With Gary Kubiak staying in Baltimore, the Bears are turning their attention to Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Austin will interview for the Bears’ head coaching vacancy Tuesday at Halas Hall, sources confirmed on Sunday.
Austin — who has already spoken to the 49ers and Falcons — turned around the Lions’ defense in his first season. Only one team allowed fewer than their 300.9 yards per game and 17.6 points per game.
The Bears’ simultaneous search for a new general manager and a new coach will continue Friday in Seattle when the team is to meet with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune reports. On Saturday, the Bears will be in Denver for a meeting with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
Less than a week after finishing a 5-11 season and firing both general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman, the Bears are progressing through the early stages of their search process with Chairman George McCaskey, President Ted Phillips and newly hired consultant Ernie Accorsi.
On the GM front, a league source confirmed Thursday that Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta, an initial target of the Bears, would be staying in Baltimore. DeCosta declined opportunities to interview for either the Bears or Jets GM openings.
ESPN Bears reporter Michael Wright reacts to the team’s firings of coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery.
The end of the season for the Bears has brought with it with the change at the top for the organization.
The team announced today they have fired general manager Phil Emery after three years on the job and head coach Marc Trestman after his second season.
A report from ESPN already says that former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary would be interested in interviewing for the head coaching spot.
Before joining the Bears, Trestman spent five years as the head coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, who won two Grey Cup championships during his tenure.
The Bears finished the season with a disappointing 5-11 record, with tensions boiling over after the loss to the Dolphins, when WR Brandon Marshall went after QB Jay Cutler.
The Bears switch at quarterback looked good for awhile, but in the end it was the same old story, as Chicago fell to the Lions 20-14 at home Sunday.
Thanks to a late touchdown run by Joique Bell, the Lions managed to get past Jimmy Clausen and the chaotic Chicago Bears 20-14 Sunday
Chicago benched Jay Cutler days earlier, having seen enough after he led the NFL with 18 interceptions and 24 turnovers in the first year of a seven-year contract he signed in the offseason. They turned to the cast-off Clausen, who hadn’t started a game since 2010.
Matthew Stafford outplayed Clausen, but just barely. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 243 yards and hit the 4,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year, but it was hardly an easy afternoon for him.
Ndamukong Suh had two sacks, Calvin Johnson added six catches for 103 yards and now the playoff-bound Lions (11-4) can wrap up the NFC North title with a win next week against Green Bay.
Regardless, the Lions will make their second trip to the postseason in four years and third in 16 years after Philadelphia’s loss to Washington on Saturday.
They were hoping to lock up their first division championship since 1993. But with the Packers beating Tampa Bay, the division will be decided in next week’s game at Green Bay.
Stafford threw interceptions in the end zone and near the goal line on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter with the Lions leading 7-0.
Reggie Bush ran for a touchdown and finished with 54 yards rushing and 44 receiving for Detroit. The Lions came away with their highest win total since they went 12-4 in 1991 and handed Chicago (5-10) its fourth straight loss.
Clausen completed 23 of 39 passes for 181 yards in his first start since his 2010 rookie season with Carolina. He threw touchdowns to Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery and played turnover-free ball until a late interception by Glover Quin.
The Bears were leading 14-10 early in the fourth when Tim Jennings bumped Corey Fuller on a deep third-down pass, resulting in a 46-yard interference penalty.
On the next play Bell dodged two defenders and broke a tackle by Brock Vereen for a 17-yard TD that put Detroit up 17-14. Prater added a 30-yard field goal to make it a six-point game with 2:35 remaining.
Prater gave Detroit a 10-7 lead with a 39-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half. But the Bears answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive. Clausen capped it by lofting a 20-yard pass over Darius Slay to Jeffery in the end zone, giving Chicago its first lead at 14-10 with 2:45 left in the third.
The Bears’ Jeremiah Ratliff blocked a 37-yard field goal by Prater early in the fourth, keeping it a four-point game.
The Lions might have run away with this one if not for Stafford’s interceptions in the second quarter and a muffed punt by Jeremy Ross that led to a touchdown for Chicago near the end of the first half.
| LIONS | BEARS | |
| SERIES LEADER | 96-68-5 | |
| STREAKS | Past 3 | |
| COACHES VS. OPP. | Caldwell: 1-0 | Trestman: 0-3 |
| LAST WEEK | W 16-14 vs. Vikings | L 31-15 vs. Saints |
| LAST GAME | 11/27/14: Bears 17 at Lions 34. Lions WR Calvin Johnson has 11 catches for 146 yards and 2 TDs. Detroit RB Joique Bell adds 91 rushing yards & 2 TDs. | |
| LAST GAME AT SITE | 11/10/13: Lions 21, Bears 19. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford throws for 219 yards & 3 TDs, including 2 to Johnson (4, 14). Lions RB Reggie Bush adds 105 rushing yards. | |
| BROADCAST | FOX (12:00 PM CT): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 113 (Det.), 135 (Chi.). XM: 229 (Chi.). | |
STATS
| PASSING | Stafford: 321-522-3797-19-10-87.8 | Cutler: 347-525-3640-28 (T3C)-18-89.5 |
| RUSHING | Bell: 197-726-3.7-6 | Forté: 230-932-4.1-6 |
| RECEIVING | Tate: 91 (2C)-1224 (3C)-13.5-4 | Forté (RB): 88 (3C)-745-8.5-3 |
| OFFENSE | 340.9 | 338.2 |
| TAKE/GIVE | +8 (T3C) | -8 |
| DEFENSE | 300.3 (2L) | 382.4 |
| SACKS | Ansah: 7.5 | Young: 9.5 |
| INTs | Quin: 6 (T1L) | 3 tied: 3 |
| PUNTING | Martin: 46.8 (3C) | O’Donnell (R): 44.0 |
| KICKING | Prater: 74 (17/17 PAT; 19/23 FG) | Feely: 3 (3/4 PAT; 0/0 FG) |
NOTES
LIONS: QB MATTHEW STAFFORD aims for 4th win in row vs. Chi. In Week 13 meeting, had 390 yards, 2 TDs & 116 rating. Needs 203 pass yards for 4th consec. 4,000-yard season…RB REGGIE BUSH aims for 3rd in row vs. Chi. with 100+ rush yards. RB JOIQUE BELL rushed for 91 yards & 2 TDs in Week 13. In past 3, has 343 scrimmage yards (114.3 per game) & 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.). WR CALVIN JOHNSON had 11 catches for 146 yards & 2 TDs in Week 13. Has 5 TDs in past 3 meetings. Needs 65 rec. yards for 5th consecutive 1,000-yard season. Since 2011, leads NFL with 6,072 rec. yards & 106.5 rec. yards per game. WR GOLDEN TATE has 13 catches for 185 yards (92.5 per game) & TD in past 2 meetings. In past 11, has 75 catches for 1,023 yards (93 per game) & 4 TDs…LB DE ANDRE LEVY leads team with 132 tackles. Had INT in last game at Chi. Has 7 INTs since 2013, most by NFL LB. DT NDAMUKONG SUH has 5 sacks in past 5 meetings. DT NICK FAIRLEY has sack & FR-TD in his past 2 vs. Chi. DE EZEKIEL ANSAH had sack in Week 13. S GLOVER QUIN (6) & JAMES IHEDIGBO (4) have combined for 10 INTs, most by S duo in NFL. Quin has INT in each of past 3. Ihedigbo has INT in 3 of past 4…BEARS: QB JAY CUTLER has won 4 of his 5 starts at home vs. Det…In 13 meetings, RB MATT FORTÉ has 1,423 scrimmage yards (109.5 per game) & 9 TDs (6 rush, 3 rec.). Is 1 of 2 in NFL with 900+ rush (932) & 700+ rec. (745) yards…WR ALSHON JEFFERY has 23 catches for 292 yards (97.3 per game) & 3 TDs in past 3 vs. Det. Had 2 TDs in Week 13. Aims for 6th in row with TD (6 TDs in past 5). TE MARTELLUS BENNETT had 8 catches for 109 yards in last meeting. Ties for NFL lead among TEs with career-high 81 catches…DE WILLIE YOUNG played 4 years with Det. (2010-13) & had 6 sacks. In 1st year with Chi., has 9.5 sacks. In 14 games vs. Det., DE JARED ALLEN has 17.5 sacks, 5 FFs, FR & 36-yard INT-TD. Had 2 sacks, FF & FR in Week 13. Since 2004, leads NFL with 133.5 sacks. Since 2012, CB TIM JENNINGS ties for 2nd in NFL with 13 INTs & ties for 4th with 3 INT-TDs.
The Bears plan to start Jimmy Clausen at quarterback this week over Jay Cutler, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN
Cutler has struggled this season in leading the Bears to a 5-9 record. In Monday’s 31-15 loss to the New Orleans Saints, he threw two touchdowns but had three interceptions bring his NFL-leading turnover total to 24. He also was sacked seven times.
Clausen has appeared in three games for the Bears this season.
| DETROIT LIONS | ||
| Practice Report | ||
| DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | DT Nick Fairley (knee), DE George Johnson (illness), T LaAdrian Waddle (knee) | |
| LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | S Don Carey (ankle), WR Calvin Johnson (ankle), LB Ashlee Palmer (quadricep), CB Mohammed Seisay (hamstring) | |
| CHICAGO BEARS | ||
| Practice Report | ||
| DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | K Robbie Gould (right quadricep), CB Tim Jennings (ankle), DT Jay Ratliff (knee) | |
| LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | S Chris Conte (back), LB Shea McClellin (ankle) | |
| FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE | ||
| Wednesday | CB Kyle Fuller (hand) | |
January 12th, 2015 
Matt Loede 
Posted in 
