The Bear’s Den, December 12, 2019

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

Packers week just keeps bringing visions of holding... I don’t really know why...

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

BEARRRSSSS

Zeglinski: Too little, too late, and little way for the Bears to elevate – The Rock River Times - There’s a crucial mistake many make in regards to competitive windows in the NFL. They assume, by proxy, that windows will last longer than the blink of an eye.

Meet the Green Bay Packers (with the Tom Grossi of Packast) - Chicago Audible Podcast - To preview the Chicago Bears Week 15 matchup, Tom Grossi of Packast shares his insight on the Green Bay Packers.

Sunday is Matt Nagy's chance to prove the Bears' changes are for real - NBC Sports Chicago - And what better setting for it to come in.

What's changed about Mitch Trubisky? Nothing, and the Bears are thrilled - NBC Sports Chicago
- They've been trying to tell us this all year, and hey, they might be right.

Aaron Rodgers recalls when Brian Urlacher and the Bears had 'super inappropriate' checks to use against the Packers - NBC Sports Chicago - Aaron Rodgers told a story about a 2009 Bears-Packers game where Brian Urlacher used dirty language in his checks to try to mess with the Packers.

First and Final Thoughts: The Bears head to Lambeau with the season on the line - NBC Sports Chicago - We take one last look at the Cowboys win before turning the page to the Packers.

How Mitchell Trubisky Handled Slight by Packer - SI.com - Bear Maven is a Sports Illustrated Channel featuring Gene Chamberlain to bring you the latest news, rumors, notes, and quotes surrounding the Chicago Bears

Quick Hits: Midseason skid helped Nagy grow - ChicagoBears.com - Matt Nagy explains why the Bears’ four-game losing streak helped him grow as a head coach. Akiem Hicks’ return would provide a huge boost Sunday. That and more in today’s notebook.

Anthony Miller looking to make impact against Packers - ChicagoBears.com - After going without a catch in the season opener against the Packers, receiver Anthony Miller is looking to build on a string of impressive performances and leave his mark in the rematch.

Bears fans uncover long-lost footage of historic game - ChicagoBears.com - A suburban family discovered footage of Red Grange’s first game with the Bears, taken on Thanksgiving Day in 1925 at Wrigley Field.

Recent Production Proves Tight End Should Be a Top Off-Season Priority - Da Bears Blog - The Bears paid Trey Burton a bunch of money and drafted Adam Shaheen in the second round. In 2019, the two have combined for 37 total targets. Not catches. Targets. Are there multiple factors to the pair’s lack of production? Sure. But there are two primary ones. Burton never plays. Shaheen never plays well.

Bernstein: Are Bears Admitting They Choked? - 670 The Score - The Bears now freely acknowledge they’re playing loose without pressure on them. Which begs the question: Does that mean they choked after setting their expectations so high in what has turned into an underachieving season?

Bears Offensive Line Revealing Its Better Form - 670 The Score - The Bears’ blocking has shown steady improvement after early struggles, and it has helped fuel the offense in the team’s three-game winning streak.

Bears’ Prince Amukamara Returns To Practice - 670 The Score - Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara has returned to practice after he missed the team’s win last week with a hamstring injury.

Lambeau Field and all that is right about the Bears-Packers rivalry - Chicago Sun-Times - A massive 81,441-seat stadium plopped in the middle of a neighborhood of regular folks. It’s absolutely wonderful.

Chicago Bears Mitch Trubisky motivated to ‘play quarterback’ against Green Bay Packers - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears QB had no answer after the Packers took away his running game and made him beat them with his arm. "I want to play better," he said. "Got a great opportunity to do that this week."

Green Bay Packers expect Chicago Bears DL Akiem Hicks to play Sunday - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears hope Akiem Hicks will come off injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game. The Packers, meanwhile, are planning on it.

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers recounts Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher’s vulgar audibles - Chicago Sun-Times - Rodgers and Urlacher had a competitive and friendly personal rivalry over the years, and the Green Bay quarterback told a funny story about it Wednesday. Ken's Note: This one's a good read.

Chicago Bears ‘Halas Intrigue’ podcast: Mitch Trubisky, the Green Bay Packers and Hawk Harrelson - Chicago Sun-Times - The guys discuss Mitch Trubisky’s growth, the Bears’ relevance and Hawk Harrelson.

Chicago Bears RB David Montgomery ‘starting to see it the way I need to see it’ - Chicago Sun-Times - The rookie running back’s vision, which the Bears praised upon trading up to draft him in the third round, has adjusted to the speed and violence of the NFL.

Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears: Packers coach Matt LaFleur gears up for tough game - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears-Packers game Sunday in Green Bay is vital for both teams’ aspirations this season.

Sunday Night Football: Bears-Chiefs could be flexed out of prime time - Chicago Sun-Times - The "flex" would happen if the Bears are eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, the source said. The game would likely be replaced by the Saints-Titans.

Chicago Bears Q&A with Brad Biggs - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs' Bears mailbag includes questions about assessing the play of Charles Leno and the offensive line, why the running game has improved -- and even a Kris Bryant question.

Chicago Bers: How the offense has improved beyond the QB - Chicago Tribune - Just as the Bears said their pronounced offensive struggles went beyond Mitch Trubisky, so do the catalysts for this recent improvement. Every position group has taken a step forward, particularly during the last two wins.

The Week Ahead: Bears prep to visit Packers - ChicagoBears.com - Six days after their 31-24 win over the Cowboys at Soldier Field, the Bears return to the practice field Wednesday to continue preparing for Sunday’s game against the Packers in Green Bay.

Maturing Anthony Miller ready for take-off - Chicago Sun-Times - After emerging from the doghouse, the second-year wide receiver has 24 receptions for 313 yards and a touchdown in four games. “I don’t think he’s done,” WR coach Mike Furrey said. “He still has a lot more room to grow.”

POLISH SAUSAGE

Lamar Jackson is questionable for Thursday night – ProFootballTalk - Unofficially, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has said he’ll play despite a quadricep injury. Officially, he’s questionable for the prime-time Thursday game against the Jets. Jackson fully participated in Wednesday’s practice, a day after he was limited.

NFC playoff picture: Beyond Saints, everything’s extremely fluid - NFL.com - The New Orleans Saints have clinched the NFC South. Beyond that? Well, the NFC playoff races are about as fluid as can be. Jeremy Bergman makes sense of the madness -- or at least attempts to.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Detroit Lions Week 15 injury report: 14 players don lengthy Wednesday report - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions are hurting bad.

Wednesday Walkthroughs: What do the Packers need to do to win in the playoffs? - Acme Packing Company - The NFC playoff field is looking pretty tough. Top to bottom, every team in the group presents unique challenges that the Packers — assuming they lock up a playoff spot — will be hard pressed to...

Do the Packers really have a defense? - Acme Packing Company - Aaron Rodgers said so after Week 1, but is it true?

NFC North Rundown: Mitchell Trubisky’s ground attack wills Chicago to third consecutive win - Acme Packing Company - Head Coach Matt Nagy unleashed Trubisky’s legs and added a new dynamic to the team’s offense.

IN CASE YOU YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Sunderbruch Becomes "The December GM": Looking at recent free agency moves - Windy City Gridiron - Monday-morning quarterbacking is a traditional pastime for football fans. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to second-guess the bad throw or the inability to see a blitzing safety. So, in...

Wiltfong: Bears vs. Packers - Who will be Chicago’s difference maker? - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears meet the Green Bay Packers on Sunday for the 200th time with the Bears trailing in the all-time series (playoffs included) 95-98-6. If the Bears are going to close the overall...

Zimmerman: Chicago Bears LB Nick Kwiatkoski - We don’t talk about playoff chances - Windy City Gridiron - Nick Kwiatkoski joined the Bears Banter Podcast for a great conversation.

Bears add a speedster to their practice squad - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears have announced a couple practice squad moves today by releasing running back Jeremy McNichols and signing wide out Reggie Davis to take his place. The 24-year old Davis was...

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2019: Week 14 vs. the Dallas Cowboys - Windy City Gridiron - With two more sacks given up against the Dallas Cowboys, the Chicago Bears have now allowed more sacks than all of last year when they allowed 33 sacks, and their 7.1 sack percentage this season is...

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

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