The Bear’s Den, October 8, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS

Bears listed on "Trades we'd like to see after the first quarter of the season" - Pro Football Focus - A team of senior analysts lay out some trades that they'd love to see after four weeks of NFL action.

Chicago Bears' Akiem Hicks fined for bumping official - ESPN - Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks avoided a suspension for bumping an official last Sunday but was fined $33,425.

DaBearsPod on the Bye with the Legendary Adam Jahns - Da Bears Blog - Jeff joins Trent Condon on the radio in Des Moines to break down the first quarter. For a few of the questions, he had no answer, so…

Medina: One Stat Underlines the Bears' Improvement in Pass Protection, Which Has Unlocked Some Offensive Potential - Bleacher Nation - The Chicago Bears' offensive line deserves some love.

Mayer: Fangio, Mack at the top of the league - ChicagoBears.com - If the NFL presented awards for the first quarter of the season, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that Vic Fangio would win “Coordinator of the Year” and Khalil Mack would be the “Defensive Player of the Year.”

Mayer: NFL analyst views Mack as MVP candidate - ChicagoBears.com - NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling ranks Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack third on a list of top 10 NFL MVP candidates through the first four weeks of the season.

Monsters of the Midway Comic Strip - Revelation - ChicagoBears.com - Follow along as we tell the story of the Monsters of the Midway defending Chicago from a weekly nemesis drawn from the 2018 schedule.

Akiem Hicks fined, not suspended, for contact with official in Week 4 - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks received a fine instead of a suspension for his contact with an official in Week 4.

Perez: Chicago Bears player awards through 4 games of 2018 season - Bears Wire - A look at the offensive and defensive MVPs, best performing rookie and most improved player on the Chicago Bears through four games of 2018

Cox's Bears report card: Position-by-position grades entering bye week - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears are self-scouting during their time off. Here's how we think each position group has performed through four games.

Emma: Behind Bears' 3-1 Start Is A Firm Foundation - 670 The Score - Matt Nagy and Khalil Mack have played leading roles in the Bears' transformation.

Eurich: Anthony Miller says he'll be back after Bears bye - 247Sports - "Good news if you’re a Bears fan. Anthony Miller said he should be back on the field after the Bye Week," tweeted Joshua Alfonzo Vinson, who covers the Memphis Tigers for Heisman Sports.

Stankevitz: How Danny Trevathan is playing an important part in Roquan Smith's development - NBC Sports Chicago - Danny Trevathan's own personal growth in Vic Fangio's defense is paying off as he helps get Roquan Smith acclimated to playing in the Bears' scheme.

Under Center Podcast: David Kaplan sits down with Matt Nagy - NBC Sports Chicago - David Kaplan sat down with Bears coach Matt Nagy for Inside Look, with the full interview airing on NBC Sports Chicago in November.

Bears Mailbag: biggest questions to answer during the Bears' bye week - NBC Sports Chicago - We're taking readers' (and listeners) questions to help fill the time this bye week.

Letizia: Leonard Floyd Must Improve at Getting Pressure, But He is Not Regressing - Da Bears Brothers - Here are the factors that have led to Leonard Floyd's lack of production in the first quarter of the season.

A Deep Look Into Matt Nagy's Schemes, Concepts and Player Utilization Through Four Games - Da Bears Brothers Podcast - In this episode, Bobby Peters sits down with Da Bears Brothers to share his in-depth analysis of the Chicago Bears' offensive schemes through four games

CHema Skandal! On the Bears' Transformed Mascot (And More) - Da Bears Brothers Podcast - Nicholas Moreano talked with Mexican graphic artist CHema Skandal! about designing the Bears' mascot into an Animal Místico for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Wiederer: 'It's just a part of his DNA' Khalil Mack's instant impact a real thrill for Bears assistant Brandon Staley - Chicago Tribune - After an impressive month, Chicago Bears edge rusher Khalil Mack has become the toast of the town. But his ability to energize all those around him may be just as important as his production on the field. Bears assistant coach Brandon Staley discusses what makes Mack tick.

Biggs: NFL is on record scoring pace as passing offenses soar, but 'defense wins championships' still applies - Chicago Tribune - The NFL is on a record scoring pace through the first month of the season, but history proves that teams with an elite defense have the best chance of winning the Super Bowl. That should put the Khalil Mack-led Bears in the hunt for seasons to come.

Jahns: Analyzing the best and worst after Bears' 3-1 start - Sun Times - A quarter into the season, Sun-Times expert Adam L. Jahns examines the 3-1 Bears as they head out of their bye week.

Potash: Analyzing the best and worst of the Bears after their 3-1 start - Sun Times - Things change quickly in the NFL, but the Bears’ fortunes arguably are better than anytime since playing in the NFC Championship Game in 2010.

Finley: Analyzing the best and worst of the Bears after their 3-1 start - Sun Times - A quarter into the season, Sun-Times expert Patrick Finley examines the 3-1 Bears as they head out of their bye week:

Finley: Bears’ Akiem Hicks fined $33,425 for shoving official - Sun Times - Earlier in the week, the Sun-Times reported that he had avoided suspension for pushing Mike Carr, the down judge.

Potash: Khalil Mack trade has Bears GM Ryan Pace moving up the charts - Sun Times - After a three-year teardown/rebuild that made him look like a worse general manager than he is, Ryan Pace is closer to getting his due.

Potash: Roquan Smith, Leonard Floyd, James Daniels, Adam Shaheen give surging Bears room for growth - Sun Times - Smith hasn’t been the sideline-to-sideline impact player the Bears expect him to become. He’s shown enough so far to think he’ll eventually get there.

Finley: The benefits of Matt Nagy’s trick plays, from ‘Papa Bear Left’ to ‘Willy Wonka’ - Chicago Sun-Times - That the trick plays keep the Bears’ own locker room engaged is more than a happy side benefit. Nagy appreciates the ownership players have in them.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Graham Gano seals Panthers win with 63-yard FG - NFL.com - The Panthers escaped defeat Sunday afternoon on the strong, strong leg of Graham Gano. Down 31-30 to the Giants with six seconds remaining, Gano kicked a 63-yard field goal to seal the victory.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Packers lose to Lions as Mason Crosby misses five field goals - Acme Packing Company - Two Aaron Rodgers fumbles. Five Mason Crosby missed kicks. A (questionable) turnover on a punt return. It was just too much to overcome.

Packers’ Nick Perry and Kevin King injured against Lions - Acme Packing Company - Piling tire fire on top of train wreck on top of dumpster explosion, Packers’ starting outside linebacker, and mostly invisible edge rusher Nick Perry injured his ankle, and is questionable to...

Minnesota Vikings 23, Philadelphia Eagles 21: Vikings even record with big win - Daily Norseman - It’s not the NFC Championship Game, but it doesn’t suck, either.

Mason Crosby on five missed kicks: “Uncharted territory” – ProFootballTalk - Packers kicker Mason Crosby had a very bad day in Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Lions. Crosby missed four field goals and an extra point over the course of the afternoon. After the game, Crosby said that he’d never had a day like that before.

Jim Bob Cooter’s ‘aggressive mode’ crucial in Lions’ win over Packers - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions offensive coordinator was aggressive at the right times on Sunday vs. the Packers.

Eurich: Bears fans slam Mason Crosby for bad game - 247Sports - The Chicago Bears were left on the sidelines in Week 5 watching games due to their bye. Because of that, the Week 5 contest between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers was must-see TV for Bears fans. Chicago entered the week with a 3-1 record and sits atop the NFC North. On Sunday afternoon, the Packers fell to the Lions. Throughout that game, Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed four field goals and one extra point. After the game, Bears fans were quick to criticize the veteran kicker.

Lions vs. Packers stock report: Pasqualoni, Patricia, players pounce placid Packers - Pride Of Detroit - A look at which players are trending in what direction after the Lions’ Week 5 win.

Three things we learned in the Detroit Lions win over the Green Bay Packers - Pride Of Detroit - Long-time issues look quelled and the offense has a new star.

Detroit Lions - Green Bay Packers final score: Lions hold of Packers for 31-23 victory - Pride Of Detroit - Get updates LIVE from Ford Field during the Detroit Lions’ Week 5 game against the Packers.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Link's Mitch Please - Episode 2...Mitch Slapped! - Windy City Gridiron - Here it is folks, the Chicago Bears video breakdown that you’ve all been waiting for. Allow myself to introduce Episode 2 of the Mitch Please video diary, where I break down, not only the 6...

Wiltfong: Anthony Miller expects to return after the bye - Windy City Gridiron - On Friday, Chicago Bears rookie wide out Anthony Miller was back at his alma mater, the University of Memphis, signing autographs on campus at the bookstore. While there he told The Daily...

Wiltfong: Comparing Mitch Trubisky to other quarterbacks after 16 NFL starts - Windy City Gridiron - Mitchell Trubisky has now started 16 consecutive games, so let’s take a peek at the numbers from a few other QBs to see how they performed after their first 16 starts.

Infante: Bears linebacker Khalil Mack gets a 99 “Madden” rating - Windy City Gridiron - The edge rusher has seen his "Madden" rating rise due to his hot start to the year.

Curl's 2018 NFL Chicago Bears Fanfiction Fan Fiction Finale (Part 2: the final finale) - Windy City Gridiron - It’s finally here. The crescendo of @opinionbear’s brilliantly-penned orchestral narrative will either find the Bears winners of the Super Bowl, or all of us are losers for wasting our time.

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