Category: News
What do you get when you pair Old Style with Malört? It’s not as bad as it sounds, East Dundee bar owners say
Some wise men in downtown East Dundee have created what could be the ultimate Chicago-themed holiday beverage.
Truth or Dare is a beer that combines the flavors of Jeppson’s Malört liqueur with Old Style — but in a good way.
“We call it Truth of Dare because people dare each other to try Malört,” said Joe Zeller, owner of The Distance Social bar.
He had the idea for a beer-and-Malört combo about a year ago, prompting Zeller and his son, Joey, to reach out to staff at Black & Gray Brewing Co., about a half a block away, to see if they would be interested in joining forces. The two businesses had already collaborated on Stonesthrow, a barleywine aged in barrels that had been used to make New Riff bourbon.
Black & Gray taproom manager Anthony Savino was intrigued by the concept, in part because of the popularity of Malört in East Dundee.
“This town is very Malört focused. Any bar in town has it,” said Chris Kennedy, Black & Gray’s director of brewery operations and Savino’s father.
Zeller confirmed that his place sells a lot of Malört. Plus, he’s friends with the people at the Chicago-based CH Distillery, which makes the wormwood-based libation that, for many, is an extremely acquired taste.
Those relationships enabled Zeller to obtain a barrel from CH Distillery to use for aging the new brew. The distillery repurposes oak barrels used to make rum and bourbon that ultimately are used to make Malört.
Black & Gray Brewing Co. taproom manager Anthony Savino and director of brewery operations Chris Kennedy show off a bottle of Truth or Dare, a new malt beer aged in a barrel once used to make Jeppson’s Malört liqueur. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News)
Kennedy started on the project about seven months ago, deciding to make a malt liquor that would age in the Malört barrel and gain flavor from it. Malt liquor is the more potent version of an imperial lager, which is what Old Style is, he said. Beers aged in barrels typically have higher alcohol content and are stronger tasting.
“Lighter beers don’t do well in barrels,” Kennedy said.
He tasted the brew about two months in, and decided it would need to age another four or five months if the barrel’s flavor was going to come through, he said.
While satisfied with the outcome, Kennedy said he was initially a bit wary about how it might be received, particularly given that Malört is so bitter.
When planning the Nov. 20 unveiling of Truth of Dare, Savino’s social media marketing called the beverage, “the greatest collaboration nobody asked for.”
Despite their initial wariness, the creation has been well-received and they’ve received kudos from the CH Distillery staff who attended the launch at the two East Dundee watering holes.
“It turned out amazing,” Saviano said. “Truth or Dare is smooth. It picked up grapefruit notes from the Malört and woody notes from the barrel.”
Kennedy likened it to a saison, a Belgian-style ale.
As far as they are aware, Truth or Dare is relatively unique among beers.
Kennedy said Scorched Earth Brewery in Algonquin sells The Algonquin Handshake, a cream ale aged in Malört barrels. An internet search shows that in spring, Milwaukee-based Broken Bat Brewing released The Chicago Handshake, which combines its lager with Malört. And this past summer, Colorado-based New Belgium Brewery and its Voodoo Ranger label came up with a Malört-ish IPA.
“As far as I know, we’re the only ones who combine a malt liquor with Malört,” Kennedy said.
The combo is doing so well that Savino said they are close to selling out of the on-tap version at Black & Gray. A 13-ounce pour of 11% ABV Truth or Dare is $8 at Black & Gray. The Distance Social is selling 22-ounce bottles for $14.
If you wind up being too late to buy some this holiday season, mark your calendars for next year. The men are planning to bring the brew back in November 2026.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/dundee-old-style-malort-beer-black-gray-truth/
Former counselor at Hartgrove Behavioral Health Hospital in Chicago charged with sexually assaulting 5 patients
A former mental health counselor at a Chicago behavioral health hospital has been charged with sexually assaulting five boys during his time there, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
Edmund Rivers, 68, is accused of sexually assaulting the boys, between the ages of 7 and 14, while he worked at Hartgrove Behavioral Health Hospital between 1996 and 2004. Hartgrove is now called Hartgrove Behavioral Health System and is located in the city’s Austin neighborhood.
“This alleged abuse is horrific, and the survivors have shown tremendous courage coming forward to report these allegations after so many years,” Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said in a news release. “Instead of receiving support during a vulnerable time in their youth, these victims were allegedly violated by someone in a position of trust and authority.”
Attempts to reach Rivers’ attorney were not immediately successful Monday evening. A judge ordered Rivers to remain detained at a hearing Monday.
Rivers was charged with three counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault.
Prosecutors allege that Rivers assaulted the boys in patient rooms, a seclusion room, a cafeteria bathroom and a gym equipment room. The victims contend that Rivers would threaten to sedate them with a hypodermic needle syringe for not going along with his advances, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Several of the victims came forward and contacted police after hearing about a civil lawsuit filed last year against Hartgrove and its parent company, Universal Health Services. That lawsuit was filed by an Illinois man, named anonymously as John Doe 1 in the lawsuit, who alleged that multiple staff members sexually abused him as a child.
That lawsuit alleged that Hartgrove and Universal Health Services were negligent, among other allegations.
The case has since been consolidated with a number of other civil lawsuits against the hospital and Universal Health Services, also alleging sexual abuse of patients at the facility. In a court document filed earlier this year, the plaintiff’s attorneys said they represented more than 150 people alleging abuse at the Chicago Hartgrove facility.
Hartgrove and Universal Health Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday evening.
Last year, a U.S. Senate committee published a report titled “Warehouses of Neglect” following an investigation of allegations of abuse and neglect at residential treatment facilities operated by companies including Universal Health Services.
According to that report, the companies aim to maximize profit by filling their facilities while reducing the number and quality of employees. Children at the facilities suffer harms including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, unsafe and unsanitary conditions, and inadequate provision of behavioral health treatment, according to the report.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/hartgrove-behavioral-hospital-sexual-assault/
Cocaine Inflation Erupts After U.S. Strikes On Caribbean Drug Boats
Cocaine Inflation Erupts After U.S. Strikes On Caribbean Drug Boats
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole told CBS News that President Trump’s military strikes on suspected drug-running vessels in the Caribbean have helped drive a sharp increase in cocaine prices.
“Cocaine is getting more expensive. And I think what it is — not only more expensive in the U.S., but we’re seeing it become more expensive at first stops. So more expensive in Puerto Rico, more expensive in the Dominican, more expensive once it lands in Guatemala and Honduras and Central America,” Cole said.
Cole said cocaine prices have surged 30% to 45% per kilogram because the strikes are disrupting the command-and-control networks that move drugs from South and Central America into the U.S. These trafficking pipelines have mainly fueled the nation’s deadly drug epidemic, which now claims roughly 100,000 American lives each year.
Nein, das ist kein Ausschnitt aus einem Zombie-Film – das ist in der US-amerikanischen Stadt Philadelphia, wo sich – wie in vielen anderen Städten der USA – eine massive Krise im Zusammenhang mit dem Mißbrauch von Fentanyl ausbreitet. Fentanyl ist ein synthetisches Opioid, das… pic.twitter.com/7cKcukxn5G
— InfraRot _Medien (@Infrarot_Medien) August 14, 2025
Much of the increased cost is now being incurred at transit points, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras.
He said hiring boat captains, purchasing engines, and building larger transport vessels are also on the rise.
“It’s now more expensive to recruit boat captains, it’s more expensive to purchase engines, it’s more expensive to build larger boats for transportation,” he added. “And this is all due to immense pressure.“
Democrats and Deep State media outlets have been up in arms about the Trump administration using the military to eliminate Venezuelan drug boats. We wonder why the left is so up in arms about cutting the drug pipelines fueling America’s worst-ever drug death crisis.
As for now, Trump’s gunboat diplomacy is a foreign-policy strategy to force regime change in Venezuela.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/01/2025 – 19:40
Pumas realiza cambios en sus dirigentes luego de naufragar en el Apertura; sale Miguel Mejía Barón
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — Después de una estancia de más de cuatro años, el vicepresidente deportivo de Pumas, Miguel Mejía Barón, renunció a su cargo, informó el lunes el equipo.
Mejía Barón, de 81 años, pasó los 12 años de su carrera como jugador profesional con los universitarios y después como su entrenador les dio un título en la temporada 1990-91.
A su cargo dirigencial con Pumas arribó en septiembre del 2021.
“El presidente del club reconoce el trabajo, la dedicación, el apoyo y el desempeño profesional de Miguel Mejía Barón, quien siempre tendrá un lugar importante en esta institución por su amplia trayectoria como jugador, entrenador y directivo”, dijo el equipo en un comunicado.
Pumas, uno de los cuatro equipos más populares en México, no logra ser campeón de liga desde el Clausura 2011, la racha más larga entre ese grupo.
Los felinos quedaron fuera de la fase final del torneo Apertura.
El equipo universitario dijo que en los próximos días nombrará al relevo de Mejía Barón, quien como entrenador dirigió a la selección mexicana en el Mundial de Estados Unidos 1994.
Adicionalmente Pumas informó de la salida de “común acuerdo” de Eduardo Saracho, quien fungía como director de estrategia deportiva desde julio del 2023.
Mejía Barón y Saracho eligieron a mediados de año a Efraín Juárez como el entrenador del equipo.
Colombia expulsa a EEUU a miembros de grupo judío ultraortodoxo Lev Tahor
Associated Press
BOGOTÁ (AP) — La autoridad migratoria colombiana informó el lunes sobre la expulsión del país de miembros del grupo judío ultraortodoxo Lev Tahor hacia Estados Unidos, incluyendo 17 menores extranjeros que consideraron en riesgo de vulneración de sus derechos.
Los miembros de Lev Tahor fueron encontrados el 22 de noviembre en un hotel de Yarumal, un poblado en el noroeste del país, justo antes de que intentaran asentarse en Colombia, según las autoridades. Entre el grupo hallaron nueve adultos y 17 menores, cinco de ellos buscados mediante alerta de localización de sus países de origen.
Migración Colombia detalló en un comunicado que las 26 personas salieron del país andino en un vuelo con destino a Nueva York, donde los adultos expulsados serán “recibidos por las autoridades” estadounidenses que evaluarán su situación judicial y verificarán si tienen requerimientos pendientes.
Mientras que los menores, agregó la autoridad colombiana, serán dejados a cargo de Child Protective Services de Nueva York, en busca de asegurar la “protección integral de sus derechos”.
Lev Tahor, fundada en Jerusalén en la década de 1980, ha cambiado de ubicación y se ha asentado en países como Estados Unidos y Guatemala. En este último país, fueron recuperados 160 niños el año pasado, tras denuncias de presuntos abuso.
En junio, El Salvador entregó a Israel a Eluzur Rumpler, líder de Lev Tahor, investigado por supuestos abusos contra menores.
A Colombia las 26 personas ingresaron entre el 22 y 23 de octubre vía aérea en dos grupos, con los documentos en regla, según indicó la autoridad migratoria.
Migración Colombia explicó que los menores ingresaron al país acompañados de un padre o familiares, pero luego “se alertó que en algunos casos los adultos no cuentan con custodia legal vigente debido a órdenes de autoridades judiciales y administrativas en los Estados Unidos, situación que originó la alerta preventiva de Interpol”.
Los menores permanecieron en Colombia en un centro estatal bajo supervisión del Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar, encargado de la niñez.
Nearly 1,900 immigrants were detained during the first half of Operation Midway Blitz. Most had no criminal record.
Newly released federal data shows that immigration agents booked in roughly 1,900 immigrants in the first half of Operation Midway Blitz – two-thirds of whom had no known criminal convictions or pending charges.
The latest data offers the first comprehensive look at the effects of the operation, and a Tribune analysis underscores the divide between the Trump administration’s stated goal – to target “the worst of the worst” – with the reality of controversial round-ups that typically snagged undocumented immigrants with no known rap sheets.
Of the 1,895 people detained by ICE, 1,271 lacked any criminal record. Another 343 people arrested had a pending criminal charge, while 281 had a criminal conviction. Of those with a criminal conviction, the vast majority of offenses were misdemeanors, traffic citations or non-violent felonies. Only 28 arrestees —1.5% — had been convicted of a violent felony or sex crime.
The Department of Homeland Security, which ran the operation, did not immediately respond to questions. It previously has argued that the Trump administration, while targeting dangerous “illegal aliens,” welcomed the arrest of anyone in the United States without legal status, no matter how otherwise-law-abiding they were.
The agency argued in a past news release that its efforts collectively helped lower crime as part of what it called “a historic win in the fight against violent criminal illegal alien crime.” The boast, however, ignored several consecutive years of decreases in Chicago’s violent crime.
The findings come from a Tribune analysis of updated U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data obtained and shared Monday by the research group Deportation Data Project.
Unlike typical law enforcement agencies, ICE does not release complete lists of those arrested but the agency periodically has been forced to release raw data of its activities under an open records lawsuit. That data has helped document the dramatic escalation of enforcement efforts in Chicago and across the country, although it doesn’t list enough details to make precise measurements of specific enforcement actions.
The best window into local impacts of Operation Midway Blitz appears to come from tallying those undocumented immigrants booked into either of two Chicago area ICE facilities – a main temporary holding jail in west suburban Broadview, and an office in the South Loop. And those figures show 1,895 people booked into either facility between Sept. 8, the announced start of Operation Midway Blitz, and Oct. 15, the most recent data available.
Because some detainees were booked in multiple times, ICE recorded a total of 1,912 bookings in that period – a significant boost in the pace of detentions that steadily climbed to an average of nearly 70 a day by mid-October. That’s roughly double the arrest rate in early June, the most intense immigration enforcement period prior to Operation Midway Blitz.
Nearly all the bookings occurred in Broadview, under the shadow of regular, sometimes confrontational protests. The nondescript building – a way station with large holding cells meant for stays less than 12 hours – rarely saw more than a handful of bookings a day under the waning days of Biden administration. Since Trump regained the office, the facility at times has seen more than 100 people jammed there for days without beds, showers or hot food in ways sparking a federal lawsuit alleging inhumane conditions.
Still, those figures may not capture those arrested and booked into another facility outside the region. DHS has broadly defined the boundaries of Operation Midway Blitz, including arrests in northwest Indiana, for example. By DHS’ calculations, agents had surpassed 3,000 total arrests two months into the operation. The agency did not break down how many of those arrested lacked any rap sheets before their arrest.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/operation-midway-blitz-criminal-record/
Milei Launches ‘Isaac Accords’ To Expand Israeli Influence In Latin America
Milei Launches ‘Isaac Accords’ To Expand Israeli Influence In Latin America
Argentinian President Javier Milei formally launched the Isaac Accords on Saturday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening political, economic, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin America.
Milei announced the initiative following a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who visited Buenos Aires on Saturday as part of a regional diplomatic tour.
The Isaac Accords are being promoted in partnership with Washington and are modeled after the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Milei said Argentina would serve as a “pioneer” alongside the US to promote the new framework to other Latin American countries, including Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised Milei’s love of Judaism and Israel as “sincere, powerful, and moving.” Before the meeting began, Milei recited the “Shehecheyanu,” a traditional Jewish blessing, and placed a kippah on his head.
“When the president saw me place the kippah on my head to make the blessing, he immediately placed on his own head the kippah he keeps in his office,” Saar wrote.
After his election, Milei “transformed Argentina from a critic of Israel to one of its staunchest supporters,” according to the Times of Israel, including announcing plans to move its embassy to occupied Jerusalem.
Though Milei was raised Catholic, he has stated he will convert to Judaism once he leaves office. Argentine officials said that possible joint projects with Israel in the fields of technology, security, and economic development are already under consideration.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno is scheduled to travel to Israel in February for additional talks to advance the initiative.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei:
“Israel exemplifies the values that once made the West great.
Supporting Israel means supporting those same principles we abandoned…”
Genocide, ethnic cleansing, racical supremacy, colonisation, apartheid.
pic.twitter.com/VTSUFYvrnJ
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) November 28, 2025
Since coming to power, Milei has opened Argentina’s economy to exploitation by foreign investors, including by evicting Mapuche tribes from their lands in the southern Patagonia region.
Foreign corporations with major investments in the Argentine Patagonia include the Israeli firm Mekorot, the Italian firm Benetton, and investment companies from the UAE, among others.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/01/2025 – 19:15
Seth Curry se integra a los Warriors para reunirse con su hermano mayor Stephen
Por JANIE McCAULEY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tal como se planeó, Seth Curry está de vuelta con los Warriors de Golden State para reunirse con su hermano mayor Stephen.
Comenzaron la temporada juntos en el campamento de entrenamiento antes de que Seth fuera liberado por la franquicia el 18 de octubre en un movimiento financiero, siempre con la intención de traer de vuelta al veterano escolta. Su fichaje fue anunciado el lunes y el menor de los Curry se puso a trabajar de inmediato en la práctica. Golden State liberó al alero Jackson Rowe, quien había sido firmado con un contrato de dos vías a finales de enero.
No está claro cuándo los hermanos estarán juntos en la duela nuevamente, dado que Stephen está fuera de juego por una contusión en el cuádriceps izquierdo y una distensión muscular después de lesionarse en una derrota ante los Rockets el miércoles por la noche. Se espera que sea reevaluado el jueves.
“Creo que todos en la liga saben lo que aporto en cuanto a mi juego, simplemente poder abrir la cancha, hacer tiros, simplemente crear ofensiva. Saben lo que aporto, y creo que toda la liga lo sabe, así que solo trato de proporcionar eso lo antes posible”, señaló Seth Curry a los reporteros después de la práctica.
El jugador de 35 años apareció en seis juegos de pretemporada para Golden State en 2013 y luego jugó para el equipo de la G League Santa Cruz Warriors ese año, con los hermanos jugando un total de 100 segundos juntos durante el último cuarto de dos juegos durante esa pretemporada del ’13.
Este marca su décimo equipo en 12 temporadas. Curry ha promediado diez puntos, 2,0 rebotes, 1,9 asistencias jugando 22,5 minutos por partido para Brooklyn, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Memphis, Filadelfia, Phoenix, Portland y Sacramento.
“Me siento cómodo en esa situación. Siempre he podido adaptarme a lo largo de mi carrera. Me enorgullece adaptarme a diferentes situaciones y jugar bien prácticamente donde sea que haya estado sin importar las circunstancias. Cuando estoy en la cancha, pregúntales a los entrenadores para los que he jugado, a los fanáticos que me ven noche tras noche, a mis compañeros de equipo, prácticamente puedo producir en cualquier lugar al que voy”, dijo cuando se unió originalmente a los Warriors.
Promedió 6,5 puntos y 1,7 rebotes jugando 15,6 minutos para los Hornets la temporada pasada.
Ahora Seth Curry se une a un equipo de los Warriors profundo que lucha por cuidar consistentemente el balón, un punto focal cada noche para el entrenador Steve Kerr. Dijo que estará buscando diferentes combinaciones para mejorar tanto ofensiva como defensivamente sin Stephen Curry.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Commission recommends sign variance for Charles Schwab branch in downtown Naperville
Charles Schwab is planning renovations to its downtown Naperville branch to help meet the financial needs of changing generations, and one of the updates involves a request to add a sign where it’s not typically permitted by city code.
But Planning and Zoning Commissioners voted 7-2 to recommend a variance that could allow the company to install a wall sign on the upper east facade of its two-story building at 19 W. Washington St. If the Naperville City Council approves the variance, Schwab could add a third sign to its building, this one on the side next to The George restaurant, visible above The George’s roof.
The problem necessitating the request, Schwab officials said during the commission’s most recent meeting, is the building is hard to identify for customers coming from the east, down the hill on Chicago Avenue approaching Washington Street.
The building has entrances — and signs — on both Chicago and Jackson avenues. But when customers don’t see the sign on Chicago until they’re past the building, they can’t easily navigate back to it, said Kathleen West, an attorney for Charles Schwab. That’s because the block of Jackson Avenue on which the Schwab building is located is one-way heading west.
“The lack of adequate identification of the Schwab building creates circulation issues, which are frustrating to Schwab’s customers,” West said. “Several times a week, someone then turns to go east on Jackson Avenue — the wrong way. We’d like to try to resolve this issue.”
Adding a sign facing Washington Street above The George “will help become a beacon for our branch,” said Kaitlan Keppler, who leads the real estate group for Charles Schwab.
Schwab has leased the entire building at 19 W. Chicago Ave. for about 20 years, and its lease is now up for renewal. Keppler said the company is using the renewal as an opportunity to renovate, install new signs in line with updated corporate branding, and begin more community outreach and education.
It’s a critical time to increase financial education, the company said in its petition to the city, “to support what is projected to be the highest wealth transfer between generations (baby boomers to their children or younger heirs) in history.”
Planned renovations include the creation of a seminar space and more seating areas. The office already hosts 4,400 face-to-face meetings between clients and advisors each year, and another 6,400 customers come in without appointments scheduled, West said. Its customer base includes 76,000 families in Naperville, Lisle, Downers Grove and Warrenville.
The request for the sign on the upper eastern wall of the building requires a variance because of its location next to another building, said Anna Franco, with the city’s planning services team.
“The sign regulations for commercial wall signs permit signage on facades adjacent to a street, sidewalk or alley, parking lot or the DuPage River,” Franco said. “The proposed wall sign requires a variance because the east facade does not meet one of these requirements.”
However, upper-level wall signs are common throughout downtown, West said, listing several buildings that have them, including Main Street Shops, Barnes & Noble, Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea and Hotel Indigo.
“They are not intrusive. They help visitors navigate downtown Naperville,” West said. “Therefore, this sign will not alter the essential character of the area nor be a detriment to existing properties.”
Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/01/schwab-sign-variance-naperville-downtown/
Ben Johnson causa sensación al frente de los Bears, líderes de la Conferencia Nacional
Por ANDREW SELIGMAN
CHICAGO (AP) — Ben Johnson se quitó la camiseta y posó como un fisicoculturista mientras los jugadores gritaban y cantaban en el vestuario después de que los Bears de Chicago vencieran a los campeones defensores del Super Bowl, los Eagles de Filadelfia.
La celebración que se volvió viral ciertamente llamó la atención. Incluso la hija pequeña del entrenador en jefe de Chicago tuvo algo que decir al respecto.
“Mi hija de dos años estaba viendo la pantalla del televisor en casa. Ella señalaba la pantalla, ‘Sin camiseta, sin camiseta’. Mi esposa no tenía idea de lo que estaba pasando”, dijo Johnson el lunes. “Así fue como sucedió. Creo que cada vez que tienes la oportunidad de alimentar a la ciudad, quieres hacerlo. Así que, hombre del pueblo.”
Con su energía contagiosa y una creciente cantidad de victorias, Johnson se está ganando el cariño de la gente de Chicago en su primera temporada como entrenador en jefe. Los Bears (9-3) no solo lideran la División Norte de la NFC, sino que también ocupan el primer lugar en la Conferencia Nacional. Han ganado cinco seguidos y nueve de diez, y tratarán de mantener el impulso cuando visiten a su rival divisional Green Bay (8-3-1) el domingo en un enfrentamiento de los dos mejores equipos del sector.
La victoria de 24-15 en Filadelfia el viernes vino con un bono: perros calientes gratis. En octubre, el Wiener’s Circle en el lado norte de Chicago ofreció perros calientes gratis si Johnson se quitaba la camiseta después de una victoria de los Bears. Johnson decidió que el viernes era el momento adecuado para hacerlo.
No falta emoción en Chicago. En el transcurso de un año, los Bears pasaron de despedir al exentrenador Matt Eberflus el día después de una vergonzosa derrota de Acción de Gracias en Detroit, a vencer a los campeones defensores como visitantes en Black Friday.
Han pasado de terminar en el sótano de la división a asegurar una temporada ganadora con cinco juegos restantes. Chicago no ha terminado por encima de .500 desde que el equipo de 2018 ganó la NFC Norte con marca de 12-4. Y con la victoria de Carolina sobre Matthew Stafford y los Rams de Los Ángeles (9-3), los Bears se movieron al primer lugar en la Nacional.
“La importancia de esto en este momento no es mucha”, dijo el ala cerrada Cole Kmet. “Mira, sé cómo es todo esto. Estamos en la llamada cima de la montaña ahora mismo, pero esas cosas cambian rápidamente de semana a semana. Lo sentimos después de la semana de Baltimore y podrías sentirlo después de las dos primeras semanas de la temporada”.
Chicago dejó escapar una ventaja de 11 puntos en una derrota en el primer partido de la temporada contra Minnesota y fue aplastado la semana siguiente en Detroit. La única derrota desde entonces fue en la semana ocho en Baltimore.
Contra Filadelfia, Chicago tuvo dos jugadores que superaron las 100 yardas por tierra en un juego por primera vez desde Walter Payton y Matt Suhey el 10 de noviembre de 1985, contra Detroit, con Kyle Monangai corriendo para 130 yardas y D’Andre Swift logrando 125. La defensiva sumó dos balones recuperados más a su total líder en la NFL de 26, con la sexta intercepción de Kevin Byard, la mejor de la NFL, y el balón suelto forzado y recuperado de Nahshon Wright en el intento de “tush-push” de Jalen Hurts.
El juego aéreo sigue siendo un área que necesita trabajo. Caleb Williams completó un mínimo de la temporada del 47.2% (17 de 36), el quinto juego consecutivo en el que ha estado por debajo del 60%. Ha sido perjudicado en algunos juegos por pases caídos, y contra Filadelfia, los receptores perdieron el equilibrio algunas veces en lanzamientos bien colocados.
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Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
