The Bear’s Den, December 11, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Firing John Fox in 2016 could’ve saved Ryan Pace from drafting Mitch Trubisky - RSN - Ryan Pace didn’t value John Fox’s QB evaluations in 2017. So why was Fox still the Bears’ head coach?

NFL QB Power Rankings 2020, Week 13: Mitch Trubisky fumbles away Bears win - RSN - What a week for QB play! Sam Darnold and the Jets nearly had their first win of the season, but Derek Carr spoiled their chances with a hail mary. Alex Smith cemented his case for Comeback Player of the Year by handing the Steelers their first loss. Mitch Trubisky was continuing his trend of dominating the Lions until he spoiled his own chances with an ill-timed fumble.

As Bears Sit in No Man’s Land, Three Possible Roads for George McCaskey - Da Bears Blog - Welcome to No Man’s Land.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy explains decision to close Halas Hall after positive COVID-19 test - ChicagoBears.com - After pausing all in-person activities at Halas Hall Thursday morning due to a positive COVID test, the Bears were cleared a few hours later to return to the building and practice Thursday afternoon.

Choosing Sides: How many yards will Chicago Bears rush for vs. Houston Texans? - ChicagoBears.com - This week our esteemed panel predicts how many yards the Bears will rush for Sunday when they host the Houston Texans at Soldier Field.

Bears reverse course, will practice Thursday - 670 The Score - After shutting down Halas Hall and initially canceling practice, the Bears have been cleared to resume football activities and will hold practice Thursday afternoon.

Jimmy Graham nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year - 670 The Score - Bears tight end Jimmy Graham was named the team’s nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year, a prestigious honor voted on by his teammates.

Bears predictions: Week 14 vs. Texans - Chicago Sun-Times - The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday against the Texans at Soldier Field:

Deshaun Watson out to be 7th straight QB to drop 100-plus passer rating on Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - It’s a bad run for the Bears, and it could get worse with one of the NFL’s biggest stars coming to Soldier Field on Sunday.

Bears briefly shut down Halas Hall after another positive coronavirus test - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears already already put three practice squad players on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list this week.

Chicago Bears podcast: What's going with team's defense? - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears’ season has gone from bad to worse after an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, and Dan Wiederer and Brad Biggs break down everything that went wrong in Week 13.

Chicago Bears: Return to practice after positive COVID-19 test - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears paused all in-person activities and closed Halas Hall on Thursday morning after an individual tested positive for COVID-19 — the team’s fourth positive test this week — but were set to return to practice in the afternoon.

Buster Skrine: Chicago Bears CB has 6th concussion - Chicago Tribune - Perhaps most notable on the Chicago Bears injury report is the fact that nickel cornerback Buster Skrine is in concussion protocol.

NFL Man of the Year nominees: Here's who is on the list - Chicago Tribune - Seattle’s star quarterback Russell Wilson and Kansas City’s standout tight end Travis Kelce are among the 32 finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Week 14: Mitch Trubisky says Deshaun Watson comparisons 'easy to block out' - Chicago Tribune - Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson says he has "no idea" why the Chicago Bears didn’t show more interest in him before drafting Mitch Trubisky in 2017.

Bears close Halas Hall after positive COVID-19 test - Daily Herald - The Bears shut down their facilities at Halas Hall Thursday morning after being notified that there was a positive COVID-19 test.

2021 NFL Draft: Here's how Bears can get top-10 pick and land QB of future - RSN - Want the Bears to have a top-10 pick in next year’s draft – and have a legitimate chance of drafting a franchise quarterback? Here’s what you need to root for in the final four weeks of the season.

PFT’s NFL Week 14 2020 picks - ProFootballTalk - It’s hard to believe how far the Bears have fallen, that they’re now home underdogs against the lowly Texans. Deshaun Watson will remind the Bears they could have drafted him, and General Manager Ryan Pace’s seat will grow hotter.

‘We just found a way to screw it up at the end’ - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears DC Chuck Pagano laments another breakdown by his once-vaunted defense that paved the way for the Bears’ sixth consecutive loss. “That’s not Chicago Bear defense. And that falls on me.”

Bears injuries: Khalil Mack, Buster Skrine, Darnell Mooney still out - Chicago Sun-Times - Outside linebacker Khalil Mack missed practice for the second-straight day with a shoulder injury, though defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano didn’t sound particularly concerned.

Texans star J.J. Watt eyes Bears — and sacks of hot dogs - Chicago Sun-Times - How many sacks will Texans pass-rusher J.J. Watt have this weekend? It depends on how many hot dogs the Portillo’s delivery guy can cram in the bag.

Bears’ Khalil Mack (shoulder) held out of practice again - 670 The Score - Bears star edge rusher Khalil Mack remained sidelined from practice Thursday due to a shoulder injury, and his status is in jeopardy for Sunday, when Chicago will host the Houston Texans.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Cowboys 'not nervous to sign Dak' Prescott to big contract amid Eagles' issues with Carson Wentz - NFL.com - The two cellar-dwellers in the NFC East sit with questions at quarterback.

Top 10 NFL defenses for the 2020 season: Steelers, Saints lead the field - NFL.com - With some help from Next Gen Stats, Nick Shook ranks the top 10 defenses in the NFL this season. Where do Aaron Donald's Rams land? And which team claims the No. 1 spot?

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Report: Deshaun Watson, Justin Reid Want Eric Bieniemy As Next Texans Head Coach - Battle Red Blog - Apparently, some players are playing favorites in H-Town.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zimmerman: Should Chicago Bears fans trust George McCaskey to make the right decisions? - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears front office was a hot topic on the latest Bears Banter

Sunderbruch: What will be Ryan Pace’s draft legacy? - Windy City Gridiron - After six seasons, what has come of Ryan Pace’s pledge to draft playmakers? Who will be around to serve as the foundation of the next rebuild?

Zeglinski: Chicago Bears’ Jimmy Graham nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year - Windy City Gridiron - The veteran tight end is in line for a prestigious honor.

Wiltfong: Halas Hall closes, reopens for COVID - Windy City Gridiron - After closing early this morning, the Bears have now announced that Halas Hall is open and they’ll practice this afternoon.

Householder's Chicago Bears-Houston Texans Game Preview: Deshaun Watson’s Revenge - Windy City Gridiron - A winnable game? Wait, it’s one of the scorned 2017 quarterbacks....

THE RULES

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