The Bear’s Den, December 23, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Bears’ Roquan Smith, Allen Robinson snubbed from 2020 NFL Pro Bowl - RSN - The Bears had two notable snubs for the 2021 Pro Bowl.

Bears Sign RB Spencer Ware - On Tap Sports Net - The Chicago Bears are reportedly set to sign veteran Spencer Ware to add depth to their thin running back corps.

The Fish Rots From the Head: The Quagmire That is the Chicago Bears - On Tap Sports Net - The issues that have plagued the Chicago Bears for years stem from the front office. What will it take for significant change to occur?

Chicago Bears Week 15 Takeaways: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Skol-d - On Tap Sports Net - The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive by knocking off the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 with an impressive offensive showing.

Lunch With Urlurker: 12.22.20 - ChicagoBears.com - Urlurker guides Bears Senior Writer Larry Mayer as they discuss the Bears’ path to the playoffs, Darnell Mooney maintaining his high level of play, continued improvement in the running game and Sunday’s game in Jacksonville during his weekly Q&A with fans.

Bears Finding Answers During Playoff Push - Da Bears Blog - A month ago it looked like the Chicago Bears were heading towards a full-scale rebuild. But after two straight wins and a few quality offensive performances, the Bears might be finding they already have answers to some expected offseason questions.

Bears sign RB Spencer Ware to practice squad - 670 The Score - The Bears have signed veteran running back Spencer Ware to their practice squad, they announced Tuesday afternoon. Ware, 29, appeared in three games for the Chiefs in 2019.

Bears’ defensive decline over last 2 seasons starts with pass rush - Chicago Sun-Times - How did the defense drop off from 2018, when it was overwhelming? There are several reasons, but the pass rush is No. 1.

Bears activate punt returner DeAndre Carter from reserve/COVID-19 list - Chicago Sun-Times - Carter should return to his spot against the Jaguars, allowing Anthony Miller to focus exclusively on offense.

1st-and-10: Bears should expect Packers’ best in Week 17 - Chicago Sun-Times - If the Bears need to beat the Packers for a shot at the playoffs, they’ll likely have to earn it. Even if the Packers clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC this week, Aaron Rodgers knows the pitfalls of resting in Week 17 with a playoff bye.

Bears sign veteran RB Spencer Ware to practice squad - Chicago Sun-Times - Ware, who has been out of the NFL since suffering a shoulder injury a year ago, is available to play against the Jaguars if needed.

The Chicago Bears win again — so the Bear Download podcast is talking about a resurgent offense, playoff hopes and what’s next in Week 16 and 17. - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears are on a winning streak! And still in the playoff hunt! Dan and Brad break it all down on the Bear Download podcast.

3 observations from the Chicago Bears’ Week 15 win - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears defense has slipped lately, including a drop to 10th in the NFL in scoring defense. That said, Brad Biggs breaks down four plays that went their way against the Vikings in his observations after the Bears' Week 15 win.

Mitch Trubisky: Chicago Bears QB's Week 15 performance - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky feels "mentally hardened" by all he's been through in 2020: “I’m in a good place mentally.” What does that mean now for the offense and the team's playoff hopes?

Sam Mustipher leads Chicago Bears offensive line's rise - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Bears lineman Sam Mustipher — a former practice squad player — played a key role in one of offensive line's best performances of the season Sunday in a win against the Minnesota Vikings.

13 quarterbacks Bears could get, and why Mitch Trubisky fits better than all - RSN - The Bears have a difficult decision facing them in 2021 at quarterback: Move on from Mitch Trubisky or try to keep him around?

POLISH SAUSAGE

Debrief: Previewing movers and shakers in 2021 QB market - NFL.com - Will Carson Wentz be playing for someone other than the Eagles in 2021? Gregg Rosenthal eyes available names and needy teams in the upcoming QB market.

Predicting the 2021 NFL QB Carousel: Where Could Darnold and Wentz Land? - Bleacher Report - The NFL quarterback carousel will soon begin to spin, and it looks as though the 2021 edition will be loaded with plenty of open seats and even more potential riders...

Report: Texans fine players for attending Deshaun Watson's restaurant opening - ProFootballTalk - The Texans have fined multiple players for attending the opening of quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s new restaurant franchise in violation of the league’s COVID-19 protocols, Sarah Barshop of ESPN reports.

Jimmy Garoppolo not expected to play, C.J. Beathard to start for 49ers - ProFootballTalk - The 49ers opened the window for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to return to action on Tuesday, but it’s not likely that he’ll be back in uniform on Saturday.

Dwayne Haskins apologizes for strip club COVID-19 breach - ProFootballTalk - Dwayne Haskins has gone from persona non grata to adequate replacement to persona non grata all over again.

Broncos cut Mark Barron after paying him $1.75 million for zero snaps - ProFootballTalk - The Broncos signed veteran linebacker Mark Barron to a one-year, $1.75 million contract just before the start of this season. It did not go as planned.

NFL Hot or Not: Titans, Ravens in bloom; Jets fans feel sense of doom - NFL.com - In the wake of Week 15, Marc Sessler dishes on what's hot -- and what's not -- in the NFL:

KNOW THINE ENEMY

People who don’t live in Jacksonville have very weird opinions of Jacksonville online - Big Cat Country - The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall draft pick, presumably to pick a potential franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.

Doug Marrone praises Jaguars for minimal locker-room dissension - Florida Times-Union - Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said he's focused on winning, not tanking.

Jaguars getting closer to prize of landing Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence with No. 1 overall pick - Florida Times-Union - Jaguars have been outscored 71-24 in their last two losses against Titans, Ravens.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Bears make several roster moves including Ware to the practice squad - Windy City Gridiron - Earlier today Spencer Ware posted via his LinkedIn that he was joining the Chicago Bears, and now the team has made it official by announcing that they are signing him to the practice squad.

Wiltfong's NFL Power Rankings: Bears are making moves - Windy City Gridiron - We go around the NFL Power Rankings to see how high they moved the Bears this week.

Wiltfong: Ten Thoughts on the NFL - Windy City Gridiron - Give our Ten Thoughts a peek this week, and drop some thoughts of your own in the comment section.

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.

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.

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