The Bear’s Den, November 30, 2018

Ken’s Note: I’ve eliminated one more source that I formerly linked because of their tightening their paywall. I’m pretty much down to only two regular sources that have paywalls in my links (The Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune), and I only include them because they offer a reasonable amounts of “free reads” before the paywall kicks in. I personally subscribe to both, but I also favor the Epic browser for all of my browsing needs. You can read into that whatever you will.

Additionally, I have pushed the “paywall” limited stuff to the bottom of the links, and am pushing the local free sources like 670, NBC, etc. up to the top, to let you get the main news without having to even think paywall if you like.

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

BEARRRSSSS

Emma: For Bears, Beating Giants Means Managing Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham - 670 The Score - The Bears (8-3) know well the danger they're facing against the Giants (3-8).

Emma: Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky - 'I Definitely Want To Be Out There For My Team' - 670 The Score - Mitchell Trubisky is closer to a return, but a key hurdle remains.

Mayer: Bears well-represented in Pro Bowl voting - ChicagoBears.com - In Pro Bowl fan voting through Nov. 27, four Bears players are the leading vote-getters at their respective positions in the NFC, including cornerback Kyle Fuller.

Kaufman: Where Bears team, players rank in the NFL - ChicagoBears.com - Take a look at where the Bears stack up both as a team and individually in the NFL rankings heading into their game against the Giants on Sunday.

Mayer: Trubisky’s injured shoulder improving daily - ChicagoBears.com - Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said Thursday that he’s “feeling good” and is “getting closer and closer” to returning, but he still hasn’t thrown a football since hurting his right shoulder Nov. 18.

Week 12 Video Room: Hey, That Chase Daniel Fella Can Really Sling It - Bleacher Nation - Chase Daniel threw it surprisingly well against the Detroit Lions. Can he do it again versus the Giants? Here is some evidence that he can!

Medina: Whew! Akiem Hicks' Appearance on the Injury Report Was Only Precautionary - Bleacher Nation - R-E-L-A-X. Akiem Hicks was held out of Wednesday's practice as a precautionary measure, which also brings us to a noticeable trend in his playing time.

Week 13: Bears at Giants Game Preview, Volume I - Da Bears Blog - Jeff Hughes says "these two teams are headed in opposite directions. The Bears are a team on the rise, a few wins from a division title and their first postseason trip in eight years. The Giants are enduring the final days of a champion quarterback and are probably a few years away from being contenders again. (They’ve also got Norv Turner 2: The Revenge at head coach.)"

Can Chase Daniel lead Bears over Giants? - ESPN Video - The NFL Live crew discusses why Chase Daniel has the ability to lead the Bears past the Giants with their dominant defense.

Dickerson: Mitchell Trubisky yet to throw in Bears practice; Chase Daniel ready to start again - ESPN - The Bears have been reluctant to rule out Mitchell Trubisky for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, but coach Matt Nagy says the quarterback has still not attempted to throw a football.

Joniak: Wait Continues For Bears' Ailing QB Mitch Trubisky - 670 The Score - Whatever is specifically ailing Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky is enough to keep him from throwing at practice and therefore likely to prevent him from playing against the Giants Sunday.

Emma: Bears DL Akiem Hicks Being Held Out With Achilles Injury - 670 The Score - Hicks has not practiced this week and his status for Sunday is uncertain.

Moreano: Could Eddie Jackson Be the DPOY? - Da Bears Brothers Blog - Second-year Bears safety Eddie Jackson is having a phenomenal season so far, but can he actually be the Defensive Player of the Year?

Stankevitz: Can the Bears' cautious approach to injuries pay off again with Mitch Trubisky? - NBC Sports Chicago - Mitch Trubisky reportedly will not play Sunday against the New York Giants, meaning he could very well follow the same path taken by Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson earlier this season.

Ellis: Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Month - NBC Sports Chicago - It seems like just yesterday he was named Player of the Week.

Neveau: Eddie Jackson Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month - NBC Chicago - Just one day after he was named as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson received an even bigger honor on Thursday.

Neveau: Trubisky Not Expected to Play vs. Giants: Report - NBC Chicago - Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is not expected to play Sunday, marking the second consecutive game the Bears would be without their starting quarterback.

Week 13 Key Matchups - ChicagoBears.com - When the Bears take on the Giants on Sunday, keep an eye out for these key matchups, including Taylor Gabriel against Curtis Riley.

Kane: Bears safety Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Month: 'I've never seen anything like him' - Chicago Tribune - Bears safety Eddie Jackson, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday, has been scoring at a pace in his first two seasons that only one other defensive player in NFL history has matched.

Haugh: Is Matt Nagy's popularity soaring because he's so likable - or only because he's winning? - Chicago Tribune - How much of a coach’s appeal relates to his productivity? Why is success a prerequisite for popularity? Or, maybe a better question: Why do successful coaches become more likable?

Rosenthal: Thank you, Fox Sports, for assigning Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis to Bears-Giants - Chicago Tribune - Dear Fox Sports: On behalf of the Chicago television market, thank you for assigning Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis with Pam Oliver to the Bears-Giants game this weekend rather than Chris Myers and Daryl Johnston again.

Leonard: Giants linebacker Alec Ogletree gets tough challenge this week in Bears' Tarik Cohen - Chicago Tribune - Alec Ogletree was Dave Gettleman’s first big acquisition as Giants GM in a March trade with the L.A. Rams.

Finley: Bears coordinator Mark Helfrich "I'm not involved in college searches" - Sun Times - From 2013-16, Helfrich coached Oregon to a 37-16 record. His Ducks played in, and lost, in the national title game after the 2014 season.

Mitch Trubisky - My running style won't change, but slides might - Sun Times - Mitch Trubisky did not attempt a pass in Wednesday’s practice, and coach Matt Nagy said the plan Thursday was similar.

Finley: Bears DL Akiem Hicks misses practice again, coach cites precaution - Sun Times - Akiem Hicks could be in danger of missing the first regular-season start of his Bears career, which began when he was signed before the 2016 season.

Jahns: Mitch Trubisky injury update: Bears QB doing everything to help Chase Daniel - As Chase Daniel’s pass went up to running back Tarik Cohen in the second quarter of the Bears’ 23-16 victory against the Lions, so did the arms of

Finley: Bears QB Mitch Trubisky still isn't throwing - Sun Times - That's a significant hurdle that Mitch Trubisky, who has a right shoulder injury, has yet to clear.

Finley: Bears S Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Month - Sun Times - Eddie Jackson is the second Bears player to win NFC Defensive Player of the Month this year

Campbell: 7 things we heard from Bears coordinators Thursday - Mark Helfrich on college coaching jobs, Vic Fangio on stopping Odell Beckham and more - Chicago Tribune - Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich downplayed speculation about his rejoining the college coaching ranks.

Wiederer: Mitch Trubisky still not cleared to throw - and timetable for Bears return is unclear - Chicago Tribune - Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky has not been given clearance to resume throwing because of the right shoulder injury he suffered two weeks ago. That puts backup Chase Daniel in position to start against the Giants and raises questions about Trubisky's recovery timetable.

Kane: Matt Nagy says Akiem Hicks held out of Bears practice for ‘precautionary’ reasons with Achilles injury - Chicago Tribune - Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks missed Wednesday’s practice for “precautionary” reasons after an injury to his Achilles tendon popped up in the morning, coach Matt Nagy said Thursday.

Bear Download podcast: Bears surpassing expectations heading into game vs. Giants - Chicago Tribune - Rich and Dan are back from the long weekend to examine why the Bears have already surpassed Vegas' projected season win total — and their preseason record predictions...

Kollmann: Eddie Jackson is the most dangerous safety in the NFL, but should he win DPOY? - YouTube - Ken's Note: Just watch this...

Bergman: Mitchell Trubisky not expected to play vs. Giants - NFL.com - NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (shoulder) is expected to miss his second straight game with Chase Daniel filling in again, this time against the Giants.

Potash: Finally on a winner, Kyle Long working ‘like he’s about to put a helmet on’ - Sun Times - Teammates are encouraged by his response to the injury and his diligence in rehabbing and remaining in virtually a game-active mode.

Bears predictions: Week 13 at the Giants - Chicago Sun-Times - The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ Week 13 game at the Giants:

POLISH SAUSAGE

Week 13 is Eagles’ last, best chance to get back in contention – ProFootballTalk - A couple weeks ago, it would have been reasonable to say the Super Bowl champion Eagles were no longer contenders to repeat. At the end of this week, the Eagles may own a share of first place.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Giants-Bears injury report, 11/29: Lorenzo Carter misses practice - Big Blue View - Tight end Evan Engram also still sidelined

Odell Beckham not sure what to think of his comeback season - Big Blue View - "Not to say I feel like I’m having a bad year, I just don’t feel like I’ve done as much as I can"

McGaughey: Giants PK Aldrick Rosas can hit from 65 yards with “a nice, smooth, easy swing” - Big Blue View - Special teams coach believes 62 yards would have been "in his wheel house"

Reports indicate Bears’ QB Mitchell Trubisky will not play Sunday - Big Blue View - The Bears could once again be without their starting quarterback

Valentine & Berckes: 5 questions about the Chicago Bears: Khalil Mack, Mitchell Trubisky, Matt Nagy, more - Big Blue View - Let’s learn more about Sunday’s opponent for the Giants

Monster of the Midway: How will the Giants deal with Khalil Mack? - Big Blue View - Khalil Mack sets sights on Eli Manning, Giants

Williams: Harrison Smith on Trubisky hit - It was a tough, quick decision – ProFootballTalk - Vikings safety Harrison Smith plans to appeal the $10,026 fine the NFL levied for his hit on Mitchell Trubisky, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reports. "It was kind of a tough, quick decision on the play," Smith said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Sustaining Success: Lesser Priorities for the Bears Moving Forward - Windy City Gridiron - Ryan Pace will not have a lot to work with in the offseason when it comes to draft power, but with the way the Bears are playing, that might not matter. The question is, where should they spend their resources?

Nomad30: Draft Thoughts 2019 - Windy City Gridiron - I'm not doomsaying. But even if we win the Super Bowl, questions about the draft are going to happen anyway. Plus it might be interesting to see what changes in what we think we need over the rest...

Bear With Me Podcast: Week 12-13 - Windy City Gridiron - In this week's episode, I start off by taking a look at the NFL's current coaching landscape - are...

Berckes & Valentine: Five Questions with Big Blue View - The Giants “Need a lot of Help” - Windy City Gridiron - Never a dull moment with the Giants and Ed Valentine of Big Blue View stopped by to help us sort it all out.

Householder's Week 13 Game Preview: Chicago Bears at New York Giants - Windy City Gridiron - Bears go on the road against another struggling opponent and they still might be without their starting QB...

Link: It’s Chase’s show on Sunday - Windy City Gridiron - It looks like it’s going to be the Chase Daniel show again this Sunday. What does that mean for the Bears? All that and more, plus a conspiracy theory of my own design, in this week’s episode of: T...

Zeglinski: Chase Daniel to likely start for Chicago Bears against Giants - Windy City Gridiron - As Mitchell Trubisky nurses an injured throwing shoulder, expect to see the veteran Daniel in New Jersey.

Zeglinski: Chicago Bears Eddie Jackson wins NFC Defensive Player of the Month - Windy City Gridiron - There’s a new defensive sheriff in town. All thanks to an unprecedented scoring tear.

Mitchell: Are either “Fast Eddie” or “Action Jackson” officially a “WCG Thing”? - Windy City Gridiron - Perhaps the most important question of the 2018 season, are either of the two most commonly mentioned nicknames for superstar safety Eddie Jackson an official "WCG Thing"?

Mitchell's Ice Cold Takes: A Look At Chicago’s Drubbing Of Detroit - Windy City Gridiron - Things look a bit different when you set emotions aside and go back and watch the tapes a couple of times...

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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