CHGO Digest: Bears victory Monday, Cubs sweep crosstown series

Good morning, friends!

Anybody else wake up on Sunday and immediately search for highlights from Caleb Williams’ preseason Bears debut on Twitter? You certainly weren’t alone.

Caleb’s preseason stats won’t matter in the long run, but it was refreshing to feel immediately rewarded while watching the debut of somebody who holds in their hands the hopes and dreams of Chicago sports fans.

— Patrick Norton

Caleb shines, Bears stomp Bills

It’s just the preseason, it’s just the preseason, it’s just the preseason … buuuut you really couldn’t have asked for much more from Caleb Williams.

Four completions on seven throws, 95 yards through the air, and a 13-yard scramble for a first down with a successful slide? Yep, that’ll play. Williams looked fast, decisive, and accurate in his first taste of professional football.

• Caleb found DJ Moore at the sticks on 3rd & 12 with a laser into a closing window, picking up a first down and extending his first drive. On the very next play, Williams maneuvered through a collapsing pocket, finding D’Andre Swift at the last second on a screen, resulting in a 42-yard gain.
  
• On his second and final drive, Caleb rolled right off of a play-action snap, pump faked to slow a defender in pursuit before rifling a 26-yard strike to Cole Kmet on the run. Williams’ versatility was on full display in his limited action. Still, arguably the most positive revelation was the cleanliness of the operation between the quarterback and center Coleman Shelton, specifically under center.
  
• Velus Jones Jr. scored a four-yard touchdown from the backfield. Jones practiced with the running backs last week. Receiving significant playing time, rookie EDGE Austin Booker tallied 2.5 of the Bears’ seven quarterback sacks on Saturday.
  
• Hat tip to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain for this nugget: The Bears haven’t won a preseason game by 20+ points since beating the Chargers, 24-3, in 2006. The 2006 Bears would later represent the NFC in the Super Bowl…
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | Nicholas Moreano on Caleb Williams’ confidence and play-making ability on full display in Saturday’s win.

Tee off at the CHGO Kickoff!

Time is running out! Hit the links and compete with your friends and favorite CHGO personalities at Cog Hill on August 23rd for the second annual CHGO Kickoff Classic!

Cubs secure much needed sweep

Sure, it’s cliché to say “Throw out the record books when these teams get together”, but if any rivalry truly embodies that playing style, it’s Cubs vs. White Sox.

The Cubs won all four games in 2024, but by a total of just five runs. Saturday’s season-series finale final score (3-1) was the only game to not finish 7-6.

Grady Sizemore’s managerial tenure with the White Sox is picking up right where Pedro Grifol left off, while the Cubs picked up two wins they desperately needed to re-enter the NL Wild Card race.

• The Cubs teed off on Garrett Crochet on Friday night, clubbing four home runs before chasing the White Sox’s ace after just 2.1 IP. Cody Bellinger’s home run in the second inning was the first surrendered to a left-handed batter by Crochet in his major league career.
  
• Isaac Paredes tallied his second home run in a Cubs uniform, adding a double on Sunday. Despite a slow start since being traded to Chicago, Paredes is picking up steam, slashing .333/.389/.800 with a 209 wRC+ since last Tuesday.
  
• Just 12 of the Cubs’ remaining 43 games come against opponents better than .500. One of those series begins today as the Cubs travel to Cleveland to take on the AL Central-leading Guardians. Chicago will skip Kyle Hendricks’ turn in the rotation, sending Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, and Jameson Taillon to the mound in the three-game series.
  

🔎 GO DEEPER | CHGO’s Jared Wyllys explores the Cubs’ resurgence and sudden contention in a heated NL Wild Card race.

Roundup: Mallory Swanson’s golden goal, The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet

• Congratulations to Chicago Red Stars superstar Mallory Swanson, Alyssa Naeher, and the United States Women’s National Soccer Team for winning gold in Paris! Swanson’s goal in the 57th minute put the United States ahead of Brazil, 1-0. The score would not change before the final whistle blew to signify another gold medal for the USWNT.
  
• The Eighty Five with Cole Kmet premieres THIS WEEK! Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to podcasts to ensure you get the first episode as soon as it drops!
  

Thank you for being our friends!

Join us for an upcoming CHGO event!

⛳ 8/23: Kickoff Classic Golf Tournament at Cog Hill!
⚽ 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

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