The Bears Den: October 09, 2014 - Chicago Bears week 6 news & notes

Allen confident sacks will come - Brad Biggs: Jared Allen says he isn't frustrated as he goes into Week 6 still without a sack; has made a difference in other areas with 15 tackles in last two games.

Bears DEs not alone struggling to find sacks in 2014 - Moon Mullin: NFL trend of read-option offenses has DEs guessing and LBs on the sack leaderboards.

[Video] - Peter King discusses Jay Cutler's risky play, how the team should rely more on Matt Forte, and the relationship between Cutler and Marc Trestman.

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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Previewing Bears-Falcons

Bears begin prepping to face Falcons - Larry Mayer: Three days after their disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Bears return to the practice field Wednesday to prepare for Sunday’s road game against the Atlanta Falcons.

[Video] ChicagoBears.com - Larry Mayer and Tom Thayer preview the upcoming Bears' road game in Atlanta against the Falcons.

Game preview - Not-Hub Fishbain takes a look at how the teams stack up.

Bears bland together on defense - Patrick Finley: Can the Bears afford to be vanilla again Sunday, when they play the Falcons, who rank third in the NFL with 30.2 points?

Bears know they must contain Julio Jones - Not-Hub Fishbain: Marc Trestman called Jones a "premier, difference-making player in this league," and the Bears may count on Kyle Fuller to keep him in check on Sunday.

Know thy enemy - Mini-Larry: Similar to the Bears, the Falcons will rely on their pair of talented wideouts to try to get back to the .500 mark in Sunday's showdown.

Know thy enemy - Dan Durkin: With two teams desperate for a win that have leaky defenses and playmakers on the perimeter, this game has the look of a shootout and will once again come down to ball protection.

Know thy enemy - Moon Mullin: Bears pass rush will target Gabe Carimi on Sunday: "He has trouble against speed on the edge."

Know thy enemy - Hub-or-not-Hub.com's All-22 scouting report of the Falcons.

[Video] - Adam L. Jahns breaks down latest Bears news ahead of Falcons game.

[Video] - Moon Mullin and Jen Lada preview Bears-Falcons and what impact Hester will have.

Team notes - Bob LeGere: Special teams unit gearing up to face Hester; Robbie Gould has something special planned; Demontre Hurst could be in at nickel if Sherrick McManis unavailable; injury and roster news.

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Devin Hester sad, bitter that team didn't offer him a new contract to stay in a place where he wasn't happy

Bears gear up to face dynamic Hester - Larry Mayer: The Bears will face a difficult challenge on defense and special teams Sunday in Atlanta against a former member of their team, the electrifying Devin Hester.

DeCamillis: Stopping Hester won’t be easy - Adam L. Jahns: For the first time in nine seasons, the Bears aren’t scheming to spring Devin Hester but to contain him. Not-Hub Fishbain: Pat O’Donnell: Placement, hang time key when facing electric returners.

Discarded Hester happy in Atlanta: ‘Chicago didn’t offer me anything’ - Mark Potash: As prolific as he was in his prime, Devin Hester wasn’t worth $3 million a year to the Bears. [He reportedly was looking for $4M/year in free agency. - Den]

Hester's spark already missed - Jon Greenberg: Devin Hester says he is better off with the Falcons, who are 2-3, like the Bears. But Chicago isn't better off without him, salary cap hit or not. [Because he would have helped so much with the team's overwhelmingly crippling weakness from last year, the D-line. - Den]

Bitter Hester ready to face Bears - Bob LeGere: After an acrimonious parting of the ways, Devin Hester is much happier with his new team and looking forward to performing against his old team Sunday when the Bears travel to Atlanta.

Hester says Bears never offered him contract - Michael C. Wright: Devin Hester likened his eight-year tenure with the Bears to a relationship never loved Bears anyway, much prefers new girlfriend.

Hester poses special challenge for Bears - Dan Wiederer: The Bears have decisions to make this week on how to handle Hester — whether to kick to him, where to kick to him, how to align their coverages. "Waaah, Bears didn't call me." ... Brad Biggs: Hester revitalized with Falcons.

Let's not rewrite Hester's history, Bears fans - Mike Imrem: The Bears had so many holes to fill that they needed Hester's pay slot, and most fans and members of the media had been complaining for a while that Hester wasn't playing like Hester anymore.

Urlacher: Hester was a great teammate - Vaughn McClure: Brian Urlacher says Devin Hester kept practice fun when they were with the Bears.

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Bears demigod with a mullet to die for

[Video] SportsTalk Live - Should Bears have let Hester go? With PATRICK MANNELLY [Squeeee!]. [KAPCON: 5]

[Video] SportsTalk Live - PatMan dispenses his thoughts on who needs to step up on D-line [Squeeee!]. [KAPCON: 5]

[Video] SportsTalk Live - Previewing Bears-Falcons The Mullet of Glory talks Cutler [Squeeee!]. [KAPCON: 5]

[Video] SportsTalk Live - Is Marc Trestman on the hot seat?  Hear some wisdom from The Awesome One and prepare to buy yourself some striped socks [Squeeee!]. [KAPCON: 5]

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Bearsss

Injury news - Jeff Dickerson: The Bears listed Roberto Garza as having full participation in practice for the first time since a high ankle sprain in Week 1; more from practice.

Roster news - Scott Krinch: Bears add safety depth, sign Shamiel Gary to a one-year deal.

Team notes - Dan Durkin: Bears LBs hit hard by injuries as top 4 sit out practice; blindside block calls affecting coaching; Bears shuffling the secondary.

Team notes - Adam L. Jahns: Jared Allen not frustrated despite lack of sacks; injury report.

Joniak’s Journal - Jeff Joniak: Ego Ferguson making big strides; trickle-down effect of Charles Tillman’s season-ending triceps tear significant in both good ways and bad; D-line productive despite lack of sacks; Falcons’ passing game dangerous in Georgia Dome.

[Video] ESPN - Michael C. Wright discusses uncertainties in the secondary.

[Video] View from the Moon - Moon Mullin talks pass rush, Cutler, and Bears-Falcons.

X&Os - Dan Wiederer: A detailed look at the Bears' offensive collapse in Sunday's dispiriting loss.

Versatility key for tight end group - Mini-Larry: Tight ends coach Andy Bischoff explains the several different ways the Bears' offense uses the position in this week's edition of Coaches Corner.

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Ditka

Ditka - Ditka on whether the league has figured out the Trestman offense [TCO - Den], Jay Cutler, if offense is overprioritis(z)ed on the current Bears team, and Jim Harbaugh's situation in San Francisco.

Check WCGer Sackman's selection of Bears-themed tops here, or some t-shirt designs here.

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Polish sausage

NFL teams are cranking up the jams - (AP): Teams have long used piped-in sound to make it harder for players on both sides of the ball to communicate. Adding songs makes them have to concentrate even harder.

Know thy enemy: Vikings - Brian Hall: Teddy Bridgewater's slight frame was a concern entering the Draft, but he and the team say durability isn't a concern.

Know thy enemy: Lions - Michael Rothstein: Calvin Johnson is clearly ailing. The man who rarely will talk about injuries openly admits that, and the Lions would be wise to sit him on Sunday.

Know thy enemy: Lions - Ryan Wilson: Lions catch moron who tweeted about shining laser pointer, ban him from games.

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I did think about using the "Dogs Pooping To Adagio in D Minor" video, but a lot of you are having breakfast or lunch when the Den goes live.