The Bear’s Den, October 18, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS

Joniak’s Journal: Trubisky Opening Eyes Around League - 670 The Score - Patriots defensive play-caller and linebacker coach Brian Flores noted that the first impression on the tape of Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky is that he throws a good deep ball. In the last two weeks, Trubisky has opened some eyes around the league. He has been a topic on the when national television shows discuss the NFL.

Emma: Bears Ready To Be Measured Against Patriots - 670 The Score - Following a tough loss, the Bears believe they can respond well Sunday.

5@5: Which Bear Has Biggest Challenge Vs. Patriots? - 670 The Score - The Mully & Haugh crew debates a five-pack of questions every weekday.

Emma: Bears’ Khalil Mack Day-To-Day With Ankle Injury - 670 The Score - Mack was held out of practice with the Bears on Wednesday.

Can the Bears beat the Patriots on Sunday? Check the numbers. - Chicago Tribune - Here’s a look at the Bears by the numbers as they prepare to face the Patriots at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Real Talk: Despite agonizing overtime loss, Bears still making significant progress on their climb - Chicago Tribune - After Sunday's tough-to-swallow 31-28 overtime loss to the Dolphins, the Bears face a huge test this weekend against the Patriots. But even as a feeling of frustration builds, Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell argue the Bears have plenty to feel good about right now.

Kane: Were the Bears’ defensive struggles Sunday just a blip? Tom Brady and the Patriots will help the evaluation - Chicago Tribune - The time for brooding over the Bears defense's poor performance already had passed Tuesday as the unit readies for the Patriots and Tom Brady.

The Whole 9 Yards: Week 5 - Da Bears Brothers Blog - DeVante Tidwell shares his top takeaways and insight after the fifth week of the season.

Stankevitz: Trubisky progressing as he preps to face the gold standard of QBs - NBC Sports Chicago - Mitch Trubisky is making strides as he gets what may be the only chance in his career to compete against Tom Brady.

Stankevitz: Putting Bill Belichick’s complimentary comments about the Bears in context - NBC Sports Chicago - Bill Belichick had plenty of good things to say about Matt Nagy and the 2018 Bears during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

Under Center Podcast: What will we learn about the Bears against the Patriots? - NBC Sports Chicago - A deep dive into this weekend's Trubisky-Brady matchup.

Ellis: Matt Nagy gives update on the state of Khalil Mack's ankle - NBC Sports Chicago -Things seem a bit more clear on Wednesday.

Ellis: Bill Belichick scoffs at Khalil Mack-Lawrence Taylor comparison - NBC Sports Chicago - - Can he just go back to complimenting the Bears' offense?

First and Final Thoughts: The Brady Bunch are in Town - NBC Sports Chicago - We're almost on to New England

Potash: Bears QB Mitch Trubisky faces big mental toughness test vs. Bill Belichick, Patriots defense - Sun Times - "The most important thing for a quarterback is winning games. It’s about doing what it takes to help your team win, and I think he’s done that."

Jahns: Mitch Trubisky ready to compete with all-time great Tom Brady - Sun Times - This could be the only time in Mitch Trubisky's career that he gets to face Patriots QB Tom Brady.

Finley: Will 'experience factor' matter when Matt Nagy faces Bill Belichick? - Sun Times
Bill Belichick has coached 374 games, the most among active coaches and fifth-most all - time. Matt Nagy has coached five.

Finley: Bears Khalil Mack ankle injury update 2018: OLB 'day to day' with ankle injury - Sun Times - His right ankle still hurting three days after he injured it against the Dolphins, Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack didn’t practice Wednesday.

Telander: There's football smart and football dumb, and Bears sure weren't smart Sunday - Sun Times - The Bears must realize how important little things are. Call it football wisdom. You just hope they get wise before they get old and hurt.

Potash: Bears defense unbowed after 540-yard debacle versus Dolphins - Sun Times - The Bears were particularly unbowed by the poor performance, almost emphatic that the loss to the Dolphins didn’t change a thing.

Kane: 5 things we heard from Bears QB Mitch Trubisky on Wednesday - Chicago Tribune - Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky said the numbers he has put up the last two games are because of gradual progress this season.

Kane: Bill Belichick says ‘it’s a little early’ to make Lawrence Taylor-Khalil Mack comparisons - Chicago Tribune - Patriots coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t entertain a comparison between Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack and Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor on Wednesday.

Wiederer: 'That's a big moment for our guys' - Bears offense showing significant growth, even after tough loss to Dolphins - Chicago Tribune - As the Chicago Bears prepare for Sunday's clash with the New England Patriots, they have plenty to feel good about. Most notably, a Mitch Trubisky-led offense is showing obvious signs of growth and showing it can produce in big moments.

Biggs: Arrival of colder weather ushers in kick return season, and the Bears are ready - Chicago Tribune - The NFL put the kickoff on the endangered list this season, but special teams coaches banded together to create new rules which, judging by the preseason, made it a safer play. With colder weather we'll begin to see more kickoff returns. The Bears are ready to make it an exciting play.

Householder: New England vs Chicago Betting Picks & Analysis - Sports Bet Collective - Sports Bet Collective is a sports betting picks and analysis platform designed to connect sports bettors with credible experts, personalized to a bettor's favorite teams, sports and types of wagers

Kyle Long feeling Bears spirit: 'Every week feels like the playoffs around here’ - Sun Times - It’s a long time coming for Long, the second-longest tenured Bears player ... He has played through seasons of 8-8, 5-11, 6-10, 3-13 and 5-11.

Mayer: Mack day-to-day with ankle injury - ChicagoBears.com - Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack did not practice Wednesday and is day-to-day with an ankle injury he sustained in last Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.

9 questions to test your knowledge of the Bears-Patriots history - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will host the Patriots Sunday at Soldier Field. How much do you know about the two teams? Take this 9-question quiz to test your knowledge.

Mayer: Patriots will provide measuring stick for Bears - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears have already made major strides this season—they remain in first place after finishing last each of the past four years. But Sunday’s game against the Patriots will provide a litmus test to show just how far they’ve come.

Wednesday weigh-in: Bears prepping for Patriots - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will look to rebound from a tough loss in Miami Sunday when they host the Patriots at Soldier Field and hope for a repeat of their home opener.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Vontaze Burfict needs to go, for good – ProFootballTalk - From time to time, the NFL looks the other way regarding suspension-worthy behavior on the football field. This time, the NFL looked the other way on banishment-worthy behavior from Vontaze Burfict.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Vikings initial injury report: Linval Joseph, Andrew Sendejo, Riley Reiff sit out - Daily Norseman - The big guy sat out today with an everything

Packers News and Links: Despite great finish, Aaron Rodgers and the offense still have work to do - Acme Packing Company - The offense turned it on late once again, but a 40-minute log stretch of poor play nearly doomed the Packers

APC Podcast, 10/19: Let’s try this again — Are the Packers bad? - Acme Packing Company - It’s déjà vu as another muddled performance has us again wondering if this Packers team is any good. Ken’s Note: Again, yes the Packers are bad.

Lions Johnson, Packer's Jones Among The Six Most Infuriatingly Misused Players in the NFL - The Ringer - Why are the Cardinals running David Johnson into a brick wall? Why won’t the Giants throw downfield to Odell Beckham Jr.? Sometimes there’s more going on with a coach’s decision than meets the eye—but other times, football decision-makers can just be flat out wrong.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill to miss Lions game, Brock Osweiler will start - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions will participate in Brocktober.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2018: Week 6 vs Miami Dolphins - Windy City Gridiron - With as hot as it was in Miami, I was expecting a few more breakdowns in the pass protection for the Chicago Bears. All things considered, I’d say that only allowing two sacks and three total...

Curl's 2018 NFL Chicago Bears Number Mill: Quantifying the Heatvantage the Dolphins had on Sunday? - Windy City Gridiron - Several people have explained the Bears defense’s 4th-quarter collapse, at least in part, by fatigue from the overwhelming Miami heat. Does that excuse hold up when run through the Chicago Bears Number Mill?

Sunderbruch: Bears Reach a New Low (In A Good Way) - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears lost a winnable game. The reality is, the fact that the game was even winnable for them is remarkable.

Link's 2018 Chicago Bears Rush Report 2018: Week 6 at the Dolphins - Windy City Gridiron - For the first time this season, the Chicago Bears not only had less than 4 sacks in a game, but they were shutout completely in that category. Frankly, they rarely got close to Dolphins quarterback...

Zeglinski: Chicago Bears injury report: Khalil Mack is day-to-day - Windy City Gridiron - Matt Nagy had no clear update on the star outside linebacker’s status for Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Don’t expect him to miss it.

Leming's Bears mailbag: Thoughts on Mitchell Trubisky, Leonard Floyd and how the NFC North shakes out - Windy City Gridiron - We answer all of your Bears related questions heading into Week 7.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

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