The Bear’s Den, September 24, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS & RIP GALE SAYERS

Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers’ greatness transcended football - NFL.com - It’s never easy waking to news that someone special has died, yet I found myself smiling amid the sadness after learning that Gale Sayers had passed away this morning at age 77.

Forget the Long-Term Financials, Bears Need to Honestly Evaluate Danny Trevathan Right Now - Da Bears Blog - If Danny Trevathan has become the player he’s put on tape over the first two weeks of the season, and he chooses not to walk away from the game at season’s end (or earlier), the Bears will find themselves thigh deep in contractual quicksand soon enough

Current & former Chicago Bears players, celebrities and more pay tribute to Gale Sayers - ChicagoBears.com - When news of Gale Sayers’ passing broke Wednesday morning, current & former Bears players, Chicago personalities and fans took to social media to pay tribute to the Bears legendary running back.

Chicago Bears Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers passes away at age 77 - ChicagoBears.com - Legendary Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who dazzled the NFL with his electrifying playmaking ability from 1965-71, passed away Wednesday at the age of 77.

Ed O’Bradovich remembers the late, great Gale Sayers - 670 The Score - Hall of Fame running back and Chicago Bears great Gale Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77. He had been battling dementia. Former Bears teammate Ed O’Bradovich remembered Sayers as a special player and person.

Chicago Bears Week 3: Meet the Atlanta Falcons (with The Athletic's Tori McElhaney) - Chicago Audible - Week 3 is officially here, Bears Fans! Listen as Tori McElhaney joins the show to share her firsthand insight of the (0-2) Atlanta Falcons.

Why Bears Hall of Famer Gale Sayers' greatness would've transcended any era - RSN - The vast, vast majority of football players from past eras would not cut it in today’s NFL, which has players like the 347-pound Akiem Hicks who can do stuff like this:

NFL Hall of Famer and Bears legend Gale Sayers dies at 77 years old - RSN - The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday morning that Gale Sayers has died. He was 77 years old.

Alex Brown is not convinced on the 2-0 Bears - Under Center Podcast - The Bears are 2-0 and are tied atop the NFC North, but something still feels off. JJ Stankevitz and Cam Ellis are joined by former Bear and Football Aftershow analyst Alex Brown as they discuss the 2-0 Bears, and what they need to fix before heading to Atlanta on Sunday.

Dan Patrick recalls feelings watching Gale Sayers play for Chicago Bears - RSN - As Chicago mourns the death of Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, pundits, fans and athletes alike have shared their memories about Sayers. On Wednesday, Dan Patrick shared his personal experience watching Sayers as a kid.

Subdued Allen Robinson Quiet Over Contract Talks - SI.com - "I mean, we know where we stand at, so right now I'm just trying to focus on the Falcons," Robinson said in a subdued tone, and left it at that when he held a Zoom press conference session.

Bears Legend and Hall of Famer Gale Sayers Passes Away - On Tap Sports Net - On Wednesday morning, former Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers passed away.

Chicago Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky lauded for showing improvisational skills in TD passes, scramble in Week 2 win over New York Giants - ChicagoBears.com - Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky displayed his ability to ad-lib in last Sunday’s win over the Giants, producing two touchdown passes and a 12-yard scramble that picked up a key first down.

Quick Hits: Chicago Bears WR Allen Robinson II not surprised by emergence of rookie Darnell Mooney - ChicagoBears.com - After training together during the offseason in Florida, the emergence of Bears rookie receiver Darnell Mooney early this season hasn’t surprised veteran teammate Allen Robinson II.

Chicago Bears defense unsatisfied with results through first two weeks of 2020 season - ChicagoBears.com - After playing below expectations in the first two weeks of the season, the Bears defense looks to return to elite status.

Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Complete coverage of the Chicago Bears, including scores, players, trades, game updates and analysis.

Coach talk: Bears’ Matt Nagy, Falcons’ Dan Quinn praise Gale Sayers - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears coach Matt Nagy was born seven years after Gale Sayers last carried a football in 1971. But he’s seen the highlights.

Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Complete coverage of the Chicago Bears, including scores, players, trades, game updates and analysis.

Gale Sayers: Bears Hall of Famer's legacy in Chicago - Chicago Tribune - Gale Sayers was the first hero for many Chicagoans growing up in the 1960s, an athlete so incredibly talented and enjoyable to watch, it made us forget just how bad some of those Chicago Bears teams were.

Gale Sayers: Remembering the ‘Kansas Comet’ - Chicago Tribune - The Chicago Bears family mourned the death of Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, and teammates, friends and fans shared their remembrances of one of the franchise’s all-time great players.

Danny Trevathan: Chicago Bears LB needs to recharge - Chicago Tribune - If inside linebacker Danny Trevathan continues to struggle, it’s worth wondering if the Chicago Bears would turn to 2018 fourth-round pick Joel Iyiegbuniwe, who has yet to start an NFL game.

Gale Sayers: Chicago Bears Hall of Famer dies - Chicago Tribune - Gale Sayers, the dazzling Chicago Bears running back and kick returner whose injury-shortened career made him the youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died after a years-long decline in health that included dementia. He was 77.

Pompei: Bears legend Gale Sayers took the time he had on Earth and ran with it – The Athletic - No one will ever forget Gale Sayers, the man or the myth.

‘The sky’s the limit’: Why Bears might have a draft steal in WR Darnell Mooney – The Athletic - Darnell Mooney's Tulane coaches knew he would be special.

Analyzing the Bears’ decision to sign Tarik Cohen to a 3-year extension – The Athletic - Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns discuss why Tarik Cohen's contract extension last weekend was a little surprising.

Remembering Bears legend Gale Sayers - Chicago Sun-Times - Mark Potash reviews what made Gale Sayers such a great player and why he is still part of the fabric of Chicago sports.

Bears QB Mitch Trubisky knows he has ‘definitely not’ been good enough - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears coach Matt Nagy defended Trubisky’s overall play, but some key indicators are alarming. He has played just well enough to hold Nick Foles off, but also just poorly enough that no one has forgotten Foles is an option.

Gale Sayers, Bears legend and “Kansas Comet” dies at 77 - Chicago Sun-Times - Though other great running backs were more prolific — Jim Brown before him and Walter Payton after him, among others — there rarely if ever has been a weapon as dangerous from anywhere on a football field as Sayers.

Will Soldier Field renovation deal deliver late hit to city budget? - Chicago Sun-Times - The bonds that financed rebuilding the stadium are paid off with a portion of Chicago’s hotel room tax — but that revenue has dropped dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, so the city budget could be penalized.

Gale Sayers, Brian Piccolo friendship lives on in ‘Brian’s Song’ - Chicago Sun-Times - The enduring friendship that formed between the two became the subject of “Brian’s Song,” a 1971 made-for-TV movie that remains one of the most popular sports movies of all time.

POLISH SAUSAGE

RB Index, Week 3: Grouping dual-threat QBs into 5 tiers - Dual-threat quarterbacks are off to a hot start in 2020. Maurice Jones-Drew divides these multi-talented QBs into five tiers. Plus, there's a new No. 1 in his top-15 running back rankings.

Watt brothers to become second trio to appear in same game - ProFootballTalk - “We’re very fortunate when it comes to genes and talent,” J.J., the Texans defensive end, said Wednesday, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “That only takes you so far. It comes down to how hard you want to work.

NFL's chief medical officer explains why face coverings are "not optional" - ProFootballTalk - The NFL proved it is serious about making head coaches wear face coverings on the sideline. Pete Carroll, Kyle Shanahan, Vic Fangio, Sean Payton and Jon Gruden found that out the hard way.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

What to know about Falcons - Bears heading into Week 2 - The Falcoholic - The Bears present a different test for a reeling Falcons team that simply can’t afford a loss.

What is your favorite Falcons - Bears memory of all-time ? - The Falcoholic - We’re rewinding back to 2008, personally.

Falcons are 5th-worst offense at generating 1st downs on 2nd down - The Falcoholic - While the Falcons offense certainly hasn’t been the biggest issue through the first two weeks, a troubling trend has emerged. Atlanta is currently among the league’s worst offenses at generating 1st downs on 2nd down—a sign of an overly-conservative scheme.

Falcons defense vs. Bears offense: Can Atlanta stop anybody from scoring? - The Falcoholic - Is there any reason to be optimistic about the Atlanta D?

Julio Jones among 9 Falcons not practicing on Wednesday - The Falcoholic - Nine Falcons players were held out of practice on Wednesday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Mitchell: Gale Sayers & Dick Butkus inspired me to become a Chicago Bears fan - Windy City Gridiron - On this sad day when we have lost the greatest pure runner to have graced the gridiron, here’s the story about how he inspired me

WhiskeyRanger: Bears Sign DT Daniel McCullers Off Steelers Practice Squad - Windy City Gridiron - Bears add Defensive Line depth after Jenkins injury

Infante: Bears’ odds to win NFC North jump with 2-0 start - Windy City Gridiron - Bettors believe that the Bears’ undefeated start to the 2020 season could be beneficial to their NFC North hopes down the line.

Wiltfong: Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2020: Week 2 vs New York Giants - Windy City Gridiron - With the Chicago Bears allowing multiple week 1 sacks from 2014 to 2019, I was so excited to have only one lonely sack to break down in the debut Sackwatch of the 2020 season.

Leming's Bears Mailbag: Danny Trevathan’s decline, Riley Ridley’s lack of usage and pinpointing the team’s offensive identity - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears are (2-0) for the first time since 2013 but we’ve got 15 weeks left in the season and plenty of questions to answer. One question for you guys: Are you ready to dive in? If so, let’s do it!

Wiltfong: Gale Sayers, Bears legend and Hall Of Famer, dies at 77 - Windy City Gridiron - "Just give me 18 inches of daylight; that’s all I need." ~ Gale Sayers

THE RULES

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