The Bears’ Matt Nagy coaching ’em up Sunday at Soldier Field. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

With coordinator Bill Lazor calling the plays, Justin Fields & Co. get a bounce-back victory.

The best sight Sunday was not David Montgomery running, Justin Fields throwing, Darnell Mooney making great catches or even the Lions showing up on the schedule.

It was Matt Nagy, hands on knees, exhorting. That’s a nice way of saying, “The best sight Sunday was Matt Nagy not calling plays.”

The Bears head coach cheered on his team, letting offensive coordinator Bill Lazor do the play calling, and the result, possibly a complete coincidence (no), was a 24-14 victory.

What does it all mean? That’s a very broad question, but forced to give an answer, I would offer three: We’re all alone in this universe, we need to be kind to each other and the microphone on Nagy’s headset should never be turned on again. That’s not based on last week’s atrocity against the Browns but on the sickly body of his work as a play caller for the Bears.

“Bill did a great job” calling plays, Nagy said after Sunday’s game. “At the same point in time, it’s important that we understand that I felt good out there as a head coach. That’s real. But we all get together (during the week). We talk through how we’re going to call the game. … We do it together. I get a great opportunity to say, yes, I like this or, no, I don’t — as the head coach, right, in charge of all that.”

To sum up: Nagy is the head coach. He’s in charge of everything. But if you’re going to be a quibbler, no, he wasn’t in charge of calling the plays during Sunday’s game. So not really in charge of everything.

OK?

Good things happen when Montgomery is able to run the ball. It stops opponents from teeing off on the quarterback, the way Cleveland did the previous week in Fields’ first NFL start. Lazor gets this. He got it last season at times when he took over the play calling from Nagy.

So the Lions got a heaping helping of Montgomery right from the start. He rushed seven times in a 12-play drive, including a 4-yard touchdown run to help give the Bears a 7-0 lead. There are few running backs who run harder than this guy. Lazor gets that, too. The Bears finished with 188 rushing yards, Montgomery with 106.

It can’t be overstated: When it came to generous, true-blue Friends of the Program, the Bears had no bigger supporter at Soldier Field on Sunday than the 0-4 Lions. But this also can’t be overstated: Fields was sacked nine times the week before, so who cares how giving the Lions were? All that matters is that Nagy’s lack of creativity was not allowed to ruin the possibility of a gimme.

Fields needed a confidence builder. He got it because Montgomery softened up the Lions’ defense and because the offensive line … what’s the word? … blocked. He was sacked just once. The rookie made some very nice throws that were doable because he had time to throw.

The previous week, the Browns were on him before a neuron could fire. On Sunday, he had connections of 64, 32 and 21 yards with Mooney and 28 and 27 yards with Allen Robinson. He looked like he belonged. His numbers — 11-of-17, 209 yards, no touchdowns and one interception off a tipped pass — said the same thing.

“I feel like before the game I know when I’m in a rhythm and I know when I’m feeling good,” he said. “I felt good just coming into the game throwing the ball. So I knew it was going to be a good day.”

The Lions drove inside the Bears’ 10-yard line three times in the first half and came away with no points. That’s a testament to the Bears’ defense and to the Lions’ inherent Lions-ness. On one first-quarter play, quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t prepared for the snap, and the ball bounced off his right knee into the hands of Bears defensive lineman Bilal Nichols. It’s like that, being the Lions.

Of course, the 2-2 Bears are in no position to mock anyone. Last week’s embarrassing loss led to days of public outrage over the direction of the franchise.

And if you’re looking for your weekly dose of darkness, it came when Montgomery went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. He walked off the field with help and seemed to be in considerable pain. The Bears will be, too, if he’s out for an extended period.

“Got down and prayed,” Mooney said when asked what he did when he saw Montgomery down.

That was the right approach. A lot rides on the running back’s health.

Nagy said he won’t answer any more questions this season about who is calling the plays. Maybe he thinks it will be a distraction. Maybe he knows it would reflect poorly on his past performances if Lazor does well. Maybe he’s embarrassed because he was hired based on his know-how on offense.

Or maybe, just maybe, we simply need to appreciate that Nagy feels good as a head coach and that he’s in charge. That’s real. Reportedly.

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Alex Ogletree led the team with 12 tackles against the Lions in Week 4. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Plus, a look at wide receivers Allen Robinson’s minor role in the offense and why the overall defensive performance was shakier than it looked.

It was a jubilant afternoon for the Bears on Sunday as rookie quarterback Justin Fields progressed and coach Matt Nagy got the heat off himself for a week by beating the Lions 24-14.

While Fields’ performance, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s play calling and running back David Montgomery’s injury were the dominant storylines, here are three observations beyond the obvious:

Dicey defense

The final stats look strong for the Bears’ defense, but there’s still cause for concern after the Lions drove inside their 10-yard line on each of their first three possessions. The Bears continued to have lapses in the secondary and costly penalties, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff posted a 105 passer rating on them.

Rocky day for Robinson

Allen Robinson has been the Bears’ best wide receiver since signing with them in 2018, but he has just 13 catches for 149 over the first four games. Fields threw to him three times Sunday, and he caught all three passes for 28, 27 and eight yards. His agent, Brandon Parker, tweeted, “Glad to see the team win but 3 total targets?”

Ogletree’s audition

Linebacker Alec Ogletree was an afterthought — all accounts indicate that he caught the Bears’ attention incidentally by hanging out at the facility with Robert Quinn while on vacation — but he has made a strong case to be their permanent starter even when Danny Trevathan returns. Ogletree led the Bears with 12 tackles Sunday, including one for loss, and broke up a pass.

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Shots were fired at police October 3, 2021 in Gresham. | Adobe Stock Photo

Officers were responding to a call about 2:50 p.m. when they saw a male firing shots in an alley in the 500 block of West 88th Street.

A person was arrested after shots were fired at police officers Sunday afternoon in Gresham.

Officers were responding to a call about 2:50 p.m. when they saw a male firing shots in an alley in the 500 block of West 88th Street, Chicago police said.

The gunman managed to escape after shooting at the officers, according to police.

Officers placed another male in custody, police said.

No injuries were reported.

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Gaston Gimenez and the Fire lost their first game after Raphael Wicky was dismissed, dropping Sunday’s match to Toronto FC. | Courtesy of the Fire

“You always look at the coach, but there’s responsibility on everyone,” Klopas said after the Fire lost 3-1 to Toronto. “It’s not just on one person.”

There are things Raphael Wicky could have done better as the Fire’s coach, but he isn’t the only person who’s the cause of another lost season. Sporting director Georg Heitz is taking his share of the blame for building a subpar roster, and owner Joe Mansueto is responsible for the time crunch that forced Heitz to hastily construct the team two years ago.

The players also contributed to Wicky’s downfall, something captain Francisco Calvo acknowledged after the Fire’s 3-1 loss Sunday at Toronto FC. Calvo said it’s tough to lose a coach so close to the end of the season and that the locker room was sad about Wicky’s departure. Calvo also said the players wish Wicky the best, and he called him a great person and coach.

Alas, the players’ apparent feelings for Wicky weren’t enough.

“Of course we need to take responsibility for this, too,” said Calvo, who made his first Fire appearance since Aug. 21 after dealing with a right thigh issue. “At the end of the day, sometimes the coach goes first, then the players. It’s a hard job for them, but it’s how it is.

“[Soccer] is like that, and of course we [didn’t] want him to leave, but we need to take responsibility because our performance during the year wasn’t good enough.”

Three days after Wicky was dismissed, the Fire continued playing out the string on their 2021 season and surrendered the last three goals of the game after taking a first-half lead. Team legend Frank Klopas is leading the Fire while academy coach Ludovic Taillandier is serving as an assistant, along with goalkeeping coach Adin Brown.

Obviously, the Fire didn’t expect to see themselves in this position, finishing a lost year with an interim coach. But for a host of reasons, Wicky was unable to get the points to stay in realistic playoff contention and save his job, which he officially lost Thursday.

“It’s always difficult when things change in the club,” goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina said. “Right now, we still have five games left, so I think the focus is going to be on trying to finish the season the best we can and continue to fight and push each and every single game and go out and give our all. The situation is difficult, but we’re doing our best to try and focus on the games and give our all.”

Klopas – who is not a candidate for the permanent position – also praised Wicky, citing his work ethic and commitment to his job, also calling him a great human being. Yet the business of soccer is a tough one that’s based on results, and Wicky’s record through almost two seasons wasn’t good enough.

However, Wicky wasn’t the only reason the Fire are headed home before the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The whole soccer side of the franchise came up short.

“You always look at the coach, but there’s responsibility on everyone,” Klopas said. “It’s not just on one person.”

NOTES: Attacker Fabian Herbers was removed due to a hamstring injury in the 21st minute and replaced by Ignacio Aliseda. Moments earlier, Herbers had the assist on Robert Beric’s 16th-minute goal that gave the Fire a 1-0 lead.

* The Fire also dismissed director of performance Ben Donachie. The team suffered a rash of injuries during training camp and the first half of the season.

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Gaston Gimenez and the Fire lost their first game after Raphael Wicky was dismissed, dropping Sunday’s match to Toronto FC. | Courtesy of the Fire

Three days after Wicky was dismissed, the Fire continued playing out the string on their 2021 season and surrendered the last three goals of the game.

The Fire began life after Raphael Wicky with a 3-1 loss to Toronto FC on Sunday in Toronto. And the defeat felt similar to games that cost Wicky his job.

Three days after Wicky was dismissed, the Fire continued playing out the string on their 2021 season and surrendered the last three goals of the game. Team legend Frank Klopas – not a candidate to be Wicky’s full-time replacement – is leading the Fire while academy coach Ludovic Taillandier is serving as an assistant, along with goalkeeping coach Adin Brown.

Obviously, the Fire didn’t expect to see themselves in position, finishing a lost year with an interim coach. But for a host of reasons, Wicky was unable to get the points to stay in realistic playoff contention and save his job, which he officially lost Thursday.

“Ultimately this is what I always say, it’s professional sports and we all depend on results in the end and we didn’t deliver the results that we all wanted to deliver,” sporting director Georg Heitz said Thursday.

Though the roster should probably be rebuilt again, whoever’s coaching the Fire in 2022 will have a couple promising pieces to build around from the current team.

Gabriel Slonina, who’s making an increasingly convincing argument to be the Fire’s starting goalkeeper next year, stopped Yeferson Soteldo’s 36th-minute penalty. Toronto FC had the opportunity to equalize after the Fire’s Jonathan Bornstein was called for a hand ball in the penalty area.

Slonina, however, didn’t get much help Sunday.

Just 17 and making his fifth consecutive start, Slonina had three saves but couldn’t keep out Marco Delgado’s deflected 44th-minute strike that evened the match. TFC then took a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute when Slonina had no chance to top Omar Gonzalez’s powerful header from the center of the box. Soteldo then clinched the win for Toronto in the 70th minute.

On Wednesday, in what turned out to be Wicky’s final game in charge, Slonina had three saves for his first professional victory, a 2-0 Fire win over New York City FC.

Designated player Robert Beric gave the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, giving the beleaguered striker his fifth goal of the year and second in as many games. Unlike Slonina, it’s hard to see Beric sticking around to play for whoever takes Wicky’s spot.

NOTES: Attacker Fabian Herbers was removed due to injury in the 21st minute and replaced by Ignacio Aliseda. Moments earlier, Herbers had the assist on Beric’s goal.

* Defender Francisco Calvo (right thigh) replaced Miguel Navarro in the 75th minute, making his first appearance since Aug. 21.

* The Fire also dismissed director of performance Ben Donachie. The team suffered a rash of injuries during training camp and the first half of the season.

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A 43-year-old man was fatally shot October 3, 2021 in Lawndale. | Sun-Times file

The man was standing in front of an apartment building about 3 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Douglas Boulevard when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and someone from inside opened fire.

A 43-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon in Lawndale on the West Side.

The man was standing in front of an apartment building about 3 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Douglas Boulevard when a light-colored vehicle pulled up and someone from inside opened fire, Chicago police said.

He was struck in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

He hasn’t been identified.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

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Justin Fields drops back against the Lions on Sunday. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The Bears beat the Lions 24-14 at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Darnell Mooney lined up tight right and ran an out-and-up route with about two minutes to play in the first quarter Sunday. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields dropped back, put his right heel down at the Bears’ 2-yard line, stepped and threw.

In doing so, he looked unlike any Bears quarterback of recent vintage — and far more like what Bears fans were expecting when the team laid a historically dispiriting dud last week.

With the help of improved play-calling from coordinator Bill Lazor — who took over those duties from head coach Matt Nagy — plus strong defense and a hapless Lions opponent, Fields got the Bears back Sunday. They never trailed in a 24-14 win Sunday at Soldier Field.

Fields also made a case — somewhere between strong or undeniable — to keep the starting job regardless of when Andy Dalton returns from a bone bruise in his right knee.

His numbers weren’t gaudy — he went 11-for-17 for 209 yards — but he was special. He showed enough growth between last week and Sunday that the Bears can dream on what his next start will look like against the Raiders. Or at least they should.

With Fields quarterbacking the Bears against the Bengals and Browns — a total of seven quarters — the Bears gained about 5 1/2 feet per play. Sunday, the Bears averaged almost four times as much per play — 6.54 yards, and that includes two kneeldowns at the end of the game.

Fields’ 64-yard completion to Mooney, who had split the Lions’ safety and cornerback, was the longest Bears completion in almost three years. And even that one comes with an asterisk: Tarik Cohen’s 70-yard touchdown reception against the Jets on Oct. 18, 2018, was a screen pass that went only two yards in the air.

Later, he dropped a gorgeous 21-yard teardrop pass into Mooney’s arms along the right sideline. Toward the end of the third quarter, Allen Robinson ran all the way across the field and caught a pass along the same sideline for 27.

Fields didn’t score himself, but he led the Bears to an opening touchdown drive of 75 yards after the Bears won the coin toss and wanted the ball. His second possession went 89 net yards — aided by the deep ball to Mooney — and wound up in the end zone. The Bears went 77 yards to score on their first possession of the third quarter, too, to go ahead 21-0.

Running back David Montgomery scored two rushing touchdowns and gained 106 yards on 23 carries before suffering a left knee injury in the fourth quarter. He was helped to the locker room and almost immediately ruled out.

The Lions got inside the Bears’ 10 three times in the first half, but came away with zero points — they sandwiched two fumbles around a turnover on downs. They punted at the end of the half after getting the ball when Fields’ third-down slant pass was tipped and intercepted by cornerback Amani Oruwariye.

Entering Sunday’s games, five rookie quarterbacks had started a game. They were 1-11 combined — with the one win, by the Patriots against the Jets, coming when one rookie faced another. Fields, then, became the first rookie quarterback this season to beat a team quarterbacked by a veteran.

Next week, the Bears should give him chance to do it again.

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Brother Rice’s Jack Lausch (8) runs through Loyola’s defense. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

A look at Jack Lausch’s case for Player of the Year, Richmond-Burton’s win streak, Sandburg’s upset of Lincoln-Way East and Glenbard North’s bad luck.

Sandburg beats Lincoln-Way East. York beats Glenbard West. Naperville North beats Naperville Central.

The upsets just keep coming this season. It appears no traditional power is safe.

The Sandburg win was definitely this week’s biggest surprise but it doesn’t come close to reaching the level of St. Ignatius’ triumph over Mount Carmel in Week 5. The Eagles have been a football powerhouse in the past. Their last win against Lincoln-Way East was a 23-22 triumph in the 2007-08 season though, so it has been a long while.

Sandburg entered the game just 1-4, but all four losses were to good teams: Prospect, Glenbrook South, Bolingbrook and Lockport. None of the scores gave an indication that this upset was brewing however.

New Eagles coach Troy McAllister, who led Phillips to two state titles, saw potential in his team.

“The Bolingbrook game was 14-6 at half and we had a touchdown called back,” McAllister said. “We just came out flat in the second half.”

A pair of juniors led the offense for Sandburg. Quarterback Christian Evans was 19-for-25 passing for 306 yards and three touchdowns against Lincoln-Way East. Wide receiver Walter Davis had six catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Kyle Peterson forced a fumble that set up the winning score.

“The young men really executed,” McAllister said. “It was our best game on offense by far. We threw an interception in the end zone but other than that we had a clean game on offense and that had been our downfall.”

Sandburg was likely expecting big things when McAllister arrived this year. Beating the Griffins should be an important first step towards future success.

“Other than the Lockport game we were making a ton of progress each week,” McAllister said. “But without the results it gets difficult sometimes to keep the motivation up. Now this shows them that if you work hard it will be worth it. Moments like Friday night are what makes high school football special. Before the game you’d have thought we had no business playing [Lincoln-Way East].

Jack Lausch makes his case

St. Rita’s Kaleb Brown entered the season as a heavy favorite for Player of the Year honors. His injury in the first few minutes of the season opened the door wide for all the other contenders.

There haven’t been many contenders stepping up over the past few weeks, which made Brother Rice quarterback Jack Lausch’s performance in Week 4 against Loyola such an eye-opener.

The Crusaders lost, but Lausch was 16-for-26 passing for 289 yards with three touchdowns and had 20 carries for 137 yards and three touchdowns. The performance instantly made Lausch a serious contender for POY honors.

Lausch is now the favorite after turning in another terrific game, this time in a 43-36 win against Mount Carmel. Lausch was great again on Friday, finishing 19-for-26 passing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He had 14 carries for 84 yards.

Next up for Lausch and Brother Rice is a showdown at home against undefeated No. 3 Joliet Catholic.

Respect the Rockets

Richmond-Burton’s 42-20 win against St. Francis on Friday ran up the Rockets’ consecutive win total to 26. That’s even more impressive with all the upsets flying around this season.

Quarterback Joe Miller threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns against St. Francis and running back Brock Wood had 25 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns.

Richmond-Burton has outscored its opponents 304 to 67 so far this season. The Rockets will be in Class 4A in the state playoffs.

Unbelievable

Glenbard North lost to No. 9 Wheaton North 21-20 on Friday. The Panthers (4-2) scored with 1:24 left to pull within a point. They went for the two-point conversion and the win and didn’t get it.

That’s the same thing that happened Week 5 against No. 8 Batavia. Glenbard North went for two at the end of the game and were stopped. And get this: the score was also 21-20.

What a tough pair of losses. The Panthers are just two plays away from having a perfect start to the season.

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“You can’t let history depict what your future is going to be like,” the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan said. “You just have to go out there and set the tone and take on the challenge.” | Frank Franklin II/AP

The Bulls are projected to be a .500 team at best, but DeRozan wants his teammates to hear the outside noise to put that chip on their shoulder, but also be willing to slap that chip off when the games start to count.

The lessons taught by DeMar DeRozan in just the first week of Bulls training camp have been many.

The latest to his teammates?

It involves talk of dogs and running fast, but the gist of it from the veteran forward is be aware what’s being said and predicted, but don’t dwell on it.

What DeRozan is very aware of is that even with all the changes made to the roster – including his own addition — the Bulls are viewed as a .500 team at best. The prognosticators see it that way, and Las Vegas sees it that way.

DeRozan, however, sees it quite differently.

“I never try to put too much thought on how Vegas or whoever comes up with the odds they come up with, because at the end of the day you don’t know how hard we’re working, how bad we want something, how much we are fighting for something,” DeRozan said. “It’s bigger than just somebody’s predictions and how we are approaching it. This is an opportunity of a talented group that has a chip on their shoulders. You kind of run faster when the dog is chasing behind you; that’s the type of mentality we have to have going out there playing this season.”

Play that gets at least a dress rehearsal on Tuesday, when the Bulls open up the four-game exhibition season at home against Cleveland.

A tip-off that isn’t expected to answer much in the big picture, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t importance being put into it.

According to DeRozan, he’s always used the preseason to work on getting into a rhythm. Not only his own, but a rhythm with his teammates.

Ideally, that rhythm comes quickly and the Bulls can get out to a quick start once the games actually do count.

That still won’t likely silence the doubters, but it will at least show the veteran that his teammates are up to accepting the challenge. Not from the critics, but the challenges they have put out there for each other.

“I’ve been on teams where we were picked to be in the tank and then win 50 games and make it to the third seed in the Eastern Conference,” DeRozan said, referring to his Toronto days. “I’ve heard it all — you can’t indulge in it. You can’t let history depict what your future is going to be like. You just have to go out there and set the tone and take on the challenge. With this group of guys and the talent we have everybody is willing to take on whatever that next challenge is.”

Challenge number one might be getting the young players to understand exactly what will be asked of them.

Patrick Williams is still nursing a sore left ankle, while Coby White is sidelined for possibly another month after offseason shoulder surgery, but there’s still Lonzo Ball, who is only 23 and figuring out life on a third team in the last few seasons, rookie big man Marko Simonovic, and even Derrick Jones Jr., who is still 24.

DeRozan has been doing his best to be a sounding board for all three, and anyone else who has a question or concern for him.

It’s about preparing them for the roller coaster ride that every season seems to bring.

“You are going to have ups and downs,” DeRozan said. “It’s all how you get through the downs when they come, how to maneuver through it. That’s on the guys who have been around to be together when things get tough because it is going to get tough. Just prepare for it.”

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