The Bear’s Den, October 23, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

NSFW (Just a couple of salty words)

BEARRRSSSS

Recapping the last two weeks against Bucs and Panthers before talking about MNF - Bearly Sane Podcast - Hello my 5 and 1-derful Bears fan! We’re back at it talking about our division leading Bears.

Choosing Sides: How many points will Chicago Bears allow on Monday Night Football against Los Angeles Rams? - ChicagoBears.com - This week, our panel and celebrity guest predict how many points the Bears will surrender in Monday night’s clash with the Rams in Los Angeles.

Chicago Bears donate 1,2000 P.E. kits to four city schools - ChicagoBears.com - The Chicago Bears have donated 1,200 physical education kits to four schools to aid in P.E. classes during remote learning.

5 Reasons to Be Overly Excited About the 5-1 Start - Da Bears Blog - We’ve spent the last two days focused on where the Bears need to improve. Today, I come to celebrate these first six weeks.

Bears missing 2 key players in preparation for Rams - 670 The Score - The Bears were missing two key players in practice Thursday as they began preparations for the Rams on Monday night. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (illness) and cornerback Buster Skrine (ankle) were each held out of practice.

Foles on Brady handshake snub: ‘Obviously history there’ - 670 The Score - After the Bears beat the Buccaneers on Oct. 8, Chicago quarterback Nick Foles waited for Tampa Bay counterpart Tom Brady to conduct the customary postgame handshake – but Brady had run off to the locker room.

Chicago Bears: Akiem Hicks' illness and things we learned - Chicago Tribune - In normal times, a starter missing a practice due to illness four days before a game would only merit a shrug. But in the season of COVID-19, Akiem Hicks' status and availability will have to be watched closely.

Chicago Bears' offensive line: Can it improve quickly? - Chicago Tribune - Evaluating offensive-line play is a subjective exercise complicated by many factors, including that it’s sometimes hard to say with certainty what responsibility each of the five blockers has on a given play. But it's clear the offense is struggling, and the Chicago Bears need the line to improve quickly.

Tom Brady not sure why he didn't shake Nick Foles' hand - Chicago Tribune - Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wasn't around for a postgame handshake with Nick Foles after the Bears' 20-19 victory in Week 5. And it wasn't the first time.

Are Chicago Bears for real or just a tease? - Chicago Tribune - The Bears have shown the resilience to make big comebacks and the grit to grind out wins when they’re not playing their best. They’re 3-0 on the road and 5-0 in the conference. On defense, they look like a team worthy of dreaming the biggest dreams. So why isn't the city more excited?

Game Preview: Chicago Bears - L.A. Rams (Week 7) - Chicago Audible Podcast - A comprehensive look at everything you need to know heading into the Chicago Bears Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Stankevitz: It doesn’t matter if Bears are NFL's biggest 'frauds' right now | RSN - We've seen the question all over social media and talk shows for the last few weeks: Are the Bears complete and utter frauds?

Tom Brady, Nick Foles address handshake snub after Bears-Bucs game - RSN - “I didn’t even think about that,” Brady told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday.

Bears defense should keep laying big hits despite flags, says Chris Simms - RSN - The Bears are hitting players really hard, but they're doing it the way the NFL has asked

Simms: Matt Nagy can help Bears offensive line without free agent, trade - RSN - A little misdirection can go a long way.

Coach Bears head coach Matt Nagy, QB Nick Foles preach patience with improving offense - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears knew that the transformation of their offense with new quarterback Nick Foles wasn’t going to happen overnight, but they’re confident the unit will continue to make incremental progress.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Bears have a ‘good plan’ to keep fans safe at Soldier Field, Lightfoot says - Chicago Sun-Times - But there’s a catch: It will happen only when the "second surge" of coronavirus cases has ended, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. That surge prompted the city to ban indoor bar service and force restaurants to close at 10 p.m.

Nick Foles: ‘someday’ Tom Brady and I will talk about postgame snub - Chicago Sun-Times - Nick Foles said the handshake snub has "happened a few times" and "someday Tom and I will have a great conversation about it — and probably laugh about it."

Bears remain under NFL’s intensive protocol - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears haven’t placed anyone else on the reserve/COVID-19 list. But they stayed in protocol this week after playing the Panthers, who now have four players on the reserve list, on Sunday.

QB Nick Foles no ‘magic wand’ for Bears offense, but that’s what they need - Chicago Sun-Times - Foles hasn’t played any better than Mitch Trubisky so far. Maybe that was to be expected considering he was rushed in without a full offseason. But how long can he and the Bears use that excuse?

With Nick Foles, Bears offense needs to hurry-up - Chicago Sun-Times - Foles’ affinity for the tempo of the no-huddle offense has been a recurring theme since he replaced Mitch Trubisky as the Bears’ starting quarterback. ‘It’s always good to have that,’ he said.

NFL trade deadline: Buyers/sellers for four intriguing targets - NFL.com - With the NFL trade deadline nearing, Charley Casserly discusses potential buyers and sellers for four intriguing trade targets. Which team would be a good destination for Cleveland's David Njoku?

Michael Thomas not seen at Saints practice - ProFootballTalk - Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was listed with a new injury as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice and he’s moving in the wrong direction to make a return to the lineup this weekend.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

How Rams defense could look different in the second half of the season - Turf Show Times - Quite a few names could be added back into the mix after the bye

6 numbers that define the Rams after 6 games via FooballOutsiders - Turf Show Times - All via FootballOutsiders

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Berckes' Five Questions with Turf Show Times: Leonard Floyd’s Consistency, Aaron Donald’s Dominance - Windy City Gridiron - We tracked down the boss over at the Rams site to help us answer some burning questions

Zeglinski: Windy City Gridiron picks Bears-Rams - Windy City Gridiron - Another challenging primetime matchup awaits the Bears in Los Angeles. Our staff’s picks for a Monday night heavyweight tilt.

Householder's Week 7 Game Preview: Chicago Bears vs. LA Rams on Monday Night Football - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears have been questioned because of who they’ve beat this year, but are those haters questioning the Rams?

THE RULES

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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.; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; R. Schmitz has a film breakdown show on YouTube titled Run Pass Opinion; and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert.

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