“I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to lay my head at tonight,” Sweat said.

So the new Bears defensive end will have to be excused for still figuring out what it’s going to take for the Bears to sign him to a contract extension.

It’s one of the most relevant questions for the Bears after general manager Ryan Poles traded a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders on Tuesday to acquire Sweat, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. In order to make that investment in draft capital worth it, the Bears obviously want Sweat for more than nine games.

Poles said the Bears are working to make a deal with Sweat. He didn’t have a timeline for when it might be completed but said he was hopeful “it won’t take too long.” The Bears also will have the franchise and transition tags available this offseason if a contract doesn’t come to fruition.

“I feel really confident that we can get a deal done,” Poles said.

Sweat, a former Commanders first-round pick who has 35 1/2 career sacks in 67 games since 2019, said financial security and the people and teammates around him would be important factors in where he signs his next contract.

He said he was sure his agents were talking to the Bears about working something out. But for Wednesday, Sweat still was trying to get his bearings in Lake Forest.

“Everything is happening kind of fast right now,” he said. “I’m just waiting for it to slow down and hit the ground running when we get there.”

Poles called the 6-foot-6, 262-pound Sweat “a long, fast, explosive, relentless defensive end that can help us both in the run and in the pass game.” He said Sweat is “a multiplier,” the type of player who makes everybody else on the defense better.

“Hopefully he comes in and continues to be that dog that he’s shown over the years,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said of Sweat. “Get some tipped passes that maybe fall my way or get the QB to throw the ball off target a little bit, allow it to fall in my hands.”

Sweat joins a Bears pass rush in desperate need of a boost after totaling an NFL-low 10 sacks through eight games.

After examining the upcoming options in free agency and the draft, the Bears saw the acquisition as getting ahead of a competitive market.

“If you look at the free agent stack now, it’s going to look very different by the time you get to that point of the year because there are so many different opportunities that can pop up in terms of extensions, tags, different things like that,” Poles said. “So we decided with that type of player we wanted to capitalize on that now.”

It was the second time in two years Poles traded a second-round draft pick for a player at the midseason deadline.

Last year’s trade, when Poles sent what would become the No. 32 overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool, obviously was a bust. The Bears traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins after less than a year with the team.

Poles said he learned from the Claypool situation. But he also didn’t let it affect his thinking with Sweat, who is more established than Claypool was and already has 6 1/2 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and 10 tackles for a loss in eight games this year.

“If (the moves) fail or you make mistakes, you look back at why and address those,” Poles said. “The key is that sometimes you become a little bit shy to make aggressive moves as you go forward. That’s not how we’re wired. I took a lot of those things from that situation and kind of went through that process and said, ‘OK, here’s where we may have messed up this.’ Then for this one, it’s not making the same mistake.”

In the days before the deadline, Sweat had seen the rumors swirling about potentially being traded. His agent told him the Atlanta Falcons were among the teams interested in acquiring him, and as someone who’s from Georgia, it was “a place of interest.”

“Obviously they wanted me,” Sweat said. “Here they wanted me more, so this is where I am.”

Sweat was heading to a Commanders walk-through Tuesday when he received the call from his agent. He said there were “a lot of emotions” as he prepared to leave his only NFL home, in part because of the relationships he built.

“I mean you’ve got to pick up shop and find a new home,” Sweat said. “So there’s a lot of emotions that come with that, but I’m ready for the challenge. I’m ready to meet my new teammates and hit the ground rolling.”

In the short term, Sweat said he believes he will play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, a possibility coach Matt Eberflus left up in the air.

As for the long term, Sweat didn’t delve into how much leverage he has over the Bears in contract talks given the draft capital they gave up to acquire him.

“I don’t really know too much about leverage and all that type of stuff,” he said. “I just want to consider everything around me before I make a decision.”

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Meanwhile, five starters — left tackle Ronnie Stanley, right tackle Morgan Moses, running back Gus Edwards, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh — did not participate in the portion of practice open to reporters. Reserve cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was also absent.

The Ravens’ first injury report of the week will come out later than usual, because the Seattle Seahawks did not begin practice until late afternoon, but coach John Harbaugh indicated none of the missing players are dealing with serious issues.

“Nothing really to report that’s concerning that way,” he said after practice. “As it goes along in the week, you’ll kind of see it unfold that way.”

Harbaugh said Monday his team came out of its win over the Arizona Cardinals without any major injuries. Beckham suffered a chest contusion but returned to finish the game. Oweh, who has been dealing with an ankle injury most of the season, also went to the blue medical tent to be treated but returned to action. Moses ceded some snaps to Patrick Mekari, but Harbaugh said that was more about managing the veteran lineman’s workload.

In addition to Williams, defensive back Daryl Worley (shoulder) returned to practice, starting his 21-day window to return from injured reserve.

Williams said he’s not frustrated by the hamstring and pectoral injuries that have kept him out much of this season. “I feel good,” he said, though he added “we’ll see what happens” when asked if he expects to play against the Seahawks.

This story will be updated.

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Eberflus described the culture he has been trying to establish for almost two years in Lake Forest as “awesome,” asserted that the last-place Bears are “turning a corner” and, on multiple occasions, pointed to the team’s .500 record over the last month as evidence they have legitimate reasons to feel encouraged and optimistic.

But that messaging might not resonate with most of an outside audience that has watched the Bears continually stumble on the field — they are 5-20 under Eberflus — while experiencing repeated tumult behind the scenes, the most recent being Wednesday’s sudden firing of running backs coach David Walker for what is believed to be concerning misconduct.

“As the head coach,” Eberflus said, “we are building a program and have standards to uphold as a staff and organization both on and off the field. And those standards were not met.”

Eberflus said the decision to fire Walker was made after he consulted with and gained the support of general manager Ryan Poles and team President Kevin Warren.

“It’s disappointing from my vantage point,” Eberflus said. “But we have a standard to uphold. When that standard is not met, we act accordingly. And that’s what we did today.”

Added Poles: “We have expectations here. Those come from me, Kevin, George (McCaskey) and Matt. If you don’t meet those expectations with how you move around this building, how you treat people, how you talk to people and how you act, you don’t belong here.”

Walker is the second member of Eberflus’ staff to exit Halas Hall in the last six weeks following the abrupt late-September resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams, whose departure from the organization, according to multiple sources, was conduct-related.

With so much failure on the field and so much instability in the coaching ranks, does Eberflus believe there is a culture problem with his team? “Absolutely not,” he said. “The culture in our building is outstanding. The guys work hard every single day. The relationship piece is there. We care about each other. We’re working diligently to get this thing turned (around).

“We’re 2-2 in our last four (games). One game (against the Vikings) was real close. We had a chance at that one. We really feel we’re turning the corner and we are excited about this week. But to answer the question, our culture is awesome.”

The Bears remain in last place in the NFC North and are coming off a 30-13 blowout loss on “Sunday Night Football” to the Los Angeles Chargers. That was the team’s third loss this season by at least 15 points and the ninth during Eberflus’ tenure.

The Bears hired Walker to coach their running backs in early February 2022, less than two weeks after Eberflus came aboard as head coach. Walker had been out of coaching for the previous three seasons with his most recent NFL stop coming with the Detroit Lions from 2016-18.

Now 53, Walker was in his ninth season as an NFL assistant with his first such gig coming with the Indianapolis Colts from 2011-14.

After leading the NFL in rushing a year ago — propelled largely by an explosive 1,143-yard season from quarterback Justin Fields — the Bears rank sixth this season, averaging 132.8 rushing yards per game.

Still, Eberflus dodged direct questions Wednesday about whether Walker’s removal was for behavioral reasons and not connected to his football coaching ability.

Eberflus was later asked about his vetting process for hiring coaches.

“The evaluation process is what it is,” Eberflus said. “You make your phone calls. You do your due diligence. You bring them in for an interview. You have phone conversations. You ask people who are associated and so forth and so on. So that’s that.”

With Walker gone, Omar Young will oversee the running backs. Young, who is in his second season with the Bears, was an offensive quality control coach in 2022 and transitioned into being an assistant quarterbacks and receivers coach this year.

This has been another rocky ride for the Bears with a couple of October victories hardly enough to offset the team’s dispiriting 0-4 start.

The Bears were trounced 38-20 by the rival Green Bay Packers to open the season at Soldier Field. Two weeks later, they trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 41-0 midway through the third quarter in an eventual 31-point loss. And in Week 4, they blew a 28-3 lead at home in a 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Bears’ two wins, meanwhile, were against the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders, a pair of teams experiencing their own turbulence.

The Commanders held a fire sale before the league’s trade deadline Tuesday, dealing away defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. And the Raiders, coming off consecutive losses to the Bears and Detroit Lions, fired general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels late Tuesday.

Still, Eberflus was clinging to positives Wednesday, expressing confidence in the improvement of his defense, the reliability of the running game on offense and the Bears’ ability to secure a Week 7 win over the Raiders with starting quarterback Justin Fields injured and rookie Tyson Bagent starting in his place.

“The guys are positive, upbeat and looking forward to New Orleans,” Eberflus said.

Poles, meanwhile, continued to express his unwavering belief in Eberflus as a leader.

“What I see every day when I see him address the team and when I see his approach to adversity, it is stable,” Poles said. “I know to the outside world, it doesn’t look like that. And I know it looks like we’re far away. But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away. … The way he holds everything down here is incredible for how loud it is, how tough it is.

“This team, you watch them and they fight. I know this past weekend wasn’t great. But you can’t watch that team and be like, ‘Oh, they’re going to fold.’ ”

Still, with Walker’s firing affecting the building and overshadowing the trade for Sweat, Eberflus acknowledged the sullen mood.

“We’re all disappointed,” he said. “It’s never good when this has to happen. Certainly a disappointment. But I do know this, adversity does make you stronger in your personal life, in your team life. It’s just how you come through it. It’s how you respond to it.”

More Bears news

• Column: Bears GM Ryan Poles assumed risk in Montez Sweat trade, but free agency and the draft make it a worthy gamble
• Cornerback Jaylon Johnson stays with the Bears despite a late request before the NFL trade deadline
• Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Chargers
• Column: When will the NFL and TV networks learn to stop putting the Bears in prime time?
• Vikings trade for QB Joshua Dobbs, adding another option after Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury
• True or false: The Tyson Bagent fairy tale has reached the end for the Bears after a shaky Week 8 performance
• How QB Tyson Bagent rose from zero-star recruit to Division II record-breaker to Bears rookie starter

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Within hours of the Harden deal being reported late Monday, LaVine’s name popped up in “early chatter” as a trade target for the 76ers, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

LaVine would give the 76ers a scoring and playmaking threat to help replace Harden in the backcourt. And the 76ers have stocked up on future draft picks that could make for a tempting offer if the Bulls front office decides to rebuild.

But after a shootaround in Dallas ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks, LaVine said he has received no communication from the Bulls front office about a potential trade and feels confident in his role in Chicago.

“I’ve been traded before,” LaVine told the Tribune. “Trades are just part of the business and guys get shuffled around every year. I’ve been in trade talks since I’ve been here for some reason.

“I feel like I’ve held up my end of the bargain in my commitment to the Bulls, but there’s not a lot you can do with rumors and people putting your name in trade talks.”

LaVine noted that every trade is different. Some players have the opportunity to collaborate with the front office and their agent on a trade; for instance, Harden’s move to Los Angeles was coordinated through a long, drawn-out ordeal between the 76ers front office and the three-time scoring champion’s camp.

But that hasn’t been the case for LaVine. His trade to the Bulls in 2017 came as a shock.

LaVine was fresh off his third season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being in recovery from ACL surgery, he felt good about his performance after averaging a then-career-high 18.9 points. He received no indication from the Timberwolves front office that a trade was possible heading into draft night — until his then-agent, Billy Duff, called him minutes before the No. 16 pick went in.

LaVine learned he had been traded to the Bulls with Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen — whom the Timberwolves had selected at No. 7 — in exchange for Jimmy Butler and No. 16 pick Justin Patton. He didn’t have the chance to talk with his teammates or Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor until after the trade went through.

“I was completely blindsided,” LaVine said. “You have to learn the business really fast early on in the NBA.”

LaVine said he tries not to think often about the possibility of being traded by the Bulls. He also feels assured they would provide upfront communication before making a major move.

“I feel like I’m in a good situation now where, if anything were to happen, they would let me know,” he said. “I have good communication with them and my agent.

“But there’s been stars traded before, high-level guys, who didn’t know about it as well. You’ve just got to hope you have a good relationship — or at least you have a heads up for the family.”

LaVine feels he has proved his commitment to the Bulls, but he also has been realistic throughout the start of the season. This is the third year of a roster built around the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević and LaVine — and the seventh season featuring LaVine as the face of the team. During that span, the Bulls have made the playoffs only once.

It’s clear to LaVine that if things don’t change this season, the Bulls front office will be forced to make roster moves. But in the short term, he’s focused on getting the offense off the ground — and not on trade buzz.

“You take it with a grain of salt,” he said. “It doesn’t affect me because at this point I’m in my 10th year. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. It’s unbothering to me.”

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There hasn’t been so much as a chirp since from leading state Democrats, particularly those who may have to grapple in the next General Assembly session with a proposal to make additional funds available to the team.

Political experts say few in his own party may be ready to publicly question Moore — a dynamic new governor with many powers regarding state spending and decision-making — over the terms of the arrangement with Angelos, although a Republican legislative leader is expressing concerns.

The deal became public during a Sept. 28 game, when a hastily arranged announcement appeared as a scoreboard message and the display cut to a feed from the owner’s box showing the governor and Angelos. The text of the celebratory message failed to convey that there was no lease, only a nonbinding “memorandum of understanding.”

Treasurer Dereck Davis, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Senate President Bill Ferguson — all Democrats who previously had spoken forcefully about the need to get a new lease before the current one expires Dec. 31 — declined interview requests from The Baltimore Sun about the memorandum. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and other legislative leaders also declined to comment.

The highest-profile public responses from Democrats came after Moore’s office solicited canned comments Sept. 28 from members of Maryland’s congressional delegation to distribute to the media the next day.

“The Governor would appreciate statements of support from Members (something along the lines of being encouraged by the MOU, progress being made to keep the Orioles and boost Baltimore),” said an email from Washington-based Moore aide Matthew Verghese to Maryland congressmen and senators. “Please let me know if you think you can provide one by tonight!” said the email, which was obtained by The Sun.

Delegation members received a summary of the memorandum of understanding from the governor’s office. Echoing Moore’s previous statements, the email said the agreement would bring the stadium’s operations in line with best practices from around the country and “boost private sector investment around the stadium and across the city while creating good-paying jobs and diversifying our economy.”

Most of the Democratic federal lawmakers responded with written quotes congratulating Moore on the progress toward a significant agreement.

According to Verghese’s Sept. 28 email, the governor’s “timeline” was to announce the memorandum of understanding the next day.

Instead, it happened between innings at the game that night. Two top officials of the Maryland Stadium Authority, the state entity that oversees Camden Yards, said they did not know about the plan to make the announcement to fans at the stadium until that day. They asked that their names not be used because they were not authorized to speak about the ongoing negotiations.

David Turner, a senior adviser and communications director for Moore, declined to comment Wednesday on why the announcement was moved up.

Moore administration members held a media briefing the next day to provide details of the memorandum of understanding. They also sent out two news releases with the solicited quotes, remarks that the governor’s office sent again Tuesday to The Sun.

The eight-page memorandum contains specific terms covering issues such as stadium rent, advertising signs, parking and ground lease approvals. It is not legally binding but says it outlines “key components” of the plans of the team and the stadium authority, while remaining subject to “additional modification.”

In an Oct. 4 guest commentary in The Sun, former Stadium Authority Chair Thomas Kelso, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan who Moore replaced last winter with his own choice, wrote that there are “numerous issues that need scrutiny” in the memorandum of understanding.

In particular, Kelso is concerned that the Orioles, not the state, would have authority over state-funded improvements to the ballpark.

“These changes will eviscerate the MSA’s role and responsibility at Oriole Park and reverse nearly four decades of success,” he wrote.

Kelso also questioned whether the state would receive adequate compensation for allowing the Orioles to work with private firms to develop state-owned land around Camden Yards, including the former B&O Railroad warehouse and Camden Station, that the state and team have long said are underutilized. Under the plan, the Orioles would pay $94 million in rent over a 99-year term.

The memorandum of understanding also proposes a safety and repair fund for ballpark projects that would cost $3.3 million per year, or about $100 million over a 30-year lease. The General Assembly would need to approve those funds, and the Ravens would seem to be eligible for a matching amount under a parity clause that requires the state to provide the teams “fairly comparable” lease terms.

In the weeks since the Sept. 28 game, The Sun sought interviews with state Democratic leaders about the memorandum.

“The president is looking forward to a lease being signed, and it would be more appropriate to comment when that is complete,” said David Schuhlein, a spokesman for Ferguson.

It’s not known when that will happen. Asked Tuesday about the status of negotiations, Moore spokesperson Carter Elliott called the memorandum of understanding “a strong framework” and said the state and the Orioles “are diligently fleshing out the details around the announced terms to align on final lease terms.”

The Orioles finished their 101-win season with a collapse in the American League Division Series, leaving the looming lease expiration one of the last big events on the team’s horizon for 2023.

“Mark my words, and you can bet on it, the Orioles will be here for 30 years,” Moore said in an impassioned speech during an Oct. 4 meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works. The state spending board, composed of Moore, Davis and Lierman, ultimately needs to approve a lease.

The memorandum of understanding places state Democratic lawmakers in a sensitive spot, according to political analysts.

Under a 2022 law, the stadium authority can borrow up to $1.2 billion to pay for stadium improvements — $600 million each for the Orioles and Ravens. Ferguson said in August that he didn’t envision the General Assembly making additional resources available.

Now, the memorandum suggests the legislature approve the safety and repair fund of about $3.3 million a year for the Orioles, which could trigger a matching amount for the Ravens.

“We passed this legislation that freed up an unprecedented amount of money. I supported it,” said Republican Del. Jason Buckel of Allegany County, the House minority leader. “I haven’t seen anyone advocate for going beyond the $600 million. I don’t know that there is a huge appetite in the General Assembly across party lines to invest hundreds of [millions] of dollars in more money.”

Moore — who took office in January for a four-year term and is popular within his party — has invested significant political capital in teaming with Angelos on their plans to sign a ballpark agreement and revitalize downtown Baltimore.

“Governors in our state, in particularly in comparison to other states, have a whole lot of power, and a whole lot of budget power,” said Roger E. Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs. “So people don’t want to offend the governor. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have disagreements. They might not make those disagreements public.”

It can be risky to challenge a new governor, said political analyst Flavio Hickel, an assistant political science professor at Washington College.

“It sounds like there are an awful lot of unknowns here,” Hickel said. ”When you don’t how a political leader will react, that’s the most dangerous situation.”

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Baltimore’s top executive, manager and best player were honored by The Sporting News on Thursday morning after leading the Orioles to a 101-win regular season.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was named MLB Executive of the Year and Brandon Hyde won AL Manager of the Year, as voted by their front office and managerial peers. Infielder Gunnar Henderson was named AL Rookie of the Year, as voted by the 376 players who submitted ballots, according to The Sporting News.

Elias took over in November 2018 after the Orioles lost a franchise-worst 115 games. The rebuild he led produced 100-loss seasons in 2019 and 2021, but it started to bear fruit in 2022 when Baltimore was the American League’s best team not to make the playoffs. The club took another step this year as the AL’s top regular season team while also boasting the sport’s top farm system.

Elias hired Hyde to lead the Orioles through the painful rebuild. After a 110-loss campaign in 2021, the Orioles won 31 more games in 2022 as one of MLB’s biggest surprises. While almost every team in MLB history to have such an improvement regresses the following year, Hyde’s Orioles didn’t, winning 18 more games to mark the greatest two-year turnaround in MLB history.

Henderson hit .255 with a team-best .814 OPS, 28 home runs, 29 doubles, nine triples and 10 steals. The 22-year-old rookie overcame a slow start and emerged in the summer as the Orioles’ best player, winning Most Valuable Oriole, as voted by local media. His 6.3 wins above replacement ranked ninth among MLB players on Baseball-Reference.

Elias, Hyde and Henderson could all win the same awards from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America next month.

MLB executives also voted for All-Star teams on their Sporting News ballots. Adley Rutschman, one of the Orioles’ three Gold Glove Award finalists, tied with Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the AL’s catcher spot, while closer Félix Bautista, who missed the final six weeks of the season with a torn elbow ligament, was picked as the AL’s top reliever.

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It almost seems like an anachronism. Taking a trip by train is like something out of the past.

Now, Amtrak is looking to double in size.

By using funds from the 2021 infrastructure bill, Amtrak is making improvements at some of its biggest and most popular hubs. Those include train stations in New York, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Philadelphia.

“Amtrak is making significant investments to modernize our stations,” said EVP Laura Mason, who is overseeing the company’s internal infrastructure overhaul.

Amtrak’s budget is expected to zoom. Annual capital investments alone are slated to rise to $2.5 billion by 2025. They were $785 million as recently as 2019.

Improvements and renovations are scheduled for Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, New York’s Penn Station and Chicago’s Union Station.

Penn Station in Baltimore, which is over 100 years old, is also expected to undergo improvements and renovations. The station has not seen a refresh in almost 40 years.

The renovations could bring a whole new life to the national railroad company.

In August, Amtrak ordered 10 more Airo trainsets as part of its modernization efforts, bringing the total to 83 trainsets, which are expected to first debut in 2026.

The Amtrak Airo trainsets, which consist of both locomotive and passenger carriages, will modernize Amtrak’s fleet across the country, with greater comfort for passengers, more space for luggage and a greater focus on sustainability, producing 90% less particulate emissions than on traditional diesel trains.

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©2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

How many of us have wanted a reliable, evidence-based guide to aging that explains how our bodies and minds change as we grow older and how to adapt to those differences?

Creating a work of this kind is challenging. For one thing, aging gradually alters people over decades, a long period shaped by individuals’ economic and social circumstances, their behaviors, their neighborhoods, and other factors. Also, while people experience common physiological issues in later life, they don’t follow a well-charted, developmentally predetermined path.

“Predictable changes occur, but not necessarily at the same time or in the same sequence,” said Rosanne Leipzig, vice chair for education at the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “There’s no more heterogeneous a group than older people.”

I called Leipzig, 72, who works full time teaching medical residents and fellows and seeing patients, after reading her new 400-plus-page, information-packed book, “Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life.” It’s the most comprehensive examination of what to expect in later life I’ve come across in a dozen years covering aging.

Leipzig told me she had two goals in writing this guide: “to overcome all the negatives that are out there about growing older” and “to help people understand that there are lots of things that you can do to adapt to your new normal as you age and have an enjoyable, engaged, meaningful life.”

Why call it “Honest Aging”? “Because so much of what’s out there is dishonest, claiming to teach people how to age backwards,” Leipzig said. “I think it’s time we say, ‘This is it; this is who we are,’ and admit how lucky we are to have all these years of extra time.”

The doctor was referring to extraordinary gains in life expectancy achieved in the modern era. Because of medical advances, people over age 60 live far longer than people at the dawn of the 20th century. Still, most of us lack a good understanding of what happens to our bodies during this extended period after middle age.

Several months ago, a medical student asked Leipzig whether references to age should be left out of a patient’s written medical history, as references to race have been eliminated. “I told her no; with medicine, age is always relevant,” Leipzig said. “It gives you a sense of where people are in their life, what they’ve lived through, and the disorders they might have, which are different than those in younger people.”

What questions do older adults tend to ask most often? Leipzig rattled off a list: What can I do about this potbelly? How can I improve my sleep? I’m having trouble remembering names; is this dementia? Do I really need that colonoscopy or mammogram? What should I do to get back into shape? Do I really need to stop driving?

Underlying these is a poor understanding of what’s normal in later life and the physical and mental alterations aging brings.

Can the stages of aging be broken down, roughly, by decade? No, said Leipzig, noting that people in their 60s and 70s vary significantly in health and functioning. Typically, predictable changes associated with aging “start to happen much more between the ages of 75 and 85,” she told me. Here are a few of the age-related issues she highlights in her book:

• Older adults often present with different symptoms when they become ill. For instance, a senior having a heart attack may be short of breath or confused, rather than report chest pain. Similarly, an older person with pneumonia may fall or have little appetite instead of having a fever and cough.
• Older adults react differently to medications. Because of changes in body composition and liver, kidney, and gut function, older adults are more sensitive to medications than younger people and often need lower doses. This includes medications that someone may have taken for years. It also applies to alcohol.
• Older adults have reduced energy reserves. With advancing age, hearts become less efficient, lungs transfer less oxygen to the blood, more protein is needed for muscle synthesis, and muscle mass and strength decrease. The result: Older people generate less energy even as they need more energy to perform everyday tasks.
• Hunger and thirst decline. People’s senses of taste and smell diminish, lessening food’s appeal. Loss of appetite becomes more common, and seniors tend to feel full after eating less food. The risk of dehydration increases.
• Cognition slows. Older adults process information more slowly and work harder to learn new information. Multitasking becomes more difficult, and reaction times grow slower. Problems finding words, especially nouns, are typical. Cognitive changes related to medications and illness are more frequent.
• The musculoskeletal system is less flexible. Spines shorten as the discs that separate the vertebrae become harder and more compressed; older adults typically lose 1 to 3 inches in height as this happens. Balance is compromised because of changes in the inner ear, the brain, and the vestibular system (a complex system that regulates balance and a person’s sense of orientation in space). Muscles weaken in the legs, hips and buttocks, and range of motion in joints contracts. Tendons and ligaments aren’t as strong, and falls and fractures are more frequent as bones become more brittle.
• Eyesight and hearing change. Older adults need much more light to read than younger people. It’s harder for them to see the outlines of objects or distinguish between similar colors as color and contrast perception diminishes. With changes to the cornea, lens and fluid within the eye, it takes longer to adjust to sunlight as well as darkness.
• Because of accumulated damage to hair cells in the inner ear, it’s harder to hear, especially at high frequencies. It’s also harder to understand speech that’s rapid and loaded with information or that occurs in noisy environments.
• Sleep becomes fragmented. It takes longer for older adults to fall asleep, and they sleep more lightly, awakening more in the night.

This is by no means a complete list of physiological changes that occur as we grow older. And it leaves out the many ways people can adapt to their new normal, something Leipzig spends a great deal of time discussing.

A partial list of what she suggests, organized roughly by the topics above: Don’t ignore sudden changes in functioning; seek medical attention. At every doctor’s visit, ask why you’re taking medications, whether doses are appropriate, and whether medications can be stopped. Be physically active. Make sure you eat enough protein. Drink liquids even when you aren’t thirsty. Cut down on multitasking and work at your own pace. Do balance and resistance exercises. Have your eyes checked every year. Get hearing aids. Don’t exercise, drink alcohol, or eat a heavy meal within two to three hours of bedtime.

“Never say never,” Leipzig said. “There is almost always something that can be done to improve your situation as you grow older, if you’re willing to do it.”

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We’re eager to hear from readers about questions you’d like answered, problems you’ve been having with your care, and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit kffhealthnews.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.

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©2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

To score a table at Don Angie, the Italian-American hotspot in New York’s West Village, the official course of action is to log on to restaurant booking site Resy at 9 a.m. seven days before the desired dining date. At least, that’s the policy that chef-owners Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli have set up for potential diners.

But those who have recently tried to book those elusive seats via the reservation platform know they rarely open up.

If you head over to Appointment Trader, however, and are willing to pay up to $125 just for the opportunity to walk through the door, you can start bidding on seats for any day for the next few weeks.

The issue of seats disappearing that should be available began last summer, says Rito. “But it has become more pronounced over the last few months.”

She believes that bots—software programs engineered to perfect certain tasks, like swiping up Taylor Swift tickets or restaurant reservations the millisecond seats open up—are mostly to blame.

The operators behind those seat-snatching programs then try to make a quick buck—or several hundred—by reselling the reservations on sites like Appointment Trader. The two-year-old website enables individuals to buy and sell restaurant bookings and finds seats using bots as well as concierges and other people with access to restaurants.

Owners at several other of New York’s hard-to-get-into restaurants, from downtown Indian haunts Dhamaka and Semma to tiny Farra Wine Bar in Tribeca, and the revamped new American spot Virginia’s, also report being burned by bots. “We have noticed certain names making a large amount of reservations, and either no-showing or having different guests utilizing them,” says Isabella Pisacane, a partner and director of hospitality at French bistro Libertine. “Certain guests will appear trepidatious when approaching the maitre’d when checking in, as they’re not using their actual names.”

“It is a very serious issue now, happening to a lot of restaurants and bars,” says GN Chan, co-owner of Double Chicken Please in the Lower East Side and ranked No. 2 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. He notes that the bar began receiving brokered reservations from bots soon after the drinking den was named the best bar in North America earlier this year.

Em Pak, a manager at Double Chicken Please, says that there are some signature ways to tell if a seat has been booked by a bot: Resy accounts may be connected to invalid email addresses comprised of jumbled numbers and letters, or profiles with a history of booking prime time, back-to-back reservations on weekends — such as 7 p.m. reservations every Friday and Saturday for several weekends. Others are the usual disconnected phone numbers attached to bookings and invalid credit cards.

But even though they may suspect suspicious activity in advance, Pak admits that a lot of the time they don’t know for sure, “and we don’t want to risk canceling a reservation that belongs to someone who authentically booked.”

This means that not only does the business miss out on the $20 cancellation fee charged to invalid credit cards, the bar loses time, and eventually customers and revenue, when they hold bot seats that go unfilled.

But Chan—who has seen seats at his bar selling for $340 each on six-month-old Cita marketplace, another website that enables diners to buy and sell restaurant reservations—calls out another issue. When guests drop $100 or more just to walk in the door, “people have [the] wrong expectation when they come” he says because those expectations might be unreasonably high.

Pak says that Resy, which runs the reservations for Double Chicken Please and is owned by American Express, has taken action: They are “deleting confirmed bot profiles and sending what are essentially cease and desist emails to broker profiles,” she says. The actions have helped, Pak adds, but the issue persists. Now, Double Chicken Please has cut down on the number of reserved seats they offer and are welcoming more walk-ins.

A spokesperson for Resy says that the company is taking measures to block bot-booking. “Resy detects and deactivates bad actor accounts, cancels reservations, and blocks bot traffic,” they said over email.

At Tock, another reservation site that books tables at notable restaurants around the world, there’s an in-house Fraud Prevention team that uses a proprietary algorithm to flag suspicious activity. It has used it to block cards and scalper accounts a handful of times. Two months ago, the company added verification techniques to block bots, that include having users check boxes to verify they are real people. Resy also uses a variety of checks, including checking boxes and two-factor authentication for profiles.

Some new sites are testing out their own bot workarounds. ResX, a six-month-old app that began as an Instagram account, is free to use and provides a platform for diners to give away and claim restaurant reservations. For $10 a month, ResX also offers access to what it calls “premium” restaurants, like the power pasta dining spot Misi in Brooklyn. Users earn “tokens” by giving away their reservations; the tokens, in turn, can be used to claim premium reservations.

Longtime ResX user Jake Andrew, who declined to give his last name, has used the app to avoid cancellation charges. That includes trading a table for 8 at Montauk’s Surf Lodge last summer — the definition of valuable culinary real estate in the Hamptons. “I was going to be charged $400, $50 per guest,” he says.

Another new members-only app, Dorsia, works with restaurants to score prime reservations at places like the supper club space 9 Jones and even the impossible-to-get-into Carbone in New York. (The site, whose name has a clear American Psycho connection, also covers cities like Miami, London, the Bay Area and Los Angeles restaurants.)

But a diner must agree to a certain prepaid per-person spend when they book: For example, dinner at Cote Korean Steakhouse might cost $125 per person on a weekday night at 5 p.m.; on a weekend at 9 p.m. that figure might be $175. The benefit is that, although the seats might cost more, the extra money goes to a diner’s food and drinks as opposed to a reseller’s pocket.

For now, the only solution for frustrated restaurateurs is “a lot of added time and effort,” says Don Angie’s Rito. She and her staff are currently reaching out to every customer on Don Angie’s waitlist one-by-one to ensure that they’re a real person who will walk through the door of the restaurant and into a seat.

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©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

When Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his presidential campaign in May, he proudly told the nation that Florida’s crime rate in 2021 had reached a 50-year low.

But really, DeSantis couldn’t say for sure.

That’s because fewer than 1 in 10 law enforcement agencies in his state had reported their crime statistics to the FBI. In fact, more than 40% of the Sunshine State’s population was unaccounted for in the data used by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in its 2021 statewide crime report.

In Wichita, Kansas, Democratic Mayor Brandon Whipple claimed in May that violent crime had decreased by half during his term. But Whipple’s source, the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, missed half the violent crimes recorded by the Wichita Police Department, possibly because the agency couldn’t mesh its system with the FBI’s recently revamped system.

Across the country, law enforcement agencies’ inability — or refusal — to send their annual crime data to the FBI has resulted in a distorted picture of the United States’ crime trends, according to a new Stateline analysis of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program participation data.

“We have policymakers making policy based on completely incomplete data. We have political elections being determined based on vibes rather than actual data. It’s a mess,” said Jeff Asher, a data analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics, a data consulting firm.

Experts warn that some policymakers, knowingly or unknowingly, use those flawed statistics to tout promising crime trends — misleading voters. The inaccurate data also can affect efforts to improve public safety and criminal justice, potentially leading policymakers to miss the mark in addressing real community issues.

“The problem for voters is that they don’t have very good information about what levels of safety actually are,” said Anna Harvey, a politics, data science and law professor at New York University. Harvey also is the director of the university’s Public Safety Lab and the president of the Social Science Research Council.

“They’re a little bit vulnerable to politicians who are kind of throwing around allegations and claims about crime that may or may not be accurate,” she told Stateline.

DeSantis faced criticism for repeating the incomplete numbers, and NBC News this summer reported that law enforcement rank-and-file had warned that the statistics weren’t correct.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement defended the numbers to NBC News, saying, in part, that “criticism about FDLE’s robust data collection methods is unfounded.”

FBI’s switch to a new system

A year ago, when the FBI initially released its 2021 national crime data, there wasn’t enough information to tell whether crime went up, went down or stayed the same. The FBI had estimated results for areas that declined to submit data or were unable to do so.

That’s partly because the FBI had rolled out a new reporting system. The data collection system, called the National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, gathered more detail on individual incidents but also required training and tech upgrades by state and local policing agencies.

For the first time in two decades, the national law enforcement reporting rate fell below 70% in 2021, primarily due to the FBI’s transition. In 2022, many law enforcement agencies across the country were not NIBRS-certified in time to submit their 2021 crime data, which contributed to lower reporting rates.

Even before the new system launched, there was a gap in reporting nationwide. Prior to 2021, 23% of U.S. law enforcement agencies on average did not report any crime data to the FBI. In 2020, 24% of agencies did not report, and in 2021, it surged to 40%.

Inconsistent reporting not only hampers the ability to draw comparisons over time and across state lines, but also injects uncertainty into discussions about crime, said Ames Grawert, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice’s justice program. The Brennan Center is a left-leaning law and policy group.

“Issues like that are invariably going to lead to some people having a misunderstanding of crime data — makes it harder to talk about crime in some states, especially given the low participation rate in Florida, for example,” Grawert said in an interview with Stateline.

The FBI’s latest crime report, released earlier this month, offers a glimmer of progress toward transparency: Seventy-one percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide submitted data through NIBRS or the FBI’s previous reporting system, up 11 percentage points from last year. About 60% of participating law enforcement agencies submitted their data exclusively through NIBRS this year. The FBI accepted data through both NIBRS and the older system this year, a change from last year’s NIBRS-only approach.

According to the incomplete numbers, violent crime in the U.S. dropped last year, returning to pre-pandemic levels, while property crimes saw a significant increase.

While crime data reporting to the FBI is optional, some states, such as Illinois and Minnesota, have laws requiring their local law enforcement agencies to report crime data to their state law enforcement agencies. State law enforcement agencies often serve as clearinghouses for local crime data, and in some states, they are responsible for sharing this data with the feds. Some local agencies also may send their data directly to the FBI.

But some states lag.

Florida, Illinois, Louisiana and West Virginia, for example, all remain below the 50% reporting mark, which means less than half of the police departments in their states submitted 2022 crime data to the FBI. Despite these reporting rates, the data shows that greater shares of these state’s populations were represented in last year’s data than in 2021.

Florida has had the lowest reporting rate two years in a row — 6% in 2021 and 44% in 2022 — partly because of the state’s ongoing transition to NIBRS. For 2021, the FBI did not accept Florida’s data through the previous data collection system, which would have represented about 58% of the state’s population, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Public Information Office.

“It’s a problem in both red and blue states, it’s also a local issue,” Kylie Murdock, a policy adviser with Third Way, a left-leaning national think tank, said in an interview with Stateline.

“When people use this data to back up tough-on-crime approaches, and say, ‘Our approach in this state is working’ — when in reality, that’s not necessarily the truth because you don’t know the full scope of the problem,” said Murdock.

Roughly a quarter of the U.S. population was not represented in the 2022 federal crime data, according to a Stateline analysis. More than 6,000 of 22,116 law enforcement agencies did not submit data.

Major police departments, including those in big cities such as Los Angeles and New York, did not submit any data in 2021. NYPD said it couldn’t submit summary statistics in 2021 as it had previously because of the FBI’s change in requirements, but was NIBRS-certified this year. Both cities’ departments did submit summary data to the FBI in 2022 through the old reporting system.

The FBI’s 2021 agency participation data shows that the 10 states with the lowest reporting rates included a balanced mix of both blue and red states, while last year’s data shows more red states among the 10 states with the lowest reporting rates.

Political and social consequences

The gaps in the FBI’s crime data create significant challenges for researchers and policymakers attempting to make sense of crime trends. As elections draw near and crime has reclaimed the spotlight, these challenges become increasingly pressing.

During last year’s congressional elections, 61% of registered voters said violent crime would be very important when making their decision about whom to vote for, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.

While the overall violent crime rate has steadily declined on average over the past 20 years, the Pew Research Center suggested that voters might be reacting to specific types of violent crime, such as homicide, which saw a 30% increase between 2019 and 2020 — one of the largest year-over-year increases on record.

A lack of accurate, real-time crime data leaves voters vulnerable to political manipulation, said Harvey, the New York University professor.

“Voters tend to not have that kind of access. Politicians then try to play on voters’ concerns about crime, but without giving voters the information that will actually be useful for them,” Harvey said.

Experts expect that the challenge of incomplete national crime data — and the incomplete picture it presents — will persist for years because many law enforcement agencies still are working to adopt the new reporting system.

That could affect how policymakers allocate money for law enforcement, crime prevention programs and other public safety initiatives. With crime data, it’s important to know what types of crimes are included and to avoid narrow timeframes when describing trends, said Ernesto Lopez, a research specialist for the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan research think tank.

“Oftentimes relying on the FBI data, which tends to be outdated, really allows politicians to sensationalize a few news stories. Without having more up-to-date data, it may not be accurate,” Lopez told Stateline.

“Politician or otherwise, when we talk about crime, it’s really important to have a larger context.”

Federal assistance

Law enforcement agencies nationwide have received over$180 million in federal funding to help with the transition since the FBI’s switch to its new NIBRS reporting system was announced in 2015. Many law enforcement agencies are still working to fully transition to the new system.

For example, in Louisiana, the agencies serving some of the state’s most populous cities, including Lafayette, New Orleans and Shreveport, did not report any data to the FBI last year because they were implementing new records management systems, according to Jim Craft, the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.

Louisiana’s low reporting rate may be due to smaller law enforcement agencies reporting crime statistics through their local sheriff’s office, which makes it look like fewer agencies are reporting, Craft wrote in an email.

In Hawaii, the police departments serving Maui and Hawaii counties were not certified in time to submit data through NIBRS to the FBI last year, according to Paul Perrone, the director of the Hawaii Uniform Crime Reporting program. Last month, Hawaii became one of the few states where all law enforcement agencies are NIBRS-certified, Perrone wrote in an email.

Meanwhile, even as more law enforcement agencies submit data in coming years, experts warn that the FBI’s database accounts only for crimes reported to the police. And according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, over 50% of violent crimes and about 70% of property crimes are never reported.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization focused on state policy.

©2023 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The return of federal student loan payments in October threatens to derail prospects for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a cohort already facing steep economic disadvantages.

Aid makes college possible for many HBCU students: 85% of their graduates in 2020 used federal loans, versus 59% of non-HBCU students, according to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, with HBCU graduates and their parents on average holding almost $21,000 more in federal loan debt.

The nation’s more than 100 HBCUs, including Spelman College in Atlanta and Howard University in Washington, D.C., serve more low-income and first-generation students than traditional schools and aim to help close the wealth gap between Black households and their white counterparts.

Parents of HBCU students are also more likely to take on loans to support their kids, on average. With payments resuming amid high prices and mortgage rates, entire families are forced to cut back.

Jasmine Payne, a 2015 graduate of Spelman who took on $36,000 in federal undergraduate debt, said the pause allowed her to pay off her car. Now, she faces a $342 student loan bill each month — a burden she said has forced her to delay plans to buy a new car and house and rethink traveling.

Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, said the pause allowed Black borrowers like Payne to both invest in and save for their futures.

“When students have to repay these loans, it also throttles our ability to own homes, to purchase cars, to start businesses,” Perry said. “We’re also going to see those issues come about.”

Underfunded

From 2019 to 2022, the wealth of Black families grew faster than that of white families, according to the Federal Reserve, but that was thanks to temporary, pandemic-era government aid and lower interest rates. And while that helped narrow the ratio of Black wealth to white wealth, Black household wealth still lags far behind that of their white counterparts.

Helene Gayle, the president of Spelman, said that nearly half the school’s students in any given year are eligible for a Pell Grant, a need-based aid reward — meaning half the student body has high financial needs.

Despite all this, HBCUs do not receive the same levels of government aid and endowments that other institutions do. These funds would enable them to provide scholarships and grants. “We have to continue to do more with less,” Gayle said.

In one vivid example, non-HBCU land-grant schools have received $12 billion more in government aid than HBCU land-grant schools, according to letters sent by the Education Department to 16 governors that urged them to address the issue.

Despite the funding shortfall, HBCUs continue facilitating upward economic mobility for the Black community. HBCUs support more low-income students in earning their way into higher income categories later in life than the national average for colleges, according to a 2021 United Negro College Fund report.

“Even with all of those factors that work against us,” Gayle said, “we still are able to provide students with an economic foothold that they wouldn’t have otherwise.”

‘No extra money’

To help pay for her daughter’s tuition, Payne’s mother, a preschool teacher, took out about $15,000 in Parent PLUS loans, federal loans issued to parents of dependent undergraduate students.

The downside is these loans come with higher interest rates and origination fees than loans issued directly to the student. They’re also ineligible for repayment plans based on the size of one’s income, such as the Biden administration’s new SAVE plan.

Deanna Folefac, a graduate of Bowie State University, said she is focused on paying back the $8,000 Parent PLUS loan her mother took out before turning to her own $25,000 in loan debt.

While some 13% of all 2020 college graduate families took out Parent PLUS loans, HBCU graduates make up 42% of those borrowers. Of Spelman graduates who used these loans, the median size of the loan to fund their undergraduate career is almost $106,000 — among the highest in the nation, according to the Education Department.

Due to a lack of financial aid, Dyonne Diggs, a 2017 graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an HBCU, went on a two-year leave from her education. Ultimately, she took on $58,000 in debt. Her stepfather also took out an additional $3,000 in Parent PLUS loans.

She said she will utilize the Biden administration’s 12-month payment on-ramp and hold off on paying her $400 monthly student loan bill. “I’m an educator so there’s literally no extra money,” Diggs said.

‘We’re used’

In June, the Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel as much as $20,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower for those making under $125,000 a year.

Though Biden will reportedly unveil a new forgiveness plan next year, his options to help student borrowers — and HBCU students, in particular — remain limited.

He could broaden his SAVE plan to help lower payments and make Parent PLUS loans eligible for this plan, Perry said, but the Supreme Court’s ruling likely spoils any further broad-based forgiveness.

Diggs said she voted for Biden in 2020 after he promised to forgive some student loan debt, but plans to sit out in 2024.

“Every four years, we’re used as a scapegoat,” she said. “We’re used as, you know, ‘vote for your lives and all of these things are going to happen.’ And they don’t happen.”

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©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Skyrocketing U.S. childcare payments are already weighing on spending and the labor market, according to Bank of America Institute, and that’s even before the expiry of a national program that could make things worse.

The average household spends more than $700 a month on childcare across the country, 32% higher than 2019, and the largest increase was for those making $100,000 to $250,000 a year, the data show. That’s already hit spending: Families with childcare payments have been spending at a slower pace than the rest of households since May and are dipping into savings at a faster rate.

There are also fewer dual-income households this year, with an average 1.34 payrolls a month versus 1.39 in 2019, indicating that some workers likely dropped out of the labor market to care for their kids, according to the institute’s report published Friday. Women are more likely to leave their jobs to take on that role, and experts warn it could increasingly happen as about 70,000 child-care programs are at risk of closing.

The report is based on analysis of anonymized Bank of America customer accounts, and was gathered even before the expiry of the Child Care Stabilization program. The end to that $24 billion program, which subsidized a portion of care and made it accessible for many “could have a meaningful impact on consumers,” economist Anna Zhou wrote in the report.

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©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The once-in-a-lifetime win by the Cubs led MLB and Fox to crow that the game was healthier than ever, and who could dispute them after an audience like that?

It was the most-watched World Series game in 25 years, since the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves before 50 million viewers in another Game 7 in 1991. The 2016 Cubs were a likable, young team that figured to be back again, and around the league, team executives plotted their own rebuilds to emulate Chicago’s success.

But that didn’t happen. The Cubs’ win in ’16 turned out to be a blip, not only for their hopes of creating a dynasty but for baseball’s resurgence on the national sports scene.

Fast-forward to 2023, a year when new rules were implemented to bring fans a faster-paced game with more hitting and added speed on the base paths. It was an instant hit, drawing raves for Commissioner Rob Manfred.

But instead of crowning the season with a World Series that would satiate long-lost fans, this Fall Classic matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks has thus far drawn pathetic ratings.

The Series opener, which featured Corey Seager’s game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth and Adolis García’s walk-off home run in the 11th, turned out to be the lowest-rated Game 1 in Series history with an average of 9.172 million viewers on Fox.

Game 2, a close affair until the Diamondbacks pulled away in the eighth inning in a 9-1 win, had an average of 8.15 million viewers on Fox. Monday’s Game 3 was the least-watched Series game on record with an average of 8.13 million viewers as the Rangers won 3-1.

In comparison, the NCAA women’s national basketball championship game last March between LSU and Iowa drew 9.9 million viewers to ESPN, thanks in no small part to the intriguing matchup pitting Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese.

Who would’ve guessed LSU-Iowa would battle the World Series for ratings supremacy?

Of course, the World Series ratings figure to pick up if the series goes six or seven games. The Rangers could end it Wednesday as they lead 3-1 heading into Game 5 at Chase Field in Phoenix.

But based on recent trends, it’s still likely to go down as one of the lowest-rated of all time. Last year’s edition, which featured the Houston Astros’ six-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies, was the second-lowest average viewership ever, bettering only the Los Angeles Dodgers win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, the pandemic-shortened season.

That’s obviously not a good trend for baseball, a sport that’s now vastly different from the one you and I grew up watching. Starters yanked before their third time around the order. Hitters strike out swinging for the fences when they only need to make contact. Managers make bullpen decisions based on pregame strategizing by their general managers.

Those are but a few examples of how the game has evolved, for better or worse.

A better matchup would’ve helped, obviously, and it’s no surprise Rangers-Diamondbacks hasn’t moved the needle.

The expanded postseason gave the sixth-seeded Diamondbacks an opportunity to sneak in despite going 34-44 (a .429 winning percentage) from July 2 to the end of the regular season. They did manage to beat the collapsing Cubs in six out of seven games in September, which ultimately made a difference in the tight National League wild-card race.

Only the most die-hard baseball fans outside of Arizona knew the names of more than a handful of the Diamondbacks players heading into the postseason. Several have made themselves known this October, including Ketel Marte and Mt. Carmel grad Alek Thomas. Arizona took advantage of the opportunity and upset the star-studded Dodgers and Phillies on their way to the World Series, so no one can say they didn’t earn it.

Yet the lack of star power remains. When the Game 3 starter is rookie Brandon Pfaadt, who finished with a 3-9 record and a 5.72 ERA, you know this is a team without much pitching depth.

The Texas Rangers aren’t exactly a dominant club either, earning a wild card after finishing behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. But their quest for the first championship in franchise history should make this Series watchable, much as it did for the ’16 Cubs. And at least they have some recognizable players like Seager and Marcus Semien, while García made a name for himself with a brilliant performance in the American League Championship Series.

Still, a World Series needs superstars. Until MLB figures out a way to get the game’s two biggest stars — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge — into a World Series, it’s probably doomed to repeat the trend of diminishing audiences for the foreseeable future.

That’s no problem for you or me. We’re watching no matter who is playing. If you’re just a fan who loves watching baseball, you don’t care about World Series ratings. You just want to see some good games and some memorable moments. There’s still a chance this one will deliver its share of both.

But if you’re Manfred or MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, you have to be concerned about the game’s future.

The decision to add more wild card teams — meaning more postseason games to sell to media outlets — hasn’t seemed to make a dent in viewer interest. Reducing game times might have worked well in the regular season, but perhaps doesn’t really matter as much in October.

The next obvious move is to implement the automated strike zone, which was brought up by Fox announcer Joe Davis after an egregious call by plate umpire Alfonso Márquez against the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3. If that call had gone against the New York Yankees in a World Series game, robo-umps would already be a done deal.

No matter how this one turns out, it’s going to take a lot of brainstorming by MLB executives this offseason to figure out how to make the World Series a must-see event for all fans.

Denying the obvious is no longer an option.

Numbers don’t lie.

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The Chicago Sky are looking ahead after naming a new head coach and general manager.

Every Wednesday throughout the season, Tribune writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead for the Bulls, Sky and local hoops.

Chicago Bulls finish whirlwind first week of the season 2-2

The Bulls could not have gotten off to a rockier start — a blowout loss and a players meeting on the first night of the season. Players were furious after taking an “unacceptable” 124-104 beating from the Oklahoma City Thunder at home. They responded two nights later by scrabbling for an overtime win punctuated by an 18-point fourth quarter from DeMar DeRozan and a game-winning 3-pointer by Alex Caruso.

But the win didn’t shake off any of the uncertainty facing the Bulls. They dropped a 118-102 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday despite a career-high 51-point performance from Zach LaVine, then grinded out a 112-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday by slowing things down on the defensive end.

Despite very little turnover in the roster, things still aren’t clicking for the Bulls. Their offensive rating is sixth-lowest in the league (104.5) and their defense hasn’t been as smothering as it was last season. The offense has succeeded in taking more 3-pointers only to see their accuracy plummet to 29.4%.

“It’s something that we have to figure out,” LaVine said after the loss in Detroit. “The first through games, we haven’t gotten 100% of it yet. We’re trying to figure out something that isn’t working. We’re gonna stick with it though.”

Chicago Sky find their new head coach and general manager

The Chicago Sky set the stage for a new era over the past week as they filled the head coach and general manager positions.

Teresa Weatherspoon introduced herself to Chicago last Tuesday in a news conference with chairman Nadia Rawlinson and star Kahleah Copper. Weatherspoon will be a first-time coach in the WNBA after serving as head coach for Louisiana Tech and an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hall of Famer’s selection as head coach was met with immediate enthusiasm from Copper and her teammates, who feel Weatherspoon’s vision for the Sky fits their identity as players.

“From the very first conversation, we connected over energy,” Copper said. “I’ve never had a coach that could really match my energy and that really hit me.”

On Tuesday, the Sky named Jeff Pagliocca their new general manager. This will be the first time the franchise has split the positions of general manager and head coach. Pagliocca worked with the Sky over the past four seasons as a player development coach and adviser to the head coach. His experience as a talent scout and skills coach will be critical for the Sky to acquire and develop the correct personnel to fit with Weatherspoon’s system.

What to know about the NBA in-season tournament

The Bulls play their first game of the in-season tournament Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. The night will feel like any other regular-season game — except the jersey and courts will be different and the stakes will be higher for players.

The in-season tournament is a new addition for the NBA designed to raise the interest and competition level of games throughout the first three months of the season. Teams were seeded into groups of five based on their record in the 2022-23 season. The Bulls are in Eastern Conference Group C with the Nets, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.

Each team will play four group-stage games and the top team will advance to a knockout round, along with an additional wild-card team from each conference.

The Bulls will play three more group-stage games this month:

• Nov. 17 vs. Orlando Magic
• Nov. 24 at Toronto Raptors
• Nov. 28 at Boston Celtics

If they win their group, they will advance to the quarterfinals which take place on Dec. 4-5. The semifinal and final games of the tournament will be hosted at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The league is incentivizing player performance in the tournament through financial prizes. Each player on the championship team will receive $500,000; players on the second-place team will receive $200,000; players on the losing semifinalist teams will receive $100,000; and players on the losing quarterfinalist teams will receive $50,000.

Could Skylar Diggins-Smith join the Chicago Sky?

WNBA free agency is only months away and one player in particular has become an item of interest in Chicago: Skylar Diggins-Smith.

It’s clear that Diggins-Smith will not return to Phoenix after her relationship with the team and fellow star Diana Taurasi grew contentious over the last two years. The six-time All-Star took to social media last week and asked fans to submit their pitches for which teams she should look at as she enters free agency this January.

Diggins-Smith would be an asset to any team, but especially for the Sky, who spent most of last season scrambling for a solution at point guard. The Sky spent most of this year converting Courtney Williams from shooting guard to point guard, a challenging transition that didn’t allow high-scoring stars like Marina Mabrey and Kahleah Copper to play to their full potential.

The Sky need to make a change at point guard. Could Diggins-Smith be the answer? The key is making the right pitch to one of the most sought-after free agents this winter.

Weatherspoon brings a new level of recruiting star power to the Sky front office — and also has a long-standing relationship with Diggins-Smith. Copper also embraced the idea in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Skylar would be a great fit,” Copper said. “I think she would help us get another championship.”

Signing Diggins-Smith could have another impact on the Sky roster — the future of Dana Evans, another local point guard from Indiana.

Evans has been patiently waiting in the wings for three seasons, holding down a key role as the first player off the bench for the Sky last season. But if the Sky commit to yet another starting point guard in free agency, Evans could become antsy to find a new home where she has a more visible path into the starting lineup.

Number of the week: 51

Zach LaVine scored a career–high 51 points in Saturday’s loss against the Detroit Pistons. His scoring made up exactly half the Bulls’ total offense — which finished with 102 points — but wasn’t enough to lift the team to a win.

LaVine went 19-for-32 from the field and also tallied four rebounds, but did not register a single assist in the game. He was the first player to score more than 50 points without an assist since 2018, when Klay Thompson accomplished the same feat with the Golden State Warriors.

The explosive scoring session came after a sluggish start for LaVine, who scored a combined 24 points on 7-for-30 shooting through the opening two games of the season. LaVine has been dealing with back stiffness throughout the opening week, which partially impacted his play. Despite being listed on the injury report due to back spasms on Saturday, he chose to play the second game of a back-to-back on the road in Detroit.

“Obviously, I wasn’t happy with the way I was performing and the way the offense was looking,” LaVine said. “I came out wanting to be real aggressive. Obviously, I got it going. It’s upsetting, you have a performance like that and lose. It sucks.”

Week ahead: Bulls

• Wednesday: @ Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: vs. Nets, in-season tournament, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Saturday: @ Denver Nuggets, 8 p.m., NBCSCH+, NBA TV
• Sunday: Off
• Monday: vs. Utah Jazz, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Tuesday: Off

What we’re reading this morning

• Zach LaVine frustrated with shaky Bulls offense after his career night: ‘We’re trying to figure out something that isn’t working’
• Column: Teresa Weatherspoon is here to ‘stir things up’ for the Sky, but the GM will be key to the recipe
• Can anyone challenge Purdue? A team-by-team look at the Big Ten for the 2023-24 season.
• Who can catch Iowa in the Big Ten women’s race? Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana are eager to mix it up.
• Caitlin Clark’s production and panache make her a women’s basketball ambassador, a role she embraces at Iowa
• Column: There’s nothing wrong with trash talk in women’s sports — it’s the reactions to it that sometimes turn ugly
• ‘There’s a defiance to him’: How Coby White redefined his game to get a 2nd chance as the Bulls starting point guard
• What to know about the Bulls roster — and the expectations for the 2023-24 NBA season

Quotable

“I am one who has been told many times, ‘no.’ I am one who has (seen) doors closed many times. If you don’t get in the door, you got to get in a window. So I’m coming through the window. They don’t call me Spoon for nothing, I’m here to stir things up.” — Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon

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Here are the rankings heading into Week 9:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-1, No. 2)

Last week: Win vs. Commanders, 38-31

Up next: vs. Cowboys

The Eagles needed three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter to finally pull away, but they once again proved their mettle. It helps to have Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, who connected for two touchdown passes to help cover for a defense that allowed 26 first downs and 6.8 yards per play. Brown has blossomed into a superstar in Philly, becoming the first player in NFL history with 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. All eyes will be on the status of Hurts’ injured knee heading into an intriguing matchup against Dallas.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2, No. 1)

Last week: Loss vs. Broncos, 24-9

Up next: vs. Dolphins in Germany

Was that clunker in Denver just a bad day or a cause for concern? Dealing with flu-like symptoms, Patrick Mahomes had one of his worst performances in a Chiefs uniform, throwing two interceptions and failing to record a touchdown pass for the first time since Dec. 5, 2021. The lack of receiving talent around tight end Travis Kelce is more glaring than ever, and Kansas City was only able to muster 62 rushing yards. Once in the driver’s seat, the Chiefs now find themselves in a crowded race for the top seed in the AFC.

3. Ravens (6-2, No. 3)

Last week: Win vs. Cardinals, 31-24

Up next: vs. Seahawks

The win in Arizona was a Rorschach test for the Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes. Did Lamar Jackson’s uneven performance against the Cardinals’ drop coverage reveal a blueprint for potential playoff opponents? Is Gus Edwards good enough to carry the running game down the stretch? Should Baltimore be concerned by the lack of production from free agent receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor? Is the defense vulnerable to lapses against inferior opponents? Just how good is a secondary that must continue to rely on Geno Stone and Brandon Stephens? There’s little doubt the Ravens have been playing well enough to be considered a title contender, but general manager Eric DeCosta is making a big bet on this group by not making any meaningful additions at the trade deadline.

4. Miami Dolphins (5-2, No. 5)

Last week: Win vs. Patriots, 31-17

Up next: vs. Chiefs in Germany

When the Dolphins’ stars are shining, they’re hard to beat. Tua Tagovailoa leads the league with 2,416 passing yards, Tyreek Hill is the first player in the Super Bowl era to top 1,000 receiving yards through eight games and cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted a pass in his team debut, helping push Miami to 6-2 for the first time since 2001. When left tackle Terron Armstead comes back and the offensive line gets closer to full strength, the Dolphins could look even better.

5. Dallas Cowboys (5-2, No. 6)

Last week: Win vs. Rams, 43-20

Up next: at Eagles

When everything clicks, the Cowboys sure are impressive. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb torched the Rams’ defense, while DaRon Bland recorded his NFL-leading third pick-six and Micah Parsons wreaked havoc in the backfield. Dallas also excelled on special teams, with Sam Williams blocking a punt for a safety and KaVontae Turpin returning the ensuing kick 63 yards. The Cowboys failed their first big test in a blowout loss to the 49ers, but they’ll get the chance to prove themselves this week against Philadelphia.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2, No. 7)

Last week: Win vs. Steelers, 20-10

Up next: Bye

The Jaguars have been far from dominant, but they haven’t started the season 6-2 since 1999. Winning ugly in Pittsburgh is almost a rite of passage for any AFC contender, and Jacksonville accomplished that despite turning the ball over on two of its three trips inside the red zone. The Jaguars are expected to get four injured starters back after the bye week, which will be crucial in keeping pace in a tight conference race.

7. San Francisco 49ers (5-3, No. 4)

Last week: Loss vs. Bengals, 31-17

Up next: Bye

Make that three straight losses for the team that topped these rankings just three weeks ago. Poor defense and costly mistakes on offense have been a toxic mix, as quarterback Brock Purdy committed three turnovers in the second half Sunday while Joe Burrow ruthlessly picked the 49ers’ secondary apart. When Purdy is outgaining Christian McCaffrey on the ground, you know something is wrong. Perhaps the addition of Commanders defensive end Chase Young will help reignite a pass rush that has curiously struggled to record sacks despite boasting a surplus of talent up front.

8. Buffalo Bills (5-3, No. 8)

Last week: Win vs. Buccaneers, 24-18

Up next: at Bengals

Don’t forget about the Bills. While Buffalo teetered on the edge of disaster in recent weeks, it rebounded well Thursday night behind a solid performance on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen’s right shoulder injury didn’t seem to bother him too much, and Khalil Shakir might have announced himself as the third receiver the Bills have been looking for. Buffalo also addressed a glaring weak spot at the deadline, acquiring veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas from the Packers after being forced to rely on practice squad call-up Josh Norman.

9. Detroit Lions (6-2, No. 9)

Last week: Win vs. Raiders, 26-14

Up next: Bye

The Lions quickly put a humbling loss behind them and showed maturity in finishing off the Raiders on Monday night. Three Detroit turnovers, including a pick-six by Marcus Peters to pull Las Vegas within two points in the fourth quarter, and a 1-for-5 performance in the red zone kept the Lions from running up the score as they piled up 486 yards and allowed just 157. Six sacks, including two from defensive tackle Alim McNeill, continued a strong start to the season for the defense. The addition of Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is also a nice swing for a team that could use a big body on the outside.

10. Seattle Seahawks (5-2, No. 12)

Last week: Win vs. Browns, 24-20

Up next: at Ravens

If not for an interception that deflected off safety Jamal Adams’ helmet with 1:57 remaining Sunday, the Seahawks might have suffered a regrettable defeat. But thanks to that play and some great throws from Geno Smith on Seattle’s final drive, the Seahawks have a half-game lead in the NFC West. There were enough struggles on offense and some disappointing moments from the defense Sunday to feel uncertain about Seattle’s division title prospects, but given the state of the NFC, this team might already be a playoff lock.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3, No. 11)

Last week: Win vs. 49ers, 31-17

Up next: vs. Bills

Welcome back, Joe Burrow. The Bengals star quarterback finished 28-for-32 — including 19 straight completions at one point — for 283 yards and three touchdowns to lead a dominant win over what’s still considered one of the best teams in the league. It was a far cry from Burrow’s statuesque performances as he dealt with a calf injury during Cincinnati’s 1-3 start. Don’t overlook the Bengals’ ground game, either, which helped make play-action passes from under center — something Burrow said he worked hard on all offseason — more effective.

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3, No. 10)

Last week: Loss vs. Seahawks, 24-20

Up next: vs. Cardinals

Given the mix of talent and potential, this might be the most frustrating team in the league. The lack of clarity with quarterback Deshaun Watson, both in his ability and his availability, has created an awkward situation that has threatened to derail the season and coach Kevin Stefanski’s tenure. Backup P.J. Walker, who has just one touchdown pass and five interceptions in three games, is simply not good enough. Even if Watson does come back from his shoulder injury soon, it might be a while before we know whether Cleveland is truly a playoff contender.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4, No. 21)

Last week: Win vs. Bears, 30-13

Up next: at Jets

With a healthy Justin Herbert, the Chargers are dangerous. Playing without a glove for the first time since fracturing the middle finger on his left hand in Week 4, Herbert completed his first 15 passes and led Los Angeles to points on each of its first five drives in a dominant win. Austin Ekeler led the team in receiving yards, and rookie Quentin Johnston even got involved. There’s still a long way to go, but the Chargers have kept their playoff hopes alive.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3, No. 13)

Last week: Loss vs. Jaguars, 20-10

Up next: vs. Titans

Injuries to quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) don’t bode well for a team that has been winning by the slimmest of margins all season. While Pittsburgh’s defense has been good enough to keep the team in every game, it must be even better if the offense has to rely on backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky and an ineffective running game.

15. New Orleans Saints (4-4, No. 23)

Last week: Win vs. Colts, 38-27

Up next: vs. Bears

Now we know how good the Saints offense can be. Derek Carr hit several long passes to Rashid Shaheed, Michael Thomas and Chris Olave as New Orleans averaged 17.7 yards per reception and recorded 511 total yards, its most since 2020. Taysom Hill, at the right moments, remains an effective weapon. After hitting a rough patch, the Saints are still tied for first in the NFC South.

16. Atlanta Falcons (4-4, No. 15)

Last week: Loss vs. Titans, 28-23

Up next: vs. Vikings

While the Falcons have been saying all the right things when it comes to Desmond Ridder, we might have seen the beginning of a quarterback change Sunday. After Ridder was sacked five times and lost his sixth fumble of the season, he was replaced by Taylor Heinicke, who finished 12 of 21 for 175 yards and a touchdown as Atlanta scored 20 second-half points. Given a division title is within reach, the Falcons can’t be too patient with their second-year quarterback.

17. New York Jets (4-3, No. 19)

Last week: Win vs. Giants, 13-10 (OT)

Up next: vs. Chargers

The Jets snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Sunday, as a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by the Giants’ Graham Gano with 28 seconds left gave Zach Wilson enough time to complete two long passes to set up the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. Wilson then helped lead the Jets down the field on their first possession of overtime — aided by a pass interference penalty — before Greg Zuerlein kicked the game-winning 33-yarder. It was an ugly win that featured a combined 24 punts, 15 penalties and four third-down conversions on 34 attempts, but it puts the Jets above .500 as they await the potential return of Aaron Rodgers.

18. Minnesota Vikings (4-4, No. 14)

Last week: Win vs. Packers, 24-10

Up next: at Falcons

Kirk Cousins’ time in Minnesota might be over. The 35-year-old quarterback reportedly suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win, and his contract voids at the end of the season. The Vikings must now hang their playoff hopes on Joshua Dobbs, who was acquired at the trade deadline after an up-and-down stint as the Cardinals’ starter.

19. Tennessee Titans (3-4, No. 25)

Last week: Win vs. Falcons, 28-23

Up next: vs. Vikings

The Titans might have their answer at quarterback. Rookie Will Levis threw four touchdown passes in his NFL debut, and while many of those deep throws required plenty of luck, the former Kentucky star gives the offense some much-needed juice. It helps to have DeAndre Hopkins on the receiving end, too. How Levis plays in a short week against a strong Steelers defense will help answer some questions about his potential.

20. Houston Texans (3-4, No. 17)

Last week: Loss vs. Panthers, 15-13

Up next: vs. Buccaneers

After a blazing start, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has cooled off recently, which first-year coach DeMeco Ryans said is the result of defenses seeing more film of the Ohio State star and making adjustments. How the No. 2 overall pick adjusts himself will be the most interesting storyline to watch for the rest of Houston’s season.

21. Los Angeles Rams (3-5, No. 16)

Last week: Loss vs. Cowboys, 43-20

Up next: at Packers

The Rams’ season hinges on the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right thumb and is day to day. But he hasn’t been very effective when he does play, completing just 59.7% of his passes and ranking 24th in passer rating. Coach Sean McVay will need to work some magic to keep this team afloat.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4, No. 18)

Last week: Loss vs. Bills, 24-18

Up next: at Texans

Three straight losses have quickly overshadowed a strong start for Tampa Bay. An ineffective rushing attack has put too much on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield, who hasn’t been good enough to elevate the offense by himself. The Bucs have averaged just 16.3 points per game, which ranks 26th in the league.

23. Denver Broncos (3-5, No. 24)

Last week: Win vs. Chiefs, 24-9

Up next: Bye

It might have felt like it at times, but this is far from the worst team in the league. Ending a 16-game losing streak against the Chiefs could be a turning point for Denver, which might have found a winning formula behind running back Javonte Williams and an effective ground game. Maybe Russell Wilson is turning the corner, too.

24. Indianapolis Colts (3-5, No. 20)

Last week: Loss vs. Saints, 38-27

Up next: at Panthers

While the Colts offense has been surprisingly good with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, his nine turnovers in four starts have been costly. And as promising as first-year coach Shane Steichen has been as the offensive play-caller, his unwillingness to rely on a running game that averaged 6.8 yards per carry Sunday was puzzling. Jonathan Taylor had just one carry after rushing for 94 yards in the first half, while Minshew finished with 41 pass attempts.

25. Washington Commanders (3-5, No. 22)

Last week: Loss vs. Eagles, 38-31

Up next: at Patriots

The Commanders are clearly thinking long term, for better or worse. After coming up just short against the Eagles, they traded a pair of promising pass rushers, sending Montez Sweat to the Bears for a 2024 second-round pick and Chase Young to the 49ers for a 2024 compensatory third-round selection. Washington now has nine draft picks next year, including five in the first three rounds. It’s smart business, considering both players are pending free agents, but it’s certainly disappointing to give up on the season this early.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (3-5, No. 29)

Last week: Loss vs. Lions, 26-14

Up next: vs. Giants

The return of Jimmy Garoppolo was not enough to lift the Raiders offense, as he finished 10 of 21 for 126 yards and an interception while taking six sacks. Davante Adams had just one catch on seven targets, and Jakobi Meyers had just one reception on the only pass thrown his way. The defense led by Maxx Crosby is competing hard, but that effort is being wasted. The disappointing start has cost coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler their jobs.

27. Chicago Bears (2-6, No. 26)

Last week: Loss vs. Chargers, 30-13

Up next: at Saints

While backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and the Bears’ rushing attack could not get much going on offense, it was the defense that was a much bigger disappointment. Chicago did not force a punt until the middle of the third quarter and allowed the Chargers to convert on 7 of 12 third downs. According to ESPN, the Bears did not generate pressure on 30 of Herbert’s 40 dropbacks. Perhaps the addition of Sweat will boost the pass rush, though it’s a curious trade considering he could be a half-season rental.

28. New England Patriots (2-6, No. 27)

Last week: Loss vs. Dolphins, 31-17

Up next: vs. Commanders

Given how badly Mac Jones has struggled this season, it seems likely the Patriots will be drafting a quarterback in April. New England is on pace to have a top-five pick, something it hasn’t done since taking defensive end Willie McGinest at No. 4 overall in 1994.

29. Green Bay Packers (2-5, No. 31)

Last week: Loss vs. Vikings, 24-10

Up next: vs. Rams

Maybe surrounding Jordan Love with the league’s youngest group of pass catchers wasn’t such a good idea. The first-year starter has looked overwhelmed during a four-game losing streak, throwing four touchdown passes to seven interceptions. The defense has been equally disappointing, ranking 28th in efficiency according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA.

30. New York Giants (2-6, No. 28)

Last week: Loss vs. Jets, 13-10 (OT)

Up next: at Raiders

Nobody expected Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito to be leading the offense, but recording minus-9 passing yards in an NFL game is embarrassing, no matter the circumstances. The Giants rank last in the league in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game, and don’t seem to have any answers. After receiving a new contract this season, Daniel Jones must prove he’s capable of lifting the offense out of this rut.

31. Carolina Panthers (1-6, No. 32)

Last week: Win vs. Texans, 15-13

Up next: vs. Colts

Bryce Young picked a good time to deliver his best game as a pro, as the No. 1 overall pick helped deliver Carolina’s first fourth-quarter comeback since 2018. Rumblings about Stroud being the better option began after the No. 2 pick’s strong start to the season, but Young showed enough growth Sunday to feel good about the direction of the franchise.

32. Arizona Cardinals (1-7, No. 30)

Last week: Loss vs. Ravens, 31-24

Up next: at Browns

The real season might be about to start for Arizona. Coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday there’s a chance Kyler Murray could start this week as the star quarterback gets set to return from ACL surgery. The only fair evaluation of this team should come with Murray under center, but it could take a while for him to get back on track as he adjusts to a new group of players and coaches.

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The Orioles complete that trio of past losers, and although an American League Division Series sweep at the hands of the Rangers prevented them from reaching that same stage, their regular season featured more accomplishments than either club. After going 52-110 in 2021, Baltimore won 101 games and the AL East in 2023, enjoying what was comfortably MLB’s largest two-year improvement over the past century.

If Texas claims its first championship, it will have only two more victories across the regular season and postseason than the Orioles managed, while it’s not possible for Arizona to catch Baltimore in that regard. Yet, the Rangers and Diamondbacks are in the World Series, and the Orioles are at home.

Both teams, though, offer templates for Baltimore heading into the offseason. At his end-of-the-season news conference about 36 hours after the Orioles were eliminated, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias had little to say when it came to how he’ll approach the winter, saying that it was too early and not necessarily beneficial to dive into details. But aspects of the last two clubs standing exemplify checklist items for Elias and Baltimore’s front office this offseason.

Add legitimate pitching

Before Wednesday’s waiver claim of left-hander Tucker Davidson from the Kansas City Royals, here were the pitchers the Orioles had acquired directly onto their 40-man roster over the past year: free-agent signees Kyle Gibson and Mychal Givens; trade acquisitions Darwinzon Hernández, Cole Irvin, Danny Coulombe, Shintaro Fujinami and Jack Flaherty; waiver claims Jacob Webb and Jorge López; and Rule 5 draft pick Andrew Politi. Collectively, the group cost the Orioles about $20 million and five prospects Baseball America ranked among their top 30 at the time of the trades, though all were outside the organization’s top 10.

None of those pitchers started a playoff game. Politi, Givens, Hernández and López didn’t make it to the end of the season in the organization. Irvin and Fujinami were left off the ALDS roster. The two highest-paid pitchers on it, Gibson and Flaherty, were used as long relievers when the Orioles were being blown out. Webb surrendered a game-deciding home run in Game 1 and a grand slam that broke open Game 2. Acquired for cash from the Minnesota Twins on the cusp of the season, Coulombe was the only member of this group to be worth at least one win above replacement in the regular season using the methodologies of both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.

Comparatively, among the pitchers the Rangers have added in that same span are multitime Cy Young Award winners Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer; veteran left-handers Jordan Montgomery and Andrew Heaney; and dominant postseason pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. All have made at least one start during the playoffs except deGrom, who in six starts before Tommy John elbow reconstruction produced as many wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference, or more than all of Baltimore’s additions other than Coulombe.

The Diamondbacks were relatively tame, though their trade to acquire closer Paul Sewald from Seattle has paid off handsomely in the postseason. Their top starter, Zac Gallen, was acquired in a 2019 trade and has since blossomed into a Cy Young Award candidate; the Orioles perhaps have their own version of that in Kyle Bradish, who leads their core of early-career starters.

But as the ALDS showed, greater fortification is needed. Baltimore has shown reluctance to make splashy moves, but one wouldn’t necessarily be required. Eovaldi, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball to knock out the Orioles, signed for a guaranteed two years and $34 million, a deal structure Elias said the Orioles have had on the table with players they were unable to acquire.

“Those pursuits will be on the menu again,” he said. “We’re trying to win.”

Extend a young star

The Diamondbacks aren’t going to the World Series because they signed rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll to an eight-year, $111 million extension before this season. But it could help the possibility of returning throughout the 2020s.

Including a club option for 2031, the agreement goes for three seasons beyond Carroll’s initial period of team control. As Arizona fans have watched him shine in the postseason — including three key hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series — they do so knowing their prized phenom will be a Diamondback for years to come.

Orioles fans do not have the same certainty. In nearly five years under Elias, the only guaranteed multiyear contracts Baltimore has given out have been two-year pacts with pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery. None of those agreements bought out any would-be free-agent seasons.

Infielder Gunnar Henderson, Carroll’s AL counterpart as the favorite for Rookie of the Year, has five more years of club control remaining, and catcher Adley Rutschman, the runner-up for that honor last year, has four left. In that sense, there’s not exactly a rush to ink the pair — Elias’ first two draft picks with Baltimore and the club’s top position players by wins above replacement in 2023 — to long-term contracts. But several other teams have reached extended agreements with their phenoms, and the continued absence of such a deal with Henderson or Rutschman adds to the looming possibility they spend much of their careers elsewhere.

Any such thoughts among the fan base have been induced by the organization itself, with not only its lack of action but also its words. In August, Orioles CEO and Chairman John Angelos told The New York Times the franchise would struggle financially to retain all of its young talent.

“When people talk about giving this player $200 million, that player $150 million, we would be so financially underwater that you’d have to raise the prices massively,” Angelos said.

Asked about the veracity of that comment after the season, Elias said, in his experience, “things don’t [always] come out exactly how you meant them” when speaking with media before saying the front office “quietly” examines extension possibilities.

“We are very focused on keeping this organization as successful and healthy as possible within the constraints of reality,” Elias said. “Obviously, we have players here that we love, and you look at it right now and you go, ‘Boy, I wish we had those guys under contract for longer than they currently are,’ and a big part of the calculus of keeping this franchise healthy, is pursuing or examining opportunities to possibly keep some of these guys longer. I’ve said it over and over. We quietly work on this in the background. I don’t want to be the one out talking about it, but obviously, that’s a part of our job as a front office to tackle that subject.”

Maximize playoff odds

Much was made of MLB’s playoff format when the four teams that won at least 99 regular-season games combined for one playoff win against 11 losses.

But the 90-win Rangers, the AL’s fifth seed, facing the 84-win Diamondbacks, the NL’s sixth seed, shows the importance of just getting into the field. Either team surely would have preferred a bye of the wild-card round and home-field advantage throughout the postseason en route to the Fall Classic, but they won enough in the regular season to get to the postseason, then won enough there to reach the World Series.

The Orioles’ approach to the 2022 trade deadline — when Elias focused more on future playoff pushes than the one in front of him — doesn’t need to be relitigated, especially given how well it has seemingly paid off for Baltimore’s long-term future. But it’s worth noting the 2023 Diamondbacks won one fewer game with a run differential one run worse than the 2022 Orioles. Cracking the field with a mid-80s win total gives a team as much of a shot of a World Series as triple-digit victories.

Perhaps that justifies Elias’ modest approach to both the offseason and trade deadline, acknowledging his intent was to put the Orioles in the postseason. They of course managed to exceed expectations, but they could have won 10 fewer games and made the playoffs regardless. Maybe the format devalues the regular season, but it also reinforces the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity to get beyond it.

Of course, teams such as Arizona are the exception, not the rule. According to FanGraphs, the Diamondbacks rank 20th in the majors in payroll, with a sizeable portion of theirs devoted to players no longer in the organization. Since 2008, the World Series winner has, on average, ranked in the top eight among the league’s 30 teams in payroll, with the average participant ranked in the top 12, according to data from Spotrac. Arizona is only the third team in that span ranked 20th or lower, with Tampa Bay’s pennant-winning clubs in 2008 and 2020 ranked 28th.

Each opponent the Diamondbacks beat to reach the World Series had a higher payroll, with Arizona going 9-3 as clubs with lower payrolls otherwise went 7-17 through the first three playoff rounds. That includes an 0-3 showing from the Orioles, who ended 2023 ranked 29th, against the eighth-ranked Rangers.

But the Orioles got in, and an offseason spent devoted to increasing the probability they do so again could be enough to find Baltimore playing at this time next year.

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They both started the year as starting pitchers, took steps back to lower levels because of fatigue and ended the season as reliable relievers in Baltimore’s bullpen.

Despite the growth from their respective journeys in 2023, Wells and Hall will likely begin the 2024 campaign in the same murky roles they were in last spring training: as starting rotation candidates who are also attractive options to be moved to the bullpen.

The two pitchers might have overcome similar challenges in 2023, but their approaches to the rotation competition during spring training couldn’t have been more different. Wells didn’t want to talk about it, while Hall said he fed off the “doubt” from those who didn’t believe he could be a starter. They could be in the same position when they report to spring training in four months.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said during his end-of-season news conference that he wouldn’t comment about specific players’ roles in 2024.

“I’m going to plead the fifth again,” he said when asked about Wells’ and Hall’s future.

However, Elias then acknowledged and praised them both for how they cleared their hurdles — Wells his second-half fatigue, Hall his early season velocity dip — to help the Orioles down the stretch.

As the Orioles spent most of the second half as the American League’s best team, it might have been easy to forget that Wells was an integral part of how they won so many games. In the first half, the 6-foot-8 right-hander was the club’s best starting pitcher and a legitimate candidate to make the All-Star team with a 3.18 ERA and MLB-best 0.927 WHIP, allowing two or fewer runs in 12 of his 17 first-half starts.

But the 104 2/3 innings he pitched before the All-Star break in early July were more than he’d recorded in a year since 2018 — the season before he underwent the Tommy John elbow reconstruction that altered the path of his career. He struggled once the second half began, as Elias later said he “hit a wall.” The Orioles demoted him to Double-A and he pitched only 14 2/3 innings over the next eight weeks, later transitioning to a relief role in Triple-A.

When he returned in late September, he was thrust into one of the highest-leverage moments of the Orioles’ season, saving their AL East-clinching win over the Boston Red Sox. He didn’t allow a run in seven appearances, the final three coming in the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers.

“To get through that and then come up and then pitch like nails in a playoff race at a time when he was badly needed was inspiring to watch,” Elias said. “I wasn’t surprised. I mean, I know what he’s wired like, and I wasn’t surprised. We were counting on him, and he came through.”

Hall’s first half wasn’t as excellent as Wells’, as the left-hander pitched through diminished velocity that stemmed from his inability to weight train in the offseason because of lower back discomfort. That injury delayed his spring training, and Hall opened the year in Triple-A. In June, he took a step back to regain his velocity, going down to the team’s facility in Sarasota, Florida, to focus on building strength.

That strategy worked, and when he returned to the mound as a reliever, he had his old heater back. He was called up to aid the Orioles’ bullpen after closer Félix Bautista injured his elbow and went 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, including pitching in both of Baltimore’s clinch victories and two scoreless outings in the playoffs.

“DL … going to Florida and just being off the grid and just getting it all together at the exact perfect moment when we needed him most, is one of the many things that I’m very proud of with this group of guys,” Elias said.

“We haven’t even discussed, honestly, DL’s role next year,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’m just so excited about how he threw the ball in September and how he threw the ball on the national stage. Whatever we decide to do with him, he’s going to be a huge part of our team next year.”

With Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means, Dean Kremer and potentially an offseason acquisition ahead of Wells and Hall on the pecking order, it could make sense to keep them both in the bullpen. At the same time, though, Wells’ success as a big league starter and Hall’s excellent pitch arsenal and top prospect status could make it difficult to relegate them to lesser roles.

One factor that will be different next spring is Bautista’s absence and the potential need of a closer. With Bautista out for all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this month, the Orioles will need to fill what Elias called a “massive hole.” If Baltimore doesn’t address the need in free agency or via trade, Wells and Hall could be options to step into Bautista’s large shoes.

Wells, a Rule 5 draft pick, was a reliever as a rookie in 2021 and served as the team’s closer in September. Hall saved one game last season and finished three others this year, but his high-90s mph fastball and wicked offspeed stuff could make him a viable candidate.

Either way, the roles the two pitchers serve and who closes games will likely be some of the biggest questions facing the Orioles next spring.

“It’s going to be tough to replace him,” Elias said of Bautista, “so we’re going to bring all of our brain power towards answering that question.”

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For half the year, baseball teams play almost every day. For fans, the ritual of watching games, reading box scores, and following quotidian ups and downs of a team makes baseball an essential part of daily life in a way no other sport can.

Ironically, just at the moment that baseball has rightly adopted rule changes, like the pitch clock to bring the sport back to its faster-playing roots, Major League Baseball managed the unthinkable: It made the sacred regular season far less important. How? By preventing teams with the best records from playing any games for a week straight at the start of the playoffs, the most unnatural prison sentence possible for a baseball team.

Thus, the three teams (Braves, Dodgers, Orioles) who this year won 100 or more regular season games — the classic benchmark of a great team — were each colder than ice after the enforced weeklong layoff, collectively losing nine out of 10 playoff games, and so were quickly eliminated. Note that each 100-game winner was necessarily playing against teams that had just come off winning the previous three-game series, and so were facing teams still in season form and playing well.

Face it, MLB: Keeping teams with the best records from playing baseball for a week is a huge penalty, the baseball equivalent of jail, not a reward.

The problem is extended playoff schemes, which were originally sold as just an expedient needed due to the COVID pandemic. But greedy MLB executives and owners realized they could also squeeze in a few extra playoff games if they perpetuated a system where six teams in each league qualified. If baseball insists on six teams from each league, then two teams simply have to sit while the other four play.

During its first 65 years, the World Series featured just one team from each league with the best regular season record. Then for the next 25 years, from 1969 to 1993, only two teams in each league qualified for the playoffs.

Now 12 teams, or more than a third of the entire MLB’s 30 teams, qualify for what is effectively a tournament. Is it any surprise we have Arizona and Texas in the World Series this year, two teams that not only did not win their divisions, but finished at or near the bottom in wins of all qualifying teams.

But the current format is even more insidious than that. It encourages teams to create rosters geared just for the postseason, favoring two or three pitchers who might dominate absurdly short three-game and then five-game series, rather than prizing the traditional four or five-pitcher rotations by requiring all seven-game playoff series. In short, all that matters now is getting in the dance, and having a couple of hot pitchers and hitters.

To reestablish its identity and the integrity of its regular season, baseball needs to return to a saner postseason format. The simplest and fairest method would allow only four teams from each league to reach the playoffs.

This method was used successfully from 1994 to 2011. Unfortunately after that, the so-called “expanded wild card” madness took hold, first allowing five teams in each league to qualify from 2012 to 2019, and now the six-headed hydra in each league. It’s a disaster baked into the collective bargaining agreement the players and owners reached during the holdout season of 2022. So yes, the players are partly to blame, too.

Yet there may be a fairer way forward, after all. Under the latest labor agreement, baseball is intending to expand to 32 teams. With that number of teams, the MLB could create two divisions of eight teams in each league, with the winner of each division reaching the playoffs and the additional two teams with the top records in each league also qualifying. Then the division winners could host five of seven first-round games, the winners of those games with the best record hosting five of seven in the league championship series, with the winners on to the World Series.

No system is perfect. But equally, the MLB cannot perpetuate a system that undermines its most definitive characteristic — the long daily regular season — and then penalizes its best teams for winning during that season. To do so is to throw out 150 years of tradition. After all, they are not called the Men of October. They are called the Boys of Summer.

Paul Bledsoe (X: @paulbledsoe) is an Orioles and Nationals fan from Arlington, Virginia.

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The Bears traded a 2024 second-round draft pick Tuesday to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat.

Sweat, who leads the Commanders with 6 1/2 sacks, immediately becomes the best edge defender for the Bears, who are last in the NFL with 10 sacks.

“Montez is a huge addition to our team,” Poles said in a statement. “He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.”

The Bears can negotiate a contract extension with Sweat or use the franchise tag to secure him before free agency starts in March. They are projected to have about $100 million in salary-cap room, so space to pay Sweat would not be an issue.

It would not be surprising if the Bears already are working on a new contract for Sweat with the goal of securing his future with the team when he arrives.

The 27-year-old Sweat, a first-round pick from Mississippi State in 2019, has been the Commanders’ most consistent edge rusher for the last three seasons as a knee injury sidelined Chase Young.

Young has bounced back this season, but concerns about the stability of his right knee — he tore the ACL and patellar tendon in 2021 — made Sweat the more sought-after player as the Commanders sorted through trade options. They also dealt Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional third-round pick, according to reports.

The Bears attempted to address their pass rush at the outset of training camp by signing veteran Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million contract. He has been disappointing so far and hasn’t had a quarterback hit in the last three games. Ngakoue is tied with weak-side linebacker T.J. Edwards for the team lead with two sacks.

Bears defensive ends have combined for 13 quarterback hits, led by DeMarcus Walker’s five, and five sacks in eight games.

Securing Sweat would make this a more sound investment than the gamble Poles made at this time last year, when he traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. The goal was to provide developing quarterback Justin Fields with more help, but a knee injury sidelined Claypool and he struggled to fit into the offense.

Claypool finished with 14 catches for 140 yards in seven games for the Bears in 2022, and despite everyone saying all the right things about the former Notre Dame standout in the offseason, he didn’t fit in this season either. Poles eventually cut his losses, sending Claypool and a seventh-round pick in 2025 to the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick in 2025.

“You’re always disappointed in this situation, and it’s definitely something I take ownership of,” Poles told WMVP-AM 1000 after the trade. “Last year, in the situation we were in, we wanted to add another receiver to the offense, not only to help us be more productive but also to help Justin take the next step. The right thought process was there, and I feel comfortable with that.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out and we were hoping for him to be a little bit more productive and be someone that could help us take it to the next level.”

That same thought process was in play with Sweat, and if the Bears can work out an extension, they wouldn’t be making as big of a gamble. Plus they’re getting a player with a greater track record of success.

More Bears news

• Bears injury news: QB Justin Fields will miss his 3rd straight game, plus Jaquan Brisker and Tremaine Edmunds updates
• Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Chargers
• Column: When will the NFL and TV networks learn to stop putting the Bears in prime time
• True or false: The Tyson Bagent fairy tale has reached the end for the Bears after a shaky Week 8 performance
• What to know about the Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and which other suburbs are vying for the stadium

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles assumed one when he made another big deadline-day deal Tuesday, sending a second-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat, a formidable addition to a defense utterly lacking a pass rush.

Poles bet on himself and his staff that they can get Sweat to stick with the Bears in the long term and be part of a second wave of roster overhaul. If so, he will be a foundational piece for the defense. That is the risk in the move for Sweat, who the Bears will pay $6.5 million for the final nine games of the season before his contract expires.

Of course, the Bears could consider a franchise or transition tag to keep Sweat in place or create more time for negotiations, but at this point, they have to be hoping it won’t come to that. Poles also has the future of Jaylon Johnson to consider after the cornerback briefly had permission to seek a trade with nothing materializing.

The Sweat trade was a move made for 2024 and beyond, and it makes sense from the standpoint that if the Bears had not traded for Sweat, another team likely would have (Atlanta Falcons?) and prevented him from reaching free agency. Had the Commanders kept Sweat, it’s unlikely they would have allowed him to reach the marketplace.

The Carolina Panthers are highly unlikely to allow Brian Burns to exit as a free agent. In other words, the Bears might have had a hard time finding a player of Sweat’s caliber in free agency. Instead, they could have shopped for leftovers like Yannick Ngakoue, who the Bears signed at the outset of training camp this summer to a $10.5 million, one-year contract. That’s not a path they wanted to head down again.

The college football season is a little more than halfway through and right now the 2024 draft class doesn’t look to have a no-doubt edge rusher. Maybe that changes but in talking with a handful of college evaluators, they’re not blown away by potential high-end talent at the position. Sure, there are intriguing prospects, but right now all come with questions.

If Poles’ evaluators were telling him similar things, it’s possible he reached the same conclusion and decided the risk — who knows how Sweat feels about the Bears and Halas Hall? — was more than worth it.

A second-rounder is a premium selection, no question. The Bears’ selection, now owned by the Commanders, could easily fall in the first five picks of the round. The Commanders could get a great player there. They could wind up with a bust. One personnel man said his team did an exhaustive study of pick value over the last 10 seasons. He called finding a solid starter with a high two — what this pick should be — about a 40% proposition.

“A lot depends on the depth of the individual class,” he said. “And then, of course, you have to nail the pick.”

Poles can always maneuver during the draft, perhaps trading down a short distance with one of his first-round picks, to recoup capital used to acquire Sweat. If the Bears plan to use their first pick on a quarterback, they could trade Justin Fields for a pick.

The Bears have to sign Sweat, 27, to nail this deal because they already know what kind of player he is. Sweat led the Commanders with 6 1/2 sacks (1 1/2 came in the Bears’ Week 5 win over Washington at FedEx Field) and has 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. His 10 tackles for loss is tied for the second-most in the NFC.

Sweat is one of seven players since 2019 (the year the Commanders drafted him in the first round) to have at least 80 quarterback hits, 30 tackles and 40 tackles for loss joining a list that includes Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby, Cam Jordan and Burns. Not only does he hunt quarterbacks, but he’s also a rugged run defender.

“Montez is a huge addition to our team,” Poles said in a statement. “He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.”

The Bears likely considered the possibility of Sweat’s teammate Chase Young, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2020 and defensive rookie of the year that season. But Young would have come with medical risk after suffering a torn ACL and ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee in 2021. The 49ers wound up acquiring Young, also on an expiring contract, for a supplemental third-round pick Tuesday.

The trade for Sweat is conditional on his passing a physical. Some teams red-flagged him in 2019 at the combine because of a preexisting heart condition. NFL Media reported prior to the draft that other clubs felt the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which results in thickening of the heart walls, was incorrect.

This is certainly something the Bears will want to look at but Sweat has been a model of durability in the NFL with the exception of time missed in 2021 because of a broken jaw. Chances are the Bears are confident the player will pass their exams.

The Bears knew the pass rush would be a mixed bag this season — they are last in the NFL with only 10 sacks — and that is why they bucked up for Ngakoue. He has been disappointing so far and hasn’t had a quarterback hit in the last three games. Ngakoue is tied with weak-side linebacker T.J. Edwards for the team lead with two sacks. Bears defensive ends have combined for 13 quarterback hits, led by DeMarcus Walker’s five, and have only five sacks in eight games.

Sweat should help change the complexion of the front seven — although he won’t do it by himself — and that in turn should help Johnson and a young secondary cover better.

Poles swung-and-missed when he traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool before the deadline last season. That trade fizzled almost immediately and surely there were lessons learned. Sweat won’t arrive with the football character questions that Claypool brought with him.

It would have been easy for Poles to stand pat, with the Bears 2-6, and continue to assess specifically how he wants to attack many roster needs in the offseason. But he explored all possibilities — even potentially trading the team’s best cornerback, Johnson — and made an aggressive bid to get Sweat.

The Bears project to have about $100 million in salarycap space, more than enough to make a bevy of moves. Poles has to prioritize signing Sweat — the Miami Dolphins got a contract extension done with edge rusher Bradley Chubb two days after acquiring him in a trade from the Denver Broncos last year — and then continue dialogue with Johnson’s camp.

Yes, there is risk involved here. Sweat and his representation have leverage right now knowing the Bears must sign him. But free agency is dangerous and the draft is a gamble in itself.

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A source confirmed an ESPN report late Monday that Johnson requested a trade and the Bears gave him permission to search for a new home. But a deal for Johnson didn’t work out before the 3 p.m. deadline.

Now the Bears can keep their top cornerback for the final nine games, and general manager Ryan Poles has until free agency begins in March to work out a long-term contract. The Bears also could use the franchise or transition tag.

However, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported Johnson does not plan to engage in contract talks the rest of the season.

Johnson, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, made it known for months he would like an extension with the Bears. But he said Thursday that contract extension talks with the Bears were “slower than expected.” When asked last week what he was seeking, he said “security.”

“That’s what we play the game for,” Johnson said. “A lot of it goes back to respect as well. It’s not just about taking anything as well. You can throw some numbers at somebody and just hope they take anything, but that’s not what I’m looking to do. I’m looking for respect and security at the end of the day.”

Johnson, 24, is the Bears’ top cornerback. His two interceptions against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 22 were just the second and third of his career, but he takes pride in shutting down teams’ top receivers.

In 45 games over four seasons, he has 35 passes defended, 143 tackles and three forced fumbles. He has missed at least a couple of games each year with injuries or illnesses, including six games last season.

Poles has built depth at cornerback by drafting Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith the last two years. But the Bears have said many times they value Johnson, including coach Matt Eberflus last week.

“He has done everything we’ve asked,” Eberflus said. “He’s been really good in training camp. He’s worked every single day during that process. He’s done a really good job of improving his craft.

“He’s always been really good in terms of being sticky at the top of routes and being able to close distances and make plays on the ball. Now he’s starting to make those interceptions, which is positive. And the tackling is better.”

Poles said on the team’s pregame radio show Sunday on WMVP-AM 1000 he was proud of the way Johnson played against the Raiders, a game that included his first career pick-six. But Poles noted a new contract has to work for both sides.

The top 15 cornerbacks in the league make between about $13 million and $21 million per year.

“Everybody wants respect. But like I’ve talked about with contracts before, can the team and the player find common ground that makes sense all the way around?” Poles said. “I’ve been really proud of our group with all things contract and cap. (Director of football administration) Matt Feinstein has done a great job with research to make sure we’re seeing things the right way. So we’ll see how things go.

“We’re in a phase where we want to retain homegrown talent. That’s important. But again, it takes two sides to make something happen.”

Johnson said Thursday he didn’t know which way the contract talks would go.

“I’m waiting to see because somebody can say one thing and you believe it and then something else happens,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen what happened to (former Carolina Panthers running back Christian) McCaffrey. They told him (they) weren’t going to trade him. Trade him at (the last minute). I don’t believe hardly anything I’m told. I’m going off actions.”

The trade request was the second public one by a Bears player in a little more than a year. In August 2022, linebacker Roquan Smith published a letter on social media requesting a trade after contract negotiations didn’t go the way he wanted.

Smith played the first two months of the season without a new contract, and Poles then traded Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for 2023 second- and fifth-round draft picks and linebacker A.J. Klein.

Smith, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Ravens, was named an All-Pro last season. The Bears then signed linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in the offseason to a four-year, $72 million contract with $50 million guaranteed.

The Bears didn’t trade Johnson on Tuesday, but they still made a big move. Poles acquired defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2024 second-round draft pick.

More Bears news

• Bears injury news: QB Justin Fields will miss his 3rd straight game, plus Jaquan Brisker and Tremaine Edmunds updates
• Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Chargers
• Column: When will the NFL and TV networks learn to stop putting the Bears in prime time?
• True or false: The Tyson Bagent fairy tale has reached the end for the Bears after a shaky Week 8 performance
• What to know about the Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and which other suburbs are vying for the stadium

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The NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday without Baltimore making a move. Coach John Harbaugh said the day before that he thinks the team has everything it needs in terms of players to be successful, and the lack of adding to the roster seems to indicate general manager Eric DeCosta feels the same.

DeCosta, who typically does not speak to the media during the season, was unavailable for comment.

“Do we have a specific overarching have-to-have guy? No,” Harbaugh said Monday. “We have an excellent roster.”

Though the NFL trade deadline doesn’t produce the same flurry of activity that is seen in other sports such as the NBA and MLB, there were deals to be made.

The San Francisco 49ers strengthened their already elite defense by reportedly trading a 2024 third-round pick for Commanders star defensive end Chase Young. Washington also unloaded their other defensive end, Montez Sweat, to the Chicago Bears for a second-round draft pick next year.

The Minnesota Vikings, who lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the rest of the season to a torn Achilles tendon Sunday, traded sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Arizona Cardinals for a seventh-round pick and quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who had filled in while Kyler Murray continued to work his way back from a torn ACL.

The Detroit Lions, meanwhile, landed wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a sixth-round pick in 2025.

And just up I-95, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman a week before the deadline perhaps bolstered Philadelphia’s chances of returning to the Super Bowl by acquiring Titans All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, whose 27 interceptions since 2016 are the most in the NFL.

As for the Ravens, they appear to be happy with a roster that has produced a 6-2 record and boasts the league’s best defense in multiple metrics, including sacks (31), points allowed per game (15.1) and is No. 1 in FTN Fantasy’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA). On offense, they lost their top running back J.K. Dobbins for the season to a torn Achilles tendon in Week 1, but Justice Hill and Gus Edwards have done a solid if unspectacular job filling in.

Still, despite their success this season the Ravens have endured uneven performances on both sides of the ball, and Harbaugh said they were open to a potential trade.

“If an opportunity came to bring in somebody that can help us or make us better in any area, really, but certain areas more than others of course, and you can do it in a way that’s affordable to the team and the club cap-wise [and] draft pick-wise, those kind of things, you would do it,” he said. “You would do it to try and get better.”

That’s what they did a year ago, trading 2023 second- and fifth-round picks, along with linebacker A.J. Klein, to the Chicago Bears for All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith. This season, Smith leads the team in tackles and is the unquestioned vocal leader in the locker room and on the field.

In 2019, the Ravens also made a major move at the deadline, acquiring cornerback Marcus Peters from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round pick. Peters tore his ACL in 2021 and missed the season, but in 37 games with Baltimore had eight interceptions, including two for touchdowns, during the regular season, and his interception late in a wild-card playoff game against the Titans during the 2020 season helped seal a 20-13 victory.

Though tight on cap space — just $2.8 million currently — the Ravens did have the assets to make a move.

Baltimore has eight picks in next April’s draft, with one pick through each of the first five rounds, plus their own seventh-round pick. They also have the Jets’ seventh-rounder from the Chuck Clark trade and will likely get a compensatory fourth-round pick after left guard Ben Powers signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency in the offseason. They will also open up more cap space with each week outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, long snapper Nick Moore and rookie offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees remain on the non-football injury list, and there are almost always contracts that can be restructured to manufacture more.

However, it’s possible that Bowser could soon be returning from his knee injury, with Harbaugh saying Monday that the veteran is “optimistic” he would be back in the next few weeks. He also said that cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams is expected to be coming off injured reserve after undergoing ankle surgery in August.

“I love our guys,” Harbaugh said. “I think we have everything we need to be successful.”

Time will tell.

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The Boston Red Sox on Wednesday tabbed Breslow, 43, to become their new chief baseball officer. He replaces Chaim Bloom, whom the Red Sox fired last month.

The Cubs hired Breslow in January 2019 as director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations, and he worked his way up to assistant general manager and vice president of pitching as a trusted voice in president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s inner circle.

Under Breslow’s oversight of adjustments to the pitching infrastructure, the Cubs saw gains in velocity and homegrown arms during his five seasons in the organization.

The Cubs’ struggles to develop homegrown arms contributed to their inability to build off their 2016 World Series title. This season represented another important step forward on that front.

• Left-hander Justin Steele became a Cy Young Award contender during a breakout 2023 season.
• Right-hander Adbert Alzolay thrived in the closer role.
• Lefty Jordan Wicks, the Cubs’ 2021 first-round pick, made his major-league debut during the wild-card race.
• Right-hander Cade Horton, the 2022 first-round pick, has quickly become one of the top pitching prospects in baseball.
• And right-hander Ben Brown took a step forward in his development after the Cubs acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2021 trade deadline. Brown was poised to make his big-league debut before an injury sidelined him near the end of the season.

The Cubs promoted Breslow to director of pitching and special assistant to then-President Theo Epstein and then-GM Hoyer in October 2019. As director of pitching, Breslow was tasked with strategic management of the minor-league pitching infrastructure.

Breslow, a lefty reliever, spent 12 seasons in the majors, including five in Boston, where he won a World Series title with the Red Sox in 2013. He graduated from Yale with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry.

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Sunday’s 30-13 blowout by the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., once again confirmed the Bears as a struggling team lacking the playmaking firepower to consistently beat quality opponents.

As that latest defeat settles in, Tribune writers Dan Wiederer and Colleen Kane play a game of true or false with four prominent topics.

Kane: True or false? After Sunday’s shaky performance against the Chargers, the Tyson Bagent fairy tale is effectively over.

Wiederer: Wait. What? Are we being serious here, Chicago? Are we trying to implement a super-speed round for quarterback evaluation that offers only two starts before definitive conclusions must be drawn? False. False, false, false.

Indeed, Bagent struggled Sunday and was behind the wheel of a sloppy offensive performance in which the Bears squeezed only 13 points and 295 yards out of 11 possessions. He threw two interceptions and was almost picked off two other times by a defense that entered the night allowing a league-worst 310 passing yards per game.

It certainly wasn’t a repeat performance of the impressive control he showed in his first start during an encouraging home victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. But Sunday’s dud also wasn’t a surprise, particularly for an undrafted rookie out of Division II who is acclimating to the speed and demands of the NFL.

Inconsistency and struggle are always part of the journey for young quarterbacks as they gain experience. One key is properly reacting to and growing from shaky outings like Sunday’s.

Look, I’ve been on record saying Justin Fields needs to be back in the huddle as soon as the medical staff clears him to play. A comprehensive evaluation of his development and direction is one of the major to-do items for the 2023 Bears. And Bagent should be ready to slide back into the QB2 seat, perhaps as early as next week.

But to declare an abrupt end to his fairy-tale rise? Nope. Nuh-uh. That’s ridiculous.

Kane: Bagent’s performance Sunday, part of a Bears offensive showing riddled with mistakes, wasn’t great, but you’re right that it also shouldn’t serve as the basis for writing off Bagent’s ability to play in the NFL. I don’t understand the people who are so quick to do that after a start or two, even if they’re skeptical of his roots at Shepherd University.

But the situation is complicated in that Bagent’s attempt to improve with more experience will have to pause when the Bears go back to Fields. When that happens, when will Bagent get his next opportunity?

I think we can recognize the talent and potential of Fields and want the Bears to see if he can put it all together for the rest of the season while also saying we’re interested in seeing if Bagent can improve with more experience. (Saying one of those statements doesn’t make me a hater of the other, no matter what social media tells me!)

But one does come at the expense of the other. And that means while Bagent’s underdog story might not be over, it eventually will have to pivot to being told from the backup role. For now, he will get another shot against the New Orleans Saints.

Wiederer: True or false? If Justin Fields is healthy enough to play, it’s better for him to come back against the Lions in Week 11 than the Panthers in Week 10.

Kane: False. As long as he can’t do further damage to his injured thumb, Fields should come back as soon as he and the Bears feel like the injury won’t hinder his ability to lead the offense.

As we’ve talked about before, Fields has a lot riding on the last two months of this season as he tries to convince the Bears they should stick with him beyond this season. I understand the thinking that coming back on a short week of practice to face the Panthers on “Thursday Night Football” isn’t ideal. But after Bagent starts against the Saints, Fields would have just eight games to get this offense into a groove.

Especially if he can practice in some capacity this week, he needs to get started as soon as he physically can. And returning in a winnable game against the Panthers seems like a good time.

Wiederer: Fields, Matt Eberflus said Monday, isn’t quite well enough to play in New Orleans. With that established, I would hold Fields out until after the second mini-bye following the Panthers game, which would afford him a smoother on-ramp back into action with a regular week of practice reps.

Yes, as you pointed out, the clock is definitely ticking here. The Bears have only nine more games before they will face some pretty significant decisions regarding how to move forward at the most important position. They need Fields back on the field soon to continue assessing the requisite improvements he needs to make for them to believe in his development.

It seemed reasonable to think Fields’ right thumb would be healed and his grip strength functional for this week. But if the Bears insist he’s still struggling physically and can’t play the position properly, then we will all settle in for another Tyson Bagent start. Or perhaps two.

Kane: True or false? The NFL should seriously consider flexing the Bears’ Week 12 game with the Vikings off Monday night.

Wiederer: True. The last-place Bears haven’t won consecutive games since late in the 2021 season and haven’t shown the ability to regularly entertain a national audience. And the suddenly resurgent Vikings are now dealing with the torpedo that hit their season Sunday when quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon.

If the Nov. 27 game at U.S. Bank Stadium had much appeal to begin with, it definitely dipped after Sunday’s developments for both teams. So, yes, the league should consider an alternative for that “Monday Night Football” opening.

Yet here’s the big snag: That’s Thanksgiving weekend, and the league already has three games locked into the Thursday holiday slots, another (Dolphins-Jets) set for the afternoon of Black Friday and the Ravens-Chargers game scheduled for Sunday night. That significantly reduces the inventory of games the league can consider flexing with Bears-Vikings.

Kane: Yeah, it’s not exactly a marquee matchup from where we stand, though the Bears might be game for a Cousins-less Vikings team in prime time. It might finally be their chance for the first NFC North win of the Matt Eberflus era, if they can’t get it done a week earlier in Detroit.

The league has been flexing Sunday night games for years but just implemented the Monday and Thursday night flex options this year. They have to announce it no fewer than 12 days before the game, so we should know in a couple of weeks if Bears fans need to adjust their Thanksgiving weekend viewing plans — assuming the Bears are still keeping their interest by that point.

Wiederer: True or false? The Bears’ lack of a pass rush is the defense’s biggest problem.

Kane: True. It was the Bears’ biggest problem last year, and it remains so this year despite general manager Ryan Poles’ efforts to upgrade the defensive line in the offseason.

The Bears have only 10 sacks and rank last in the NFL with a 3.4% sack rate. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert operated with ease while completing 31 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns without being sacked Sunday. Linebacker T.J. Edwards is tied with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue for the team lead with two sacks. Defensive tackle Justin Jones has seven quarterback hits.

The Bears defense has other issues too. Injuries in the secondary have contributed to some of its struggles. Missed tackles were prominent Sunday. The Bears had only one takeaway against the Chargers. But their inability to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks has been so glaring, and it’s something Poles needs to make his offseason focus.

Wiederer: Not only do the Bears rank 32nd in sacks, they are five shy of the eight defenses that are tied for second-to-last. And don’t forget, a dozen teams have already had bye weeks to limit their totals through Week 8.

The Bears not only didn’t sack Herbert on Sunday — the 18th time in the 25-game Eberflus era they went without multiple sacks — but they hit Herbert only twice. When you give any quarterback that kind of peace of mind, he becomes dangerous. When you give a standout quarterback that kind of comfort, it’s downright lethal.

We’ve known for a long time that adding pass-rush help is a major priority for the Bears. It has to be addressed ASAP. Until then, we’ll continue knowing the Bears defense as an all-too-ordinary unit incapable of consistently being the reason the team wins.

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Chris Holt will focus on his duties as Baltimore’s director of pitching and no longer also serve as the club’s major league pitching coach, while assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes is the lone other member of the staff not expected to be back next season, a source with direct knowledge of the team’s plans confirmed to The Baltimore Sun.

Holt, 44, was one of Mike Elias’ first hires after the latter became the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager in November 2018, with Holt having served as a minor league pitching coach and coordinator in the Houston Astros’ system while Elias was in their front office. Holt has since played a major role in both Baltimore’s pitching program overall and the growth of individual pitchers, notably helping left-hander John Means in the spring of 2019 to fine-tune the changeup that has become his signature pitch.

Holt was Baltimore’s minor league pitching coordinator in 2019 before becoming the organization’s director of pitching in 2020; in that role, he oversees pitching development throughout the organization. His return to that role as his sole focus comes after three seasons as Hyde’s pitching coach.

In 2021, the first of those campaigns, the Orioles’ pitching staff ranked last in the majors in ERA, but their performance in 2022 marked the sport’s biggest year-to-year improvement in more than 90 years. Several young starters, such as Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells, took steps forward in 2023.

Holmes, 57, was also involved in that progression. He has been with the Orioles since 2020, serving as their bullpen coach that season before spending the previous three years as assistant pitching coach.

Before joining the Orioles, Holmes was the Colorado Rockies’ bullpen coach from 2015 to 2019. After his 13-year pitching career — which included a stint with Baltimore in 2000 — Holmes spent nearly a decade as the Director of Sports Performance at Acceleration Sports Institute, with his background in biomechanics eventually leading to a consulting job with the Atlanta Braves.

It’s not yet clear whether the Orioles intend to replace both Holt and Holmes on the major league coaching staff, though the organization does have at least two notable internal candidates for any opening.

Justin Ramsey, Triple-A Norfolk’s pitching coach and Baltimore’s upper-level pitching coordinator, joined Holt as one of the first coaching hires of Elias’ front office. He has worked closely with Holt and Holmes in his efforts with the Tides’ pitchers, with Rodriguez, the club’s top pitching prospect at the time, often crediting Ramsey for his improvements after a return to the minors.

Pitching strategy coach Ryan Klimek has played a significant role in the Orioles’ game planning for opponents over the past two seasons, drawing praise from the club’s pitchers and Hyde; 2023 was Klimek’s seventh year with the Orioles, beginning as a player development intern in 2017.

Hyde, 50, is set to manage the Orioles for a sixth season in 2024, a season he could spend as the reigning American League Manager of the Year after guiding Baltimore to 101 wins and the AL East crown this year. His coaching staff also includes bench coach Fredi González, major league field coordinator/catching instructor Tim Cossins, major league coach José Hernández, hitting coaches Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller, offensive strategy coach Cody Asche, first base/outfield coach Anthony Sanders and third base/infield coach Tony Mansolino.

MASNSports.com first reported the changes to the Orioles’ coaching staff.

Around the horn

• The Orioles claimed left-hander Tucker Davidson from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. Davidson, 27, has a 5.98 ERA in 55 career appearances (17 starts) with the Braves, Los Angeles Angels and Royals. Baltimore’s 40-man roster is full.
• Earlier this week, the Orioles signed right-hander Nate Webb to a two-year minor league contract. Webb, 26, missed 2023 after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction in the spring. Yet to appear in the majors, Webb reached Triple-A in the Royals’ system in 2022.

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Former Orioles general manager Hank Peters and former Baltimore manager and second baseman Davey Johnson are among the eight candidates on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee’s Manager/Executive/Umpires ballot, which recognizes those whose contributions to the sport came in 1980 or later. To be elected into the Hall of Fame, nominees must be voted in by 12 of the committee’s 16 members; results will be announced Dec. 3.

Among his 42 years as a front office executive, Peters served as the Orioles’ general manager from 1976 to 1987, a stretch in which Baltimore was the American League champion in 1979 and won the World Series in 1983. The Orioles have not won a title since.

After serving in World War II, Peters worked in the St. Louis Browns’ scouting department and followed the franchise to Baltimore in 1954. He also served as the GM of the Kansas City Athletics and Cleveland Indians during his career. Peters died in 2015.

Johnson, 80, spent seven of his 13 major league seasons as a player with Baltimore, earning three All-Star nominations and three Gold Glove Awards. Two of his 17 years as a manager were with the Orioles, guiding the team to the AL Championship Series in both 1996 and 1997. The same day he was named the AL Manager of the Year for the latter season, Johnson resigned as Baltimore’s manager because of a feud with majority owner Peter Angelos.

Johnson managed the New York Mets to the 1986 World Series title and was National League Manager of the Year with Washington in 2012, making him one of eight to win the award in both leagues.

The other candidates up for election are former managers Cito Gaston, who infamously did not bring in then-Oriole Mike Mussina to pitch in the 1993 All-Star Game at Camden Yards, Jim Leyland and Lou Piniella, who made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 1964; former umpires Ed Montague and Joe West; and former NL president Bill White.

Zimmermann undergoes surgery

Orioles left-hander Bruce Zimmermann underwent core surgery Thursday in Philadelphia and is expected to be ready for spring training, the team said.

An Ellicott City native, Zimmermann, 28, is on Baltimore’s 40-man roster and had a 4.73 ERA in seven relief appearances for the Orioles this year. In 38 major league outings (27 starts) in parts of four seasons, Zimmermann has a 5.57 ERA in 158 1/3 innings.

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For half the year, baseball teams play almost every day. For fans, the ritual of watching games, reading box scores, and following quotidian ups and downs of a team makes baseball an essential part of daily life in a way no other sport can.

Ironically, just at the moment that baseball has rightly adopted rule changes, like the pitch clock to bring the sport back to its faster-playing roots, Major League Baseball managed the unthinkable: It made the sacred regular season far less important. How? By preventing teams with the best records from playing any games for a week straight at the start of the playoffs, the most unnatural prison sentence possible for a baseball team.

Thus, the three teams (Braves, Dodgers, Orioles) who this year won 100 or more regular season games — the classic benchmark of a great team — were each colder than ice after the enforced weeklong layoff, collectively losing nine out of 10 playoff games, and so were quickly eliminated. Note that each 100-game winner was necessarily playing against teams that had just come off winning the previous three game series, and so were facing teams still in season form and playing well.

Face it MLB: Keeping teams with the best records from playing baseball for a week is a huge penalty, the baseball equivalent of jail, not a reward.

The problem is extended playoff schemes, which were originally sold as just an expedient needed due to the COVID pandemic. But greedy MLB executives and owners realized they could also squeeze in a few extra playoff games if they perpetuated a system where six teams in each league qualified. If baseball insists on six teams from each league, then two teams simply have to sit while the other four play.

During its first 65 years, the World Series featured just one team from each league with the best regular season record. Then for the next 25 years, from 1968 to 1993, only two teams in each league qualified for the playoffs.

Now 12 teams, or more than a third of the entire MLB’s 30 teams, qualify for what is effectively a tournament. Is it any surprise we have Arizona and Texas in the World Series this year, two teams that not only did not win their divisions, but finished at or near the bottom in wins of all qualifying teams.

But the current format is even more insidious than that. It encourages teams to create rosters geared just for the postseason, favoring two or three pitchers who might dominate absurdly short three-game and then five-game series, rather than prizing the traditional four or five pitcher rotations by requiring all seven-game playoff series. In short, all that matters now is getting in the dance, and having a couple of hot pitchers and hitters.

To reestablish its identity and the integrity of its regular season, baseball needs to return to a saner postseason format. The simplest and fairest method would allow only four teams from each league to reach the playoffs.

This method was used successfully from 1994-2011. Unfortunately after that, the so-called “expanded wild card” madness took hold, first allowing five teams in each league to qualify from 2012-2019, and now the six-headed hydra in each league. It’s a disaster baked into the collective bargaining agreement the players and owners reached during the hold out season of 2022. So yes, the players are partly to blame, too.

Yet there may be a fairer way forward, after all. Under the latest labor agreement, baseball is intending to expand to 32 teams. With that number of teams, the MLB could create two divisions of eight teams in each league, with the winner of each division reaching the playoffs and the additional two teams with the top records in each league also qualifying. Then the division winners could host five of seven first round games, the winners of those games with the best record hosting five of seven in the league championship series games, with the winners onto the World Series.

No system is perfect. But equally, the MLB cannot perpetuate a system that undermines its most definitive characteristic — the long daily regular season — and then penalizes its best teams for winning during that season. To do so is to throw out 150 years of tradition. After all, they are not called the men of October. They are called the Boys of Summer.

Paul Bledsoe (X: @paulbledsoe) is an Orioles and Nationals fan from Arlington, Virginia.

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All three of their main stars finished with 20 or more points: Nikola Vučević scored 24, Zach LaVine 23 and DeMar DeRozan 20.

Here are six takeaways from the win.

1. Nikola Vučević led the offense.

The Bulls targeted Vučević from the jump, utilizing pick-and-rolls with DeRozan and Coby White to create better looks for the center in the paint.

The Pacers chose to play center Myles Turner in drop coverage, which could have tempted Vučević to settle for outside shots. Instead he continued to drive directly into the teeth of the defense, racking up 24 points despite a slow shooting start.

Vučević voiced frustration after the season opener that the Bulls weren’t finding him enough — a consistent complaint since they acquired him from the Orlando Magic at the 2021 trade deadline. But he felt properly involved in the offense Monday, tallying three assists and 17 rebounds in addition to his scoring.

With 1:55 left and a 3-point lead, Vučević found himself open in the corner. He waved his arms frantically to call for a skip pass from DeRozan, then drove into the paint for a layup and drew a foul. The three-point play gave the Bulls the cushion they needed.

2. A 4th-quarter turnaround.

For the first three quarters, the momentum never changed. The Pacers never led by more than eight. The Bulls couldn’t get past tying the score. But that momentum shifted in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls tied the score with a pair of DeRozan free throws with 4:48 remaining, then pulled ahead when Alex Caruso broke out in transition to throw down a dunk. From there, it was if a dam broke in the paint: The Bulls made four consecutive layups en route to a 17-8 run to close the game.

3. Another clutch win despite an excruciating final minute.

The final minute drew out into another convoluted, razor-thin finish plagued with irregularities.

LaVine was called for a technical foul after he attempted to rip the ball out of Andrew Nembhard’s arms during a timeout. Caruso threw away a pass and Buddy Hield capitalized with a fast-break 3-pointer. DeRozan was called for a foul on Hield’s 3-point attempt with 12.4 seconds remaining, only for Bulls coach Billy Donovan to successfully challenge the call.

But despite breaking down in certain areas, the Bulls did not fully crumble in their second clutch game of the season — both of them wins.

4. Defense slowed the high-flying Pacers.

The Pacers entered with one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league with a 128.2 offensive rating through two games. But the Bulls slowed that pace considerably, holding the Pacers to 105 points.

Indiana’s stars still showed out: Turner scored 20 points, and Tyrese Haliburton added 19. But the Bulls were able to stifle the Pacers offense in the margins by slowing the pace and keeping them from running the court.

5. 3-point attempts were down, accuracy was up.

After averaging 36.3 attempts behind the arc in their first three games, the Bulls reverted to the norm. They finished 6-for-17 (35%) from 3-point range, while the Pacers were 12-for-46 (26.1%). The 17 attempts is less than half the league average of 35.3.

As a result, 3-pointers were only 18% of the Bulls’ total shot selection, compared with their season average of 31.1%.

But it was an improvement in accuracy for the Bulls, who were shooting 28.4% from 3-point range before Monday. And Donovan noted that the Bulls were more prolific at the rim — rather than settling for midrange jumpers — which was a preferable reason to take fewer 3-pointers.

However, it also showcased the difficulty of matching offensive pace with a low volume of 3-pointers. Even though the Pacers shot below 30% from 3-point range, they outscored the Bulls 36-18 behind the arc.

6. Jevon Carter logged his 1st double-digit performance.

Carter tallied 11 points in his best performance as a Bull. He came off the bench late in the first quarter and made an immediate impact, carving his way into the paint and hitting a needed 3-pointer. He finished with two assists, a blocked shot and a steal.

Donovan stuck with Carter at point guard for the bulk of the fourth quarter after White suffered a nasty collision with Aaron Nesmith. White briefly went to the locker room with a trainer but quickly returned to the bench, closing the game alongside Caruso.

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You’ve probably heard of “workcations” that combine work travel with leisure trips, often in desirable locations. But there’s a new twist on this trend: The “hush trip,” in which employees don’t tell their bosses they’re actually working from vacation locales. These secret getaways by remote workers while on the clock seem to be gaining in popularity and frequency, although many companies frown upon this activity.

Thinking about taking a hush trip, especially during the upcoming holiday season? Read on to learn more about the benefits and risks of this practice, what employers think of hush trips and ways to pay for your next holiday trip.

Understanding the hush trip phenomenon

A hush trip can be defined as an excursion where an employee works remotely, usually in a vacation spot, without disclosing to their boss or colleagues where they’re temporarily located, according to Vicki Salemi, a career expert with Monster.

“Hush trips are growing more popular because more workers see opportunities to work remotely in places other than their homes,” she says. Salemi cites a recent Monster poll that reveals approximately one-third of workers didn’t think their managers needed to know that they were working from somewhere other than their home. A further one-fifth of respondents didn’t think their managers would approve of a “workcation,” and 16 percent believed their managers and colleagues would have a negative view of hush trips.

Joshua Bienstock, an associate professor at New York Institute of Technology’s School of Management and a practicing employment and labor lawyer, says he understands why hush trips have become more common.

“Employees are stressed out in a 24/7 world,” he explains. “As more workplaces recognize the utility of remote work, many employees can do their work in any place. So the thinking seems to be, ‘Why not combine my work and vacation by taking a hush trip?’”

Peter Strebel, president of RateGain, a provider of SaaS solutions for the travel and hospitality industry and former chairman of Omni Hotels & Resorts, isn’t surprised by the rise of hush trips.

“Many times, they occur when workers do not have vacation time to spare or are saving vacation days for a longer trip. Hush trips are in-demand among remote workers because they allow them to do their jobs during work hours and take advantage of amenities after work or on the weekends,” says Strebel. Given that 64% of full-time workers support fully remote work schedules, according to Bankrate data, there’s clear demand for the type of flexibility that enables hush getaways.

Pros and cons of taking a hush trip during the holidays

Thinking about taking a hush trip? It’s important to weigh the pluses and minuses of this decision.

“The pros of taking a hush trip during the upcoming holiday season are to combine the best of both worlds — being able to work from an enjoyable location and get paid for it,” Salemi notes. “As soon as you log off, you can quickly toggle to vacation mode, which may make you happier and more productive.” Further, she says, more than half of those surveyed by Monster report feeling less anxious when taking hush trips because they get a change of scenery without tapping into their paid time off.

Hush trips can also enable you to travel at non-peak times, such as flying mid-week on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, when rates are often cheaper.

“This allows you to avoid the peak vacation travel time of weekends and the higher rate of business travel on Mondays and Fridays,” Stebel points out. “For example, a person planning a hush trip from Boston to New York City for the holidays could take an early flight on Tuesday morning, work from the hotel lobby until the room is ready and plan to take in Rockefeller Center after work.”

On the other hand, it’s easy to get distracted during a hush trip. “The holiday season can feel more chaotic and stressful than non-holiday times of the year. Being in a new location and trying to concentrate on work with distractions at your fingertips may be challenging and could compound your stress,” cautions Salemi.

Strebel agrees, adding that traveling anywhere during the holiday season can be complicated. “A large number of travelers are on the move at this time of year, which increases the risks of flight delays or hotel overbookings,” he continues. “A delayed flight, for example, could force a remote worker to take calls from the airport, which is not an ideal scenario.”

Likely the biggest disadvantage of engaging in a hush trip is that your company could find out. This could land you in hot water with your employer — perhaps jeopardizing your job.

What do companies think of hush trips?

Hush trip acceptance and employer policies vary from company to company. But rest assured that most employers would like to know ahead of time if you expect to work in a different location than your home.

“The issue essentially comes down to whether you can effectively do your job with a host of distractions nearby. It’s up to you to ensure your work is done well and without disruption,” Strebel says. “I believe employers should consider flexibility with hush trips, as blanket policies condemning them can hurt morale. Similarly, an employee should tread carefully when on a hush trip, as it could cause tension with coworkers.”

Andrew Lokenauth, a personal finance expert and owner of BeFluentInFinance.com, says hush trips are discouraged by most businesses. “Employers have concerns about productivity, security and liability,” he says. “But some will tolerate a hush trip if it’s done discreetly and the work is completed to satisfaction.”

Ideally, employers would encourage workcations, creating cultures in which employees don’t need to keep secrets — including where they’re working from — from them.

“But other employers may have the mindset that everyone needs to be accountable and only work in the office or from a home office where they know your technology is reliable and where you can be easily reached,” Salemi explains. “Even though you may be doing an amazing job and can work well or even better while sitting on the beach, there may be a stigma around it.”

“A hush trip can positively impact employees who plan on traveling for the holidays,” adds Salemi. “For instance, maybe the trip involves staying with relatives who bring you immense joy. Rather than having to choose between working from home or seeing your relatives, you can do both.”

Paying for a holiday hush trip

If you’re expecting to travel this holiday season and make it a hush trip, think carefully about how you’ll fund this getaway. Cash always comes in handy, but using credit cards can make it safe, convenient and simple to pay for a flight, hotel stay, food and other transactions.

Consider that the majority of credit cards provide zero-liability fraud protection for unauthorized charges, as long as you report them within 30 days. Even if your card issuer doesn’t offer zero liability, the Fair Credit Billing Act limits your liability for unauthorized charges to a maximum of $50.

Moreover, if unauthorized charges occur on your credit card, you can often address the issue before your payment is due, preventing any actual loss of funds. That’s one reason using credit cards while traveling is preferred to using a debit card: If the latter is stolen or compromised, resolving the matter can be more time-consuming, as you’ll need to wait for the funds to be restored to your bank account.

With the right credit card in your wallet during a holiday hush trip, you can also earn cash back, points or miles on your typical expenditures. When you open a new rewards credit card, you may also qualify for a welcome bonus after reaching a specific spending threshold.

To maximize credit card rewards, it’s crucial to select a card that aligns with your spending patterns. For instance, frequent travelers might prefer a travel credit card, which earns points or miles for future travel and offers perks like lounge access and credits for traveler programs like TSA PreCheck. Alternatively, a cash back card with bonus rewards on everyday spending categories such as groceries and gas stations might provide more value for others.

Additional credit card perks can significantly enhance your experience, including travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, annual statement credits for specific purchases and discounts with partner brands.

Just remember to be careful when using credit cards during a hush trip. If, for instance, you use a credit card given to you by your employer, they may be able to track where your purchases were made. This could get you in trouble if your company doesn’t know where you’re working from.

The bottom line

Think carefully about taking a hush trip between now and New Year’s, rather than telling your employer you’re going on a “workcation.” The latter may prove less risky and stressful, but still allow you to enjoy some needed leisure time in a desirable spot.

“Do your research ahead of time to ease worries and anxiety,” recommends Salemi. “Your destination should have a dedicated workspace and fast Internet speed so you won’t miss a beat. Consider time zone differences, as well. If you are going overseas and it’s six hours earlier, ensure that you are working the same six hours that you would have been if you had remained at home.”

Lokenauth agrees. “Be discreet when taking a hush trip, and don’t publicize your actions on social media,” he advises. “Try to sync your schedule with your coworkers to avoid suspicions. And limit long or frequent hush trips to avoid getting caught.”

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(Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com.)

©2023 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The best Halloween costumes are usually the ones that sparkle — or scare — with creativity and imagination.

The same can be said for the post-trick-or-treat finger foods served at a Fright Night party.

Sure, you could set the table with an array of chips and dips or offer a big bowl of pretzels for snacking. But if you really want something that’s scary good, take a few extra minutes and whip up a ghoulish treat that conjures up one of the holiday’s most popular monsters — a mummy?

It’s easier than you might think.

All you need is a wheel of brie, a sheet of frozen puff pastry, a half-cup or so of your favorite red jam and a sharp knife to cut the rolled-out dough into strips of “cloth” to wrap the cheese up with its telltale bandages.

This kid-friendly recipe only takes about a half-hour start to finish, and includes a seasonal and super-easy homemade cranberry jam. I brought it to life with candy eyes, but you also could use pecans or small slices of apple topped with raisins or craisins.

Be sure to brush the wrapped dough with egg wash; that’s what gives the finished dish its shiny, golden-brown color and helps as a binder.

It’s best served warm and gooey right out of the oven, with water crackers, apple wedges or slices, crostini, pretzel chips or anything else that’s sturdy and spreadable. If you have leftover jam, put that on the serving platter too, for a bright and zingy finish.

Mummy Baked Brie

PG tested

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 shallot, peeled and finely minced

1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed

Juice and zest of 1 orange

3 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of sea salt

1 8-ounce wheel of French-style brie

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Egg wash, for baking

Prepare cranberry jam: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced shallot and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add cranberries to pan along with orange juice, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine, then bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until cranberries explode and mixture gets jammy, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice brie in half horizontally, and set the top half aside. Spread cranberry jam on the bottom half of the brie. Replace the top half of the brie so that the jam is covered.

Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch square. Place brie in the center of the dough and make two cuts on both long sides of the dough, from the brie to the edges, to create even thirds. Fold the middle piece on each edge over the brie. (It will be mostly covered with dough.)

Now the fun part! Cut 1/2 -inch-wide strips into the short sides of the dough, from the brie to the edges. Gently stretch the strips over the top of the dough in a crisscross pattern so it looks like mummy wrappings. Tuck any loose ends under the pastry.

Transfer the wrapped brie to the parchment-covered baking tray. Brush the pastry with egg wash and place in hot oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until it’s golden brown.

Add large edible eyes, and serve warm (and gooey) with sliced apples, toasted baguette, crackers, dried fruit, nuts and any leftover cranberry jam.

Serves 6-8.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2023 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.