Good morning, friends!

Still on Cloud 18 after Saturday? I get it. Yep, it’s just the preseason, but if this is any indication of the year to come, buy stock now in the 2024 Chicago Bears.

It doesn’t matter if the competition for the first-team offense was a second-string defense. Elite ball placement is elite ball placement whether it’s me or prime Peanut Tillman in coverage.

20 days until opening kickoff at Soldier Field.

[blocksy-content-block id=”111918″]

— Patrick Norton

Bears bury Bengals ahead of preseason finale

What was your favorite play from Saturday’s 27-3 win? Was it Kyler Gordon’s unblocked successful nickel blitz that knocked Bengals quarterback Logan Woodside into the regular season? Or was it one of the handful of spectacular throws from Caleb Williams?

A slow start made for a panicked fourth phase at Soldier Field following three consecutive three-and-outs for the first-team offense. Caleb Williams made sure to send the crowd home happy, returning for two more drives without his starting skill players.

Halfway through his fourth drive on second-and-10, Williams spun out of the pocket, scrambled to his left, and delivered a majestic rainbow to Rome Odunze in stride on the left sideline. Caleb found Rome a play later on an otherworldly rocket, but the receiver had mistakenly set up out of bounds. Two plays later, Caleb scampered into the end zone after surveying his options for a seven-yard score.

• Following Saturday’s win, Matt Eberflus told reporters that the staff would “look at the tape” to determine if the first team needs more game reps before their preseason concludes Thursday night in Kansas City. If Caleb Williams is sidelined until Week 1 of the regular season, he’ll finish his first NFL preseason just 10/20, but with 170 passing yards and one rushing touchdown.
  
• The Bears activated rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie from the Non-Football Injury/Illness list on Sunday. Amegadjie, who the Bears selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the No. 75 overall pick, was recovering from a quad injury suffered last season at Yale. Amegadjie is now eligible to practice.
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | CHGO’s Nicholas Moreano spoke to Rome Odunze about the budding connection with his fellow first-round draftee, Caleb Williams.

🚨Back in stock!🚨

The Franchise Collection is restocked in the CHGO Locker just in time for the beginning of a new era of Bears football! Get yours today!

First look at Blackhawks’ Winter Classic sweater

When the puck drops against the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field on New Year’s Eve, it’ll officially put the Blackhawks in the lead for most outdoor games (7) played in NHL history. It’s the second time The Friendly Confines will host the Winter Classic and fourth time the Blackhawks have hosted an outdoor game.

But the frigid air hasn’t been too kind to the Blackhawks. Chicago is 1-5 in six outdoor contests with their lone win coming in the 2014 Stadium Series at Soldier Field against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’ll be Chicago’s first chance beyond the Toews and Kane era, but relying on Connor Bedard isn’t the Original Six club’s only shake-up to the juju. For the first time, the Blackhawks will reportedly rock a red sweater outdoors at 1060 W. Addison on December 31, 2024.

The reported design is reminiscent of the Blackhawks’ first outdoor sweater for the 2009 Winter Classic with the stripe across the chest. The logos appear stitched, and the off-white accent also borrows from the 2009 jersey.

I’m a fan. The team’s outdoor sweaters typically copy defunct iterations of the franchise’s iconic look. This keeps that traditional vibe while bringing a new design to the table. Maybe we’ll see you in the bleachers on New Year’s Eve rocking the look with the rest of the Friday 1:20 Tuesday 4:00 Club.

🎧 LISTEN | The CHGO Blackhawks crew contemplates what a potential roster could look like around Connor Bedard to begin the season.

Roundup: Cubs’ offseason plan, Grady Sizemore’s chances of sticking around

• Cross Juan Soto’s name off the wishlist. 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reported on Saturday that the Cubs are unlikely to be major contenders for the 25-year-old slugger’s services when he hits free agency after the season. Instead, Levine expects the team to make a significant pitch for former Brewers and current Orioles ace Corbin Burnes to shore up Craig Counsell’s rotation for year two and beyond.
  
• The White Sox were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night, but something about the South Siders feels different. It’ll take more than an interim manager to start piling wins, but there’s a refreshed sense of accountability and camaraderie that’s returned to the clubhouse since Grady Sizemore took over for Pedro Grifol.
  
  Upon firing Grifol, general manager Chris Getz said a full-time replacement would come from outside the organization. Can Sizemore change Getz’s mind with a miniature turnaround? The team is just 2-6 under the former big leaguer, so what will it take between now and the end of the season?
  

📖 GO DEEPER | CHGO White Sox’s Vinnie Duber takes a look at the managerial situation and ponders if Sizemore could stick around.

The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet

🎧 SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | Episode No. 2 of The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet featuring Bears quarterback Austin Reed premieres at 9 a.m. CDT today!

Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

⚽ 8/31: CHGO Fire Takeover vs. Inter Miami — Jason Derulo post-match concert!
⚾ 9/6: CHGO Cubs Takeover for Anthony Rizzo’s return to Wrigley!
🏈 9/8: CHGO Bears Tailgate in Chicago! – Week 1 vs. Titans