We cannot get to the 2023 NFL Draft fast enough. The rumors are flying. Reports are swirling. Yet, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has to be as calm and collected as ever, kicking his feet up and ready for phone calls.

The Bears, of course, own the no. 1 overall pick in the draft this year and, if all common logic plays out, they’ll trade the pick for an immense haul of draft capital.

The biggest question for the past couple of weeks, though, has been just where the Bears will trade that pick? As of right now, there are several suitors who would do just about anything to move up and select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

One of those teams is the Indianapolis Colts. General manager Chris Ballard went on record saying he’d do “whatever it takes” to get that no. 1 pick if it meant he was convinced that the right quarterback was there for his franchise.

However, a rival team of Indianapolis might just try and spoil the party.

The Chicago Bears are going to watch a royal rumble unfold for their number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

This couldn’t possibly get any better for Poles and the Bears. He’s going to see a couple of division rivals go at each other’s throats over the pick he’s holding in his hand.

For the Bears, they are already looking at a possible franchise quarterback in their own building with Justin Fields. All that’s left is to get the kid some decent protection and some more weaponry at his disposal.

With the type of draft haul Poles could be looking at, the Bears should easily be able to come away with the necessary help in just a single offseason — especially because of two teams, who happen to be division rivals, fighting over the same pick.

This is truly a golden opportunity for Poles and the Bears.

Boy, to be a fly on the wall of Poles’ office for the next two months … that opportunity would be priceless.

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”The X-Files” first aired from Sept. 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002, and then had a brief revival from Jan. 24, 2016, to March 21, 2018. If that seems like a lot of episodes (218), it’s only because, from the great opening theme to the not always satisfying ending, the viewing public was very hooked. We followed FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigated intelligent extraterrestrial life, the paranormal and government conspiracies. We were hooked because we wanted to believe. The show was spooky, interesting, educational, sometimes funny and so well-written. Wait, am I describing ”The X-Files” or your weekly quiz in Sports Saturday? And speaking of the quiz, this week we are focusing on players who either were ex-members of the Cubs and White Sox or members of the local nines and their ex-teams. You shouldn’t have too much trouble. Have fun and learn a lot.

1. Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was one of those guys who stayed too long at the fair. In his last three seasons, including pitching for the White Sox, he went 15-29 with a 5.72 ERA. Once ‘Lefty’ became an ex-White Sox, he pitched for three more teams. Which ones did he throw for?

a. Phillies b. Giants c. Cleveland

d. Twins e. Devil Rays

2. Don Larsen pitched, what I consider, the greatest game in MLB history when he was perfect against the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. In his long career, was Larsen an ex-White Sox, an ex-Cub, or was he both?

3. Ex-Cub Jon Lester had 395 different teammates in his career. David Ross was his manager with the Cubs, but was Ross also a Cubs teammate of Lester or were they just teammates in Boston?

4. Wait, wait, I have another David Ross playing question for you: which ex-Cub surrendered Ross’ first MLB homer?

a. Mike Morgan b. Rick Helling

c. Willie Banks d. Mark Grace

5. David Robertson is both an ex-White Sox and an ex-Cubs pitcher. Robertson recently signed with the Mets, and when he appears in a game, he will join an exclusive club of pitchers who pitched for both Chicago teams and both New York teams. Who are the other two pitchers to achieve this feat?

a. Kevin Tapani b. Dick Tidrow

c. Lynn McGlothen d. David Aardsma

6. Tony La Russa is in the Hall of Fame as a manager, not for his time as an infielder. La Russa was a two-time ex-White Sox manager, but when he played, he was an ex-Athletic (both K.C. and Oakland) and an ex-Brave. Was La Russa also an ex-Cub?

7. This ex-White Sox player led the Sox in homers in the 1970s, even though he only played with the team through 1975. Here’s a hint: before signing with the Sox in 1964, he played baseball and football at Citrus College. Orange you glad I shared that?

a. Dick Allen b. Bill Melton

c. Meadowlark Lemon d. Carlos May

8. Here are four new players to Chicago for this coming season. They all have exes. Name the last team that each player played for before adopting a Chicago uniform.

a. Cody Bellinger b. Trey Mancini

c. Eric Hosmer d. Mike Clevinger

9. From 1980 to 1989, which ex-Cubs Hall of Fame closer led the Cubs in saves?

a. Lee Smith b. Bruce Sutter c. Dennis Eckersley

In closing this week, I don’t mind if you think ”The X-Files” was a crime show, mystery or drama. But be wary of anyone who thinks the series was a documentary. Have a healthy week. Stay warm. Stay safe. Have fun. Don’t forget to write.

ANSWERS

1. After going 4-3 with the Sox with a 3.69 ERA, ‘Lefty’ went 5-9 with Cleveland (5.37 ERA), 1-6 for Minnesota (8.54) and 1-3 for the Giants (5.37).

2. In 1961, Larsen was traded by the Kansas City A’s to the White Sox as part of a nine-player deal. Then, before the 1967 season, Larsen signed with the Cubs and pitched 4.0 innings before calling it a career.

3. In 2013-14 with the Red Sox and 2015-16 with the Cubs, Ross was Lester’s catcher for 89 games, and Lester had a 2.75 ERA when Ross was behind the plate.

4. The date was Sept. 2, 2002, and David Ross’ Dodgers were playing the Diamondbacks. It was Ross’ fourth MLB game. The Dodgers were leading 18-1 and toeing the slab was ex-Cub Mark Grace, who had played close to 1,900 games for the Cubs at first base. It was the only time that Grace would ever pitch in his 16 years in the majors. And Ross took him deep. After the game, Grace said, “I didn’t have a scouting report on him. Obviously, he can hit 65 mph fastballs.” Ex-Cub Mike Morgan pitched in this game for the D-backs. So did Rick Helling. Ex-Cub Willie Banks pitched for Arizona (but not in this game).

5. David Aardsma and Dick Tidrow played for all four teams. Lynn McGlothen never played for the Mets and Kevin Tapani never played for the Yankees.

6. On April 6, 1973, the Cubs were trailing the Expos 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. Joe Pepitone led off the ninth with a single, and Ron Santo reached on an error. With Glenn Beckert approaching the plate, Tony La Russa came in to run for Santo. Beckert walked and Randy Hundley walked, and the game was tied. With two down, Mike Marshall walked Rick Monday and La Russa came across the plate with the winning run. It was La Russa’s only appearance with the Cubs and his final appearance in the majors.

7. Beltin’ Bill Melton led the Sox in homers with 129 in the 1970s and in 1971, he led the AL in homers with 33, the same total he had in 1970 when he finished sixth in the AL.

8. Cody Bellinger is an ex-Dodger, Trey Mancini is an ex-Astro, Eric Hosmer is an ex-Red Sox, and Mike Clevinger is an ex-Padre.

9. Big Lee Smith recorded 180 saves for the Cubs. Throughout the decade, he totaled 234 saves. Only Jeff Reardon (264) and Dan Quisenberry (239) had more in all of baseball.

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Kyle Hendricks received a unique introduction and fitting ovation at the opening ceremony of the Cubs Convention.

“You need someone to start Game 7, to end a 108-year curse?” boomed Cole Wright, Marquee Sports Network host and emcee for the evening. “Who’s it going to be?”

It could only be Hendricks — not just because he started Game 7 of the 2016 World Series but also because he was the only player from that curse-breaking team still on the Cubs’ roster.

“It’s definitely strange, in a way,” Hendricks said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “It just goes to show that the turnover is so quick in the game these days. I just look at it from a grateful perspective. I have so much gratitude for the organization and for the city just for being able to be there for that long.”

Last season, Hendricks had talked with fellow 2016 World Series winners Willson Contreras and Jason Heyward about their dwindling ranks. Then, the offseason hit. The Cubs released Heyward, who joined the Dodgers on a minor-league deal with a spring-training invite, and Contreras signed with the Cardinals in free agency.

Hendricks, coming back from a capsular tear in his right shoulder that sidelined him for the last three months of the season, is aiming to start throwing off a mound by March 1. That timeline makes it unlikely that he’ll be back by Opening Day. And if he begins the season on the injured list, there won’t be any representatives from the 2016 roster.

“Being back at the convention, that’s obviously one of the best parts, just hearing the fans and their stories and how much they still love and connect to it,” Hendricks said of the 2016 World Series. “But the even better part of that, honestly, at the convention, was seeing the fresh faces and seeing the fresh, renewed energy, and just seeing where we’re going now.”

Those faces include shortstop Dansby Swanson, starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, center fielder Cody Bellinger, catcher Tucker Barnhart, reliever Brad Boxberger, first baseman Eric Hosmer, and (although he wasn’t at the convention because his signing wasn’t finalized) first baseman/designated hitter Trey Mancini.

When the Cubs went through their last rebuild, veteran pitcher Jon Lester’s signing signaled to Hendricks that the club was turning a corner and ready to win. Now, Hendricks agreed, Swanson could be this cycle’s equivalent.

“He is the No. 1 guy that you refer to and when you say ‘winning,’ ” Hendricks said. “I mean, you see what he’s done throughout his entire life, really. And just talking to him, you see the passion, you see how much he loves doing what he does.”

The Cubs even harnessed the parallels to recruit Swanson. They produced a video about Lester’s decision to sign with the Cubs in December 2015, a decision that helped propel them into a period of five playoff trips in six years, three NLCS appearances, and, of course, that World Series title.

Swanson recounted at his introductory news conference: “He kind of just said, it was the hardest decision that he ever made, but looking back on it now, it would have been the easiest one.”

When the Cubs signed Lester, Hendricks had just wrapped up his rookie season. Now, he has a decade of experience under his belt, including an ERA title, an 81-pitch “Maddux” and a franchise-leading 11 postseason starts.

With longevity comes adjustments. Hendricks said at the Cubs Convention that he found his arm path was getting so long behind him that as he rotated to throw, the motion put stress on the front of his shoulder. Before he began his throwing program Dec. 1, he focused on building his strength and making his arm path more efficient.

“In my mind, it’s not the end of the world if he’s not ready for Opening Day,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told the Sun-Times this month, “because it’s such a long season that getting him to feeling great and being at his best is our No. 1 priority.”

Hendricks has labored through the last couple of seasons, but the Cubs know the kind of impact he makes when he’s at his best. They had a front-row seat to his 2016.

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor Murphy has watched Philipp Kurashev build confidence in the NHL for three seasons now.

But even Murphy was a little stunned by the extra gear Kurashev turned on during the Blackhawks’ Jan. 17 comeback victory against the Sabres. For one night, if only one night, he looked like a bona fide NHL star.

“That shift he scored the tip-in goal, he caught a pass in the neutral zone out of the air — like a rocket pass; it was, like, six inches [off the ice] — with his blade,” Murphy said, his eyebrows raised and his hands gesturing. “And then he makes a play in [the offensive] zone after that. And then he makes a tip, a full reaching tip.

“And then the pass where he found me [for my goal], there was a guy in between us, and he feathered it to go behind the guy. [For him] to have that skill and vision, to be able to settle pucks and find holes that people are not seeing, is impressive.”

Kurashev was the best player on the ice that game, almost single-handedly keeping the Hawks afloat for 40 minutes before -everybody found their legs late. He had three points (one goal, two assists) and a 57.8% five-on-five shot-attempt ratio in 20:25 of ice time, his second-highest of the season.

“I haven’t seen him play like that — a consistent, full game like that — since early in the year,” coach Luke Richardson said afterward. “He deserves all the points he got tonight. I thought he could’ve had a few more.”

Kurashev called it an “amazing feeling.”

But there’s a reason that performance — which is almost two weeks old — is still worth discussing: Kurashev doesn’t often dominate like that.

The 23-year-old Swiss forward has 20 points in 47 games, which tied him for 247th in the NHL entering Friday. He’s on pace to finish with 35 points, which would set a career high — he had 16 in his 2020-21 rookie season and 21 last season — but wouldn’t earn him anything close to a big payday as a pending restricted free agent this summer.

Kurashev was still an impressive find by the previous Hawks management regime in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. Among all players chosen in the third through seventh rounds that year, his 57 career points make him the second-highest scorer, trailing only Devils fifth-rounder Yegor Sharangovich.

Only two other 2018 fourth-rounders — Paul Cotter (Golden Knights) and Jasper Weatherby (Sharks, now Red Wings) — have made more than six total NHL appearances.

Nonetheless, for Kurashev to become more than a serviceable middle-six winger — and for him to remain on the Hawks through this rebuild and into their next era of contention — he needs to have a breakthrough at some point.

Performances like that Sabres game prove it’s possible, prove he has the necessary talent and hockey IQ to eventually take another step. But, at the moment, inconsistency is holding him back.

“It’s a long season; sometimes it’s hard to be at your best every game,” Kurashev said. “Hopefully I’ll find a way to be more consistent all year and not just here and there. That’s a big goal for me, to be a consistent player.”

After training last summer with Sharks star Timo Meier, Kurashev came out flying at the start of the season. Richardson began moving him around to different lines like a fire log, using his momentum to ignite everyone else.

Kurashev finished October with a 51.5% on-ice expected-goals ratio at five-on-five, second-best on the team, while individually producing 0.77 expected goals per 60 minutes, which was third-best.

But as the Hawks faded into oblivion in November and December, so did Kurashev. From Nov. 1 through Jan. 3, he had a 37.8% ratio and 0.56 individual production rate. Richardson took some of the blame, worrying that moving Kurashev around eventually knocked him “out of rhythm.”

Then he heated up during a five-game segment (which concluded with the Sabres game) with a 53.7% ratio and 0.75 individual production rate.

Then he promptly disappeared again. His last five games since the Sabres explosion have been quite underwhelming, with a 27.6% ratio and 0.22 individual production rate. He did get an assist Thursday against the Flames, but he was one of the Hawks’ least noticeable forwards on a night when every line contributed to the scoring.

If it sounds like a roller coaster, it feels like one for Kurashev and the Hawks, too.

But Kurashev, a once-shy kid who has visibly grown more comfortable in the United States and in the NHL the last few years, said he’s trying to “stay loose, play with a free mind, enjoy the game and feed off” his teammates.

The organization will probably be patient with him, too. It’s not like there’s heavy competition for top-six roles at the moment, nor will there be next season. He’s also a near-certain bet to be re-signed, considering he’s one of few current NHL forwards with even a realistic chance of sticking around past the rebuild.

And he has plenty of believers around the organization, including Murphy and Richardson.

“He has always had that speed and skill level,” Murphy said. ”That’s a hard thing coming into the league, being able to use your skill set in the right areas and knowing how to create those chances. He’s now able to translate it to games. He’s growing, for sure.”

Said Richardson: “That determination shows he’s not just satisfied to be an ‘OK’ young player. He wants to be a ‘really good’ young player.”

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The Chicago Cubs could end up being a halfway decent team in 2023. They added a lot of talent during this off-season and they are hoping that it at least makes them a respectable group.

Guys like Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Trey Mancini amongst others will be trying to make a big-time impact on this team as they want to be much improved over what they’ve been since the short 2020 season ended.

At the same time, they are trying to build a bright future as well. That means making sure that their minor league system is staying up to par in the meantime.

This week, Major League Baseball Pipeline released its ranking of the top 100 prospect rankings in the world right now. There are some really good players on this list that are hoping to make an impact with the team one day.

The Chicago Cubs have a few top 100 MLB prospects in their pipeline.

The Chicago Cubs have three that made the list. Coming in at number 28 is Pete Crow-Armstrong who they acquired in the Javier Baez deal. He is an outstanding defensive outfielder that is becoming a very good hitter as well.

At number 87 is Kevin Alcantary who the Cubs landed in the trade for Anthony Rizzo. He is someone that is slowly rising and could end up being a very good Major League player someday soon.

At 92 is Brennan Davis who has taken a bit of a fall in the rankings because of some recent injuries that have slowed down his progression. He was supposed to make his MLB debut in 2022 but that never happened because of it.

Although there are a few questions, the Cubs could have some serious help in the outfield on the way with this group.

They have Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki ready to play the majority of the games there this year (pending health) but those guys are coming. With Happ and Bellinger questionable beyond this year, anything can happen with their spots.

The Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are tied for the least amount of top 100 prospects on this list of any team in the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates each have four and the St. Louis Cardinals remarkably lead the way with five.

Regardless, it is a nice group for the Cubs and they are hoping for a lot from these three as the future appears to be bright for the outfield at Wrigley. Expect to see these guys soon.

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields provided several exhilarating moments this season. But he was never a more lethal football weapon than he was against the Dolphins on Nov. 6 at Soldier Field.

In a tantalizing performance that seemed like a breakthrough (whether it was or not), Fields almost singlehandedly foiled a defense that was ready for him — or thought it was.

Featuring a dazzling 61-yard touchdown run that sent the crowd into a frenzy and left the Dolphins’ defense looking helpless, Fields rushed 15 times for 178 yards — setting an NFL single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback and rendering the Dolphins’ strategy of a ”spy” useless.

Fields’ production in the passing game was modest. He completed 17 of 28 passes (60.7%) for 123 yards, but he threw three touchdown passes — two to tight end Cole Kmet (18 and four yards) and one to Darnell Mooney (16 yards). Including a 28-yard pass-interference penalty on a pass to newcomer Chase Claypool, Fields had 329 yards of total offense.

It was a glorious day until the end, when Fields and the Bears’ offense ultimately fell short in a 35-32 loss. It was a disappointing finish for some, but the day was an unmitigated success for others. If the Bears’ season was all about Fields establishing himself as a franchise quarterback and the team losing enough games to earn a top-five draft pick in 2023 — ”the sweet spot of bad” — this was the ultimate result.

It remains to be seen whether the Bears’ inability to finish close games is a harbinger of a difficult path to a rebuild. Of the 14 games Fields started, the Bears had possession with a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter 12 times. They were 3-9 in those games.

And the Bears still have to parlay the No. 1 overall pick into a difference-making player (or, better yet, players) who can kick-start the passing game and/or fuel an overall resurgence in 2023 that eventually leads to playoff contention.

Until then, however, the Bears have accomplished a base-level goal for 2022. They have established Fields as a quarterback they will build around, were competitive throughout the season — even against Super Bowl-contending competition — and not only secured a top-five draft pick but got a bonus with the No. 1 overall pick that gives them a better chance at finding an elite player who can fill one position and indirectly upgrade others.

Here’s a look at how they did it, the Bears’ key games that came closest to the ”sweet spot of bad”:

1. Dolphins (L, 35-32 on Nov. 6 at Soldier Field)

Fields played arguably his best game of the season, rushing for 178 yards to set an NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular-season game and throwing three touchdown passes as the Bears scored 32 points on offense.

But playing their first game without Roquan Smith (and second without Robert Quinn), the Bears allowed 379 yards. The Dolphins also scored on a return of a blocked punt.

Key numbers:Fields rushed 15 times for 178 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 123 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 106.7 passer rating and a season-high 95.6 QBR.

The upside:Including a 28-yard gain on a pass-interference penalty on a throw to receiver Chase Claypool — playing his first game with the Bears — Fields had 329 yards of total offense.

The downside:Fields had two possessions to tie or win the game in the final 7:50. One ended on a punt at the Bears’ 39. The other ended with back-to-back incompletions — a deep ball to Claypool that could have been pass interference and a fourth-and-10 drop by Equanimeous St. Brown.

2. Lions (L, 31-30 on Nov. 13 at Soldier Field)

With Fields in a comfort zone — two touchdown passes, a 140.0 passer rating and 74 yards rushing — the Bears led 24-10 and were about to wrap it up when linebacker Jack Sanborn intercepted a pass by Jared Goff with 11:42 left.

But a disputed penalty against cornerback Jaylon Johnson nullified the interception, Fields had a brain cramp and threw a pick-six, Cairo Santos missed an extra point and the Lions rallied for a stunning 31-30 victory.

Key numbers: Fields completed 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 99.4 passer rating. He also rushed 13 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

The upside:Three plays after Fields threw the pick-six that tied the score at 24, he responded with a scintillating 67-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears a 30-24 lead.

The downside:The Bears had a chance to win after the Lions took a 31-30 lead with 2:21 left, but Fields was sacked on second-and-20 from the Bears’ 30 and again on fourth-and-eight from the Bears’ 32 with 1:04 to play.

3. Eagles (L, 25-20 on Dec. 18 at Soldier Field)

Facing the NFC favorite Eagles (12-1), who came in second in the NFL in total defense, first in passing defense and seventh in points allowed, the Bears trailed 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. But Fields cramped up on the drive, and Nathan Peterman came in for a critical third-and-14 from the Bears’ 24. He threw incomplete to Nsimba Webster, and the Eagles scored to take command.

Key numbers:Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 119.5 passer rating — the first quarterback to post a 100-plus rating against the Eagles’ defense this season. He also had 15 carries for 95 yards.

The upside:The game wasn’t on the line, but Fields led a six-play, 60-yard touchdown drive in the final five minutes to pull the Bears to 25-20. The drive was capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass to Byron Pringle.

The downside:With the Bears trailing 17-13 in the third quarter, rookie receiver Velus Jones fumbled on an end-around at the Eagles’ 40. Trailing 25-20, the defense had a chance for a stop after the two-minute warning. But on third-and-six, Jalen Hurts threw a 12-yard pass to A.J. Brown to seal the Eagles’ victory.

4. Vikings (L, 29-22 on Oct. 9 at U.S. Bank Stadium)

The Bears trailed 21-3, and everyone was ready to turn out the lights. But they showed some spunk by scoring 19 unanswered points and took a 22-21 lead on Santos’ 51-yard field goal with 9:26 left. They ran out of gas, however, as the Vikings responded with a touchdown drive to win it.

Key numbers:Fields, who had completed only 50.8% of his passes in the first four games (34-for-67), completed 15 of 21 passes (71.4%) for 208 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a career-high 118.7 passer rating against the Vikings. He also rushed eight times for 47 yards.

The upside:Fields still was warming up as a lethal running threat, but he offered a glimpse of what was to come with a 52-yard touchdown run that was nullified by a questionable penalty for an illegal block by receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette with the Bears trailing 21-19 with 11:56 left.

The downside:Down 29-22, the Bears were driving for a tying or winning touchdown (with a two-point conversion), but Smith-Marsette fumbled after a 15-yard reception to the Vikings’ 39 with 1:01 left.

5. Bills (L, 35-13 on Dec. 24 at Soldier Field)

Facing the AFC-contending Bills (11-3) on a 9-degree day with a minus-12-degree wind chill, the Bears led 10-6 at halftime. It was only the second time this season the Bills had trailed at halftime. Even after the Bills scored two touchdowns in the first 7:03 of the second half, the Bears still were within a touchdown and a two-point conversion — trailing 21-13 — with one possession to tie before the Bills finished them off.

Key numbers:Fields completed 15 of 23 passes for 119 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions for a 92.5 passer rating. But after rushing for 806 yards in his previous six games, Fields was held to 11 rushing yards on seven carries.

The upside:Jones, who had four receptions for 27 yards all season coming in, had two receptions for 52 yards, including a 44-yard pass from Fields at the end of the third quarter.

The downside:The Bears went backward on their one possession with a chance to tie in the fourth quarter. Khalil Herbert lost two yards on second-and-six. The Bears were called for too many men on the field on third-and-eight. And Fields lost a yard on third-and-13.

6. Packers (L, 28-19 on Dec. 4 at Soldier Field)

With Fields making three big plays in the first half — a 55-yard touchdown run, a 56-yard pass to St. Brown and a 49-yard pass to N’Keal Harry — the Bears led 16-10 at halftime. They were up 19-10 early in the fourth quarter but faded in all three phases down the stretch to lose.

Key numbers:Fields completed 20 of 25 passes for a season-high 254 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 75.7 passer rating. He wasn’t sacked for the only time this season. He rushed six times for 71 yards.

The upside:The Bears started five rookies on defense against Aaron Rodgers, including Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and Elijah Hicks in the secondary, and held Rodgers to 182 passing yards and an 85.7 passer rating.

The downside:With the Bears leading 19-17 with 11:44 left, Santos had a 40-yard field-goal try blocked. Down 20-19 with 2:57 left, the Bears were at the Packers’ 43 when Fields was intercepted by Jaire Alexander on a play in which St. Brown failed to come back to the ball and at least knock it down. That was all she wrote.

7. Falcons (L, 27-24 on Nov. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)

Against a 5-6 Falcons team that was tough to beat at home, the Bears had scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead in the second quarter before former Bear Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown. The Bears rallied for a 24-all tie, but the Falcons’ Younghoe Koo kicked a 53-yard field goal with 1:47 left that made the difference.

Key numbers:Fields completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception for an 84.0 passer rating. He rushed 18 times for 85 yards and a four-yard touchdown that gave the Bears the 17-7 lead.

The upside:After the Falcons scored on the opening drive, Jones — who had been inactive the previous two games — returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to set up a 44-yard touchdown drive that tied the score.

The downside:Needing only a field goal to tie in the final 1:47, Fields threw an interception on third-and-five from the Bears’ 30 to seal the loss. Fields suffered a separated shoulder on the first play of the drive but only missed one game.

The Bears were arguably one play from winning at least four of those games. Had they won those four games, general manager Ryan Poles would have gone into the offseason with proof his developing team could finish — but with the 13th overall pick in the draft.

Instead, he has a team that repeatedly failed to finish but has the No. 1 overall pick. And Poles was a bit sheepish about having such a dubious asset.

”I think you always [expect to win more games],” Poles said at the Bears’ season-ending news conference. ”And some of those close games that can go one way or the other, I was hoping to win those. But that wasn’t the case.

”I know this team has a long way to go. Coming in, that was an understanding that there is a long way to go. Losing, it hurts. You always expect to win more than three games. . . . Obviously the opportunities that will come with that, I hope that helps us. But you’re always expecting to win. You don’t want to be in this position.”

That said, when offers for that No. 1 pick presumably start rolling in, Poles could get over his disappointment that the Bears didn’t finish 7-10 and warm up to the opportunity the No. 1 pick presents.

His job right now is to make the most of it — and to make all those close losses this season a part of the rebuilding process and not a red flag.

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Wheaton-Warrenville South’s formula of hard-nosed defense and careful, deliberate offensive possessions has been unquestionably successful during coach Mike Healy’s tenure.

That alone makes the Tigers extremely tough to beat, but add in an offensive talent like sophomore Luca Carbonaro and DuKane conference opponents are in major trouble.

Carbonaro was remarkably efficient on Friday in Wheaton, scoring 18 points on just eight shots to lead Wheaton-Warrenville South to a 56-24 win against Geneva.

“He’s special now and he has chance to be really special,” Healy said.

The victory snaps the Vikings’ 15-game winning streak, the longest in the area. Geneva was without its top player, senior Mick Lawrence, who was out sick.

“I don’t think that makes a 32-point difference,” Tigers senior Braylen Meredith said, making his point while demonstrating a solid memory and quick math skills.

Meredith did a lot of everything for Wheaton-Warrenville South (21-2, 9-0) with 14 points, five rebounds and two thunderous blocks of three-pointers that were the highlights of the game.

“Coach told us that our strength past years has been defense, so coming into this game we needed a fast start and that’s defense,” Meredith said.

Carbonaro hit two three pointers in the first three minutes of the game to contribute to the fast start. Healy and Meredith both said they would like the talented sophomore to be more assertive offensively.

“Sometimes he passes up shots and I’m telling him to shoot it,” Meredith said. “You have the green light. You’re a shooter.”

Carbonaro has started all season. It’s the first year on varsity for the 6-0 guard.

“I just kind of let the game come to me,” Carbonaro said. “If I score two points and we win, great. I just wait for my turn.”

Senior Colin Moore added eight points and Nick Brooks scored four for the Tigers.

The game took just 67 minutes. There were no free throws in the first half and seven in the second half.

Wheaton-Warrenville South’s long possessions elicited some boos from Geneva fans in the second quarter. But there isn’t a shot clock yet and more often than not the Tigers turned those careful possessions into points.

“It’s kind of like playing us,” Geneva coach Scott Hennig said. “When you get down 10 you feel like you are down 20.”

Wheaton-Warrenville South held the Vikings to seven points or fewer in all four quarters. Junior Tommy Diamond led Geneva (19-4, 7-2) with eight points and senior Tanner Dixon scored 7.

The Tigers have now won 10 consecutive games. Their only losses this season were to Fremd back in November and to Sacred Heart-Griffin, the defending Class 3A state champions. The Cyclones are one of the best teams in the state again this season. They beat Wheaton-Warrenville South by 17 points in late December.

The Tigers haven’t cracked the Super 25 yet this season, despite their impressive record. They haven’t played a ranked team and don’t have one on their remaining schedule. It’s been a down year overall for the DuKane, which has made it tough for Wheaton-Warrenville South to make a claim. However, a team that keeps winning eventually gets its due.

“We played really well tonight, and we’ve played better the last month than we did early on,” Healy said. “They’ve done a good job of having a little better focus.”

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The Eagles of this year have accomplished something not seen since the great Bears of 1985.

The 2022 Eagles have sacked Daniel Jones a total of five times in their victory against the Giants on Saturday night, giving them 75 sacks overall in their combined 18 regular-season and postseason games. That ranks third all-time in the NFL.

The 1984 Bears had the most sacks ever with 82 in 18 games, and the 1985 Bears had the second-most with 80 in 19 games. Philadelphia are now among the best.

According to Michael David Smith “Philadelphia is averaging four sacks a game, which means if the Eagles play in two more games — the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl — they’re on pace to finish with 83 sacks and break the all-time record

The 1985 bears defense led the league in points allowed (198), yards allowed (4,135) and takeaways (54). Philadelphia finished second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) during the regular season.

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Friday, January 27, 2023

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – BLUE

Brother Rice at St. Ignatius, 7:00

DePaul at Loyola, 6:30

Fenwick at Mount Carmel, 7:00

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – WHITE

Montini at Providence, 7:00

St. Laurence at Marmion, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine West at Maine East, 7:00

Niles North at Deerfield, 7:00

Vernon Hills at Highland Park, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Evanston, 7:00

Glenbrook South at New Trier, 7:00

Maine South at Niles West, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Holy Trinity at Northtown, 7:00

DU KANE

Batavia at Lake Park, 7:15

Geneva at Wheaton-Warr. South, 7:00

St. Charles East at Glenbard North, 7:00

St. Charles North at Wheaton North, 7:15

DU PAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

Naperville Central at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Nazareth, 7:00

Carmel at Notre Dame, 7:00

Marian Catholic at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

Marist at St. Viator, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake Central at Burlington Central, 7:30

Dundee-Crown at Hampshire, 7:30

Huntley at Cary-Grove, 7:30

Jacobs at McHenry, 7:30

Prairie Ridge at Crystal Lake South, 7:30

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Elgin Academy at Morgan Park Academy, 6:30

Francis Parker vs. Latin, at DePaul University, 8:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at Ottawa, 7:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Harvard at Johnsburg, 7:15

Woodstock at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Woodstock North at Marengo, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

ACERO-Cruz at Horizon-McKinley, 7:00

Beacon at Intrinsic-Downtown, 6:30

British School at Lycee Francais, 6:00

Roycemore at Christian Heritage, 5:30

LITTLE TEN

Earlville at DePue, 7:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at Serena, 7:00

Indian Creek at Leland, 5:30

Newark at IMSA, 7:00

Somonauk at Hiawatha, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

Aurora Christian at St. Francis, 7:00

Riverside-Brookfield at Chicago Christian, 7:00

Wheaton Academy at Timothy Christian, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Aurora Central at McNamara, 7:30

Elmwood Park at Westmont, 7:30

NIC – 10

Boylan at Auburn, 7:15

Freeport at Hononegah, 7:15

Harlem at Guilford, 7:00

Rockford East at Jefferson, 7:15

NORTH SUBURBAN

Libertyville at Waukegan, 7:00

Mundelein at Stevenson, 7:00

Warren at Lake Zurich, 7:00

Zion-Benton at Lake Forest, 7:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Harvest Christian at Christian Life, 6:00

Mooseheart at Alden-Hebron, 7:30

Schaumburg Christian at South Beloit, 7:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Grayslake Central, 7:00

Grayslake North at Wauconda, 7:00

Lakes at Round Lake, 7:00

North Chicago at Antioch, 7:00

RIVER VALLEY

Grace Christian at Illinois Lutheran, 7:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Thornton Fr. South at Tinley Park, 6:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bremen at Richards, 6:30

Hillcrest at Evergreen Park, 6:00

Lemont at Shepard, 6:30

Oak Forest at Argo, 7:00

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Thornwood, 6:30

Thornridge at Crete-Monee, 6:00

Thornton at Kankakee, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Plainfield Central, 6:30

Plainfield East at Joliet Central, 6:30

Romeoville at Plainfield South, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at Oswego, 6:30

Oswego East at West Aurora, 6:30

Yorkville at Plainfield North, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Lockport at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30

Sandburg at Bolingbrook, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Andrew at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

Lincoln-Way West at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Stagg at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Elgin, 7:00

Glenbard East at West Chicago, 7:00

Glenbard South at East Aurora, 6:30

Larkin at Fenton, 7:00

South Elgin at Streamwood, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Hinsdale South at Downers Grove South, 6:00

Leyden at Addison Trail, 7:30

Morton at Willowbrook, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Downers Grove North at Oak Park-River Forest, 6:3

Proviso West at Glenbard West, 7:30

York at Hinsdale Central, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Corliss at Oak Lawn, 7:30

DeKalb vs. Sycamore, at NIU, 8:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Trinity (Kankakee), 6:4

Grant Park at Manteno, 7:00

IC Catholic at Hope Academy, 7:00

Jones at University High, 6:00

Lake Forest Academy at North Shore, 6:00

Lane at La Lumiere-Blue, 6:30

Leo at Agricultural Science, 7:00

Lisle at Rockford Lutheran, 8:00

MCC Prep at IslamicFoundation

Parkview Christian ast Westminster Christian, 7:30

Payton at Northside, 5:00

Peotone at Momence, 7:00

Pontiac at Coal City, 7:00

St. Francis de Sales at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

Tilden at Washington, 5:00

Tri-Point at Armstrong-Potomac, 7:00

Wilmington at Clifton Central, 7:00

Yorkville Christian at De La Salle, 6:30

MONTVERDE (FL)

St. Rita vs. Durango (NV) / Riviera (FL), 5:00E

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – CONSOLATION

First Round

Sullivan at Urban Prep-Englewood, 5:00

Hubbard at Mather, 5:00

South Shore at Kennedy, 5:00

Richards (Chgo) at Harlan, 5:00

Vocational at Dunbar, 5:00

DuSable at King, 5:00

Raby at Crane, 5:00

ACE Amandla at Senn, 5:00

Foreman at Ogden, 5:00

Lake View at Collins, 5:00

Legal Prep at Austin, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Von Steuben, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – BLUE

First Round

Clemente at Roosevelt, 5:00

Kelvyn Park at Steinmetz, 5:00

Juarez at Intrinsic-Belmont, 5:00

EPIC at Horizon-Southwest, 5:00

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT

at Putnam County

Midland vs. Putnam County, 5:00

Dwight vs. Roanoke-Benson, 6:30

Seneca vs. Marquette, 8:00

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Major League Baseball is loaded with outstanding talent at the shortstop position. There are some really good ones in this league. On Thursday night, MLB Network released its list of the Top Ten Shortstops and the Chicago Cubs found one of their players on it.

Dansby Swanson, who was just signed this offseason is headed to town and is set to be the new starting shortstop. He earned a very big contract with lots of years and money after what was a fantastic tenure with the Atlanta Braves.

Now, Swanson is coming over to the Cubs are is going to try and help them become a good team again. He came in on MLB Networks’ list at six which is a very fair spot for him.

Trea Turner came in at number one. Like Swanson, Turner is heading to a new team, the Philadelphia Phillies. He has been elite for a long time and now is his time as the best in the league.

The Chicago Cubs now have a really good shortstop that will make an impact.

Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, Corey Seager, and Francisco Lindor round out the top five. Those are some really good players that are all incredibly impactful for their teams.

After Swanson at six, Bo Bichette, Willy Adames, Tim Anderson, and Wander Franco finish out the top ten. When all of these guys are this good, it is hard to order them but this list does seem fair based on how 2022 went.

Shortstop is an incredibly important baseball position. It is the part of the infield that needs the most range in addition to having a really strong arm. Swanson’s bat took a big step in 2022 but his defense has always been outstanding.

Swanson is going to change the entire outlook of the Chicago Cubs infield. Nico Hoerner might have made this list after last season as he was so good at short in 2022 but he moved over to second base because of Swanson’s arrival.

This move is going to make the Cubs a much better team and clearly, the league’s network does too. It is going to be really nice seeing him play this position for the Cubs at Wrigley Field this summer.

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