The Bear’s Den, December 20, 2022

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Johnson gives himself an ‘A’ for performance against Brown - 670 The Score - Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson had arguably the most high-profile matchup of his career Sunday, when he shadowed Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown everywhere in Chicago’s 25-20 loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field.

Matt Eberflus sees Justin Fields growing as leader for Bears - 670 The Score - The Bears have traded away two of their team captains this season, placed two others on injured reserve and dealt with a revolving door of roster movement. Through those challenges, second-year quarterback Justin Fields has led the team.

Bears RB Khalil Herbert to return from IR this week - 670 The Score - Bears running back Khalil Herbert (hip) is set to be designated for a return from injured reserve and could be activated ahead of Chicago’s game against Buffalo on Saturday at Soldier Field, coach Matt Eberflus said Monday.

Emma: Bears could learn a lot from Eagles - 670 The Score - As the Bears look to transform their supporting cast around quarterback Justin Fields, they could learn a lot from how the Eagles surrounded star quarterback Jalen Hurts with playmaking talent.

Teven Jenkins out of hospital after neck injury scare - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears starting right guard left Sunday’s game against the Eagles on a stretcher and was hospitalized after suffering the injury on the Bears’ first possession of the game. Coach Matt Eberflus said his prognosis was “encouraging.”

Bears RB Khalil Herbert expected to return from hip injury vs. Bills - Chicago Sun-Times - He was 11th in the NFL in rushing when he went down last month.

Has David Montgomery done enough to warrant a contract extension? - The Irish Bears Network - Signing a running back to a second contract is always risky, as runners are often prone to regression earlier than other positions. David Montgomery has been one of the Bears' most consistent offensive weapons since the team selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the team will have to decide

CHGO Bears Podcast: Justin Fields shines again while the Chicago Bears don’t win - CHGO - In this episode, the guys discuss Justin Fields' strong performance against the Eagles.

Meet the Chicago Bears fan who has attended 400 straight games - CHGO - A major achievement took place at Soldier Field on Sunday.And no, I'm not talking about Justin Fields becoming the third player in NFL history to reach 1,000 rushing yards as a quarterback. I'm talking about Paul Zywicki aka "The Road Warrior" attending his 400th consecutive Chicago Bears game. That includes home and road, rain or

Chicago Bears game grades: Justin Fields runs to the head of the class (again) - CHGO - The Bears lost. The Bears were competitive. The Bears kept their tank draft status in check. Justin Fields bought Bears fans to their feet. Rinse. Repeat. Let's get to the grades for the Bears' 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday ... Quarterback: A It is almost getting routine at this point. At some point in

Kyler Gordon's tremendous growth silver lining of Bears' loss vs. Eagles - NBC Sports Chicago - Justin Fields' growth has rightfully been the headline around the 2022 Bears. But Kyler Gordon has quietly gotten better each week, and he showed there's a lot more to come in his breakthrough game vs. the Eagles.

Bears snap count: Alex Leatherwood faced valuable adversity vs. Eagles - NBC Sports Chicago - Alex Leatherwood had a tough day against the Eagles' vaunted front. The Bears hope he can take valuable lessons from the adversity he faced against the NFL's best team.

Matt Eberflus' H.I.T.S. foundation taking shape despite Bears losses - NBC Sports Chicago - Each week the Bears are playing more to Matt Eberflus' standards, and that's helping them compete with Super Bowl contenders like the Eagles.

When Evaluating 2022 Performance, Bears Must Acknowledge “Good Enough” is Not Good Enough - Da Bears Blog - Thought experiment. Name a position on the Chicago Bears that can’t be significantly improved.

Bears film study: Justin Fields’ incredible running — and room to grow in passing - Chicago Sun-Times - He’s the best running quarterback in the NFL. Next: Make some strides as a passer. He was good at both against the Eagles, but there were a few plays when he could’ve done more.

Eddie Jackson on Justin Fields: ‘This is what we dreamed about’ - Chicago Sun-Times - Watching Bears quarterback Justin Fields makes Eddie Jackson think about the future — but also the past.

Protecting Justin Fields is Job 1 for Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Fields survived six sacks against the Eagles on Sunday. But with the finish line to a rebuilding season in sight, the Bears have to make sure Fields is standing at the end. “That’s the franchise quarterback,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “This is always a big issue.”

Bears’ Eddie Jackson: Foot injury should be fine by spring practice - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears safety Eddie Jackson seems to have avoided the worst.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Report: X-rays negative on Jalen Hurts’ throwing shoulder, MRI confirms it’s not serious - ProFootballTalk - Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has a sprained right shoulder, but John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports that X-rays were negative and an MRI confirmed it was only a sprain.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Commanders sticking with Taylor Heinicke, may "have to think about" QB change at some point - ProFootballTalk - Heinicke was 17-of-29 for 249 yards and a touchdown, but lost a pair of fumbles and Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux returned one of them for a touchdown.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Cody Whitehair may be out with a ‘significant’ knee injury - Windy City Gridiron - The latest REKAP Rush Hour dropped an interesting Bears nugget.

Wiltfong & Berckes: Chicago Bears vs Philadelphia Eagles cooled down review - Windy City Gridiron - Jeff and Lester rewatched the Bears vs Eagles game, and they have some cooled-down thoughts about it here.

Infante: Bears FS Eddie Jackson in good spirits while recovering from Lisfranc injury - Windy City Gridiron - The All-Pro safety was energetic and encouraging when speaking to Chicago media on Monday.

Wiltfong: Khalil Herbert will return this week - Windy City Gridiron - Head coach Matt Eberflus commented on several injured Chicago Bears players.

Leming's 10 Bears Takes: A Close Game, Injuries Mounting, and moving closer to a Top 5 pick - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears are (3-11) after losing their seventh-straight game but there was plenty to feel good about after Week 15. With just three games remaining, how much good will can this team build heading into the off-season?

Infante's Notes: Bears give valiant effort but fall to Eagles - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears lost their seventh game in a row, falling to the Eagles at Soldier Field.

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