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Bears make staff changes on defense - Larry Mayer: The Bears have informed D-line coach Mike Phair and LB coach Tim Tibesar that they will not return for the 2014 season.
Bears may need to make U-turn - Mike Imrem: Could the Bears be trending away from the trend again? Just as they discover offense, the NFC championship game will be contested between two teams that feature punishing defenses.
Follow WCG on Twitter; like us on Facebook (& click on 'Subscribed to'). Check out David "OSS" Taylor's CheekyMonkeyArt prints and t-shirts. Den pic in hi-res.
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Bearsss
Bears fire 2 assistants, but Tucker will be back - Bob LeGere: Embattled Mel Tucker will be back as DC next season, but two of his assistants will not.
Mel Tucker to return as Bears' DC - Adam Hoge: Trestman determined that Tucker deserves another year with what should be a healthier, younger group that will likely be playing a somewhat different scheme better suited to their talents.
Defensive overhaul begins as Bears fire Phair, Tibesar - Moon Mullin: Position coaches to be replaced after constant troubles with the front seven struggled and young players didn't develop as expected.
[Video] View from the Moon - Moon Mullin talks to Jen Lada about the Bears' coaching news.
Bears fire two assistant coaches, retain Mel Tucker - Jeff Dickerson: The Bears' assistant coaches are expected to return to work on Monday after a brief vacation, with several scheduled to attend the East-West Shrine collegiate all-star game.
Mel Tucker remains as DC - Chris Boden: Retaining Tucker is another indication that the defense will remain in a "4-3" setup; in his four years in Jacksonville, he used a system with four down linemen.
Mel Tucker will remain as DC - Dan Wiederer: Trestman has opted to bet on Tucker, willing to test his confidence in the coordinator for another season. He will return in 2014 but will do so with two changes to his staff.
Someone from Bears' defense had to go - Michael C. Wright: Dismissal of Phair and Tibesar can't be categorized as entirely unfair; also likely that Tucker absolutely has to deliver results in 2014, regardless of circumstances.
Will Bears regret keeping Tucker? - Jon Greenberg: Mel Tucker coached the Bears' worst defense ever, but was he solely to blame?
Bears' injury total modest, but defense took big hit - Brad Biggs: Injuries created significant obstacles for the Bears during the 2013 season, but they were far from the most injured team in the NFL.
Paying for a defense - Chris Boden joined Rosenbloom and Fifer to discuss the Bears' issues moving forward with how they will construct their defense for 2014.
I haven't been able to read any Sun-Times Bears articles recently (free article limit), but here's their index page for Bears stuff if you can.
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Ditka
[Video] - Mike Ditka explained what really happened when he appeared to have fallen asleep at the NFL Countdown desk. [Ditka vs sleep... I choose Ditka - Den.]
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Polish sausage
NFP Sunday Blitz - Len Pasquarelli: Do NFL officials throw fewer flags during the postseason? Plus, more from around the League.
Know thy enemy: Vikings - Ben Goessling: There's considerable risk in hiring a coordinator to be a first-time head coach, and the Vikings should be well-acquainted with that based on Childress and Frazier. Plan second interview with Zimmer.
Know thy enemy: Lions - Michael Rothstein with a look at candidates to fill the Lions' drafting needs.
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