Chicago Sports

Quarterback Justin Fields turned the ball over on one trip to the red zone. And the next time inside the Commanders’ 20-yard line, the Bears turned the ball over on downs.

Two teams that had a combined three wins entering a Thursday night contest that is traditionally ugly are living up to their dreaded billing. With the Bears unable to score, the Commanders have a 3-0 lead at halftime on a 38-yard Joey Slye field goal with 46 seconds left in the second quarter.

Coming off his best game of the season against the Vikings, Fields reverted to some of the same frustrating plays that dogged him through the first month of the season. He went 7-for-14 for 89 yards, three sacks and a 40.5 passer rating in the first half. He’s run six times for 32 yards and been hit often enough to make fans nervous; he was slow to get up on the second-to-last play of the half, when he was hit as he threw.

Fields squandered two easy opportunities.

With about three minutes left in the first quarter, the Bears had first-and-goal at the Commanders’ 6. After David Montgomery ran for one yard, Fields dropped back to pass and sidearmed a pass toward tight end Cole Kmet, who had lined up left and ran a slant route into the end zone. The ball hit the helmet of the Commanders’ Efe Obada, rocketed into the air and was caught by fellow defensive lineman Jonathan Allen for an interception.

The Bears we back in the red zone quickly, thanks to running back Khalil Herbert, who took a handoff on the first play of the next drive and zig-zagged up the field for a thrilling 64-yard run.

A flag on the Commanders for having too many men on the field moved the Bears from the 6 to the 3. After Herbert was stuffed for no gain, Fields faked two handoffs on second-and-goal — first to Herbert and then to receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who ran an end around from right to left. That allowed backup tight end Ryan Griffin to slip away, unguarded. Fields saw him open and running into the end zone, wound up and threw it over his head. Griffin dove toward the NFC logo in the south end zone, but the throw wasn’t close.

A Fields scramble then put the ball inside the 1. The Bears went for it and handed to Herbert — who was stuffed at the line.

The Bears have been allergic to throwing inside the red zone. Thursday’s plays show why.

Entering the Commanders game, the Bears had run 27 times, thrown six passes and were sacked once in the red zone. The six passes produced two touchdowns–though Sunday’s score, a pop-pass to Velus Jones that he ran in for a nine-yard score, was a glorified handoff.

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Commanders vs. Bears – Game Summary – October 13, 2022 – ESPN

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N’Keal Harry is healthy — and a healthy scratch.

The Bears wide receiver, who was returned to the roster this week after having surgery on a high-ankle sprain in August, will not be on the game-day roster against the Commanders. Fellow receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who fumbled in the final two minutes with the Bears down by eight against the Vikings, will play.

Other Bears inactives include defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan, cornerback Lamar Jackson and tight end Jake Tonges. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who practiced in full Wednesday, will play, as expected.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy both said this week that they weren’t sure whether Harry, a former first-round pick for whom the Bears traded a 2023 seventh-round selection in July, would be on the active roster. He has participated in only one full practice with the team — Wednesday’s quick red-zone session. Harry said Wednesday he hoped to play, but wasn’t sure whether he would

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Thursday, October 13

RED CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria vs. Hansberry at Stagg, 3:45

Rowe-Clark at Speer, 7

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Mather vs. Schurz at Lane, 4:15

Steinmetz vs. Lake View at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTH

Brooks vs. Hubbard at Gately, 7:15

Kenwood vs. Curie at Lane, 4:15

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Perspectives vs. Ag. Science at Gately, 4:15

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Grayslake Central, 7

Grayslake North at Round Lake, 7

Lakes at Grant, 7

North Chicago at Wauconda, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Addison Trail vs. Leyden at Triton, 6

NONCONFERENCE

DuSable at Back of the Yards, 3:45

Fenger vs. Washington at Eckersall, 3:45

Friday, October 14

RED CENTRAL

Rauner vs. Pritzker at Lane, 4:15

RED NORTH

Taft vs. Young at Lane, 7:15

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Dunbar vs. UP-Bronzeville at Hales, 5

RED SOUTHEAST

Dyett vs. Corliss at Gately, 4:15

Goode vs. Carver at Gately, 7:15

Vocational vs. South Shore at Eckersall, 3:45

RED WEST

Crane vs. Kennedy at Stagg, 3:45

Little Village vs. Bulls Prep at Winnemac, 3:45

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Deerfield at Maine East, 6

Niles North at Maine West, 6:30

Vernon Hills at Highland Park, 6:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Glenbrook South, 7

Maine South at Evanston, 7:30

New Trier at Niles West, 7

DUKANE

Batavia at St. Charles East, 7

Lake Park at Wheaton-Warrenville South, 7

St. Charles North at Glenbard North, 7

Wheaton North at Geneva, 7

DUPAGE VALLEY

Naperville Central at Metea Valley, 7

Naperville North at Waubonsie Valley, 7

Neuqua Valley at DeKalb, 7

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Burlington Central, 7

Huntley at Dundee-Crown, 7

Jacobs at Hampshire, 7

McHenry at Crystal Lake Central, 7

Prairie Ridge at Crystal Lake South, 7

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Manteno at Lisle, 7

Peotone at Herscher, 7

Reed-Custer at Coal City, 7

Wilmington at Streator, 7

KISHWAUKEE BLUE

Richmond-Burton at Harvard, 7

Rochelle at Plano, 7

KISHWAUKEE WHITE

Kaneland at Woodstock North, 7

Ottawa at Morris, 7

Sycamore at LaSalle-Peru, 7

METRO SUBURBAN BLUE

Elmwood Park at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

IC Catholic at Bishop McNamara, 7:15

Ridgewood at Aurora Central, 7

METRO SUBURBAN RED

St. Edward at Aurora Christian, 7:15

St. Francis at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:15

MID-SUBURBAN EAST

Hersey at Elk Grove, 7:30

Prospect at Wheeling, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Buffalo Grove, 7

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Conant at Barrington, 7

Hoffman Estates at Fremd, 7

Palatine at Schaumburg, 7

NORTH SUBURBAN

Mundelein at Lake Zurich, 7

Warren at Lake Forest, 7

Waukegan at Stevenson, 7

Zion-Benton at Libertyville, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Bremen at Oak Forest, 6

Lemont at Hillcrest, 6

Tinley Park at TF South, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Argo at Shepard, 7

Eisenhower at Evergreen Park, 7

Oak Lawn at Richards, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Thornridge at Rich Township, 6

Thornton at Kankakee, 6

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Plainfield Central at Romeoville, 7

Plainfield South at Plainfield East, 7

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Minooka at Yorkville, 7

Oswego at Oswego East, 7

West Aurora at Plainfield North, 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Lockport at Lincoln-Way East, 7

Sandburg at Homewood-Flossmoor, 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Stagg, 6

Lincoln-Way West at Andrew, 7

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at South Elgin, 7

East Aurora at West Chicago, 7

Elgin at Larkin, 7

Glenbard East at Glenbard South, 7

Streamwood at Fenton, 7:30

VERMILION VALLEY NORTH

Iroquois West at Dwight, 7

Momence at Watseka, 7

Seneca at Clifton Central, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Downers Grove South at Morton, 7:30

Proviso East at Hinsdale South, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Hinsdale Central at Proviso West, 7:30

Oak Park-River Forest at Downers Grove North, 7:30

NONCONFERENCE

Benet at Joliet Catholic, 7:30

Carmel at Marist, 6:30

Christ the King at Ottawa Marquette, 7

DePaul Prep at St. Ignatius, 7:30

Harlan at Solorio, 6

Hope Academy at De La Salle, 6

Leo at Marmion, 7

Lincoln-Way Central at Bolingbrook, 6

Marian Catholic at Brother Rice, 7

Nazareth at Montini, 7:30

Notre Dame at St. Laurence, 7:30

Reavis at TF North, 7

St. Rita at Providence, 7:30

St. Viator at Mount Carmel, 7:30

Willowbrook at York, 7:30

Woodstock at Johnsburg, 7

Saturday, October 15

RED NORTH

Clark vs. Phillips at Gately, 4

Lane at Westinghouse, noon

RED NORTH-CENTRAL

Sullivan vs. Senn at Winnemac, 12:45

Von Steuben vs. Amundsen at Winnemac, 3:45

RED SOUTH

Morgan Park vs. Simeon at Gately, 1

RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Hyde Park vs. King at Eckersall, 1

RED SOUTHEAST

Comer vs. Julian at Gately, 7

RED WEST

North Lawndale vs. Lincoln Park at Lane, 1

Payton vs. Raby at Winnemac, 9:45 a.m.

BLUE CENTRAL

Golder vs. Longwood at Stagg, 12:45

Muchin vs. Butler at Gately, 10 a.m.

Noble Academy vs. Johnson at Stagg, 9:45 a.m.

SOUTHLAND

Crete-Monee at Bloom, noon

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet West at Joliet Central, 11 a.m.

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Lyons at Glenbard West, 1:30

NONCONFERENCE

Chicago Academy at Englewood STEM, 3

Chicago Christian at Indianapolis Phalen, Ind., 2

Chicago Military vs. Collins at Lane, 10 a.m.

Foreman at Kelly, 11 a.m.

Gage Park vs. Bowen at Eckersall, 9:45 a.m.

Marengo at Peoria Manual, 1

Marian Central at Mt. Carmel, Ill., 1

Marshall vs. Marine at Orr, 9:45 a.m.

Phoenix vs. Clemente at Orr, 12:45

Princeville at Walther Christian, 1

Prosser at Orr, 3:45

St. Louis De Smet, Mo. at Thornwood, 1

St. Patrick at Loyola, 1

Washington vs. Lindblom at Stagg 3:45

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LAS VEGAS — In an ideal world, Jonathan Toews’ last Blackhawks season will be a final demonstration of what has driven his stardom for so long.

Entering this week, that outcome seemed possible but unlikely. Toews’ increasing age and health issues had been noticeable the past few years; the 34-year-old center had remained a competent NHL player but had certainly not dominated to the same degree he did during his prime.

He did finish last season playing his best hockey since the pandemic began, tallying 17 points over his final 25 games, but he was still far from an all-three-zones puck-possession monster.

This preseason was particularly worrying, as Toews looked glaringly lost — or, at best, apathetic. During his even-strength ice time in four exhibition games, scoring chances favored Hawks opponents by a 29-6 margin (and the Hawks were outscored 6-1).

But then the puck dropped Wednesday in the Hawks’ regular-season opener and, suddenly, vintage Toews reappeared. His performance against the defending-champion Avalanche — albeit in a 5-2 Hawks loss — was arguably his best in any game since last summer, when he returned from his year away with chronic inflammatory response syndrome.

If he somehow maintains this level all season, a storybook ending to Toews’ Hawks tenure — or at least to Toews’ current Hawks contract — could actually happen.

On a line with Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh, Toews recorded the Hawks’ best ratios in terms of shot attempts (12-7), shots on goal (7-3) and scoring chances (8-4) against the Avalanche. He won 10 of 14 faceoffs, not that his faceoff abilities have ever faltered whatsoever.

And he buried the Hawks’ first goal of the season off a savvy Philipp Kurashev power-play pass, quickly extinguishing any concerns that last year’s initial drought — he didn’t score until his 26th game — might repeat itself. He laughed sheepishly, with a dose of genuine emotion rarely seen in his soft-spoken post-CIRS public persona, when asked about that postgame.

“Let’s not go there right now,” Toews said. “But having said that, it feels good to get on the board and get some confidence. In this situation, in this game, you just want to go out there and make plays. You can’t dwell on whether they go in or not.”

Even more importantly, Toews’ assertive, rational leadership skills were on full display, as well.

He provided head coach Luke Richardson an unofficial extra assistant to help him survive his debut. He argued with the referees about several questionable penalty calls, and lightly complained about those calls after the game — a nightly ritual so on-brand for Toews at this point in his career that it’d be odd if he didn’t do it.

And when defenseman Seth Jones was stuck on the ice late in the second period for a marathon shift over three minutes long, it was Toews who reamed out the Hawks for not giving Jones the time or support needed to change.

“We didn’t have to say anything as coaches,” Richardson said. “He, as a leader, stood up and told those guys. He was yelling at them from the bench, but when they got to the bench, he told them in a calm but stern manner. That goes a lot further on the team than a coach telling a guy.”

There’s a long season ahead, and a good first week hardly foreshadows a full, year-long return to form. Plenty of question marks remain: Can Toews, long defined by his competitiveness, mentally handle all the Hawks’ inevitable losses? Can his own stamina hold up? (His aforementioned strong finish to last season, after all, came after a five-week rest recovering from a concussion.) Will the inescapable trade rumors distract or bother him?

If Wednesday was a true sign of Toews reviving his stardom, though, the Hawks’ 2022-23 season will be guaranteed to feature at least one fitting, heartwarming, enjoyable plotline.

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Little is more exciting in ballet or in any other facet of the arts than the emergence of a new talent brimming with potential, and that’s what the Joffrey Ballet delivered Wednesday evening in the Lyric Opera House with a compelling world premiere by Chanel DaSilva.

It was one of three distinctively styled works from past and present showcased on a mixed-repertory program titled “Beyond Borders” that runs for nine more performances through Oct. 23 and opens the Chicago-based company’s 2022-23 season.

DaSilva, an award-winning former dancer with the well-regarded Trey McIntyre Project in Boise, Idaho, was chosen as one of the 2020 winners of the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s Winning Works Choreographic Competition. It focuses on ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) creative voices.

In addition to “B O R D E R S,” the work the Brooklyn, New York, native produced for Winning Works, the Joffrey performed another DaSilva piece last year as part of its virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But “col?rem” on Wednesday night marked two simultaneous milestones. It is not only DaSilva’s high-profile debut on Joffrey’s subscription series, but it is also the first mainstage work created for the company by a Black woman.

DaSilva still has room to grow as a dancemaker, but she clearly already has a well-developed choreographic vision. In “colorem,” she showed the uncommon ability to conceive an inventive movement vocabulary, skillfully arrange and deploy 16 dancers and sustain interest across an entire work.

The piece is built around the notion of two sets of dancers wearing jarringly contrasting red and steel-gray unitards with gloves that covered their hands, obscuring an important expressive body part and taking away a certain element of their humanness.

The action takes place in a kind of stark white box, with the look and feel suggesting some cold, futuristic world, but it is hard not to see the work as a metaphor for the clashes around skin color so familiar to present-day society.

Cristina Spinei’s music, powered by marimba, piano and vibraphone, is driving, percussive and almost geometric. Much the same could be said about the movement, which is angled, precise and even rigid at times.

The red and gray performers dance with each other but they are apart as much as they are together. Only when Amanda Assucena, one of the clear stars of the evening, breaks free from the group, drawing a resistant Xavier N??ez into an athletic pas de deux, do the borders between the colors seemingly begin to melt.

Just as “Beyond Borders” welcomes a choreographic newcomer, it also celebrates an old master, Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino. In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the choreographer’s birth in 2023, the company is presenting his 1978 classic, “Suite Saint-Sa?ns,” which revels in the rich, romantic music of Camille Saint-Sa?ns.

In this sprightly re-staging by rehearsal director Suzanne Lopez, Arpino’s light, frolicsome neo-classicism seems vital and fresh and not dated in the least. Patterns swirl and overlap, as dancers in pastel-tinged tights and loose tutus constantly enter and exit against a blue-sky backdrop and shoot across the stage in the high-powered, exuberant final section.

There were plenty of stand-out individual performances in this work, including the crisp solos by Gayeon Jung in the opening section and the pas de trois in the Serenade second section, with Edson Barbosa deftly partnering Jeraldine Mendoza and Anais Bueno.

Rounding out the program is a revival of “Vespertine” by Liam Scarlett, who was a kind of dance-world wunderkind before he tragically took his own life in 2021 at age 35. Inspired by the chiaroscuro paintings of Caravaggio, this work takes place on a shadowy stage lit with 13 globe-like chandeliers, with the dancers entering and exiting dramatically via the darkness at the back of the stage.

Performed to spellbinding Renaissance and baroque music performed by a period-instrument ensemble that includes harpsichord, organ and theorbo, the work has a hushed, mysterious and sensual feel. A highlight is a lovely duet featuring two of the company’s reliable standouts — Victoria Jaiani and Alberto Velazquez.

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It’s been awhile for some, so Andre Drummond would like to re-introduce himself.

At least that’s the way the Bulls big man has felt throughout this training camp.

There was a time when he was considered hands-down the best rebounder in the game, and he had two All-Star appearances to show for it. There were many nights the former No. 9 overall pick from the 2012 draft could fall out of bed and record a double-double. Drummond has nine seasons where he’s averaged at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Yet, playing on now six different teams since the 2019-20 season has somehow changed the narrative on his skillset.

Four preseason games with his latest team was a small taste of what he was and what Drummond could be, and the Bulls will need all of that from the veteran.

Not only did Drummond average 7.5 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per game, but displayed a weapon he’s been sitting on for years.

Andre Drummond … three-point shooter?

“Probably like Year 6 [with the Pistons], every summer I would just go at it,” Drummond said, explaining the work he put into the long-range shot. “There’s videos that are out of me shooting them. I would never take them in a game. But it’s more so just working in the dark when nobody’s watching and being able to be prepared for those moments when it does come.”

Preseason Game 3 in Toronto, was one of those moments.

Three shots from long range taken, and three made.

No biggie?

Well, since coming into the Association, Drummond has put up 114 three-point shots or about 0.2 per game, and made just 15 for a career 13.2% from beyond the arc.

The fact that he went 3-for-4 from three in the preseason is either a fluke or a new sense of what he can bring off the bench.

Drummond is betting on the latter.

When he signed a two-year, $6.5 million free agent deal to become a Bull, one of the discussions he had with coach Billy Donovan was the freedom to take a three if it’s there. Considering his history and the scouting report every opposing team has, it’s always going to be there.

“I want to be able to stay on the floor, and I want to be able to add different facets to my game to be able to help this team win,” Drummond said. “And if I’m able to make that corner three when I’m wide open, it adds another element to our team.”

It also adds value to Drummond, especially with the offensive spacing Donovan wants to see.

While the addition of Tristan Thompson was a good fit in the Bulls locker room, it didn’t impact the court much, especially when Thompson was playing alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

LaVine and DeRozan work with Nikola Vucevic because he doesn’t clutter the paint. That clears a runway for LaVine to the rim, and gives DeRozan’s lethal mid-range game operating room.

Drummond knew from Day 1 he wasn’t beating out Vucevic for the starting center spot, but being able to pull a defender out of the paint could warrant him more minutes with LaVine and DeRozan.

“With a team like this that spaces the floor so much, and I’m out there [on the perimeter] more times than not in this offense, it’s a shot that I have to work on and be able to knock at least one or two down now,” Drummond said. “It’s not gonna be something where I’m shooting contested threes or taking wild shots. It’s gonna be in the flow of the offense. If I’m open I’m shooting it.”

Now all he needs is a new nickname.

“An-Trey” Drummond has a nice ring to it.

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A look at the most intriguing Chicago Bulls games for fans here in the 2022-23 NBA season

The Chicago Bulls will begin their 57th season after last season’s appearance in the playoffs looking to have their first back to back appearances since 2014-15 . Here are the games that you should be interested in watching or attending:

Cleveland Cavaliers (October 22 in Chicago, December 31 in Chicago, January 2 at Cleveland, and February 11 at Cleveland)

The Cavaliers were one of the surprise teams last season racing out to a  31-16 record to start the season however the team struggled after losing center Jarett Allen on March 6 to an injury to his finger and went 7-12 without him.

This offseason to add more talent to the roster, the team acquired All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz to make themselves into a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have four matchups with the Cavs this season and these matchups will probably determine playoff seeding for both teams in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee Bucks (November 23 at Milwaukee, December 28 in Chicago, February 16 in Chicago on TNT and April 5 in Chicago on ESPN)

Last season, the Bucks beat the Bulls eight out of nine games last season including in the first round of the playoffs. The average margin of defeat in those games last season was 17 points. If the Bulls hope to be a serious contender, they will need to have a better showing against their rivals from Wisconsin.

Philadelphia 76ers (October 29 in Chicago on NBA TV, January 6 at Philadelphia on ESPN, March 20 at Philadelphia and March 22 in Chicago)

In the last 5 years, the 76ers have won the 2nd most regular-season games in the NBA (Milwaukee is 1st) yet this team has not reached the Eastern Conference finals and has had some epic playoff failures. The Bulls have struggled against this team and have won only one game in the regular season vs this team since 2018. If the Bulls can get some wins vs 76ers this year, it would be good indicator that the Bulls can compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Brooklyn Nets (November 1 at Brooklyn, January 4 in Chicago, February 9 in Brooklyn and February 23 in Chicago)

Behind all of the drama, trade demands, refusal to play and just overall dysfunction the Nets are a talented team. The Nets could possibly play Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry and Joe Harris at the same time! That lineup is a great combination of ball handling, shooting, and defense that not many teams can match. Last year this team was 36-19 when Durant played and 8-19 when he did not. If Durant is healthy for 60 plus games, that would be one more team that could take a playoff spot from the Bulls.

Minnesota Timberwolves (December 18 at Minnesota and March 17 in Chicago)

The Timberwolves traded for center Rudy Gobert this summer and will pair him with seven-footer Karl Anthony-Towns and they will form one of the most unique Twin Tower pairings in the history of the NBA. The Bulls were rumored to be one of the teams that was interested in trading for the former defensive player of the year but the Timberwolves traded a boatload of assets to make the deal with the Jazz.

Bulls fans will watch this game wondering if general manager Arturas Karnisovas missed a chance to make the Bulls title contenders with a trade for Gobert.

Golden State Warriors (December 2 at Golden State on ESPN and January 15 in Chicago)

When the Bulls went to San Francisco to play the Warriors last year on their annual November West Coast road trip, it was a matchup of two teams who had the best record in their respective conferences. The game would be a good barometer to see if the Bulls were ready to contend with Steph Curry and company. Well……. the Bulls lost by 26 points and quickly Bulls fans had to realize that the rebuilt Bulls were not quite ready for primetime. Could the outcome this year be different for the Bulls versus the defending NBA champions?

Indiana Pacers (October 26 in Chicago, January 24 at Indiana, February 15 at Indiana and March 5 in Chicago)

The Pacers do not make this list because they are a playoff contender actually, they are quite the opposite. The Pacers are looking to tank so that they can get a high draft in this upcoming loaded 2023 NBA Draft. The Pacers two most tradeable players are guard Buddy Hield and center Myles Turner. Turner has been in trade rumors since the beginning of the NBA it seems and the Bulls could be a possible destination for the 6’10 center.

The NBA trade deadline is February 9 so the games after the deadline could be games where possibly Turner is in Bulls red and white and Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (the most likely Bulls player to be dealt for Turner) could be in Pacers gold and blue.

San Antonio Spurs (October 28 at San Antonio and February 6 in Chicago)

The Spurs are another team that is tanking to get more chances at obtaining a high draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The allure of these two games is that this maybe the last time the Bulls fans see coach Gregg Popovich on a NBA sideline. Popovich, the all-time leader in wins and winner of 5 NBA championships will turn 74 during this season and his current contract ends at the end of the year.  If you are a lover of the game and its history, you will value watching one of the greatest coaches in NBA history ever pace the sidelines for possibly the last time. 

It should be a great season of basketball at the Madhouse on Madison! Follow me on Twitter at [email protected]

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The Chicago Bears could look to trade David Montgomery

David Montgomery is in the middle of his last year under contract for the Chicago Bears. The Bears running back came back in Week 5 from injury and had a nice day in the passing game. His rushing numbers were awful. Outside of his rushing touchdown, he was useless in the running game.

Montgomery had one great running game this season in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers when he had 122 yards rushing. His rushing totals against the Vikings, 49ers, and Texans didn’t reach 30 yards in the Bears’ run-heavy offensive attack. Montgomery is only averaging 3.8 yards a carry this season. That’s .1 yards a carry shy of his career average.

The Bears will Probably cut their ties with Montgomery before re-signing him to another contract. Re-signing a running back is generally dumb, and Montgomery would not be an exception. One NFL writer thinks the Bears can at least get some value out of the former third-round pick.

Bears trade David Montgomery to the Baltimore Ravens

ESPN Staff Writer Bill Barnwell wrote about potential trades before the deadline. Barnwell thinks the Bears could trade David Montgomery to the Baltimore Ravens as a “running back rental” for this year. Barnwell believes the Bears could get a 2023 fifth-round pick in return for Montgomery.

“In a year in which the Bears are cleaning up their cap and beginning their latest rebuild, Montgomery probably belongs elsewhere. He is a free agent after this season, and the people who drafted him no longer work for the organization. Khalil Herbert also has excelled in Montgomery’s absence and deserves a larger role.

With the Bears likely to shop in free agency next offseason, they probably will not be in position to gain a compensatory pick for Montgomery when he leaves. The same isn’t true for the Ravens, who typically mine the league’s compensatory formula for all it’s worth. It’s not clear whether the Ravens trust J.K. Dobbins right now, given that his snap percentage dropped between Week 4 and Week 5. And Kenyan Drake has been dismal as the team’s veteran back, while Justice Hill hasn’t been able to stay healthy.

The Ravens renting Montgomery for the rest of the season would probably net them a sixth- or seventh-round compensatory pick in 2024.”

This would be a great deal for the Bears. The Bears need draft capital more than they need a bloated duck waddling down Soldier Field this season. David Montgomery has been decent for the Bears, but he was never the dynamic back that the team had previously with Matt Forte and Jordan Howard.

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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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