9/23 10AM: Sox Closing In & AL West Weirdness

Carmen and Jurko talk Chicago baseball with Jesse Rogers as both the White Sox and Cubs move closer to October. Jesse breaks down the White Sox’s strong response after a brutal Friday loss, why Luis Castillo may not have a meaningful postseason role and how Randall Grichuk, Munetaka Murakami and Noah Schultz could factor into the playoff picture. He also looks at the Cubs’ wild-card race, the weather concerns around Cubs-Red Sox in Boston, Alex Bregman’s potential return, Daniel Palencia, Justin Steele and which matchups may be best for both Chicago teams. Later, the guys react to Jackson Dart’s season-ending knee injury and compare it to the Bears catching a break with Caleb Williams’ hamstring. The hour closes with Bears-Eagles talk, including the possible Case Keenum start, the challenge of facing Vic Fangio and why Chicago needs to clean up its mistakes after another NFC North loss.

Carmen and Jurko continue with Chicago baseball as the White Sox move closer to clinching a playoff berth and the Cubs miss a chance to punch their ticket after Matt Shaw’s failed bunt attempt. The guys debate whether the Sox and Cubs should celebrate a wild card clinch, then dig into Cleveland’s six-game winning streak and the final week of the AL Central race. They also break down the bizarre AL West, where the Astros could win the division with a historically bad negative run differential. Randall Grichuk gets praise for becoming a huge in-season addition for the White Sox, while Luis Castillo’s continued struggles raise questions about whether he can even be trusted in October. The Brunch Rush hits Bears injury windows, Jackson Dart, Sean Payton, GTA, Costco churros and plenty of late-hour nonsense before Jesse Rogers joins next.

Carmen and Jurko open with Tyson Bagent entering concussion protocol could leave Chicago preparing for Case Keenum and Miller Moss if Caleb Williams cannot return from his hamstring injury. They also react to the criticism Caleb has received for his emotional reaction on the cart and discuss why soft-tissue injuries can feel frightening in the moment. Courtney Cronin joins to break down Bagent’s status, whether Caleb needs to practice to play Monday night, Garrett Bradbury’s penalties, the left tackle rotation and why Colston Loveland has not been more involved. The hour closes with Bears secondary concerns, Kyle Monangai’s surprising rushing numbers and more questions about how the offense holds up against the Eagles.

Carmen and Jurko talk Bears with Tom Thayer, who explains how Brian Flores’ shifting pressure looks created problems for Caleb Williams and the offensive line. Thayer also breaks down Garrett Bradbury’s rough day, the left tackle rotation, Tyson Bagent’s readiness if Caleb misses time and whether the Bears can run the ball against the Eagles the way they did last year. The guys then look ahead to Bears-Eagles on Monday Night Football while continuing to sort through what went wrong late against Minnesota. Jurko goes to the big board for film study of the Bears’ final drive, highlighting the missed chance to Rome Odunze, the failed third-down concept and Colston Loveland’s tough matchup with Dallas Turner on fourth down.

Carmen and Jurko welcome Frank Caliendo into the studio for a hilarious visit ahead of his Chicago Improv shows in Schaumburg. Frank tells stories about John Madden, Charles Barkley, Jon Gruden, Tom Brady, Greg Olsen and why he stayed away from helping AI copy famous voices. He also shares a behind-the-scenes story from an upcoming Netflix appearance with Oscar Isaac, Alec Baldwin and Vincent D’Onofrio. After Frank, the guys play Tyson Bagent trivia and look back at the Bears roster from Bagent’s last start in 2023, showing just how much has changed around Chicago’s offense. The Brunch Rush hits Bears power rankings, Michael Penix returning against the Packers, Caleb Williams’ hamstring status, the White Sox playoff chase, PCA’s MVP push, Miguel Vargas’ big week and Alex Bregman’s scary foul-ball injury.

Carmen and Jurko start turning the page to Bears-Eagles while reacting to the online jokes about Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury. The guys defend Caleb’s toughness, discuss how scary hamstring injuries can feel in the moment and debate whether the Bears should even consider playing him Monday night if he does not practice. They also revisit Jaxson Dart’s knee injury, Jameis Winston’s rough Monday night performance and the importance of Tyson Bagent being ready if Caleb misses time. The hour digs back into the Bears’ final offensive sequence against the Vikings, with Ben Johnson saying the last three plays had chances but were not executed properly. Carmen and Jurko also question Colston Loveland’s usage, preview the Eagles defense and take calls on whether Ben Johnson can help the Bears survive with a backup quarterback.

Carmen and Jurko react to breaking news that Caleb Williams avoided a major hamstring injury after leaving the Bears’ 9-3 loss to the Vikings. The guys discuss why Chicago may not be ruling him out for next Monday against the Eagles, while still expecting the Bears to prepare for the possibility of Tyson Bagent starting. Ben Johnson joins Jeff Joniak on the Coaches Show to review the offensive struggles, Brian Flores’ pressure, the red-zone failures, Caleb’s status, Bagent’s confidence and the defense keeping the Bears in the game. Carmen and Jurko also question why Colston Loveland was not more involved, why the Bears looked reactionary on offense and how Philadelphia’s offensive line may give Chicago a chance next week. The hour closes with Will Compton’s comments on Caleb’s injury reaction, more Bears calls and a final reset on where the team stands after a frustrating Week 2.

Carmen and Jurko keep breaking down the Bears’ ugly 9-3 loss to the Vikings, with Brian Flores’ pressure packages overwhelming Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent all afternoon. The guys discuss the blocked field goal, Cairo Santos’ operation time, Ben Johnson’s rough day as a play caller and why Colston Loveland still has not been featured in the passing game. They also look ahead to the Eagles, with Tyson Bagent likely needed if Caleb’s hamstring injury keeps him out next Monday night. The Brunch Rush covers the Cover 5 contest, Alex Bregman’s scary foul-ball injury, the Cubs and White Sox both winning and the Sox still pushing toward October. The hour closes with brutal college football bad beats, Northwestern blasting Colorado and one more reset of where the Bears stand after Week 2.

Carmen and Jurko open Bears Monday after a brutal 9-3 loss to the Vikings at Soldier Field. The guys react to Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury, the early optimism that it may not be catastrophic and the possibility that Tyson Bagent could start against the Eagles next Monday night. They also break down how the Bears went from 59 points in Week 1 to zero touchdowns in Week 2, with penalties, red-zone failures, a blocked field goal, a costly fumble and a rough day from the offensive line. Brian Flores’ defense overwhelmed Chicago with pressure, while Dallas Turner and Jalen Redmond caused major problems and left Ben Johnson’s offense searching for answers. The hour also covers the rotating left tackles, Sam Roush’s struggles, Colston Loveland’s usage, the Throw-mometer backlash and an attempt to smash away the Madden curse.

Carmen and Jurko go to Las Vegas with Todd Furman for a full Week 2 betting preview after the Bills opened the week with an impressive win over the Lions. Todd breaks down Bears-Vikings, the movement on the total, Ben Johnson’s history against Brian Flores and why Colston Loveland could be more involved on Sunday. He also gives NFL and college football angles on Steelers-Patriots, Bengals-Texans, Jaguars-Broncos, LSU-Ole Miss, Chiefs-Colts, Stanford-Duke and Akron-Minnesota. Later, the guys revisit Jack’s No Country for Old Men review, promote Chicago’s College Tailgate, and check in on the Throw-mometer as Caleb Williams chases the first 4,000-yard passing season in Bears history. The hour closes with White Sox playoff-race talk, Grant Taylor’s seven-out save, Jurko’s golf league comeback story and final Bears-Vikings score predictions.