👋 Good morning!
If you were hoping to write off yesterday’s blowout loss to the Lions as just a solid butt-whoopin’ by a better team, that Vikings-Falcons game last night probably didn’t help.
What does it say about the Bears’ defense that J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings could only muster six points last night after putting up three touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Bears last Monday?
Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
September is Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Month!
CHGO and ALLCITY are proud to support their mission, and we’re raising money all month long.
You can donate — or even learn more about becoming a Big — at bbbs.org/allcity
Lions 52, Bears 21
There’s ugly…and then there’s whatever that was on Sunday afternoon.
Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit, where he’d spent the last three years revolutionizing their offense, was spoiled by the Bears’ horrific defensive effort, in which they allowed 511 yards of total offense.
Caleb Williams: 19/30, 207 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rome Odunze: 7 receptions, 128 rec. yards, 2 TD
Williams was far from perfect on Sunday, but despite the blowout loss, it still felt like an improvement from last Monday for the second-year quarterback. He also didn’t allow 52 points.
Williams on the mindset moving forward: “We’ve got 15 more games. It’s the first two games, and there have been multiple occasions [where] teams rally back and go on a run, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Ben Johnson on bouncing back: “When you’re around this league long enough, these games happen. It doesn’t feel any better when it happens, but the good teams I’ve been on, they find a way to respond, and I know our guys will do that.”
Gashed: Receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams combined for 11 receptions and 223 receiving yards. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery added 151 yards on the ground.
Jared Goff tied a career-high with five touchdowns. He also joined Peyton Manning (5), Len Dawson (6), Drew Brees (6) and Tom Brady (8) as the only quarterbacks to lead their teams to 50-point performances on five separate occasions.
Sunday’s loss also marked the first time that the Bears have allowed 50+ points since November 9, 2014, when they were crushed by the Packers, 55-14.
I wasn’t expecting to make a callback to a Mel Tucker-coached Bears defense this early in the season.
Sunday was just one of those days. The D’Andre Swift fumble, the multiple third-and-30s, the blown call by the officials before the half…
This game was like a club from a Stefon bit on SNL’s Weekend Update — It had everything.
And remember when Ryan Poles said, “We’re going to take the North and never give it back,” in his introductory press conference back in 2022?
The Bears are 3-17 against the rest of their division since that moment.
So, where do the Bears go from here? I’m honestly not quite sure.
COMEBACK: It felt like the Cubs needed that win on Sunday. Down 4-3 in the seventh, Nico Hoerner delivered. Hoerner roped a double into the left field corner, scoring Willi Castro and Matt Shaw.
Hoerner also knocked in the Cubs’ first run of the afternoon on a single in the first inning.
Shota Imanaga struggled again with the longball, allowing back-to-back jacks to Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero to begin the game. He’s allowed at least one home run in each of his last seven starts.
The Cubs will wish they had Saturday’s loss back, in which the bullpen just couldn’t hold on late. But overall, it was another solid series win, and one that gives them a chance to clinch a playoff spot this week.
The Cubs’ magic number: 4
Fri. - Cubs 6, Rays 4
Sat. - Rays 5, Cubs 4
Sun. - Cubs 4, Rays 3
ROSTER MOVES: After recalling OF Owen Caissie and optioning OF Kevin Alcantara to Triple-A on Saturday, the Cubs quickly had to reverse course on Sunday after Caissie suffered a concussion in Saturday’s loss.
Caissie’s head made contact with the brick wall behind the ivy after making a tumbling catch. The Cubs placed the outfielder on the 7-day concussion list, allowing Alcantara to return to the big league club immediately.
RIZZO RETIRES: Anthony Rizzo had a near-perfect day at Wrigley Field on Saturday, officially retiring as a Cub before soaking in the game from the bleachers.
In an incredible moment, Moises Ballesteros’ first career home run went right at Rizzo, who sat about eight rows up in left field. However, the four-time Gold Glove and one-time Platinum Glove winner couldn’t make the barehanded play.
Rizzo said before Saturday’s game: “When we won [in 2016], that global impact we had on a fan base on generations of Cubs fans is still lasting. We're almost going on 10 years, and anywhere we go, you hear stories. … I thought the coolest thing about getting traded [in 2021] was that first year, every single stadium I went to, there were so many Cubs fans in my jersey coming to see me as a Yankee, and I'll never forget that.”
SWEPT: Despite the momentum heading into the weekend, the White Sox came crashing back to earth a bit against the Guardians. The Sox scored just three runs over the three-game set in Cleveland.
Chase Meidroth homered and Miguel Vargas doubled home Lenyn Sosa on Sunday, but Josh Naylor’s solo blast put the Guardians ahead in the seventh inning.
The Sox threatened in the ninth, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Andrew Benintendi grounded out to end the game.
Avoiding 100 losses is still attainable. They’ll need to finish 6-6 to do it, but the schedule gets a bit trickier for the Sox, with series against the Orioles, Padres, Yankees and Nationals before the season ends.
Fri. - Guardians 4, White Sox 0
Sat. - Guardians 3, White Sox 1
Sun. - Guardians 3, White Sox 2
EXTENSION: The Blackhawks and goaltender Spencer Knight agreed to a three-year extension worth $5.83 million per year that’ll keep the netminder in Chicago through the 2028-29 season.
Knight, 24, was acquired in the March trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks also acquired the Panthers’ 2026 first-round pick in the deal.
In 15 starts with the Blackhawks at the end of last season, Knight sported a 5-8-2 record with a .893 save percentage and 3.18 goals against average.
Sure, not a great stat line, but Knight’s play itself was often remarkable, especially in front of a wildly inexperienced Blackhawks defensive group.
It’s all gonna get better when we get to Arlington Heights.
— #Luke Stuckmeyer (#@LukeStuckmeyer)
8:13 PM • Sep 14, 2025
Not now, Stucky!
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
TBD on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bulls
4:00 on YouTube
⚾️ Cubs at Pirates
5:40 on Marquee
⚾️ White Sox vs. Orioles
6:40 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bears After Dark
7:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Cubs
POSTGAME on CHGO Cubs YT
