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The Chicago Bears came into their Sunday afternoon matchup with the Minnesota Vikings believing that they could beat them. After seeing the Green Bay Packers lose to the New York Giants in London a bit earlier in the morning, a three-way (3-2) tie for first was in sight.

The first half was an absolute disaster for the Bears. Most of the first halves of this season have been hard for this team as they can never seem to get it going offensively. Going into the 3rd quarter, they were losing 21-10.

Somehow, the second-half adjustments helped the Bears get back in the lead. At one point, they led again by a score of 22-21. All of this was because of some great play by their young players that need to take big steps.

Justin Fields was brutal in the first half but was magnificent in the second half. He made lots of amazing plays using both his legs and arms. It is games like this one that make people think that he can be a superstar in this league. With very little help, he almost led them to a big comeback win.

On one play, in particular, Darnell Mooney was able to make a one-handed grab on a Justin Fields throw that went very far. It will go down as one of the best catches that the Bears have this season.

Seeing Mooney and Fields connect like that is good news for Bears fans. In this game, he had two receptions for 54 yards. If they can connect more often, they might be able to really start scoring some points.

The Chicago Bears showed lots of growth in their loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnell Mooney wasn’t the only notable receiver in this game either. Velus Jones Jr. earned his first career touchdown reception. The Bears need to get this kid going and this game was a great step toward that. It is a moment that he will remember forever.

David Montgomery was also an impact player. He didn’t have the best day rushing as he only had 20 yards on 12 carries but one of them went for a touchdown. However, he had four receptions for 62 yards which led the Bears.

Unfortunately, after all of that, the Vikings put together a game-winning drive which allowed them to take a 29-22 victory. The defense and special teams were okay in this game but giving up those 29 points is not great.

One bright spot on the defense is Kindle Vildor who made a great play to have an interception that gave the Bears a chance to win. They didn’t pull through in the end but it was a valiant effort all game long.

There will be plenty of people who are angry about the game but the effort was there. This is a team that doesn’t have the talent to beat a team like the Vikings but they are showing some good stuff to keep these games close.

As they get more talent added to the roster in the coming years, they should become a very good team in the NFC. It stings to lose a game that they had won but in the end, it was a game with undeniable growth.

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The score was 21-3 and Kirk Cousins had just completed his 17th consecutive pass, with a touchdown to Jalen Reagor. The Chicago Bears were dead in the water.

Cousins had began 17-for-17, with eight of those going to Justin Jefferson, who started his game with 11 catches on 11 targets for 144 yards.

Chicago’s defense was allowing anything and everything, and at this rate, the final score was trending to be something along the lines of 49-6.

Yet, second-year quarterback Justin Fields remained calm and displayed leadership when he led the Bears on a scoring drive before the half, to go in down 21-10. In the second half, the Bears began with a scoring drive to bring it to 21-17.

The Bears even went on to take the lead with two field goals after that score, although the Vikings capped off their final drive with a touchdown to go up 29-22, and the Bears took the loss after a costly fumble by Ihmir Smith-Marietta.

Although the Chicago Bears wound up losing in Week 5 to the Minnesota Vikings, fans finally saw the growth they had been desiring.

Aside from the abysmal start and heart-wrenching finish, the Bears played some competitive football in order to get themselves back into this game — and a lot of it came from their quarterback.

With so much stacked against Fields, and plenty of negative national narratives being built, Fields brought this team back by making some big throws.

One of the biggest improvements Fields showed is his ability to extend plays with his legs instead of holding the ball in the pocket. He sensed pressure much better and only took two sacks on the day. In contrast, Fields rushed for 47 yards on eight carries. He was able to make plays when he needed to.

Maybe the play of the day came when Fields hit Darnell Mooney for an unbelievable grab deep down the field. It was a real momentum swing for the Bears, who had been searching for something to get them going.

Whether it was that grab by Mooney, or a touchdown run by Fields that ultimately didn’t count, the Bears showed some life when it came to making some big plays. They were able to move the football, after all.

Defensively, the Bears held the Vikings to just eight points in the second half. Unfortunately, those eight points were the difference in the game and came towards the end of the fourth quarter.

But, after Chicago was giving Cousins anything he wanted through the air, they were finally able to force some punts, and even came away with a big interception.

The bottom line in this one is pretty evident, though: The Bears could have sat down and died, as they were headed for a historically-bad afternoon. But, they didn’t. They saw some huge growth from Fields, who settled in and just played his game. Fields started to take over and made several key plays in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.

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Palmer Square Art Fair and Queer Social Club are teaming up to debut Queer Art Party at Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont). From noon-5 PM, vibe out to queer art, music, food, and community. You’ll have a chance to get your makeup done or portrait taken. Herbivore Chicago will be on hand providing plant-based comfort food, and there will be local vendors galore. This event is free, though you must be 21 or older to attend. Check out Sleeping Villages’ website for a complete vendor list. (MC)

Today’s the last day of this year’s Afrofuturist Weekend, a celebration of Black artists who make work that envisions radically positive futures for Black people. Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) has been hosting panel discussions, performances, and more, and today’s packed schedule includes a video activation by Cat Mahari (5 PM), Angel Bat Dawid performing with Youth Leaders in Music (3 PM), and performances under Elastic’s AfriClassical Futures banner featuring olula negre, Julian Otis, Ashanti Owusu-Brafi, Justy, and Naydja Bruton (6 PM). Events run throughout the day from 2-10 PM, and a full lineup is viewable at Elastic’s website. Admission is $15 (or online at Eventbrite) and Elastic is open to all ages. (SCJ)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a nationally recognized holiday last year when President Biden signed a presidential proclamation, but celebrating and honoring the lives and contributions of Indigenous people should be a daily occurrence. This year, Old Town School of Folk Music partnered with Sky People Entertainment to create a two night series of events featuring performances by Indigenous artists. Tonight’s kick off happens at Logan Square Auditorium (2539 N. Kedzie) and features an eclectic mix of rock, EDM, and hip-hop; performers include Canada’s Juno award-winning DJ Shub, who created an electronic music style he calls PowWowStep, and Chicago’s own Phnx.Wav, a vocalist and music producer who blends R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. The evening starts at 6:30 PM and is open to all ages; tickets are free but reservations are requested through Old Town School of Folk Music’s website. Tomorrow you can catch a mix of rock, cumbia, and folkloric dance with performances by rock and blues band Indigenous, psychedelic cumbia band Chicha Roots with dance group Kichwa Runa, and Mexican folkloric dance troupe Galguez Laxá performing with Mexican rock band Dizá (Mon 10/10, 6:30 PM, at Old Town School’s Maurer Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln). (SCJ)

Phnx.Wav collaborated with Chicago hip-hop artist Saint Ripley on this 2021 song. The video was directed by Phillip Christopher.

It’s the 18th installment of Zine Not Dead, a live (and lively!) comics reading event. Tonight’s performers include Eddy Rivera, Annie Fish, Max Morris, Bridget Bilbo, Bianca Xunise, and Kevin Budnik. They’ll be reading at the Color Club (4146 N. Elston) at 7 PM. Tickets are $17 ($15 in advance), and all ages are welcome. (MC)

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Palmer Square Art Fair and Queer Social Club are teaming up to debut Queer Art Party at Sleeping Village (3734 W. Belmont). From noon-5 PM, vibe out to queer art, music, food, and community. You’ll have a chance to get your makeup done or portrait taken. Herbivore Chicago will be on hand providing plant-based comfort food, and there will be local vendors galore. This event is free, though you must be 21 or older to attend. Check out Sleeping Villages’ website for a complete vendor list. (MC)

Today’s the last day of this year’s Afrofuturist Weekend, a celebration of Black artists who make work that envisions radically positive futures for Black people. Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) has been hosting panel discussions, performances, and more, and today’s packed schedule includes a video activation by Cat Mahari (5 PM), Angel Bat Dawid performing with Youth Leaders in Music (3 PM), and performances under Elastic’s AfriClassical Futures banner featuring olula negre, Julian Otis, Ashanti Owusu-Brafi, Justy, and Naydja Bruton (6 PM). Events run throughout the day from 2-10 PM, and a full lineup is viewable at Elastic’s website. Admission is $15 (or online at Eventbrite) and Elastic is open to all ages. (SCJ)

Indigenous Peoples’ Day became a nationally recognized holiday last year when President Biden signed a presidential proclamation, but celebrating and honoring the lives and contributions of Indigenous people should be a daily occurrence. This year, Old Town School of Folk Music partnered with Sky People Entertainment to create a two night series of events featuring performances by Indigenous artists. Tonight’s kick off happens at Logan Square Auditorium (2539 N. Kedzie) and features an eclectic mix of rock, EDM, and hip-hop; performers include Canada’s Juno award-winning DJ Shub, who created an electronic music style he calls PowWowStep, and Chicago’s own Phnx.Wav, a vocalist and music producer who blends R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. The evening starts at 6:30 PM and is open to all ages; tickets are free but reservations are requested through Old Town School of Folk Music’s website. Tomorrow you can catch a mix of rock, cumbia, and folkloric dance with performances by rock and blues band Indigenous, psychedelic cumbia band Chicha Roots with dance group Kichwa Runa, and Mexican folkloric dance troupe Galguez Laxá performing with Mexican rock band Dizá (Mon 10/10, 6:30 PM, at Old Town School’s Maurer Hall, 4544 N. Lincoln). (SCJ)

Phnx.Wav collaborated with Chicago hip-hop artist Saint Ripley on this 2021 song. The video was directed by Phillip Christopher.

It’s the 18th installment of Zine Not Dead, a live (and lively!) comics reading event. Tonight’s performers include Eddy Rivera, Annie Fish, Max Morris, Bridget Bilbo, Bianca Xunise, and Kevin Budnik. They’ll be reading at the Color Club (4146 N. Elston) at 7 PM. Tickets are $17 ($15 in advance), and all ages are welcome. (MC)

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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.

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The Chicago Cubs are not in the 2022 MLB Postseason and they might not be returning for a while. They can have a perfect offseason and make it interesting next year but it still might take a minute. However, there are plenty of their former players going in the postseason.

We know that we will see guys like Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarbr competing but they had two former starting pitchers go in game one of their respective series. Early in the day, Jose Quintana had an incredible start for the St. Louis Cardinals.

He shut down the Philadelphia Phillies as he gave up no runs on two hits and a walk in 5.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately for him, his Cardinals teammates dropped the ball on him in the 9th inning and Philly scored six. Of course, they hung on and took a 1-0 series lead.

Quintana had a magnificent year split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals but he was mostly average or below for the Cubs. He wasn’t a legit ace like Yu Darvish who also made a start for his new team on Friday.

Former Chicago Cubs ace Yu Darvish was amazing on Friday night for San Diego.

Darvish went 7.0 innings where he gave up one run on six hits and no walks for the San Diego Padres. Unlike Quintana, his teammates scored a lot of runs off of Max Scherzer to earn him a playoff win. The Padres defeated the New York Mets 7-1 to take a 1-0 series lead.

He was magnificent as the only blemish was a measly solo shot by Eduardo Escobar. It is nice to see Yu dominating playoff games because he is that special of a pitcher. He had some elite games with the Cubs but they were never really able to take advantage of his game.

Now that he is with San Diego, he is being utilized like the magnificent pitcher that he is. Now, Darvish’s Padres have a chance to take out the 101-win Mets on Saturday night. Blake Snell will get the mound for the Padres as he will face Jacob deGrom.

The postseason has been incredible so far and it is only one day old. It is always nice to see your old friends make it and have success but Darvish was extra special. He is the former ace that absolutely dominated in this game to help his team win.

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