Chicago Sports

NFL Thursday Night Football Preview: Washington Commanders @ Chicago Bears

We start week 6 of the NFL season with the Washington Commanders traveling to Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears are a one-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses and will be looking to rebound with a win on Thursday night. The Commanders have been in the headlines for the wrong reasons due to head coach Ron Rivera’s controversial quote on his quarterback Carson Wentz. You would think that Rivera knew what he was getting when the Commanders acquired Wentz in the off-season but it is clear he did not understand how poorly Wentz had played in the past two seasons.

Does Wentz deserve the blame for how poorly Washington is playing? Of course, he does, that’s the unfair criticism of playing quarterback in the NFL, you get praised when things go good and blamed when they are not good no matter if you are at fault or not.

While Wentz does deserve some of the blame, he’s not the only person at fault here. Rivera is for sure at the top of that list along with Jack Del Rio and of course owner Daniel Snyder. There is a lot of turmoil going on in Washington which is never good for any team and definitely not good for a struggling 1-4 team traveling on a short week.

In Chicago, there should be a lot of optimism from fans, coaches, and front-office executives on how their team has been playing and fighting week in and week out. The Chicago Bears have lost one-possession games in each of the previous three weeks which shows their resilience and toughness to be in all of these games with a chance to win them.

A direct correlation to why the Bears have been able to compete within these games is the week-to-week growth of Justin Fields who is slated to have a new weapon at his disposal on Thursday night. Early in the season, it seemed as if head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy were in a way keeping Fields from being able to actually throw the ball.

Now was this them saying Fields is not capable of being successful through the air or was it more of them wanting to slow the game down, run the ball, and limit possessions for the opponents? That is yet to be answered but I would think it is a combination of both. The Chicago Bears rank 32nd in pass attempts per game (17.6), completions per game (9.8), and passing yards per game (116.6). This lackluster passing output is not going to get it done in today’s NFL landscape. If you are not capable of being able to be at least a threat of throwing the ball downfield, it is extremely hard to win.

Over the last few games, the coaching staff has increased the passing output from Fields, letting him throw it a little more than in previous weeks. Although they have lost both games, the offense has looked more fluid and less predictable.

During that two-week span, Fields has thrown the ball over 20 times per game and had his most efficient game of the season against division foe Minnesota Vikings where he completed 71 percent of his passes for 208 yards. The threat of the passing game allows David Montgomery to see fewer stacked boxes which leads to him having better success running the ball. This Commander defense is a step down from what they saw with the Vikings last week, so I expect another improved effort from this Chicago Bears offense.

Montgomery is coming off a horrible performance on the ground where he only averaged 1.7 yards per carry but do not forget this was his first game back from an ankle injury suffered against the Texans. Washington has been solid this year against the run, ranking 14th in rush defense, allowing under 115 yards per game. The Bears do rank top 5 in rush offense, so this matchup is the definition of good on good and I think will ultimately determine who comes out on top in this game.

The over/under for this game is set at 37.5 which implies that we are in for a slow-paced non-offensive game which I think favors the Bears and their rush attack. They will indeed rely heavily to their run game while Washington has not had any success in getting the run game going, ranking 28th in rushing offense. The strength of this Washington offense is the passing attack where they rank top 10 in pass yards per game, but the Chicago Bears have had success in defending the pass, ranking 9th in passing defense.

The Bears are favored for the 2nd time this season and went under their totals in three of the five games. Washington also went under in three of their 5 games, so the offense could be at a premium this Thursday. The trajectory of both teams is headed in different directions and on a short week, I think this sets up perfect for the Chicago Bears to get back in the win column. The offensive line played extremely well against a tough Vikings front and only allowed two sacks which is a step in the right direction after allowing 11 sacks combined in the previous two games.

A nice balance of run and pass from the Chicago Bears should keep the Washington defense guessing and the Bears defense should cause a few Wentz miscues to be able to set up short fields for their offense. Look for the Bears to play extremely confident and poised to cover this game on Thursday night as they move to .500 on the season.

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A key update to quarterback Carson Wentz may help the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football

For the Chicago Bears to remain competitive in the NFC playoff race, they must win on Thursday night. It feels like a nice chance to get back on track to host the 1-4 Washington Commanders. Nevertheless, a squad in rebuilding mode never has an easy game. Washington has the talent to cause issues for the Bears in the correct areas. Additionally, they have Carson Wentz as the quarterback, who despite his flaws occasionally displays the talent necessary to win big games.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the veteran is dealing with a tendon strain in his right biceps. It explains why he’s been limited in practice all week and looked in considerable discomfort when spotted by the cameras. 

#Commanders QB Carson Wentz is dealing with a biceps tendon strain suffered in last week’s loss to Tennessee, per sources.

Wentz is not 100%, but he’ll start tonight against the #Bears and then try to heal up with extra rest coming off the Thursday night game. pic.twitter.com/IOlRQrrlyU

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 13, 2022

In addition to having an ailment, his team is ill-prepared to lighten his load. Through the first five weeks of the NFL season, Washington’s rushing attack has been among the worst. Antonio Gibson, a top running back, averages 3.2 yards per carry.

Therefore, it might not be very effective even if they tried to keep the ball on the ground to protect Carson Wentz. With an offensive line that has already caused him to be sacked 20 times, he will therefore need to pass the ball frequently in this game.

Even for a team like the Chicago Bears, no NFL game is a given. Having said that, they should be optimistic about their prospects of winning given the condition Carson Wentz is in. All they need to do is halt the run, then rely on their pass rush to spook him. Shake that arm a little bit. He’s certain to make one or two major errors if they do that. The Bears have done a good job this season of profiting on such errors.

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The NFL betting season has gotten off to a roaring start, especially if you take advantage of the live in-game option.

The first rule of NFL betting is to ignore so-called experts. I have been intrigued by the chances of the Chicago Bears and have not understood the extent of the negativity surrounding this year’s team. While they are in the midst of a rebuild, I think they are in a better position than last year.

While the Bears came back to earth in their week two match-up with the Packers and failed to win a winnable game against the Giants, I still think they will improve on last year’s 6-11 record. I cashed in on a money line bet in week one, and added to it with a unique opportunity offered by most betting apps.

Improving Odds Betting the NFL

I am speaking of live in-game betting. In week one there were a couple of great opportunities. The Philadelphia Eagles were about a 5-point favorite over the Detroit Lions in Detroit. After the Eagles jumped to a 17-point lead the live in-game line jumped to 16.5 in the second half. While I am not a fan of the Lions or was really excited about their chances, I took the points, figuring they would make it closer, which they did, losing by just a field goal.

An even better opportunity occurred when the lowly Houston Texans jumped out to a 20-3 lead over the Indianapolis Colts. The line moved to Texans -13.5 with a few minutes left in the third quarter: a no-brainer. But I didn’t stop there. Given the match-up, I figured the Colts had a good chance to come back and win. The money line odds on the Colts down 20-3 with a couple of minutes left in the third quarter was roughly 14-1; a $5 bet returned more than $75. More on that later.

NFL Betting

In week four there were additional opportunities; some worked out, some didn’t in terms of NFL betting.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers fell behind the lowly New York Jets, you could have gotten the Steelers +5. The Bears fell behind the Giants 14-6 and the line moved to Bears +7.5 and best of all when the Bills fell behind the Ravens in the first half 20-3 you were able to get the Bills +16.5!

I bet that three-game parlay unfortunately as the Bears failed down the stretch. However, this shows why this is such a good play. Steelers should have won but did cover. It was a lock for the Bills to come back and make it a game, and a money line bet on the Bills would have made your day.

The hard part about these live in-game bets is that the odds are constantly changing so it is hard to lock in bets. I kept trying to get this in and ended up making three small parlays, which was good as I was able to cash out two of those with a significant profit. This brings up an important benefit of these betting sights, they allow you to cash in early or partially cash out bets.

(A side note. While I enjoy sharing my thoughts on sports and NFL betting with you, my day job has been as a financial journalist and editor. I have profiled more than 100 professional money managers and have edited hundreds of trading strategy articles. Key to my coverage is analyzing the metrics of trading included bet sizing and profit taking. John Henry (who made his money as an extremely successful commodity trading advisor) told me that the key to his success was not in his strategy but in its risk management; knowing the correct bet size and when to take losses and profits).

The point being, wide swings in momentum will turn the line and you don’t have go all in on the momentum swings, instead you can exploit the temporary movement in the line to find value and cash out before you see a “reversion to the mean.”

NFL Betting Reversion to the Mean

When a betting-line swings based on an underdog jumping out to a lead it provides multiple opportunities. An easy bet when the game experiences a “reversion to the mean” and the chance to earn high odds on an outcome you see as likely. When the games swings back in your favor and the betting app is offering a cash out, you must measure risk/reward factors. If you bet $10 with an opportunity to win $150, and the game moved in your favor but coverage is not locked in, you can cash in. Anything can happen in the NFL so if you can cash at a $10 bet at $50-$100, it may be worth it rather than risk it all for the last 20% or so.

Back to the Texans/Colts example. This was a great bet and looked to be a lock after the Colts tied the game late in the fourth. The Colts had an opportunity to win it at the end of regulation, but the game went into overtime. The Colts missed a short field goal after marching deep into Texas territory in OT and the game ended a tie. My $5 bet would have paid $75 and the app offered $38 and then $46 briefly.

A cautionary note on these apps. At a certain point the cash-out function suspends and locks you out. So, if you earned a good payday and there is risk, it is worth cashing out and foregoing the last 20-40%, especially if you can get 50 to 80% of your total outcome. If you are actively betting and at higher stakes, it also increases your opportunity by freeing up capital. This is what professional traders do.

Oh, when the Bears fell behind the Vikings 21-3, I was able to put a large (for me) bet on the Bears plus 22.5. The Bears spirited come back produced a nice win. I did not have the faith to look at the money line at that point! Good thing as it would probably have been north of 20-1. But if one did make that bet, the cash out function would have been about 50% after they took a lead!

Think about the math on that and good luck with your NFL betting!

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery was motioning for his offensive line to come back and get lined up for second down after he was convinced wide receiver Darnell Mooney couldn’t have possibly made such a spectacular catch.

But there was one problem.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my God,'” Montgomery said, after realizing Mooney made the body-contorting, one-handed catch. “He’s disgusting.”

While it was surprising anyone could make the kind of catch Mooney did late in the first half of Sunday’s game in Minnesota, Mooney was expected to have had many more “oh my God” catches five weeks into the season. Or just catches in general.

Mooney is coming off a sophomore season during which he caught 81 passes for 1,055 yards and four touchdowns — all team highs. The potential for a breakout season was tied to what was expected to be a second-year jump by quarterback Justin Fields.

But something happened on the way to the Fields-Mooney connection evolving into a consistent weapon — the Bears’ passing attack cratered.

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The Bears are last in the league in nearly every major passing category, including attempts (88) and yards per game (116.6).

The result has been a near disappearance of Mooney, who has just 10 receptions on 20 targets for 173 yards, and has yet to score. By comparison, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson had 10 catches for 138 yards Sunday … in the first half.

Mooney’s acrobatic 39-yard catch wasn’t a TD grab, and it didn’t stop the Bears from losing 29-22 and falling to 2-3, but it did serve as a reminder of what the 24-year-old is capable of doing.

Will it be a spark that Mooney and the offense carry over into Thursday’s game against the 1-4 Washington Commanders (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime), who have given up 11 passing TDs, tied for second-worst in the NFL?

“Definitely a confidence-builder, for sure,” first-year head coach Matt Eberflus said.

Mooney’s grab led to a Montgomery touchdown run three plays later, and that helped initiate a comeback as the Bears overcame a 21-3 deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead. A late turnover allowed the Vikings to pull out the victory, but at this point, any improvement is a win for the Bears.

And there was no denying the Bears’ passing attack showed improvement Sunday, including Fields posting personal highs with a 71.4 completion percentage and 118.8 passer rating.

“I feel like my job is to be a playmaker at all times,” said Mooney, who was named an honorary team captain. “Whenever I get the ball, I just have to do everything I can to create a spark.”

NEARLY AN HOUR after the Bears squeaked out a 23-20 win over the Texans on Sept. 25, Mooney was in the north end zone at Soldier Field in full uniform, catching passes from the Jugs machine. Everyone else was long gone, aside from a member of the equipment staff who loaded footballs into the apparatus and the grounds crew cleaning up the field.

“I’ve seen it in basketball where guys might stay after to shoot around, but not in football,” Chicago practice squad receiver Isaiah Coulter said. “He might be the first ever to do that.”

It was Mooney’s way of dealing with a disastrous first three weeks.

Week 1: One catch for eight yards vs. San Francisco in a driving rainstorm at Soldier Field

Week 2: One catch on a screen pass for minus-4 yards in Green Bay

Week 3: Two catches for 23 yards — and one drop — vs. Houston

“Offensively, I didn’t think I helped out as much as I planned to,” Mooney said after the win over the Texans. “Just passing-game wise, I was just frustrated, not being the playmaker [who] I planned to be.”

Figuring out the root of what’s gone wrong has come with an honest self-assessment. While the analytics suggest Fields’ targets are getting open with an average of 3.9 yards of separation, the second-best in the NFL, Mooney has addressed his route imprecisions and miscommunication.

Everything you need this week:o Full schedule >> Injuries >>o Football Power Index rankings >>More NFL coverage >>

With over three minutes until halftime against the Giants in Week 4, Bears’ offensive coordinator Luke Getsy dialed up four vertical plays outside the red zone. Mooney was supposed to bend across the formation, but he split up the seam and was streaking toward the end zone.

While he was able to break free from the safety, he ran the wrong route, thinking of a similar play from last year.

“I’m supposed to be to the right of the top safety, and that’s where [Fields] was looking for me at,” Mooney said.

Fields didn’t see him and ended up scrambling for a first down. The drive ended with a field goal.

The disconnect between Fields and his receivers has been a storyline all season. Fields has the highest off-target percentage (27.4) in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The quarterback has often received criticism for not connecting with his receivers and leaving players open.

But it’s not as if Fields has the most talented and experienced group of playmakers around him. Injuries have also plagued the Bears’ receiving corps. All that combined means Mooney — the WR1 — is being asked to do more than anyone else.

“He probably has the second-most difficult job of anybody on offense,” Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. “The quarterback is the first, but Mooney, at any point in time depending on the personnel we call, he can [be lined up in one of several WR spots], all in the same drive.

“He can handle it, but sometimes, like anything, you do so many different things, especially on the same drive, you may have a mental error here or there. It shouldn’t happen, but it does.”

Mooney’s one-handed catch against the Vikings was one of the most spectacular of the young season. Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire

BEFORE THE BEARS wrapped up OTAs, Mooney reflected on how he would be relied upon to help Fields’ growth in Year 2.

“His success is my success, so as long as he’s doing good, I’m doing good, we’re all doing good,” Mooney said.

That mindset is why moments like the postgame Jugs session don’t surprise his teammates.

“The guy’s work ethic is crazy,” Bears receiver Dante Pettis said. “He’s just like — I’m going to come in, do my stuff, get better. He’s kind of obsessed with that, and it’s cool to see from someone younger.

“Most of the time, I feel like I’ve grown into a role where I try to help people out, show them the ropes a little bit, but I didn’t really have to do that with him. … I’ve learned a lot from him watching the way he works.”

After a brutal three weeks, things started to change in Week 4 against the Giants. Fields’ best pass of the season came on a 56-yard strike over the middle of the field to Mooney, who finished with four catches for 94 yards.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. Chicago has thrown the ball more the past two weeks but still has the fewest passing attempts through five weeks of any NFL team since 1982.

Despite the lack of volume, there are moments that point to Fields and Mooney working through this slump.

On the Bears’ first drive Sunday in Minnesota, Fields tried to hit Mooney on a corner route in the end zone, but the pass went incomplete. Mooney ran his route at too steep of an angle. Fields’ pass was off-target.

Yet unlike their earlier games, Fields and Mooney got back on track before halftime. The Bears ran that same play three drives later, resulting in the turning point of the game with Mooney’s 39-yard grab.

“It definitely gave us a lot of momentum,” Fields said.

Now the challenge for the Bears is to build off their modest improvement and sustain some momentum. There’s a transition period for any team with a new coach and system, but it’s the time of the season when consistency needs to be achieved.

“I feel like any type of a spark, just passing the ball down the field, can give confidence to the offense,” Mooney said. “I understand the process we have to go through with our offense and everything being new, everybody still learning and just trying to believe in the offense. It’s a journey that you just have to stay into it, believe in and trust the process.”

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KEY MATCHUP

After a slow start to the 2022 season — no sacks in four games –Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat had two of the Commanders five sacks of Ryan Tannehill last week.

Chase Allen, the 2020 No. 2 overall pick, is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season. But the Commanders still have three first-round picks on the defensive line with Sweat, Pro Bowl tackle Jonathan Allen (nine sacks last season) and tackle Daron Payne.

“Two guys inside that are pretty dynamic — it creates challenges when you have that many guys that can rush,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “We’re gonna have our hands full.”

Bears fifth-round rookie left tackle Braxton Jones has had some rookie moments but overall has been promising in his first five games, showing game-to-game improvement. For what it’s worth he is the highest graded rookie offensive lineman in theNFL through five games by Pro Football Focus — andwas the Bears’ second-highest graded player on either side of the ball (behind cornerback Kindle Vildor) last week.

TRENDING

The Bears are 32nd and last in the NFL in third-down defense after the Vikings converted 12-of-15 (80%) of their third downs last week.

The Commanders’ offense, on the other hand, was 0-for-9 (0%) on third-down conversions in a 21-17 loss to the Titans last week and are 20th overall through five weeks.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Bears quarterback Justin Fields is coming off a career-best 118.8 passer rating against the Vikings — 15-of-21 for 208 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions. He was

more efficient than prolific, but that’s still significant progress for a quarterback in these parts.

When Fields had a promising opener against the 49ers, he struggled against the Packers at Lambeau Field the following week. This time he will be at home against a defense that has allowed a 113.7 passer rating (10 touchdowns, no interceptions) in its last four games.

X-FACTOR

The Bears have been tapering for the last two weeks in anticipation of the short-week game, as Eberflus has shortened valuable practice time to keep his team fresh following a Sunday road game against the Vikings.

For what it’s worth, the home team is 11-12 on Thursday night over the past two seasons. Washington is 2-0 on Thursday Night Football under former Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera — beating the Giants 30-29 at home in Week 2 last year and the Cowboys 41-16 at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving in 2020.

The Commanders had a distraction this week when Rivera had to clarify a comment that the big difference between his 1-4 team and the Eagles (5-0), Cowboys (4-1) and Giants (4-1) was the quarterback — a tacit knock on Carson Wentz. Could be nothing, but on a struggling team, always the possibility of making things worse.

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DENVER — Blackhawks forward prospect Josiah Slavin did a double take when he received a Cameo request one day to film a video inviting a random fan’s friends to his poker night.

Was that an indication he’d made it big-time?

“Yeah, you could say so,” he said with a laugh.

Options on Cameo — the popular website (coincidentally headquartered in Chicago) on which anyone can request a personalized video from a long list of celebrities of all types, at a price — are rather limited for Hawks fans.

Plenty of Hawks-adjacent off-ice personalities have accounts, as do a few former stars such as Denis Savard and Jeremy Roenick. But only two players on the 2022-23 roster do: Slavin and new goaltender Petr Mrazek. And they both have mildly interesting stories that explain how they joined.

Two years ago, Mrazek teamed up with “Saves Help,” a charitable organization founded and run by Czech goalie Simon Hrubec that fundraises for children in need in the Czech Republic.

A massive group of other Czech goalies playing in leagues spanning the globe — including Mrazek, Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek, Pavel Francouz and Dan Vladar within the NHL — donate a predetermined amount per save they make over the course of the season, although one doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional goalie (or a hockey player at all) to donate.

Over the last two seasons, Saves Help has raised about 933,000 Czech Koruna — equivalent to about $37,000 — including 8,570 Koruna from Mrazek on account of his 857 saves.

But Mrazek wanted to find a way to contribute even more, and that’s where his Cameo comes in. He sends all proceeds from the videos, which cost $99 each, to Saves Help.

“Those are the things [that] sometimes you want to help,” he said. “It’s interesting, some [of the] requests. But it has been fun. That’s how you keep close with the fans. It’s a busy schedule in the year, so it’s hard to keep up with fans on social media or after the games, so this is the kind of thing that makes it easier.”

Slavin, meanwhile, was encouraged by his brother, Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, to set up an account. Their U-16 hockey coach with the Colorado Thunderbirds had a connection to someone working for Cameo, and he had told them about it.

In the time since, Slavin — whose videos cost only $15 — has been tracked down by Hawks fans with all sorts of requests. Wishing someone a happy birthday? He has done it. Congratulating someone for graduating from high school? He has done it. Encouraging someone recovering from surgery? He has done it.

“It comes in waves,” he said. “Once I get one, I’ll normally get a couple in that week. But it’s good to be able to connect with fans and get my name out there a little bit.”

There are also weeks in which Slavin doesn’t receive any requests, to be fair, but every time he does is a small honor for the 2018 seventh-round pick. He just made his first 15 career NHL appearances last season, and even those were unexpected, he said.

After working in particular on his skating explosiveness — his first few strides — this summer, Slavin will be back in the mix for Hawks call-ups this season, and he conceivably could grow into a solid bottom-six forward down the road. But while he grinds to make the NHL full-time, he’s perhaps already the Hawks’ leader in this one corner of the internet.

“I get to be myself,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to just share my story with them.”

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DENVER –Faced with arguably the toughest possible challenge to start the regular season, the Blackhawks did what they will likely do a lot this season: They lost.

Four power-play goals for the Avalanche, a team with all the firepower needed to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, doomed the overmatched Hawks to a 5-2 loss Wednesday.

“We felt the heat, and our focus got lost a little bit,” said Luke Richardson, who made his NHL head-coaching debut. “Not that we weren’t trying, we just were unaware. We were unaware when we needed changes and dumps, and we were unaware as forwards that the [defensemen] were pinching up and keeping extended ‘O’-zone time for them.

“Overall, the guys fought to the end, and that’s all we can ask for. But we have to demand more of ourselves.”

After an electric pregame ceremony to raise the 2022 Cup banner, Avalanche stars Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen gave the Hawks’ injured-ravaged defense fits all night and combined for eight assists.

The Avalanche outshot the Hawks in all three periods and finished with decisive advantages in shot attempts (60-34), shots on goal (35-17) and scoring chances (26-19). They went four-for-six on the man advantage, making it look easy at times.

“When they get going, if you get back on your heels a little bit, all it takes is one little wrong move and you’re taking a penalty,” Max Domi said. “[It’s] not even on purpose, right? It’s just, they’re fast. [It was a] learning experience, for sure.”

It wasn’t a completely pitiful performance by the Hawks, who showed some “good fight” in the third period — pulling within two for a while –and converted on two of their own power plays. Domi potted his first as a Hawk, and Jonathan Toews also scored to quickly extinguish any worries about another long season-opening goal drought.

But the end result was a defeat that felt inevitable from the start and about which they couldn’t complain. The other team was simply better. And that’s an explanation for losing that might be applicable many, many more times before April mercifully arrives.

“We probably turned too many pucks over in the neutral zone, especially at their blue line, and they counter really quick,” Richardson said. “Unfortunately, we kind of fed their fuel for a little bit.”

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Matt Eberflus made a unique decision before Thursday’s game

Thursday night football games present a challenge for each coaching staff who has to prepare for them. Many players and coaches don’t care for the stress of playing on Thursday night following a Sunday game. For Matt Eberflus, he was faced with getting the Chicago Bears ready for the Washington Commanders on a short week following a heartbreaking loss in Week 5.

Many NFL teams playing on Thursday choose not to practice on Wednesday. However, Eberflus had the Bears getting some reps in the day before they’d be playing the Commanders in a bid to get the team back to an even record.

According to Courtney Cronin with ESPN, Matt Eberflus thought the practice could give the Bears an upper hand on Thursday:

“I know not everybody does the practice right before but we thought it was an advantage for us to be able to do that, to play with some speed today and the guys did a nice job. They were moving around. Like I said earlier in the week, this is a simulated Friday for us so it’s more of a gold-zone, red-zone type of situation and move the ball there at the end.

The Bears were able to get some reps from previously injured players

The move by Matt Eberflus could help the Bears team with situational football, which needs a lot of practice this season. The Bears’ extra practice on red zone opportunities in Week 5 helped the team convert touchdowns against the Vikings. The Bears also had a chance for wide receiver N’Keal Harry and cornerback Jaylon Johnson to get some reps before the game.

The two were listed as full participants on Wednesday. Johnson was projected as a full participant on the Bears’ injury report Tuesday; Harry was listed as a limited participant. Those were projections as the Bears conducted a walk-through Tuesday.

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This upcoming off-season is going to be arguably one of the biggest in Chicago White Sox history, so who is the right person to lead this team?

Many rumors have come forward about the White Sox managerial job within the last week. One of those rumors came when three names had been mentioned by Bob Nightengale for the White Sox manager job. Those names included, Bruce Bochy, Mike Schildt, and Ron Washington. The White Sox are looking to hire someone with some managerial experience and all three have had a lot of success as a manager.

However, none of these names except for possibly Ron Washington are all that enticing to me. Hiring Bochy would be the exact same thing as hiring La Russa back in 2020. Mike Schildt was a good manager back in St. Louis, but he does not move the needle for me. Washington went to two World Series with the Rangers, and has now been incredibly successful with the Atlanta Braves over the past few seasons. But his age is pretty concerning, which as White Sox fans can attest, that is a big deal.

So who would be the best case scenario for the Sox? In my opinion, Astros bench coach Joe Espada is far and away the best case scenario for the White Sox. Espada has been coaching around the league for the past 12 years. Starting as the Marlins third base coach, then becoming the New York Yankees third base coach until finally becoming the Astros bench coach from 2018.

Espada has also interviewed with the Texas Rangers manager job in 2018 and he interviewed for the Chicago Cubs managerial job in 2019. The Astros have been one of the most consistent and arguably the best team in the American League over the past 5 seasons and getting anyone from their coaching staff is a big win for the Sox.

Another home run hire for the White Sox would be Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro. The Rays have also been one of the most consistent franchises in all of baseball over the past few years as well. In 2014, he was the assistant hitting coach for Cleveland until going to Tampa as their third base coach in 2017. In 2018, the Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo was hired as the Blue Jays manager, so Quatraro filled in as the team’s bench coach. Quatraro has also interviewed with both the Mets and Athletics last year for their open manager jobs.

The White Sox need consistency with their manager, and definitely not someone who has retired in the past few years. Going younger would be preferred and to me, prior managerial experience is not a big deal.

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