CHGO Digest: Caleb Williams defends offensive line, Bulls drop dud

Happy New Year, friends!

I just want a good team in Chicago in 2025.

The Bulls are the most recent team to make the playoffs without the help of any recently expanded postseason field. That came in 2022 when the Bulls lost to the Bucks in five as the No. 6 seed in the East.

The White Sox had a glimmer of hope in 2021 before being eliminated in four games by the Astros. Now, they’re coming off one of the worst seasons in baseball history.

The Cubs last made it in 2020 during the 60-game shortened season before being swept in a best-of-three series against the Marlins.

It was a similar situation for the Blackhawks, who only made it to the first round of the playoffs because they played well enough in a play-in held in a bubble.

And then there’s the Bears, who last made the postseason in the 2020-21 season as the No. 7 seed in the NFC. That year, the NFL expanded their playoff picture from six teams from each conference to seven.

My point? It’s not good enough – not even close. So, for 2025, that’s my grand ask. The playoff chase, regardless of the sport, is something this town deserves and needs. There’s nothing like the roar of the United Center when the Blackhawks are strongly in the mix, and there isn’t a stadium atmosphere quite like Soldier Field in the middle of January. It’s a shame that old beaut hasn’t hosted a playoff win since 2011.

— Patrick Norton

Caleb Williams takes blame for offensive line’s shortcomings

It’s nothing you haven’t heard or couldn’t have predicted. Still, as the season comes to a close and as Caleb Williams’ rookie campaign finishes with just four or five wins depending on Sunday in Green Bay, the quarterback took to the podium in the PNC Center at Halas Hall to passionately defend his offensive line.

“There’s been a stupid … excuse my language … but a stupid idea behind my offensive linemen. Yes, everybody gives up sacks, everybody messes up, everybody misses a block, everybody drops a pass. Everybody throws a pick. I got six and I got a couple fumbles and things like that. So, you know, the connotation behind my offensive line has been annoying and frustrating because they work their tail off to be able to go out there and the guys that, whether guys are fighting injuries, whether guys can’t play and we got other guys stepping up or whether guys have been playing the whole season, and so, you know, the negative connotation behind them, they come in here and work their butt off each day and each week.

“I’ve taken sacks, yes,” said Williams as he took ownership of his massive sack total. “And you know a good amount have been on me, whether it’s small things of getting the ball out of my hands and just maybe dirting it, maybe not trying to find the perfect route, perfect play, all of that for that situation. Maybe, it’s just throwing it out of bounds, dirting it, finding the check down faster and then the other one is just not trying to make plays all the time and understanding that. Like I said, I don’t misjudge words. The stupid connotation behind my offensive line being bad is not the truth. I’ve taken a good amount of sacks that have been my fault.”

That’s not only wise but tremendous leadership from the guy who has faced pressure once every three snaps and has been sacked 67 times in his rookie year.

🏈 ADAM HOGE: HOW TO HIRE AN NFL HEAD COACH IN 2025, PART 1: THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS

Bulls kick off the new year with a dud

By Will Gottlieb

Going up against the league’s second-worst team, the Washington Wizards, the Bulls failed to secure what should have been a gimme win, losing 125-107.

After shooting 14-of-47 for just 29.8 percent beyond the arc, the Bulls allowed a poor shooting night to seep into the offense, where they appeared lethargic and disconnected.

Lonzo Ball, who played 22 minutes off the bench, did his best to jumpstart his depleted team and had perhaps his best game since returning from a three-year absence. Despite scoring only five points on 2-of-7 shooting, his presence was palpable in a variety of areas. He had a season-high eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.

Ball had his first dunk in 1,120 days (stat courtesy of Adam Amin on the CHSN Broadcast), slapped a block off the backboard, putting his recently injured wrist in harm’s way, and had a handful of effort plays that injected some life into the team.

Zach LaVine provided a strong scoring night: 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including an 11-point flurry in the second quarter to keep the game close.

While total points scored on three-pointers ended up being a relatively close margin (the Wizards had only nine more points than the Bulls from beyond the arc), it was the points off of turnovers that told the story of the game. The Wizards had 33 points on 20 Bulls turnovers, while the Bulls had 11 points on the Wizards’ 17 turnovers.

The Bulls now drop to 15-19 through their first 34 games of the 2024-25 campaign. They’re currently 10th in the East but locked in a battle with the Detroit Pistons (15-18) and the Philadelphia 76ers (13-18) for one of the East’s bottom-two Play-In Games.

But with their loss and with wins from both the Sacramento Kings and the Pistons, the Bulls plummet to 9th in the Tankathon order, giving them a far better chance of retaining the top-10 protected draft pick they owe the San Antonio Spurs.

Roundup: Blackhawks receive ‘huge wake-up call’ in Winter Classic, Cole Kmet wins media award

• On Wednesday, Cole Kmet was presented with the Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award for the second time in his five seasons in Chicago. The award is handed out by the Pro Football Writers of America Chicago Chapter to a player for their qualities and professionalism in helping the media do their jobs.

• “I’m shocked at how we played,” Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall said after the 6-2 blowout loss at Wrigley Field to the Blues on Tuesday afternoon. “Our fans…they’ve been through a lot this year. They came and supported us so much today…and for us to lay an egg like that…I’m just…I’m really sad for the people that supported us. For us in here, this has to be a huge wake-up call.” Chicago moves to 1-6 in outdoor games and 0-5 in the Winter Classic.

🏒 Did the NHL do Blackhawks fans a disservice by awarding Chicago the Winter Classic too early in the team’s rebuild?

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