The Bear’s Den, November 20, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS

Dannehy: The Bears Are For Real - Da Bears Blog - Much of the focus for the 2018 Chicago Bears has centered around Mitch Trubisky and the offense, but the key to this season’s success is and has always been the defense.

Dickerson: Chicago Bears forced to quickly turn focus to Detroit Lions - ESPN - Bears coach Matt Nagy won’t be watching the game film from his team’s Sunday night victory over the Vikings as with a game against Detroit on Thursday afternoon he’s focusing on the Lions.

Joniak: Home-Field Advantage Back For Bears - 670 The Score - The Bears are 5-1 at Soldier Field this season.

Emma: Bears List QB Mitchell Trubisky (Right Shoulder) On Injury Report - 670 The Score - The Bears did not practice Monday, but Trubisky would’ve been held out.

5@5: How Good Are The Bears? - 670 The Score - The Mully & Haugh crew debates a five-pack of questions every weekday.

Talarico: Bears Put Rest of NFL on Notice With 'Signature' Win - Da Bears Brothers Blog - The Bears finally picked up that signature win, and their path to the playoffs is clearer than any of us imagined it would be.

Osen: 5 Takeaways from Chicago's Victory Over the Minnesota Vikings - Da Bears Brothers Blog - Here are five takeaways from the Bears' Sunday Night victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Ellis: Bears list Mitch Trubisky on injury report with right shoulder issue - NBC Sports Chicago - Ummmmm what?

Stankevitz: Bears grades - A closer look at Mitch Trubisky's night against a good defense - NBC Sports Chicago - Mitch Trubisky made some poor throws and bad decisions, but also did some good things to make sure the Bears could hold on to a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Stankevitz: The first-place Bears are being themselves, and for once, that’s a good thing - NBC Sports Chicago - Being the Bears used to mean losing. A lot. It now means winning and conducting orchestras in the end zone.

Ellis: Why Bears fans should root for the Chiefs during tonight's Monday Night showdown - NBC Sports Chicago - There's more at stake tonight for the Bears than one might initially realize.

Kane: Bears list quarterback Mitch Trubisky on injury report after he hurt his right shoulder against the Vikings - Chicago Tribune - The Bears didn’t practice Monday, but they listed quarterback Mitch Trubisky on their injury report with a right shoulder injury.

Medina: "Work Smarter, Not Harder" and Other Matt Nagy Notes Ahead of Week 12 - Bleacher Nation - The shortest of short-weeks has the Bears doing things differently than they are accustomed.

Medina: Mitch Trubisky (Throwing Shoulder) Lands on the Bears Injury Report - Bleacher Nation - Mitch Trubisky popping up on the injury report with an injury to his throwing shoulder isn't good news.

Medina: The Bears' Defense Is Getting Some Much-Deserved Love - Bleacher Nation - The star-studded defense was shining brightly on Sunday Night Football.

Rosenthal: ESPN's 'MNF' crew could learn a lot from how Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth called Bears-Vikings - Chicago Tribune - The work of Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" during the Bears and Vikings game could teach a valuable lesson to ESPN's much-derided rookie "Monday Night Football" announcers Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland" on how to call a game in prime time.

Bear Download podcast: Bears make statement with impressive win vs. Vikings - Chicago Tribune - Dan returns to the show as he and Rich recap the Bears' 25-20 win over the Vikings. They share lasting impressions from an invigorating night at Soldier Field (1:05 mark),...

Kane: 'Who do you block?' Khalil Mack's return and Akiem Hicks' rise have been rough for Bears' opponents - Chicago Tribune - On a night when the Bears defense made plays all over the field, Khalil Mack continued to show he’s back after two games away because of a sprained right ankle with a couple of jaw-dropping feats.

Kane: Bears’ prime-time celebration is short-lived with Lions on tap Thursday - Chicago Tribune - There simply aren’t enough hours in Matt Nagy’s days this week to dwell on the victory that moved the Bears to 7-3 and extended their NFC North lead.

Rosenbloom: A Bears TD drive that took up almost half a quarter? More of that, please. - Chicago Tribune - The Bears ran 13 plays, covered 82 yards and ate up 7:13 to puncture the vaunted Vikings defense. Matt Nagy’s play calling was pantsing defensive master Mike Zimmer on the other side and Nagy’s players were executing almost perfectly. The whole thing was suitable for framing.

Biggs: By creating a road map for Jordan Howard, Bears ground game able to provide the balance Vikings lacked - Chicago Tribune - The Bears were able to create balance in their play calling and get running back Jordan Howard downhill for enough success on the ground to keep the Vikings off balance. Conversely, the Vikings had their third-worst rushing day in 20 years.

Wiederer: Soldier Field hasn't seen this much fun in years as Bears ace prime-time test - Chicago Tribune - In what was the Bears’ biggest all-around test of the season so far, Matt Nagy’s team embraced the increased spotlight, rose to meet the moment and defeated the Vikings 25-20.

Kane & Campbell: Bears kicker Cody Parkey's perfect night vs. Vikings 'rewarding' after rough week - Chicago Tribune - Bears kicker Cody Parkey made two first-half field-goal attempts Sunday night, easing concerns after hit the upright four times on missed kicks the previous week.

Osen: Stifling Defense Carries Bears Over Vikings in Primetime - Bears Brothers Podcast - Chicago's defense stepped up with a primetime-worthy performance and carried the Bears to victory.

Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings Postgame Show: Bears Claim Control of NFC North with Statement Win - Da Bears Brothers Podcast - Da Bears Brothers share their comprehensive game recap with their instant analysis and insight on the Chicago Bears Week 11 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Potash: Playoffs? Pro Bowl? Coach of the Year? Upstart Bears prepared to handle success - Sun Times - The last time the Bears were over .500 after 10 games, they went into the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis at 6-4 in 2011

Kenney: Are the Bears Super Bowl bound? Mike Ditka seems to think so - Sun Times - Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka believes there's a good chance the Bears could be Super Bowl bound this season

Finley: How will Bears manage a 'crazy' 85-hour turnaround between games? - Sun Times - Bears players reported to Halas Hall on Monday afternoon for treatment and classroom work. They won’t even review the film of Sunday’s win

Jahns: Five takeaways, including a look at the Bears' third-down success - Sun Times - From Mitch Trubisky's success on third downs to Akiem Hicks' big day, here are five takeaways from the Bears' 25-20 win against the Vikings.

Morrissey: A healthy Khalil Mack makes Bears a force to be reckoned with - Sun Times - A good defense becomes a ferocious, feral defense when the outside linebacker is healthy, as the poor Vikings found out in a prime-time Bears victory.

Kenney: Bears players hand out turkeys to families ahead of Thanksgiving - Sun Times - Bears kicker Cody Parkey and punter Pat O'Donnell handed out turkeys at the YWCA in Gurnee as part of the players' social justice initiative.

Finley: Matt Nagy - Alex Smith's grisly leg injury 'absolutely crushed me' - Sun Times - Matt Nagy was sitting in his hotel room Sunday afternoon, working on his play call sheet, when he heard about his friend Alex Smith.

Good, bad and best - How the Bears fared in Week 11 vs. Vikings - Sun Times - Here’s how three Bears fared in Sunday night’s 25-20 win against the Vikings at Soldier Field.

Potash: On cue, Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks and Bears’ defense rise to the occasion - Sun Times - Jackson delivered the decisive blow early in the fourth quarter — intercepting a Kirk Cousins pass and returning the pick 27 yards for a touchdown.

Brad Biggs' 10 thoughts on the Bears' 25-20 prime-time win over the Vikings - Chicago Tribune - 10 thoughts after the Bears defeated the Vikings 25-20 Sunday night at Soldier Field to win their fourth straight game, the longest winning streak since the 2012 season.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Raiders 2019 NFL draft order after week 11: All three first round picks drop - Silver And Black Pride - The Raiders have not scored a touchdown in 9 quarters and have been outscored 75-9 over that time.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Stock Market Report: Bears - Daily Norseman - The Vikings had a chance to take control of the NFC North. As has been their trademark through their painful history, they didn’t.

After the Vikings’ loss to the Bears, here are some things to think about - Daily Norseman - It was ugly for most of the night.

Packers’ season now rests on two games: at Minnesota and at Chicago - Acme Packing Company - At 4-5-1, Green Bay somehow still has a shot at the playoffs and even the division. Winning two divisional road games could set up Run The Table™ 2.0. Ken's Note: Typical cheezehead take, a crappy team can ignore everybody else but the two top teams left.

RandWell-paid Cousins taking Mauer's place in angry fan pecking order - StarTribune.com - Welcome to the Monday edition of The Cooler, when sometimes it's actually nice when the weekend is over.

Detroit Lions injury report: Marvin Jones, Kerryon Johnson OUT on Monday - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions could be missing two key offensive weapons on a short week.

Injury update: Detroit Lions RB Kerryon Johnson ‘week-to-week’ with sprained knee - Pride Of Detroit - Looks like Kerryon avoided a long-term injury.

Detroit Lions podcast: Panthers game recap, rants against tanking - Pride Of Detroit - PODcast is dropping some truth and breaking down more from the Lions victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Mike Zimmer needs to be on the hot seat - Daily Norseman - Forget his record

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears Week 11: Five Game-Changing Plays - Daily Norseman - Looking back at the most important plays from the 25-20 loss in Chicago.

Packers TE Jimmy Graham will “try” to play against Vikings, DL Mike Daniels out - Acme Packing Company - One injured Packer might still suit up on Sunday, while at least one of his teammates will definitely be out with a fairly significant injury.

Mizutani: Dalvin Cook was ‘hyped’ about primetime matchup ... until game plan changed - TwinCities Pioneer Press - Dalvin Cook finished with 9 carries for 12 yards and had a costly fumble in the first half of the Vikings vs. Chicago Bears on Sunday, Nov. 18.

After 10 games, here are 5 things Packers must do to turn season around - Packers News - How can the Packers take advantage of the six games that remain on the schedule? We offer up five answers.

More analytics say Packers’ decision to punt was wrong choice - PackersWire - All the numbers suggest Mike McCarthy made the wrong decision to punt on fourth down in Seattle.

Mike Zimmer rips Vikings over turnover woes - 247Sports - Mike Zimmer has done all he can to make the appropriate adjustments to the Minnesota Vikings defense after some early season struggles, but the head coach is still pulling his hair out over his offense’s turnover woes. Minnesota gave the ball away another three times in Sunday night’s 25-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on the road and Zimmer pulled no punches in his postgame press conference.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Make no mistake about it these Bears are for real - Windy City Gridiron - Sunday’s game confirmed that the Bears are, in fact, a force to be reckoned with.

Wiltfong: Bears vs. Vikings Snap counts, stats, and more - 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 25-20 win against the Minnesota Vikings.

Wiltfong: Adam Shaheen and Aaron Lynch in concussion protocol for the Bears - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears have been very lucky in the health department all season long, but they had two players exit last night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with concussion symptoms. Today they...

Leming: Chicago Bears - Game balls after a 25-20 Sunday night victory - Windy City Gridiron - We hand out our game balls to the best players in Week 11’s crucial Bears’ win on prime time.

Duerrwaechter: Bears vs. Vikings notes from a tough 25-20 victory - Windy City Gridiron - ECD subs in for Jacob Infante once again as the Bears record the win and a strong grip on the division in their return to Sunday Night Football.

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

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