D'Andre Swift Stars In Bears 24-18 Win Against The Rams

Good morning Chicago fans! It was a heart-wrenching week watching legends say goodbye. Derrick Rose announced his retirement, and Kyle Hendricks most likely pitched for the last time with the Chicago Cubs.

Every era of Chicago sports seems to end in stress and disappointment, but we also have the privilege of watching special people perform at the highest level. Let’s honor Rose, Hendricks, and the 121-loss 2024 Chicago White Sox today!

RESULTS

W - Bears 24, Rams 18: Big win at home to get to 2-2!

• The first quarter and a half put the Bears on the brink of disaster. Penalties and sloppy play on both sides of the ball should have led to a big Rams lead and an eventual blowout.

• With 6:50 left in the 2nd quarter, Montez Sweat pushed through a double team to sack Matthew Stafford and force a fumble. Kyler Gordon recovered, and the Bears quickly scored a touchdown to take a 7-6 lead. Anything can happen in an NFL season, but this play may have SAVED the season. 😌

• The offense stepped it up after the brutal start. They improved in the run game (131 yards) and short passing game, but downfield passing was nowhere to be seen after a big showing last week.

• Caleb Williams (17/23, 157 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks) was more accurate and didn’t force any turnovers. He mastered the short outlet pass to D’Andre Swift when nothing else was open.

• They used Swift in the right situations!! After a maligned three games, Swift had a huge game with 93 yards on 16 carries (1 TD) and 72 yards on 7 receptions.

• Matthew Stafford made more mistakes than I expected (INT, near-INT, fumble), but he and the Rams offense exposed too many holes in the Bears defense. It really was a ‘bend don’t break’ day as the Rams managed 4.6 yards per rush and settled for 5 field goals (4 were made).

• Jaquan Brisker had a monster game (12 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) despite being a step away from a second INT that was taken away because he did not establish himself in bounds prior to making the catch 🏹

• Tory Taylor had the game of his life - and it was only his 4th NFL game! 5 punts, 277 yards (55.4 avg.), 66 yard long

• C Doug Kramer lined up at fullback a couple times. And it worked! With Khari Blasingame inactive again and trouble with short yardage situations last week, the Bears got creative with their heavy packages!

• This team needs to clean up their act. They need better starts and more disciplined football. 10 penalties for 84 yards won’t win you many games. That’s 30 penalties in 4 games so far.

SEASON RECORD: 2-2 (T/3rd place, 2 GB)

⭐ STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐

D’Andre Swift

165 total yards and the first Bears player since Jeremy Langford in 2015 (also against the Rams!) to have 70+ rushing yards and 70+ receiving yards in a game

🎥 PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥

Caleb Williams to DJ Moore touchdown

NEWS & NOTES

The offensive captains reportedly met with Shane Waldron last week and told him to not hold back on calling out his players. I wonder if that changed in this game!

TE Stephen Carlson was elevated from the practice squad, got injured in practice, and was placed on IR

Signed DB Ameer Speed and 2023 Bears 7th round pick DT Travis Bell to the practice squad

Tom Brady revealed on his FOX NFL broadcast that he SERIOUSLY considered joining the Bears in 2020 when he ended up on the Buccaneers. There were some rumors at the time, but I didn’t think any were validated. Signing the 🐐 would have been the best possible move at QB!

Basically, Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy searched everywhere to replace Mitch Trubisky: traded for Nick Foles, recruited Tom Brady, offered 3 1st round picks for Russell Wilson, signed Andy Dalton, and drafted Justin Fields. All of that just to get fired…

Next up ➡ 1-3 Panthers (franchise owned by our very own Ryan Poles after his brilliant trade) who come to town with old friend Andy Dalton at QB. The quarterback switch helped their offense immensely, but their defense is currently last in the NFL in points against. The Bears should dominate this game.

Tally one more for each column this week! If only Brisker was given the extra INT…

TROPHY TRACKER (6/10 ➡ 🏆)

RESULTS

L - Phillies 6, Cubs 2: A division clincher!!! For the Phillies…

• Caleb Kilian was called up for Jordan Wicks’ spot in the rotation and struggled through 5.2 IP after an opener (6 R)

• Aaron Nola shut down the Cubs offense (6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)

• Every clinching game vs. the Cubs just brings me back to 2018 Game 163 when the Brewers won the division at Wrigley Field 🤢

W - Cubs 10, Phillies 4: Another much-needed offensive explosion!

• The Cubs totaled 15 hits but could have run up the score (4-for-18 with RISP)

• Cody Bellinger led the way with 3 hits and 4 RBI

L - Phillies 9, Cubs 6: Javier Assad got crushed to lose the series

• Assad allowed 8 ER over 4.1 IP in his last start of the season

• Nico Hoerner hit 2 HRs for his first career multi-HR game

• Kevin Alcantara made his MLB debut and went 1-for-4

W - Cubs 1, Reds 0: Quick 1 hour 48 minute stop at the ballpark!

• The two offenses combined for 9 hits and 2 walks in the shortest MLB 9-inning game since 2010! 🕐

• Jameson Taillon (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) finished his season on a high note in a duel against Nick Martinez (8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)

W - Cubs 3, Reds 0: Vintage Kyle Hendricks dominated in his potential last start as a Cub

• Cubs players, coaches, and fans honored Hendricks as he threw a gem at Wrigley (7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) and walked off to a standing ovation

• The Cubs scored all 3 runs in the 8th inning. Unfortunately, Hendricks didn’t receive the official W on his big day.

L - Reds 3, Cubs 0 (F/10): A poetic shutout to end the season

• Only the Cubs and Reds would take a 0-0 game to extras in Game 162

• Ethan Roberts picked off the ghost runner from 2nd to start the 10th but allowed 3 runs

• Luis Vazquez finally got his first MLB hit!!!

WEEK RECORD: 3-3

SEASON RECORD: 83-79 (T/2nd place, 10 GB, end of season)

⭐ STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐

Nico Hoerner

11-for-25 (.440), 5 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI

Finished a .355/.375/.495 September with only 5 Ks.

🎥 PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥

Dansby Swanson slide to end the game

ROSTER MOVES

Monday: Claimed RHP Enoli Paredes off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, recalled Gavin Hollowell and Caleb Kilian from AAA, optioned Trey Wingenter to ACL (Arizona Complex League), placed Jorge Lopez on the 15-day IL with a right groin strain

Tuesday: Activated Enoli Paredes, released RHP Shawn Armstrong, optioned Gavin Hollowell to ACL

Wednesday: Recalled Kevin Alcantara from AAA, optioned Miles Mastrobuoni to AAA

NEWS & NOTES

🚨 83-79 AGAIN. Here we are at the end of another Cubs season, and the record is exactly the same. 🚨

It’s disappointing. It’s sad. It’s not what Cubs fans deserve.

Somehow, the 83-79 2023 Cubs (90-72 expected record) added a top manager, a good rookie 1B, and an elite starter, and finished with the same 83-79 record (88-74 expected record).

Even though this is still a team trying to compete AND rebuild at the same time, they had a decent plan to add more wins. They weren’t going to be a juggernaut yet. The young guns are mostly still in the minor leagues. But through the extreme ups and downs, the unexpected losing streaks, and wild finishes, it all turned out exactly the same.

Baseball is random. Maybe it’s more predictable than I think. Both iterations of the Cubs had:

1) Inconsistent hitting with unfathomable variability

2) Unreliable bullpen that hit its stride for a couple months

3) Good fielding for the majority of the year

4) Quality manager who made questionable in-game decisions

I’m sure Jed Hoyer will tell us all this week that “they didn’t meet their goals”. “They have to be better”. “They will look at every part of the organization to make sure they improve”. And “the goal is to win the World Series”.

Call me a hopelessly optimistic fan, but I still think they have a bright future. I’m excited to dive in with more analysis on this past season and look ahead to how they can maneuver in the offseason to set themselves up for a great 2025. I’ll break down a lot of this over the next few weeks!

👋 Farewell, Kyle Hendricks 👋

The Professor probably just finished his Cubs career.

Kyle Hendricks is and always will be a Chicago Cub. He is the ultimate professional, a stone-cold clutch performer, and one of the most talented and consistent starting pitchers I have ever watched.

He was the unknown return for Ryan Dempster in 2012.

He was the 2014 rookie with a 2.46 ERA in 13 starts.

He was the 3rd place Cy Young finisher with a league-leading 2.13 ERA in 2016.

He silenced the Dodgers in a masterpiece at Wrigley Field to win the pennant in Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS.

He started Game 7 of the World Series.

He is the last remaining World Champion on the Cubs.

He is tied for 9th in most games started (270) and 7th in strikeouts (1259) in Cubs history.

With a fastball averaging 91 mph early in his career and 86 mph in recent years, he was an unsuspecting ace. He knew how to PITCH from early on. Command, command, command. The comparisons to Greg Maddux seemed exaggerated but eventually became accurate. He would fool hitters with precise control over the plate and win every battle of the minds between pitcher and hitter.

The success on the mound from 2014-2020 was incredible, but his character will always be remembered. His teammates have always spoken fondly of him, and even media members consider him a joy to work with.

Hendricks may prolong his career for a lot longer. I don’t know what’s in store for him next. But his time on the Cubs was legendary.

If it was up to me, once his pitching career is over, I’d make him a pitching coach, bullpen coach, mental skills coach, or maybe I’d just give him an office next to Jed and have him scout baseball players as an assistant GM. I’d love to keep him in the organization.

The Cubs and Reds just had a series with 7 combined runs. The Cubs scored 4 runs and won the series. They only allowed 3 runs and didn’t sweep. Baseball!

I get a lot of predictions wrong…but I saw yesterday’s shutout coming from a million miles away:

Prospect Matt Shaw was named MVP of the Southern League (AA)!

Shaw’s season stats at AA: .279/.373/.468, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 25 SB, 45 BB vs. 65 K

TROPHY TRACKER (5/10 ➡ 🏆) 📉

RESULTS (PRESEASON)

L - Red Wings 4, Blackhawks 2

L - Red Wings 2, Blackhawks 0

L - Blues 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

NEWS & NOTES

Hockey is back! The preseason has been…sloppy. It’s expected. Players are getting their legs under them and shaking off the rust.

2024 3rd round pick AJ Spellacy has been a fun watch because of his speed! Lukas Reichel and Frank Nazar have had underwhelming preseasons so far, but hopefully they turn it around.

The training camp roster was cut down a couple times and is now at 35. There are real battles for depth forward spots and the 6th/7th defensemen spots, especially if Wyatt Kaiser’s minor injury lingers at all.

3 more preseason games this week! Season opener is September 8th!

TROPHY TRACKER (2/10 ➡ 🏆)

NEWS & NOTES

🌹 Derrick Rose is retiring from basketball 🌹

My favorite Bulls player of all-time is hanging up his cleats. (Yes, I was too young to remember watching MJ.)

Although he has been away from Chicago since 2016, it’s still hard for a city to say goodbye to an icon.

He was a local kid. He grew up in the city and played at Simeon.

He made a name for himself early on as a 2-time state champion, McDonald’s All-American, and Illinois Mr. Basketball.

His Memphis team finished as the runner-up in the 2008 NCAA Tournament after a crushing loss to Kansas. Rose missed 1 of 2 free throws with 10 seconds left, and future Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers hit a 3 over Rose to tie the game and send it to overtime. Kansas would go on to win.

The Baby Bulls of the early 2000s were coming off a rough 33-49 season but had virtually no chance of drafting Rose in 2008. Nobody even batted an eye at the possibility.

On that magical day in 2008, the Bulls won the #1 pick with 1.7% odds. Of course, then the debates began about selecting Rose or Michael Beasley. Thank goodness they chose correctly.

Rose immediately belonged in the NBA. He was a star from the jump. After a Rookie of the Year award and becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2010-2011, he led the Bulls to an intense Eastern Conference Finals in 2011. That series vs. the Heat was the peak of Bulls basketball in the post-MJ era. The effort, hustle, defense, style, and Rose’s stardom made that team extremely likeable.

Of course, injuries derailed the rest of his Bulls tenure. They could have won a championship in 2012 or in future years if Rose stayed healthy.

With every injury, he took on more of a burden for Chicago. The city put its hope in him. He gave it everything he had. Rehab after rehab, The Return ™ and more returns.

He was the MVP, the Windy City Assassin, the humble warrior.

I’m grateful I got to watch Derrick Rose play basketball for my team.

I’m even more grateful he will be healthy when he attends his son’s graduation. He called it quits when he wanted, and he had a longer career than anyone thought he could.

Exercised the 4th-year option for Dalen Terry

Training camp starts today!

TROPHY TRACKER (1/10 ➡ 🏆)

Ian Happ

As the season concluded, Happ showed his selfless character on two occasions.

First, he orchestrated a celebration for Kyle Hendricks in his final start. Second, he bought beers for all of the fans in the left field bleachers as a thank you!

Happ made sure all 22 baseballs from Hendricks’ 22 outs were collected and stacked in cases at his locker after the game. He took the time to point out all of Hendricks’ career accomplishments as an all-time Cub in front of the whole team. It was a thoughtful gesture from a genuine friend.

Read more here:

The Bulls should retire Derrick Rose’s jersey.

I was on the fence in this debate for years.

After thinking through Rose’s career and retirement this week, I decided that his #1 should hang up in the rafters at the United Center.

I think humanity can outweigh statistical output or prolonged careers in specific situations. Rose meant more to this franchise than a few numbers on the back of his basketball card.

If players had worn the #1 since Rose left the team, it might feel more normal to pass the number on to future players. But ever since Michael Carter-Williams refused to wear #1 in 2016, nobody wanted to touch it.

He was the rose that grew from the concrete of Chicago.

His playing days in Chicago ended too quickly, but his legacy will always be remembered. For that, his number should be right next to the other Bulls legends.

Ben Pope - Blackhawks veterans were pumped for free agent haul (Chicago Sun-Times)

Sahadev Sharma - Jed Hoyer acknowledges Cubs have work to do (The Athletic)

Sam Smith - Derrick Rose says goodbye to basketball (bulls.com)

Patrick Mooney - Nico Hoerner Q&A (The Athletic)

Kevin Fishbain and Jourdan Rodrigue - Caleb Williams and Matthew Stafford share unique QB perspective (The Athletic)

Mark Lazerus - Kevin Korchinski could be the next to develop in Rockford (The Athletic)

Andy Martinez - Kevin Alcantara’s confidence made him ready for anything (Marquee Sports Network)

Scott Powers - What we know about the Chicago Sports Network (The Athletic)

Tony Andracki - Seiya Suzuki’s recent hot stretch and 2025 - (Marquee Sports Network)

Thanks for reading! I appreciate your support as we head into a new season in the sports calendar. From bad baseball to bad hockey and basketball we go!

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