Holmes: Postgame Notes From Bears Locker Room
Well, we found out that winning this game was important to Lovie Smith. The Bears starters played the entire game and came up short in the regular season finale 10-3.
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Well, we found out that winning this game was important to Lovie Smith. The Bears starters played the entire game and came up short in the regular season finale 10-3.
This time of year everyone wants to talk about who deserves what awards, and many debates arise. For the Bears, the MVP of the defense is simple...it's the defense.
After sitting out Wednesday and Thursday's practices with an ankle injury, Bears' receiver Earl Bennett returned to the field on Friday.
A staple of the Bears' defense under Lovie Smith has been forcing turnovers. While that's lacked over the past few games, expect the Bears to turn that around.
The Bears-Packers rivalry started in 1921, a 20-0 Bears' victory, and has resulted in 180 regular season matchups. According to LeRoy Butler, the rivalry changed when Lovie Smith was hired as the Bears' head coach.
There has been some debate as to whether or not the Bears' starters will play in Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers, and also if they should play.
The Minnesota Vikings finally did something right this season. By beating the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings gave the Bears a guaranteed first round bye in the NFC Playoffs.
After a 7-9 season, and missing the playoffs for the third straight season, people were demanding drastic change. But the biggest change, as Lance Briggs put it, was no change.
Mike Martz had doubts about returning to coach before he joined the Bears for this season. Martz was just happy to be with a team again, now he's enjoying the rise to the top with the Bears.
No team has risen toward the NFL's elite in more stunning fashion than the Chicago Bears.
It's fair to say that the Chicago Bears have already exceeded all expectations this season.
Don't let the results get in the way of a good argument. At least that seems to be the rallying cry for the hardest-core advocates for a Bears' coaching change after this season.
All the talk this week from the Bears' players about the change of venue for the Bears-Vikings Monday night game, has been negative. But history tells us that it could still be better than the alternative.
There has been concern over the field at TCF Bank Stadium being safe enough to play and it has been said a few times that it will be. However, some of the Vikings' players have expressed concern, even describing the field as being as hard as concrete. LISTEN: LOVIE SMITH INTERVIEW
It seems the cold weather has been downplayed by the Bears lately and that's no surprise. This is just a part of the late season for Chicago. On the other hand, Minnesota is used to playing in the Metrodome. Who will have the advantage?
The Chicago Bears are hoping to play better in the frigid weather against the Vikings than they did against the Patriots. The Bears defense know they need to get turnovers and haven't been able to accomplish this in two weeks. They also know they could face QB Joe Webb and have been preparing to stop Adrian Peterson.
Lovie Smith takes constant criticism from the media and fans. But the players show unwavering support for their head coach, and the reason for that is simple, they trust him.
So far this week, there has been plenty of discussion about where the Bears-Vikings game will be played. And it seems as if that discussion hasn't reached Halas Hall.
Like most things in sports, no two athletes do something the same. In baseball, some batters use pine tar and some use batting gloves. NFL quarterbacks can be similar when it comes to the way they throw the football and the condition of the ball as well.
In the Bears' last six games they're 5-1. That one loss, as we all know, was an ugly game for the Bears that has some fans worry about the future of the team. But the big picture goal is still attainable.
The Bears went from playing their best football of the season, to playing their worst game of the season. Despite the 36-7 loss to the Patriots, the Bears can still lock up the division, and a playoff berth, with a win over the Vikings and a Green Bay loss.
So the Bears are not as good as the Patriots. We probably knew that, at least those of us who expressed pessimism about their chances, even in mythically-advantageous weather.
Continuos snow, high winds, and frigid temperatures were not enough to stop Tom Brady and the New England offense from blowing out the Chicago Bears. LISTEN: GAME HIGHLIGHTS - LOVIE SMITH
The late Harold Coffin, a humor columnist for the Associated Press, once said, "envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own."
The Bears are who they are. They trust their schemes and rely on their players to make plays. And when that combination works, the wins pile up.
A night after losing the series opener 10-3, the Rangers (51-50) finished with a season-high 18 hits and avoided falling below .500 for the first time since June 27.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing 8-6 in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
On Fridays at the Green Mill, the jazz starts in the afternoon and goes until the wee hours of the morning.
On July 8, Josiah managed to leave the school building and wander from Cermak nearly half a mile down State Street.
The contractor, who was conducting work, was stranded about 130 feet above ground inside an enclosed sign structure toward the top of a sign pole.
Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is calling for greater transparency over nongovernmental organizations that receive at least $10,000 in state grants by making them subject to public records and open meetings requests.
Two independent Latino candidates seeking to run for retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's seat in Congress won't appear on the ballot in November.
New search data shows "fascism" drew roughly 264,700 monthly searches nationally in 2026, but in Illinois the most-searched word definition was "bias."
President Trump is imposing 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, from hockey equipment to alcoholic beverages, escalating the trade dispute between the two countries.
Parents of students in the Chicago Public Schools system had a chance Monday to weigh in on the next budget.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
The 46th Taste of Chicago is cashless for the first time, accepting only credit cards, with a drone and fireworks show scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday near Buckingham Fountain.
The child, who's nonverbal, managed to walk down the sidewalk, turn the corner and cross several busy intersections on State Street before a CTA bus driver spotted him and knew something wasn't right.
The pharmacy chain says common medications for dogs and cats are now available at about 9,000 locations nationwide.
Meteorologist David Yeomans is tracking the latest in First Alert Weather.
Co-owners Jill Skintges and Jason Cole recently brought back the late-night weekend hours that were a key part of the legendary jazz club.
Residents say they've been dealing with the issue for the past two months. Some expressed that they're glad to see the business closed.
A bar on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Park community was shut down by Chicago police Tuesday morning, days after a fight broke out at a party in the bar and led to a fatal shooting.
On Fridays at the Green Mill, the jazz starts in the afternoon and goes until the wee hours of the morning.
On July 8, Josiah managed to leave the school building and wander from Cermak nearly half a mile down State Street.
The contractor, who was conducting work, was stranded about 130 feet above ground inside an enclosed sign structure toward the top of a sign pole.
Orlando Rivas was killed while he was shielding students after a car hit a pole that fell on him earlier this year.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Chicago has been feeling the heat this week, with highs in the 90s the past five days, but officials are making moves to cool off some of the hottest parts of the city, specifically Chicago Park District fieldhouses where many turn to keep cool.
Gene Rush survived throat cancer, but he didn't survive a trip to the Porter County Jail over 4th of July weekend. His family said jail staff failed to provide lifesaving medical care.
A night after losing the series opener 10-3, the Rangers (51-50) finished with a season-high 18 hits and avoided falling below .500 for the first time since June 27.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing 8-6 in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
Head coach David Braun is excited about what an intimate environment can do for his team.
The WNBA All-Star Game is being held in Chicago on Saturday, with the city hosting events in celebration.
All eyes are on Chicago as the city gets set to host the WNBA All-Star Weekend for the second time.
A bar on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Park community was shut down by Chicago police Tuesday morning, days after a fight broke out at a party in the bar and led to a fatal shooting.
A man was shot and wounded early Tuesday in the Wentworth Gardens public housing development just south of Rate Field.
Charges were pending Tuesday morning for a man accused of shooting a woman and a Chicago police SWAT officer in Chicago's Albany Park community the day before.
A man stabbed two tourists near the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece's top tourist attraction, police said.
A man was shot and killed in a fight in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Sunday night.
