Ben Johnson embraces Bears' negative QB history, eager to change it: 'That’s where great stories are written'

Ben Johnson embraces Bears' negative QB history, eager to change it: 'That's where great stories are written'

NewChicago Bearshead coach Ben Johnson is embracing the notion that quarterbacks can't be successful playing for that franchise. "I love it. I love it," Johnson told reporters,including 670 The Score's Chris Emma. "I love the opportunity to come in and change that narrative. That's where great stories are written." The idea that Chicago is purgatory for NFL QBs was reinforced last week when excerpts froma new book by ESPN reporter Seth Wickershamincludedremarks from Caleb Williams' father, who didn't want his son to go No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Bears. "I love it."Ben Johnson on the narrative that Chicago is where QBs go to die.Looks like he's ready to change that story.pic.twitter.com/SpDYTPVjoZ — Ficky (@itsfickybaby)May 21, 2025 "Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die," Carl Williams told Wickersham. Additionally, Caleb Williams had concerns about how he would fit in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's system. Naturally, reporters covering the Bears wanted to hear from Johnson regarding those remarks. But the first-time head coach appears to enjoy the idea of dispelling such negative expectations. "It's come to my attention that the quarterback's been out in the media," Johnson said,via The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain. "I wasn't here last year. I can't speak too much to what it was like before he got here. ... For my four months on the job, he's been outstanding to work with." Pardon the obscure pop culture reference, but Johnson comes off like grunge band singer Cliff Poncier (played by Matt Dillon) in the movie "Singles" after reading a bad review in a music magazine. "This negative energy just makes me stronger," he declared. We will not retreat. This band is unstoppable!" Johnson arrived in Chicago with the reputation of being an offensive wizard who revitalizedJared Goff's career while he was theDetroit Lions' offensive coordinator. During the past three seasons in Johnson's offense, Goff put up arguably the best numbers of his NFL career, averaging 4,547 yards and 32 touchdown passes. In six of the Bears' past eight seasons, the team's leading passer didn't reach 3,000 yards. Williams' 3,541 yards was the highest total for a Chicago QB in nine years, going with his 20 TD passes versus six interceptions. That performance gives Johnson and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle a considerable foundation to build upon in their first year together. And it's understandable why that, along with a strong belief in his own offensive schemes, has Johnson feeling confident as the Bears put in their offseason work. To paraphrase Eddie Vedder in that "Singles" scene, a compliment for Williams is a compliment for Johnson. Or vice versa. Johnson being successful will mean Williams played well. The coach envisions plenty of high-fives being exchanged with his quarterback in the seasons to come.

byKevin Jones

in

May 21, 2025

Ben Johnson embraces Bears' negative QB history, eager to change it: 'That’s where great stories are written'

Ben Johnson embraces Bears' negative QB history, eager to change it: 'That's where great stories are written' NewChicago Bea...

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Under-the-radar hot starts: Braves' Drake Baldwin, Nationals' MacKenzie Gore lead the list

Under-the-radar hot starts: Braves' Drake Baldwin, Nationals' MacKenzie Gore lead the list

It's never a surprise when Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are having great seasons and sitting atop the leaderboards in their respective leagues. That's something we've come to expect from the two best baseball players in the world. But so far in 2025, there are some players doing special things that have been flying under the radar. Here are five underrated players off to hot starts this MLB season. Underrated stat: .983 OPS, sixth in MLB (min. 90 PAs) The Braves have a history of finding talented catchers. Whether it was Brian McCann, Javy Lopez, Eddie Perez or even Joe Torre, catching has almost always been a strength in Atlanta. And it looks like the Braves might've found their next great catcher in rookie backstop Drake Baldwin. So far this season, Baldwin has beennot only one of the best rookies in baseballbut also one of the best catchers. He made the club out of spring training and was forced into the starting role due to the injury to former All-Star Sean Murphy, and Baldwin has thrived with his increased playing time. Through 29 games, Baldwin is hitting .357 with five homers and 15 RBI, and his early-season success has led manager Brian Snitker to continue to get him at-bats, even since Murphy has come off the injured list. Although Atlanta came into the season with the expectation that Murphy would be their starter, as long as Baldwin is hitting, Snitker will need to keep him in the lineup. Underrated stat: 1.307 OPS vs. LHP, third in MLB Who doesn't love a player who can do everything? Since he got his first real opportunity with the Mariners back in 2019, utility man Dylan Moore has always had tools. His calling card has been his defense, which he has showcased at several positions, and he won the AL Gold Glove Award for the utility position last year. But this season, he has turned things up at the plate and become a huge part of Seattle's offense. Specifically, Moore has been one of baseball's best hitters against left-handed pitching. The Mariners' utility man is slashing .364/.488/.818 against southpaws, and his 1.307 OPS against lefties ranks third in all of baseball. After years as one of baseball's best kept secrets, Moore is putting together the best season of his career. He also happens to be a free agent at season's end. Not too shabby. Underrated stat: .341 batting average, third in MLB For years, Luis Arraez's elite bat-to-ball skills were unmatched, but A's rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson seems to have that same special ability. Wilson loves to swing the bat, as shown by his 5.1% walk rate, and when he makes contact, he often finds grass. He is currently second in MLB behind only Aaron Judge in hits, with 62, and he sits third in baseball with a robust .341 batting average, behind Judge and Freddie Freeman. And while the A's rookie likes to swing his way on base, his lack of walks is balanced out by his ability to not strike out. Wilson has struck out only 10 times this season, to go along with his 10 walks. The only qualified player with fewer punchouts in 2025 is Arraez (3). Coming into this season, I predicted that Wilson would winAL Rookie of the Year, and so far, he's making me look pretty smart. Underrated stat: 84 strikeouts and 13.42 K/9, both first in MLB For years, left-hander MacKenzie Gore was supposed to be a star. One of the highest rated high school prospects in the 2017 MLB Draft, Gore was on a path to being one of baseball's best. But as is often the case, it wasn't a linear path forward for the Nationals' left-hander; in fact, it has taken some time for him to find success. After being traded to Washington in 2023, Gore finally got an opportunity to pitch in a rotation full-time, and so far this season, he looks like he's putting it all together. The 26-year-old currently leads MLB in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings, something you'd expect from other names like Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal or Zack Wheeler. What has made the difference? Gore's curveball has helped him find the next level in 2025. The Nationals' southpaw currently has a 51.6% strikeout rate with his curveball, the third-highest K% on a pitch in baseball this season. Underrated stat: .185 batting average against, fourth in MLB; 1.47 ERA, fifth in MLB The Texas Rangers have not had the smoothest start to the 2025, and the teamthat was the consensus favorite in the AL West before the seasonhas instead been fighting for its life. But one area that was supposed to be a question for the Rangers, starting pitching, has actually been their biggest strength andkept them in the division race. Right-hander Tyler Mahle, who is pitching in his first healthy season since 2022, has been a revelation in Texas' rotation. The Rangers' right-hander looks like one of the best starters in the American League so far, and a big reason behind that has been the dominance of his four-seam fastball. Opposing hitters are batting just .173 against Mahle's fastball, and when a pitcher is able to set the tone with the fastball, it only enhances the rest of his arsenal, as evidenced by his .185 batting average against overall. Mahle's success underscores how good the Rangers' rotation as a whole has been this season. As a group, Mahle (1.47 ERA), Nathan Eovaldi (1.61), Jacob deGrom (2.29) and Jack Leiter (4.25) rank second in MLB in starter ERA.

byKevin Jones

in

May 21, 2025

Under-the-radar hot starts: Braves' Drake Baldwin, Nationals' MacKenzie Gore lead the list

Under-the-radar hot starts: Braves' Drake Baldwin, Nationals' MacKenzie Gore lead the list It's never a surprise when Aaron Judg...

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Raiders' Christian Wilkins not close to returning from broken foot

Raiders' Christian Wilkins not close to returning from broken foot

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is facing an uncertain recovery process from a broken foot suffered last season and isn't close to returning, Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. Wilkins was at organized team activities practice, but did not participate. He received extra work on the side afterward. "It's been a difficult recovery and he's done everything he needs to do," Carroll said. "He's been here every day. He's here early working hard. He's not ready to get back out. We're in the midst of a long, challenging process. Fortunately, there's a lot of time and we're going to take every bit of it to be really diligent about the way we work." Wilkins, 29, was theRaiders' marquee free-agent signinglast year, agreeing to a four-year, $110 million contract with $82.75 million guaranteed. He was expected to bolster a defensive line led by pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce after making a career-high nine sacks in 2023 with Miami to go with his elite run-stopping ability. All three linemen, however, suffered season-ending injuries. Wilkins had two sacks and 17 tackles in five games beforeinjuring his foot, which required surgery. He suffered a Jones fracture — a break of the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot. ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

byKevin Jones

in

May 21, 2025

Raiders' Christian Wilkins not close to returning from broken foot

Raiders' Christian Wilkins not close to returning from broken foot HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is ...

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Tussle with Florida's Marchand, Carolina's Gostisbehere stands out ahead of Eastern final's Game 2

Tussle with Florida's Marchand, Carolina's Gostisbehere stands out ahead of Eastern final's Game 2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aaron Ekblad shrugged it off. Paul Maurice called it "somebody else's problem," while casually taking a drink from a cup. Roughly 12 hours had passed since Florida's Brad Marchand and Carolina's Shayne Gostisbeherelocked up in a punch-throwing tussleduring the Panthers' Game 1 win in the Eastern Conference final, ending with Marchand being escorted to the locker room tunnel while barking back toward center ice. It was part of a testy third-period sequence in which Marchand made a run at Gostisbehere along the boards and Gostisbehere retaliated by firing a puck directly into Marchand from his own blue line. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers said all the right things Wednesday in turning down the temperature from that scrap. "I mean, it happens, it is what it is," said Ekblad, the defenseman who scored the second of Florida's two tone-setting first-period goals. It's unclear if that mood will last through the puck drop for Thursday's Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, though. "Maybe, I don't know," Carolina forward Seth Jarvis said. "I'm sure it'll be just as physical as it was. We've seen a lot of each other the last couple of years. I mean, it's playoffs now. Everyone's battling. But I don't see anything too extra coming out of it." The Panthers won 5-2 on Tuesday nightto open the rematch of the 2023 conference final swept by Florida with four one-goal wins, including a four-overtime epic. They had clinched their third straight trip to the conference final by winning a Game 7 in Toronto only two days earlier and visited a team that was 5-0 at home in the playoffs but never trailed and continued their postseason mastery of Carolina. It marked their sixth road win of the playoffs with a performanceshowing off Florida's championship mettle. Yet it also stood out for the third-period scrap between Marchand — long known as a talented player with a knack for agitation before histrade-deadline arrivalfrom Boston — and Gostisbehere in a 4-1 game. Gostisbehere intentionally shooting the puck at Marchand far from the net was reminiscent of Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson doing a similar thing to Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer at the end of the second period of Game 4 of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final with the score tied at 2. That incited a scrum, in which Alfredsson sucker-punched Travis Moen. The Ducks went on to win that night 3-2, then in Game 5 to hoist the Cup. This sequence began with Marchand trying to hit Gostisbehere along the boards with about 12 minutes left after the Carolina defenseman had gotten rid of the puck. Andrei Svechnikov soon sent it back to a trailing Gostisbehere as Carolina started to clear the zone, and Gostisbehere found Marchand skating directly in front of him. So he fired a shot from his own blue line, sending the puck into Marchand's left elbow. The two immediately locked up, first by crossing high sticks and then flailing about while throwing punches and grabs at each other with Marchand having dropped gloves but Gostisbehere still wearing his. By the time officials separated the two, they were down on the ice, and Marchand made a brief stop in the penalty box for double-minor roughing penalties before being sent off with a game-misconduct penalty. Marchand didn't talk to reporters afterward nor Wednesday, leaving Gostisbehere — assessed a two-minute roughing penalty — to describe a "just heated" exchange. "I was pretty (ticked) off," Gostisbehere said. "He tried to take a run at me. I shot the puck at him. It is what it is. Had a little tuffle." Asked for his impression of the incident afterward, Maurice demurred by saying, "Yeah, I've got one, I'm keeping that to myself," then offered nothing more Wednesday. Ekblad, meanwhile, sounded almost casual when asked his thoughts about a player firing a puck at another. "I mean, we block shots all the time, so what's the difference?" Ekblad said, prompting laughter from reporters. "Intent?" the reporter asked. "Intent or not," Ekblad said, "it hurts the same." Still, the ending indicated the incident wasn't so easily dismissed for the Panthers. In the final seconds, forward Jonah Gadjovich skated over as Gostisbehere played the puck a final time to deliver a bump and a few words, followed by linemate A.J. Greer skating in with a harder shove. That had officialsstepping in a final time after the hornto intervene in a shove-filled gathering between Gadjovich and Carolina's Jesperi Kotkaniemi, with Greer and Hurricanes rookie defenseman Scott Morrow on the periphery. It could offer a reminder to the Hurricanes to avoid unnecessary scraps when it's hard enough just to beat the reigning Cup champs. That lesson was available early when top-line center Sebastian Aho being called for a first-period retaliation penalty after being popped twice by Florida's Anton Lundell, a call that set up Florida's power-play scoring start. "Retaliation penalties are not going to get it done," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "So you know you're going to have a lot of opportunities to retaliate and you just can't. We did a pretty good job with it, but it just takes one. That's my point. You can't have that one because that really puts you behind the game, and now it's different. "It's understanding that and I think finding a way not to let that get to you. ... You know, stick to what is gonna win us games." ___ AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report. ___ AP NHL playoffs:https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cupandhttps://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byKevin Jones

in

May 21, 2025

Tussle with Florida's Marchand, Carolina's Gostisbehere stands out ahead of Eastern final's Game 2

Tussle with Florida's Marchand, Carolina's Gostisbehere stands out ahead of Eastern final's Game 2 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Aaron Ek...

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Pirates ride Andrew Heaney and 4 relievers to a 3-1 win over the Reds

Pirates ride Andrew Heaney and 4 relievers to a 3-1 win over the Reds

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew Heaney and four relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged Cincinnati 3-1 on Wednesday. Heaney (3-3) allowed a run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings of work to win for the first time in nearly a month. Dennis Santana worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save as the Pirates took two of three from Cincinnati. Henry Davis had two hits for Pittsburgh, including an RBI-single in the fourth off Brady Singer (5-3). The top pick in the 2021 draft also turned in a pair of big defensive plays, slapping a tag on Spencer Steer at home plate to end the sixth and throwing out Will Benson at second base in the seventh when Benson represented the tying run. Bryan Reynolds drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Ke'Bryan Hayes doubled with one out in the eighth and scored on a run-scoring single by Adam Frazier as the Pirates won despite failing to score five runs for a 26th straight game, tying a Major League record. Austin Hays had an RBI single for the Reds. Tyler Stephenson had Cincinnati's only extra-base hit. Singer gave up two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings. Key moment Davis' improved defense — and rare timely hit (he entered batting .150 on the season) — made sure another excellent start by the rotation didn't go to waste. Key stat 5 — the number of teams that have gone 26 games without scoring at least five runs. Up next Reds: Return home for a three-game weekend series against the first-place Chicago Cubs. Hunter Greene (4-2, 2.36 ERA) is expected to be activated off the 15-day injured list (groin strain) in time to start the opener. Pirates: Welcome Milwaukee for a four-game series starting Thursday. Mike Burrows will make his first career start for Pittsburgh. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

byKevin Jones

in

May 21, 2025

Pirates ride Andrew Heaney and 4 relievers to a 3-1 win over the Reds

Pirates ride Andrew Heaney and 4 relievers to a 3-1 win over the Reds PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew Heaney and four relievers combined on a four-...

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