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Jim O'Donnell: Eberflus inaugural Bears at 3-1 in October? Who would have dreamed it?

THREE WEEKS AGO, anyone who called the Bears hitting the opening strides of October at 3-1 can now report to Marc Trestman Pavilion at Arlington Park to claim your used copy of Lucky Lucille's Golden Dream Book.

But - ahem - that's the way it should be Sunday when Matt Eberflus and his first edition walk off the FieldTurf of MetLife Stadium following their tussle vs. the Giants (FOX, noon; Joe Davis & Moose Johnston).

Only one things beats the Chicago Bears this weekend and that is the Chicago Bears themselves.

The Giants are a that ratted-up an ensemble.

THEY HAVE A MORE POROUS offensive line than the Bears. Plus a quarterback named Daniel Jones, most accustomed to running for his life. And a defense that allowed 6.4 yards per rushing attempt during a 23-16 loss to visiting Dallas Monday night.

In other words, as long as Eberflus and staff can keep the mismanagement of Justin Fields from gumming things up, the Bears roll.

At point of entry, there must be a clear acknowledgment that the Staleys have no passing game.

So why risk anything via the fogged-in air frolics of Fields?

Run, run, run - as they did in the second half at Green Bay and all day long last Sunday against Lovie Smith and Houston.

THERE ARE NO SURE THINGS in the NFL. The fickle yellow pixies see to that.

But as an underdog in New Jersey, the Bears have been extended from plus 2½ to plus 3 ½.

That's always a positive sign.

And Roquan Smith is electro-charging a restrained and patient base defense like a determined man playing for a whole lot of future millions.

The 2022 Bears 3-1 on October 2?

Who woulda thunk it?

But here it is, as beckoning as any early-season dream that the NFL - and Lucky Lucille - could concoct.

STREET-BEATIN':

No question that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are elevating "Monday Night Football" to an energy level the TV franchise has not experienced in years. "MNF" is also posting some of the best numbers of its ESPN era and outdrew "Sunday Night Football" and the Niners-Broncos this past weekend. ...

Despite the best efforts of Fox and ESPN, Aaron Judge's pinstriped pursuit of Roger Maris has not sent pulses racing. Great rumors that the Mets are going to offer the Bronx Hulk $350M to paddle across the East River later this year. ...

Chris Kuc is the new public relations director of the Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves. Kuc's many quiet kindnesses to Tim Sassone during the final months of the late Daily Herald Blackhawks beat writer were off the charts. ...

Jay Mariotti takes down a whole bunch in a substack.com column titled, "Baseball's worst owners: Reinsdorf, like Moreno, should sell his team." (It's free to samplers and only for those with a deep interest in both MLB and the sub terra workings of the Chicago sports media.) ...

Co-stragglers WMVP-AM (1000) and WSCR-AM (670) split an uptick of 1.0 in the most recent Nielsen Audios. Content chief Danny Zederman and his hang gliders at AM-1000 netted 70% of the increase. As a genre, current sports talk in Chicago remains as lively as a Des Plaines River kayak outing with David Haugh. ...

Chicago jockey stalwarts Randy Meier and Chris Emigh were seen among those sifting through auction items at Arlington Park. (The mood was described as surreal and funereal - in other words, a perfect tone for a Churchill Downs Inc. event in Arlington Heights.) ...

On the subject of stall wart jockeys, Eddie "Mr. Jeem" Perez is back riding at the Hawthorne fall meet. Anytime the little guy took a hit in an old Sun-Times racing column, he'd leave a profanity-laced message on a specific press box phone. But he'd also always end with a soft, "And have a nice day." ...

Cheryl Raye-Stout notes that Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of when single-game postseason tickets for the '21 White Sox went on sale. (Does anyone remember laughter?) ...

Memo to area high school football coaches: When your very good team gets whacked by a very good visitor in a September OT, Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" is not the perfect tune to blare during subsequent afternoon practices. (Why not just Terry Jacks and "Seasons in the Sun?") ...

And die-hard orange-and-blue Peter Baldwin, on Bret Bielema and his Fighting Illini (3-1) opening a three-week stretch Saturday against Wisconsin, followed by Iowa and Minnesota: "Do they even still have big-bowl pants in Champaign?"

• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears Sunday and Thursday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.

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