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Bears’ inactives vs. Falcons: RG Teven Jenkins, WR Velus Jones back in action

ATLANTA — Bears right guard Teven Jenkins will return from his one-week absence because of a hip injury, and rookie wide receiver Velus Jones will dress after being a healthy scratch the last two weeks.

Jenkins has been the Bears’ starter at right guard most of the season. he was drafted to play left tackle, moved to right tackle in the offseason, then shifted to right guard shortly before the season started.

He missed last week against the Lions because of the hip injury and was out of practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning as a full participant Friday.

Here are the Bears’ inactives:

WR N’Keal HarryOL Ja’Tyre CarterOL Alex Leatherwood

CB Justin LayneCB Larry JacksonS Dane Cruikshank

Harry is out because of an illness that kept him out of practice Thursday and Friday. He was not expected to travel with the team to Atlanta.

Harry has four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and was a healthy scratch last week against the Lions.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon (knee) and tight end Cole Kmet (thigh) missed practice time this week, but were full-go Friday and are active against the Falcons.

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3 ways former general manager Ryan Pace failed the Chicago BearsTodd Welteron November 20, 2022 at 1:54 pm

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The Chicago Bears travel to Atlanta to take on the Chicago Bears southern version.

The Falcons currently have six former Chicago Bears on the active roster. Damiere Byrd, Nick Kwiatkoski, Germain Ifedi, Cordarrelle Patterson, MyCole Pruitt, and Abdullah Anderson are currently on the 53-man roster. Elijah Wilkerson and Damien Williams are on injured reserve.

The Falcons also signed Eddie Goldman in the offseason but he was placed on the retired list. Khyiris Tonga was on Atlanta’s practice squad for a brief period as well before he was signed to the Minnesota Vikings’ active roster.

In addition, the Falcons have five former Chicago Bears position coaches on their coaching staff and two former general managers in the front office.

The reason for the Chicago Bears’ influence on the roster is former general manager Ryan Pace is one of those two former general managers now working for the Atlanta Falcons.

Pace ran the Bears for seven seasons.

The Chicago Bears went 48-65 between 2015-2021. The Bears won the NFC North in 2018, sneaked into the playoffs in 2020, and never won a playoff game.

Outside of that magical 2018 run, the Chicago Bears varied between mediocre to not very good. If you take out the 2018 season, where Pace won the NFL’s Executive of the Year, the Bears were 36-61.

Only 17 players are remaining on the Chicago Bears roster that Ryan Pace drafted or signed in free agency.

Ryan Pace inherited a mess from his current Falcons’ front office colleague, Phil Emery. After three years of rebuilding the roster, Pace built a playoff contender. Then things just got worse from there and the team bottomed out last season. Pace was fired and now Ryan Poles runs the show.

A few things happened that allowed things to get so bad that Poles is now starting over from scratch to build a sustained winner on the lakefront.

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3 ways former general manager Ryan Pace failed the Chicago BearsTodd Welteron November 20, 2022 at 1:54 pm Read More »

The Boston Bruins showed the Chicago Blackhawks no mercyVincent Pariseon November 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm

Everyone knows that although the Chicago Blackhawks got off to a hot start in 2022-23, they are a rebuilding team that has a chance to be very bad this season. Things were always going to be tough against the Boston Bruins who entered Saturday as the top team in the NHL.

It certainly was tough as the Bruins beat the Blackhawks as badly as they’ve been beaten in a long time. Boston showed absolutely no mercy to Chicago on their home ice as they won the game 6-1 at TD Garden.

In the first period, the Bruins went up 1-0 thanks to a goal scored by David Pastrnak. It was a power-play goal that was scored right at the end of the man advantage as the Bruins had a hard time setting up but eventually prevailed.

In the second period, Patrice Bergeron scored to make it 2-0 a little while before Jonathan Toews scored a goal to cut the lead in half. These two have been two of the model centerman in the league for a very long time.

Within the final two minutes of the second period, both Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci scored a goal to get Boston’s lead up to 4-1. David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall then both scored in the third period to get the score to its final of 6-1.

The Chicago Blackhawks had absolutely no chance against the Boston Bruins.

Petr Mrazek was in the net for Chicago and he had no chance. It was kind of sad but the Hawks were outshot 43-18. Nobody ever said that being the goalie of this team was going to be an easy task this season. He isn’t an All-Star goalie by any means but this was far from his fault.

It was nice to see Jonathan Toews at least score a power play goal to keep his great season going. This was his eighth of the season and he still leads the entire NHL with a faceoff-win percentage of 65.09.

Following a tough loss like this, it is not easy to come back from the next day but that is what the Hawks will try to do when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They will be retiring Marian Hossa’s number so it will be a special night at the United Center no matter what happens.

We can only hope that these guys at least are respectable on the big night honoring the former Blackhawks superstar. Saturday night sure wasn’t pretty for this Chicago Blackhawks team but not every game will be that bad.

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The Boston Bruins showed the Chicago Blackhawks no mercyVincent Pariseon November 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Saturday’s girls high school basketball scores

ALAH 51, Casey-Westfield 30

Amboy 39, Oregon 23

Amundsen 42, Regina 40

Andrew 42, Kankakee 33

West Aurora 62, Morton 24

Barrington 67, Maine South 63

Limestone 68, Eisenhower 38

Buffalo Grove 44, Grayslake Central 40

Burlington Central 49, Prairie Ridge 38

Calumet Christian, Ind. 41, Alden-Hebron 40

Resurrection 56, Hope Academy 12

Cullom Tri-Point 49, Milford 25

Deerfield 63, Schaumburg 39

Dupo 34, Marissa/Coulterville 29

Fieldcrest 65, Seneca 42

Havana 40, Macomb 30

Herrin 52, Carbondale 43

Hersey 82, Crystal Lake Central 31

Hinsdale South 56, Stagg 48

Hyde Park 78, Rickover Naval 25

Illini West (Carthage) 47, Rock Island Alleman 32

Jacksonville Routt 42, Pleasant Hill (P.H.-Western Coop) 35

Jacksonville Routt 44, Liberty 24

Lake Zurich 48, Sycamore 45

Lanark Eastland 49, Forreston 35

Larkin 50, Belvidere North 38

Lincoln-Way West 71, Joliet West 68

Loyola 44, Stevenson 42

Lyons 47, Conant 21

Macomb 47, Rock Island Alleman 44

McGivney 49, Columbia 32

Monmouth-Roseville 70, Biggsville West Central 39

Morris 33, Reed-Custer 29

Mt. Pulaski 43, Clinton 23

Nazareth 61, Neuqua Valley 29

New Trier 40, Fenwick 23

Niles West 46, L.F. Academy 39

Normal 54, Normal West 32

Northside 51, Walther Christian 30

O’Fallon 44, Young 43

O’Fallon 64, Decatur MacArthur 35

Oregon 42, Mendota 21

Ottawa 63, East Peoria 23

PORTA-Ashland-Chandlerville Central 44, Eureka 37

Pana 65, Okaw Valley 22

Peoria Notre Dame 72, Fairbury Prairie Central 27

Peotone 46, Crete-Monee 35

Pleasant Plains 39, Illini West (Carthage) 25

Quad Cities 40, Trinity 28

Rochester 46, Mt. Zion 37

Rockford Boylan 56, Dundee-Crown 21

Rockford Guilford 56, Naperville Central 51

Roxana 40, Metro-East Lutheran 24

Sacred Heart-Griffin 35, Quincy 22

Sacred Heart-Griffin 60, Peoria Manual 35

St. Francis 71, Oak Park 38

St. Laurence 62, TF North 27

Stillman Valley 53, Winnebago 48

Taft 46, Round Lake 33

Taylorville 66, Jacksonville 33

Tri-County 64, Westville 26

Valmeyer 45, Madison 27

Vandalia 59, Pawnee 22

Vashon, Mo. 90, Lanphier 15

Waterloo 51, Althoff 36

Waubonsie Valley 91, Oswego 25

West Chicago 45, Rockford East 37

West Prairie 45, Beardstown 41

Westinghouse 62, Maria 3

Young 61, Edwardsville 30

Willows 47, Harvard 10

Dundee Crown Tournament

Huntley 55, St. Viator 40

Galesburg Shootout

Galesburg 51, Chatham Glenwood 45

Mundelein Tournament

Glenbrook South 62, Grayslake North 36

Paris Tournament

Terre Haute North, Ind. 57, Champaign Central 47

Championship

Paris 43, Terre Haute North, Ind. 33

Taylorville Tournament

Rochester 58, Hillsboro 41

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Blackhawks caught ‘starstruck’ in blowout loss to Bruins

BOSTON — While sitting out sick, Jason Dickinson spotted a pattern connecting some of the Blackhawks’ recent goals against. Many of them were being scored by opposing players left open in the slot or in front of the net.

Coach Luke Richardson spotted the same pattern. He pushed the Hawks through a practice drill Friday that emphasized collapsing tighter toward the middle of the defensive zone to protect those dangerous areas.

But it’s one thing to identify a weakness. It’s another thing to take action to strengthen the weakness. And it’s another thing to make it no longer a weakness at all.

Facing on Saturday a Bruins team riding one of the biggest waves the NHL has seen in some time, the Hawks’ weaknesses were not only still present but also exploited time and time again in a never-in-doubt 6-1 blowout loss.

No amount of practice, good intentions or saying the right things could save them.

“When they were able to recover pucks off of battles, we got sucked into puck-watching a little too much,” Connor Murphy said. “They’re good at using our triangles and making passes through us. I don’t think we stayed as patient and as together in the center of our ‘D’-zone [as we needed] to keep those seam passes out.

“It almost looked like they were running a bit of a power play on some of our five-on-five [plays]. That can’t happen.”

In fairness, it was a nearly impossible matchup from the start. The Bruins are 16-2-0 this season, including 11-0-0 at home, having outscored their opponents 75-37. David Krejci’s return from Europe, Brad Marchand’s earlier-than-expected return from offseason hip surgery, Patrice Bergeron’s continued agelessness and David Pastrnak’s continued rise to superstardom have made them by far, so far, the NHL’s best team.

The Hawks, meanwhile, have floundered after their surreal early-season streak. They’ve now lost nine of their last 11, and that losing is starting to dent locker-room morale.

“[When] you go through a stretch where you’re not winning games or things aren’t going your way, then you start tightening up a little bit,” fellow defenseman Jarred Tinordi said. “We have to revert back to that feeling in the room where we were all believing in each other.”

Richardson told his team during morning skate they’d need to give full effort for 60 minutes, because the Bruins will “somehow make you pay” during any one minute of relaxation.

Instead, the Bruins dominated all 60 minutes themselves. Scoring chances favored the hosts 15-1 after the first period and 47-17 overall — the most chances the Hawks have conceded in a game since October 2021.

“I don’t think we played with enough confidence,” Murphy said. “I don’t think we attacked the game enough. We let them dictate plays.”

Consecutive goals by Jake DeBrusk and Krejci late in the second period blew open the floodgates and rendered moot Hawks goaltender Petr Mrazek’s valiant efforts to keep the score close.

Krejci’s one-time blast directly resulted from the Hawks, as discussed, spreading out too much in their defensive coverage. All three Hawks forwards on the ice at the time — Jonathan Toews (the Hawks’ lone goal-scorer), Philipp Kurashev and Taylor Raddysh — were caught clustered together above the faceoff dots and completely out of the play.

“We weren’t strong on killing plays early…and then they really have a lot of movement in the ‘O’-zone,” Richardson said. “[When] we start chasing them around, we get out of our zone structure. And when they do that, seams open up, and that’s when things start going.”

“There’s no reason, in this league, [why] you can’t compete with a team like that. We have to make sure we realize that quickly and not be starstruck.”

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

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.

With support from our sponsors

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


The Florida strategy

MAGA’s attempt to scare white voters into voting against Pritzker didn’t work so well, to put it mildly.


It worked!

Leasing CHA land to the Chicago Fire is part of a longstanding plan to gentrify the city.


MAGA flip-flops

Men from Blago to Bolduc are trying to sing a new song.

Read More

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show Read More »

Chicago Community Bond Fund celebration and more

The Chicago Community Bond Fund, a local group working to end pretrial incarceration and the cash bail system, is hosting its seventh annual end of year celebration. Take stock of the group’s trials and tribulations over the past 365 days while enjoying a panel led by Chicago Black Social Cultural Map, dance performances, a disco-influenced set from singer Akenya, and music from DJ Fre. This event runs from 6-9 PM at Hairpin Arts Center (2810 N. Milwaukee)—though an online option (livestream via Zoom) is available too! Tickets are $20, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. (MC)

If you can’t stand most holiday shows, Annoyance gets it—which is why they’re bringing back their anti-holiday offering, It’s Christmas Goddamnit!, opening tonight at 8 PM at their home theater (851 W. Belmont). The show, directed by Ian Mullen, touches on “family relationships, secret marriages, racist uncles, and neighbors with secrets.” So much to unwrap! Performances are 8 PM every Saturday through 12/17; tickets are $25 at theannoyance.com. (KR)

In music tonight, there are plenty of options! Tenci, Macie Stewart, and Girl K play Sleeping Village (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, 21+) at 9 PM. And guitarist Marisa Anderson is at Constellation; Health&Beauty opens (8:30 PM, 3111 N. Western, 18+). Check out our music section for more ideas. (SCJ)

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon November 19, 2022 at 8:01 am

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.

With support from our sponsors

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


The Florida strategy

MAGA’s attempt to scare white voters into voting against Pritzker didn’t work so well, to put it mildly.


It worked!

Leasing CHA land to the Chicago Fire is part of a longstanding plan to gentrify the city.


MAGA flip-flops

Men from Blago to Bolduc are trying to sing a new song.

Read More

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon November 19, 2022 at 8:01 am Read More »