Alliance... » The Chicago Bears head into their final regular

LAKE FOREST Youth Duke Shelley Jersey , Ill. (AP) — season game with a shot at an opening-round bye and some extra rest for their first playoff appearance in eight years.Consider those sweet incentives for the NFC North champions.A victory at Minnesota combined with a loss by the Los Angeles Rams to the San Francisco 49ers would give the Bears the second seed in the conference and a bye.“You have to be realistic in some of this,” Coach Matt Nagy said Monday.Chicago and Los Angeles kick off at the same time. And if it becomes clear the Bears have little shot at catching the Rams, Nagy figures to ease up and start pulling his best players.But for now, he’s all-in.“We’re doing everything we possibly can to win,” Nagy said. “And then I think it’s one of those deals where as you go, you gotta just kind of get a feel for your own game. And you gotta get a feel of what’s going on in that game because … that other game does matter with the Rams.”It’s been a long time since games this late in the season mattered for the Bears (11-4).They had a chance to make the playoffs in 2013 — their first year under Marc Trestman — only to miss out at 8-8 after faltering down the stretch. They got shredded at Philadelphia 54-11 in Week 16 and closed with a loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a finale for the division championship at Soldier Field.The Bears fired Trestman after finishing last in the NFC North at 5-11 the following year. They went 14-34 the next three seasons under John Fox and never escaped the bottom of the division.But a major overhaul in the offseason that included the hiring of Nagy and trade for Khalil Mack spurred a worst-to-first leap. They’re headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 team won the division on the way to the NFC title game.“Even though we have the playoffs locked up already, we want to finish strong and that’s our mindset,” quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said. “Inside the locker room, just continue to take every game and every opportunity to go out there and play together and take care of business.”The Bears are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, a game behind the Rams. But they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after shutting down Jared Goff and Los Angeles’ high-powered offense in a 15-6 victory at Soldier Field on Dec. 9.If they don’t get the second seed, they could wind up playing Minnesota in back-to-back weeks. The Vikings are sixth in the NFC and fighting to hang onto a playoff spot. But Nagy insisted the possibility of facing them the following week won’t impact his approach.That’s because the Bears have something at stake.“It’d be different if you couldn’t move at all,” Nagy said. “But the fact that you’re going here to win this game and do everything you can based on where we’re at now as we stand in this situation, you have to go about it that way. There’ll be some things maybe here or there that we’ll take a look at. But we’re just trying to keep this as normal as we possibly can Duke Shelley Jersey Color Rush , knowing that we’re going to (try to) win.”The Bears are rolling with eight wins in nine games, surviving a fight and a late fumble to beat San Francisco 14-9 on Sunday.Danny Trevathan made a key interception. A dominant defense kept the 49ers out of the end zone, and Nagy became the Bears’ first rookie coach to win 11 games.“We’re growing, we’re still growing and we’re also peaking,” Trevathan said.Notes: Nagy said he talked on the flight home with receivers Anthony Miller and Josh Bellamy, who were ejected for fighting after a sliding Trubisky was hit late by San Francisco’s Marcell Harris. “I’m not condoning what they did,” he said. But he acknowledged the play bothered the Bears, particularly since Trubisky missed two games with a shoulder injury after Minnesota’s Harrison Smith hit him as the quarterback was sliding. “It’s a violent game,” Nagy said. “And when you see your boy, teammate, friend or family member getting hit like that, especially weeks ago when something similar happened like that (happened), it’s natural Womens Duke Shelley Jersey ,” Nagy said. “I don’t care what anybody says, it’s natural to protect your guy, and that’s what they did.” … Nagy is “cautiously optimistic” G Kyle Long (right foot) returns this week. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman suffered a tendon injury in Chicago’s win over the New York Jets on Oct. 28. … Nagy said the Bears will monitor WR Allen Robinson, who hurt his ribs making a diving 43-yard catch in the first quarter Sunday but returned to the game. Schedule analysis and draft thoughts lead the news in today’s Den"BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!BEARRRSSSS / FREE AGENCY / DRAFTThe Bears’ 2019 schedule is out. Tribune writers make their game-by-game predictions - Chicago Tribune - The Bears will play the maximum five prime-time games as well as the early Thanksgiving game and one in London. Coach Matt Nagy has embraced that spotlight as a reward for their success. The league, after all, wants to showcase its best teams. With that elevated position, however, come expectations. The Bears carry them along with Super Bowl aspirations into 2019. Here’s their full schedule and a breakdown of each game.Chalk Talk: What’s toughest part of schedule? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the most difficult portion of the Bears’ schedule, if the Bears could have a sixth night game added and the last time the Bears played on Thanksgiving in back-to-back seasons.Mayer: Capsules of Bears’ 2019 opponents - ChicagoBears.com - Take a capsule look at the 13 teams the Bears will play during the 2019 season, including series records and the last meetings between the Bears and their opponents.Mayer: Iconic sportscaster Coppock passes away - ChicagoBears.com - Legendary Chicago sportscaster Chet Coppock passed away Wednesday from injuries he sustained in an automobile accident near Hilton Head, South Carolina.Medina: If the Schedule and Trubisky Are the Bears’ Biggest Concerns Youth Aaron Lynch Jerseys , We’re Not Worried - Bleacher Nation - There’s nothing like bulletin-board material in April!Medina: Potential Bears Draft Target Devin Singletary Showed His Hamstring Is Fully Healthy at Recent Workout - Bleacher Nation - FAU running back Devin Singletary proved in a workout with the Bears that his hamstring problem is a thing of the past.Eurich: How the Chicago Bears can win the 2019 NFL Draft - 247Sports - So how can Bears GM Ryan Pace walk away from the draft feeling like a winner?Eurich: Free agents the Chicago Bears can still target ahead of draft - 247Sports - The Chicago Bears will not have the chance to fill out their roster via the draft like many others around the league.Gabriel: Scouting Bears’ Kicking Options In The NFL Draft - 670 The Score - The Bears could select a kicker next week in the NFL Draft.Behind Enemy Lines: Looking at where the Bears fall in their opponents’ schedules - NBC Sports Chicago - The NFL released its schedule on Wednesday night, and Paul Aspan breaks down where the Bears fall in their opponents’ schedules,Mayer: Bears featured in two of NFL’s top 10 games - ChicagoBears.com - According to NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison, the Bears will play in two of the NFL’s top 10 games during the 2019 season, both on Sunday Night Football.Bears have a different view of the draft this year - Daily Herald - The Bears have a different view of the draft this year. After a worst-to-first jump last season in the NFC North, the Bears have one of the league’s best defenses and banking on a more creative offense led by QB Mitchell Trubisky to improve.POLISH SAUSAGENFLPA president: Voluntary means voluntary – ProFootballTalk - Jaguars executive V.P. of football operations Tom Coughlin say that all players should be present for voluntary offseason workouts. The president of the NFL Players Association says that voluntary doesn’t mean what Coughlin apparently thinks it means.KNOW THY ENEMYLions GM: Detroit not planning to trade up in 1st round - Pride Of Detroit - Don’t expect the Lions to trade up in the first round.San Francisco man swindles Vikings in luxury suite scam - Daily Norseman - The team estimates that they lost around $70,000Packers’ 2019 schedule predictions: Is a 10-6 record realistic? - Acme Packing Company - There are tough stretches in this year’s schedule, but are the Packers headed back to the playoffs? Ken's Note: Denial is a river that runs through Green Bay.Lions GM: Stafford's absence won't affect draft plans - NFL.com - Lions general manager Bob Quinn said Thursday that Matthew Stafford's absence from the team will not affect how Detroit attacks the 2019 NFL Draft.Draft analysis: With playmakers Jackson, Clinton-Dix, Bears need safety depth - Sun Times - On a team with a strong front seven like the Bears ... it’s a potential bonanza to have two ballhawks like Jackson and Clinton-Dix in the secondary.IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRONWiltfong: 10 Thoughts on the Chicago Bears 2019 Schedule - Windy City Gridiron - Now that the Chicago Bears 2019 schedule has been made official, and we’ve all had some time to dissect the path the Bears will need to travel to repeat as NFC North champs, I wanted to share my...Infante: Analyzing which running backs Bears should target in 2019 NFL Draft - Windy City Gridiron - Last week, I asked you all on Twitter which running back draft prospects you wanted me to break down. This week Aaron Lynch Jerseys Stitched , I share my analyses.WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMSWindy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming on Twitch from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz NetworkTHE RULESWindy 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.The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. 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