Die Planung » The Chicago Bears have a rare opportunity

LAKE FOREST Cody Whitehair Jersey , Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears have a rare opportunity to beat the Detroit Lions and pick up a victory over an NFC North opponent.As accomplishments go, those seem rather modest. Then again, consider their recent history.The division-leading Bears have a chance to check off two more boxes when they host the struggling Lions on Sunday.They have lost nine of the past 10 games against Detroit and have dropped 10 in a row to division opponents heading into their matchup at Soldier Field.Since the start of the 2014 season, Chicago is 4-21 against the NFC North. But these Bears aren’t those Bears.Chicago (5-3) hit the halfway mark with its best record in five years and sole possession of the NFC North lead for the first time since 2013. It’s a big change for a franchise with four straight last-place finishes. But the Bears have already matched their win total from last year and are making a push for their first playoff appearance since the 2010 team advanced to the NFC championship game.“There’s just so much ball left,” said coach Matt Nagy, in his first season. “For our team, we’ve won in different ways and we’ve lost in different ways. I think we’ve kind of learned different ways to do it. And when you lose, you try to figure out why and how to not let it happen again. When you win, you figure out why and how you can always improve and be better. I like where we’re at, but we understand we have a ways to go.”Chicago is coming off back-to-back wins over two struggling teams, with a 41-9 blowout at Buffalo after beating the New York Jets at home.Detroit (3-5) has dropped two in a row and last week’s 24-9 loss at Minnesota was particularly ugly. Matthew Stafford got sacked 10 times http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-jonathan-bullard-jersey , and the Lions were held to single digits in points for the first time since a 17-6 loss to the New York Giants on Dec. 18, 2016.They also traded wide receiver Golden Tate to Philadelphia prior to the Vikings game, and they fired special teams coordinator Joe Marciano on Monday night.“Definitely have to learn from some of those things that we’ve done in the past that haven’t been up to par or haven’t been good enough, and try to minimize those or eliminate them as we go forward,” coach Matt Patricia said. “That’s the most important thing.”Here are some things to know about the matchup:ON THE MENDThe Bears might get star outside linebacker Khalil Mack (ankle) and top receiver Allen Robinson (groin) back from injuries.Both players missed the past two games. But they went through full practices on Wednesday. Tight end Adam Shaheen might also return from a foot injury he suffered in the preseason.ANSAH BACKThe Lions got a boost last week with the return of defensive end Ziggy Ansah.He had a sack in the second quarter that forced the Vikings to settle for a field goal, after missing six games because of a shoulder injury. Having Ansah back means more pressure on the quarterback and maybe better luck stopping the run. The Lions rank 30th in that area.“We’ve just got to set an edge and whoever has got a gap to be in, they’ve just got to be in there,” Ansah said. “Just play fundamental and be able to execute.”FAMILIAR FOESThe Bears are about to meet the Lions twice in a 12-day span, with a Thanksgiving matchup at Ford Field and a primetime Sunday game against Minnesota at home in between.This three-game run facing the NFC North comes after four in row against the AFC East. Chicago hasn’t played a division team since a 24-23 season-opening loss at Green Bay, when it blew a 20-point lead against an injured Aaron Rodgers.STRUGGLING STAFFORDAfter a solid stretch, Stafford has struggled a bit the past two weeks with 13 sacks and a 90.3 rating. He had ratings above 100 in each of the previous five games.“He’s been with the Lions for all of his career and he has a great group of receivers Womens Akiem Hicks Jersey , and for some reason they’re not putting games together,” Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “But they’re still a great team and I know for a fact we won’t take them lightly.”GETTING OFFENSIVEWhile a defense that ranks fifth overall has gotten much of the credit, the Bears insist their offense is doing its part.Though Trubisky has been wild at times, his rating (96.1) is similar to Stafford’s (96.5). Chicago also ranks fifth in the NFL in scoring. We’ve shifted the focus of our offseason Chicago Bears’ roundtable topics to the NFL Draft for these last two questions."Being who you thought we were since 2005!Log In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBearsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsThe Bears DenNotesXs and OsSuperfansFrom The Desk Of...Roster AnalysisChicago Bears Draft 2019Who is the one prospect you don’t want the Bears to draft?New,74commentsWe’ve shifted the focus of our offseason Chicago Bears’ roundtable topics to the NFL Draft for these last two questions.CDTShareTweetShareShareWho is the one prospect you don’t want the Bears to draft?Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY SportsYesterday we asked you guys to give us the one player you are really hoping the Chicago Bears find a way to select in the 2019 NFL Draft. But today we’re going the other direction win our offseason topic. Who is the one prospect you want the Bears to stay away from in the draft?This could be a workout warrior whose tape doesn’t match the hype, a guy with questionable medical history, or maybe a guy that had some run-ins with the authorities. Or it could just be a personal preference. I’ll go first today since I don’t have a specific player in mind, but rather a position, and that’s to stay away from drafting a kicker. I just don’t like spending a pick on a position that you are more likely to find “your guy” on the street. Look around the league. How many kickers are thriving with the same team that drafted them?I’m not saying you should never draft a kicker, I’m just saying the Bears have just as good of odds adding an undrafted free agent to compete with the guys currently on the roster. But with that being said, I’m not going to gripe if they use their last pick on a kicker just to ensure they get the guy they want. Now let’s check in on what a few of our guys had to say...Josh Sunderbruch - It’s easy to say one of the guys who has character concerns Bobby Massie Jersey , but I’ll go with a mock draft I saw last week that made my head hurt--a trade up into the 2nd round to take Mississippi wide receiver A.J. Brown. Not only is trading up one of the last things the Bears need to do right now, trading up to take a wide receiver after repairing the position in 2018 seems like a really bad roster management.Jacob Infante - A small part of me dies whenever I see the Bears picking an offensive tackle in the third round of any mock draft. The duo of Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie is a reliable and, for their talent level, cheap offensive tackle tandem and does not need replacing this year. I would especially dislike it if the Bears were to draft Washington offensive tackle Kaleb McGary. He tested through the roof at the Combine and has great size, but make no mistake about it: the dude is stiff. His hips are far from fluid and he struggles with moving laterally on tape. He also struggles with hand placement and getting inside leverage on his defenders, and his pad level needs some work. Some team will overdraft him because he’s long and can run fast, but I’d prefer that team to not be the Bears.Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter - Honestly, I don’t want to see the Bears drafting any kickers or punters. Period. It’s not to say there’s no talent available; Cole Tracy; John Barron II; and Matt Gay are all rock solid players. I’m just not a fan of drafting kickers. Robert Zeglinski - At the moment, the Bears are objectively fine at tight end. The duo of Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen doesn’t profile as one of the league’s best, but they’re solid enough. I could see why folks would want the Bears to draft another tight end with their limited picks at the end of the month to change that reality. I’d prefer they didn’t. I’ve seen any number of mock drafts with tight end prospects pushed to the Bears in the third and fourth round. I think taking another tight end so soon admits defeat on the prospect of Shaheen’s career and to a lesser extent, an ill-advised investment in Burton. There’s no reason the Bears should be trying to cut any losses at tight end so soon. Shaheen is no “Baby Gronk” and we can put any notion to the contrary to rest. But he has had a career ravaged by injuries to this point and possesses enough talent to carve out a fruitful place with the Bears if he settles in. One more year of effort on his part should be enough. He deserves another chance. Meanwhile Burton http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-jordan-howard-jersey , as a versatile tight end that can catch 50-plus passes and play all over the field, is exactly what the Bears need from a player like him. He’s meeting expectations. Focus on cornerback, running back, and some front line depth on both sides of the ball if you’re Ryan Pace. Don’t punt on your tight ends — with limited draft resources as it is — when you don’t yet have to.EJ Snyder - Any choice of an offensive lineman early would confuse me. The Bears O-line is as set as it has been in years and only an exceptional slide by a highly-regarded prospect could make that move make any sense. On the other side of the ball, Jachai Polite may well be available after submarining his draft stock over the last month... but I’m not really sure he fits with the highly successful “we” culture that Nagy has built in the locker room. Polite’s skills on the field are absolutely top-notch, but everything else screams stay away. Now it’s your turn. Who do you hope the Bears stay away from in the draft?