Chicago Sports

Billy Donovan still has no idea if the new-look offense will translate when the Bulls tip-off their 2022-23 regular season in Miami on Wednesday night.

The coach has hopes, he has a solid idea, but the specifics of what certain groupings will look like on the floor and how his players will embrace a more read-and-react style of play outside of preseason games and practices?

That’s the great unknown.

That’s what the last few days of this training camp were about. Donovan and his staff need to at least have a feel of what packages they are bringing down to South Beach when the team charter heads out after the Tuesday practice, and what they are still building out as the season begins.

“It’s striking that balance between you put so much stuff in, you’re not really good at anything, and then all of a sudden you get into the season, games start coming, and you have no time to practice,” Donovan said. “So the things we know we’re going to have to do game-in, game-out, you’re trying to really drill down those things, get them to compete in those things.”

The best news to come out of the last month for Donovan was no new injuries.

Obviously, starting training camp in late September, knowing that Lonzo Ball was headed for a second left knee surgery in less than a year was a gut-punch, but not an unexpected one.

That gave the Bulls the entire camp to hold “try-outs” for the point guard position. A length of time they really didn’t need, as former Morgan Park standout Ayo Dosunmu instantly staked his claim by preseason Game 1.

Dosunmu is not Ball, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a poor man’s version of him.

Dosunmu can defend at a high level, sees the floor well, and if he can knock down the corner three off the drive-and-kicks from Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, well, the Bulls just might have a solid option to hold down the fort until the evaluation on Ball’s knee is known next month.

What should also allow Donovan to rest a bit easier at night was how his “Big Three” showed up to camp and played throughout the preseason.

While LaVine seemed to use exhibition games to simply get his wind built up, the reports out of intrasquad scrimmages were completely different. Rookie Dalen Terry might still be looking for a piece of his soul that LaVine stole over several afternoon head-to-heads.

DeRozan was his usual workman-like self, getting his 21 points and 4.7 assists in just under 25 minutes per game in the three preseason games he played in, but it was Nikola Vucevic that had the Bulls breathing a sigh of relief.

Since he started making the three-pointer a regular part of his repertoire, Vucevic was coming off his worst season shooting from beyond the arc, hitting just 31.4%. The fact that he hit 7-of-14 (50%) from long range in the preseason is at least a sign that he could get back to normal “stretch-Vooch.”

If opposing defenses have to again respect Vucevic from outside, that leaves more operating room for DeRozan’s mid-range game and a clearer runway to the rim for LaVine.

What it will also allow is for Donovan to go with his “big lineup,” playing Vucevic and Andre Drummond at the same time.

Just one of those looks that are still a work in progress heading onto the regular-season stage.

“We have to still build out the offense,” Donovan said. “I think when we start to play, we’ll get to some moments where we can now start to get into some different combinations, some different areas, whether it’s playing Vooch and Andre together or going small, and seeing what that looks like.”

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Our third preview of the Central Division focuses on a potential contender in the Cleveland Cavaliers

Part three of our Central Division preview is now looking at teams with real expectations. For parts one and two, you can read my Pacers preview here and Pistons one here. Today, we look at the Cleveland Cavaliers and how much of a factor they can be in this top-heavy Eastern Conference.

2021-22 Recap

Record: 44-38 (9th in Eastern Conference)

Lost in Play-in game vs Brooklyn

vs Bulls: 1-3

Memorable moment: Evan Mobley with a Dr. J reverse lay-up

2022 Off-Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers put their chips on the table and traded for Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in exchange for three players, three future first-round picks, and two pick swaps.

2022 Preview

It’s hard not to be excited for this Cleveland Cavaliers team strictly as a basketball fan. Everyone knows how much they’ve struggled to really build a team that doesn’t have LeBron James on the roster, so to see GM Koby Altman put this roster together over the course of just three years is something to behold. Stealing Center Jarrett Allen from Brooklyn, drafting two studs in Guard Darius Garland and Forward Evan Mobley, then putting on the big-boy pants to go get Donovan Mitchell from Utah is extremely impressive. Cleveland is back.

Now’s the hard part. For the first time since 2017-18, Lebron’s last season in Cleveland, the Cavaliers are expected to win and win quite a bit. How much will they win? Well, I believe it’s mostly on them.

Defense

Cleveland won’t have a problem scoring. Garland and Mitchell can create their own shot plus create for others. Mobley, who’s only entering his second season, can step out and shoot the J and is lanky enough to finish over bigs. Allen is a lob threat at any point. Starting Small Forward has shown this pre-season that he can hit spot-up threes.

Defense is where this team can go from good to “oh damn, watch out” and that starts with the back-court. Neither Garland nor Mitchell is known for their defensive prowess and elite teams have guards who defend. Mitchell, in particular, was awful defensively in the playoffs against the Mavericks, and people then started to question how good he actually is. It’s time for Mitchell to become that two-way player everyone thought he should be by now and take that next leap into that top 10-15 player status.

Mobley, Allen, and Okoro should do a fine job holding up in the front court, giving Cleveland versatility on pick-and-roll actions.

Evan Mobley

Every basketball nerd loves Evan Mobley and you can go ahead and throw my name in that group as well. A 6’11 forward/center who can guard one through five and who can score in multiple ways, he stands out on both ends. The only gripe for me on his rookie season was that he shot 25% from three, but I expect that number to climb. I’ll be interested to see if Coach Bernie Bickerstaff allows Mobley to bring the ball up more in transition to create, as well as post up a bit more for offense, especially when it slows down in the playoffs. His potential is unlimited and he’s about five years away from his prime. Scary.

Rest of the Roster

Forward Kevin Love is the longest-tenured Cav, coming off a good season. Guard Caris LeVert is expected to be their scorer off the bench, though his effectiveness to create for others could be an issue as they inch closer to April and the playoffs. Ricky Rubio is back, giving Cleveland a solid backup Point Guard when he fully returns from his ACL injury.

The small forward position, currently occupied by Isaac Okoro, will be one to monitor the Cavaliers. If Okoro can average 12-14 points and can hold up defensively, then that’d be a real asset for this team. If not, look for Cleveland to be active in the trade market for another to fill that role.

Prediction

I really like this Cleveland Cavaliers team and with some luck, Cleveland could end up as a top-four seed in a crowded Eastern Conference. I love the aggressiveness to get Mitchell and put themselves in the mix. Title contenders? I’d say a year or two away.

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There were high expectations for the 2022 MLS season in Chicago. The arrival of two-time Champions League winner Xherdan Shaqiri from French giants Lyon only added to those expectations. And it seemed as though the predictions weren’t misplaced. The Fire went unbeaten in their first five games of the new campaign, winning two, drawing three, and securing an impressive position in the Eastern Conference earlier in the year. But as head coach Ezra Hendrickson found out, the Major League Soccer campaign is long and arduous. An important victory over Inter Miami in early September looked as though slim hopes of playoff qualification were still alive, but those post-season hopes were all but extinguished with back-to-back 3-2 defeats to Montreal and Charlotte. 

The Fire has managed to qualify for the playoffs just once in the last ten years, way back in 2017. Not many teams in the division have endured a worse run over the last decade, and surely things must change if they are to return to their success of the late noughties. In 2007, 2008, and 2009, the Chicago Fire reached the semifinals of the MLS Cup on every occasion. Each time, however, heartbreak awaited the second city side, and none more so than in 2009, when they suffered penalty shootout defeat against Real Salt Lake.

Impotence in Attack 

It’s been clear for all to see where the Fire’s problems lie this season: in attack. Only Wayne Rooney’s rock-bottom DC United scored fewer goals than Chicago this season, who had a paltry total of 39 goals in 34 regular season games. And even that measly total is padded somewhat, as Hendrickson’s side managed 11 goals in their final five games when the season was all but over. German strikers Kacper Przybyłko and Fabian Herbers managed just six goals between them in a combined 50 appearances. 

Credit

Now, compare that strikeforce to the one of the three-time Fire semifinalists. Back then, Mexican legend Cuauhtémoc Blanco led the line alongside one of the English Premier League’s first American stars, Brian McBride. The double act was one of the most feared in the MLS and their goals were crucial to the Fire’s success. As well as that, their all-round quality opened the game up for wingers Marco Pappa and Patrick Nyarko to make their mark. Of course, this term, Shaqiri has been the star man cutting inside from the right wing and finding the net on seven occasions as well as providing six assists. But the Swiss international cannot do it all by himself, and a supporting cast must be supplied to him if the Fire is to reach the playoffs next season. 

What can we expect from next season? 

The 2023 MLS season will get underway next February, which gives the Fire an ample amount of time to strengthen their squad, regroup and go again. Before that, however, there is the small matter of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Shaqiri will of course be in attendance alongside his Switzerland teammates, and it remains to be seen whether the huge amount of matches that he has played over the last twelve months will affect him long-term. The former Liverpool and Bayern Munich man turned 31 on October 10th, and whether his body can handle the demands of the modern game as well as it once could remains to be seen. 

Another thing we can expect is the continued development of 18-year-old striker Jhon Durán. The Colombian enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022, top scoring for the Fire with eight goals in 27 appearances. His form prompted his national team head coach Néstor Lorenzo to give him his first two international caps despite his tender years, and many of Chicago’s hopes will be pinned on the youngster next season. The Soldier Field faithful will be hoping that his budding partnership with Shaqiri continues to blossom in 2023.

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In the early stages of a challenging residency at left tackle, Bears fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones doesn’t want to complicate things by looking too far ahead.

But after a difficult game against the Commanders last week — in which he was expecting to be bull-rushed and still struggled with it — Jones already was making mental notes for longer-term developmental plans.

“I definitely need to get stronger in the lower body,” said the 6-5, 310-pound Jones, who has started all six games this season. “My lower half is weak. You can see it. I’m in front of these guys and they’re just driving me — so I think I’ve just gotta get stronger and it’s gotta be something I focus on and know that I’m gonna get all season. Not a lot of people are going to run around me, but they’re gonna run right through me.”

Jones can’t reach that goal in the 10 days between games, so he knows he’s just going to have to tough it out from here. But with the Bears’ offensive line as a unit struggling to protect quarterback Justin Fields, his margin for error could be closing.

It might or might not be a quandary for coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and offensive line coach Chris Morgan. Until the Commanders game, Jones had been making progress since beating out veteran Riley Reiff for the starting job in training camp.

But with a line that remains a work-in-progress six weeks into the regular season, the Bears need to shore up protection for Fields. Reiff, an 11-year veteran who started for the Bengals last season before getting injured, surely is in the conversation somewhere on the line.

Eberflus seemed to hint at possible changes when he said “lineups” as well as offensive and defensive scheme would be included in the mini-bye self-scouting. But asked specifically about Jones, he wouldn’t bite.

“Everybody needs to be evaluated at this point,” Eberflus said.

Eberflus is more open than most coaches to playing rookies and tolerating their mistakes as they — in theory — learn and grow. And the Bears current predicament — three consecutive losses and Fields’ being exposed to more hits than he should — doesn’t seem to change that.

“We know it’s a learning process with a younger player,” Eberflus said. “We know then are going to go through some ups and downs. Kyler Gordon, look at the way he played [against the Commanders] –he played pretty good, didn’t he? So he’s had a couple of ups and down but he stayed the course. He made a lot of nice tackle, made a lot of nice plays on the ball and I thought he played really well.”

The difference, of course, is that Gordon’s mistakes won’t impact Fields. Any mistake by Jones — or anyone on the offensive line — is potentially disastrous. Therein lies an early moment of decision for Eberflus, Getsy and Morgan — not just with Jones, but center Sam Mustipher, right guard Teven Jenkins and right tackle Larry Borom. Eberflus is willing to live with developmental mistakes –he’s seen them pay off — but he also has to weigh the costs.

2. Jones is not losing confidence through this trial. If the Bears didn’t need help at so many other positions on the line, Jones’ rookie issues wouldn’t be so evident. He still has the potential to not only be good for a fifth-round draft pick, but actually be good. But it’s going to take time.

“I’m in there for a reason, so as a front five, we’ve got to be better,” Jones said. “I’ve got to be better in pass protection. And it’s not like I’m getting run around or something you can’t control. I think it’s just man-on-man, getting bull-rushed. I’ve got to know that that’s all they’re gonna do I know this, so [it’s a matter of] just being better with it and not being such a rookie all the time.”

3. Did You Know? The Bears’ 392 total yards in their 12-7 loss to the Commanders is their highest yardage total with seven or fewer points in the Super Bowl era. In fact, it’s the fourth-most yards with seven or fewer points in the entire NFL in the last eight seasons.

The Bears’ previous high was 381 yards in a 28-6 loss to the Saints at the Superdome in 1992.

4. Red Flag Dept.: After a season-high 190 passing yards against the Commanders, Fields has thrown for more than 121 yards in 10 starts with the Bears — and the Bears are 1-9 in those games. They are 3-3 when he throws for 121 yards or fewer.

5. Fields and the offense have a daunting task against the Patriots and Bill Belichick on Monday night. First-round quarterbacks in their first or second season are 1-25 with a 66.5 passer rating (28 touchdowns, 38 interceptions) against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium since 2001.

Only four of them have had ratings above 83.1 — Carson Palmer in 2004 (110.1), Patrick Mahomes in 2018 (110.1), Josh Allen in 2019 (102.7) and Deshaun Watson in 2017 (90.6). The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (79.6) is the only winner, beating the Patriots 17-16 on the road last season.

6. If the Bears take rookie Velus Jones off punt return duty after his second muff/fumble in five tries, it might be the best thing for him. The Bears need Jones’ speed at wide receiver and he probably shouldn’t be learning two jobs at once.

It’s not that easy. Devin Hester’s return game went downhill when he insisted on being a wide receiver. His kick return game wasn’t rejuvenated until his role on offense diminished.

7. For what it’s worth, when general manager Ryan Poles was asked prior Week 1 about not acquiring enough support for Fields, he pointed to Jones (along with Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet) as a player who could fill that void.

“I’m excited about Velus coming in and making plays,” Poles said, “and being a factor that can do different things and bring speed.”

Now is the time to accelerate that impact. Jones has two receptions for 19 yards and one touchdown — a nine-yard “pass” that actually was a handoff on a sweep against the Vikings. But having one job could make a difference for an NFL rookie.

8. Quentin Johnston Watch: The 6-4, 215-pound TCU junior wide receiver came up big in a big game for the second consecutive week –eight receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown as the Horned Frogs rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 43-40 in double overtime.

A week earlier, Johnston had 14 catches for 206 yards and a tie-breaking 24-yard touchdown with 1:36 to go in a 38-31 victory over No. 19 Kansas.

Johnston is currently the No. 3 projected wide receiver in the 2023 draft. USC’s Jordan Addison suffered a leg injury against Utah on Saturday and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba has played two games because of a hamstring injury.

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky came off the bench to outduel Tom Brady and rally the 9.5-point underdog Steelers to a 20-18 upset of the Buccaneers.

Replacing injured starter Kenny Pickett, Trubisky completed 9-of-12 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 142.4 passer rating. It was the biggest upset of Trubisky’s career. He beat the Bengals as a six-point underdog with the Bears in 2017.

10. Bear-ometer: 5-12 –at Patriots (L); at Cowboys (L); vs. Dolphins (L); vs. Lions (W); at Falcons (L); at NY Jets (L); vs. Packers (L); vs. Eagles (L); vs. Bills (L); at Lions (W); vs. Vikings (W).

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In the early stages of a challenging residency at left tackle, Bears fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones doesn’t want to complicate things by looking too far ahead.

But after a difficult game against the Commanders last week — in which he was expecting to be bull-rushed and still struggled with it — Jones already was making mental notes for longer-term developmental plans.

“I definitely need to get stronger in the lower body,” said the 6-5, 310-pound Jones, who has started all six games this season. “My lower half is weak. You can see it. I’m in front of these guys and they’re just driving me — so I think I’ve just gotta get stronger and it’s gotta be something I focus on and know that I’m gonna get all season. Not a lot of people are going to run around me, but they’re gonna run right through me.”

Jones can’t reach that goal in the 10 days between games, so he knows he’s just going to have to tough it out from here. But with the Bears’ offensive line as a unit struggling to protect quarterback Justin Fields, his margin for error could be closing.

It might or might not be a quandary for coach Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and offensive line coach Chris Morgan. Until the Commanders game, Jones had been making progress since beating out veteran Riley Reiff for the starting job in training camp.

But with a line that remains a work-in-progress six weeks into the regular season, the Bears need to shore up protection for Fields. Reiff, an 11-year veteran who started for the Bengals last season before getting injured, surely is in the conversation somewhere on the line.

Eberflus seemed to hint at possible changes when he said “lineups” as well as offensive and defensive scheme would be included in the mini-bye self-scouting. But asked specifically about Jones, he wouldn’t bite.

“Everybody needs to be evaluated at this point,” Eberflus said.

Eberflus is more open than most coaches to playing rookies and tolerating their mistakes as they — in theory — learn and grow. And the Bears current predicament — three consecutive losses and Fields’ being exposed to more hits than he should — doesn’t seem to change that.

“We know it’s a learning process with a younger player,” Eberflus said. “We know then are going to go through some ups and downs. Kyler Gordon, look at the way he played [against the Commanders] –he played pretty good, didn’t he? So he’s had a couple of ups and down but he stayed the course. He made a lot of nice tackle, made a lot of nice plays on the ball and I thought he played really well.”

The difference, of course, is that Gordon’s mistakes won’t impact Fields. Any mistake by Jones — or anyone on the offensive line — is potentially disastrous. Therein lies an early moment of decision for Eberflus, Getsy and Morgan — not just with Jones, but center Sam Mustipher, right guard Teven Jenkins and right tackle Larry Borom. Eberflus is willing to live with developmental mistakes –he’s seen them pay off –but he also has to weigh the costs.

2. Jones is not losing confidence through this trial. If the Bears didn’t need help at so many other positions on the line, Jones’ rookie issues wouldn’t be so evident. He still has the potential to not only be good for a fifth-round draft pick, but actually be good. But it’s going to take time.

“I’m in there for a reason, so as a front five, we’ve got to be better,” Jones said. “I’ve got to be better in pass protection. And it’s not like I’m getting run around or something you can’t control. I think it’s just man-on-man, getting bull-rushed. I’ve got to know that that’s all they’re gonna do I know this, so [it’s a matter of] just being better with it and not being such a rookie all the time.”

3. Did You Know? The Bears’ 392 total yards in their 12-7 loss to the Commanders is their highest yardage total with seven or fewer points in the Super Bowl era. In fact, it’s the fourth-most yards with seven or fewer points in the entire NFL in the last eight seasons.

The Bears’ previous high was 381 yards in a 28-6 loss to the Saints at the Superdome in 1992.

4. Red Flag Dept.: After a season-high 190 passing yards against the Commanders, Fields has thrown for more than 121 yards in 10 starts with the Bears — and the Bears are 1-9 in those games. They are 3-3 when he throws for 121 yards or fewer.

5. Fields and the offense have a daunting task against the Patriots and Bill Belichick on Monday night. First-round quarterbacks in their first or second season are 1-25 with a 66.5 passer rating (28 touchdowns, 38 interceptions) against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium since 2001.

Only four of them have had ratings above 83.1 — Carson Palmer in 2004 (110.1), Patrick Mahomes in 2018 (110.1), Josh Allen in 2019 (102.7) and Deshaun Watson in 2017 (90.6). The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (79.6) is the only winner, beating the Patriots 17-16 on the road last season.

6. If the Bears take rookie Velus Jones off punt return duty after his second muff/fumble in five tries, it might be the best thing for him. The Bears need Jones’ speed at wide receiver and he probably shouldn’t be learning two jobs at once.

It’s not that easy. Devin Hester’s return game went downhill when he insisted on being a wide receiver. His kick return game wasn’t rejuvenated until his role on offense diminished.

7. For what it’s worth, when general manager Ryan Poles was asked prior Week 1 about not acquiring enough support for Fields, he pointed to Jones (along with Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet) as a player who could fill that void.

“I’m excited about Velus coming in and making plays,” Poles said, “and being a factor that can do different things and bring speed.”

Now is the time to accelerate that impact. Jones has two receptions for 19 yards and one touchdown — a nine-yard “pass” that actually was a handoff on a sweep against the Vikings. But having one job could make a difference for an NFL rookie.

8. Quentin Johnston Watch: The 6-4, 215-pound TCU junior wide receiver came up big in a big game for the second consecutive week –eight receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown as the Horned Frogs rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 43-40 in double overtime.

A week earlier, Johnston had 14 catches for 206 yards and a tie-breaking 24-yard touchdown with 1:36 to go in a 38-31 victory over No. 19 Kansas.

Johnston is currently the No. 3 projected wide receiver in the 2023 draft. USC’s Jordan Addison suffered a leg injury against Utah on Saturday and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba has played two games because of a hamstring injury.

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky came off the bench to outduel Tom Brady and rally the 9.5-point underdog Steelers to a 20-18 upset of the Buccaneers.

Replacing injured starter Kenny Pickett, Trubisky completed 9-of-12 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 142.4 passer rating. It was the biggest upset of Trubisky’s career. He beat the Bengals as a six-point underdog with the Bears in 2017.

10. Bear-ometer: 5-12 –at Patriots (L); at Cowboys (L); vs. Dolphins (L); vs. Lions (W); at Falcons (L); at NY Jets (L); vs. Packers (L); vs. Eagles (L); vs. Bills (L); at Lions (W); vs. Vikings (W).

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The Chicago Bears could be in the market for a WR

The Chicago Bears need help at wide receiver. The current crop of pass catchers has failed in critical moments during games. Miscues by wide receivers cost the Bears possible wins against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. The Bears don’t have many options to improve their corps because of cap space.

However, one former All-Pro wide receiver became available Monday morning. According to Ian Rapoport, the Tennessee Titans released Josh Gordon from the team’s practice squad.

Gordon could be a relatively cheap remedy for the Bears. According to Spotrac, Gordon was signed by the Titans for $277,200 this season. Gordon had a fantastic 2013 season when he earned the All-Pro title. However, Gordon’s conduct off the field hurt his NFL career. He’s been suspended several times for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Chicago Bears fans want Gordon

With the Bears’ situation at receiver, fans immediately wanted the team to sign Gordon when the report broke out that he was cut from the Titans. Gordon has always been a talented athlete, and it’s possible he could help quarterback Justin Fields more than Ihmir Smith-Marsette is. Here are some of the best takes from Bears’ twitter on Gordon.

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Bill Belichick has won a lot of games

A winning record is on the line for the New England Patriots in Week 7. The Patriots will host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football with a lot on the line. The Patriots struggled in their first few games, but rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe seems to have breathed new life into the team that has won two straight games. Bill Belichick will have tunnel vision about winning that game for the 2022 Patriots team. However, another prestigious record will be on the line for the head coach.

According to the NFL, Belichick is now tied with Bears legend George Halas for the second most all-time wins by an NFL head coach.

With the Patriots’ dominant 38-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Belichick tied legendary Bears coach George Halas for second on the all-time wins list (regular and postseason). Belichick and Halas are tied at 324. Only Don Shula remains in front of Belichick with 347 wins.

Bill Belichick reached that number after 483 games of coaching. Halas coached in 506 games. This storyline will be one to follow during the Monday night game as Belichick can pass record against Halas’ former team. According to Draft Kings, the Bears will head to Foxborough as +7.5 underdogs to the Patriots. The Bears have lost three straight and seem to be in shambles on offense. The Patriots have won two games in a row in a dominating fashion. Belichick will likely take the record against the Bears.

As for Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, he has a while before he catches Belichick. Eberflus can reach a tie for the 379th most-winningest all-time coach with a win over the Patriots. That would put him in company with Lou Holtz and Bobby Petrino.

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New Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson needed to get out of his head.

Thrown into the fire in his Hawks debut Saturday, he did just that — because he hardly knew anything about his new team anyway.

”The best players in the world play the game without thinking, right?” he said. ”Everything’s on instinct. So there’s definitely something to it. I know over my career I’ve overthought too much sometimes, and that definitely is a problem when I start playing poorly. [I’m working on] just going out there and playing, simple as that.”

Dickinson notched three points — for only the third time in his career — and was named the second star of the Hawks’ 5-2 victory against the Sharks.

It was a remarkable debut for the 27-year-old, who had just met the team for the first time Friday — after a weeklong wait for his immigration paperwork to process — and who had received his only instruction from coach Luke Richardson at the morning skate.

”Sometimes things just click,” Richardson said. ”He had a chance to come in here and have a fresh start, and he took advantage of it. . . . Sometimes there’s this instant chemistry, and sometimes there isn’t. Fortunately for us, there is [chemistry] here.”

Dickinson has experienced both scenarios already. In Dallas, his home for his first three full NHL seasons with the Stars, Dickinson fit perfectly.

His defensive results were stellar. From 2018-19 through 2021, he allowed only 2.09 expected goals per 60 even-strength minutes, tied for 10th-best among NHL forwards. He was also a solid penalty-killer and scored enough — 22, 21 and 15 points in the three seasons, respectively — not to be a liability offensively.

But with the Canucks, who signed him to a three-year contract in the summer of 2021, it turned out he never fit well. Dickinson tallied only 11 points in 62 games and allowed 2.78 expected goals per 60 even-strength minutes. An under-the-radar injury further hindered him.

”I want to get back to what I was in Dallas,” he said Saturday. ”I was the Swiss Army knife [there], and that’s what I’ve done most of my career: Just do what I’ve got to do.

”Last year, there were some tough circumstances. I had a broken hand I didn’t know about for a while. Maybe my game wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but there were also a lot of things just going against me.”

That adversity, compounded by the added pressure of playing in his native Canada, took a toll on him mentally.

”I wasn’t able to compartmentalize and shut things out,” Dickinson said. ”[I was] letting too much get to me and putting a ton of pressure on myself. It never goes well when you start thinking too much.”

In his first game with the Hawks, he immediately proved to himself he could compartmentalize successfully again.

His first period was understandably ”ugly,” to use his word. He was on the ice for both Sharks goals, and he said replaying those in his mind would ”eat me alive for a little bit.” He quickly put that behind him, however, and dominated the remaining 40 minutes.

He made savvy plays to set up both of Sam Lafferty’s short-handed goals, including a never-give-up centering pass while lying on the ice behind the goal on the second one. He later ripped a perfectly placed shot on a two-on-one rush for the Hawks’ fifth goal. He finished the game with the Hawks’ third-best expected-goals ratio (66.6%).

It was just one game, but Dickinson seemed refreshed already.

”I’ve forgotten about last year,” he said. ”[I] can’t let it bother me and can’t dwell on it because it’s done and it’s over with. Now it’s just, ‘Move forward. Start playing hockey again.’ ”

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New Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson needed to get out of his head.

Thrown into the fire in his Hawks debut Saturday, he did just that — because he hardly knew anything about his new team anyway.

“The best players in the world play the game without thinking, right?” he said. “Everything’s on instinct. So there’s definitely something to it. I know over my career I’ve overthought too much sometimes, and that definitely is a problem when I start playing poorly. [I’m working on] just going out there and playing. Simple as that.”

Dickinson tallied three points — for just the third time in his career — and was named the second star of the Hawks’ 5-2 win over the Sharks.

It was a remarkable debut for the 27-year-old forward who’d just met the team for the first time Friday, after a weeklong wait for his immigration paperwork to process, and who’d received his first and only instruction from coach Luke Richardson at morning skate.

“Sometimes things just click,” Richardson said. “He had a chance to come in here and have a fresh start, and he took advantage of it. … Sometimes there’s this instant chemistry, and sometimes there isn’t. Fortunately for us, there is [chemistry] here.”

Dickinson has experienced both those scenarios already. With the Stars, his home for his first three full NHL seasons, Dickinson fit perfectly.

His defensive results were stellar: From 2018-19 through 2021, he allowed just 2.09 expected goals per 60 even-strength minutes, tied for 10th-best among league forwards. He was also a solid penalty killer and scored enough — 22, 21 and 15 points in the three seasons, respectively — to not be a liability offensively.

But with the Canucks, who gave him a bigger, three-year contract last summer, it turned out he never fit well. He tallied only 11 points in 62 games and allowed 2.78 expected goals against per 60 even-strength minutes, below the team average. An under-the-radar injury further hindered him.

“I want to get back to what I was in Dallas,” he said Saturday. “I was the Swiss Army Knife [there], and that’s what I’ve done most of my career: Just do what I’ve got to do.

“Last year, there were some tough circumstances. I had a broken hand I didn’t know about for a while. Maybe my game wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but there were also a lot of things just going against me.”

That adversity, multiplied by the added pressure of playing in Canada, took a toll on his mental fortitude.

“I wasn’t able to compartmentalize and shut things out,” he added. “[I was] letting too much get to me and putting a ton of pressure on myself. It never goes well when you start thinking too much.”

On Saturday, in his first game in a white-and-red sweater, he immediately proved to himself he could compartmentalize successfully again.

His first period was understandably “ugly,” in his words. He was on the ice for both Sharks goals, and he said replaying those in his mind would “eat me alive for a little bit.” He quickly put that behind him, though, and dominated the remaining 40 minutes.

He made savvy plays to set up both of Sam Lafferty’s shorthanded goals, including a never-give-up centering pass laying on the ice behind the goal on the second one. He later ripped a perfectly placed shot on a two-on-one rush for the Hawks’ fifth goal. He finished the game, as one might expect, with the Hawks’ third-best expected goals ratio (66.6%).

It was just one game, but Dickinson seemed refreshed already.

“I’ve forgotten about last year,” he said. “[I] can’t let it bother me and can’t dwell on it because it’s done and it’s over with. Now it’s just, ‘Move forward. Start playing hockey again.'”

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The Bears are 2-4 under first-year coach Matt Eberflus after losing 12-7 to the Commanders on Thursday night. With a “mini-bye” prior to playing the Patriots next Monday night, here’s a look at where they stand after six games:

What is Matt Eberflus’ grade through 6 games?

C. Eberflus is a no-frills, Brand-X NFL head coach who will succeed if he gets the quarterback right and fail if he does not. We’ve already seen the impact of the H.I.T.S. principal and its limitations. The same with his openness to giving rookies and inexperience players a chance. So far, Eberflus is comfortable with game management, including an aggressive mindset that looks like it will pay dividends — if he gets the quarterback right.

Is Justin Fields getting better or worse?

He’s not getting appreciably better. But if he’s getting worse, it’s because he was set up to get worse — with a shaky offensive line, a nondescript receiving corps and a first-year offensive coordinator. The best thing you can say about Fields at this point is that he’s still standing — and even that is a little precarious with all the hits he’s taken in the first six games. Still a long way to go.

What is one change the Bears must make offensively?

At this point there really isn’t much they can change that will make a difference. Riley Reiff and Alex Leatherwood are unlikely to automatically provide a major upgrade in their pass protection — they were available for a reason. The Bears’ running game already is third in the NFL in yards per game (170.8) — and Fields is a big part of that. There’s no magic solution to their offensive stagnation. They have made their bed and now must lie in it.

What is the biggest problem facing the Bears overall?

It’s still early, but Ryan Poles’ master plan to not emphasize offense in free agency and the draft (and truth be told, there was only so much he could have done) has the Bears veering toward a worst-case scenario — that Fields is failing because he was set up to fail.

What has been the best surprise?

Second-year running back Khalil Herbert has rushed for 403 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries — his 6.4-yard average led all NFL running backs heading into Sunday’s games. He has the Bears’ two longest rushes this season –64 and 52 yards. David Montgomery (62-246, 4.0, one touchdown) has a long run is 28 yards.

Whathas been the biggest disappointment?

In six games, tight end Cole Kmet had 10 receptions for 116 yards (11.6 avg.) and no touchdowns. On a team with only one wide receiver with more than six catches (Darnell Mooney has 17 for 241 yards), Kmet figured to be a safety valve for Fields, but his production through six games is even less than last season (14-130, 9.3).

What is your revised prediction of the Bears’ final record?

5-12. The Bears are pretty much where they were expected to be –in rebuilding mode, suffering through rookie errors/development, with Fields predictably struggling to make progress with a modest supporting cast. There’s opportunity for improvement with more experience. But at this point it’s tough to see the offense flip a switch and take some giant leap with this roster.

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