EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A few minutes after his Bears became the latest thing to be buried at the Meadowlands, head coach Matt Eberflus was asked whether quarterback Justin Fields’ left shoulder would be healthy enough to face the Packers on Sunday.

Implied in the question was this: without him, what’s the point?

Bears fans got their first look at the 2022 Bears without Fields on Sunday, and it wasn’t pretty: a 31-10 loss to a Jets team that had benched their own quarterback five days earlier. Receiver Darnell Mooney and safety Eddie Jackson left with serious injuries while an undermanned defense allowed the last 24 points of the game.

Quarterback Trevor Siemian, who went from backup to starter to backup to starter again during the 90 minutes before kickoff, coaxed the Bears to 10 points in their first two drives — and none on the remaining eight.

After that drudgery, the question was too tempting: could Fields return to face Aaron Rodgers and the Packers?

“That’s a good question,” Eberflus said. “We think that he’s getting better every single day.”

Eberflus dodged a similar question all last week but showed his cards Sunday. Fields — who separated his left shoulder and suffered partial ligament damage against the Falcons — was never cleared by team doctors to play in the game. It’s fair to wonder whether he will be this week; if not, the Bears’ bye after the Packers game would give Fields more time to recover.

Fields was listed as questionable for the Jets game after being limited in three-straight practices. But on Eberflus’ list of three prerequisites for Fields to play — the quarterback needed to feel good, the coaching staff had to believe he could thrive and doctors needed to clear him — he went 0-for-3.

“We decided it was in the best interest of Justin and also the Chicago Bears that he was inactive,” Eberflus said.

The second-year quarterback did about 15 minutes’ worth of light throwing before the team’s inactives deadline an hour-and-a-half before kickoff. Afterward, Eberflus said he met with general manager Ryan Poles and the medical staff.

“Justin didn’t feel, that way, he could protect himself and perform the way he wanted to perform,” Eberflus said. “It’s about mobility and strength in his left arm … It really comes down to one thing: strength. He didn’t have the strength to protect himself in the game properly and to perform the way he wanted to perform.”

That was the most likely outcome all week. Siemian said he didn’t know that Fields would sit out until Sunday morning, though he suspected there was a “good chance I’d play” during practices.

The weirdness, though, was just getting started.

Siemian said he strained his oblique while going through pregame warmups.

“Throwing, something wasn’t right,” he said. “It flared up on me. Got back in the locker room and figured something wasn’t right again.”

About 50 minutes before kickoff, the Bears announced Nathan Peterman — the practice-squad quarterback who was promoted Saturday — as their starter. Peterman had thrown only five regular-season passes since being benched by the Bills after a loss to the Bears in 2018.

Tight end Cole Kmet said the last ball he caught from Peterman was during May OTAs. The uncertainty before the game Sunday reminded him of the lead up to the Bears’ Dec. 26 game against the Seahawks last year. Nick Foles was given his first start of the season — and Ryan Willis was named the backup — because Fields hurt his ankle and Andy Dalton had hand and groin injuries.

“I’ve learned since being here to just kinda focus on my thing. …” Kmet said. “Whatever it was, it was. I was just ready for anything at that point.”

Center Sam Mustipher said he was “trying to figure out what the hell was going on” during pregame warmups.

“Bizarre week,” he said.

Siemian said he took medicine — and not an injection — in the locker room and started to feel better. He wound up starting and played every snap, even diving head-first for a first-down marker in the first half.

“I could play,” he said. “I could do everything I needed to do.”

Both Kmet and Mustipher praised Siemian’s performance, given the circumstances. He didn’t make many mistakes — but clearly lacked the dynamism of Fields. Siemian went 14 of 25 for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception — and a passer rating of 75.2.

He peaked when the Bears took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. They averaged 3.6 yards per play the rest of the way.

“Honestly, I’m more embarrassed,” Siemian said. “You get an injury. I got guys in there that are playing — what are we in, Week 12, 13? [They’re] going through hell. And I’ve got a non-contact thing show up. So, yeah, not ideal.”

None of it was. And it might not be next week, either.

Read More

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — One of the Bears’ most urgent projects is getting relatively new wide receiver Chase Claypool more involved in the offense, but they haven’t seemed to be in much of a hurry to do it.

By the way, how long can someone be called the new guy? Claypool is almost a month into his Bears career and played his fourth game for them Sunday as they fell 31-10 to the Jets.

Claypool appeared to be a bigger part of the game plan and got a team-high five targets. He turned that into two catches for 51 yards, which wasn’t bad considering quarterback Trevor Siemian managed to complete just 14 of 25 passes for 179.

Claypool had just 32 yards on five catches over his first three games.

“I’m feeling more comfortable in the offense, and they’re getting me some looks, like they always have been,” he said. “Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

It worked out very well for him on the Bears’ second possession of the game. On first down from their own 29-yard line, they got the Jets to bite on play action, and Claypool slipped uncovered into the second level of the defense for a 20-yard catch.

Siemian went back to him on a deep shot down the right sideline a few plays later, and Claypool made a terrific catch over rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner. The ball was underthrown, but Claypool turned back for it, bobbled it for a moment, then secured it for a 31-yard catch despite the rain and Gardner committing pass interference.

That got the Bears to the Jets’ 9-yard line, and they scored a touchdown a few plays later to take a 10-7 lead.

That was it for Claypool — and for the offense as a whole. Siemian completed 7 of 16 passes for 59 yards the rest of the way.

Claypool also had a scare in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury, but said it was just a “tweak” and he could’ve stayed in the game if needed.

“It could’ve been the turf,” he said. “We’re gonna see how it feels [Monday]. It could just be sore.”

Pringle’s play

Wide receiver Byron Pringle was one of the Bears’ more notable free-agent pickups, but they haven’t gotten much from him because of injuries.

Pringle had two catches for 12 yards, including a tough one in the end zone for his first touchdown. Siemian threw a wobbly ball that looked like it was going to be broken up by cornerback D.J. Reed, but Pringle reached over him to wrest the catch.

Pringle has five catches for 57 yards in six games.

Injury concerns

The Bears dealt with injuries all day, but their trouble went beyond losing Darnell Mooney and Eddie Jackson.

Claypool’s situation merits monitoring, and so does fellow receiver Equanimeous St. Brown’s. St. Brown appeared to hurt his right leg late in the game, though the Bears did not report an injury. St. Brown has played the second-most snaps among wide receivers and has 14 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears also lost starting right tackle Riley Reiff to a shoulder injury, which sent them back to Larry Borom. Borom also missed time with a leg injury and was replaced briefly by guard Michael Schofield.

Bears special teamer Dane Cruikshank also reinjured the hamstring that has been hindering him.

Read More

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Three takeaways from the Bears’ 31-10 loss to the Jets:

Montgomery burns

Running back David Montgomery said he was comfortable on the Jets’ troublesome turf — “I felt fine,” he said — and it showed.

His 79 yards on 14 carries were his second-most of the season. Add three catches for 34 yards, and Montgomery brought his career total to 4,550 scrimmage yards, passing tight end Mike Ditka for 11th on the Bears’ all-time list.

Darrynton in

Darrynton Evans, who’d played only two offensive snaps this season, replaced a healthy Trestan Ebner as the Bears’ backup running back. He carried nine times for 34 yards and caught a career-long 33-yard pass in the first quarter.

With the performance, the former third-round pick by the Titans out of Appalachian State earned himself more playing time until Khalil Herbert returns.

“It was great for him to get that opportunity,” head coach Matt Eberflus. “I thought he performed well.”

Slump

The Bears have lost eight of their last nine games and are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. They’re at risk of surpassing their longest slide in franchise history — eight games. Their remaining games are against the Packers, Eagles, Bills, Lions and Vikings.

Read More

That was one of the best opening weeks in a long time.

Kenwood knocked off Young in a thriller on the first night of the season and set the stage for a grudge match that could happen three more times this season.

Joliet West arrived as a fully-formed powerhouse and beat St. Rita, St. Louis Cardinal Ritter and Metamora in Washington.

Hillcrest didn’t miss any of the transfers, producing impressive wins against Bloom and Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights.

Oak Lawn, which was expected to be intriguing, shocked heavily-hyped Mount Carmel and Brother Rice knocked off Curie to establish early Catholic League supremacy.

Proviso East didn’t win the championship in St. Charles but played Benet tight and had a breakout week from Bryce Coleman, a well-known player that has found the right spot to sparkle.

A heard raves about St. Ignatius and Benet. West Aurora and New Trier looked like promising squads.

The season hits another gear this weekend with the Chicago Elite Classic. Simeon vs. St. Rita and Joliet West vs. Kenwood are the headline games but all of Saturday’s matchups are solid. We will have a preview of the event tomorrow.

Super 25 for Nov. 27, 2022With record and last week’s ranking

1. Simeon (0-0) 1Opens vs. Thornwood Tue.

2. Joliet West (3-1) 4Beat St. Rita, Metamora

3. Kenwood (1-0) 3Handled Young

4. St. Rita (2-2) 2Faces Simeon Saturday

5. Young (2-1) 5Deeper than expected

6. Brother Rice (4-0) 8Beat Curie

7. Rolling Meadows (4-0) 7Cruised at Fenton

8. St. Ignatius (4-0) 10Phoenix Gill has arrived

9. Hillcrest (4-0) 16Don’t worry who left

10. Curie (4-1) 6Plays Vashon Saturday

11. Oswego East (4-0) 14Beat West Aurora

12. Glenbrook North (4-0) 12At Niles West Friday

13. Benet (4-0) 15Champs in St. Charles

14. Bolingbrook (2-1) 11Lost to MacArthur

15. Bloom (3-1) 13Fell short vs. Hillcrest

16. Oak Lawn (4-0) NRKnocked off Mount Carmel

17. Marian Catholic (3-1) 17Lost to Hillcrest

18. Mount Carmel (3-1) 9DeAndre Craig hit 1,000 points

19. West Aurora (3-1) 18Still developing

20. New Trier (3-1) 19Solid start

21. Evanston (4-0) 20Hosts Glenbrook South Friday

22. Lyons (3-0) 21Beat Lincoln-Way East

23. Hyde Park (2-0) 24Took down North Lawndale

24. Proviso East (3-1) NRBryce Coleman stepping up

25. Lemont (4-0) NRCastillo twins get it done

Read More

The Chicago White Sox are in agreement to sign free agent right-hander Mike Clevinger to a deal, pending a physical.

Per Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox reached an agreement with former San Diego Padres starter Mike Clevinger pending a physical. Clevinger, 31, had a 4.33 ERA in 22 starts with the Padres while struggling the last two years with staying healthy due to knee problems.

The White Sox could benefit from a bounce back campaign for Clevinger as the last three years have been short. Hoping to regain the form he had with the division rivals Cleveland Guardians in which he posted a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts. The details of the contract remain to be seen but this brings Chicago a solid arm to fill the back end of the rotation behind Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn, and Lucas Giolito. 

Hoping to get a full season out of Kopech and potentially looking a bringing Johnny Cueto back could give the Sox some versatility and reliability from the starting the rotation. Moves like this make sense for the Sox being a low risk high reward signing.

Keep on a eye on the White Sox as this move could be one of many this offseason in order to improve the roster and try to regain the AL Central Division crown.

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More

The Chicago Bears got rocked in New York

The Chicago Bears had way too many injuries to their starters before the game to compete with the New York Jets. The Bears were without their best player this season, quarterback Justin Fields, who was inactive with a shoulder injury. The offense started decently enough without him. But Fields dynamic skills were sorely missed when the Jets made defensive adjustments.

More injuries continued to plague the defense during the game. The result was a three-touchdown loss to the Jets. Here are three studs in duds from the Jets’ 31-10 blowout of the Bears in the Big Apple.

Studs

Chase Claypool’s production

Chase Claypool had been a small part of the Chicago Bears’ offense in the previous few weeks. Claypool needed to learn the playbook before earning a larger role on Sundays. He had a few more opportunities against the Jets.

Claypool finished with two catches for 51 yards. He had a chance for a touchdown in the first quarter that should have been called for pass interference. Claypool also defended a lousy pass that could have been intercepted in the second half. The progress is promising for the player the Bears traded a second-round pick for.

Passing check-downs

The Chicago Bears’ offense looked good in the first quarter. Quarterback Trevor Siemian hit check-downs on those early drives that set up pass catchers for great yards after catch opportunities. That’s a big part of the passing game the Bears have missed this year. Fields was hopefully taking notes as to what those plays can earn for the offense in the future.

David Montgomery

David Montgomery was the Chicago Bears’ offense against the Jets. Montgomery finished with 14 carries for 79 yards. He added 34 yards receiving on three receptions in the passing game. He was the Bears’ best option on offense, with over 100 yards of total offense. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to put more than ten points on the board. However, Montgomery is showing that he can be a big part of the passing and running game going forward this season with Khalil Herbert on injured reserve.

Duds

Chicago Bears Injuries

The Bears had major injuries to starters before the game against the Jets. The Bears missed rookies Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Godron, who were out with concussions. The secondary added Dane Cruikshank and Eddie Jackson to the injury list Sunday. The Bears were already short of health on the offense. Offensive lineman Riley Reiff and wide receiver Darnell Mooney were both injured against the Jets.

Trevor Siemian

The Bears had an interesting lead into the game. They announced Siemian would be the backup to Nathan Peterman against the Jets after sustaining an injury in warm-ups. The Bears promptly reversed that decision before the first snap.

Siemian looked competent in the Bears’ first few drives. He led the team down the field and patiently hit check-downs that set the Bears up for two scoring drives on their first two possessions. His only touchdown of the game on the second drive was not a good pass and should have been picked off.

Siemian finished 14/25 passing for 179 yards and one touchdown to one interception. However, he showed why the Chicago Bears needed a dual-threat quarterback like Fields. Siemian legs didn’t give the Bears enough options on the first drive in the red zone.

Once the Jets adjusted their game plan in the second quarter, the Bears had several three or four-play drives. The passing quarterback didn’t give the offense enough dynamic options to keep the Jets guessing. The Bears need Fields legs to move the ball in the running game and open up the passing game.

Matt Eberflus defense

Eberflus was hired in part because he’s supposed to be good at elevating average or mediocre talent. Eberflus has stressed technique over having big named players on the defense. And to be fair, the  Chicago Bears’ defense was terrible before they traded Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn. But now the Bears are seeing ridiculous numbers being given up on that side of the ball. Quarterback Mike White of the Jets replaced Zach Wilson as the starter Sunday. He threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams do not appear to be elevating that side of the ball this season. It’s concerning, given the Bears spend draft capital on that side of the ball with their first two draft picks. (Gordon and Brisker were out against the Jets, but it’s been just as bad all season.)

For More Great Chicago Sports Content

Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE

Read More

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There was a time when the Bears believed, perhaps correctly, that they had everything but the quarterback. They think they’ve found one in Justin Fields, but now they don’t have much else.

With Fields out Sunday because of a separated shoulder, the Jets laid bare the mountain of work the Bears still have to do in addition to further developing Fields. It was an unwanted trip back in time to the Matt Nagy era as the Bears lost 31-10 to a middling opponent.

Nothing has crippled the Bears more than their boondoggles at quarterback over the last several decades, and nothing will influence their future more than Fields flourishing.

But quarterback was hardly the only thing that got Ryan Pace fired.

It was easy to overlook how pockmarked with flaws this roster is when Fields was racing around setting records and making the games watchable even as losses inevitably piled up, but this was a reminder how long general manager Ryan Poles’ offseason to-do list will be.

Simply put, there isn’t much here other than Fields. Without him, the games are drab and inconsequential.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus is trying to hold a pedestrian roster to elite standards. It’s not going to work. Every opponent he faces right now figures on scoring no less than 30 points.

Offensively, the Bears can count on wide receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool as part of their future, but there are no other certainties. Backup quarterbacks like Trevor Siemian can get a team through a game or two if everything around them is solid, but when that’s all that’s in place, it’s hard to expect better than the 179 yards he put up Sunday.

That’s actually right around what Fields has been averaging lately, but something was missing … oh, right, Siemian’s rushing total was a whopping eight yards on four carries. Fields’ world-class speed offsets a lot of the deficiencies around him.

The Bears’ defense, meanwhile, is stocked with players who would have trouble finding starting jobs elsewhere. Jets backup quarterback Mike White lit them up for 315 yards, three touchdowns and an almost-perfect 149.3 passer rating.

That side of the ball should look better when safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon get back on the field — both rookies are out with concussions — but there’s no other help on the way. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson is definitely a fixture, and safety Eddie Jackson was playing like a pillar before exiting with a non-contact left foot injury in the second quarter.

The good news for the Bears is that as they sink — soar? — to a top-three pick in the upcoming draft, quarterback doesn’t seem to be a need. Teams looking for a quarterback need as high of a pick as possible to ensure they get the right guy, but a team like the Bears that appears to have their answer in Fields can parlay it into multiple picks to solve multiple problems.

Read More

The White Sox addressed one of their top areas of need, signing free agent right-hander Mike Clevinger, a source confirmed. Terms are not yet known for the deal, which is pending a physical and has not been announced.

Clevinger joins an all-righty starting unit that includes Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech and Lucas Giolito. Johnny Cueto, one of the team’s top starters in 2022, is a free agent.

Clevinger, who underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2020 season and did not pitch in 2021, posted a 4.33 ERA over 1141/3 innings in 2022. In his final regular season start, he beat the Sox with six innings of three-hit, one-run ball on Oct. 1. But in two playoff starts, he lasted a total of 22/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs. A right knee sprain suffered in spring training sidelined him for the first month of the season, and he was also sidelined in May with a right triceps strain.

Clevinger, who turns 32 on Dec. 21, posted a 2.96 ERA from 2017-20 with the Cleveland Indians and Padres. During that span, Clevinger was among baseball’s top starters, owning a 28.3% strikeout rate, 40.2% groundball rate and 9.1% walk rate.

The Padres acquired Clevinger from Cleveland in a nine-player trade on Aug. 31 of 2020. In his final regular season start, he was diagnosed with a right posterior elbow impingement, and he worked just one inning during the postseason before undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.

In 2020, Clevinger and Cleveland teammate Zach Plesac were placed on the restricted list by their team after breaking team rules and Major League Baseball protocols by leaving their hotel in Chicago and risking exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

“This one kind of hurts,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said at the time.

Clevinger apologized for putting teammates, staff, opponents and umpires “at risk” by going out after a victory over the Sox.

“There is no excuse for my actions, and I can only take responsibility and learn from my mistakes,” Clevinger said in a statement. “Moving forward, I promise my actions will reflect a full understanding of the protocols set in place while I continue my passion for competing for the incredible Indians’ fans and the city that I adore.”

The signing is the Sox’ first move of the offseason. They also need to address their outfield and second base as they look to improve on their 81-81 finish in 2022.

The Sox are familiar with Clevinger from his AL Central Division time in Cleveland. He faced the Sox 11 times, including nine starts, posting a crisp 2.15 ERA. Clevinger has fared well against the division — he’s 9-0 with a 1.98 ERA lifetime against the Royals, 8-2 with a 1.74 ERA against the Tigers and 4-4 with a 3.13 ERA against the Twins.

Read More

Read More