The Bear’s Den, December 12, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS

Akiem Hicks Motivated By Aaron Rodgers’ Past Remarks - 670 The Score - ”Nobody forgot Aaron’s little comments,” Hicks says.

Emma: Bears Can Clinch NFC North With Win Over Packers - 670 The Score - ”We hate the Packers,” Anthony Miller says.

Stankevitz: Bryce Callahan's reported broken foot will put the Bears' defense to the test - NBC Sports Chicago - Bryce Callahan reportedly broke his foot Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, meaning the Bears will have to replace one of their most important defensive players down the stretch.

Mullin: Bears James Daniels stands tall against NFL’s best DT Aaron Donald - NBC Sports Chicago - Bears rookie guard James Daniels was key in keeping Mitchell Trubisky safe in Sunday's win against the Rams by limiting Aaron Donald.

Mullin: Bears win with 'different' Mitchell Trubiskys as Vikings fade to the playoff brink in MNF loss to Seattle | NBC Sports Chicago - Mitchell Trubisky was all over the place on Sunday, showing both his talents and his weaknesses, but the Bears still win.

Medina: Akiem Hicks Tempts Fate - "I'm Real Excited for Aaron to Come Here and Play This Game" - Bleacher Nation - Akiem Hicks has a long memory and is ready to take on Aaron Rodgers in a showdown at Soldier Field.

Medina: The Bears Defense Punked the Rams and Put Everyone Else On Notice - Bleacher Nation - When push came to shove, the Bears landed one jarring blow after another before the Rams ultimately threw in the towel.

Medina: Bryce Callahan's Foot is Reportedly Broken and It Might Keep Him Out the Rest of the Season - Bleacher Nation - Losing Bryce Callahan after such a big win is so deflating.

Dannehy: Defensive Performance Makes Championship Dreams Valid - Da Bears Blog - After holding one of the ten best offenses in the history of the league to just one legitimate scoring drive, Super Bowl dreams no longer seem far-fetched for the 2018 Chicago Bears.

Joniak: Matt Nagy Proud Of Bears' Resiliency - 670 The Score - "I want our guys to continue being them," Nagy says.

Emma: Report - Bears' Bryce Callahan Suffers Broken Bone In Foot - 670 The Score - The Bears are likely to lose their starting nickel corner for an extended period.

Gabriel: Secondary Fueling Bears' Takeaway Machine - 670 The Score - Chicago has an NFL-best 34 takeaways, including 25 interceptions.

Jahns: Bears coach Matt Nagy - Why a tryout with the Packers remains important to him - Sun Times - On Sept. 11, 2001, Matt Nagy, the 23-year-old, record-setting quarterback from Delaware, worked out for the Green Bay Packers.

Finley: Bryce Callahan injury update - Bears CB has broken bone in foot - Sun Times - Bryce Callahan appeared in his 13th game Sunday, a career high. Even after missing most of the game, he has appeared in 77.4 percent of their snaps.

Kenney: Bears legend Mike Ditka opens up about heart attack: report - Sun Times - Bears legendary coach Mike Ditka's health is improving after he suffered a "massive" heart attack last month in Naples, Florida.

Finley: ‘We hate the Packers’ - Bears can strike blow in rivalry by clinching North vs Packers - Sun Times - The Bears know what they can accomplish Sunday: by beating the Packers at Soldier Field, they’d clinch their first NFC North title in eight years.

Wiederer: That nasty Bears defense? It's an amazing safety net for a struggling QB. - Chicago Tribune - After the Bears defeated the Rams 15-6 on Sunday, quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Jared Goff left Soldier Field with different emotions. Both quarterbacks had played poorly. Yet Trubisky's glee and Goff's glum tone were both byproducts of the dominance of the Bears defense.

Campbell: 5 observations after rewatching Bears-Rams - A wall of run defenders, Mitch Trubisky's inaccuracy, how Jordan Howard was re-ignited and more - Chicago Tribune - 5 observations from rewatching the Bears' 15-6 win over the Rams include the Bears' wall of run defense, how they disrupted quarterback Jared Goff, Mitch Trubisky's inaccuracy, how Jordan Howard was re-ignited and rediscovered his power and sudden-change defense.

Kane: Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan has a broken bone in his left foot, reports say - Chicago Tribune - Bears nickel cornerback Bryce Callahan has a broken bone in his left foot after exiting Sunday’s victory over the Rams with the injury, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

National buzz building for the Bears after they suffocate the Rams in prime time - Chicago Tribune - The Bears' impressive victory over the Rams, thanks to a suffocating defensive effort, is helping build the national buzz around the team, with “Super Bowl contender” being mentioned before they’ve even clinched a playoff berth.

Rosenthal: Bears-Packers 'rivalry' has been one-sided - but Sunday's game can shift that - Chicago Tribune - A rivalry requires give and take. For the last decade, the Packers have given the Bears a pounding and the Bears have only taken it. A Bears victory over Green Bay on Sunday could start to change that.

Greenfield: 5-6 Tarik Cohen and 5-7 Alex DeBrincat are succeeding in their sports despite a shared obstacle: Their height - Chicago Tribune - Bears running back Tarik Cohen and Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat talk about how being shorter than a typical athlete (average NFL player is 6-2; average NHL player is 6-1) has had an impact on their lives and careers.

Potash: On the brink, Bears can exorcise some demons vs. Packers on Sunday - Sun Times - This time, Rodgers and the Packers (5-7-1) ... can only inflict minimal damage to the Bears’ playoff hopes. Ken's Note: How about we exercise those demons... make those jerks do burpees and suicides...

No Bears in PFF Top 25 offensive linemen of the 2018 NFL season - Pro Football Focus - PFF Senior Analyst Mike Renner ranks the 25 best offensive linemen in terms of 2018 season performance.

Grading all 32 first rounders after Week 14 - Pro Football Focus - PFF’s Mark Chichester takes a look at the overall grades for every first-round rookie after the 14th week of the regular season.

Refocused, NFL Week 14: Chicago Bears 15, Los Angeles Rams 6 - Pro Football Focus - The Chicago Bears defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 15-6, in Week 14 of the 2018 NFL season.

NFC North Rundown: Are the Bears the best team in the conference? - Acme Packing Company - Behind a stellar defensive effort, Chicago seized a game from one of the NFC’s top teams and stated its claim as a contender.

POLISH SAUSAGE

NFL rumors: Khalil Mack trade part of Raiders firing Reggie McKenzie | NBCS Bay Area - Jon Gruden was hired to run the Raiders last January, and Reggie McKenzie was fired 11 months later. The reason for McKenzie's firing seems like revisionist history. Ken's Note: So let me get this strait... McKenzie was against the trade of Mack with Chicago, was overruled, and then fired for making the trade. Not only are Jon Gruden and Mark Davis idiots, but they are extraordinarily big douchebags as well.

City of Oakland files antitrust lawsuit against NFL and Raiders, will Mark Davis now follow through with threat to leave after this season? - Silver And Black Pride - Could this mean Christmas Eve is Raiders final game in Oakland?

Raiders 2019 NFL draft order after week 14: Big win without big drop - Silver And Black Pride - The Raiders have not scored a touchdown in 9 quarters and have been outscored 75-9 over that time. Ken's Note: Oh how the fans stories have changed, from "that Bears pick will be a top 3!" to "I knew the Bears pick would be high..."

KNOW THY ENEMY

Detroit Lions place Ezekiel Ansah, Michael Roberts on IR - Pride Of Detroit - Ziggy may be done in Detroit.

NFL Playoff Picture: Detroit Lions have a clear—but longshot—path to Wild Card - Pride Of Detroit - It’s improbable, but not impossible.

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks Week 14: Five Game-Changing Plays - Daily Norseman - Looking back at the most important plays from the 21-7 debacle in Seattle.

Packers could have $46.3M in cap space in 2019, per NFL’s projections - Acme Packing Company - Based on the 2019 salary-cap projections released by the NFL Tuesday, the Packers could have more than $46 million in available funds to use on players.

Mike Zimmer on John DeFilippo firing: I don’t want the season wasted – ProFootballTalk - Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer held a conference call on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the decision to fire offensive coordinator John DeFilippo with three games left in the season.

The officials completely blew Monday Night’s biggest call - Daily Norseman - It may not have mattered, but at the time it was huge

Rendler-Kaplan: Packers playoff hopes will be made or lost in Chicago - Our Turf Football - OTFB's Lucy Rendler-Kaplan looks back on Aaron Rodgers performance this season with the Green Bay Packers, and looks forward to their playoff chances.

New Packer Bashaud Breeland already proving his worth in Green Bay - Acme Packing Company - Signed during the season, Breeland should be Brian Gutekunst’s top priority among players re-signing with the team this offseason.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong’s Ten Thoughts on the NFL and the Bears - Windy City Gridiron - 1) The Miami Dolphins pulled off one of the best plays in the history of the NFL in their win against the New England Patriots. The “Miami Miracle” win was Miami’s fifth in their last six tries...

3K & Wiltfong: LA Rams at Chicago Bears Recap Q&A with Windy City Gridiron - Turf Show Times - Going back over the game with from Lester A. Wiltfong, Jr., of Windy City Gridiron, the SB Nation community for Chicago Bears fans.

Wiltfong: Bears’ Bryce Callahan broke his foot - Windy City Gridiron - On Sunday night, Chicago Bears nickleback Bryce Callahan, who is having an outstanding season thus far, left the game with an apparent foot injury. It’s now being reported that he broke the fifth...

Wiltfong’s NFL Power Rankings: Bears disrespected again - Windy City Gridiron - So the Chicago Bears put on a dominating performance in dismantling the best team in the NFL, and SB Nation decides to “mix up” their Power Ranking format this week and go with an even more...

Householder’s stock up, stock down: Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams - Windy City Gridiron - Which Bears stood out and which didn’t during the biggest Bears victory in years...

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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