👋 Good morning!

Cranberry sauce. It’s the Bears’ linebacking corps of Thanksgiving sides.

Sure, the real thing looks delicious, smells incredible and probably would’ve read the end-around on the 55-yard fake tush push on Sunday.

But sometimes, the second-string jellied log out of the can does the trick.

Some of us even prefer that sweet, sliced hockey puck sliding around our plate. I’m sure the Bears, however, would enjoy having T.J. Edwards or Noah Sewell back before Friday.

– Patrick Norton

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Gotta Give ‘Em Credit

Ben Johnson, Drew Dalman and Grady Jarrett spoke to the media on Monday at Halas Hall, and there was plenty of praise to go around one day after the Bears’ impressive, gutsy short-handed win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Defenders Who Stepped Up: Without linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell, plus cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, the Bears’ defense rose to the occasion, coming through in the big moments.

While the defense still allowed three touchdowns, it also forced two turnovers and held on a critical fourth-and-1.

Ben Johnson on the defense’s effort on Sunday: “Obviously, you had those linebackers step to the forefront and come through for us. Montez (Sweat) had a huge game and really impacted the outcome there. (Nahshon Wright’s) interception was one of the most athletic plays and phenomenal catches I've seen in a long time.”

Johnson continued on Wright: “What's under-sung about what Shonny is doing right now is how much he's influencing the run game, as well. He's coming up, he's tackling the ball carrier, they're throwing a bubble screen and he's knifing through making a play there. He's really playing sound football, really run game and pass game included.”

Grady Jarrett on Montez Sweat’s strip-sack: “I think just being in the right place, man. Playing hard. I think another thing that helps him when he makes those nice big plays, he’s able to make them outside of the pocket because of his crazy athleticism.”
No More Tears: Don’t forget about Ozzy Trapilo, who stepped into the starting left tackle role shortly before gametime and played nearly flawlessly.

Trapilo, who replaced an inactive and injured Theo Benedet, allowed only one pressure and zero sacks in his first career start.

Johnson on Trapilo: “He didn't miss a beat there. Communication was really good between him and Joe (Thuney). I think he did a nice job whenever he had help on his side of being slow to drag out. … So just the full understanding of the game plan and what we're trying to get done. It's a great start for him to build on.”

Drew Dalman on Trapilo’s first start: “Yeah, I think a lot of good habits, and those are formed — whether he's playing or not, he's preparing and practicing and dedicating himself to be ready when that situation comes up. And so that came up, and he was ready to go.”

A full team effort.

They’ll need another one of those on Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles. The quick turnaround is one thing, but the injuries add one heck of a layer.

The Bears won’t hold a full practice until Wednesday. It’ll be another walk-through today.

That means an estimated injury report.

If Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon can go on Friday, we won’t really know until … Thursday? Maybe Wednesday?

What about Tyrique Stevenson, who left Sunday’s game with an aggravation of his hip injury? Or Ruben Hyppolite II, the rookie backup linebacker, who suffered a shoulder injury on a devastating block from Steelers TE Darnell Washington?

The Bears are running out of guys, which reminds me…

The team added LB Dominique Hampton, TE Qadir Ismail and DE Jeremiah Martin to the practice squad and placed TE Nikola Kalinic on the practice squad/injured list.

Detailing Caleb Williams' growth, C.J. Gardner-Johnson's fight, Nahshon Wright's future and more

Read Jahns’ Latest

Pelicans 143, Bulls 130: Unforgivable — that’s what that was.

Two nights removed from a lucky come-from-behind one-point win over the one-win Washington Wizards, the Bulls’ insistence to play to the level of their opponent bit them in the rear against the two-win New Orleans Pelicans.

Nikola Vucevic, a late scratch from the lineup with right knee soreness, was sorely missed. For instance, Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams combined for 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the starting lineup. All three of those marks are below Vucevic’s season averages (16.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists).

Ayo Dosunmu scored 28 in 32 minutes. It was his largest scoring output since March 21, 2024, when he scored 35 points against the Houston Rockets.

Vucevic said after Saturday’s one-point win: “More often than not, if you continue to play this way, it’s just going to be bad losses after bad losses.”

This was as bad a loss as it gets. Just a gross one to lose by double digits.

MORE: Will Gottlieb, Matt Peck & Big Dave’s reactions to the loss