The Bears Den: December 29, 2014 - Week 17 Chicago Bears vs Minnesota Vikings game reports & reaction

Major change looms at Halas Hall after Bears finish 5-11 - David Haugh: It's implausible to think a chairman as emotional as George McCaskey will stand pat with coach, GM.

Bears' issues start with GM, coach - Jon Greenberg: It's not easy making hard choices like firing people, but George McCaskey has got to do it. With the Bears' disastrous season over, the franchise needs an overhaul as soon as possible.

Multiple decisions loom for Bears, ownership this offseason - Michael C. Wright: Whether Phil Emery or the coaches are retained, key issues need to be addressed, and it's unclear if it can all be accomplished in one short offseason.

10+ thoughts - Brad Biggs: Did Marc Trestman cling to a wonderful ideal but ultimately choose an approach that isn’t realistic in an NFL locker room?

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Chicago Bears 9, Minnesota Vikings 13

Game report Bridgewater, Vikings end season with win - (NFL.com): Game report and [Video highlights].

Game breakdown - The Tribune's drive charts, Bears performances of note, and game statistics.

Game Blog - ChicagoBears.com's situational updates from the field as they unfolded during the Bears' 13-9 loss against the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium.  Larry Mayer's pregame Q&As.

Bears drop fifth straight to end season - Larry Mayer: The costly penalties and mistakes that have regularly killed drives and kept the Bears from scoring all year plagued them once again in Sunday's 13-9 season-ending loss to the Vikings.

Bears close out season with loss to Vikings - James Neveau: The Bears were trying to close out their season on a high note, but penalties and mental mistakes all over the field hurt them as they fell 13-9 to the Vikings.

Blown coverage by Tim Jennings epitomizes Bears' dismal season - Rich Campbell: It probably was fitting that the decisive score in the Bears' season-ending loss to the Vikings resulted from a defensive breakdown — and a repeated one.

Rapid Reaction - Jeff Dickerson: The season is mercifully over.

Game review - Jeff Dickerson with five things we learned: Mel Tucker seems limited as a coordinator, but he clearly connected with the players and his defense never quit playing hard. That's more than can be said for other coaches on the staff.

[Video] PostGame Live - 'A comedy of errors' vs Vikings.

[Video] - Moon Mullin, Jen Lada: Changes are coming to Bears after loss to Vikings.

[Video] ESPN - Merril Hoge breaks down the Vikings' 13-9 win over the Bears.

[Video] ESPN - Out-of-focus Jeff Dickerson and Out-of-focus Jon Greenberg discuss the Bears' loss and examine what personnel changes the team will see in the offseason.

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Synergy: Offense is offensive

Offense struggles in season finale - Mini-Larry: Even good field position couldn't help the Bears, who scored just nine points Sunday in a Week 17 loss to the Vikings.  Not-Hub Fishbain: Offense ends season with lowest point total of 2014.

Mental errors derail offense again - Mark Potash: Two plays into their season finale, Jay Cutler had to call time out. Two plays later, Jermon Bushrod was called for a false start. The Bears regrouped — and were penalized for delay of game.

Fitting end to forgettable season - Dan Durkin: Give teams time and Trestman’s scheme is rendered useless by defenses. His plays, formations, route combinations and tendencies have been decoded. The offense has been reduced to a horizontal attack that seemingly mistakes the sideline for the goal line.

[Video] PostGame Live - 15 on 6: Evaluating Cutler vs Vikings.

Forte sets receptions record with 102 - Larry Mayer: With eight receptions in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, Matt Forte set an NFL single-season record for receptions by a running back.

Forte sets record - Jon Greenberg: Emblematic of the Bears' offensive struggles, catch 102 went for 10 yards on 3rd and 19 as the Bears tried, and failed, to score a TD on their final drive of the season.  Rich Campbell: Vikings prepared to defend Forte as a receiver in predicatble offense.

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Process: Marc Trestman, firing of

Trestman expects to return as coach - Larry Mayer: With speculation swirling about his future, Marc Trestman said after Sunday’s 13-9 loss to the Vikings that he expects to return as Bears coach next season.

Trestman says he expects to stay - Jeff Dickerson: Under Trestman, the Bears crumbled in 2014 to finish 5-11, the franchise's worst single-season mark in ten years. Over two seasons his record stands at 13-19, with zero playoff appearances.

Uncertainty surrounds Bears after uninspiring loss in season finale - Dan Wiederer: If Trestman truly believes he has the vision and insight to aid a turnaround, he's also cornered by a mountain of evidence showing his two seasons as coach have not pushed the Bears forward.

Reality escapes Trestman as season comes to merciful end - Adam Hoge: Planet Trestman is a strange place where reality is skewed, and the rest of us apparently watched different games than the coach did this season.

'A lot of trust was broken' for the Bears this season - Adam L. Jahns: "We were front-page news too many times," Charles Tillman said. "When you have conflict, you also need to let that conflict stay in house and then resolve and work through it ... This year, there was a lot of trust broken."  Moon Mullin: Cutler’s stock with teammates, the only measure of real consequence, remained high as Kromer incident turned players off.

Perfect ending to miserable Bears season - Barry Rozner: The final Bears game of 2014 was a microcosm of everything that's wrong with the Bears, from the woeful offense to the miscommunication and penalties.

Bears' loss litany told darkening story as lost year went along - Moon Mullin: The problems, in all phases, started early in the year and generally only got worse, not better.  What happens next?

Clearly Marc Trestman has to go - Is-Hub Arkush: The bigger, more important question now is what's next for Phil Emery?

Emotional defense knows change is looming - Patrick Finley: They were emotional because they made a stop, and Lord knows that hadn’t happened much this season. But it was more than that.

Ready, aim, fire: Real season starts for Bears - Rick Morrissey: Who stays and who goes should not depend on a terrible football game at the end of December. It should depend on all the terrible football games that came before it.

Bears need to stop basing major decisions on Cutler - Brad Biggs: Jay Cutler was consulted on previous Bears coaching decisions. It's time for that to stop.

Cutler says Mike Shanahan deserves to be an NFL coach again - Adam L. Jahns: Jay Cutler offered some support for Shanahan when asked about him, and a source close to Shanahan said the longtime Broncos coach has interest in the Bears.

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More from the game

Game notes - Bob LeGere: Matt Forte's record a hollow accomplishment, considering he managed just 23 yards on 8 catches; defense never stopped playing hard, outperformed offense down the stretch; penalties continue to plague team.

Team notes - Seth Gruen: Matt Forte's record one bright spot in dark season; Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman both understand they're unlikely to return in 2015; Stephen Paea also unsure of future with team.

Team notes - Dan Wiederer: Not all Bears pushing for change; Charles Tillman acknowledges team's dysfunction; Bears' 2015 opponents now set.

Game review - Not-Hub Fishbain with what worked, what didn't, and the three moments that mattered in the Bears' season finale.

Bears quotes - ChicagoBears.com: Is the offense too predictable this year? Matt Forte: Yeah, you can say that.

What George McCaskey should've said Sunday - Steve Rosenbloom comes up with an ok article once in a while.  This is one of those few occasions, so cherish it.

A lost Bears season in so many ways - Mike Imrem: The Bears accomplished a rare double this season by becoming as unlikeable as they were unsuccessful. Not even the 1-13 team in 1969 could do that.

[Video] ChicagoBears.com - Top plays from the Bears' loss to the Vikings in Minnesota.

[Video] ChicagoBears.com - Take a ride along with the team as they made their way up to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.

Photos - Courtesy of ChicagoBears.com ... Daily Herald.

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Game grades

[Video] ESPN - Jeff Dickerson's MVP is Matt Forte, who topped Chicago in rushing yards and catches.

[Video] PostGame Live - The PGL crew with their Monsters of the Game.

Stock Watch - Patrick Finley: "The Bear Way" — Never has the ethos been so referenced in the locker room.

Game grades - Jeff Dickerson: The defense played hard for Mel Tucker. The offense continued to struggle under Marc Trestman, who thinks he's the right man to fix the Bears' problems moving forward. Many would disagree.

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I spent a few days over Xmas watching Disney/Pixar stuff with my niece.