2010 Chicago Bears season
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Chicago Bears
season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League
. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season
and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs
for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on their record in 2010, particularly their standing in the NFC North
. All Bears home games were scheduled to be played at Soldier Field
. With their final regular season record at 11–5, the Bears improved drastically on their 2009 record. Their regular season finished with their first playoff appearance since the Super Bowl season of 2006, winning the NFC North
division and earning a bye
as the NFC's second seed. The Bears won their first game in the Divisional round of the playoffs, defeating the Seattle Seahawks
on January 16, 2011, to advance to the NFC Championship game. The Chicago Bears's 2010 season came to an end January 23, 2011 with a 21–14 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers
in the NFC Championship Game.
Ron Turner as well as position coaches Pep Hamilton
(Quarterbacks), Rob Boras
(Tight Ends), and Harry Hiestand
(Offensive Line). Quality Control assistants Luke Butkus
and Charles London
did not have their respective contracts renewed. While it's unclear whether or not former Defensive Coordinator Bob Babich will be brought back as a Linebackers coach or released, his contract will not be extended under its current terms.
Former Minnesota Vikings
head coach Mike Tice
was selected to succeed Hiestand as the Bears' offensive line coach on January 15.
After nearly a month-long search for Turner's replacement, on February 1, 2010, former St. Louis Rams
head coach Mike Martz
was hired to the Chicago coaching staff as Offensive Coordinator.
Following the Martz hire, Mike DeBord
, former college head coach and Seattle Seahawks
position coach, as a tight ends coach.
With the addition of Martz and DeBord in the offseason, the amount of experience on the staff grew. These two offseason acquisitions joined defensive line coach (and former Detroit Lions
head coach), Rod Marinelli
.
In a series of moves finalizing their 2010 coaching roster, the Bears hired former San Francisco 49ers
quarterbacks coach Shane Day
(an assistant to Mike Martz during his tenure in San Francisco) and quality control coaches Andrew Hayes-Stoker and Mikal Smith, assigned to the offense and defense, respectively. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli was promoted to Defensive Coordinator and his assistant, Eric Washington
, was promoted to the vacated position.
On April 27, 2010, the Bears allowed the contract of Director of College Scouting, Greg Gabriel, a member of the Bears scouting staff since 2001, to expire. There has been no announcement regarding who will succeed him.
In a long anticipated move, on April 30, the Bears welcomed former Seattle Seahawks
officer Tim Ruskell
to assume the post of Director of Pro Personnel at Halas Hall.
in Bourbonnais. This is preceded by the official Rookie Mini-Camp which traditionally is held the weekend following the NFL Draft at Halas Hall, this year beginning on April 30.
. In the first quarter, the Bears had the early lead with kicker Robbie Gould
nailing a 20-yard field goal, which they eventually failed to maintain with Lions running back Jahvid Best
getting a seven- and then a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bears fought back with quarterback Jay Cutler
completing a 89-yard touchdown pass to running back Matt Forté
, followed by Gould's 31-yard field goal. The Bears came on top in the fourth quarter with Cutler making a 28-yard TD pass to Forté (with a failed 2-point conversion). The game ended in somewhat controversial fashion, however, as a touchdown reception in the final minute by Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson
was overturned via a little known rule and ruled incomplete.
With the win, Chicago began the season at 1–0.
nailed a 38-yard field goal. Then they trailed with WR Dez Bryant
returning a punt 62 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. While the Cowboys were able to pressure quarterback Jay Cutler in the early stages of the game, the Bears' offense made adjustments and regained momentum. The Bears got the lead back when Cutler
made a 39-yard TD pass to tight end Greg Olsen
. In the second quarter the Bears trailed again when QB Tony Romo
made a 1-yard touchdown pass to RB Chris Gronkowski
, but took the lead with Cutler making a nine-yard TD pass to WR Devin Hester
. The Bears increased their lead when kicker Robbie Gould
made a 40-yard field goal. In the third quarter Dallas would reply with kicker David Buehler
nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Bears increased their lead in the fourth quarter when Cutler made a three-yard TD pass to RB Matt Forte
. The Cowboys made the final score of the game with Buehler hitting a 48-yard field goal.
With the win, Chicago improved to 2–0.
. Chicago would trail in the first quarter as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings
. Green Bay would add onto their lead in the second quarter with a 38-yard field goal from kicker Mason Crosby
. Afterwards, the Bears answered with quarterback Jay Cutler
connecting with tight end Greg Olsen
on a nine-yard touchdown pass. After a scoreless third quarter, Chicago took the lead as wide receiver Devin Hester
returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown. However, the Packers struck back as Rodgers got a three-yard touchdown run. The Bears would get the last laugh as kicker Robbie Gould
booted 25-yard and 19-yard field goals, the latter in the closing seconds of the game to put the Bears on top.
With the win, Chicago improved to 3–0.
for a Week 4 Sunday night duel with the New York Giants
. Chicago would trail early in the first quarter as Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes
got a 22-yard field goal. Both teams went scoreless in the second quarter, but pressure on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was mounting. By the half's end, Cutler had already been sacked nine times. Cutler would leave the game early in the third quarter with a concussion and would be replaced by backup Todd Collins. The Bears' deficit increased in the third quarter as running back Ahmad Bradshaw
got a three-yard touchdown run. Chicago would finally get on the board in the fourth quarter as kicker Robbie Gould
got a 40-yard field goal, but New York would come right back as running back Brandon Jacobs
scored on a two-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 3–1.
for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers
. The Bears took the lead in the first quarter as RB Matt Forte
got an 18-yard TD run. The Panthers replied with kicker John Kasay
making a 24-yard field goal. The lead increased with Forte making a 68-yard TD run, followed by a 28-yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould
. In the third quarter the Panthers replied with Kasay making a 53-yard field goal, but in the fourth quarter the Bears pulled away when Gould made 53- and 43-yard field goals.
With the win, Chicago improved to 4–1.
. The Bears took the early lead as RB Matt Forte
got a six-yard TD run. But the Seahawks answered back with QB Matt Hasselbeck
getting a 22-yard TD pass to WR Deon Butler
, followed in the second quarter by RB Justin Forsett getting a 9-yard TD run. Then the Bears responded with kicker Robbie Gould
making a 34 and a 24-yard field goal. In the third quarter the Bears fell further behind when QB Jay Cutler
was sacked in the endzone by free safety Jordan Babineaux
for a safety. This was followed in the fourth quarter by RB Marshawn Lynch
getting a 1-yard TD run. The Bears tried to come back into the game but only came away with a touchdown after WR Devin Hester
returned a punt 89 yards to the endzone for a touchdown.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 4-2.
completed a 24-yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss
. In the second quarter they trailed after kicker Graham Gano
nailed a 46-yard field goal. The Bears' offense broke through as QB Jay Cutler
got a 9-yard TD pass to WR Johnny Knox
, but was closed off in the third quarter as Cutler's pass was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall
and returned 92 yards for a touchdown.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 4-3 heading into their bye week.
for their Week 9 interconference duel with the winless Buffalo Bills
. After a scoreless first quarter, Chicago delivered the opening strike in the second quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler
found tight end Greg Olsen
on a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Bills responded with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
.
The Bears regained the lead in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
. Buffalo answered with running back Fred Jackson getting a 4-yard touchdown run (with a blocked extra point). Chicago trailed in the fourth quarter as fullback Corey McIntyre
got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet they came right back as Cutler found wide receiver Earl Bennett
on a 2-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to running back Matt Forté
. The Bears would eventually take the win as a Fitzpatrick throw was intercepted by cornerback Tim Jennings
.
With the win, Chicago improved to 5-3.
hit a 36-yard field goal. They took the lead in the second quarter when QB Jay Cutler
threw a 17-yard TD pass to TE Greg Olsen
. They fell behind after QB Brett Favre
completed a 53-yard TD pass to WR Percy Harvin
. They got the lead back when Cutler got a 19-yard TD pass to WR Devin Hester
. The Bears extended their lead in the third quarter after kicker Robbie Gould
nailed a 34-yard field goal. The Vikings replied with Longwell making a 33-yard field goal, but the Bears continued to score with Gould hitting a 37-yard field goal, and in the 4th quarter with Cutler making a 19-yard TD pass to TE Kellen Davis
.
With the win, the Bears improved to 6–3.
on Thursday night. Chicago delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 46-yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould
. The Bears added onto their lead in the second quarter with Gould's 24-yard field goal.
Chicago went back to work in the third quarter as Gould booted a 50-yard field goal, followed by a 2-yard touchdown run from running back Matt Forté
. As they had done all game, the Bears defense continued to stifle any offensive production by the Dolphins, thus completing the shutout.
With the win, not only did the Bears improve to 7–3, but they also won their 700th game in franchise history (the first NFL team to do so).
nailing a 45-yard field goal. They took the lead after QB Jay Cutler
completed a 10 and a 20-yard TD pass to wide receivers Earl Bennett
and Johnny Knox
respectively. The lead was narrowed with QB Michael Vick
getting an 8-yard TD pass to WR Jeremy Maclin
, followed by Akers hitting a 36-yard field goal. The Bears increased their lead as Cutler got a 6 and a 9-yard TD pass to Bennett and Greg Olsen
. This was followed by kicker Robbie Gould
making a 23-yard field goal. The Eagles tried to narrow the lead as Akers got a 22 and a 36-yard field goal, followed by Vick throwing a 30-yard TD pass to TE Brent Celek
, but they failed to recover the onside kick which could have given them one last shot to win.
With the win, Chicago improved to 8–3.
. In the first quarter the Bears trailed early as QB Drew Stanton
scrambled 3 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. They replied with RB Chester Taylor
getting a 1-yard TD run. The tie did not last long as kicker Dave Rayner
hit a 50-yard field goal. They took the lead with RB Matt Forte
getting a 14-yard TD run. They fell behind again after Stanton completed a 46-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson
, followed by Rayner nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Bears responded to take the win with kicker Robbie Gould
making a 54-yard field goal, followed by QB Jay Cutler
making a 7-yard TD pass to TE Brandon Manumaleuna
.
With the win, Chicago improved to 9–3.
throwing a 7-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
, followed by RB Danny Woodhead
getting a 3-yard TD run, then with ILB Gary Guyton
recovering a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by kicker Shayne Graham
getting a 30 and a 25-yard field goal, and then by Brady completing a 59-yard TD pass to WR Deion Branch
. The Bears fell further behind with Graham getting a 29-yard field goal. The Bears tried to come back, but only came away with a 1-yard TD run by Chester Taylor
, with the fourth quarter controlled by the defense, giving them a loss.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 9–4.
having been moved to the University of Minnesota
's TCF Bank Stadium
due to the snow-induced collapse of the Metrodome roof, Chicago looked to rebound from the previous week's rout in the first outdoor NFL game held in Minnesota in over two decades. Quarterback Brett Favre
made a surprise start for the Vikings after having been ruled out earlier in the week due to injury.
Minnesota started strong with an impressive opening drive that culminated in a touchdown pass from Favre to Percy Harvin
, but the Bears soon took control in all three phases as the Vikings would be outscored 40-7 over the rest of the game. Jay Cutler connected with Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, and Rashied Davis for three touchdown passes, and Robbie Gould was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts. Chicago wide receiver/kick returner Devin Hester ran his way into the record books in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown on a punt return off the foot of the Vikings' Chris Kluwe
and becoming the all-time NFL leader in combined punt and kick returns for touchdowns. Minnesota quarterback Joe Webb
(who entered the game in the second quarter after Favre was injured while being sacked by Bears rookie Corey Wootten) scrambled for a touchdown in the third quarter.
With the win, Chicago improved to 10-4 and clinched the NFC North division title.
got a 37-yard field goal, followed by Matt Forte
getting a 22-yard TD run. They trailed with RB Shonn Greene
getting a 3-yard TD run, followed by CB Dwight Lowery
returning an interception 20 yards for a touchdown, followed by RB LaDainian Tomlinson
getting a 3-yard TD run letting the Jets lead 21-10. The Bears tried to cut the lead as QB Jay Cutler
scrambled 2 yards for a touchdown, but the lead was soon extended as kicker Nick Folk
made a 26-yard field goal. They got the lead back with Cutler completing a 40 and a 25-yard TD pass to wide receivers Devin Hester
and Johnny Knox
respectively, but soon the game was tied with QB Mark Sanchez
throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes
. The Bears escaped the tie with Cutler finding Knox again on a 26-yard TD pass. The Jets tried to come back, but only came away with a 34-yard field goal from Folk, giving the Bears the win.
With the win, Chicago improved to 11–4, and clinched a first-round bye when the Eagles lost to the Vikings.
nailing a 30-yard field goal, the Packers tied the game with kicker Mason Crosby
hitting a 23-yard field goal, and then eventually found the winning score with QB Aaron Rodgers
throwing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee.
With the loss, the Bears finished with an 11-5 regular season record.
, hoping to avenge their Week 6 loss. Chicago delivered the game early strike in the first quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler
found tight end Greg Olsen
on a 58-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
. The Bears added onto their lead in the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run from Cutler.
Chicago continued their dominating day in the third quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run from Cutler. Seattle would finally get on the board as kicker Olindo Mare
got a 30-yard field goal. The Seahawks tried to rally as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck
completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, yet the Bears pulled away with Cutler hooking up with tight end Kellen Davis
on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Seattle closed out the game with Hasselbeck completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Williams, followed by a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley
.
With the win, Chicago improved their overall record to 12-5.
against their historic rival, the #6 Green Bay Packers
(who were coming off their victory over the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons
), in Round 3 of their 2010 series. This would be the second playoff meeting between the two teams, the first since defeating Green Bay 33-14 in 1941.
Chicago trailed early in the first quarter as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
got a 1-yard touchdown run. Green Bay added onto their lead in the second quarter as running back James Starks
got a 4-yard touchdown run. After a scoreless third quarter, Chicago finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
. However, the Packers came right back with nose tackle B.J. Raji
returning an interception 18 yards for a touchdown. The Bears tried to rally with quarterback Caleb Hanie
finding wide receiver Earl Bennett
on a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Green Bay's Sam Shields
intercepted a pass with 37 seconds left in the game.
With the loss, Chicago's season came to an end with an overall record of 12-6.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season
2009 Chicago Bears season
The 2009 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 90th season overall in the National Football League. The Bears had looked to improve upon their 9–7 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season, but failed to do so for the third consecutive season. The team...
and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on their record in 2010, particularly their standing in the NFC North
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
. All Bears home games were scheduled to be played at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. With their final regular season record at 11–5, the Bears improved drastically on their 2009 record. Their regular season finished with their first playoff appearance since the Super Bowl season of 2006, winning the NFC North
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
division and earning a bye
Bye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
as the NFC's second seed. The Bears won their first game in the Divisional round of the playoffs, defeating the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on January 16, 2011, to advance to the NFC Championship game. The Chicago Bears's 2010 season came to an end January 23, 2011 with a 21–14 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the NFC Championship Game.
Coaching changes
On January 5, 2010, Chicago fired Offensive CoordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Ron Turner as well as position coaches Pep Hamilton
Pep Hamilton
Pep Hamilton is the current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team.-College career:Hamilton played quarterback from 1993-1996 at Howard University...
(Quarterbacks), Rob Boras
Rob Boras
Rob Boras is the tight ends coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He has also coached for the Chicago Bears and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.-Coaching career:...
(Tight Ends), and Harry Hiestand
Harry Hiestand
Harry Hiestand had been the offensive line coach for the National Football League Chicago Bears since 2005 before taking the same job at the University of Tennessee. Hiestand earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg in 1983...
(Offensive Line). Quality Control assistants Luke Butkus
Luke Butkus
Lucas J. Butkus is an American football coach and former center, currently serving as quality control/offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League.-Playing career:...
and Charles London
Charles London
Charles London is the Offensive Quality Control coach of the Tennessee Titans, formerly of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-High school years:London played running back at Dunwoody High School...
did not have their respective contracts renewed. While it's unclear whether or not former Defensive Coordinator Bob Babich will be brought back as a Linebackers coach or released, his contract will not be extended under its current terms.
Former Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
head coach Mike Tice
Mike Tice
Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.-Playing career:...
was selected to succeed Hiestand as the Bears' offensive line coach on January 15.
After nearly a month-long search for Turner's replacement, on February 1, 2010, former St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
head coach Mike Martz
Mike Martz
Michael Martz is a former NFL head coach and currently the offensive coordinator for the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
was hired to the Chicago coaching staff as Offensive Coordinator.
Following the Martz hire, Mike DeBord
Mike DeBord
-External links:*...
, former college head coach and Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
position coach, as a tight ends coach.
With the addition of Martz and DeBord in the offseason, the amount of experience on the staff grew. These two offseason acquisitions joined defensive line coach (and former Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
head coach), Rod Marinelli
Rod Marinelli
Rodney Marinelli is the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Chicago Bears. He is the former head coach of the Detroit Lions...
.
In a series of moves finalizing their 2010 coaching roster, the Bears hired former San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
quarterbacks coach Shane Day
Shane Day
Shane Day is the quarterbacks coach of the Chicago Bears National Football League team as of February 2010. Day formerly worked as a quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He played wide receiver in Rhodes College and graduated from Kansas State University in 1999 with a degree in...
(an assistant to Mike Martz during his tenure in San Francisco) and quality control coaches Andrew Hayes-Stoker and Mikal Smith, assigned to the offense and defense, respectively. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli was promoted to Defensive Coordinator and his assistant, Eric Washington
Eric Washington
Eric Maurice Washington is an American basketball player.He was selected in the 1997 NBA Draft as the 48th overall pick by the Orlando Magic, and appeared for the Denver Nuggets during two seasons, from 1997 to 1999...
, was promoted to the vacated position.
On April 27, 2010, the Bears allowed the contract of Director of College Scouting, Greg Gabriel, a member of the Bears scouting staff since 2001, to expire. There has been no announcement regarding who will succeed him.
In a long anticipated move, on April 30, the Bears welcomed former Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
officer Tim Ruskell
Tim Ruskell
Tim Ruskell is a current assistant general manager for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League.Ruskell was born in Sagamiono, Japan where his father was stationed in the United States Army but spent his high school and college years in the Tampa Bay, Florida area and graduated with a...
to assume the post of Director of Pro Personnel at Halas Hall.
Draft pick trades
- In 2009, Chicago traded their second round pick to the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
for Gaines Adams. - In 2009, the Bears traded their 2010 first round pick (along with 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL DraftThe 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
selections and quarterback Kyle OrtonKyle OrtonKyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
) for quarterback Jay CutlerJay Cutler (American football)Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
to the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
2010 Chicago Bears draft choices
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 75 | Major Wright Major Wright Major Wright is an American football free safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.-Early years:... |
FS | Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
| 4 | 109 | Corey Wootton Corey Wootton Corey A. Wootton is an American football defensive end for the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Northwestern University. As a junior, he garnered first team All-Big Ten Conference honors... |
DE | Northwestern Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees.... |
| 5 | 140 | Joshua Moore Joshua Moore (American football) Joshua J. Moore is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Kansas State University.... |
CB | Kansas State Kansas State University Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States... |
| 6 | 181 | Dan LeFevour Dan LeFevour Dan LeFevour is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Michigan University... |
QB | Central Michigan Central Michigan University Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan... |
| 7 | 218 | J'Marcus Webb J'Marcus Webb J'Marcus Webb is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft... |
OT | West Texas A&M West Texas A&M University West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910... |
Training Camp
The Bears announced in April that the first Training Camp session will be held on July 30, 2010 at Olivet Nazarene UniversityOlivet Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University is a Christian institution of higher education located in the Kankakee, Illinois village of Bourbonnais. Named for Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907...
in Bourbonnais. This is preceded by the official Rookie Mini-Camp which traditionally is held the weekend following the NFL Draft at Halas Hall, this year beginning on April 30.
Rookie Mini-Camp
A total of 54 players were listed on the roster sheet for the Chicago Bears' April 30-May 3 Rookie Mini-Camp at Halas Hall. In addition to the five drafted rookies and the 13 rookie signees, the Bears invited 31 undrafted free agents to participate on a try-out basis. Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
|
Tight Ends
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Chris Johnson -Sports:* Chris Johnson , Australian rules footballer with Brisbane* Chris Johnson , Australian rules footballer with Melbourne and Carlton* Chris Johnson , Jamaican... Matt Mayberry Matthew Mayberry is an American Football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is from Darien, Illinois where he played at Hinsdale South High School and continued his football career collegiately at Indiana.-External links:*... OLB Defensive Backs
|
Special Teams
Drafted players in bold Undrafted signees in italics Non-Rookie Participants marked with asterisks (*) 54 Total, 5 Drafted, 13 Signed, 31 Unsigned |
|||
Summary of offseason roster changes
Departures
|
Resigned Free Agents Unrestricted Free Agents
Restricted Free Agents
Exclusive-Rights FAs
|
Undrafted Free Agents
Cornelius Brown Cornelius Brown was a British journalist and historian.In 1874, 22-year-old Cornelius Brown was appointed editor of the Newark Advertiser in nearby Newark-on-Trent.... CB Vic Hall Vicqual Renee "Vic" Hall is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Rush in the AFL. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Virginia, where he played multiple positions for the Cavaliers. He was the... WR Levi Horn Levi Horn is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is a member of the Cheyenne tribe. He began his college football career at Oregon before transferring to Montana, where he was a unanimous All-Big Sky Conference player and an FCS... OT Greg Matthews Gregory Richard John "Mo" Matthews is a former New South Wales and Australian cricketer who is now a television cricket commentator.... WR Matt Mayberry Matthew Mayberry is an American Football linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is from Darien, Illinois where he played at Hinsdale South High School and continued his football career collegiately at Indiana.-External links:*... LB Jimmy Saddler-McQueen Jimmy Saddler-McQueen is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.... DT Brandon Minor Brandon Ricardo Minor is an American football running back who is currently a member of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010, but after being released during the final cuts, he has been on the New Orleans Saints and... RB Antonio Robinson Antonio Robinson is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football for Nicholls State University.He has also been a member of the Green Bay Packers.-References:... WR Averell Spicer Averell Spicer is an American football defensive tackle for Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Spicer was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2010... DT Lawrence Wilson Lawrence Jamel Wilson is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. He finished his collegiate career second in tackles all-time for the Huskies. In both his junior and senior seasons, he led the Big East in tackles and was selected to the All-Big East First Team. He finished... DE |
2010 NFL Draft Additions
Major Wright Major Wright is an American football free safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida.-Early years:... S Joshua Moore (American football) Joshua J. Moore is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Kansas State University.... CB Dan LeFevour Dan LeFevour is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Michigan University... QB J'Marcus Webb J'Marcus Webb is an American football offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft... OT Free Agency Additions
Acquired via Trade
Rookies in italics Roster updated April 24, 2010 Depth Chart • Transactions 15 Departures, 25 Additions, 8 Resigned Players 10 Net Additions |
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Final roster
Coaching staff and front office
| Chicago Bears 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
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Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
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Preseason
The Bears preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.| Week | | Date | | Kickoff | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | August 14 | 8:00 p.m. | at San Diego Chargers 2010 San Diego Chargers season The 2010 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. After a 13–3 record dissolved into a disappointing loss to the New York Jets in the divisional round of the 2009-10 NFL Playoffs, the Chargers had high hopes of winning their... |
L 10–25 | 0–1 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
Recap | |
| 2 | August 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Oakland Raiders 2010 Oakland Raiders season The 2010 Oakland Raiders season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League and their 51st overall. It also marked the last full season under the ownership of Al Davis, who died in October 2011. The Raiders had improved from a five-win season, their first since 2002, and achieved... |
L 17–32 | 0–2 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
Recap | |
| 3 | August 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Arizona Cardinals 2010 Arizona Cardinals season The 2010 Arizona Cardinals season is the 91st season for the team in the National Football League, and their 23rd season in Arizona. The Cardinals failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15.... |
L 9–14 | 0–3 | Soldier Field | Recap | |
| 4 | September 2 | 7:00 p.m. | at Cleveland Browns 2010 Cleveland Browns season The 2010 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 64th season as a professional sports franchise and its 60th season as a member of the National Football League . The team failed to break the longest playoff appearance drought in franchise history, a current streak of eight seasons without reaching... |
L 10–13 | 0–4 | Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium -See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity... |
Recap | |
Regular season
| Week | | Date | | Kickoff | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | September 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Detroit Lions 2010 Detroit Lions season The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the... |
W 19–14 | 1–0 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | 12:00 p.m. | at Dallas Cowboys 2010 Dallas Cowboys season The 2010 Dallas Cowboys season is the 51st season for the team in the National Football League, and the second season playing their home games at Cowboys Stadium... |
W 27–20 | 2–0 | Cowboys Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
W 20–17 | 3–0 | Soldier Field | ESPN Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... |
Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | 7:30 p.m. | at New York Giants 2010 New York Giants season The 2010 New York Giants season was the 86th season for the team in the National Football League and the team's inaugural season in New Meadowlands Stadium. The Giants improved on their 8–8 2009 record by finishing 10–6 and second place in the NFC East... |
L 3–17 | 3–1 | New Meadowlands Stadium New Meadowlands Stadium MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home... |
NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color... |
Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | 12:00 p.m. | at Carolina Panthers 2010 Carolina Panthers season -Coaching staff:-Preseason:The Panthers preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.-Regular season:-Week 1: at New York Giants:The Panthers began their season at New Meadowlands Stadium for an NFC duel with the New York Giants. In the first quarter, Carolina got the stadium's very first... |
W 23–6 | 4–1 | Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East... |
Fox | Recap |
| 6 | October 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Seattle Seahawks 2010 Seattle Seahawks season The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League. Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010, leading the Seahawks to come to an agreement with Pete Carroll, instating him as head coach the following day. This marks the 9th season that the Seahawks will... |
L 20–23 | 4–2 | Soldier Field | Fox | Recap |
| 7 | October 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Washington Redskins 2010 Washington Redskins season The 2010 Washington Redskins season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , and their first under new head coach Mike Shanahan, who also began his term as the team's Vice President of Football Operations... |
L 14–17 | 4–3 | Soldier Field | Fox | Recap |
| 8 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
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| 9 | November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | at Buffalo Bills 2010 Buffalo Bills season The 2010 Buffalo Bills season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, and their 51st overall. It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey.... § |
W 22–19 | 5–3 | Rogers Centre Rogers Centre Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League... (Toronto) |
Fox | Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Minnesota Vikings 2010 Minnesota Vikings season The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach... |
W 27–13 | 6–3 | Soldier Field | Fox | Recap |
| 11 | November 18 | 7:20 p.m. | at Miami Dolphins 2010 Miami Dolphins season The 2010 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 41st season in the National Football League and 45th overall. The Dolphins are entering the 2010 season coming off a third place finish in the AFC East 7–9-Staff Changes:... |
W 16–0 | 7–3 | Sun Life Stadium | NFLN NFL Network NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation... |
Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | 3:15 p.m. | Philadelphia Eagles 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , who looked to improve on their 11–5 record from 2009. They finished with a 10–6 record, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card playoffs. For head coach Andy Reid, this was his 12th... |
W 31–26 | 8–3 | Soldier Field | Fox | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | at Detroit Lions 2010 Detroit Lions season The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the... |
W 24–20 | 9–3 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
Fox | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | 3:15 p.m. | New England Patriots 2010 New England Patriots season The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets... |
L 7–36 | 9–4 | Soldier Field | CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap |
| 15 | December 20 | 7:30 p.m. | at Minnesota Vikings 2010 Minnesota Vikings season The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach... |
W 40–14 | 10–4 | TCF Bank Stadium TCF Bank Stadium TCF Bank Stadium, sometimes referred to as either "The Bank" or "The Gopher Hole," is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota... ** |
ESPN | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | 12:00 p.m. | New York Jets 2010 New York Jets season The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game... |
W 38–34 | 11–4 | Soldier Field | CBS | Recap |
| 17 | January 2 | 3:15 p.m. | at Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
L 3–10 | 11–5 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
Fox | Recap |
| NOTES: All times are Central. Division opponents are in bold text. COLOR KEY: The Bears were the visiting team in the Bills Toronto Series Bills Toronto Series The Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season... . Games played with white uniforms. Games played with color uniforms. Games played with 1940s throwback uniforms. The game was moved from Mall of America Field Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... to TCF Bank Stadium due to the collapse of the Metrodome roof. |
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Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions
The Bears began their season at home with an NFC North duel against the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. In the first quarter, the Bears had the early lead with kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
nailing a 20-yard field goal, which they eventually failed to maintain with Lions running back Jahvid Best
Jahvid Best
Jahvid Andre Best is a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was selected by the Lions with the 30th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. In college, he played for the California Golden Bears, setting several records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and...
getting a seven- and then a four-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Bears fought back with quarterback Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
completing a 89-yard touchdown pass to running back Matt Forté
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, followed by Gould's 31-yard field goal. The Bears came on top in the fourth quarter with Cutler making a 28-yard TD pass to Forté (with a failed 2-point conversion). The game ended in somewhat controversial fashion, however, as a touchdown reception in the final minute by Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
was overturned via a little known rule and ruled incomplete.
With the win, Chicago began the season at 1–0.
Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
Hoping to continue their winning streak, the Bears flew to Cowboys Stadium for an NFC matchup with the Cowboys. In the first quarter Chicago took the early lead as kicker Robbie GouldRobbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
nailed a 38-yard field goal. Then they trailed with WR Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant
- 2010 - Rookie Season :Bryant was signed by the Cowboys to a contract very similar to that of Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin on July 22, 2010. On July 23, 2010, it was announced that Bryant will wear number 88, the same as Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and Cowboys legend Drew Pearson...
returning a punt 62 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. While the Cowboys were able to pressure quarterback Jay Cutler in the early stages of the game, the Bears' offense made adjustments and regained momentum. The Bears got the lead back when Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
made a 39-yard TD pass to tight end Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. In the second quarter the Bears trailed again when QB Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
made a 1-yard touchdown pass to RB Chris Gronkowski
Chris Gronkowski
Chris Gronkowski is an American football fullback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Arizona.-Early years:...
, but took the lead with Cutler making a nine-yard TD pass to WR Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
. The Bears increased their lead when kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
made a 40-yard field goal. In the third quarter Dallas would reply with kicker David Buehler
David Buehler
-Dallas Cowboys:He was drafted in the 5th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2009 NFL Draft, and the first kicker taken. He was the first USC kicker to be drafted since Cole Ford in 1995. He handles the team's kickoffs and missed his only field goal attempt in the Cowboys' opening regular season...
nailing a 28-yard field goal. The Bears increased their lead in the fourth quarter when Cutler made a three-yard TD pass to RB Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. The Cowboys made the final score of the game with Buehler hitting a 48-yard field goal.
With the win, Chicago improved to 2–0.
Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Coming off their road win over the Cowboys, the Bears went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 3 Monday night duel with their so called hated rival, the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Chicago would trail in the first quarter as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings
Greg Jennings
Gregory Jennings, Jr. is a professional American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
. Green Bay would add onto their lead in the second quarter with a 38-yard field goal from kicker Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
. Afterwards, the Bears answered with quarterback Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
connecting with tight end Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
on a nine-yard touchdown pass. After a scoreless third quarter, Chicago took the lead as wide receiver Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown. However, the Packers struck back as Rodgers got a three-yard touchdown run. The Bears would get the last laugh as kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
booted 25-yard and 19-yard field goals, the latter in the closing seconds of the game to put the Bears on top.
With the win, Chicago improved to 3–0.
Week 4: at New York Giants
Coming off their Monday night home win over the Packers, the Bears flew to New Meadowlands StadiumNew Meadowlands Stadium
MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home...
for a Week 4 Sunday night duel with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Chicago would trail early in the first quarter as Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
got a 22-yard field goal. Both teams went scoreless in the second quarter, but pressure on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was mounting. By the half's end, Cutler had already been sacked nine times. Cutler would leave the game early in the third quarter with a concussion and would be replaced by backup Todd Collins. The Bears' deficit increased in the third quarter as running back Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw
Ahmad Bradshaw is an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the New York Giants...
got a three-yard touchdown run. Chicago would finally get on the board in the fourth quarter as kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
got a 40-yard field goal, but New York would come right back as running back Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
scored on a two-yard touchdown run.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 3–1.
Week 5: at Carolina Panthers
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Giants the Bears flew to Bank of America StadiumBank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. The Bears took the lead in the first quarter as RB Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
got an 18-yard TD run. The Panthers replied with kicker John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
making a 24-yard field goal. The lead increased with Forte making a 68-yard TD run, followed by a 28-yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
. In the third quarter the Panthers replied with Kasay making a 53-yard field goal, but in the fourth quarter the Bears pulled away when Gould made 53- and 43-yard field goals.
With the win, Chicago improved to 4–1.
Week 6: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Hoping to increase their winning streak the Bears returned to Chicago for an NFC duel with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. The Bears took the early lead as RB Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
got a six-yard TD run. But the Seahawks answered back with QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
getting a 22-yard TD pass to WR Deon Butler
Deon Butler
Vincent Deon Butler is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
, followed in the second quarter by RB Justin Forsett getting a 9-yard TD run. Then the Bears responded with kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
making a 34 and a 24-yard field goal. In the third quarter the Bears fell further behind when QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
was sacked in the endzone by free safety Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Jude Babineaux is an American football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Southern Arkansas University....
for a safety. This was followed in the fourth quarter by RB Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
getting a 1-yard TD run. The Bears tried to come back into the game but only came away with a touchdown after WR Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
returned a punt 89 yards to the endzone for a touchdown.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 4-2.
Week 7: vs. Washington Redskins
The Bears' seventh game was an NFC duel with the Redskins at home. In the first quarter, the Bears took a sudden lead as CB D.J. Moore returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown. However, their defense was broken down as QB Donovan McNabbDonovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
completed a 24-yard TD pass to WR Santana Moss
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
. In the second quarter they trailed after kicker Graham Gano
Graham Gano
Graham Gano is an American football placekicker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State...
nailed a 46-yard field goal. The Bears' offense broke through as QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
got a 9-yard TD pass to WR Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears as the 140th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, through a they acquired in the Kyle Orton-Jay Cutler trade....
, but was closed off in the third quarter as Cutler's pass was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and returned 92 yards for a touchdown.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 4-3 heading into their bye week.
Week 9: at Buffalo Bills (Bills International Series)
Coming off their bye week, the Bears flew to the Rogers CentreRogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
for their Week 9 interconference duel with the winless Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After a scoreless first quarter, Chicago delivered the opening strike in the second quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
found tight end Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
on a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Bills responded with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
.
The Bears regained the lead in the third quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Buffalo answered with running back Fred Jackson getting a 4-yard touchdown run (with a blocked extra point). Chicago trailed in the fourth quarter as fullback Corey McIntyre
Corey McIntyre
Corey McIntyre is an American football fullback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
got a 1-yard touchdown run, yet they came right back as Cutler found wide receiver Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
on a 2-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to running back Matt Forté
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. The Bears would eventually take the win as a Fitzpatrick throw was intercepted by cornerback Tim Jennings
Tim Jennings
Tim Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
.
With the win, Chicago improved to 5-3.
Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Coming off their win over the Bills the Bears played on home ground for an NFC North rivalry match against the Vikings. In the first quarter the Bears trailed early after kicker Ryan LongwellRyan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
hit a 36-yard field goal. They took the lead in the second quarter when QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
threw a 17-yard TD pass to TE Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. They fell behind after QB Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
completed a 53-yard TD pass to WR Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin
William Percival "Percy" Harvin, III is an American football wide receiver, return specialist, and running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...
. They got the lead back when Cutler got a 19-yard TD pass to WR Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
. The Bears extended their lead in the third quarter after kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
nailed a 34-yard field goal. The Vikings replied with Longwell making a 33-yard field goal, but the Bears continued to score with Gould hitting a 37-yard field goal, and in the 4th quarter with Cutler making a 19-yard TD pass to TE Kellen Davis
Kellen Davis
Kellen Davis is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State...
.
With the win, the Bears improved to 6–3.
Week 11: at Miami Dolphins
Coming off their home win over the Vikings, the Bears flew to Sun Life Stadium for a Week 11 interconference duel with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on Thursday night. Chicago delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter with a 46-yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
. The Bears added onto their lead in the second quarter with Gould's 24-yard field goal.
Chicago went back to work in the third quarter as Gould booted a 50-yard field goal, followed by a 2-yard touchdown run from running back Matt Forté
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
. As they had done all game, the Bears defense continued to stifle any offensive production by the Dolphins, thus completing the shutout.
With the win, not only did the Bears improve to 7–3, but they also won their 700th game in franchise history (the first NFL team to do so).
Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Coming off their win over the Dolphins, the Bears played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Eagles. The Bears trailed early with kicker David AkersDavid Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
nailing a 45-yard field goal. They took the lead after QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
completed a 10 and a 20-yard TD pass to wide receivers Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears as the 140th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, through a they acquired in the Kyle Orton-Jay Cutler trade....
respectively. The lead was narrowed with QB Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
getting an 8-yard TD pass to WR Jeremy Maclin
Jeremy Maclin
-2009 NFL Draft:Maclin was considered a top National Football League prospect following his second season, and roommate Sean Weatherspoon hoped to convince Maclin to return for his junior year instead of leaving Missouri for the 2009 NFL Draft. Weatherspoon’s efforts were unsuccessful, and on...
, followed by Akers hitting a 36-yard field goal. The Bears increased their lead as Cutler got a 6 and a 9-yard TD pass to Bennett and Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. This was followed by kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
making a 23-yard field goal. The Eagles tried to narrow the lead as Akers got a 22 and a 36-yard field goal, followed by Vick throwing a 30-yard TD pass to TE Brent Celek
Brent Celek
Brent Steven Celek is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati.-Early years:...
, but they failed to recover the onside kick which could have given them one last shot to win.
With the win, Chicago improved to 8–3.
Week 13: at Detroit Lions
The Bears' twelfth game was an NFC North rivalry match against the Lions at Ford FieldFord Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
. In the first quarter the Bears trailed early as QB Drew Stanton
Drew Stanton
Drew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans.-Early life:...
scrambled 3 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. They replied with RB Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
getting a 1-yard TD run. The tie did not last long as kicker Dave Rayner
Dave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
hit a 50-yard field goal. They took the lead with RB Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
getting a 14-yard TD run. They fell behind again after Stanton completed a 46-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
, followed by Rayner nailing a 25-yard field goal. The Bears responded to take the win with kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
making a 54-yard field goal, followed by QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
making a 7-yard TD pass to TE Brandon Manumaleuna
Brandon Manumaleuna
-St. Louis Rams:Manumaleuna was selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He signed with the team on June 21, 2001. He agreed to a three-year $1.15 million contract including a $255,000 signing bonus. In 2001, Manumaleuna only had one reception on the season...
.
With the win, Chicago improved to 9–3.
Week 14: vs. New England Patriots
Hoping to make it 6-straight the Bears played an interconference duel with the Patriots at home. The Bears trailed early as the Patriots commanded the first half with QB Tom BradyTom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
throwing a 7-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, followed by RB Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
getting a 3-yard TD run, then with ILB Gary Guyton
Gary Guyton
-2008 season:On April 28, 2008, Guyton signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. The previous day rumors circulated that Guyton had agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, however confusion arose when 49ers General Manager Scot McCloughan said he would divulge names of...
recovering a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
getting a 30 and a 25-yard field goal, and then by Brady completing a 59-yard TD pass to WR Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. The Bears fell further behind with Graham getting a 29-yard field goal. The Bears tried to come back, but only came away with a 1-yard TD run by Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
, with the fourth quarter controlled by the defense, giving them a loss.
With the loss, Chicago fell to 9–4.
Week 15: at Minnesota Vikings
With the Monday night gameMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
having been moved to the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium
TCF Bank Stadium, sometimes referred to as either "The Bank" or "The Gopher Hole," is the football stadium for the Minnesota Golden Gophers college football team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
due to the snow-induced collapse of the Metrodome roof, Chicago looked to rebound from the previous week's rout in the first outdoor NFL game held in Minnesota in over two decades. Quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
made a surprise start for the Vikings after having been ruled out earlier in the week due to injury.
Minnesota started strong with an impressive opening drive that culminated in a touchdown pass from Favre to Percy Harvin
Percy Harvin
William Percival "Percy" Harvin, III is an American football wide receiver, return specialist, and running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League...
, but the Bears soon took control in all three phases as the Vikings would be outscored 40-7 over the rest of the game. Jay Cutler connected with Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, and Rashied Davis for three touchdown passes, and Robbie Gould was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts. Chicago wide receiver/kick returner Devin Hester ran his way into the record books in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown on a punt return off the foot of the Vikings' Chris Kluwe
Chris Kluwe
Christopher James "Chris" Kluwe is a punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks, as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
and becoming the all-time NFL leader in combined punt and kick returns for touchdowns. Minnesota quarterback Joe Webb
Joe Webb
Joseph "Joe" Webb, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. In college he played for the UAB Blazers. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round, number 199 overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft.-Early years:Born to Joseph and Wanda Webb,...
(who entered the game in the second quarter after Favre was injured while being sacked by Bears rookie Corey Wootten) scrambled for a touchdown in the third quarter.
With the win, Chicago improved to 10-4 and clinched the NFC North division title.
Week 16: vs. New York Jets
Coming off their win over the Vikings the Bears played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Jets. In the first quarter the Bears took the lead as kicker Robbie GouldRobbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
got a 37-yard field goal, followed by Matt Forte
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
getting a 22-yard TD run. They trailed with RB Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene
-New York Jets:On April 26, 2009 the New York Jets traded up 12 spots to select Greene in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On August 30 Greene made an appearance in the Jets preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. He rushed twice for six yards as well as catching an 85-yard pass...
getting a 3-yard TD run, followed by CB Dwight Lowery
Dwight Lowery
-2008:Impressed with Lowery's versatility and ball skills, the New York Jets would draft him in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft as a cornerback/safety. An injury to cornerback Justin Miller would see Lowery debut in his first NFL game against the Miami Dolphins; Lowery performed modestly...
returning an interception 20 yards for a touchdown, followed by RB LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
getting a 3-yard TD run letting the Jets lead 21-10. The Bears tried to cut the lead as QB Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
scrambled 2 yards for a touchdown, but the lead was soon extended as kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
made a 26-yard field goal. They got the lead back with Cutler completing a 40 and a 25-yard TD pass to wide receivers Devin Hester
Devin Hester
Devin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play in all three phases of American football...
and Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox
Johnny Knox is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears as the 140th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, through a they acquired in the Kyle Orton-Jay Cutler trade....
respectively, but soon the game was tied with QB Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
. The Bears escaped the tie with Cutler finding Knox again on a 26-yard TD pass. The Jets tried to come back, but only came away with a 34-yard field goal from Folk, giving the Bears the win.
With the win, Chicago improved to 11–4, and clinched a first-round bye when the Eagles lost to the Vikings.
Week 17: at Green Bay Packers
The Bears' final game was an NFC North rivalry rematch against the Packers. While the Bears scored first with kicker Robbie GouldRobbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
nailing a 30-yard field goal, the Packers tied the game with kicker Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
hitting a 23-yard field goal, and then eventually found the winning score with QB Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
throwing a 1-yard TD pass to TE Donald Lee.
With the loss, the Bears finished with an 11-5 regular season record.
Postseason schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff (CST) | Opponent (seed) | Final Score | Team record | Game site | TV | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||||
| Divisional | January 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Seattle Seahawks 2010 Seattle Seahawks season The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League. Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010, leading the Seahawks to come to an agreement with Pete Carroll, instating him as head coach the following day. This marks the 9th season that the Seahawks will... (4) |
W 35–24 | 12–5 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... (6) |
L 14–21 | 12–6 | Soldier Field | Fox | Recap |
| NOTES: All times are Central. Division opponents are in bold text. COLOR KEY: Games played with white uniforms. Games played with color uniforms. |
||||||||
Divisional round vs. Seattle Seahawks
Entering the postseason as the NFC's #2 seed, the Bears began their playoff run at home against the #4 Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, hoping to avenge their Week 6 loss. Chicago delivered the game early strike in the first quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
found tight end Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
on a 58-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. The Bears added onto their lead in the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run from Cutler.
Chicago continued their dominating day in the third quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run from Cutler. Seattle would finally get on the board as kicker Olindo Mare
Olindo Mare
Olindo Franco Mare is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
got a 30-yard field goal. The Seahawks tried to rally as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams, yet the Bears pulled away with Cutler hooking up with tight end Kellen Davis
Kellen Davis
Kellen Davis is an American football tight end for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State...
on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Seattle closed out the game with Hasselbeck completing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Williams, followed by a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley
Brandon Stokley is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft...
.
With the win, Chicago improved their overall record to 12-5.
NFC Championship vs. Green Bay Packers
Coming off their win over the Seahawks, the Bears stayed at home for the NFC Championship GameNFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
against their historic rival, the #6 Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
(who were coming off their victory over the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
), in Round 3 of their 2010 series. This would be the second playoff meeting between the two teams, the first since defeating Green Bay 33-14 in 1941.
Chicago trailed early in the first quarter as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
got a 1-yard touchdown run. Green Bay added onto their lead in the second quarter as running back James Starks
James Starks
James Darell Starks is an American football running back for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, .-High school:James attended high school in Niagara Falls, New York...
got a 4-yard touchdown run. After a scoreless third quarter, Chicago finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. However, the Packers came right back with nose tackle B.J. Raji
B. J. Raji
-Green Bay Packers:Raji was selected ninth overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was worked into defensive coordinator Dom Capers' brand new 3-4 scheme during the start of the Packers 2009 season, and was regarded as a defensive corner. Raji held out during the 2009 training...
returning an interception 18 yards for a touchdown. The Bears tried to rally with quarterback Caleb Hanie
Caleb Hanie
Caleb Jeffrey Hanie is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played high school football for Forney High School in Forney, Texas and led his team to consecutive top 3 finishes in...
finding wide receiver Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
on a 35-yard touchdown pass, but Green Bay's Sam Shields
Sam Shields
Samuel George Shields III is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
intercepted a pass with 37 seconds left in the game.
With the loss, Chicago's season came to an end with an overall record of 12-6.