The Bear’s Den: December 22, 2017

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

Mozilla FireFox Web Browser - The official browser of the last weeks of the 2017 Chicago Bears season.

BEARRRSSSS

LeGere: Chicago Bears' Hicks 'hurt' by Pro Bowl snub - Daily Herald - For the second straight season, Akiem Hicks has been the Chicago Bears' most valuable defensive player, and for the second straight season he has set a personal best for sacks. But when it came to this year's Pro Bowl voting, the only thing that got him was a spot as a fourth alternate at defensive end.

Moreano: Bears’ pride is in jeopardy with matchup against Browns - Da Bears Brothers - Although the Bears have had many low points in the season, losing to the Browns on Chistmas Eve would be on top of that long list of disappointments.

Under Center Podcast: Does the Bears next coach have to be an offensive mind? - NBC Sports Chicago - JJ Stankevitz and John “Moon” Mullin wonder if the Bears need to hire an offensive coach, or if a defensive coach would suit Mitchell Trubisky well, too.

Stankevitz: Zach Miller feels for Jesse James and hopes the NFL brings 'a little bit of common sense' to definition of a catch | NBC Sports Chicago - Zach Miller offered a message of support to another tight end to bizarrely had a touchdown taken away from him last weekend.

Mullin: The Bears need more than just a win vs. Browns this week - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears need to find a way to impose their will this week against the Browns. But will they?

Emma: Bears Set Sights On Win Over Browns - ‘We Won’t Be That Team’ - CBS Chicago - Now 0-14, the Browns are trying to avoid becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Emma: Bears’ Zach Miller Wants Common Sense Applied To NFL Reception Rules - CBS Chicago - Miller empathizes with Steelers tight end Jesse James, who had a touchdown stripped away Sunday.

Hoge’s 10 Bears Things: Akiem Hicks Gets Disrespected In Pro Bowl Voting - WGN Radio - Akiem Hicks was severely snubbed in Pro Bowl voting. It’s one thing for him not to be on the initial Pro Bowl rosters, but he’s not even a first or second alternate. He’s a fourth alternate.

Hub Arkush: Bears' egos bruised, bodies battered - Pro Football Weekly - Pro Bowl snubs and injuries run Bears day on Wednesday

Arthur Arkush: Chicago Bears TE Zach Miller named PFWA 'Good Guy' award winner - Pro Football Weekly - Bears' Miller received award for his professionalism, courtesy and respect during the season

PFW Chicago Podcast 097: Bears vs. Browns, a Bears must win? - Pro Football Weekly - The guys discuss what may turn into be a Christmas Miracle if the Chicago Bears can beat the Cleveland Browns after being favored in a game. In John Fox’s three years as head coach, the Bears are 0-7 straight up when favorite, per Odds Shark. Is this

Easterling: 2018 NFL mock draft: 4 rounds of early Christmas presents - The Draft Wire - Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling has a four-round list, so check it twice. Here's our latest 2018 NFL mock draft

Perez: Bears rank worst in this measure of recent NFL success - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears rank worst in win-percentage regression since 2013.

Mayer's Chalk Talk: Who was last Bears rookie QB to top 300 yards? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the last Bears rookie quarterback to pass for 300 yards in a game, how the Bears have fared when facing teams with at least 14 losses and where the Bears rank in fumble recoveries this season.

Kevin Schroeder’s Chicago Bears Player Performance Grades vs Lions - Bears Barroom - The scoreboard said 20-10, but the game never felt that close. The Detroit Lions scored the first 13 points. The Chicago Bears got on the board with a field goal at the end of the first half. This after Dowell Loggains added yet another item to his “Why I Shouldn’t Be an NFL Offensive Coordinator” list by declining to take a shot at the end zone after the Bears forced a turnover in Lions territory.

Dickerson: Ohioan Mitchell Trubisky grew up lukewarm about Cleveland Browns - ESPN - While the Bears' quarterback is no Browns fan, he has some key things in common with their rookie QB DeShone Kizer.

Hughes' Week 16: Browns at Bears Game Preview - Da Bears Blog - Because I always like the Chicago Bears. But really? Browns. Bears. Christmas Eve. Why would I go to this game? I bought this ticket the day tickets went on sale to the general public. What did I think this was going to be?

SUN TIMES

Hoge & Jahns Podcast: How upset are fans really with the Bears? - The Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam L. Jahns and WGN Radio’s Adam Hoge break down the Bears’ Week 16 matchup against the Browns.

Cahill: Bears’ coaching candidates are growing out of control - By our last count, no fewer than 16 names have been floated out there as potential candidates to be John Fox’s successor. Ken’s Note: This was the Sun Times’ choice of a headline, not mine. I envision a bunch of potential NFL HC candidates running all over the city doing out of control stuff. Will we see a “Coaches Gone Wild” video?

Potash: Akiem Hicks takes solace in fans’, peers’ approval after Pro Bowl miss - The Bears were shut out of the Pro Bowl voting for the third consecutive season, but had four players chosen as alternates.

Jahns: Browns coach Hue Jackson says Mitch Trubisky will be ‘tremendous player’ - A winning performance from Mitch Trubisky at Soldier Field on Christmas Eve could be a coal-in-the-stocking moment for the Browns.

NFL Week 16 predictions: Browns at Bears - The Chicago Sun-Times’ experts offer their predictions for the Bears’ Christmas Eve afternoon matchup with the Browns in Week 16:

Findley: Forget 2 rookies in Bears game - would you rather have Jimmy Garoppolo? - We interrupt Sunday’s meeting between the NFL’s only two rookie starting quarterbacks with the following : wouldn’t you rather have Jimmy Garoppolo?

NFL panel recommends 12 potential head-coaching candidates - An NFL advisory panel recommended 12 assistants as potential candidates for head-coaching vacancies.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Wiederer: Zach Miller accepts 'Media Good Guy' award - Zach Miller has been named the Bears’ 2017 recipient of the “Media Good Guy” award, voted on and presented by the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. The award is given annually to honor a player who shows professionalism, courtesy and respect to the media. Recent Bears winners...

Wiederer: How treacherous is Kyle Long's road back after neck surgery? - Kyle Long pulled back the curtain on NFL life Tuesday. And, fittingly enough, that curtain was beside a hospital bed. There was Long with a glum expression, having traded his Bears helmet for one of those light blue, disposable medical caps. The image, posted on Long’s Instagram account, came with a sarcastic caption.

Campbell: Bears lose to the winless Browns? 'We won't be that team' - Beat the 0-14 Browns, and the Bears can proceed in relatively tidy fashion toward whatever offseason changes await. But allow the Browns their first victory? That would be a new low point in a season full of them.“We won’t be that team,” defensive end Akiem Hicks said. “Simple as that. We won’t let that happen.”

POLISH SAUSAGE

Finley: Bears’ Zach Miller to Steelers TE after overturned TD: ‘Feel for you’ - Zach Miller had a message for Steelers tight end Jesse James, whose touchdown catch was overturned Sunday in one of the league’s most memorable games

KNOW THY ENEMY

Pokorny: The one thing I would change about the Browns season is retaining Josh McCown - Dawgs By Nature - Surely the Browns wouldn’t be winless right now had the veteran been retained.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zeglinski: The Bears egregiously mishandled Kyle Long's 2017 season - Windy City Gridiron - Instead of letting Long fully recover from an ankle injury in the off-season, Chicago let egos get in the way. Now they have to reap the irreversible damage done in the prime of his career.

Householder's Week 16 Game preview: Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns - Windy City Gridiron - Who is excited for this game? No seriously, who?

Zeglinski: Putting together a Bears Christmas wish list - Windy City Gridiron - Normally, with seasons like this, the Bears would only deserve lumps of coal. However, at heart, they're good children and these are the best wishes to fix them this holiday.

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

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments, FanPosts, usernames or anywhere else in an SB Nation community: Comments, FanPosts or usernames that are intolerant or prejudiced; racial or other offensive epithets; Personal attacks or threats on community members; Gendered insults of any kind; Trolling; Click link for full information.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes, and any posts that do this will be deleted and the poster will be admonished. We do not allow comments posted where the apparent attempt is to cause confrontation in the community. We do not allow gender-directed humor or sexual assault jokes. The staff of WCG are the sole arbiters of what constitutes “apparent attempt to cause confrontation”. We do not allow the “calling out” of other members in any way, shape or form. Posts that do this will be deleted on sight. Bottom line, it’s fine to debate about football, but personal jabs and insults are strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you keep beating the same dead horse over and over and fail to heed a moderator’s warning to stop, you will be banned.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Andrew Link; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.