The Bear’s Den, January 1, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS

5@5: Did Matt Nagy Handle Sunday Correctly? - 670 The Score - The Mully & Haugh crew debates a five-pack of questions every weekday.

Pompei: Bears-Vikings Observations - 670 The Score - Momentum is more valuable than rest for these Bears.

Pro Football Doc: Bears’ Anthony Miller re-injures shoulder, could return for playoffs - The San Diego Union-Tribune - Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller appears to re-dislocate shoulder.

Mayer: 3 things that stood out in Week 17 win - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer identifies three things that stood out Sunday in the Bears’ 24-10 win over the Vikings, including coach Matt Nagy’s ability to get his players to focus solely on the task at hand.

Chalk Talk: How have No. 3 seeds fared in playoffs? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses how No. 3 seeds have done in the playoffs, if this season is the biggest turnaround in Bears history and the last time the Bears went an entire season without losing by more than seven points.

They Said It: Week 17 - ChicagoBears.com - Following the Bears' 24-10 win over the Vikings in Week 17, take a look at what writers around the country are saying about the team.

Inside Slant: Trubisky, Bears build momentum with win - ChicagoBears.com - Mitchell Trubisky quarterbacked an error-free offense that did not commit a turnover or allow a sack in a 24-10 win over the Vikings in Sunday’s season finale in Minnesota.

Hughes: Playoffs Aside, 2018 Regular Season Established Bears as NFC North’s Best Team - Da Bears Blog - The 2018 Chicago Bears played six games against the NFC North this season. The same number they always play. But these six were different. Yes, the Bears were 5-1, with a point differential of +44. Yes, they were 3-0 at home, with a point differential of +24. But it was more than the numbers that told the story of these Bears. It was how and when they handled each opponent. Let’s look at them.

Dickerson: Different Bears team awaits Eagles in playoffs - ESPN - The Eagles trounced the Bears 31-3 in November 2017, but this Chicago team is a far cry from that one in all phases.

Emma: Bears-Eagles A Playoff Battle Of Parallels, Intrigue - 670 The Score - The two teams have been built in much the same way.

Emma: Bears Hopeful For Returns Of Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson - 670 The Score - The Bears could be healthy for their wild-card game Sunday.

Report: Broncos, Dolphins Request Interviews With Bears' Vic Fangio - 670 The Score - Under Vic Fangio's guidance, the Bears had the NFL's best scoring defense.

Suburban Bears Fan Nominated to Ford Hall of Fans - NBC Chicago - A Plainfield man’s love for the Bears has put him in the national spotlight.

Wiederer: Bears hopeful Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson and Kyle Long will be able to play Sunday - Chicago Tribune - With the playoffs beginning this weekend, the Bears are hopeful injured starters Eddie Jackson and Allen Robinson will be ready to play against the Eagles. Coach Matt Nagy also was encouraged by how Kyle Long looked Sunday in his first game since October.

Brad Biggs' 10 thoughts on the Bears' 24-10 win over the Vikings - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs' 10 thoughts after the Bears closed the season strong with a 24-10 victory over the Vikings. It was the best game of the season for the offensive line, and it's not close. Kyle Long looks to add to the family collection of Super Bowl rings. Kicking woes persist. Javon Wims and more.

Talarico: Bears (Not Eagles) are the Hottest Team in the NFC - The Chicago Audible Blog - Chicago last loss with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback on October 21 against the New England Patriots. That makes the Bears officially red-hot.

Bear Download podcast: The 12-4 Bears (12-4!) end the Vikings' season with a Week 17 win - Chicago Tribune - Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast. Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Rich and Dan are in the U.S. Bank Stadium press box after the 12-4 Bears ended the Vikings' season with a 24-10 win: They examine the Bears' urgency and killer instinct...

Stankevitz: Matt Nagy hopes to follow in Doug Pederson’s footsteps all the way to the Super Bowl - NBC Sports Chicago - Matt Nagy has always been one step behind Doug Pederson in their respective coaching careers, which will cross paths in the playoffs on Sunday.

Stankevitz: The 10 biggest plays of the 2018 season for the Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - Of the 2,017 offensive and defensive plays the Bears played in 2018, these 10 stand out -- led by Eddie Jackson's pick six against the Vikings at Soldier Field.

Cox: Bears enter 2018 NFL playoffs with 5th-best Super Bowl odds - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears enter the NFL Playoffs with some of the better odds to win Super Bowl LIII.

Stankevitz: Matt Nagy hopeful all five injured Bears will be back for playoffs vs. Eagles - NBC Sports Chicago - Matt Nagy on Monday sounded optimistic regarding the wild card round statuses of Eddie Jackson, Aaron Lynch, Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Anthony Miller.

Stebbins: Eagles fans start 'Let's go Bears' chant during Sunday's game against Redskins - NBC Sports Chicago - While they certainly will not repeat themselves this weekend, Eagles fans started a "Let's go Bears" chant during Philadelphia's game on Sunday.

Bears grades: Mitch Trubisky ends his regular season on a high note - NBC Sports Chicago - Mitch Trubisky played a clean, efficient game against the Vikings that was more than good enough to power a win.

Finley: The Eagles know playoff football is different - the Bears are about to find out - Sun Times - The Bears have only seven starters with postseason experience — a total of 25 games’ worth.

Finley: Dolphins, Broncos request to interview Bears coordinator Vic Fangio - Sun Times - By NFL rule, Vic Fangio can't interview until after Sunday's wild-card playoff game against the Eagles, at the earliest.

Jahns: Five takeaways, including a look at Jordan Howard's production - Sun Times - From a productive day for Jordan Howard to Mitch Trubisky's success on third downs, here are five takeaways from the Bears' 24-10 victory.

Finley: Good, bad and best - How the Bears fared in Week 17 vs. Vikings - Sun Times - Some weeks are better than others for the Bears. Here’s how three Bears fared in Sunday’s 24-10 win against the division rival Vikings:

Sun-Times top 10 Chicago sports stories of 2018 - Sun Times - The Bears' quick rebuild, Loyola's Final Four run and the Notre Dame women's basketball national title are among our top sports stories of the year.

Jahns: With others hurt, rookie WR Javon Wims makes timely plays for Bears' offense - Sun Times - Wims made four catches for 32 yards in a victory Sunday against the Vikings.

Finley: Bears G Kyle Long feels strong in return from injured reserve - Sun Times - The three-time Pro Bowl player broke his right foot Oct. 28 against the Jets. The Bears activated him off IR on Saturday.

Wiederer: 'The intensity is completely different' Bears coach Matt Nagy preparing his team for the playoff cauldron - Chicago Tribune - Bears coach Matt Nagy is gearing up his team for its playoff opener Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles. Nagy had plenty to share on the Bears' success and playoff hopes.

Wiederer: 'This is when it gets real' 0 Bears driven to remain focused as playoff excitement amplifies - Chicago Tribune - Bears coach Matt Nagy is reminding his players to stay focused and locked in on their usual routine as the team charges into the NFL playoff waters. On Sunday, the Bears will play host to the Eagles at Soldier Field.

Kane: 5 things to know about the Eagles, the Bears’ first playoff opponent - Chicago Tribune - From more Nick Foles heroics to their Bears connections, here are five things to know about the Eagles.

Stankevitz: ‘Lollipop’ turns Vikings into suckers - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears ran another trick play for a defensive player to get a play in the end zone. This time it was "Lollipop" for linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.

Thompson: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman miss a few Bears angles, while the Fox panel milks Long brothers battle - Chicago Tribune - Fox's A-team ignored some possible Bears playoff narratives while sticking to well-traveled territory.

Cox: Bears fan starts ‘GoFundMe’ to buy out kicker Cody Parkey’s contract - NBC Sports - It didn't take long for kicker Cody Parkey to fall out of favor in Chicago.

Finley: Bears injury update - Team hopes to have Eddie Jackson, Allen Robinson back - Sun Times - Coach Matt Nagy remains optimistic they will be available against the Eagles.

Finley: Eagles QB Nick Foles to start against Bears on Sunday - Sun Times - Coach Doug Pederson told reporters Monday that, despite suffering a rib injury in Sunday’s win against the Redskins, Foles will start Sunday’s wild-c

Potash: Chiefs' playoff loss to Titans a learning experience for Matt Nagy - Sun Times - But even Nagy knows the playoffs are different: ‘‘It’s an unknown. We don’t know until we get into it.’’

Morrissey: Defense is good enough to get the Bears to the Super Bowl - Sun Times - If coach Matt Nagy keeps a tight rein on Mitch Trubisky against the Eagles and beyond, the defense can carry the Bears to the Super Bowl.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Doug Marrone confirms Jags voided Leonard Fournette’s guarantees – ProFootballTalkA - report on Sunday indicated that the Jaguars removed the remaining guarantees on running back Leonard Fournette’s rookie deal as a result of the 2017 first-round pick’s suspension for leaving the bench to join a fight during a game against the Bills.

Rosenthal’s 2018 Pre Season GM power rankings didn’t age well - NFL.com - Gregg Rosenthal evaluates NFL decision makers with his GM power ranking. How much did last season help Howie Roseman? Where does Ozzie Newsome stand at the end of his career?

KNOW THY ENEMY

Eagles’ Doug Pederson: Nick Foles Will Start Against Bears - 670 The Score - Nick Foles suffered a chest injury in Philadelphia’s win Sunday.

Packers Head Coach Interview Tracker: McDaniels, Fitzgerald, Flores on the list - Acme Packing Company - Keep it here as we update the full list of interviews for the Packers’ vacant job.

NFL rules and restrictions for interviewing head-coaching candidates - Acme Packing Company - The Packers and any NFL team searching for a new head coach must follow certain rules during the interview process

Doug Pederson just coached his 51st game. Here’s why that’s significant. - Bleeding Green Nation - Time to check the receipts.

Nick Foles injury update: Eagles quarterback expected to play in Bears game - Bleeding Green Nation - Good news for Philadelphia.

VIDEO: Glover Quin opens up about retirement thoughts, faith and his NFL legacy - Pride Of Detroit - If you do one thing today, watch this video.

Week 17 Packers recap, 2019 Detroit Lions resolutions - Pride Of Detroit - The final PODcast of 2018!

Miami Dolphins fire head coach Adam Gase - Pride Of Detroit - A hot name for Lions offensive coordinator just became available.

Quandre Diggs bookended the Detroit Lions 2018 season perfectly - Pride Of Detroit - Quandre Diggs provided excitement to start and end the 2018 season.

Vikings Off-Season Evaluation: Offensive Coordinator - Daily Norseman - The Vikings fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo a few weeks ago, elevating long-time offensive assistant coach Kevin Stefanski to interim offensive coordinator. He’s had that role only...

The offseason priority for the Vikings is the same as last offseason - Daily Norseman - Maybe they’ll even address it this time

Packers 2019 Free Agent List: Matthews, Cobb, Breeland lead team’s 10 UFAs - Acme Packing Company - Which Packers with expiring contracts will return for 2019? Here’s the full list of the team’s free agents-to-be.

Vikings Off-Season Evaluation: Head Coach - Daily Norseman - Now that the Vikings disappointing season has been unceremoniously put out of its misery, the time for off-season evaluations is upon us. Let's start things off with the man at the helm...

Report: Mike Zimmer will not resign or retire - Daily Norseman - Last night’s Internet rumor has been shot down by the head coach himself

Eagles vs. Bears playoff odds 2019: Betting lines and opening spread for wild card round - Bleeding Green Nation - Break out the dog masks.

Eagles News: Philadelphia is the playoff team “no one wants to play” - Bleeding Green Nation - Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/31/18.

How Eagles fans can thank Kirk Cousins for getting the Eagles into the playoffs - Bleeding Green Nation - Thanks for the assist, Kurt

Eagles players celebrate making playoffs: “We ain’t sneaking in, we kicking the motherf***ing door down” - Bleeding Green Nation - Epic.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Leming: Game balls after the regular season finale - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears finished off an incredible 2018 regular season with a (24-10) win over the Minnesota Vikings. Find out who received Sunday afternoon’s game balls.

Sunderbruch: Fired NFL Head Coaches - Black Monday - Windy City Gridiron - The vacancies around the league this year have an extra interest to them, because each one could represent a team looking to pluck coaching talent from the red-hot Chicago Bears.

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 24-10 beat down of the Minnesota Vikings

Infante: Notes from a 24-10 season-ending victory - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears didn’t secure a first-round bye on Sunday, but they did the next best thing: they picked up another win, and they ended the playoff hopes of a divisional rival in the process.

Wiltfong: Betting lines and opening spread for the wild card round - Windy City Gridiron - On one side we have the young and hungry Chicago Bears making their first playoff appearance since 2010. And on the other side it’s the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Wiltfong: Bears will host the Eagles on Sunday at 3:40 pm - Windy City Gridiron - The NFC North Champion, third seeded Chicago Bears will host the defending Champion and sixth seeded Philadelphia Eagles at 3:40 pm (Central) on Sunday, January 6. according to Adam Jahns of the...

Householder: Chicago Bears postgame Minnesota Vikings eliminated in 24-10 win - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears regular season is over and for the first time since 2010, that doesn’t mean the end of the season for all. The postseason is next after the Bears finished with their most wins since...

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

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THE RULES

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