Chicago Sports

Saturday was Fritz Pollard Day at Lane. The school named its field after the 1912 graduate in a ceremony attended by five generations of alumni and local politicians.

Most of the crowd stuck around for the Champions’ matchup against Clark, adding an unusual amount of luster to a Saturday afternoon game.

“It was important to show out today for [Lane principal Edwina Thompson],” Lane defensive end Edward Neequaye said. “There were a lot of people here and we didn’t want to let her down.”

Neequaye and the Lane defense nearly posted a shutout, only allowing the Eagles a special teams touchdown on the way to a 24-8 win that clinched the Champions’ first Illinois High School Association state playoff appearance since 2013.

Lane was a regular state playoff qualifier in the early 2000’s, but the school hasn’t had a winning season since 2008.

“There was a lot of pressure,” Lane coach Dedrick Dewalt said. “We had to win this game and the kids came through.”

Casey Joyce opened the scoring with a 51-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Yiannis Katsogridakis added a three-yard touchdown run five minutes later and the undefeated Champions (6-0, 3-0 Red North) led 14-0 at halftime.

Senior Finn Merrill led Lane’s rushing attack with 16 carries for 127 yards. Joyce added 16 carries for 87 yards.

“I didn’t feel any extra pressure today,” Merrill said. “It was exciting more than anything. I love to see the fans come out.”

Quarterback Mark Seward had a one-yard touchdown run and Mugdim Kreho kicked a 37-yard field goal to round out the scoring for Lane.

“It’s essential to the community and culture around here to make the state playoffs,” Dewalt said. “Kids want to go to winners and the only way to build these days is by winning. The school is very excited about the football team and it’s a good feeling.”

The game was primarily played on the ground. Each team completed just one pass.

“Running the ball is what we do so we should know how to deal with it,” Clark coach Kevin Simmons said. “We made uncharacteristic, young mistakes. We have a lot of work to do.”

Clark (3-3, 1-2) scored on a 91-yard kick return touchdown by sophomore Tysean Perkins. Senior Caleb Rogers led the Eagles’ offense with six carries for 41 yards.

“Our whole season has been marred by adversity,” Simmons said. “We don’t have a practice field. We don’t have a home field. Every game we play is away. It’s tough but that’s football. You just have to overcome. We will regroup and be ready for Taft next week.”

Clark would typically play their home games at Rockne Stadium on the West Side, but it is currently undergoing renovations.

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The exit interviews with players already started, and Cubs manager David Ross and his staff are smart enough to realize a surprisingly successful second half doesn’t assure 2023 playoff consideration.

“We got a long way to go to get better to be competing for a World Series,” Ross said Saturday before Seiya Suzuki hit a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning for a 2-1 win over the Reds that extended the Cubs’ winning streak to six consecutive games. “But these guys are on a mission to do that. And as long as we keep that mindset, we’ll be fine.”

The focus is placed on specific ways to improve for next season.

“I’m not a big fan of ‘let’s sit down and see how your season went,’ ” said Ross, who is more curious to hear what areas of improvement players seek and whether the team can assist them in the offseason.”

“One player asked me, ‘what do you think I need to work on?’ I’m not going to say, ‘you need to get on base more.’ “

Instead, the dialogue is more work specific, whether it’s improving strength or speed or sharpening a pitch.

“Instead of macro things we have to work on, there will be small details to work on to make us better,” said Ross, who liked the eagerness of his players.

Reliever Adbert Alzolay, who pitched three perfect innings, liked the chats.

“Now you have an idea of things you need to get better at and things to keep working to win,” Alzolay said.

A double-digit deficit in the National League Central that has persisted since a three-game sweep by the Yankees in mid-June shifted the front office’s focus toward deadline trades and scouting their minor-league players.

A plethora of injuries, combined with deadline trades, resulted in the Cubs using 64 players, including 39 pitchers.

Second baseman Nick Madrigal (groin) will join pitcher Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) in Arizona shortly to recover from their ailments under the supervision of new strength and conditioning coordinator Blaine Kinsley.

Left-hander Justin Steele threw 119 innings but missed the last month because a low back strain.

“The back thing was kind of random, weird, but things happen,” Steele said before throwing his final bullpen session.

The Cubs are expected to invest in the free-agent market to enhance their playoff chances. It also could mean that some players could be hard-pressed to retain spots on the 2023 major-league roster.

Ross cited shortstop Nico Hoerner (2021) and All-Star left fielder Ian Happ (2019) as examples of players who were cut at the end of spring training but eventually made an impact.

“Sometimes it just happens,” Ross said. “Guys find that extra gear, that mental toughness – whether it’s not taking for granted or proving people wrong or just that different mentality – can be powerful.

“Everyone is different. We want everybody in theory to come here and stay and produce. It’s not everyone’s path. I got released and was able to reset and have a different mindset in my career. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

Rookie Christopher Morel batted .190 in the final two months, and his contact rate this season was only 63.4 percent according to Fangraphs. But Morel provided exceptional versatility and timely power after marking the jump from Double-A Tennessee May 17.

“I’ve had highs and lows, but just learning from those experiences is very important,” Morel said.

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When a disgruntled Ian Happ was one of the final cuts of spring training in 2019, veteran Jason Heyward took him to dinner to let him know he remained part of the Cubs family.

That’s a large reason why Happ was one of several thousand people who showed their thanks to Heyward, who delivered the lineup card and was treated to a one-minute video in the middle of the fourth inning of Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Reds.

Heyward, who learned in August he won’t be with the Cubs for his eighth season, saluted the crowd and flashed his 2016 World Series ring.

“He deserved that, for sure,” said Happ, who was grateful he didn’t have to bat after the Heyward tribute.

Manager David Ross also was moved by the tribute for Heyward, who broke in as a rookie with the Braves in 2010 when Ross was a backup catcher.

“You know that saying, ‘surround yourself with good people,’ ” Ross said. “Jason Heyward is always somebody you want to surround yourself with.”

Caissie’s climb

Outfielder Owen Caissie, one of 14 prospects participating in a four-day seminar, recognized the happiness around Wrigley Field.

“My biggest takeaway is that everyone seems to be happy here,” said Caissie, the Cubs’ eighth top prospect according to Baseball America. “When I’m walking down the street, everyone has a smile on their face.”

Caissie, 20, overcame his frowns at Class-A South Bend, where he batted .122 with three RBIs in his first 49 at-bats, to finish with a .254 batting average with 11 home runs and 58 RBIs.

“It probably was an aggressive assignment going into High A, but definitely learned a lot,” Caissie said. “I got exposed my first month. It happens, but I came back from it and learn all the way through the year.”

Caissie said he wondered what was going wrong but never lost faith in his abilities.

“I’m all in with the Cubs,” said Caissie, who will report soon to play in the Arizona Fall League. “Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it. I’m just trying to make it to Wrigley and win a World Series with them.”

This and that

Wade Miley threw two scoreless innings in his first relief appearance since Sept. 25, 2020 to earn the win. “Any time you can vulture (a win), it’s good,” Miley quipped. … Cubs starters have posted a 1.74 ERA in their last 10 games, lowest in the majors.

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Even with the preseason schedule down to just four games, don’t expect to see much from the Bulls on Tuesday, as they host Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

It will basically be getting some work in for the starters, and a very vanilla look in most of the offensive sets.

That doesn’t mean that coach Billy Donovan and his staff haven’t spent the last five months in the lab, looking to change up the overall formula of this group, especially on the offensive end.

According to third-year forward Patrick Williams, Donovan wants to take advantage of the versatility of this group, which means a lot of “position-less” looks for the opposition.

How that plays out remains to be seen, but Williams liked the feel of it so far.

“The offense has kind of changed to more position-less, so I think I will be in different areas and different opportunities to make a play, whether that play is scoring or assisting or getting downhill and drawing the defense or whatever the play may be,” Williams said. “I think me and a lot of other guys, there’s different spacing this year to make plays, so I think definitely with my skillset and my size, my ability, just being able to make plays in whatever area or whatever aspect that may be, I think the offense is a lot more open and creative that way this year.”

What Donovan also has on his side, especially with the starting group – with or without a healthy Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) – is the number of play-makers.

DeMar DeRozan averaged 4.9 assists last season, but two years ago in San Antonio handed out 6.9 per game. Zach LaVine averaged 4.9 assists per game in 2020-21, his first season with Donovan. Nikola Vucevic averaged 3.9 assists his first stint with Donovan. Then add in willing passers like Williams, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, and Ball when he’s healthy, and it will be interesting to see if the plan translates well from paper to the hardwood.

The questionnaire

Since guard Ayo Dosunmu was first drafted in the second round by the Bulls, his veteran teammates have raved about how curious he is and how many questions he’s asked.

Veteran Goran Dragic has become just the latest brain for him to pick.

“He’s a very cool guy,” Dosunmu said of his new teammate. “I ask a lot of questions. I asked him about his time in Phoenix, his short stint in Toronto, in Miami. He played in the Finals, he’s been in those tough games, he’s been in those tough battles. The more I pick his brain, the more it’s going to help me out.”

LA story

DeRozan knows a lot of people in the Los Angeles area – famous and not famous.

So when Williams headed west to workout with DeRozan this summer, what kind of tour did he get? Not a very exciting one, as Williams made it very clear that it was a business trip first and foremost.

“No, I didn’t really get introduced to celebrities,” Williams said. “Obviously, being around his people, his family members, going to dinners, things like that, but not necessarily meeting any celebrities or things like that. But meeting celebrities to me isn’t really fun. I guess the basketball part is.”

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The Zach LaVine hype coming out of the first week of Bulls training camp was real.

Several of his teammates publicly discussed it, and practice onlookers privately commented about how explosive the two-time All-Star has looked, fresh off a summer knee clean-up surgery and a new five-year, $215-million max contract.

What will that mean for the Bulls in the final standings?

That remained to be seen.

But what isn’t unknown is the organization still feels like they have a devastating one-two punch in LaVine and DeMar DeRozan that few in the Association can match.

“It can be very exciting and scary for other people,” DeRozan said, when asked about Year 2 of the duo playing together. “I can’t tell you how many times I talked to him this summer, just checking on him. Getting that leg back together. I want to be with a healthy Zach. A full year of that is something I dream about every single night.”

With good reason.

In DeRozan’s estimation a healthy LaVine makes life easier. Not just for DeRozan, but the entire offense.

Entering his 14th season, there were far too many games in the 2021-22 campaign that DeRozan carried the night. Single-handedly putting the carcass on his back, and willing it to a victory. Especially when LaVine was dealing with his knee issues, and couldn’t deliver on both ends of the floor like he did coming out of his Team USA run earlier in the summer.

That was exhausting for DeRozan, and by the end of the season and into the playoff series with Milwaukee, he looked worn down.

And now with DeRozan a year older at 33, and a year wiser in his estimation, while he was confident that Father Time still had no interest in trying to D him up, he would love for LaVine to be the lead actor in the upcoming sequel.

“A lot of my load last year was Zach being out,” DeRozan said. “We always talked about making things easier on one another. Being so up and down and not having each other made it tough on both of us. Having a healthy Zach and healthy me makes our job, and everybody else’s job around us, a lot easier.”

That starts in the scoring department.

DeRozan is coming off a career year in which he averaged 27.9 points per game, which was seventh overall in the league. LaVine finished 17th at 24.4 points per game, down from his previous season in which he averaged 27.4.

If they each play to their potential, the only other duo that could match them in scoring would be Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That’s good company.

The concern?

Was there actually a blueprint on how to slow them down discovered in the second half of last season, as both DeRozan and LaVine admitted?

All those double-teams and blitzes on the screen game will be tested, as a healthy LaVine could make that more difficult.

Then there’s the role coach Billy Donovan and his staff play in this, making sure there’s an adjustment in place to the so-called blueprint. While the Bulls weren’t expected to show much in the preseason games, a season-opener against a defensive-minded team like Miami will be a heck of a first test.

A test LaVine couldn’t wait for.

“We saw how teams defended us and adjusted throughout the season with different double-teams, me in pick-and-rolls, him in the post, so just try and use that to our advantage and be able to help each other get better,” LaVine said. “Better shots, easier looks, and help this team win. That’s what it’s all about. But having another year underneath our belt, I think it’s only going to get better, especially when we’re both healthy.”

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The Bears are signing veteran kicker Michael Badgley, his agent tweeted, and it’s possible he will kick for them Sunday against the Giants. Cairo Santos missed practice Thursday and Friday for personal reasons, and coach Matt Eberflus listed him as questionable on the injury report.

If Santos does not travel with the team Saturday, the Bears are required to inform the public promptly. When asked Friday if the Bears needed another kicker as a contingency, Eberflus said, “I’m not answering that question. He’s got a personal issue, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Badgley, 27, hit 18 of 21 field goals and made all 39 of his extra points after joining the Colts midway through last season.

He grew up in Summit, N.J., which is about 30 minutes from MetLife Stadium.

Badgley kicked at the University of Miami and went undrafted in 2018. He has bounced among the Colts, Chargers, Titans and Jaguars since.

The Chargers picked him up in October 2018, and he lasted three seasons with them. He made 80% of his field goals and 95.3% of his extra points over 34 games.

Santos gave the Bears steadiness at one of their shakiest positions when he took the job in 2020. He set the franchise record that season by making 93.8% of his field goals.

In this three-season run with the Bears, he has made 60 of 66 field goals and 67 of 71 extra points (he also kicked briefly for them in 2017).

Santos made all five of his kicks — field goals from 47, 50 and 30 yards, plus two extra points — in the Bears’ 23-20 win over the Texans last week. He won the game on his 30-yarder as time expired.

“To kick a 50-yarder and make all his extra points and kick a game-winner, that’s what those guys live for,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “I couldn’t be happier with Cairo… I’m excited to see them kick again this week.”

Santos is especially valuable to the Bears because of how he well does at Soldier Field, which is widely recognized as the hardest place to kick in the NFL. He has made 90% of his field goals at home during his time with the Bears, the best in franchise history ahead of Robbie Gould at 83.2%.

There was no cause for concern until Santos missed practice Thursday because of an undisclosed personal reason. He also was out Friday, and coach Matt Eberflus gave zero indication of whether he thought he’d play. He was listed as questionable on the injury report.

The Bears had three kickers in for tryouts Friday: Josh Lambo, Brian Johnson and Badgley.

Lambo, 31, is the most experienced and accomplished of the trio. He has made 87.1% of his field goals and 89.9% of extra points since entering the NFL in 2015.

Johnson, who was on the Bears’ practice squad last year, was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech. He played for the Saints and Commanders last season and made all 10 of his field goals and 9 of 13 extra points.

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In the 89th minute of the Fire’s game Sept. 17 against Charlotte FC with the score tied at 2, Xherdan Shaqiri was removed because of a persistent quadriceps problem. A few minutes later, Charlotte’s Karol Swiderski scored the winner, eliminating the Fire from playoff contention for a fifth straight year.

Despite leaving that game when the Fire’s season was still alive, Shaqiri traveled to meet up with Switzerland during the international window. With the World Cup opening in November, Shaqiri started on Sept. 24 and Sept. 27 and played more than 130 minutes in UEFA Nations League games.

It begs the question: Should Shaqiri’s commitment to the Fire be questioned? Coach Ezra Hendrickson had an answer Wednesday.

“Shaq came here with a commitment to help get this organization back to where it belongs, and I think he’s shown that throughout the entire year,” Hendrickson said.

Shaqiri was a worthwhile gamble and has been productive for the Fire when healthy, contributing seven goals and 11 assists in 2,168 minutes. But that doesn’t tell the whole story as injuries have kept him from consistently fueling the Fire attack and living up to his salary. There have been moments when Shaqiri’s effort has been questioned, notably during the Aug. 21 loss to New York City FC when he didn’t mark Gabriel Pereira and walked before the NYCFC player picked up a pass and scored from outside the 18-yard box.

Shaqiri’s latest injury was not enough to keep him from playing for the Swiss and appearing in two glorified international friendlies a week after bowing out of the Charlotte game. And as one of Switzerland’s best and most accomplished players, Shaqiri’s place in their World Cup lineup is likely safe, regardless of whether he had suited up for those recent games.

Hendrickson, who defended him after the Charlotte game, backed Shaqiri and pointed out that he has played hurt at times this season, something that was especially clear to observers as the schedule wound down. Shaqiri also has made efforts to play with the Fire soon after international windows, including April 2 against FC Dallas when he left with an injury midway through the first half.

“Even when he was carrying injuries, he played,” Hendrickson said. “That wasn’t the case for every player on the squad this year. His commitment to this team is very high, but he knows his body, and he knows what he’s feeling.”

As for keeping Shaqiri in shape between the end of the MLS regular season and the World Cup, Hendrickson said the Fire are planning to train two or three days a week for about three weeks. If that’s adequate for Shaqiri, he’ll stay with the Fire and practice.

Now with the Fire’s season effectively over, there are arguments for Shaqiri to skip the last two games, including Saturday at FC Cincinnati. Even with a depleted roster, some of his young teammates would benefit from 180 minutes of experience. And with the trip to Qatar approaching, there’s little to gain and a lot to risk for Shaqiri before what’s probably his last World Cup.

Hendrickson said the team hasn’t decided on how much Shaqiri will play Saturday and that the club realizes the attacker could need some rest before the trip to Qatar.

“That’s something we’ll sit down and talk with him about as far as making sure that we send him off to the World Cup in the best physical shape as possible and as healthy as possible,” Hendrickson said.

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Somebody has to manage the White Sox next season, but will it be a member of the “family”? Will it be yet another former South Sider for chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to look at lovingly and say, “I always knew you were the one”?

Let’s be honest: Bringing in a skipper without Sox ties wouldn’t be the worst way to go. And there’s a decent chance it’ll go down like that this offseason. But in this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we’re focusing on the family because, well, sometimes it’s fun to just lean back from the dinner table and watch everyone else argue.

So, pick a skipper for 2023: Miguel Cairo, Tony La Russa, Ozzie Guillen or A.J. Pierzynski?

“I choose the guillotine,” @bigballerbro commented.

We also asked about Sunday’s Bears-Giants game. Who’s going to win?

“Bear down!” @KurtisArndt wrote. “I haven’t lost faith in Justin Fields and won’t any time soon.”

Finally, we asked about Northwestern’s plans to build a state-of-the-art football stadium by 2026. Will you be there with purple bells on?

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Pick one of these guys (yes, you have to) to manage the White Sox in 2023:

Upshot: Looks like Ozzie’s the man. Nobody will have to tell him that, of course. “The only guy to win it all on the South Side in the last 100 years,” @JeffreyCanalia pointed out. What about Pierzynski, the only man of the four who hasn’t done the job before? “Absolutely A.J.,” @RonaldVoigt4 offered. “He knows baseball inside and out. And if effort is lacking, I would love to see these lollygaggers meeting A.J. on the dugout steps.”

Poll No. 2: The 2-1 Bears visit the 2-1 Giants on Sunday. Who wins?

Upshot: Did voters forget about Giants running back Saquon Barkley? Or maybe they’re too stricken with Khalil Herbert fever to care. Two blah teams with subpar offenses and quarterbacks who get chased around unmercifully go at it, and it’s kind of hilarious to realize that one of these teams is going to wake up 3-1 on Monday.

Poll No. 3: Will a state-of-the-art Northwestern football stadium make you more interested in the Wildcats?

Upshot: As @RLins12 put it, “The lesson from this poll is the only thing that makes fans show up at NU is winning a bunch.” @WildcatReport called the results “depressing, but not surprising — Chicago sports fans will come once to check it out and then probably won’t come back.” Clearly, the powers that be in Evanston have higher hopes than that.

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KEY MATCHUP

Two years after he torn his ACL in Week 2 against the Bears, Giants running back Saquon Barkley has regained his old form. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2018 draft has rushed for 317 yards and two touchdowns on 53 carries (6.0 avg.) — including a 68-yard run against the Titans and a 36-yard touchdown run against the Cowboys on Monday night.

Bears linebacker Roquan Smith is coming off a big-impact game, with 16 tackles, two tackles for loss and a fourth-quarter interception that led to the winning field goal against the Texans. He’s looking forward to the challenge.

“He’s a dynamic runner. He’s been that way since college,” Smith said. “He does a lot of different things, but hey, that’s what makes me me. So I look forward to those opportunities to go against a back like that.”

TRENDING

The Bears’ 45 pass attempts this season are the fewest through three games in the NFL since 1972 –when the Bears’ Bobby Douglass completed 15-of-43 passes for 214 yards (but rushed for 247) against the Falcons, Rams and Lions.

“We’ve got to do what’s best across the board — how we can take advantage of matchups sometimes,,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “And hopefully as we go along, it’ll be different each week. That’s how we view it — it has been different each week. Maybe from an outsider looking in it doesn’t appear that way, but it really has been.”

We’ll see about that. With the Bears second in the NFL in rushing (186.7 yards per game), opponents — like the Giants — figure to load up the box to defend the run, which in theory will open opportunities in the passing game. In theory.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Bears quarterback Justin Fields is under the microscope more than ever after innaccurate throws marked a dismal performance in Week 3. He completed 8-of-17 passes for 106 yards, with notable misses — overthrew on two interceptions and a bad miss on a simple swing pass to running back Trestan Ebner among them.

“Part of the process. That’s all it is,” he said when asked if three weeks of subpar performance have become a mental challenge as well. “It was frustrating for sure. [I’ve] got to learn from my mistakes.”

X-FACTOR

Injuries have started to impact the Bears’ lineup. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson (quad) will miss his second consecutive game — undrafted rookie Jaylon Jones replaced him in the nickel package.

The Giants are playing on a short week after losing 23-16 to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football — with both games at home. But they lost wide receiver Sterling Shepard (13 receptions, 154 yards, on touchdown) to a season-ending torn ACL against the Cowboys, leaving them with Richie James (14-146), David Sills (5-57) and Kenny Golladay (2-22) as the top three receivers for Daniel Jones.

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Everything feels fresh to Bears safety Eddie Jackson, and it’s impossible to overlook how the coaching change renewed his enthusiasm.

It was evident in April at minicamp after an offseason of waiting to see if he’d be traded or released. Jackson simply looked joyful. His face lit up with every question about how he’d fit into the new scheme under coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams.

It was perfect timing. Everything had cleared up for Jackson, including some challenges in his personal life and various frustrations on the field, and the change sparked him.

“It just felt that much better, man,” Jackson said. “I could really start over and build from here on what I really want to do.

“And that was the message from the coaches when they came to me and explained how they wanted me to play. I was very happy with it.”

And he has been thrilled since.

After two seasons without an interception, Jackson already has two as he eyes Giants quarterback Daniel Jones on Sunday.

Jackson, 28, was the wild card of the defensive players Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles inherited. If he produced like the All-Pro he was in 2018, he could be integral to the rebuild. If not, it would be time to offload the remaining three years and $51.9 million on his contract.

Both sides are glad they kept him. Eberflus raved this week about Jackson’s conditioning and effort, and Jackson sees a brighter future than ever with the Bears.

“I know how it works in the league, and guys don’t stay with one team, but that’s something I’d really love,” he said. “I love it here. I love the tradition and the history. And right now, we’re balling. So I want to keep this thing going and finish out my career here as a Bear.”

If he keeps playing like this, that should happen.

Eberflus and Williams envisioned Jackson as a roving threat deep in the secondary who would be a constant concern for quarterbacks.

Sound familiar? That’s exactly what he was in 2018, when the Bears also had Adrian Amos. Jackson had six interceptions and a fumble recovery and scored three touchdowns. But when Amos left in free agency, the team kept trying to replace him on the cheap, and that left Jackson with wide-ranging responsibilities.

Enter Jaquan Brisker.

The Bears invested the 48th overall pick in 2022 on Brisker and projected him as a do-it-all safety in the long run. For now, though, he specializes in playing strong safety and freeing up Jackson.

He’s also the best talent they’ve paired with Jackson since Amos.

“Watching last year’s games, it seemed like he did a lot of the work,” Brisker said. “He looked like he was really trying to be a savior almost.

“If I’m in the box, he’s up high where he can cover the field, read the quarterback and make plays on the ball.”

Jackson was willing to play the way the Bears asked him to the last few seasons but didn’t think it made the best use of his abilities the way this arrangement does.

“This is what I’ve mastered,” he said. “This is my strength. . . . That’s really the big change.”

Eberflus also overhauled the Bears philosophically, particularly with an emphasis on always practicing with game-level intensity. It was interesting to see how that would sit with veterans, but Jackson actually credited it as a reason he’s playing better.

“We practice fast, so it’s natural to do it in a game,” he said. “We’re so conditioned as a team. Everybody’s not doing that. . . .I’ve been here six years, and this is the first year we actually go out there and practice fast all the time, so that’s a huge help.”

It’s working for Jackson, and he’s proved to be compatible with Eberflus and Williams. Once a potential misfit, Jackson looks like a perfect match.

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