The Bear’s Den: December 18, 2017

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

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BEARRRSSSS

LeGere: Under Fox, Chicago Bears' penalties, division losses piling up - Daily Herald - Some of the more obvious reasons coach John Fox isn't expected back for the final year of his contract in 2018 were underscored in the Chicago Bears' 20-10 loss to the Lions Saturday.

Under Center Podcast: What’s the game plan!?! Bears lose 10th game to Lions - NBC Sports Chicago - Laurence Holmes, Alex Brown and Jim Miller break down the Bears gameplan against the Lions and question why it didn't feature Jordan Howard more.

Mullin: Bears hit new low in loss to Lions - 'It's been going on like this all year' - NBC Sports Chicago - A week after a strong showing in Cincinnati, the wheels were off in an ugly defeat in Detroit, a new low for a Bears team now with double-digit losses.

Stankevitz: John Fox followed conventional wisdom on 4th-and-1, but that doesn’t make his decision the right one - NBC Sports Chicago - A key John Fox decision in the second quarter at the Lions showed the coach's tendency to follow conventional wisdom.

Emma: John Fox, Bears Gave In With Nothing Left To Lose - CBS Chicago - The Bears haven't won at Ford Field since 2012, losing again to the Lions, 20-10, on Saturday.

Stankevitz: Bears grades -The return of D's and F's, except for the linebackers - NBC Sports Chicago - A week after earning straight A's in Cincinnati, the Bears were back to earning failing grades almost across the board.

Pompei: Observations From Bears-Lions - CBS Chicago - The Bears have no chance when they don’t get the running game going.

Hub Arkush: Pace must find Bears coaches to maximize Trubisky's great potential - Pro Football Weekly - Bears may finally have their franchise QB — but he needs to be set up for success

Dickerson: Bears coach John Fox defends decision to punt on fourth down - ESPN - What did the four-win Bears have to lose facing a fourth-and-1 from their own 45? Coach John Fox has an answer.

SUN TIMES

Finley’s Good, bad and worst: How the Bears fared in their 20-10 loss to Lions - The Lions had allowed 100-plus rushing yards in each of the past six games, and Dowell Loggains’ Bears couldn’t muster half that Saturday.

Finley: Replacing injured Pernell McPhee, Bears’ Lamarr Houston logs two sacks - Rather than shutting it down in a lost season, Pernell McPhee insisted on playing through a shoulder injury and started Saturday. He didn’t last long.

Morrissey: If Trubisky doesn’t pan out, could Bears become Browns? - The 4-10 Bears now have four straight seasons with double-digit losses. That’s not Browns-esque, but Rome wasn’t torn down in a day. Ken’s Note: Mr. Morrissey, CLICK HERE for assistance.

Finley: Bears TE Zach Miller walks without crutches - Bears tight end Zach Miller posted a video of himself walking without crutches Sunday, a step in his recovery from a dislocated kneecap.

Finley: Bear down, Chicago bores - Next coach must bring excitement with him - Those that didn’t nod off during the Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions on Saturday would have heard John Fox explain two coaching decisions the same way.

Finley’s Film Study: Mitch Trubisky can learn from Matthew Stafford’s scrambles - Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky seems more comfortable rolling right than left, but credit the Lions’ Ziggy Ansah for hurrying his motion.

Potash: Must-win? Losing to 0-14 Browns would be ultimate indignity for Bears - The Browns are the ultimate in NFL hopelessness - mired in dysfunction and bad management, spinning their wheels on multiple levels.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Wiederer: End can't come soon enough for hapless Bears - This starts with a question about an onside kick, the one asked of Bears coach John Fox on Saturday night at Ford Field. Not because the moment in question was the defining sequence of the Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions. Far from it. But it was another head-scratching moment nonetheless. One of many. From yet another revealing Bears defeat.

Rosenbloom: Can Bears fans make Soldier Field a total no-show for the Browns game? - As far as I can tell following the Bears’ embarrassing, laughable and inexcusable performance in a 20-10 loss to the Lions on Saturday, John Fox remains the head coach, GM Ryan Pace remains hidden from the mess he helped create, chairman George McCaskey remains a McCaskey, and team president Ted Phillips remains an honorary McCaskey.

Biggs: 10 thoughts on the Bears' 20-10 loss to the Lions - 10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears fell to 4-10 with a 20-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Saturday at Ford Field. 1. It would be far from accurate to say the Bears lost this game because they didn’t hand the ball off to Jordan Howard for running plays from the shotgun formation. But a week after...

Biggs: Tom Brady, Patriots to visit Soldier Field as Bears' 2018 opponents are set - Much remains up in the air about the Bears’ future, but at least they know who they will be playing next year. With two weeks remaining in the 2017 season, the Bears know their 2018 opponents. The NFC North is paired up with the AFC East and NFC West next season, meaning Tom Brady will be making...

Campbell: Bears' Zach Miller hits a milestone on road to recovery from gruesome injury - Miller walks without the aid of crutches for first time since injury.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Vikings clinch NFC North title with easy win over Bengals - Running backs Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon combined for 37 touches and 242 yards from scrimmage for the Vikings (11-3).

Rodgers throws 3 TDs in return, but Packers lose to Panthers - Rodgers, making his first appearance since Oct. 15, threw for 290 yards with three TDs but was picked three times as the Packers’ playoff hopes dimmed

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Bears vs. Lions - Notes from an underwhelming 20-10 loss - Windy City Gridiron - A week after the Bears put on their best performance of the season, they reverted back to their old losing ways.

Wiltfong: No Bears Sunday Open Thread :( - Windy City Gridiron - Sit back and relax while you take in a Chicago Bears-less Sunday of football. I’ll be off visiting Santa Claus with the family, and I’ll be sure to ask for a winning team to root for in 2018.

Wiltfong: Snap counts, stats and more - Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions - Windy City Gridiron - We'll list out the complete playing time breakdown, and spotlight a few individual and team statistics from the Chicago Bears in their 20-10 loss against the Detroit Lions.

FANPOSTS

FanPosts - Recent - Windy City Gridiron - Here's a link to our FanPost section, where YOU have the opportunity to contribute to Windy City Gridiron. Take a few minutes and write a post about what you are thinking about regarding the Chicago Bears, and there's a chance it will be linked right here in the Den.

THE RULES

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