Three people were shot Thursday afternoon at a McDonald’s in Longwood Manor on the Far South Side, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.

Paramedics responding to calls of a shooting after 3 p.m. at a McDonald’s in the 9500 block of South Lafayette Avenue found three people with gunshot wounds, fire officials said.

Two men, believed to be in their 30s, were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious-to-critical condition, officials said.

A woman in her 40s was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was also in serious-to-critical condition, fire officials said.

Chicago police said they were aware of the incident but haven’t released official details yet.

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The Bears’ offense is getting better, but it’s still not winning them games.

In the final two minutes of three of the last four losses, the Bears had the ball with a chance to take the lead. It didn’t go well:

o Against the Vikings, Ihmir Smith-Marsette fumbled at the Vikings’ 39 with 1:01 to play. He was cut nine days later.

o Against the Commanders, receiver Darnell Mooney dropped a touchdown pass on fourth down with 30 seconds to play.

o And against the Dolphins, receiver Equanimeous St. Brown dropped a first down on fourth-and-10 with 1:29 remaining — one play after Chase Claypool didn’t get a pass interference call at the Dolphins’ 23.

For all the buzz around quarterback Justin Fields and the growth of an offense that has scored 94 points over the last three games, the Bears know they need to score when they need it most.

“That’s the next step, right?” tight end Cole Kmet said. “I think we’re putting up points, and the past few weeks we’ve been able to do that. But I think if we want to be a championship team, that’s what the NFL is: two-minute situations, end of half, end of the game, executing in those situations. That’s the next step for the offense.”

The last few steps have been exciting enough for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to call some of Fields’ plays “miraculous” with a straight face Thursday. But the next one is critical.

This season, Bears have played 14 fourth-quarter drives either tied or trailing by eight points or fewer. They’ve scored one touchdown — to go ahead against the 49ers in the rain-soaked opener — and made two field goals. They’ve averaged only 4.09 yards per play in such situations. They threw one interception, fumbled twice and turned the ball over downs three times.

The latest turnover on downs came after St. Brown’s drop.

“Of course we wanted to go down there and drive,” Fields said. “[St. Brown] just had a tough drop. I mean, it is what it is, you move on, you learn from it and get better. It’s that simple. …

“I think certain plays, people aren’t going to be perfect in all the situations. Of course, we want that back, he wants that back but we’re just going to keep grinding. Of course, we do situational stuff each and every week in practice. So we’re just going to keep grinding at that.”

Bears coaches, in fact, have said that they’ve never seen a head coach stress situational football more than Matt Eberflus. It shows at the end of the first half — but not the second.

In their last three games, the Bears have scored a whopping 27 points in the final two minutes of the first half. They’ve scored in the final two minutes of the first half in all but one of their last seven games.

“I think when you’re in those [first half] situations you can still kind of stick to just running your offense, and knowing they’re going to be in their base stuff … ” Kmet said. “It’s a little different between that and the end of the game when you have a two-minute situation and it’s known passing, or they know that they can allow some yards.”

When it comes to the end of games, the Bears are still “trying to figure those things out,” guard Cody Whitehair said. Doing it Sunday, with the game on the line, would be another sign of growth.

“It’s about executing, like anything else,” Getsy said. “The guys are getting better at executing. And then when it comes down to those moments … it always is about the players, and they gotta make those opportunities and take advantage of them. They’ve been doing a great job of executing and giving us a chance.”

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What will Justin Fields do for an encore? Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser and Mark Potash break down what to expect from Sunday’s game against the Lions.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify and Stitcher.

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Carolina Panthers look for revenge Thursday night against NFC South rival

We are eleven days removed from one of the more thrilling finishes between both of these teams. In week eight, the Carolina Panthers were defeated 37-34 in overtime by the Atlanta Falcons. Although the Carolina Panthers lost on the scoreboard, they did manage to cover as four-point underdogs. There were almost 900 yards of total offense in that game to go along with a 34-point fourth quarter.

The Falcons seemed to be heading towards another crushing defeat as DJ Moore caught the potential game-winning touchdown, but he forgot to leave his helmet on. This cost the Panthers some extra yards on the extra point, and we all know what happened after that.

Both teams are coming into this game off of a loss. The Bengals embarrassed the Carolina Panthers while Atlanta was in a competitive game against a depleted Chargers team. In the previous ten meetings, the Carolina Panthers have been dominated by the Falcons. Since 2017, the Carolina Panthers are 2-8 straight up with six of those losses coming by one possession.

The Falcons have a chance to move into first place in the division and become the only NFC South team with a winning record. The Carolina Panthers are not out of the division race by any means, so they should be motivated to come out and play well. Although these teams have played this year, a lot has changed in those eleven days for both teams.

The number one variable is that the Falcons have their best offensive weapon back in Cordarrelle Patterson who returned with a two-touchdown performance last week. There is no debate that when Patterson is on the field, the Falcons have a more prolific offense. According to PFF, the Falcons’ offense grades out fourth overall for the season.

After seeing what Joe Mixon was able to do to this Carolina Panther defense, it would not surprise me to see Patterson have another solid performance. Returning to the backfield will be Chubba Hubbard, who missed the week eight matchup with an ankle injury. Although the stat line of D’onte Foreman (26 carries, 118 yards, and 3 touchdowns) says Hubbard was not needed, his return will enhance the ground game.

From a matchup perspective, I do not think either team possesses a clear advantage that they could use to exploit the other. PJ Walker had over 300 yards passing in the first matchup but let’s not kid ourselves, that was more of an aberration than a trend. If Baker or Darnold (who is off of IR this week) were going to be behind center, I think the Carolina Panthers would be primed for an upset.

A few things that do work in the Carolina Panthers favor is that the Falcons rank last in pass rush grade, and will be missing their best cover corner. This should allow PJ Walker more time in the pocket to be able to find DJ Moore for another big game. The secondary of the Falcons ranks 32nd in pass yards allowed but can PJ Walker exploit it? That remains to be seen. The offensive line will be able to protect him, but he must be able to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers.

I would expect him to be on a short leash with this game holding a pretty good amount of significance. Sam Darnold is active for the first time this season, and I would not be surprised to see him if PJ Walker is not getting the job done.

The Falcons had no problem moving the ball in week eight and I do not see them having an issue tonight against a Carolina Panther defense that ranks 22nd in red zone defense, 25th in 3rd down conversions allowed, and 28th in rushing yards allowed. With Patterson back, the Falcons can have three different backs rotating in and out to gash this horrible Panthers’ defense.

If the Carolina Panthers were playing either of the two backup quarterbacks, I would be inclined to take them as a small home underdog. With PJ Walker under center, I don’t think this Carolina Panthers team can be bet at these low numbers. What I do recommend is taking the over, which right now sits at 42.5. Both defenses struggle in the red zone and on a yard-per-play basis. I expect a lot of explosiveness by both offenses and once they get in the red zone, neither defense will be able to hold up.

As I outlined earlier, with Patterson back, the Atlanta offense opens up even more on top of the recent success they’ve had against this Carolina Panthers defense. On the other side, the Falcons’ defense will not be able to contain the rush attack of the Panthers. It is also in our favor that each quarterback is prone to making mistakes, which could lead to short fields.

The AFC South is usually wrapped up by now, but due to the underperforming of the Tampa Bay Bucs, it is still wide open. Both of these teams look to inch closer to being able to dethrone (highly unlikely) the Bucs. This is not a star-studded matchup, but I think this will be an intriguing fun game to watch. Let’s kick back, relax, and root for a lot of offense tonight en route to a 28-25 Falcons win.

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Jack Sanborn gets a message from his defensive coach

After trading away Roquan Smith, the Chicago Bears turned to undrafted rookie free agent Jack Sanborn to stop an elite Miami Dolphins offense. The defense played about as well as one would expect them to, given they traded away Robert Quinn and Smith before the deadline.

The Bears were gashed 302 yards and the air and 77 more rushing yards. The Dolphins’ offense put up four of the team’s five touchdowns. Sanborn accounted for seven tackles, placing him second on the Bears’ defense for the most tackles behind rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon.

During Thursday’s press conference, defensive coordinator Alan Williams spoke about Sanborn’s performance. According to Chris Emma with The Score, Williams said Sanborn gave him a strong message of support for his first start in the NFL:

“First start, he looked like he belonged. Didn’t have errors. Tackled well. Ran around well. … Now let’s take one more step forward.”

Some stats suggest otherwise

Jack Sanborn had a lot asked of him in Week 9. The Dolphins present multiple challenges to the defense, and Sanborn stepped in as the weakside linebacker in place of an All-Pro. However, Sanborn’s performance was less than perfect. Williams did a good job of trying to tell the press something that just wasn’t true.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sanborn was graded 45.5 overall for his play against the Dolphins. He did well in creating stops, as PFF credited him with four stops. However, he was credited with missing a tackle. His pass coverage left much to be desired, as he gave up all three passes he was targeted on.

Jack Sanborn did well, considering the situation he inherited. But he still has much work to improve on this season. He’ll get the opportunity to take that next step against the Detroit Lions in Week 10.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields earned some high praise from an NFL analyst who criticized him in the past

Justin Fields put the NFL world on notice with his Week 9 performance, continuing to build on a stretch of games where he’s looked impressive.

Fields rushed for a NFL regular season record 178 rushing yards in the loss to Miami in Week 9. He added 123 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in the effort, helping lead the Bears to 32 points. While Fields dazzled, it was his running ability that is catching the attention of analysts.

Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk was the latest to praise Fields for his performance on Sunday afternoon, giving him extremely high praise and saying he’s better than every other quarterback in running the football.

“Oh, he’s the best running quarterback in football now,” Sims said. “As a runner, if you gave me, listen we are talking Lamar Jackson here. I’m going to put him in front of Lamar right now. I think he’s a little faster than Lamar is right now. He’s a little bigger human being. Their team is not built like Baltimore. Nor to they have quite the variety of Lamar Jackson type runs.”

That’s high praise from Sims who once had Justin Fields as a late first-round pick and outside of his top 30 quarterbacks in the NFL.

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Justin Fields was national news this week. When’s the last time that could be said about a Bears quarterback?

Sure, Jay Cutler made plenty of news for, well, being Jay Cutler. Jim McMahon made headlines when he mooned a helicopter during the leadup to Super Bowl XX. But I’m talking about favorable news. That’s what Fields made.

By now, you’ve seen, heard or read countless times about his 178 rushing yards Sunday, an NFL regular-season record for a quarterback, and his three touchdown passes. Field has been praised throughout the NFL universe, but one place in particular has had a Fields day, if you will.

Bristol, Connecticut. Home of ESPN.

On Monday, the network’s two morning talk shows, “Get Up” and “First Take,” flew their Fields flags. “Get Up” host Mike Greenberg, a Northwestern alum who was a reporter and host at The Score in the 1990s, couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Does Chicago have the best young quarterback in the entire NFL?” Greenberg said, teasing an upcoming segment. “Who would’ve thought we’d be asking that question?”

During the segment, he said, “There may not be a team right now in the NFL, and I mean this, that has a more promising future than the Chicago Bears. … They may have finally gotten it right at quarterback.”

“This is what a franchise quarterback looks like,” former coach Rex Ryan said.

Added former player Ryan Clark: “I said the Jets should’ve drafted him. I said the 49ers should’ve drafted him. Because I knew when he put it together from a talent standpoint … there was no one else that could do what Justin Fields was doing.”

The adulation continued on “First Take,” where Hall of Famer Michael Irvin made his weekly appearance. Irvin ranked Fields first in his segment, “Playmaker’s Top Playmakers.” I’d tell you what he said, but printed words wouldn’t do it justice. Imagine a combination of Little Richard and Hulk Hogan, and you have Irvin’s performance.

“Keep it spinning,” Irvin implored Fields, pretending to be a dancing DJ.

Granted, neither program led with Fields. He appeared in the last quarter of each two-hour show. But the excitement for him was palpable, and it continued during the week.

“I keep hearing, Trevor Lawrence is still unquestionably the best quarterback from that [draft] class,” Greenberg said Tuesday on “Get Up.” “I’m sorry. I’m watching Justin Fields play. That kid is going to be the best quarterback from that class. In fact, I think he already is.”

“You’re right,” former general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. “Trevor Lawrence has been given a free blank check the last few years where no one’s held him accountable. Justin Fields has a high floor and an incredible ceiling. And when you think about Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence, you gotta take Justin Fields.”

So how does an ESPN morning turn into a Fields lovefest, despite the fact the Bears lost?

“I’ll give you three reasons,” said Antoine Lewis, ESPN’s vice president of studio production. “No. 1, it was one of the most entertaining games that Sunday. The second reason is people love the story of someone on the way up. And the third reason is because everyone knows the Bears have never been known for their quarterbacks.

“Why do people get up early like they did Tuesday to see an eclipse? Because we rarely see this.”

Lewis is keenly aware. He grew up on the Far South Side, went to Lincoln Park High School and Northwestern and worked at NBC 5 and WGN in the ’90s, among other stops. He has been leading “First Take,” with Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim, since 2013.

Lewis said shows don’t share their topics for the day with each other, but they know what the biggest storylines are.

“We know what people are talking about,” he said. “You can see the buzz, whether it be social media or other avenues off of Sunday’s games. And that was a huge storyline. I sent a note to my coordinating producer asking how we’re going to discuss Justin Fields for the simple fact that it was a great game and a record was broken.”

ESPN has a habit of falling in love with certain players to the point of overexposure. It’s way too soon to know if Fields will fall into that category, but Lewis made no bones about hoping Fields does.

“He’s exciting, he’s young. I think that we’re going to be talking about him for many years to come,” he said. “This is tremendous for me. I’m tired of hearing about the Patriots and now the Giants having a good season and the Eagles and all that. Let’s get some Bears in there.”

Remote patrol

NFL regional games airing Sunday in the Chicago market: Lions at Bears, noon, Fox-32 (Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez); Colts at Raiders, 3:05 p.m., Ch. 2 (Kevin Harlan, Trent Green); Cowboys at Packers, 3:25 p.m., Fox-32 (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen).NBC will air its first women’s college basketball game at 3 p.m. Saturday, when No. 9 Notre Dame faces Cal in St. Louis. The game also will air on Peacock.Read More

There weren’t just subtle hints of what was coming.

Not for DeMar DeRozan at least.

“Oh no, there were some days that they were kicking our ass,” the veteran recalled recently when discussing the reserve squad and the intrasquad scrimmages from fall training camp. “That was their mentality.”

A mentality that hasn’t relinquished.

While the Bulls have muddled through the first 13 games of the regular season as a whole, the players that have made up the bench came into camp looking to do some damage, have backed that up, and then some.

Goran Dragic was leading the team with a plus-minus of plus-74. Following the “Dragon” was Alex Caruso with a plus-72, Andre Drummond with a plus-42, Javonte Green at plus-34, and then Derrick Jones Jr. at a plus-25.

The nearest regular starter in that category?

Zach LaVine at a plus-7, and oh by the way the same LaVine who has spent a lot of his playing time staggered with the second unit.

“You can see when [the starters] get a little stagnant and we’re not playing with the right energy,” Dragic said. “I look at it as it’s my job to bring that energy, try and make sure we’re organized and doing what we need to do.

“The best way to do that is through your actions. That’s my mentality and the mentality of a lot of these [bench] guys. And if we want to be objective, we’ve been missing a few of our guys with ‘Drum’ [Andre Drummond] and Coby [White] injured.”

Meaning?

“We can be even better,” Dragic said.

Coach Billy Donovan hopes so.

It isn’t that Donovan’s starters have been awful so far this season, but they have been inconsistent, especially with the way they’ve started and finished games. Too many careless possessions, too many turnovers, and not enough urgency.

Donovan has been trying to change that, and there were signs in the loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday that at least those early-game bad habits were being dealt with, but a 6-7 record isn’t cutting it.

In the loss to New Orleans, the Bulls did play the visiting team to a 22-22 tie in that opening quarter, only to see the game slip away late, which is yet another issue with this team.

The Bulls have been terrible in “clutch” moments this season, which the NBA defined as five-point games with five minutes less. Six opportunities for the Bulls and six misses, with an 0-6 record in those situations as a result.

But the bench? That’s been a real strength. With Dragic, Drummond when healthy, Caruso, and the mix of Green and Jones, tied in with LaVine, Donovan has stumbled on a unit that he hopes has staying power.

“When you’re playing against each other every day in practice, you see the second unit playing and they were playing really well together, but it’s only against us,” Donovan said. “As we started to see other opponents, and then staggering it a little bit, putting Zach in there with that unit, they’ve played really well for us.

“They play really fast, they’ve gotten out in transition. Andre is an elite runner, an elite screener, Goran and Alex are really good in transition with the ball in terms of advancing it or creating action. It’s been encouraging to see them play the way they have because I didn’t know what it would look like.”

That’s why Donovan might not be done tweaking it.

He actually used DeRozan rather than LaVine a bit more with that second group against New Orleans in that third quarter and saw some success.

“I just think with some of these guys you’ve got to try different units and see what it looks like,” Donovan said. “How sustainable it will be for us, we’ll see.”

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Asked to evaluate Justin Fields’ record-setting performance Thursday, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy pulled an adjective from the heavens.

“Obviously, he made some plays that were miraculous,” Getsy said. “I mean, they were pretty unbelievable.”

Chief among them Sunday was Fields’ 62-yard touchdown run, the longest any Bears quarterback has ever posted.

“Honestly? It was like, ‘Holy cow,’ but not with not that type of talk,” Getsy said, drawing laughter. “It was a pretty unbelievable play. As you review the film, it probably shoulda been a 15- or 20-yard completion to [receiver Darnell] Mooney. The way he slid up in the pocket, you wanna see him keep his shoulders a little bit more perpendicular to the line of scrimmage and rip the ball. He was headed there, he just got there a tick late because he squared his shoulders and then it turned into, like, an unbelievable play after that.

“Once he got to a certain point and I saw Mooney in a position to be able to cut the guy off, I was like, ‘There’s no way anyone’s catching that guy.’ So it was pretty cool.”

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