no indication of the knee being an issue.

LaVine did speak to the media about it, but was very vague on what he was actually experiencing or if this would be a long-term solution every year to make sure he’s ready for possible postseason play.

Donovan wasn’t about to deal with the bigger picture, either.

What Donovan knew was they have an upcoming back-to-back with the Spurs and 76ers, then one in Brooklyn and home against Charlotte, and then a home-and-home against Toronto.

Each one could be handled differently and warrant its own sit-down discussion.

“I think a lot of that is going to depend on what does the front-end look like and what does the back-end look like,” Donovan said. “There’s no minute restriction on him, but clearly the more load there is on him you’ll have to take a look at him. There’s nothing going into the game where they are saying ‘Listen, we’ve got to keep his minutes right here.’ Certainly him playing 40 minutes or 39 or 38 isn’t the best thing.”

Eye opener

The Bulls will be as close to whole as possible when they make their home debut against the Cavs on Saturday. Cleveland, however, won’t be able to say the same.

All-Star guard Darius Garland was poked in the eye during the loss to the Raptors, and while there was no structural damage, he was ruled out for the game in Chicago.

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White Sox fans fear White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s history could come into play again. Could it?

Now, you’re probably asking, “what is ‘Reinsdorfing’?” According to the dictionary that I just made up just like the word, “Reinsdorfing” is defined as:

Adjective: When an organization commits a blunder based on an authority figure’s personal feelings, and/or whether the figure wants to spend the money. “Reinsdorfing” can also be used as a verb, ie, “The team organization Reinsdorfed this year”.

You can’t blame Chicago White Sox fans for being nervous. We all know the White Sox and Tony La Russa parted ways after a disappointing 2022 season that saw the Sox finish second in the American League Central with an 81-81 record. General Manager Rick Hahn immediately got to work searching for managerial candidates and assured Sox Nation that he was in charge of the search after owner Jerry Reinsdorf went over Hahn’s head to hire La Russa.

Jerry Reinsdorf is famously (or infamously) loyal to those who have done well for him. And he has a reputation for being cheap. You can see where Sox fans are coming from.

Laurence Holmes of 670 The Score said it best in a column he published in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Jerry Reinsdorf’s unilateral decision strained the credibility for his front office, whose power he had effectively usurped. It was a breach of the public trust with the fan base. Sox fans have every right to exact their revenge by keeping their money in their pocket for a while. The Sox are now on a “prove it” deal with the South Side.

More recently, Scott Merkin posted this unprompted Tweet, which got the aptly-named “White Sox Twitter” in a buzz:

Occam’s razor of course, suggests this is just Merkin’s personal opinion, and not an indication that Reinsdorf had gotten involved in the search process again. But after the infamous La Russa hire, White Sox fans are, well, a little paranoid. Again, can’t blame them. But we can also apply Hanlon’s razor to the La Russa hire, as well. Jerry wanted La Russa to have another chance managing the White Sox, thinking he, with his experience and tactical knowledge, would give the Sox the edge.

Just look at how that turned out.

The point is, Merkin’s tweet spooked some Sox fans who thought that Reinsdorf could get involved in the hiring process after Hahn indicated he won’t be.

Jerry Reinsdorf has a history of Reinsdorfing, hence the term named after him. From keeping John Paxson and Gar Forman on too long as the President and General Manager of the Chicago Bulls, to the aforementioned hiring of La Russa, to the White Sox failure to sign Manny Machado and Bryce Harper after the Sox were linked to the two.

White Sox fans do have plenty of reasons to be suspicious, whether it’s a warranted or not. Point is, they’ve been there before. While it doesn’t seem to be the case at this time, (Early reports suggest the White Sox are closing in on Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada) reports that Ozzie Guillen will also be interviewed likely won’t quell any fears.

But will Jerry Reinsdorf screw up the hiring process. I certainly hope not! I don’t know if he will, but I understand that he could. It is safe to say that Jerry does want to win, but again, applying Occam’s and Hanlon’s razor, he might think that he can still win a championship his way, even though it’s been proven over and over again, that it doesn’t. Sox fans can only watch and see what happens. If reports about Espada are true, then Sox fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

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Regardless of how ugly the game against the Commanders was, the Bears had what they thought was a perfect scenario to win it in the final minute: Darnell Mooney, open at the goal line, ball in his hands.

That’s the surest of sure things in an otherwise shaky offense.

Mooney, however, bobbled it in the air and couldn’t secure it before cornerback Benjamin St. Juste brought him down inches short of the end zone.

Mooney couldn’t estimate how many times he watched the video in disbelief over the next few days. And he replayed it even more in his mind.

“I’d be doing something with my family and be like, ‘Yo, what the hell? That’s me. I can catch that. What the hell?'” he told the Sun-Times on Friday. “I’ve gotta make that catch regardless of if there’s 10 people there or nobody there. To be that player I want to be, regardless of what anybody else thinks, I’ve gotta make that one.”

That last part is the real point.

Mooney aspires to be a true No. 1 wide receiver, and the Bears desperately need him to get there given that he’s their most accomplished player at the position by a wide margin. They can’t afford to let defenses take him away with scheme. Their passing game will not function without him, and so far it hasn’t.

As the Bears and quarterback Justin Fields sit near the bottom of the NFL in most passing categories and rank second-to-last in scoring at 15.5 points per game heading into their visit to the Patriots on Monday, Mooney’s numbers are either a symptom or a cause. He has followed up a 1,000-yard season with just 17 catches for 241 yards and no touchdowns over the first six games.

It’s difficult to produce in the NFL’s most unproductive passing attack — the Bears have thrown the fewest passes thanks to their sack-prone offensive line and run-heavy play calling by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy — but Mooney is supposed to be good enough to change that and elevate Fields by always being in the right spot and always being open.

“My expectation is to get open regardless,” Mooney said. “Everybody says, ‘They get paid, too,’ so they’re gonna win sometimes. I understand that, but I [need to] win every time. My expectation for myself is extremely high, and I’m gonna make sure whether it’s a double team, triple team, all 11, I’m gonna get open.”

That’s what the elite receivers do. Mooney doesn’t obsess over statistics, but he’s attentive to his standing compared to the greats at his position. The best receivers get numbers, and those numbers factor into the outcome of games. They’re also weighty when it comes to a contract extension, which is on the table for Mooney after the season.

Mooney believes he’s performing well play-to-play, and that his production simply isn’t matching up with that yet. Getsy agreed, saying Mooney has executed his role well as a pass catcher and in run blocking, which isn’t easy at 5-foot-11, 173 pounds.

“He cracks some defensive ends, cracks some linebackers,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said of Mooney’s blocking.

There are signs Getsy is shifting the game plan more toward Mooney. Given how short the roster is on proven playmakers, that should’ve happened earlier considering he’s one of the top handful of players in the building amid the rebuild.

After getting just 21 targets over the first five games, Mooney got 12 against the Commanders and turned it into seven catches for 68 yards.

“We’re figuring out what we do well, and he’s a big part of that,” Getsy said.

He added, “He’s been playing better each week… His mentality has been great, he’s been a really good leader for this football team, so I definitely see him as an ascending guy.”

Bears coaches would paint an optimistic picture about virtually anybody on the roster, but Mooney is one of the few who has a history that suggests it’s merited. On a young team, not many players even have a track record.

Mooney has been rising since the Bears drafted him in the fifth round out of Tulane in 2020. He climbed the depth chart immediately, overtaking former prized pick Anthony Miller in training camp, and constantly improved. He’s fast, of course, but has flourished in large part because he’s smart and reliable.

Those qualities haven’t changed, and because of that, there is good reason to believe Mooney can straighten out his season after such a slow start.

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