The Bear’s Den, January 1, 2018, Black Monday Edition

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

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BEARRRSSSS

Bears-Vikings Postgame Show: Chicago's Season Comes to a Close in Appropriate Fashion - Da Bears Brothers - In this season's final postgame show, Da Bears Brothers react to and analyze the Chicago Bears' 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Wiederer: Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur an intriguing candidate for Bears - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears will begin a coaching search Monday when the firing of John Fox becomes official. Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur could become a top candidate after his work this season with Case Keenum.

Kane: Plenty for Bears QB Mitch Trubisky to pick apart as he heads into offseason - Chicago Tribune - Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s final of his 12 starts this year went much like his rookie season as a whole - some good but plenty to pick apart.

Campbell: 5-11 finish gives Bears a 4th consecutive year with top-10 selection in NFL draft - Chicago Tribune - The Bears will have a top 10 draft pick for the fourth consecutive season. The Bears retained the conditional seventh-round draft pick they offered the Chargers in the trade for Dontrelle Inman.

Rosenbloom: Here’s Ryan Pace’s cheat sheet for the press conference announcing John Fox’s firing - Chicago Tribune - Stevie Sunshine is here to make it all better. I’m a pleaser, not a teaser, so here are some helpful hints for the press conference in which you announce you’re firing John Fox: Pro tip Apologize for the whole Mike Glennon thing. Apologize for that a lot.

Haugh: Bears salty after season-ending loss as focus shifts to GM Ryan Pace and the future - Chicago Tribune - Now that the Bears' season is over, all eyes shift to GM Ryan Pace, who faces the most important three-week stretch of his career.

Biggs: Bears figure to go on the offensive when coaching search is launched - Chicago Tribune - John Fox’s expiration date has been easy to read really since the draft, when it was clear the Bears were acquiring talent for the long haul at the same time the coach was entering a win-or-else campaign.

Biggs: 10 thoughts on the Bears' 5-11 season and what's next at Halas Hall - Chicago Tribune - 10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears closed out the 2017 season in what was likely the final game for coach John Fox with a 23-10 loss Sunday to the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Jahns: The Bears' 2017 season is finally over ... now what? - Chicago Sun-Times - Random thoughts and observations while covering the Bears' season finale against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Potash: Bears fool Vikings again as Bryce Callahan scores on a 59-yard punt return - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears have struggled on offense and defense in their season finale against the Vikings, but special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers is going out

Finley: Bears' loss to Vikings one last failure in John Fox's likely finale - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears are expected to fire Fox in the next 24 hours and begin their search for a new head coach who can better help develop Mitch Trubisky.

Finley: The next Bears coach - Candidates the Bears could consider to replace John Fox - Chicago Sun-Times - Here's a look, in alphabetical order, at which coaching candidates the Bears could consider when they inevitably fire John Fox in the next 24 hours:

Morrissey: How many top candidates would want the Bears' coaching job? - Chicago Sun-Times - It’s not a great job now, no matter what Bears officials will try to tell us. It has the chance to be a great job if Trubisky turns out to be good.

Jahns: Time to find right coach for Trubisky, whose rookie year ends with mistakes - Chicago Sun-Times - “I feel good,” Trubisky said of his first season. “I just got more comfortable as the weeks went on to play my game and be a leader on this team.”

Finley: Bears' Bryce Callahan 'tried not to give anything away' on trick punt-return TD -Chicago Sun-Times - It was a Dave Toub special — called by Bears special-teams coach Jeff Rodgers — and it went for a 59-yard touchdown by Callahan.

Potash: Bears players support John Fox - 'For him, I wish we had finished better.' - Chicago Sun-Times - “You kind of know what’s coming. We’re not robots. We see what’s on the Twitter. We see what’s printed. We know there’s a possibility."

Jahns: Vikings OC Pat Shurmur shows why teams will be calling him - Chicago Sun-Times - Three quick notes from the Bears' 23-10 loss against the Vikings in Minneapolis.

Finley: Bears will have eighth pick in NFL draft - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears will pick eighth in the NFL draft after Sunday's 23-10 season-ending loss to the Vikings gave them a 5-11 record.

Rozner: After three years, Bears right on Pace - Daily Herald - Another disappointing season comes to an end for the Bears, who will undoubtedly tell you they made great progress in winning five games.

LeGere: Bears lose to Vikings in season finale - ChicagoBears.com - In a replay that has been seen far too often this season, the Chicago Bears hurt themselves with inopportune penalties and an inability to move the ball on offense in a 23-10 season-ending loss to the Minneosta Vikings in Minneapolis. Coach John Fox is expected to be fired Monday.

Stankevitz: All signs are pointing to Sunday being John Fox's last game as Bears head coach - NBC Sports Chicago - According to multiple national reports, the Bears will fire John Fox sometime after Sunday's season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Video: Trubisky - 'Coach Fox has done a lot for me' - NBC Sports Chicago - Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky talks about coach John Fox after the 2017 season ended.

Video: John Fox refuses to discuss future in press conference - NBC Sports Chicago - Bears coach John Fox doesn't answer questions about his future following the season-ending loss to the Vikings.

Stankevitz: Bears players praise John Fox after what is likely to be his final game - 'I know he's a great coach' | NBC Sports Chicago - John Fox has done a lot of losing in his three seasons as Bears head coach. But after Sunday's season finale, his players praised the man who is likely to be on his way out.

Stankevitz: The Bears' pitch to prospective coaches will be enticing, but not perfect - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears will have to make their pitch to their head-coaching candidates. And while Sunday's game wasn't pretty, there's plenty there to lure the ideal candidate.

Under Center Podcast: Should the Bears embark on a Cubs-style rebuild? - NBC Sports Chicago - With a coaching change likely coming this week, the Under Center crew discusses whether the Bears should try to rebuild in the style of the Cubs.

Mullin: Bears deliver final inept performance as focus shifts to fate of John Fox - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears turned in a poor showing in their 2017 finale, shifting all focus to the expected search to replsce John Fox.

Nabors: Bears offense fails to show in season-ending loss to Vikings - Pro Football Weekly - Diving deep into the Bears' season-ending 23-10 loss to the Vikings Sunday in Minnesota.

Hub Arkush: Here's where it all went wrong for John Fox's Chicago Bears - Pro Football Weekly - After fast start, things went south quickly for Bears under Fox

Mayer: Pace talks Bears before season finale - ChicagoBears.com - Bears general manager Ryan Pace appeared on the WBBM 780 AM and 105.9 FM pre-game show in advance of Sunday’s season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Mayer: Callahan scores lone TD on trick play - ChicagoBears.com - Bryce Callahan provided the top Bears highlight in Sunday’s 23-10 season-ending loss to the Vikings, returning a punt 59 yards for a touchdown on a trick play.

Kaberon: Red zone woes hurt Bears in loss - ChicagoBears.com - Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky struggled on Sunday in the red zone, so that will be a top priority of his this offseason.

Game Recap: Bears lose season finale to Vikings 23-10 - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears end the 2017 season on a disappointing note, falling to the Vikings 23-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.

Bears Fall 23-10 To Vikings In Season Finale As John Fox Now Awaits Fate - CBS Chicago - With a 5-11 mark, Chicago finished last in the NFC North for the fourth straight season.

Emma: Bears Players Back John Fox, Whose Fate With Team Seems Sealed - CBS Chicago - The Bears lauded Fox as a players' coach and took responsibility for their failures during his three seasons.

Bernstein: John Fox Era Fizzles Out In Chicago - CBS Chicago - Fox's reputation as a turnaround specialist has been undone with the Bears, with setbacks coming in every variety.

KNOW THY ENEMY

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Silverstein: The five young Bears who make me most excited for 2018 - Windy City Gridiron - A look at the most exciting young Bears talent of 2017 who are going to make 2018 a lot of fun — and the return of The Zeglinski Face.

Sunderbruch: 4 Mistakes Ryan Pace Didn’t Make - Windy City Gridiron - With news that Pace might be getting an extension, it’s time for even his critics to admit that there have been good decisions on his part. Some of those decisions have actually come in the form of mistakes he hasn’t made.

Infante: Cornerback - the Bears need that nobody is talking about - Windy City Gridiron - In an offseason that is sure to be focused on edge rushers and wide receivers, it could be the cornerback position that has just as big of an impact on the Bears’ offseason.

Zeglinski: Windy City Gridiron picks Bears-Vikings - Windy City Gridiron - It's the end of Mitch Trubisky's rookie season as well as the John Fox era. WCG makes its final picks for the 2017 season.

Curl's Bears vs Vikings Week 17: Bears look ready to hibernate in 10-23 loss to NFC North champs - Windy City Gridiron - Half-time frisbee dogs are the uncontested highlight of a season finale where the Bears never managed to compete.

Infante: Chicago Bears to have No. 8 pick in 2018 NFL Draft - Windy City Gridiron - The most important news that you’ll hear until the Bears fire John Fox in the next 24 hours.

FANPOSTS

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