Still Gotta Come Through Chicago

All that, plus a bag of chips

Happy Friday Chicago!

While I was writing about Derrick Rose and the Bulls of the 2010s last week, I felt like I was writing with a quill pen by candle light, to the tune of trumpets.

I woke up the next day and re-read to check for any errors I may have missed and thought… alright man, relax a little bit.

Reading my own writing the next morning kind of feels like having a super intense, niche conversation with someone at a party, only to find out later that they were on drugs, while you were not.

Ah, maybe I was actually way too into that.

But then the Bulls had their media day this week, where I was met with 20-year-old players doing Tik Tok dances with Benny The Bull (the mascot). Immediately, I forgave myself for waxing poetic. The good times are indeed gone.

And so are all of the World Series-winning Cubs. Kyle Hendricks went out in the most Kyle Hendricks way imaginable, throwing a 7.1 inning, 2 hit, 2 strikeout gem in what was likely his final start with the Cubs.

In his final year in Chicago, which he said he’s “not ready to say bye to,” Hendricks threw two shutouts in games where he pitched at least five innings. One on Saturday in his last Cubs start ever, and the other in St. Louis, maintaining his career-long dominance against the Cardinals in Busch Stadium.

To rear back and get the job done in those two instances, in an otherwise very forgetful season, is a testament to the kind of Chicago athlete Hendricks has been from start to finish.

From his rookie year to his age 30 season, Hendricks started 174 games, threw over 1,000 innings, and logged a 3.12 ERA. He finished third in the Cy Young race in 2016, the same year that he had a 2.13 ERA, the lowest in Major League Baseball.

His final start mirrored his performance in the game that got the Cubs to their first World Series in over 70 years — 7.1 innings, 2 hits against the Dodgers.

In the 2016 postseason, he had a 1.5 ERA over 23.7 innings pitched.

He also started the game that brought the Cubs their first World Series in 108 years, surrendering 0 runs in 4.2 innings. He also pitched earlier that series, allowing zero runs in 4.1 innings. On a related note, Joe Maddon is damn lucky the Cubs won.

Hendricks pitched for four different iterations of Cubs teams in the 21st century, but him being gone regrettably, and finally, closes the book on the Glory Days.

Of course, all Cubs fans will remember him for those two starts in the 2016 playoffs that brought us that coveted World Series title. But I’ll also remember him for the two shutout starts he had this year.

Because all four encapsulate the Kyle Hendricks that I’ll remember — stoic through it all. Through his ups and downs, and the Cubs’ ups and downs, I always felt like Hendricks had the demeanor to eventually figure it all out.

The Glory Days have been in the rearview for a while, but now all the remaining evidence is gone.

And that brings into focus just how long it’s been since Cubs baseball mattered into the football season.

Jed Hoyer is football’s biggest fan, as it serves as an opiate and distraction to all of us Cubs fans who would rather move onto the fall than have to watch one more Cubs game that year.

Derrick Rose is gone, and Kyle Hendricks is gone. The clock is ticking for the Cubs and Bulls to return to some form of prominence. At least in the Cubs case, they’re aware that clock exists.

But, for now — you’re welcome Jed Hoyer — it’s back to football. We’ll get to the 2024 Cubs season and the historic 2024 Sox season at a later date.

Let’s go.

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I’m searching through my notes from Sunday’s Bears game, deciding which ones to touch on and which ones to throw out. How about this one?

“Mark Sanchez — pussy.” Think we can throw that one out?

It’s amazing what a Sunday night and Monday morning look and feel like after a Bears win compared to the alternative. I galavanted to get a pack of double-stack Milanos as the sun went down, replaying the game over in my head.

To be clear, I would have gotten the double-stack Milanos regardless. But I wouldn’t have galavanted on the way there.

Frankly, Matt Eberflus put it perfectly after the game:

"Yeah, this is the NFL, right? It's a one-week league. You win a couple games, and you're all that and a bag of chips. You lose a couple, and you're the other thing. So it's water off a duck's back. You've got to make sure that you're focusing on your job, focusing on what you do, and making corrections."

Anyone else ready to run through a brick wall? BOOM.

Water off a duck’s back. Onto Next Week. Print the t-shirts!

The Bears won another game that they absolutely needed to have on Sunday.

It started off clunky and disjointed, but ultimately, turned out to be a really nice early season win for a team that still has a lot of figuring out to do.

When they went up 7-6, it felt like they were down 40.

Matt Stafford moved the ball up and down the field on the defense, but the Bears 1. prevented big plays and 2. capitalized off of turnover chances.

On the other side of the ball, Caleb Williams threw for a modest 176 yards, but never made a crucial mistake. He avoided near sacks, near strip sacks, and never threw the pick that could have allowed the Rams to steal one.

And, finally, Iowa’s own Tory Taylor put on an absolute clinic. He was arguably the most important player in the game, nailing pivotal punts one after the other.

That is what we call complementary football, ladies and gentlemen. In all three phases. And, lest I forget the fourth phase — of which many of you were a part of — that put the nail in the coffin.

The pre-snap penalties persisted, and early on, it felt as if this team may just be a sloppy, poorly run operation for 18 weeks.

But things changed at half, and the Bears — to their credit — did enough to stay in the game (they actually led) in the first half.

I’m very thankful Williams’ one touchdown pass went to D.J. Moore, because even I was starting to get sucked into the purported “bad vibes” surrounding their relationship. I was going to suggest a midweek dinner and a few drinks.

A perfectly placed touchdown pass should do the trick, though.

The Bears run game and offensive line are still both bottom five in the league. But an even marginal improvement lends itself to some pretty big results.

After 84-, 86-, and 63-yard rushing totals in the first three games, the Bears rushed for 131 yards against the Rams.

The Rams are beaten and battered. They have one of the worse off defenses in the league right now. But I’ll take those yards where I can get them.

Offensively, success begets success. One hole leads to another one. The Bears showing competence in the run game is good in a vacuum, but it also opens up opportunity elsewhere. It did so Sunday, and will moving forward.

D'Andre Swift finally had something to work with, and he delivered. He was one of a few who drew the ire — somewhat deservedly — from fans over the first few weeks. He was fantastic in the win: 16 carries for 93 yards and 7 receptions for 72 yards.

That’s exactly the type of stat line that the front office envisioned him having in the offseason.

And Shane Waldron, begrudgingly, has begun to use Roschon Johnson in short yardage situations. He may have been the last to arrive at the idea in Chicago, but at least he did arrive.

I loved Doug Kramer as a lead blocker as on the goal line. What a departure from the option play in the week prior. And I loved Roschon Johnson’s other third-down run that gave the Bears an all-important first down. He’s built for those situations.

Within the context of the game, I thought Williams was almost perfect. He didn’t make any mistakes that cost the Bears, and that’s basically what the difference was in the game, if we’re forgetting about the punts for a second.

One fumble, one interception, and the game goes the other way.

I was mostly impressed — and a little bit scared, frankly — with Williams’ ability to stand in the pocket. With hands in his face and 300-pound men lunging toward him, he stood in there like a statue.

That poise was evident time and again, and Williams seemed to always make the right check down, the right throw away. He knew when to go for it, and when not to. His throws to D.J. Moore in the end zone and to Cole Kmet over the middle of the field were unbelievable, but he was mature enough in his fourth game to realize what the Bears did and didn’t need out of him.

The Bears are still lacking in explosive plays, but in a game like Sunday’s, not many were needed.

I thought Stafford played great, but he has been good for 1-3 head-scratching plays per game for his entire career. The Bears kept things in front and waited for those plays to come.

Montez Sweat was incredible, in what I thought was his coming out party for this season. The tipped balls were as impactful as anything.

Darrell Taylor, too, played well. What would we do without him?

Jaquan Brisker also probably played his best game as a Bear.

And for the special teams player of the week, Tory Taylor. Had he punted 20% worse, there’s a non-zero chance that it would have been the difference between a win and a loss.

His 55.4 net yards per punt were the third most in team history, and he effectively killed any momentum that the Rams gained in the second half. Those net yards are also taking into consideration the punts he purposely punted shorter, in order to avoid a touchback.

On Sunday, the fourth-round pick selection sure seemed worth it. And the fourth phase reacted appropriately.

The Bears are a 3.5-point favorite against the Panthers on Sunday.

This game will tell us a lot. Did the Bears figure out a way to squeak out a close game against a hurt Rams team on Sunday, with their flaws still lying under the surface?

Or, was it an actual turning point and mark of real improvement?

The Panthers are bad, but with Andy Dalton under center, they are a just as competent as any other team in that 24-30 range in the NFL.

I hate London games, and the Bears head “across the pond” next week. I don’t care if the Jaguars look like they stink right now, those games never make sense (and the Jags are currently favored by 1 in that matchup).

If the Bears want to compete for a playoff spot, this is year another must-win game for them in Week 5.

I think they’ll get the job done, but I doubt it will be without frustration. Either way, we’re a game away from being above .500, five games into the season.

#BEARDOWN

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Thanks for reading another newsletter. As always, I greatly appreciate it. I will see you all next week.