Nov 25, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) tries to evade Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway (52) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Bears won 28-10. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears head to the Metrodome (I refuse to call it anything else) to rematch with the Minnesota Vikings.  Just a couple of weeks ago, the Bears prevailed at Soldied Field, but the Hump-dome is a whole different animal.  The Bears offensive line will be put to the test with the noisy environment and Adrian Peterson seems just a touch faster on the artificial turf.

The Bears have won 6 straight games over the Vikings.  Can they make it seven to keep themselves in contention for the NFC North crown?  Can they essentially end the Vikings’ postseason hopes?  To handle our 5 Questions, we reached out to our go to Vikings guy Dan Zinski, editor of The Viking Age.   Here are my questions and Dan’s answers. (more…)

The Bears, and the offensive line in particular, will be targeting Jared Allen on Sunday.  At least they’d better be.  So says Matt Bowen, a former NFL player and one of the best up-and-coming analysts going.  Bowen offers unique insight as a relatively recent player, letting us into the psyche of today’s NFL locker room.

Jared Allen ended OG Lance Louis’ season with a deliberate and vicious hit on an interception return.  Louis never saw it coming when Allen launched himself up into Louis’ grill and decleated him.  His foot was stuck in the Soldier Field turf and his ACL snapped as he twisted to the ground.   (more…)

Nov 4, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Bears guard Lance Louis (60) catches a tipped pass against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at LP Field. The Bears beat the Titans 51-20. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US Presswire

The NFL ruling on the Jared Allen hit on Lance Louis came down this afternoon and the amount of $21,000 seems very minimal.  It was an illegal hit that cost a player the rest of the season and it will only cost Allen a pack of gum compared to his $11.6 million dollar contract in 2012.

In an era of player safety, it seems like the NFL is only worried about head shot since it’s the hot topic right now, but to destroy an ACL can be just as much a career killer as a concussion.  There is a story floating around Twitter today I believe by Peter King that the NFL may vote to ban all blocks below the waist for next season.  Not that that rule would have saved Louis either since Allen hit him illegally, but it would save a lot of knee injuries in the future.

The bottom line is that a cheap shot costs Louis the rest of the season in rehabilitation and Allen is out some tipping money.  The Bears are not a dirty team so I don’t expect any repercussions when the Bears visit Minnesota December 9th.

Get Well Soon Lance!

Bears team doctors tend to injured Bears guard Lance Louis (Photo courtesy Chicago Tribune)

After Sunday’s 28-10 victory over the Vikings, the big question lingering for the Bears was how the injuries would impact them going forward.  One piece to that puzzle fell into place on Monday and not in a good way as the Bears placed guard Lance Louis on Injured Reserve with a torn ACL, ending his season. (more…)

Jan 1, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) celebrates his sacks of the Chicago Bears quarterback in the third quarter at the Metrodome. The sack set a new team record for Allen for most sacks in a single season with 22. The Bears win 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

The Bears and Vikings are set to square off yet again in a matchup that will feature two of the weakest passing offenses in the league on what’s expected to be a cold day at the freshly re-sodded Soldier Field.  It sets up as a ground and pound kind of game.

With the Bears on a tw0-game skid while Jay Cutler recovers from a concussion, this game takes on huge importance against the surprising Vikings.  A loss against the Vikings and the Bears will drop from first to third in the division in less than a week.  But it’s not hopeless; the Vikings are very beatable.  Here are my Keys to a Chicago Bears victory. (more…)

Nov 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) rushes for a 61 yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at the Metrodome. The Vikings win 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

The 6-4 Minnesota Vikings head to Soldier Field to Soldier Field to take on the 7-3 Bears in a crucial NFC North showdown.  Raise your hand if you saw this as a key game in the NFC North race before the season started.  Yeah, me neither.

The Bears have lost two in a row after jumping out to a 7-1 record, but have played the last game and a half without quarterback Jay Cutler, who suffered a concussion in their Sunday night game against the Texans a couple of weeks ago.  It’s unclear if Cutler will return, though he’s practiced all week.

For the Vikings, they’re led by running back Adrian Peterson.  That wouldn’t be surprising except that AP blew out his knee last December.  It’s miraculous that he’s back healthy and in fact leading the league in rushing after such a serious injury.  It looks like the Vikings could be without leading wide receiver Percy Harvin, so that could make the Vikins offense behind Christian Ponder one-dimensional, just what the doctor ordered for the struggling Bears.

To help us prepare for this important game, we’ve enlisted the help of old friend of the program Dan Zinski, editor of FanSided’s own The Viking Age.  Here are my questions and Dan’s answers to this week’s 5 Questions.  (more…)

The NFC matchup – the Civil War of the FanSided Divisional Smackdown will pit brother against brother, father against son, neighbor against neighbor to determine NFL supremacy.  OK, enough hyperbole, but it’s a great matchup.  I think the offenses are pretty closely matched, with Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees leading the way.  What gives the North the big advantage is the defense.  How would you like to have Julius Peppers and Jared Allen chasing you from the ends with Suh and half the Williams wall stuffing up the middle of the line?

The AFC matchup – the West vs the North – is probably the closest matchup out there.  Both teams are closely matched, but I’m giving the nod to the AFC North on the merits of their defense.  When you’ve got Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu is your secondary, that’s a pretty awesome duo. But don’t take my word for it – go check it out and vote for yourself.

We will advance to the second round next week and will crown our champ just before camps open, so keep checking back at FanSided.com.

In Norse tradition, they would put their dead leaders in a ship and send it out to sea ablaze.  The Vikings gave the Bears a Viking funeral in the Metrodome or the Mall of America Field or whatever the hell they call that house of horrors, trouncing the Bears 36-10 in a beating that was far worse than the score indicated.  This was another historic loss that cannot be described as anything less than a complete abomination.

Brett Favre marched the Vikings through the Bears defense more easily than the Nazis rolled through Poland.  Actually, that’s an insult to Poland, at least the Poles threw rocks as the German tanks rolled past.   (As a first generation Polish-American, I feel I can say that.  If it’s offensive to you, I apologize, but too bad).  The Bears barely raised a finger as the Vikes rolled up 537 yards of offense.  537 yards!

Maybe the best way to describe this atrocious effort is to let the Box Score do the talking.  Stealing a bit from Bleacher Nation, here is my enhanced Bears-Vikings Box Score:   (more…)