Lunch With Larry - Q: why are the bears not performing at the rate they did last year LM: I only have 60 minutes here.
Despite a win, Bears fans have lost all faith in Jay Cutler - Robert Klemko: Jay Cutler’s three TD passes lifted Chicago to victory over Minnesota, but they did little to make fans forget about what a miserable season it’s been, and the paying customers are screaming for a new face of the franchise.
Offense, Defense held players-only film session before Vikings game - Adam Hoge: Instead of being split up amongst their position groups, the players-only film study allowed the group as a whole to communicate together and learn about what the other position groups were doing too.
Follow WCG on Twitter; like us on Facebook (& click on 'Subscribed to'). I powdered my cockatiel for the ribcage slaughter. Check out David "OSS" Taylor's CheekyMonkeyArt prints and t-shirts. Den pic in hi-res.
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Bears-Vikings
Game grades - Is-Hub Arkush: Individually, the Bears' grades are all over the board, but for now it is to the credit of those coaches and leaders we thought had lost control and/or didn’t exist that they played hard and won.
Game review - Michael C. Wright's weekly look at what the Bears must fix: Offense better, but Bears must do a better job exercising patience and taking what the Buccaneers' defense gives.
Game review - Laurence Holmes' 24 Hours Later blog: At least for Sunday, the Bears seemed to understand what’s in front of them. The mood in the locker room was workman-like, not celebratory.
Game review - Rich Campbell with four things we learned about the Bears in week 11: The Bears have some fight in them.
X&Os - Hub-or-not-Hub.com's All-22 Slideshow from Bears win over Vikings.
[Video] ChicagoBears.com - Tom Thayer breaks down the benefits of a successful first down play for the Bears' defense.
Team notes - Rich Campbell: Jermon Bushrod takes blame for failed QB sweep; Marquess Wilson had a fairly successful season debut on return from broken collarbone; roster news.
Game notes - James Neveau: Special teams struggle to avoid costly penalties and poor execution; Marc Trestman showed a surprising lack of guts to close out first half; Bears should save Matt Forte from excessive hits by using Ka'Deem Carey.
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Bearsss
Cutler, Trestman see positives - Mini-Larry: The Bears will see some familiar faces when they line up against the Buccaneers this Sunday, and are well aware of what they need to do to beat them.
Bears not cashing in at end of first half - Not-Hub Fishbain’s week-by-week breakdown of how the Bears have gone into the locker room.
Questions arise in Cutler-Trestman on-field relationship - Moon Mullin: If coach and QB are still in mind-meld, it is difficult to see, even based on the latter’s own words which said that he did not know what the Bears were trying to accomplish at a critical point of a season teetering on the brink.
Revered and feared — Lovie preached ‘D’ and his Bears listened - Adam L. Jahns: Lovie Smith could inspire. That was very apparent hearing from Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman, three players who defined the Lovie Smith era and who strongly dismiss the perception that he was devoid of emotion.
No one in Chicago longing for return of Lovie Smith - Mike Mulligan: Smith never seemed to get the offense right with the Bears and that certainly has been the case for the Bucs, while the personnel decisions have been pretty disastrous.
Roster news - Larry Mayer: The Bears on Tuesday signed receiver/return specialist Marc Mariani and waived safety Ahmad Dixon. Patrick Finley: Bears add ex-Pro Bowler to returner carousel.
Kyle Long says Bears needed 'to change our attitude' - Michael C. Wright: Despite beating the Vikings on Sunday, Kyle Long knows the Bears still have more to do.
Joniak’s Journal - Jeff Joniak: Roberto Garza one of only four active players to have played in 200 games; more thoughts heading in to week 12.
Five Bears among leaders in Pro Bowl voting - Michael C. Wright: The Bears may own a disappointing record of 4-6, but that doesn’t mean the players aren’t receiving recognition nationally. (Tribune): Cutler nominated for FedEx Air player of the week.
Trestman's future depends on Bears players - Bob LeGere: With four of the next five games at home, Marc Trestman's team has a chance to get back to respectability, even if the playoffs still seem like a dream.
Maybe Trestman has a cold, or maybe he knows he's gone - Steve Rosenbloom offers some possible explanations for Marc Trestman's shorter, unemotional answers.
Critiquing Trestman press conferences misses bigger point - Moon Mullin: Marc Trestman strikes no one as a mood-swing kind of guy, whereas Brandon Marshall is his own problem entirely.
Jordan Mills taking second season in stride - Patrick Finley: Say this for the Bears’ right tackle: his second season hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly as his first, but his team-first attitude has remained the same.
Bears' treatment of Lynch makes more sense now - Barry Rozner: Phil Emery and Marc Trestman rarely deal in reality. This would have been valuable information had Jordan Lynch possessed it back in May when the Bears sold him on the idea of signing with his hometown team.
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Bears multimedia
Photos - ChicagoBears.com: After his two-TD performance on Sunday, Brandon Marshall is moving up the Bears' all-time list. Here are the 10 players with the most receiving TDs in a Bears uniform.
[Audio] - Adam Hoge, Tim Jennings and Jarrett Payton talk Bears.
[Video] ChicagoBears.com - Jeff Joniak sits down with Stephen Paea on Bears Confidential.
[Video] Inside the Bears - Behind-the-scenes on Jared Allen's new commercial where he surprises a veteran's family.
[Video] Inside the Bears - Anthony Adams and Will Sutton go for a ride in "Big Guys in Compact Cars." Sutton talks about not getting a haircut since grammar school and his nicknames.
[Video] Inside the Bears - Anthony Adams and Michael Ola go for a ride in "Big Guys in Compact Cars." Adams takes the ex-CFLer to lunch and learns a little French along the way.
[Video] Inside the Bears - Anthony Adams works security detail at Halas Hall, tries to issue fines to the players, and has his security car stolen.
[Video] Inside the Bears - One South Side mom has become the go-to photographer when Bears players want to capture photos of their newborns. From Matt Forte to Martellus Bennett, Naja Lerus has produced timeless portraits for Bears families.
[Video] Inside the Bears - Doug Plank was known for his devastating hits and Buddy Ryan even named his "46" defense after the hard-hitting safety. ITB catches up with the man who earned the nickname, "The Human Missile."
'Bears Classics: Payton Forever' on CSN - The second season of Bears Classics continues on CSN Chicago tonight at 7:00 p.m with a special episode dedicated to the life of Walter Payton.
Check WCGer Sackman's selection of Bears-themed tops here, or some t-shirt designs here.
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Polish sausage
Jack Bechta: The Agent's Journal - If a player could choose any team to play for, who would they choose?
X&Os - Not Bears-related, but Matt Bowen's a good read and here he takes a look at some tape from week 11.
Know thy enemy: Packers - Rob Demovsky with a few thoughts on the Packers' 53-20 victory over the Eagles ... The new normal for Packers' defense.
Know thy enemy: Lions - Michael Rothstein with a few thoughts on the Lions' 14-6 loss to the Cardinals ... Lions show offensive issues in loss ... Jim Caldwell knows offense must improve ... Penalties creeping up.
Know thy enemy: Vikings - Ben Goessling with a few thoughts on the Vikings' 21-13 loss to the Bears ... Bears' tall WRs put Josh Robinson through long day ... Cordarrelle Patterson's changing role as WR.
AP suspension makes return to Vikings unlikely - Ben Goessling: It may be time to get ready for a post-Adrian Peterson era for the Vikings. Andrew Garda: Future Cowboy? David Haugh: Roger Goodell stands up for children with AP suspension.
[Video] - Watch 11 (11!) Fat guy touchdowns! Plus perhaps the longest kickoff return by an O-lineman in NFL history. [Nobody's dared kick to him since.]
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J-pop meets K-pop: Namie Amuro featuring After School - "Make It Happen".