The Bears Den: December 10, 2014 - Week 15 Chicago Bears news & notes

Buyer's remorse fits for entire Bears organization, not just Jay Cutler - Mike Mulligan: Sadly, the team is at a point where it should rue deals for the GM, the coach and too many players to count.

Bears rookies reflect on first NFL season - Patrick Finley: Seven of the Bears’ first-year players on what tricks they’ve learned for how to survive at the bottom of the team’s totem pole.

Lunch With Larry - Larry Mayer's fan Q&As: Which Bears player would survive longest in the zombie apocalypse?

Follow WCG on Twitter; like us on Facebook (& click on 'Subscribed to').  Check out David "OSS" Taylor's CheekyMonkeyArt prints and t-shirts.  Kyle Long mid-striptease in hi-res.

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Bearsss

Bears still focusing on task at hand - Larry Mayer: As the losses have mounted this season, the "noise" from outside Halas Hall has intensified. But the Bears won’t let it interfere with preparations for Monday night’s game against the Saints.

Know thy enemy: New Orleans Saints - Chris Boden: Drew Brees has called out his team's lack of preparation carrying over into the game performance, while the defense is as disheveled as coordinator Rob Ryan's hair.

Big hit takes its toll on Marshall - Mini-Larry: Brandon Marshall spoke for the first time about the rib and lung injuries that ended his season and the rehab process he will undergo.

Marshall: 'I just don't get it' - Michael C. Wright: Brandon Marshall said he wants to be able to do more for the team when he returns from injury next season. [Audio]

Stock watch - Jeff Dickerson: Though he hasn't played since Nov. 23, Jeremiah Ratliff's stock is rising as it becomes ever more obvious how much the Bears miss him on defense.

Stats & info - Dan Wiederer: What cruel irony for the Bears it would be to have their passing yards mark broken in a season widely ridiculed for its shaky QB play and offensive failures.

5-8 Bears and Falcons worlds apart - Is-Hub Arkush: Each is a 5-8 football team, although the Falcons are in first place in the woeful NFC South while the Bears are in the basement of the much stronger NFC North. Are the Falcons a much different 5-8 than the Bears?

Four Bears with much to prove - Moon Mullin: It's time for the team to look ahead to 2015 and there are four Bears in particular who have a lot to lose, or gain, in the final games.

Bennett takes aim at Bears' record book - Bob LeGere: Martellus Bennett hopes to interject his name into discussions about the top TEs in the game and to surpass more of Mike Ditka's franchise records.

Tillman hopes to finish career as a Bear - Michael C. Wright: Charles Tillman wants to finish his career in Chicago, but the veteran also understands the NFL's business side could prevent that from happening. [Audio] ... Michael Rothstein: 'Battling Megatron is like Ali-Frazier'.

Photos: Top 10 Monday night victories - ChicagoBears.com: Since 2008, the Bears are 10-2 on MNF. With the team set to battle the Saints next Monday, take a look at the recent wins on the big stage.

[Video] Inside the Bears - Brian de la Puente takes a ride with Anthony Adams in another edition of "Big Guys in Compact Cars." The California native talks about who[m - Den] he annoys with his surfer lingo.

[Video] Inside the Bears - Anthony Adams hits the lanes with Richard Dent and current players at the annual Bears Bowl fundraising event.

[Video] Inside the Bears - Jared Allen held his annual Helping Heroes Gala in Chicago for the first time, raising funds and awareness for Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors foundation.

Photos - To celebrate Dick Butkus' 72nd birthday, ChicagoBears.com looks back at the Hall of Famer's legendary career with the Bears.

[Video] ChicagoBears.com: A Football Life: Butkus, Sayers pt.1 - Dick Butkus had a reputation for being vicious on the field and Gale Sayers had a dazzling style to his rushing attack, but there is one thing that was missing.

Bears history: Where are they now? - Not-Hub Arkush catches up with former Bears OT James 'Big Cat' Williams.

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Ditka

4 downs with Ditka - Da Coach on the Bears' slow starts, the QB position, and Martellus Bennett breaking his Bears' single-season receptions record for the TE position.

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Polish sausage

Players union cut out of NFL personal conduct policy talks - Andrew Brandt: When the league discusses a new personal conduct policy at the winter’s owners meetings, the NFLPA is one voice that won’t be heard.

2014 contract awards - Joel Corry with the best and worst signing and extensions of the year. Hey, the Bears don't get a mention!

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I don't know about down south, but in the north of Ireland my childhood awareness of baseball was pretty much limited to the fact that a great many bats got sold despite nobody playing the game; according to a schoolmate whose father was a surgeon, apparently kneecapping someone with a bat - particularly a wooden one - is a great deal more damaging than simply putting a bullet into his kneecaps.

...I'm full of festive cheer, me!