Bears kicker Cairo Santos and punter Pat O’Donnell congratulate each other after Thursday’s game-winning field goal. | Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images

As the Bears moved closer and closer to the end zone on the final drive of Thursday’s 16-14 win, kicker Cairo Santos found himself getting mad.

DETROIT — As the Bears moved closer and closer to the end zone on the final drive of Thursday’s 16-14 win, kicker Cairo Santos found himself getting mad. They were going to score a touchdown, he figured, and he wouldn’t have a chance to redeem himself for misses on both Sunday and Thursday. He’d have to wait another 10 days for a chance to kick a meaningful field goal again.

“Which is good for the team,” he said. “But I was feeling selfish that way.”

Then, fearful the Lions would let them score a touchdown just to get the ball back, the Bears began a string of three kneeldowns, giving Santos a chance to try — and make — the walk-off winner from 28 yards.

“It’s good when it happened fast,” he said. “Rather than not get a chance in the game or wait a whole week.”

Sunday, Santos pushed a 40-yarder left in a game the Bears lost by three. Thursday, Santos made three kicks but, he said, “chunked” a 53-yarder, leaving the kick short in the third quarter that would have put them up nine.

Tackle Jason Peters, the Bears’ elder statesman, approached Santos on the sideline and, the kicker said, “predicted that it was gonna come down to a kick.”

He was right.

“He was just like, ‘You’re a leader on this team, you’re a weapon and we’re gonna need you,'” Santos said.

Santos hasn’t been this inconsistent all season. He’d made 40-straight regular-season field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL, when he missed a 65-yard prayer at the end of the Steelers game. He said he tried to kick that ball like a kickoff to get more distance, but said that didn’t affect his timing in the last two games.

“You just have it behind you,” he said. “And hope to use this as a fire to keep going.”

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Matt Nagy went into the game with a 31-27 record as Bears head coach. | Nic Antaya/Getty Images

A week that began with Matt Nagy fighting off rumors of his firing ended with an ugly, unconvincing win.

DETROIT — Anyone who hoped the Bears’ week of dysfunction and chaos would calm down once they finally made it to Ford Field to face the Lions was expecting too much.

That probably included beleaguered coach Matt Nagy, though at least he got a break from the very busy work of shooting down reports that he’s on the cusp of getting canned.

He was probably blissfully unaware that the Bears’ bumbling continued into the coin flip Thursday, when veteran linebacker Christian Jones clearly wasn’t paying attention.

“Detroit has won and elected to defer,” referee Adrian Hill announced. “Chicago, you want the ball? You want the ball?”

“No,” Jones said as he laughed. “We’re gonna defer.”

“They deferred,” Hill persisted. “You want the ball. You want the ball.”

This provided the audience a welcome moment of entertainment — “That is an all-timer,” commentator Troy Aikman said — in an otherwise uneventful and inconsequential game that the Bears won 16-14 on Cairo Santos’ 28-yard field goal as time expired to snap their five-game losing streak.

Nagy avoided inflaming his already heated situation, but that’s all the victory over flailing, winless opponent actually accomplished. The Bears are still sunk at 4-7, sitting 13th out of 16 in the NFC, and still don’t have an offense that anyone takes seriously. Mustering 16 points against a Lions defense that was giving up 27.3 per game is disheartening.

The Bears also treaded water at quarterback, where Andy Dalton’s start has no impact whatsoever on their future while prized rookie Justin Fields sat out with a rib injury.

And in the end, they needed a field goal on the final snap to escape against a team that couldn’t do anything right. The Lions had a player crash into a teammate while he was trying to field a punt, had too many players on the field for an extra point and were flagged for calling a timeout coming out of a timeout because they were in such disarray in a critical situation on the Bears’ final drive.

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A 15-year-old was hurt in a shooting Nov. 25, 2021, in Back of the Yards.

The boy was sitting in a vehicle in the 4800 block of South Ada Street when he was shot in the shoulder, Chicago police said.

A 15-year-old boy was hurt in a shooting Thursday afternoon in Back of the Yards.

About 1:35 p.m., the boy was sitting in a vehicle in the 4800 block of South Ada Street when another vehicle pulled up alongside and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.

The boy was struck in the right shoulder and transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, police said.

There was no one in custody.

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The intersection of Mattis Avenue and Church Street in Champaign, where in 1967, Officer Robert Tatman was shot and killed with his own service revolver during a traffic stop. The case remains unsolved, but the department’s historian recently purchased Tatman’s long-missing badge at a memorabilia show and returned it to the city. | Google Maps

Retired Champaign police officer Zane Ziegler bought the star of Robert Tatman from another vendor at the National Police Collector’s Show in St. Charles, Missouri last month.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Zane Ziegler, a retired Champaign police officer, was curious last month when a fellow exhibitor at a police memorabilia show said he had a vintage badge from the department.

When Ziegler saw the star emblazoned with the number 80, “I about fell over,” he said.

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported that it was the badge of Robert Tatman, a Champaign officer killed on duty with his own service revolver on Nov. 25, 1967. The case remains unsolved, and for 54 years, so was the question of where his badge went.

Ziegler bought the star from the other vendor at the National Police Collector’s Show in St. Charles, Missouri, and has reclaimed it for Champaign, where he was an officer from 1975 to 2003 and where he retains the role of department historian.

“I had no idea it was out there. Nobody did. It wasn’t on our radar,” Ziegler said.

He declined to say how much he paid, but acknowledged it was more than the $355 he shelled out in a 2012 eBay transaction. That’s when he obtained another Champaign police gem, the No. 7 badge of Thomas Dodsworth, killed in the line of duty July 6, 1913 in a shootout with a bootlegger.

Ziegler doesn’t know how either Dodsworth’s or Tatmun’s badges left the police community, but rules regarding disposal of equipment have changed over the years.

Tatman was married and had four children. Ziegler is in contact with the slain officer’s youngest son, Dan, who lives in the Indianapolis area.

Ziegler offered to give the badge to the younger Tatman, but “he said he would rather it stay here with us.”

Temporarily, Tatman’s star is on display in the police department’s briefing room, named for Christopher Oberheim, a 44-year-old, 13-year Champaign police veteran fatally shot May 19 when he and another officer responded to a domestic disturbance.

Oberheim wore badge No. 703.

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It is pretty safe to say that most Chicago Bears fans are moving on quickly after the team’s 16-13 Thanksgiving Day win over the Detroit Lions. Even Bears and Lions fans were likely looking forward to the rest of the day’s games, anxiously awaiting the final tick. This game was far from entertaining, and no […] Chicago Bears’ Thanksgiving Day win does nothing for Matt Nagy – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones is hugged by a supporter after the jury convicted Travis McMichael in the trial of McMichael, his father, Greg McMichael, and neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. | Stephen B. Morton/AP

While Ahmaud Arbery’s mother feels justice was served when the three white men who cornered and killed her son were convicted, she will never be made whole again because Arbery is gone.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Ahmaud Arbery’s mother woke up Thursday with a new, very important blessing on Thanksgiving Day.

But there will still be an empty chair at the family’s celebrations. It is a reminder that while she feels justice was served when the three white men who helped shoot her son were convicted Wednesday for cornering and killing him as he ran through a coastal Georgia neighborhood, she will never be made whole again because her son is gone.

“This is the second Thanksgiving we’ve had without Ahmaud. But at the same time, I’m thankful. This is the first Thanksgiving we are saying we got justice for Ahmaud,” Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

The three white men who chased and killed Arbery in Brunswick in February 2020 were all convicted of murder Wednesday. They cornered Arbery after finding out he had been seen on a surveillance camera at a nearby house under construction and wanted to question him about recent burglaries in the area.

Arbery ran through the neighborhood and other areas near his home to clear his head. He had nothing in his hands and ran from the men for five minutes before one of them shot three times at him at close range with a shotgun. The men face life in prison when they are sentenced later and a federal hate crimes trial for them is scheduled for February.

AP
From left, Travis McMichael, William “Roddie” Bryan, and Gregory McMichael during their trial at at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga.

Cooper-Jones said after the verdicts were read Wednesday, she thought of her son’s supporters at the Glynn County courthouse every day who shouted “Justice for Ahmaud!”

“I finally got a chance to come out of those courtroom doors and say, we did it, we did it together,” Cooper-Jones said.

Sitting beside Cooper-Jones as she heard the judge read out guilty 23 times was the mother of Ronald Greene, a Louisiana man who died in 2019 after he was beaten and put in a chokehold by state troopers after a high speed chase. Troopers said Greene suffered his injuries in a crash, but his doctors reported that didn’t appear to be true. A federal civil rights investigation into Greene’s death continues.

In the days after her son was killed. Cooper-Jones got a call from the mother of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teen killed by a man who successfully claimed self-defense during his murder trial after confronting Martin as he walked in his gated community. Martin was visiting relatives.

She also spoke with the mother of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police who burst into her home without knocking while serving a warrant during a drug operation. Taylor’s boyfriend fired on the group. The officers were not charged in her death.

Other mothers who have lost sons and daughters to racial violence or in police shootings also reached out. Cooper-Jones calls them a sorority.

“We come together. We share our experience and we grow together,” she said.

Cooper-Jones spent the past six weeks away from home, since jury selection started Oct. 18. She moved away from Brunswick after her son was killed.

So she plans a quiet Thanksgiving away from home today. She isn’t sure if they will make Arbery’s favorite — pork chops and butter beans, but if not Thursday, the they will have them soon because she said her son loved them for Sunday dinner.

“Today is actually going to be a day of rest. I’ve been sitting in that courtroom since October 18,” Cooper-Jones said. “I’m gathering my immediate family. We’re going to have a small dinner. We’ve going to be thankful. We’re going to give our praises to God.”

Other relatives are also grateful for the blessing of justice.

“We’re thankful for Ahmaud’s life. Thankful for the love that he’s shown us, for the years we had him. Thankful for the fight we stayed in for justice. Thankful that now we can start healing,” Arbery’s aunt Thea Brooks told the AP.

Sarah Blake Morgan/AP
A painted mural of Ahmaud Arbery is displayed on May 17, 2020, in Brunswick, Ga., where the 25-year-old man was shot and killed in February. Arbery was shot and killed by two men who told police they thought he was a burglar.

Cooper-Jones is also thankful her son’s killers are facing justice and his death will make Georgia a safer place.

After Arbery’s death, Georgia became the 47th state to pass a hate crimes law. The Legislature also repealed the citizen’s arrest law that defense attorneys tried to use to justify chasing him, banning people who aren’t officers from detaining people outside of shoplifting.

“When they hear my son’s name. they will say, this young man, he lost his life but he did bring change,” Cooper-Jones said.

Jeffrey Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writers Alex Sanz in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

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St. Rita wide receiver Kaleb Brown (3) dives to score a touchdown against Prospect. | Quinn Harris/For the Sun-Times

A look at each of the six games involving local teams.

St. Rita’s Kaleb Brown was missed this season. Watching high-level talents is one of the best parts of high school sports.

The Ohio State recruit returned a couple weeks ago. The instant impact he made only underscored what a game-changing force he is.

Will Brown have an AJ Henning-like performance on Saturday and lead the Mustangs to the Class 7A state title?

“I’m glad they held it down without me and now we can do it together, as a team,” Brown said.

Brown injured his left leg early in the first game of the season. He says he had some doubts about returning to play this season, but decided to do it for his teammates.

“This is for my team,” Brown said. “They motivated me. I took care of myself and did what I had to do off the field to get back on the field.”

St. Rita (11-2) will face Wheaton North (12-1) in the Class 7A title game at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

While Brown was out the Mustangs developed an effective running game behind two sophomores. DJ Stewart is a strong, powerful back and Ethan Middleton is a speedster. Both are averaging more than six yards a carry.

St. Rita’s defense has been excellent since mid-October. Defensive back Johnny Schmitt leads the Mustangs in tackles (77) and interceptions (7).

Wheaton North, which knocked off Brother Rice in the semis, will pose a formidable challenge.

Holy Cross recruit Mark Forcucci has thrown for 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions.. The Falcons have also persevered through an injury. Junior Luke Beedle and sophomore Walker Owens stepped in during the playoffs when running back Brayton Maske went down.

“We don’t have guys with flashy stats defensively but across the board it is a solid group,” Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski said. “We had to score against Brother Rice and the week before we won 10-3 at Willowbrook so we are capable of winning with different styles.”

Class 8A: Lockport (12-1) vs. Maine South (12-1), Sat., 4

Can the Porters defensive line, which Loyola coach John Holecke and Hawks coach Dave Inserra both say is the best in the state, stop Mike Sajenko?

The Maine South running back has scored 30 touchdowns and is averaging seven yards a carry. Sajenko has scored a remarkable 14 touchdowns in the playoffs.

Lockport’s only loss this season came when quarterback Hayden Timosciek was injured. He’s thrown for 2,007 yards in 12 games, with 23 touchdowns and one interception.

Class 6A: Cary-Grove (13-0) vs. East St. Louis (11-2), Sat., 1

Can the Trojans possibly beat mighty East St. Louis? The Flyers’ two losses are to nationally-ranked out-of-state teams. Receiver Luther Burden, the state’s top senior and one of seven major college prospects on the team,, has scored 32 touchdowns.

Expect Cary-Grove to give East St. Louis more of a battle than many expect. The Trojans average nine yards a carry.

Class 5A: Fenwick (11-2) vs. Kankakee (13-0), Sat., 10 a.m.

Neither school has ever won a state championship and both communities are tremendously excited about the trip to DeKalb.

Expect a lot of offense in this one. Fenwick quarterback Kaden Cobb, a Ball State recruit, is blessed with a very talented receiving corps. Max Reese, Eian Pugh and Bryan Hunt can all make big plays.

The Kays didn’t play the strongest regular season schedule, but have taken care of business in the playoffs.

“These kids are so close, they love each other,” Kankakee coach Derek Hart said. “They spend so much time together outside of football that they make a lot of sacrifices for each other. They’ve set high standards.”

Class 4A: Joliet Catholic (13-0) vs. Sacred-Heart Griffin (12-1), Fri., 7

The Hilltoppers weren’t challenged in the playoffs until last week against Richmond-Burton and they still won that game 35-18.

Illinois recruit Jordan Anderson is a powerful and fast wrecking ball averaging 10 yards a carry. Quarterback Aidan Voss is a crafty leader and it’s totally possible Joliet Catholic is the best team in the state.

So it’s a lot to expect any Class 4A team to hang with the Hilltoppers. But Cyclones coach Ken Leonard is a legend and his team can score. Quarterback Ty Lott has thrown for 2,992 yards with 42 TDs and two interceptions.

Class 2A: Wilmington (13-0) vs. Nashville (12-1), Fri., 1

The Wildcats have only attempted 13 passes all season, so it is no secret what’s coming. Colin James and Jacob Friddle have both rushed for 18 touchdowns and more than 1,300 yards.

Nashville has allowed an average of 25 points in each of its four playoff games, so stopping Wilmington may be too much of a challenge.

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The holidays are here! And with shipping rates and times escalating, you need to start shopping for the Chicago fanatics in your life. If you’re like me, the sleigh bells are about to start ringing. As soon as that Thanksgiving dinner is finished, we transition to Christmastime. Or maybe you crank up the ‘Jingle Bell […] Must-have holiday gifts for Chicago sports fanatics – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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