👋 Good morning!

The Bears did not force a punt on Saturday night.

Oh well.

It was the first time they’ve won a game without forcing a punt since November 25, 1945 (h/t Brad Biggs).

The San Francisco 49ers — the Bears’ next opponent — haven’t punted since November. The magic of that nugget is a little lost if you know their bye week was two weeks ago.

I’d say something’s gotta give … but I suppose it doesn’t.

Bears still have playoff goals left; seeing Caleb Williams' clutch-ness in stats

It Just Means More

Ben Johnson and Jahdae Walker spoke to reporters via Zoom on Monday to tie a bow on Saturday night’s miracle against the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s what they had to say…

  • It’s A Team Sport: Between the Bears’ defense tightening in red zone situations and forcing a pivotal turnover on downs in overtime, to the special teams making the comeback possible with a perfectly executed onside kick, to Caleb Williams’ late-game mastery, Saturday night’s win required a full team effort.

    Ben Johnson on the Bears’ complementary win: “All three phases came through for us when we needed it, made some major plays and helped us earn that victory. That was fantastic to see, and yet there's still a number of things that we can clean up and get better at, and that's the encouraging thing going forward as well. Really proud of all the guys, players and coaches, being able to come through like that.”

  • It’s A Process: The Bears officially punched their ticket to the tournament on Sunday afternoon thanks to Aaron Rodgers’ effort against the Detroit Lions.

    But that’s just the first box to check for Johnson’s Bears.

    Ben Johnson on the journey ahead: “Our step No. 1 was to get to 11 (wins). … Step 2 is we want to win this division; we want to have at least one home playoff game. And then step No. 3 would be the No. 1 seed. There’s a lot of things still out there to play for. Our guys know that. We talked about it a few weeks ago, just a big picture view of where we stood in relation to the last five games of the season and what we need to accomplish to achieve those goals. They get it; not a whole lot needs to be said about it.”

  • It’s Still Unbelievable: Jahdae Walker dressed for just the eighth time in his rookie season on Saturday. Entering the game, he’d played just eight offensive snaps. He still only played 17 of the Bears’ 64 offensive snaps against the Packers. But he made his limited action count.

    Walker hauled in his first career reception on the Bears’ third play from scrimmage. His second was the second biggest catch of the game, bringing the Bears within an extra point on fourth-and-4 with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

    The chaos and pandemonium haven’t stopped for the undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M.

    Walker on the aftermath from Saturday: “I couldn't actually sleep. My phone was ringing all night. My family, we've been on the phone almost until now. We’ve just been on the phone chopping it up. They’re telling me how proud they are of me and just to keep staying ready and I never know when the next opportunity will come. Just telling me to keep staying ready and focus on next week and put this behind me because we’ve got to keep winning.”

After his game-winning overtime grab, DJ Moore told FOX, “At the end of the day, it’s F the Packers always.”

Moore then wore a cheesegrater on his head in the postgame locker room scene. Caleb Williams then handed out meals to those in need on Sunday with the same headgear.

For a franchise that’s 15-50 against the Packers since 1994, it felt like the Bears finally got their swagger back in what’s been a lopsided rivalry for more than three decades.

It just seems so obvious that this is headed toward a third matchup in the postseason. After all, Ben Johnson said he enjoys beating Matt LaFleur twice per season — he never said the postseason didn’t count.

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Old Friend Alert: The Cubs are reportedly signing catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal.

Bethancourt, 34, last played in the majors back in 2024 with the Cubs, appearing in 24 games with a modest .281/.305/.509 slash line.

New Friend Alert: The White Sox officially introduced Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami on Monday.

Murakami spoke through a translator, but began his press conference with a neat message in English: “White Sox Nation. You guys are in my heart.”

The Onside: A Breakdown

🐻 Hoge & Jahns
11:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Cubs
2:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO White Sox
4:30 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Bulls
Pregame at 6:00 on YouTube

🏀 Bulls at Hawks
6:30 on CHSN

🏒 Blackhawks vs. Flyers
8:00 on TNT

📺 CHGO Bulls
Postgame on YouTube

📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Postgame on YouTube

Something on your mind? Rate this issue and leave a comment, question or topic to discuss!

Talk to you tomorrow!

– P.N.

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