The Big Ten has the No. 1-ranked team in the country, Purdue.

Have we mentioned the Boilermakers’ No. 1 ranking? Because after that, the conference really drops off, more disappointing than not so far this season. Wisconsin and Indiana come in at Nos. 15 and 16 — 16 and 22, respectively, on your old pal’s latest AP ballot — and the best of the rest are in “others receiving votes” territory.

The Big 12 and SEC look a bit more robust. The ACC won its annual “challenge” against the Big Ten for the first time since 2017, for whatever that’s worth. Still, the Big Ten is no slouch. With league games about to heat up for real, here are our Big Ten Re-Rankings:

1. PURDUE (12-0, 2-0 Big Ten)

What’s right: Zach Edey is averaging 22.6 points and 13.9 rebounds and running away with the national player of the year race. Better still, the 7-4 game-plan wrecker is doing it without fouling, getting whistled for under two per game.

What’s wrong: Can the rest of the Boilers make defenses pay? Shooting 31.1% from three sounds like an inevitable problem.

Best case: Edey stays healthy and the Boilers grab a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.

2. WISCONSIN (9-2, 2-0)

What’s right: Nobody loves a close game more than the Badgers, whose experience keeps shining through. Having two players — Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn — who can get their own buckets in the clutch goes a long way. Freshman Connor Essegian is the deadeye shooter this program has been waiting for.

What’s wrong: The stats say this is more of a middle-of-the-pack team. Then again, Wisconsin basketball and stats often have a funny relationship.

Best case: Wisconsin Wisconsins and wins the Big Ten even though it shouldn’t.

3. INDIANA (10-3, 1-1)

What’s right: Led by big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Hoosiers lead all conference teams in field-goal percentage and assists. That’s a heck of a place to start. The defense is strong, too.

What’s wrong: Jackson-Davis’ back pain is an ongoing concern, and point guard Xavier Johnson’s absence until at least February after foot surgery will be felt.

Best case: Jackson-Davis stays loose, freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino keeps ascending, Mike Woodson coaches his rear end off and, come March, nobody wants a piece of the Hoosiers.

4. MARYLAND (9-3, 1-1)

What’s right: The seasoned Terrapins have four players — Jahmir Young, Donta Scott, Hakim Hart and Julian Reese — who have scored at least 22 in a game this season. Young, a transfer from Charlotte, has been a godsend, and first-year coach Kevin Willard has hit the ground running.

What’s wrong: Like we saw in a 17-point first half against Tennessee, the Terps can go ice cold at the offensive end. Among league teams, this one is dead last in assists.

Best case: You’re pretty much looking at it, but this is a tough team with staying power.

5. OHIO STATE (8-3, 1-0)

What’s right: The Buckeyes might have the best overall balance in the league. They score efficiently, shoot it well, rebound extremely well and defend the three-point line exceptionally. And they have Brice Sensabaugh, a sparkling freshman who leads the team in scoring.

What’s wrong: Nothing much outside of relatively modest production off the bench and not enough rim protecting.

Best case: Here’s your dark-horse champ. Hey, it could happen.

6. PENN STATE (9-3, 1-1)

What’s right: In the time it takes you to read this sentence, the Nittany Lions will knock down at least three more shots from the arc. They lead all major-conference teams in threes — ask Illinois how it feels to be on the wrong end of that — and burly guard Jalen Pickett can get to the rim on anybody.

What’s wrong: Big men? What big men? Rebounding? What rebounding?

Best case: Again, you’re pretty much looking at it. Over the last 26 seasons, the best PSU has done is tie for fourth place (twice).

7. ILLINOIS (8-4, 0-2)

What’s right: Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. can terrorize an opponent. Baylor transfers Matthew Mayer and Dain Dainja each can carry the Illini on a big run. Freshman guards Skyy Clark, Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris have had some big moments.

What’s wrong: As great as the Illini were in the second halves against UCLA and Texas, all the nice pieces aren’t fitting together well. Can Coleman Hawkins handle not being the man? Is RJ Melendez going to show up? Can coach Brad Underwood fix this?

Best case: Underwood — on the spot post-Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn — proves he’s more than a motivator and yeller. The talent is there to do big things.

8. MICHIGAN (7-4, 1-0)

What’s right: As expected, 7-1 Hunter Dickinson is playing like an All-American. Freshman Jett Howard scores like dad Juwan wishes he did in the “Fab Five” days. Losses to Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina were oh, so close.

What’s wrong: This team is just plain bad at the defensive end, not the kind of problem that just goes away. Another problem that won’t go away: Senior point guard Jaelin Llewellyn is out for the season after tearing an ACL.

Best case: Bag the “Title Town” talk, Ann Arbor — you’re not sniffing first place this season. You can do better than eighth, though.

9. MICHIGAN STATE (8-4, 1-1)

What’s right: The Spartans looked like obvious contenders after an early stretch in which they lost by one to Gonzaga, beat Kentucky and nipped Villanova. Seniors Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser have upped their games big-time, and A.J. Hoggard is, as ever, a tremendous point guard.

What’s wrong: Speaking of three-game stretches, the Spartans more recently beat Portland (who?) by one, got blown out at Notre Dame (oof) and lost at home to Northwestern (whoa!). The Tom Izzo magic is disappearing.

Best case: Izzo pulls a rabbit out of his hat. Come on, you know he might.

10. RUTGERS (8-4, 1-1)

What’s right: The Scarlet Knights roll out of bed defending like madmen. And — yet again — they are absolutely deadly on their home court. If big fella Clifford Omoruyi played for a sexier school, everybody would know his name.

What’s wrong: The Knights can’t shoot it, and we’re all used to them being either suspect or unlucky — did you see that brutal buzzer-beater loss to Ohio State? — on the road.

Best case: This team is strong-willed enough to return to the NCAA Tournament.

11. NORTHWESTERN (9-2, 1-0)

What’s right: The defense has been tremendous, rebounding has been — unusually — a plus and the Wildcats repeatedly win the turnover game. Chase Audige and Boo Bouie are a heck of a guard combo.

What’s wrong: Are you going to say it or do we have to? It’s Northwestern. Fast starts have happened many times before. But then, well, you know.

Best case: We doubters happily eat our words. Wouldn’t a return to the Big Dance be a scream?

12. IOWA (8-4, 0-1)

What’s right: As always, the Hawkeyes can flat-out score. Kris Murray is blowing up like twin Keegan did last season. Patrick McCaffery is doing pops Fran mighty proud.

What’s wrong: Losing by nine at home to Eastern Illinois, anyone? Fran McCaffery is about to get T’d up again just thinking about it. (The writer gets a technical, too, for using “flat-out.”)

Best case: McCaffery discovers a long-lost Murray triplet.

13. NEBRASKA (7-6, 0-2)

What’s right: What makes you think anything is right? But we kid coach Fred Hoiberg. Sort of.

What’s wrong: Derrick Walker is a baller, but he’s all alone out there. Maybe there are a couple of football players in Lincoln who can make a three-point shot?

Best case: Nice weather in Chicago on the opening day of the Big Ten tournament.

14. MINNESOTA (6-6, 0-2)

What’s right: Look, this team is ranked beneath Nebraska.

What’s wrong: The Gophers are one of a kind — the league’s only team with a negative scoring margin.

Best case: There’s always next year.

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Bears general manager Ryan Poles has a lot of work to do in the offseason — not only acquiring weapons for Justin Fields, but likely an overhaul of the defensive line. This rebuild almost needs a rebuild.

But the trickiest upgrade of them all is Poles’ baby — the offensive line. Upgrading a defensive line that has 8.5 combined sacks on a defense that ranks 30th in scoring and 31st against the run is obvious. Upgrading a receiving corps where Darnell Mooney’s modest 493 yards still leads the team despite missing the last three games is obvious.

But upgrading the offensive line involves some tougher decisions and some astute evaluation. While the Bears are 31st in the NFL in sacks allowed per pass play, they also lead the NFL in rushing (179.7 yards per game). Even excluding quarterback yards, the Bears are 10th in rushing.

Rookie Braxton Jones, who has played every snap this season at left tackle, looks like a potential foundation piece, but can he take the next step — a big one — in Year 2 at a position the Bears need an elite player? Cody Whitehair has been dependable, but is he breaking down at 30 after struggling with performance and injuries this season? Lucas Patrick, signed in the offseason to replace Sam Mustipher at center, never really got started this season and wasn’t very good when he played. Is he a keeper? Teven Jenkins arguably has been the Bears’ best offensive lineman this season and seems to have found a home at right guard. But with his history of back and neck issues, can Poles depend on him to start one full season, let alone several? Mustipher lost his starting center job to Patrick in the offseason and was benched at midseason, but he’s shown staying power, starting 39 of the Bears’ last 40 games — and has played better in the second half. Can he start on a contender? Alex Leatherwood is a 2021 first-round draft pick Poles rolled the dice on by picking up his rookie contract. He hasn’t panned out this season, but likely will be around in 2023, but in what role? Larry Borom, a 2021 fifth-round draft pick, started the first seven games at right tackle this season before going into concussion protocol and eventually lost his job to Riley Reiff. He started at left guard against the Bills, but in a rotation with Dieter Eiselen. A starter in Week 1, he could be a versatile swing player. Has Poles seen enough to know?

It’s on Poles to figure it out, and his background as an offensive lineman is presumed to be an advantage over Ryan Pace in developing a line that not only is good, but among the best in the NFL.

But so far, it’s hot-and-cold at best. And with rotations and injuries, the Bears’ line has lacked the continuity that can make an average line good and a good line elite.

The Bears have used eight different starting combinations on the offensive line. They’ve made line changes 42 times. No combination has played more than 130 consecutive snaps together this season out of 931 offensive snaps (Jones-Whitehair-Mustipher-Schofield-Reiff)– and that combination included two stop-gap veterans in Schofield and Reiff.

But it’s still Poles’ first season. So like just about every other facet of the rebuild, the offensive line is all about Year 2. And like every other facet of the rebuild, Poles will have to be lucky and good. No amount of salary cap space make that happen.

2. Did You Know? No Bears’ offensive line combination has played more than 149 snaps together this season — Jones-Patrick-Mustipher-Jenkins-Borom. That’s 149-of-931 offensive snaps — just 16.0%. For comparison, the Bengals’ starting offensive line played 96.7% of the offensive snaps together this season (945-of-1,041) before right tackle La’el Collins tore his ACL on Sunday against the Patriots.

3. With the Bears so close to meeting one low standard for progress in 2022 — Justin Fields establishing himself as the franchise quarterback and still be standing at the end — it’s tempting to sit Fields in the final two games.

But there’s merit to Matt Eberflus’ argument that there’s still developmental value to the final two games. And the Bears are facing the two worst defenses in the league, statistically — the Lions (32nd in total yards, 26th in sacks) and Vikings (31st in total yards, 23rd in sacks). Facing two playoff-contending teams with bad defenses seems worth the risk.

4. The Bears’ run defense dropped to 30th in the NFL after the Bills rushed for 254 yards on 31 carries (8.2 average) in their 35-13 victory over the Bears on Sunday.

That’s new territory for Eberflus, whose has been in the top-10 in rushing defense the past six seasons as defensive coordinator with the Colts (10th, second, seventh, eighth) and linebackers coach with the Cowboys (eighth, first).

We’ll never know if defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi would have made a difference had hs not failed his physical after coming to terms (three years, $40.5 million) with the Bears in free agency. Ogunjobi eventually signed with the Steelers (one-year, $8 million) — and the Steelers have improved from 32nd to sixth in run defense.

5. Even offensive lines can make a giant leap if you get the right guy. In 2017, the Colts allowed the most sacks in the NFL (56). They drafted guard Quenton Nelson sixth overall in 2018 — their only significant upgrade — and allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL (18).

It’s an extreme example — Nelson is a generational talent who is a three-time All-Pro player and five-time Pro Bowl player. But even to a lesser degree, one outstanding lineman can have a viral impact on an offensive line. But you have to identify the right guy — and get him. Not easy.

6. Bears wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert pushed back on the notion that the Bears’ overpaid for wide receiver Chase Claypool. The second-round pick they gave up was No. 43 overall at the time of the trade. It is now No. 33.

“It’s a good trade-off,” Tolbert said. “He’s a second-round pick (No. 49 overall in 2020) and he’s still young (24). So, ‘cost us a draft pick,’ you can say that. But would you draft a receiver that’s better than him in the second round next year? I don’t know. I don’t think so. So I think it’s a good, even swap.”

7. Early in the season, the Bears’ defense at least was better in the second half than the first. Through seven games the Bears allowed 35 points in the second half (5.0 average) — fourth in the NFL. It indicated the Bears were at least making effective halftime adjustments.

But since trading Robert Quinn in Week 8 and Roquan Smith in Week 9, the Bears don’t even have that to hang their hat on. In their last eight games, they’re allowing 16.0 points per game in the second half — tied for 30th in the NFL — after the Bills scored 29 second-half points Saturday.

8. Safety Jaquan Brisker’s team-high fourth sack is the Bears’ rebuilding season in a nutshell — a rookie safety with four sacks is a nice building block. But that those four sacks lead the Bears is a bit of an embarrassment. The Bears’ 18 sacks are the fewest in the NFL — and the defensive line has just 8.5 sacks combined. (The defensive line Eberflus left behind in Indianapolis has 37 sacks this year under Gus Bradley.)

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith had 15 tackles in a 17-9 victory over the Falcons. In seven games with Smith, the Ravens are allowing an average of 12.7 points (second in the NFL), 284.4 yards (second) and 76.1 rushing yards (third).

10. Bear-ometer: 4-13 — at Lions (L); vs. Vikings (W).

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I’m not sure I remember having such nice weather during the holiday tournaments. The clear skies and lack of traffic has made it a pleasure to jump all around the area.

I started Tuesday up in DeKalb and felt rewarded for the drive as soon as I walked into the gym. DeKalb’s gym is relatively new, built in 2010, and it is spectacular. It’s definitely the best newish gym in the area. There are bleachers on all four sides and they are right up against the court.

It holds about 3,000 fans and has two impressive scoreboards. Unfortunately I didn’t have a photographer with me, so all I have are some lousy photos from my old phone.

DeKalb wasn’t technically in the Sun-Times’ coverage area until it joined the DuPage Valley conference a few years ago, so I have never seen a regular season game there. I’ll definitely be a making a return trip to see a game later this season.

DeKalb’s tournament, the Chuck Dayton Classic, dates back to 1928. I caught the first game, Plainfield East against Naperville Central.

It was a good one, both teams are above average. Naperville Central’s Simon Krugilakovas is fun to watch, he has some Boat Show in his game. The senior scored 23 points. He had a 40-point game earlier this season against Glenbard East. The Redhawks have some good size with 6-5 junior Jack First, who had 11 points and six rebounds.

Plainfield East has two intriguing players. Andrew Soenksen, a 6-8 senior, finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Junior guard Ehi Ogbomo is a playmaker. He scored 14.

My next stop was at Wheeling’s Hardwood Classic for Deerfield vs. Prosser. It’s a rebuilding year for Moon Robinson and the Falcons. They were able to hang with Deerfield for about a half.

The Warriors are loaded with capable seniors that can score and handle the ball. Miles Cohan scored 19 and Jacob Cohn added 12. Deerfield has a pair of promising sophomores that start, 6-8 Drew Rodgers and guard Quinn Schimanski, who coach Dan McKendrick raved about before the game.

Bloomington (State Farm) first round

Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. North Chicago, 9:30

Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Normal, 8:00

Wheaton-Warrenville South 49, North Lawndale 31: This one was interesting. Wheaton-Warrenville South didn’t score in the fourth quarter but held on to win after dominating the first three quarters. Luca Carbonaro scored 17 and Braylen Meredith added 15.

Peoria 76, Joliet Central 48: The Steelmen go down. Isaiah Molette led with 14 points.

Brother Rice vs. Oswego, 6:30

Mesa, Ariz. vs. Springfield, 5:00

Rock Island vs. Harlem, 3:00

Romeoville 63, Mahomet-Seymour 40: Troy Cicero Jr. scored 20 and Meyoh Swansey added 14. The Spartans are talented enought to make a run in this tournament.

Hinsdale Central quarterfinals

Stevenson vs. Oswego East, 3:45

Morgan Park vs. DePaul Prep, 5:15

Marian Catholic vs. Rockford Auburn, 7:00

Hinsdale Central vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, 8:30

Proviso West quarterfinals

Lincoln Park vs. St. Rita, 4:00

Hammond Central, Ind. vs. Young, 5:30

TF North vs. Proviso East, 7:00

Fenwick vs. Kenwood, 8:30

Rich (Big Dipper) first round

Perspectives-LA 75, TF South 62: Remember, Perspectives-Leadership opened the season in the Super 25. The Warriors picked up some losses before all of their transfers were eligible, but the team is at full strength now and should be able to make a deep run at the Dipper. Jakeem Cole had 19 points in the is win and Gianni Cobb scored 15.

Parker 78, Thornton 68: Definitely the upset of the holidays (so far). The Wildcats go down in the first round. Caleb David scored 25 for the Colonels and Payton Pitts did it all with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Hyde Park 93, Bremen 44: The Thunderbirds cruise. Jurrell Baldwin had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Thornwood 78, Tinley Park 45: Arden Eaves led Thornwood with 15 points and six rebounds.

De La Salle vs. Thornridge, 3:30

Rich vs. Bishop Noll, Ind., 5:00

Longwood vs. Ag. Science, 6:30

Hillcrest vs. St. Francis de Sales, 8:00

Wheeling first round

Hampshire 45, St. Viator 33: Huh, interesting result here. Hampshire is 8-5 after this upset win. Senior Sam Ptak scored 12.

Libertyville 72, Maine West 44: Aidyn Boone, a 6-6 senior, led the Wildcats with 23 points and Will Buchert added 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Deerfield 78, Prosser 49: Miles Cohan scored 19 and Jacob Cohn added 12.

Neuqua Valley 52, Buffalo Grove 46: Connor Woodin drained six three-pointers and finished with 26 for the Wildcats. Jack Lendino added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Niles North vs. Prospect, 3:45

Fremd vs. Antioch, 5:30

Wheeling vs. Notre Dame, 7:15

Glenbrook North vs. Englewood STEM, 8:45

York (Jack Tosh) second round

St. Ignatius vs. Naperville North, 3:00

Riverside-Brookfield vs. Lake Forest, 4:30

Yorkville vs. Palatine, 6:00

Lyons vs. Timothy Christian, 7:30

Glenbrook South vs. Waubonsie Valley, 3:30

Rolling Meadows vs. St. Patrick, 5:00

Lemont vs. Conant, 6:30

Bolingbrook vs. York, 8:00

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The Bears cut a few players prematurely

The Chicago Bears are a sorry 3-12 with two games left in their dismal 2023 campaign. The Bears didn’t have much promise to start the season with their overall roster. The Bears had too much dead cap space to add players that would give them a competitive advantage in most games. However, two players the Bears cut this year should raise questions about the ability of the current staff to evaluate talent properly.

According to Nick Olson of Vikings Territory, Duke Shelley and Khyiris Tonga are having stellar seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. Shelley and Tonga were both with the Bears during training camp before they were waived. Both Vikings defenders are earning a top 15 grade at their respective positions.

Shelley is graded at 75 overall by Pro Football Focus this season. The Vikings cornerback had seven pass breakups for the Vikings and earned a 77.4 coverage grade. Tonga has earned a 77.3 overall grade by PFF. The defensive tackle has nine total pressures and one sack. Tonga has a pass rush grade of 79.4 this season.

Can the Bears staff evaluate talent?

The Bears might have used Tonga and Shelley’s skills this season. The Bears’ pass rush has been atrocious this season. Head coach Matt Ebeflus and Alan Williams didn’t see Tonga as a fit in their scheme. Shelley might be more flukey on the top 15 list. However, the Bears chose Shelley over Lamar Jackson and Jaylen Jones this season. Both of those cornerbacks have been terrible this season.

But talent evaluation has been suspect all season for first-year head coach Eberflus’ staff. They moved their best offensive lineman, Teven Jenkins, to right guard. Kyler Gordon struggled most of the season as the nickel cornerback. While he’s improved there, he’s shown his best football as the wide cornerback.

Roquan Smith wasn’t happy being moved from middle linebacker to the weak side. He made the Pro Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens at middle linebacker. Justin Fields was terrible in the early season when they tried to make him be like Justin Herbert in the pocket. When they turned him loose and played to Fields’ strengths of incredible mobility, the offense was nearly unstoppable before injuries decimated the offensive line and wide receiver positions.

These are serious questions fans should have about Eberflus, Luke Getsy, and Williams. They appear to prefer scheme over adjusting to talent to elevate the team. The fact that the Bears cut two defenders who are playing extremely well while the Bears are losing because of poor play at those positions is a bad look for the staff in year one.

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Thirty-plus games in the books, the Christmas Day NBA extravaganza played and gone, and January now staring front offices across the Association in the face.

It’s the time of year where most teams have a good idea of what they are, and what needs to be done by the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

Then there’s the Bulls.

A frustrating study in being the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team, constructed by executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas on “continuity” and hope.

Not always a great foundation.

The “continuity” is proven to be bad cement, while the hope is wet wood that still hasn’t dried out and might not this season.

Beat Boston twice and shock Milwaukee in their own backyard? Great, if only that same resume didn’t also have in the small print embarrassing losses to Orlando, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and the latest coming on Monday, a 133-118 stinker to Houston.

Put up 144 on Dallas one night, only to have the Timberwolves drop a franchise-record 150 on them just a week later.

No wonder coach Billy Donovan said recently that the most consistent trait this roster has shown was being inconsistent.

“Maybe when we play against the teams with better records, we have that sense of urgency,” veteran All-Star DeMar DeRozan said of the loss to Houston. “I don’t know.

“We can’t just expect to win just because it’s the Rockets and it’s a bunch of young guys over there. Everybody in this league can beat anybody. We gotta be conscious of that. Understanding that every single game has that much importance for us, and we gotta have that sense of urgency.”

Center Nikola Vucevic took it a step further. The big man knows that front offices start making decisions in the upcoming weeks, so in his opinion, “We’ve got to start taking every game as must-win.”

Not the best part of the schedule to be facing that pressure.

In the next two-plus weeks alone the 14-19 Bulls host Milwaukee, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Utah and Golden State, while playing road games in Cleveland, Philadelphia and Boston.

All winnable games for this team, and at the same time possibly another five or six losses. It’s anyone’s guess.

And how this stretch plays out could also influence what Karnisovas decides to do.

While outsiders are quick to simply yell “Blow it up!” it’s easier said than done with this roster. There’s the Lonzo Ball factor, as the franchise awaits to see if the point guard’s surgically-repaired left knee starts moving in some sort of positive direction.

If the Bulls do want to move one of the “Big Three,” DeRozan is the best asset, but what’s the return? Ideally, Karnisovas would like to get a draft pick in whatever package he could acquire for the veteran scorer, but DeRozan is the type of player that a contender would look to grab. Unless that contending team has someone else’s lottery pick to send back in return it’s not a huge help.

Finally, and maybe the biggest obstacle in “bowling it up,” it would be Karnisovas having to admit that he was wrong in how he constructed this roster. Maybe he’s the type of executive who can move ego aside and admit that. However, the fact that he has refused media requests to discuss the season so far doesn’t exactly scream accountability.

Either way this plays out, the Bulls could soon find themselves at a crossroads. And how Karnisovas handles that could either start to build or crumble his legacy.

NOTE: Both Alex Caruso (concussion/shoulder) and Javonte Green (right knee) participated in a light scrimmage after the Tuesday practice.

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Things could have turned out very differently for the Bears.

As Justin Fields gains confidence and respect around the league, plenty of people have jumped out to make sure folks like me give proper credit to former general manager Ryan Pace for identifying Fields’ talent and moving up in the 2021 draft to get him. It’s a valid point but remember it almost didn’t happen. That’s because Pace was obsessed with putting Russell Wilson in a Bears uniform.

Imagine what that world would look like if Pace got his wish. The Broncos made it happen — and they will literally and figuratively pay for it for years to come.

The Broncos continued a season of embarrassment Sunday with a 51-14 loss to the Rams. This is a Rams team whose quarterback, Baker Mayfield, arrived just two weeks ago. Before Wilson exited with an injury, he engineered another nightmare statistical day: 15-for-27 for 214 yards, a late touchdown and three interceptions.

Denver’s new ownership group wasted no time in firing coach Nathaniel Hackett. From the moment the season began, the former Packers assistant looked completely overmatched. Fixing the issues with Wilson will take a magician.

Denver traded multiple draft picks to secure a trade with Seattle to get Wilson. After that, the Broncos worked out an extension worth $242.6 million. Of that, $161 million dollars is guaranteed. What they’ve got in return has been Wilson’s worst year in football. He’s connected for only 60% of his passes while throwing 12 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. His team is 4-11.

Because of his resume, Wilson was regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. To be fair, he’s produced nine Pro Bowl nods in 11 seasons and played a significant role in a Super Bowl championship team. In 2020, he threw for 40 touchdowns and 4,212 yards. Even last season he had a 103.8 passer rating.

Wilson is a cipher. He’s always seemed too polished, too savvy in interviews. I’m one of many reporters who has gone through an interview session with Wilson, only to listen to my recording and realize that he spent 10 minutes saying words that didn’t amount to anything.

As his failures have mounted, ex-teammates have been vocal about his lack of leadership. Amazon Prime Video’s Richard Sherman, a former Seahawks teammate, has delighted in Wilson’s demise — and he’s not alone in his criticism. Wilson’s leadership style and ability has been discussed as being overblown. His inability to relate to teammates has been dissected almost weekly.

What Tom Brady has done in the NFL and what LeBron James has done in the NBA has given us a false sense of athletic longevity. Forget about the winning, these two men are absolute outliers in that regard. Wilson is 34 and until Brady came along, that’s about the time when you expected quarterbacks to decline. Wilson’s decline has been steep. He has fallen off a cliff. The idea of signing him to such a long-term deal now seems absurd.

From a salary-cap standpoint, Denver can’t afford to cut Wilson until 2025. That means two more seasons with him being an albatross on your franchise. It’s possible Wilson takes the offseason to rebuild himself and his game, but quarterbacks rarely improve in their age-35 seasons.

I recall plenty about the days leading up to the Wilson trade. The Bears were hot on his trail. The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley chronicled Pace’s pursuit. It climaxed in a clandestine meeting in Fargo, N.D., with Seahawks GM John Schneider. The two discussed a deal. A stack of draft picks and Khalil Mack were supposedly involved. Schneider seemed amiable, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll reportedly vetoed the deal. Seattle ended up getting more from Denver. And we’re all lucky for that.

Yes, the Bears and Broncos are miles from .500, but having a talent such as Justin Fields on a rookie contract puts the Bears lightyears ahead of the Broncos.

And to think, it could have been the Bears staring down the barrel of a disastrous contract. Shout out to Carroll for saving Pace from himself and Bears fans from football oblivion.

You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Blackhawks forward Max Domi played 53 games for the Blue Jackets and another 33 combined regular- and postseason games with the Hurricanes last season.

So with Hawks matchups against the Jackets and Hurricanes coincidentally bookending the Christmas break, Domi has been a busy man lately.

“It’s always fun playing against your old teams,” Domi said Tuesday. “It was certainly fun to see all my buddies in Columbus. I had a lot of great friends there. I got to spend some time with a few of the training staff, too, which is always a great time.

“And then I went to dinner last night [in Raleigh] with a few of the boys. [The Hurricanes are] one of the best teams in the league every year for a reason.”

Dec. 27 is always a tricky day around the NHL, since the holiday moratorium on team activities lasts through Dec. 26 but the league’s schedule is packed the next day.

The Hawks therefore couldn’t travel Monday night — ahead of the game Tuesday — as they typically would. They instead flew out of Chicago at 6 a.m. Tuesday, then bussed directly from Raleigh-Durham airport to PNC Arena for their 11:30 a.m. morning skate.

Domi and a few Hawks teammates avoided that chaos by flying commercial Monday. And coach Luke Richardson actually spent Christmas itself in North Carolina with old junior-hockey teammate (and former Hawks draft pick) Mike Dagenais.

Before traveling Monday, however, Domi had a big family gathering in Chicago, which he joked about last week.

“I’m pretty excited [for Christmas], actually,” he said Dec. 22. “My whole family’s here. I was in Columbus for two years, so I didn’t get many visitors. All of a sudden, I’m in a nice city so my whole family wants to come. I don’t know if it’s me or the city.”

That wasn’t received with laughter by many Jackets fans and Columbus residents on social media, though, which perplexed him.

“I’m not sure why I took so much heat for that,” he said Tuesday, chuckling in retrospect. “It was a little bit random. I guess people can’t take a joke.

“It got spun out of proportion a little bit. It was a joke. It’s about my family, too; it had nothing to do with how I feel about Columbus. I don’t really care anymore. People can spin things however they want. The boys in Columbus asked me about it [last Friday], and I explained to them what I meant. They said, ‘Yeah, that’s what we figured.’ I have nothing but great things to say about Columbus and all the people I met there.”

With the Hawks’ second meeting with the Jackets coming up Saturday in Columbus, it’ll be interesting to see — and hear — how Domi is received at Nationwide Arena. But he insists his blood, at least, won’t be boiling.

Calvin’s fortunes

Popular ex-Hawks defenseman Calvin de Haan, now with the Hurricanes, wasn’t thrilled to be a healthy scratch during the two teams’ first meeting Nov. 14.

But his fortunes changed immediately after that. Tuesday marked his 19th consecutive game in the Hurricanes’ lineup. He tallied four points and averaged a sizable 13:35 of ice time over his last six games before the break.

“It’s tough to rotate guys in and out,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “But Calvin has been steady. We had him here before, so we know what we’re getting there. He is what he is, and he has been good for us.”

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Wake Forest and the ACC’s all-time passing touchdowns leader has entered the transfer portal and Notre Dame may be the landing spot.

Hartman who is now 24 will be entering the transfer portal later than most players have already done. The one and only explanation is that Hartman waited until after the bowl game so he could keep the attention on the game and not himself. That is the type of guy and player Sam Hartman is.

Wake Forest won the Gasparilla Bowl against Missouri on December 23rd finishing 8-5. A down year after getting to the ACC championship last year but anyone would be hard pressed to blame that on Sam as he missed the beginning of the season due to a blood clot and fought his way back to play this year.

Wake’s defense was genuinely miserable this year and it almost felt like every possession Hartman had to score to keep up or else Wake had no shot in the game. Notre Dame’s strong point was their defense last year and it was very obvious they had a horrible time at QB. If you have seen Buchner once you’ve seen him a thousand times before. He is not the answer for Notre Dame. Drew Pyne transferred to Arizona State who also was not the answer.

For Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame it is now or never to get a QB that can match the quality of the defense they produce every year. Hartman is finally the answer for Notre Dame. It is up to Tommy Rees to run a Notre Dame offense, for basically the first time ever, through the QB. Hartman can put up monster numbers and can make Notre Dame a contender if he doesn’t have to run pro style and hand it off 35 times a game. Notre Dame fans will have to wait until it is official but for now things look hopeful.

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