History of the Chicago Bears
Encyclopedia
This article details the history of the Chicago Bears
American Football Club. The franchise is a charter-member of the National Football League
and have played in all of the league's eighty-seven seasons. Throughout that span they have created a legacy in professional American football comparable to the New York Yankees
in professional baseball. The Bears have captured nine NFL Championships – eight NFL Championships and one Super Bowl – second most all-time behind the Green Bay Packers
. The franchise has also recorded more victories than any other franchise with 700, retired the most uniform numbers with thirteen, and have the most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
with twenty-six.
. Through the 2010 season
, they lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with 721 and have an overall record of 721–530–42 (going 704–512–42 during the regular season and 17–18 in the playoffs).
The organization that eventually became the Chicago Bears, the Decatur Staleys, was originally conceived by the A. E. Staley
food starch company of Decatur
, Illinois
, in 1919 as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas
and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman
in 1920 to run the team, and turned over full control of the team to them in 1921. However, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL.
On September 17, 1920, 13 team representatives, including those representing Halas' team, met in Canton, Ohio
to create a new football league. In the interest of ticket sales and crowning a yearly champion, they decided to form the American Professional Football Association. On October 3, 1920, the Staleys played their first NFL game.
, then the player-coach of A.E. Staley's Decatur Staleys, was among the driving forces of this meeting, which gave birth to what exists now as the NFL. In their first season as part of the Association, the Staleys won 10 games, all by shutouts, but lost the first league championship to the Akron Pros
, who finished the season unbeaten at 8–0–3. There was no official scheduling in the 1920 season, which accounted for the difference in the number of games played that season.
The Bears and Cardinals split the 1920 series, with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7–6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a TD on a fumble recovery, with the Staleys failing their XP try. George Halas' 1920 Staleys went on to a 10–1–2 record overall, 5–1–2 in league play. The 1920 Akron Pros were the first ever league champions, they finished with an 8–0–3 record, 6–0–3 in league play, ending their season in a 0–0 tie against the Decatur Staleys. Thus, the Racine (Chi) Cardinals defeat of the Decatur Staleys earlier in the 1920 season meant that the Pros could simply play not to lose; they wisely did and became champions.
However, if the '20 Bears had not lost to the 1920 Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11–0–1 record, 6–0–1 in league play. The game would have literally been the first championship game as well as the first playoff game. The actual game in 1920 was not because the Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–1 in '20, 4–1–1 in league play, they outscored their opponents 258–32, losing only to the Canton Bulldogs 0–3), Staleys and Pros would have each had one loss had the Staleys won. Each team likely would have played more games (as it was allowed under the rules in those days) to allow teams to settle parity at the top of the standings.
The 1920 Racine (Chi) Cardinals did not allow that to happen though. They took one from their cross-town rivals and at the end of the season that one game meant George Halas and the Decatur Staleys would have to wait one more year to collect the first of their league championships as the 1921 Chicago Staleys. It meant that the 1920 Akron Pros could play for a tie and still be assured of being the first ever league champions. Moreover, it meant that the Bears and Cardinals were rivals and always would be rivals.
in 1921. Halas, who was given the team and $5000 by Staley to keep the name Staleys for another year, made the move. In the 1921 season, the Chicago Staleys finished first in the league and captured their first league championship
.
In 1922, Halas
changed the team name to the Bears to reflect baseball's Chicago Cubs
, the team's host at Wrigley Field
. Over the next few years, the Bears were ranked among the elite teams in the NFL, but could never capture an NFL Championship because the league did not have a playoff system. Instead it had a somewhat controversial scheduling formula, which led to uneven standings and controversial champions. The highlight of the decade was George Halas
's unprecedented move to sign Red Grange
for $100,000 in 1925. In 1925, professional football was viewed negatively by Americans, as most Americans loved college football
which they saw as a pure sport. Halas, though, took the Bears on a 17 game road trip across America to highlight Grange. The tour began on Thanksgiving at Wrigley Field
as the Chicago Cardinals held the Galloping Ghost to just 36 yards in his professional debut, the city rivals battling to a 0–0 tie. However, during the tour that continued through January 31, the Bears posted an impressive 11–4–2 record.
This road trip impressed many Americans, boosting the prospects of many debt-ridden teams such as the New York Giants
. Grange left the Bears after a contract dispute in 1926
and moved to establish his own league, the first incarnation of the American Football League
. That league folded after one season and Grange's New York Yankees
were admitted into the NFL. Grange injured his knee in his first game against the Bears in 1927
and was forced to sit out the 1928
season. He returned to Chicago in 1929
, but the Bears ended the decade with a losing season as Halas retired as player and coach of the Bears and appointed Ralph Jones
as his successor.
The Bears of the 1930s were remembered for being led by a ferocious tandem of Bronko Nagurski
and Red Grange
, playing in the newly established NFL Championship Game four times and claiming the league title twice.
After completing the 1930 season with a record of 9–4–1, the Bears and Cardinals
played in the first indoor football game on December 15 at Chicago Stadium
in a charity game for those affected by the Great Depression
. Due to the size limitations of the indoor arena, the length of the football field was only 80 yards. The Bears beat their city rivals 9–7. In the 1932
season, the Bears and Portsmouth Spartans tied for first place in the league. The teams played an "unofficial" championship playoff game, held on December 18 at Chicago Stadium
. The Bears won the game 9–0 and captured the NFL Championship before 11,198 fans.
The popularity of the game prompted the NFL to institute various rule changes for the 1933
season, including the splitting of the league into two geographical divisions and the establishment of an officially scheduled championship game to determine the NFL champion.
In 1933, George Halas made his return to coaching the Bears. Halas led the Bears to win the first ever Western Division title and the first ever NFL Championship Game. The Bears again captured the championship in a nail biter against the New York Giants
, 23–21 as Red Grange made the game-winning tackle. In 1934
, the Bears dominated the league and finished 13–0, but were denied perfection, losing 30–13 to the Giants in the NFL Championship
, what became known as the "Sneakers Game."
The Bears would play in the Championship game two more times in the decade, losing both of them. In 1935
and 1936
, the Bears remained somewhat competitive, but failed to qualify for the Championship Game. In 1937
, the Bears made a return trip to the NFL Championship, but fell short as Sammy Baugh
and the Redskins
won, 28–21. In 1938
, the Bears fell off the NFL map, with a record of 6–5. The Bears finished off the 1930s on a down note, losing twice to the Green Bay Packers
in 1939.
During the late 1930s George Halas and University of Chicago
football coach Clark Shaughnessy
collaborated on a revolutionary approach to the offense and the quarterback position. The result was the T-formation offense
and the first evolution of the modern quarterback. A complex scheme that required an athletic player with quick decision skills led Halas to recruit Columbia University
quarterback Sid Luckman
. He turned the position into an engine for a high powered and time-consuming scoring machine.
From 1940 to 1946, the Bears were considered a dynasty. In these years, the nickname Monsters of the Midway
was first attributed to the Bears. In this span, the Bears went to 5 championships and won 4 of them. This is despite George Halas temporarily leaving the organization to serve in World War II
, from 1943 to 1945.
In the 1940
NFL Championship, Halas introduced his T-formation offense, with Sid Luckman
at quarterback. This formation shocked and confused the Redskins
all day as the Bears won 73–0, an NFL record that stands to this day. The T-formation was soon widely copied at the college and pro levels.
In 1941
, the Bears and Packers
battled to a 10–1–0 tie for 1st place in the Western Division. Since the teams split their two regular season match-ups, which turned out to be each team's only loss of the season, a one-game playoff was set up. The Bears won 33–14, moving on to rout the Giants
37–9 in the NFL Championship.
In 1942
, the Bears started the season off well before Halas departed for World War II
. His handpicked successors Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos
ran the team for the next three years until Halas returned. The Bears finished the regular season 11–0 and played the Redskins
in the Championship game. The Redskins spoiled the Bears attempt at a perfect season; with a 14–6 upset preventing the Bears from three-peat
ing. In the 1943
season, the Bears dominated the Western Division behind the quarterbacking of Luckman, who threw for 433 yards and seven TDs that season in a single game versus the New York Giants
. In the Championship game, the Redskins were no challenge to the Bears as the crowd of 34,320 at Wrigley Field
watched the Bears win 41–21 behind Sid Luckman's five TDs and Nagurski's final TD run.
The Bears' domination of the NFL took a slight fall in as the Bears posted a mediocre result in 1944
and a losing season in 1945
. "Papa Bear" Halas made a return to the Bears in 1946
. The Bears were able to find their old magic again, with many players returning from service in the war, finishing the regular season 8–2–1 to claim another Western Division title and a return trip to the Championship game. The Bears won their last Championship of the decade over the New York Giants
, 24–14, before a then NFL Championship Game
record crowd of 58,346 at the Polo Grounds
in New York. This would be the Bears' last Championship for the next 16 years.
and then winning the 1963 NFL Championship. Despite these rough years, players like Gale Sayers
and Dick Butkus
thrived in their careers.
, The Bears got off to a slow start by losing their first two games. The team rebounded however and quickly ran off an eight-game winning streak to get back into the race for first place in the Western Division. After losing to the Los Angeles Rams 17–14 in the second to last game of the season, the Bears and Chicago Cardinals faced off in the final game of the season, with the Western Division title on the line. Despite it being a home game for the Bears at Wrigley Field
the Cardinals came in and would stun the Bears 30–21 en route to the 1947 NFL Championship
. In 1948
, for the second season in a row, the Bears put together another great regular season but fell short to their inner city rival Cardinals. The Bears posted a 10–2 record, but lost a key game against the Cardinals that gave them the Western Division Championship.
In 1949
, The Bears continued to be one of the best teams in the NFL. However, they fell one game short of making the Championship game again. The Bears' success continued into 1950
as they began the new decade in style by finishing 9–3, which was good enough to earn them a tie for the Western Division with the Los Angeles Rams and play in the Conference Playoff against them. However, the Bears were unable to slow down the high-powered Ram offense in a 24–14 loss in Los Angeles, California
as the Rams advanced to the NFL Championship Game.
In 1951
, The Bears got off to a streaking start winning five of their first six games. The magic faded in the second half as they collapsed, winning just 2 of their final 6 games as they finished in 4th place in the conference with a mediocre record of 7–5. In the 1952
season, the Bears' defense struggled all season as they allowed a wretched 326 points and the team finished below .500 for the first time since 1945
, finishing in 5th place with a record of 5–7. The team's struggles continued into 1953 as most of their superstars from the 1940s dynasty were now retired the Bears finished 3–8–1, and, for the first time in team history, the Bears posted back-to-back losing seasons. One notable occurrence in the 1953 season was that the NFL's first modern era African-American quarterback, Willie Thrower
played in his 1st and only game against the San Francisco 49ers
. Like Thrower's career in the NFL, the Bears troubles were short lived, as they rose up in 1954
to the Bears of old. The team got back into the league playoff picture by posting a solid record of 8–4, good enough for 2nd place in the division, but not an appearance in the Championship game.
In 1955
, the team posted a second consecutive 8–4 season, 2nd place again, as Head Coach George Halas
called it quits for the third time in his coaching career. Halas replaced himself with former team standout Paddy Driscoll
. Driscoll's success would be highlighted in his first season with the team. In 1956
, Paddy Driscoll
led the Bears to put together a solid 9–2–1 season and to beat out fellow Midwest rival Detroit Lions
by a half a game for the 1956
Western Division Championship. The magical season though ended sourly as the Bears were no match for the New York Giants
in the 1956 NFL Championship
, as the Bears were blasted in a 47–7 rout in New York City
. The magic of the championship season was short lived though as in 1957
the Bears dropped from first to below .500 with a 5–7 record. This prompted Halas to quickly fire Driscoll and return to the sidelines.
In George Halas's return to the sidelines in 1958
, the Bears rebounded off the disappointing losing season by challenging for the Western Division Championship all season before faltering at the end and finishing in a second place tie with an 8–4, one game away from the Championship Game. The Bears closed out the decade in 1959
with yet another consecutive 8–4 finish that was only good enough for second place in the division. The 1950s gave way to Bear greats such as Ed "The Claw" Sprinkle, Bill George
, George Connor
, and Harlon Hill.
The end of the decade also marked the first time in team history that the Bears did not win an NFL Championship during a decade. This was a sign of the downfall that the Bears were about to encounter. Halas, always the resilient innovator, found a young assistant in George Allen
. A tireless and detail oriented young coach, Allen quickly created innovations such as thick play books for training camps, the first glimpses of deceptive schemes and exhaustive research for the NFL draft. With the support of George Halas, Allen turned the draft into a windfall for future Hall of Fame talent.
The Bears start off the 1960s as the only team in Chicago as the Cardinals decided to move to St Louis. As for the 1960 season, the Bears finished a disappointing 5–6–1 in 5th place in the NFL Western Conference. In the 1961 season, the Bears rebounded off a losing season to finish in 4th place in the conference with a record of 8–6 as rookie tight end Mike Ditka
made an instant impact by collecting 1,076 receiving yards and 12 TDs, and setting a club record for rookies with 56 receptions, while winning the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
. The 1962 season brought on for the second straight season a rookie who made an immediate impact with the team as Ron Bull
won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
as the Bears finished in 3rd place in the Conference with a solid 9–5 record.
The Bears' rookie success hit a pinnacle in 1963 as the Bears broke the Green Bay Packers
three-year stranglehold on the Western Division and the NFL by posting an 11–1–2 record. In the NFL Championship Game
at Wrigley Field
the Bears battled the New York Giants
in front of 45,801 fans on a bone-chilling afternoon. The Bears won their eighth NFL Championship, 14–10 as Bill Wade scored both Bear touchdowns. However, the star of the game was the Bears' dominating defense, which intercepted Giants star QB Y.A. Tittle a stunning 5 times. The following season the Bears followed up their NFL Championship with an underachieving 5–9 season. This poor performance prompted Halas to search for young talent in the upcoming draft. He selected the "Kansas Comet" RB Gale Sayers
and LB Dick Butkus
in the first round of the draft to improve both the offense and defense.
The 1965 season proved to be yet another year where a rookie Bear made an impact as Gale Sayers won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award, while establishing a new NFL record with 22 touchdowns during the season, still a club record. His record season and his entire career would be highlighted by his six-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field on December 12. The new element of Sayers helped the Bears to finish in 3rd place with a 9–4–1 record. Sayers continued his offensive successes in 1966 with a then-NFL record 2,440 all-purpose yards, but his offensive success did not result in wins and the team finished with a 5–7–2 season. Meanwhile, Mike Ditka abruptly retired from playing at the end of the season, dissatisfied with Halas's unwillingness to spend money on talent. He went to Dallas and became an assistant coach under Tom Landry.
1967 not only saw the first Super Bowl in the NFL, but also 47 years after his first season, George Halas (now 72) retired for the final time with a then-NFL record 324 coaching wins, which stood until 1993 when Don Shula broke the record. In Papa Bear's final season, the team played respectably with a 7–6–1 record and a second place finish in the Central Division. Halas claimed that he didn't retire from coaching because of his age, but because the old hip injury he had sustained as a baseball player made it almost impossible for him to stand on the sidelines during games.
Halas's replacement was Jim Dooley
. In Dooley's first season at the helm of the team, the Bears finished with a 7–7 record. The low point of the season, though, was not the mediocre performance but a career threatening knee injury to Gale Sayers, from which he never fully recovered. The decade though was highlighted with the 1969 season. After Sayers's injury, back-up running back Brian Piccolo did not believe he deserved the job because of the injury. Instead of running away with his opportunity as most athletes would, Piccolo, who was a popular figure in the Chicago area and roomed with Sayers for a few years on road trips, during the entire off-season pushed Sayers to get his knee back into football playing shape. Sayers got back into the lineup, and Piccolo was back on the bench when the season started. Sayers rushed for 1,000 yards and earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
. This was the ultimate display of friendship between Piccolo and Sayers, who were friends despite race differences within society during the 1960s. The Bears finished the season, even with Sayers's performance, with a franchise-worst 1–13 record.
The horror of the season came when Brian Piccolo started suffering breathing problems. A hospital physical revealed his worst fear: lung cancer
. On June 16, 1970 just 7 months after being diagnosed, Brian Piccolo lost his battle with lung cancer
at the age of 26. The Bears responded by setting up the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which raises money through various annual events for cancer research. In November 1971, ABC premiered the TV Movie entitled "Brian's Song
." The film starred James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams
as Gale Sayers detailing the friendship between the two Bear running backs. A heartfelt and sad story that evolves would go down as one of the most beloved sports movies of all time.
The new home of the Bears was another classic stadium in itself; Soldier Field, built in the 1920s as a memorial for World War I veterans and was the host of many great sports events including Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney in 1927 and various college football games such as annual Army-Navy matches.
In their first home game at Soldier Field, the Bears emerged victorious defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers (17–15). The victory was short-lived as the Bears finished 6–8 leading to the termination of head coach Jim Dooley. New Coach Abe Gibron did not start his tenure any better with the Bears. The team was last place in the NFC Central division with a record of 4–9–1. The era under Gibron took a deeper dive during the 1973 season as the team finished in last place again with a record of 3–11 as the Bears were limited to just 195 total points during the entire season. Dick Butkus, who had terrorized enemy offensive players for the last eight years, retired early in the season after being hobbled by knee injuries. The 1974 season proved to be Gibron's final one with the Bears as the team finished yet again in last place, this time with a record of 4–10. The Gibron era was marked with a combined record of 11–30–1 and with the only memory was not a play or moment, but Gibron's appearance in an NFL Films production where he was taped singing Joy to the World not paying attention to the game in front of him.
who brought in Jack Pardee
to coach. This was the first time in franchise history that the Bears hired a head coach who was not associated with the franchise. The move did not have any initial impact as the team finished 4–10. The best move of the year was the drafting of RB Walter Payton
in the first Round. Known as "Sweetness", he eventually would become one of the Bears' greatest players ever. The string of losing seasons ended in 1976 with Pardee's coaching and the running of Walter Payton who rushed for 1,390 yards while scoring 13 TDs. The Bears posted a 7–7 record, which was good enough for 2nd place. In his 3rd season, Payton had a breakout year, rushing for a team record 1,852 yards highlighted by a single-game performance of 275 yards, which established a single game record that would stand for the next two decades.
That year Payton captured both NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
and the NFL MVP Award. Behind the running of Payton, the Bears won their final six games to finish second with a 9–5 record, which was good enough for the NFC's Wild Card spot. The Bears though were outpowered and overmatched in their first playoff game since 1963 as the eventual Super Bowl Champion
Cowboys defeated them 37–7 in Dallas. At the end of the season, Pardee left the Bears to take over the coaching reins of the Washington Redskins
. The Bears replaced Pardee with Minnesota Vikings
Defensive coordinator Neill Armstrong
. Armstrong's first season proved to be a step backwards from their playoff appearance with a 7–9 showing. The Bears would be more successful in the 1979 season, but tragedy struck the team as the Bears were celebrating their playoff berth.
On December 16 as the Bears earned that spot on the final day of the season with a 42–6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
, team president George "Mugs" Halas Jr. died of a massive heart attack at the age of 54. "Mugs," the son of the legendary Bears founder George Halas, had served as the president since 1953. The Bears had to regroup quickly as they would face the Philadelphia Eagles
in the Wild Card Game
at Philadelphia a week later. The Bears held a 17–10 lead in the early moments of the second half only to see the Eagles soar back, moving on to the next round with a 27–17 victory. The Bears did not return to the playoffs again under Armstrong and in 1980, they fell below .500 with a 7–9 record (despite some seminal moments in Bear lore). On October 6, 1980, Payton broke the Bears all-time franchise rushing total previously held by Gale Sayers
's with 9,462 career yards. On Thanksgiving in Detroit, Dave Williams
took the overtime kickoff 95 yards for a TD, setting an NFL record for the fastest end to an OT, and on December 7 the Bears ripped the Green Bay Packers 61–7, the biggest margin of victory in the series. Armstrong lasted just one more year with the Bears, finishing with a last place showing and a 6–10 record. He was fired in the off-season.
By the end of the 1970s the beginnings of a front office brain trust was in place. General Manager Jim Finks was building the foundation of a championship team. Scout Bill Tobin had a knack for finding overlooked talent in the NFL draft. Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan was beginning to formulate his revolutionary "46 Defense." As with earlier innovations involving the T-formation with Clark Shaughnessy and later creative ideas with George Allen, the pieces began to fit into place for a championship run.
Early in 1982, George Halas summoned Mike Ditka back from Dallas and offered him the head coaching job, which he accepted.
, the Bears recorded a win-loss record of 112 to 68. After George Halas, Ditka becomes the second Bears coach to record more than 100 wins as coach. In addition, the Bears won 6 Division titles and made two trips to the NFC Championship game. The peak of this era was the 1985 Bears season
where they won Super Bowl XX
.
The 1982 season was Mike Ditka's first season as head coach of the Bears, and he began his rebuilding program by drafting Jim McMahon from Brigham Young University with the intention of his being a franchise QB. The season was interrupted by a players' strike and shortened to nine games. As a result, the NFL held a special playoff tournament involving the top eight teams in both conferences. The Bears did not qualify for the postseason, finishing in 12th place with a 3–6 record. In the spring of 1983, George Halas died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 88. He was the last surviving NFL founder. The death of Halas also brought the addition of the initials "GSH" on the left sleeve of the Bears uniforms. In Ditka's second season, the Bears improved and finished with a record of 8–8. With Halas's passing, his daughter Virginia McCaskey and her husband Mike McCaskey assumed ownership of the team. The 1983 draft was a critical one as it saw the core of the Bears' 1985 championship team arrive.
In 1984, Walter Payton
broke Jim Brown
's all-time career rushing record (which pleased Brown, who had threatened to come out of retirement if Pittsburgh Steelers
running back Franco Harris
broke the record—Brown disliked Harris's tendency to run out of bounds to avoid oncoming rushers ). Payton's record stood for eighteen years until it was broken by Emmitt Smith
in 2002. The Bears finished the season with a 10–6 record to win their first NFC Central Division Championship. Even though the Bears won the division, they struggled toward the end of the season, which cost them a playoff home game. Instead, in the Divisional Playoffs
the Bears played the Washington Redskins at RFK stadium, ending the Redskins' quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance with a 23–19 victory. The Bears advanced to the NFC Championship to play the San Francisco 49ers
. The 49ers shut the Bears out 23–0 on their way to a Super Bowl Championship.
Along the way, the Bears created a huge amount of hype around themselves. The season brought players to the national spotlight such as William "The Refrigerator" Perry
, Mike Singletary
, Jim McMahon
, Dan Hampton
, and Walter Payton
. Then, in the Week 12 game on Monday Night Football, the Bears suffered their only defeat, a 38–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins, who in doing so retained their status as the lone team to have ever had a perfect season. Chicago afterwards produced a music video called "The Super Bowl Shuffle". The Bears were also divided, as Head Coach Mike Ditka
and Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan
did not see eye to eye. In the Divisional Playoffs
the Bears played the New York Giants
, shutting them out 21–0, on a bitterly cold and windy afternoon. The Bears then faced the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. This game too was a shutout, the score being 24–0. The "Monsters of the Midway" advanced to the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XX
, the Bears were enormously favored to beat their opponents, the New England Patriots. In the week before the game, Jim McMahon
allegedly made some controversial comments about New Orleans women that got him some death threats, while the NFL was cracking down on his trademark message headbands. McMahon responded by mooning a group of reporters because of the injury report stated McMahon had an injury to his buttock. The Super Bowl was a circus atmosphere, getting huge TV ratings and reversing a decline in NFL viewership during the previous two years. The Bears started shaky as Walter Payton
fumbled deep in Bears territory. On the subsequent possession, the Patriots were unable to advance the football and had to settle for a field goal, taking a 3–0 lead. However, the Patriots' lead was short-lived as the Bears struck back by scoring the next 44 points in a relentless battering of the Patriots, including a touchdown by "The Refrigerator". The Bears won the game 46–10, setting then Super Bowl records for points and margin of victory as defensive end Richard Dent
was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl
.
As the 1980s wore on, teams began to gradually figure out the 46 defense. Offensive coordinators learned it was vulnerable to a short passing game, particularly the one devised by Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers (later referred to as the West Coast offense). The Bears also failed to draft proper replacements for aging starters.
The 1987 season brought a month long strike that included the use of replacement players for three games. Off-field turmoil resulted when the team drafted QB Jim Harbaugh in the first round as a possible replacement for the injury-prone Jim McMahon. McMahon was offended by this and quarreled with Mike Ditka. The latter meanwhile unwisely took the side of the league during the strike, hurting relations with his players. Even with the replacements, the Bears continued to dominate the NFC Central, winning their fourth straight NFC Central title and achieving an 11–4 record (the strike resulted in a 15-game season), but ended 1987 on an embarrassing note as the team was destroyed in San Francisco 41-0. The year however was remembered for an end of an era as the player called "Sweetness" by many Bear fans retired after 13 seasons where he only missed one game.
In his great career Walter Payton rushed for an all-time career record 16,726 yards. The Bears earned a Divisional Playoff rematch with Redskins at Soldier Field. The Bears jumped out to a 14–0 lead early on only to see the Redskins storm back and take a 21–17 lead late in the game. As time was winding down on the season and Payton's career, the Bears need to score a touchdown late. The ball was in the hands of Payton who tried to extend his career, but on fourth down he was shoved out of bounds one yard short of the first down marker allowing the Redskins to run the clock out. Payton watched the rest of the game as he sat alone on the bench.
In the 1988 season the Bears kept on rolling, winning their fifth straight division title with a 12–4 record and earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a Divisional Playoffs game on New Year's Eve, the Bears faced the Philadelphia Eagles, and former defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan in a game that forever would be known as the "Fog Bowl". Late in the 2nd Quarter the fog began to roll in off Lake Michigan, and at the start of the 3rd Quarter, Soldier Field was immersed in thick fog that made viewing the game impossible. The Bears emerged from the fog with a 20–12 victory. The victory was short-lived as the Bears lost the NFC Championship game the following week 28–3 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers.
The 1989 season started with a deal that sent Jim McMahon to the San Diego Chargers. The move was made as McMahon fell out of favor with Mike Ditka and the Bears front office with his behavior and repeated injuries. This gave the starting job to Mike Tomczak, who had already seen considerable playing time as McMahon regularly missed games due to various injuries. The change at quarterback did not help the Bears as they finished 6–10 missing a sixth consecutive division title. The Bears came into the 1990 season bouncing back from a 6–10 season to finish in 1st Place with an 11–5 record. During the season, Head Coach Mike Ditka earned legendary status when he coached the team again just 10 days after a heart attack. This incident had been referenced and used several times in Bill Swerski's Superfans. However, a change in the playoff system caused the Bears a three seed to play in a wild card game to get to the Divisional Playoffs. In the first ever NFC 3 vs. 6 game the Bears defeated the New Orleans Saints, 16–6, to advance to a Divisional Playoff showdown against the New York Giants. The Bears were trounced 31–3 by the eventual Super Bowl Champion. The Bears made a return trip to the playoffs in 1991 with an 11–5 record in a season that saw Mike Ditka earn his 100th career-coaching win. The Bears did not win the division, but made the playoffs as a Wild Card qualifier. In the wild card round the Bears were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 17–13, in Chicago. The 1992 season saw the end of an era in Chicago. The Bears suffered their worst record of Mike Ditka's tenure, finishing 5–11. As a result, the Mike Ditka era ended as team president Mike McCaskey fired Ditka and hired Dave Wannstedt. Another era that ended that season came with the retirement of Hall of Famer Mike Singletary, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
at Soldier Field
. The following season, the Bears put together a 9–7 season, and they earned a trip to the playoffs as a wild card. In the Wild Card round the Bears defeated the NFC Central Division Champion Minnesota Vikings
35–18. The Bears' success did not last long as they were beaten badly by the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers
44–15 in San Francisco. In the 1995 season, the Bears again finished 9–7, but missed the playoffs due to a loss in a tiebreaker with the Atlanta Falcons. In the 1996 season, the Bears took a step backwards under Wannstedt and finished in third place with a record of 7–9.
The Bears declined further in the 1997 season, losing their first seven games toward a 4–12 season. One of the few highlights of the 1997 season was the Bears picking up franchise victory number 600 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, becoming the first franchise to achieve the feat. The Bears had a setback when their October 26 game at the Miami Dolphins
was pushed to the following Monday night after Pro Player Stadium was needed for game 7 of the 1997 World Series
, but the Bears managed to come back and beat the Dolphins 36–33 in overtime for their first win of the season.
The 1998 season proved to be the last one for Coach Wannstedt as his Bears again finished 4–12. After the season, Wannstedt was fired and McCaskey reassigned by McCaskey's mother Virginia, the daughter of Halas.
as their next head coach. The decade ended with Jauron's first season at 6–10. In the same year, Walter Payton
died at the age of 45, one of the Chicago Bears and the league's greatest running backs of all time.
The Bears began the 2000 season and the new decade on a sour note. After losing their first four games, the Bears finally won their first game of the season on the road against their historic rival, the Green Bay Packers
. Yet the Bears could not build off that win and lost their next three games. After the bye-week, they win against the Indianapolis Colts
in Week 10. For the remaining seven games, they would win 3 games. Though the team ended the season 5–11, rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher
was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Bears surprised most with a breakout campaign in 2001. Apparently, this remained as the most successful season for Jauron with the Bears. After they lost their first game of the season to the Super Bowl XXXV
Champion Baltimore Ravens
17–6 on the road, the Bears won their next six games. Two of those games were won in overtime, against the San Francisco 49ers
(37–31) and the Cleveland Browns
(27–21). In both games, Safety Mike Brown capped remarkable comebacks (the Bears trailed 28–9 in the third quarter against San Francisco, and 21–7 with seconds remaining against Cleveland) by returning an interception in overtime for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Green Bay Packers
ended the win streak at home.
Fortunately, the Bears would win their next three games. However, the Bears traveled to Lambeau Field
and were swept by the Packers 17–7. That would be their last loss of the regular season. The Bears would win their last four games. The Bears ended the regular season with a 13–3 record. This qualified for second place in the NFC, and thus earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff game, the visiting Philadelphia Eagles
won the game with a final score of 33–19. Despite their season ending on a sour note, rookie running back Anthony Thomas
won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Also, coach Dick Jauron was given the Coach of the Year award.
With Soldier Field
being renovated, the Chicago Bears had to play their 2002 home games at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in Champaign, Illinois (136 miles outside Chicago). This was also the year when the Houston Texans
joined the NFL and realignments were made. The Bears joined the Lions, the Packers, and the Vikings in the newly formed NFC North. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
leave the NFC Central to join the NFC South
. The Bears even acquired former Steelers Quarterback Kordell "Slash" Stewart
. Despite starting the season 2–0, the team was plagued by injuries, and they lost their next eight games. The Bears finally got their third win of the year at home against the Lions. The Bears would lose four out of the remaining five games of the season. The Bears ended the season with a 4–12 record.
For the 2003 campaign, the Bears were able to move back to their newly renovated Soldier Field (also known as Soldier Field II). Nevertheless, mediocrity continued as the Bears ended the season with a 7–9 record.
The Bears began the season with a 1–4 record by Week 5. Then Kordell Stewart lost his starting job after the Bears lost their next two road games. Chris Chandler
was named their new quarterback. However, Chandler ended up playing only 4 games; winning the first 2 and losing the second 2. This allowed Kordell Stewart to reclaim his starting job; and played the next three games winning 2.
Looking towards the future, the Bears allowed rookie quarterback Rex Grossman
to start the last three games of the season. Grossman brought the Bears victories in their final two home games. In the end, the late showing of talent was not enough to save Dick Jauron's job. He ended up being dismissed from the Bears.
This post-Ditka decade saw an uneven effort to bring back the fiery Halas style and forge new ideas. Two coaches and various schemes came and went. Furthermore, this era was marred by a "quarterback carousel", where the starting job changed year after year. The hiring of GM Jerry Angelo
in 2001, after 14 years of with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was viewed as a hopeful sign.
(the former defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams
) as their new head coach, the Bears made plans for their 2004 campaign. Since hiring Lovie, all personnel moves made by GM Jerry Angelo have had an overwhelming degree of success. Under Lovie Smith, the Bears have a cumulative record of 63 and 49, including 2 playoff wins and 2 playoff losses, one of which is a loss from Super Bowl XLI
.
At the beginning of Smith's tenure, he stated three goals:
By the end of 2005, the first two goals had been realized.
. However, by Week 7, the Bears recorded a poor starting record of 1–5, with the only win against Green Bay largely due to the Week 3 road game loss to the Minnesota Vikings. There, they lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman from a season-ending knee injury. From then on, they cycled through three different quarterbacks: Craig Krenzel
, Jonathan Quinn
, and Chad Hutchinson
. After a modest three-game win streak from Week 8 to 10, the Bears capped the streak in their Week 10 (19–17) win over the Tennessee Titans
in overtime with a safety. That was the second time in NFL history that a game ended in overtime on a safety. Afterwards, the Bears ended up losing six of the remaining seven games.
In 2005, after going 3–2 in the preseason (with Rex Grossman suffering a broken ankle in their preseason loss to the St. Louis Rams
), the Bears named rookie QB Kyle Orton
their starter, and their regular season started off poorly. The Bears began the season with a 1–3 record. Not even a Week 4 Bye could help them, because in Week 5, the Bears lost a hard-fought road game to Trent Dilfer
and the Cleveland Browns
20–10.
After the 1–3 start, the Bears had an eight-game winning streak, which started with two home games against Minnesota 28–3 and the Ravens 10–6. On a Week 10 home game, the visiting 49ers attempted a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half and the wind blew it to Nathan Vasher
who was in the end zone. He returned that missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown, the longest touchdown play in NFL history then, only to be repeated by Chicago's own Devin Hester
almost exactly one year later. The eight-game winning streak came to an end on the road in a cold and snowy fight against the Pittsburgh Steelers
(21–9).
The Bears closed out the season with a 2–2 record. In Week 15, they won their last regular-season home game against the Atlanta Falcons
with a final score of 16–3. During the game, head coach Lovie Smith
replaced Kyle Orton with a fully healed Rex Grossman. In the following week, the Bears clinched the division with a dominant performance at Lambeau Field
on Christmas Day (the first time the Bears ever played on Christmas
). For the first time since 1991, they swept the Packers; they also secured the NFC North Division title. The Bears ended the regular season with an 11–5 record, enough for 2nd place in the NFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs
. In addition, Lovie Smith received NFL Coach of the Year
honors.
In the NFC divisional playoff game the Carolina Panthers
defeated the Bears 29–21, ending the Bears' season. Panthers' receiver Steve Smith had 12 receptions for 218 yards and two TD's. The Panthers' offense dismantled the Bears' top-ranked defense. The Bears had a final chance to force overtime, but Rex Grossman's 4th-and-1 pass intended for Muhsin Muhammad fell incomplete with less than a minute to go in the game.
The 2006 Chicago Bears started the season 2006 NFL season
by winning their first seven games, marking their best start since the 1988 season
. The Bears started the season by establishing a strong offense under the helm of a healthy Rex Grossman
. Grossman, who was inactive for the most of his first three seasons because of injuries, earned a “FedEx
Offensive Player of the Month Award”, a 100.9 passer rating
during the first month of the season. During one of the games, Grossman threw four touchdowns and earned a passer rating of 148. The Bears’ defense also made headlines, allowing the Bears to outscore their opponents, 221–69 during the first two months of the season.
However, the Bears showed a glimpse of mortality during this period. After defeating the Buffalo Bills
40–7, the Bears traveled to Glendale, Arizona
, to face the Cardinals
, where Grossman committed six turnovers in a seemingly lost effort. With less than twenty minutes remaining, the Bears’ defense and special teams mounted a comeback that allowed the team to overcome a 20-point deficit and win the game, 24–23. Grossman had another turn-over ridden performance against the Miami Dolphins
(which reminisced the 1985 season), where the Bears lost 31–13, the most points the team allowed that season. The team bounced back with a staunch performance against the New York Giants
, in which Devin Hester
tied Nathan Vasher’s longest missed-field goal return record, and a shutout victory over the New York Jets
.
The Bears then traveled to Foxboro, Massachusetts, where Grossman and the Bears’ defense struggled to defeat the New England Patriots
. Despite earning another chance to win the game, Grossman threw a game-ending interception to Asante Samuel
. The following week, the Bears’ defense and special teams came up big, in the wake of a struggling passing game, against the Vikings 23–13. The win clinched their second consecutive NFC North title, and a playoff-berth. The team began to re-establish their clockwork performance during the next three games, including a game where Devin Hester returned two kicks for touchdowns against the St. Louis Rams
, and an overtime thriller against the Buccaneers where Grossman threw for over 300 yards. The season ended on a low note, when the Packers defeated the Bears 26–7, in the regular season’s finale, with Grossman leaving a passer rating of zero.
The local media began to criticize Grossman for his inconsistent performances and shortcomings. Many fans called upon Lovie Smith to bench Grossman in favor of veteran quarterback Brian Griese
. Nevertheless, Smith, who had supported Grossman throughout the season, opted to keep Grossman as the team’s starter. The Bears prepared to take on the Seattle Seahawks
for a second time, who had returned with a healthy Shaun Alexander
. Prior to the game, Smith announced the creation of the “Fourth Phase,” which involved using fan support as an advantage. On a dreary day along the lake-front, the Bears defeated the Seahawks, 27–24, on an overtime Robbie Gould
field goal. The win marked the first time since 1994 season
, that the Bears had won a playoff game.
The following week, the Bears faced the New Orleans Saints at the NFC Championship, marking the Saint’s first Conference Championship appearance. The Bears’ defense shut down the Saints’ top-ranked offense, while running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson
exploited the Saints’ run defense for nearly 180 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears defeated the Saints, 39–14. The win allowed the Bears to claim the George Halas Trophy and the right to represent the National Football Conference
at Super Bowl XLI
against the Indianapolis Colts
. Also, Lovie Smith became the first African-American coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. This feat was matched hours later by his mentor and friend, Tony Dungy
of the Colts.
The Bears entered Super Bowl XLI as seven point underdogs. Amidst the game’s rainy weather, the Bears took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history after Devin Hester
returned the game’s opening kick-off for a touchdown return. Though the Bears’ expanded their lead with a touchdown, the Colts struck back to take a halftime lead. The Bears’ hopes for a comeback were almost thwarted when Grossman threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Ultimately, the Colts defeated the Bears, 29–17. After a productive season, the Bears returned to Chicago in hopes of replicating their success next year.
Success was not forthcoming in 2007, which saw the Bears struggle through the season and finish 7–9. Legal troubles affected defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson during the spring, and he was cut by the Bears on June 25. Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was dropped as well after his contract with the team expired. After the Bears started the season with a 1–3 record, Lovie Smith benched Grossman in favor of Griese. However, injuries ravaged the team's roster, resulting in multiple inconsistent performances on defense and offense. The team finished the season with a 7–9 record, one game behind the Detroit Lions
.
In 2008, Lovie Smith named Kyle Orton as the team's starting quarterback. The team parted with Cedric Benson
, who was cut after two alcohol related arrests. Benson was succeeded by rookie running back Matt Forte
, who rushed for 1,238 yards and caught 47 receptions for 438 yards. The Bears posted a winning record again, with nine wins and seven losses, however Chicago ended up being one game behind the eventual NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings, and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
During the 2009 off-season, Rex Grossman achieved free-agent status and left the team, signing with the Houston Texans
. The Bears then traded Kyle Orton to the Broncos in exchange for QB Jay Cutler. The regular season began on a promising note, including a victory in Week 2 over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, but things fell apart quickly after the bye week, with the Bears losing eight of the next ten games. A 31–7 loss to the Ravens in Week 15 mathematically eliminated them from the playoffs, but the team managed to close out the year by winning the last two matches against the Vikings (a thrilling 36–30 overtime win) and Lions (37–23) to finish 7–9.
In lieu of their mediocre 2009 season, little was expected of the Bears in 2010, but the season turned out in a way no one thought possible. On Week 1, they hosted the Lions and won 19-14 after a controversial penalty call. Next, the Bears traveled to Dallas and swept the Cowboys 27-20. On Monday Night Football in Week 3, the Packers came to town and lost 20-17 after a mass of penalties (18 total), putting the Bears up at 3-0. However, that ended in Week 4 when the team suffered an embarrassing 10-3 loss to the Giants on the road. A terrible O-line and inept play calling led to Jay Cutler being sacked multiple times and concussed. Veteran free agent QB Todd Collins took over at center, but was himself quickly knocked out. Third-stringer Caleb Hanie played the remainder of the game.
After this loss, the Bears had an easy road win over the 0-5 Carolina Panthers before another embarrassment, this time at home against Seattle (losing 20-23). Continued difficulties with the offense and O-line led to a second straight home loss when the Redskins won 17-14 in Week 7. After the bye week, offensive coordinator Mike Martz worked to revamp the offense to compensate for Jay Cutler's lack of O-line protection. After this, they easily beat the struggling Vikings at home 27-13, followed by a 16-0 shutout of the Dolphins in Miami.
In Week 12, the Bears hosted Philadelphia for the second season in a row and won 31-27, while also preserving the franchise's perfect record against Eagles QB Michael Vick (who after the game had a 0-5 all-time record playing them). After beating the Lions in Detroit on more questionable officiating, Chicago next suffered a total collapse at home against New England in a blowing snowstorm (the Patriots won 36-7).
The next week saw the Bears drawn into the turmoil of the Vikings' 2010 season. As the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome's inflatable roof collapsed, the two teams had to play at the University of Minnesota in frigid winter weather. Despite being a nominal home game for the Vikings, they were not a team prepared for outdoor play and Chicago overwhelmed them 40-14. It was here that Brett Favre took his final snap in the NFL after he was knocked into the frozen ground and suffered a concussion, ending a remarkable 20-year career that included 297 consecutive starts.
Afterwards, the Bears returned home and beat the Jets 38-34 before traveling to the "Frozen Tundra" of Lambeau Field for Week 17. Their arch-rival only needed to lose this game to be removed from playoff contention, and so Lovie Smith decided to play Chicago's starters. He also apparently ran generic plays to avoid giving anything away to the Packers for the playoffs, but the offense again sputtered and Green Bay won a 10-3 defensive struggle to secure a wild card playoff berth.
Throughout the season, the Bears' offense and O-line were rated in the NFL's bottom ten and the team mainly depended on special teams (especially Devin Hester's duties as a punt returner) and an aging, but still effective defense led by DE Julius Peppers (acquired from Carolina during the off-season) and LB Brian Urlacher.
Although the Bears' own playoff chances were unharmed by the loss in Green Bay (they had already gotten the #2 NFC seed and a first-round bye with their 12-4 regular season record), that game ultimately proved fatal because of their inability to remove the Packers from postseason contention.
After the Seahawks gained a surprise division title with a 7-9 regular season record and an even more miraculous playoff victory over the defending champion Saints, they headed to Chicago in the divisional round. However, there was no repeat of Week 6 this time. On a gray, fog-shrouded winter afternoon, Jay Cutler threw two TD passes as the Bears overpowered their opponent 35-24 to advance to the NFC Championship.
The Packers meanwhile had beaten the Eagles and Falcons in the playoffs to head to Soldier Field for what was only the second-ever postseason meeting between them and the Bears (the first was in 1941). To everyone's surprise, Green Bay marched out to an early lead as Chicago's offense struggled. During the third quarter, Jay Cutler was pulled with a knee injury and replaced by Todd Collins, who was benched after only two minutes of play. Caleb Hanie came in and tried to rally the team, but hammered by the Packers defense, threw a fatal interception that was caught by nose tackle B.J. Raji and returned for a touchdown. Although Hanie subsequently belted a 35-yard TD pass, Green Bay's defense held on to win the game 21-14, advance to Super Bowl XLV, and ultimately win the championship.
Jay Cutler was widely blamed for a disastrous end to the Bears' miracle season and after the NFC Championship, some fans burned Cutler jerseys. Critics argued that he did not show any indication that his knee injury was serious enough to keep him out of the game and that he had been riding an exercise bike during the rest of the game.
The Bears' most important 2011 draft pick was (ironically) a University of Wisconsin alumnus, OT Gabe Carimi. Jay Cutler's toughness was still being called into question as the preseason began, and veteran LB Brian Urlacher loudly denounced his critics.
Chicago bears.com
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...
American Football Club. The franchise is a charter-member of 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...
and have played in all of the league's eighty-seven seasons. Throughout that span they have created a legacy in professional American football comparable to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in professional baseball. The Bears have captured nine NFL Championships – eight NFL Championships and one Super Bowl – second most all-time behind the 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...
. The franchise has also recorded more victories than any other franchise with 700, retired the most uniform numbers with thirteen, and have the most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
with twenty-six.
Overview
The club has played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 19201920 NFL season
The 1920 APFA season was the inaugural regular season of the National Football League which was called the American Professional Football Association in 1920 and 1921...
. Through the 2010 season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
, they lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with 721 and have an overall record of 721–530–42 (going 704–512–42 during the regular season and 17–18 in the playoffs).
Early years: The formation of the league and Bear domination (1920–1946)
A. E. Staley
A. E. Staley was a Decatur, Illinois based processor of corn founded in 1898. It changed its name to Staley Continental in 1985. It produced a range of starch products for the food, paper and other industries, high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose , ethanol and other agro-industrial...
food starch company of Decatur
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, in 1919 as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman
Edward Sternaman
Edward Sternaman , better known as Dutch, was an American player, coach, and owner in professional football for the NFL's Chicago Bears....
in 1920 to run the team, and turned over full control of the team to them in 1921. However, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL.
On September 17, 1920, 13 team representatives, including those representing Halas' team, met in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
to create a new football league. In the interest of ticket sales and crowning a yearly champion, they decided to form the American Professional Football Association. On October 3, 1920, the Staleys played their first NFL game.
The Decatur Staleys
George HalasGeorge Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, then the player-coach of A.E. Staley's Decatur Staleys, was among the driving forces of this meeting, which gave birth to what exists now as the NFL. In their first season as part of the Association, the Staleys won 10 games, all by shutouts, but lost the first league championship to the Akron Pros
Akron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
, who finished the season unbeaten at 8–0–3. There was no official scheduling in the 1920 season, which accounted for the difference in the number of games played that season.
The Bears and Cardinals split the 1920 series, with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals 7–6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a TD on a fumble recovery, with the Staleys failing their XP try. George Halas' 1920 Staleys went on to a 10–1–2 record overall, 5–1–2 in league play. The 1920 Akron Pros were the first ever league champions, they finished with an 8–0–3 record, 6–0–3 in league play, ending their season in a 0–0 tie against the Decatur Staleys. Thus, the Racine (Chi) Cardinals defeat of the Decatur Staleys earlier in the 1920 season meant that the Pros could simply play not to lose; they wisely did and became champions.
However, if the '20 Bears had not lost to the 1920 Cardinals, they would have gone into that fateful game with an 11–0–1 record, 6–0–1 in league play. The game would have literally been the first championship game as well as the first playoff game. The actual game in 1920 was not because the Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–1 in '20, 4–1–1 in league play, they outscored their opponents 258–32, losing only to the Canton Bulldogs 0–3), Staleys and Pros would have each had one loss had the Staleys won. Each team likely would have played more games (as it was allowed under the rules in those days) to allow teams to settle parity at the top of the standings.
The 1920 Racine (Chi) Cardinals did not allow that to happen though. They took one from their cross-town rivals and at the end of the season that one game meant George Halas and the Decatur Staleys would have to wait one more year to collect the first of their league championships as the 1921 Chicago Staleys. It meant that the 1920 Akron Pros could play for a tie and still be assured of being the first ever league champions. Moreover, it meant that the Bears and Cardinals were rivals and always would be rivals.
First years in Chicago
The Staleys moved to Chicago from Decatur, ILDecatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
in 1921. Halas, who was given the team and $5000 by Staley to keep the name Staleys for another year, made the move. In the 1921 season, the Chicago Staleys finished first in the league and captured their first league championship
1921 NFL season
The 1921 APFA season was the 2nd regular season of the National Football League, which was then called the American Professional Football Association....
.
In 1922, Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
changed the team name to the Bears to reflect baseball's Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, the team's host at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. Over the next few years, the Bears were ranked among the elite teams in the NFL, but could never capture an NFL Championship because the league did not have a playoff system. Instead it had a somewhat controversial scheduling formula, which led to uneven standings and controversial champions. The highlight of the decade was George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
's unprecedented move to sign Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
for $100,000 in 1925. In 1925, professional football was viewed negatively by Americans, as most Americans loved college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
which they saw as a pure sport. Halas, though, took the Bears on a 17 game road trip across America to highlight Grange. The tour began on Thanksgiving at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
as the Chicago Cardinals held the Galloping Ghost to just 36 yards in his professional debut, the city rivals battling to a 0–0 tie. However, during the tour that continued through January 31, the Bears posted an impressive 11–4–2 record.
This road trip impressed many Americans, boosting the prospects of many debt-ridden teams such as 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...
. Grange left the Bears after a contract dispute in 1926
1926 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Frankford Yellow Jackets win the National Football League championship with a league record of 14–1–1College championship...
and moved to establish his own league, the first incarnation of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. That league folded after one season and Grange's New York Yankees
New York Yankees (NFL)
The New York Yankees were a short-lived professional American football team from 1926 to 1928. The team was a member of the first American Football League in 1926, and later the National Football League from 1927-1928. They played their home games at Yankee Stadium...
were admitted into the NFL. Grange injured his knee in his first game against the Bears in 1927
1927 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* New York Giants win National Football League titleCollege championship* College football national championship – Georgia Bulldogs, Illinois Fighting Illini, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies and Yale Bulldogs -Association football:England* The Football...
and was forced to sit out the 1928
1928 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Providence Steam Roller wins the National Football League titleCollege championship* College football national championship – University of Detroit Titans, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and USC Trojans...
season. He returned to Chicago in 1929
1929 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Green Bay Packers wins National Football League titleCollege championship* College football national championship – Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Pittsburgh Panthers and USC Trojans Events...
, but the Bears ended the decade with a losing season as Halas retired as player and coach of the Bears and appointed Ralph Jones
Ralph Jones
Ralph Robert Jones was an American football and basketball coach in the United States. He served as the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1930 to 1932.-Indiana:...
as his successor.
The thirties
Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
and Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, playing in the newly established NFL Championship Game four times and claiming the league title twice.
After completing the 1930 season with a record of 9–4–1, the Bears and Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
played in the first indoor football game on December 15 at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
in a charity game for those affected by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Due to the size limitations of the indoor arena, the length of the football field was only 80 yards. The Bears beat their city rivals 9–7. In the 1932
1932 in sports
-Alpine skiing:FIS Alpine World Ski Championships2nd FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are held at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The events are a downhill, a slalom and a combined race in both the men's and women's categories...
season, the Bears and Portsmouth Spartans tied for first place in the league. The teams played an "unofficial" championship playoff game, held on December 18 at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
. The Bears won the game 9–0 and captured the NFL Championship before 11,198 fans.
The popularity of the game prompted the NFL to institute various rule changes for the 1933
1933 in sports
-Alpine skiing:Events* Taft Slalom, the first racing trail in North America, is cut on Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire-American football:NFL championship...
season, including the splitting of the league into two geographical divisions and the establishment of an officially scheduled championship game to determine the NFL champion.
In 1933, George Halas made his return to coaching the Bears. Halas led the Bears to win the first ever Western Division title and the first ever NFL Championship Game. The Bears again captured the championship in a nail biter against 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...
, 23–21 as Red Grange made the game-winning tackle. In 1934
1934 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* New York Giants 30–13 Chicago Bears in the NFL championship gameCollege championship* College football national championship – Minnesota Golden Gophers-Association football:International...
, the Bears dominated the league and finished 13–0, but were denied perfection, losing 30–13 to the Giants in the NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1934
The 1934 National Football League Championship Game, also known as The Sneakers Game, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on December 9, 1934. The final score was New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13. It was the 2nd annual NFL championship game.A freezing rain the night before the game...
, what became known as the "Sneakers Game."
The Bears would play in the Championship game two more times in the decade, losing both of them. In 1935
1935 in sports
-American football:* Detroit Lions defeat 26–7 New York Giants for the NFL championship* SMU Mustangs national college football champions* First Heisman Trophy presented to Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago...
and 1936
1936 in sports
-American football:* Minnesota Golden Gophers are the National college football champions* Green Bay Packers defeated Boston Redskins 21–6 for the NFL championship...
, the Bears remained somewhat competitive, but failed to qualify for the Championship Game. In 1937
1937 in sports
-American football:* First Cotton Bowl Classic is played in Dallas.* Washington Redskins win the NFL title in their first year at Washington after moving from Boston...
, the Bears made a return trip to the NFL Championship, but fell short as Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
and the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
won, 28–21. In 1938
1938 in sports
-American football:* New York Giants 23–17 Green Bay Packers for the NFL title.* First High School Oil Bowl is played.-Association football:World Cup* 1938 World Cup held in France – Italy retain their title, beating Hungary 4-2 in the final....
, the Bears fell off the NFL map, with a record of 6–5. The Bears finished off the 1930s on a down note, losing twice to the 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 1939.
During the late 1930s George Halas and University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
football coach Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation", although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s. Shaughnessy did, however, modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the...
collaborated on a revolutionary approach to the offense and the quarterback position. The result was the T-formation offense
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
and the first evolution of the modern quarterback. A complex scheme that required an athletic player with quick decision skills led Halas to recruit Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
quarterback Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
. He turned the position into an engine for a high powered and time-consuming scoring machine.
Dynasty: Monsters of the Midway
Monsters of the Midway
The "Monsters of the Midway" is most widely known as the nickname for the National Football League's Chicago Bears—particularly the dominant teams of 1940 and 1941...
was first attributed to the Bears. In this span, the Bears went to 5 championships and won 4 of them. This is despite George Halas temporarily leaving the organization to serve in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, from 1943 to 1945.
In the 1940
1940 in sports
1940 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Bears 73–0 Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game...
NFL Championship, Halas introduced his T-formation offense, with Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
at quarterback. This formation shocked and confused the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
all day as the Bears won 73–0, an NFL record that stands to this day. The T-formation was soon widely copied at the college and pro levels.
In 1941
1941 in sports
1941 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Minnesota Golden Gophers National college football champions....
, the Bears and 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...
battled to a 10–1–0 tie for 1st place in the Western Division. Since the teams split their two regular season match-ups, which turned out to be each team's only loss of the season, a one-game playoff was set up. The Bears won 33–14, moving on to rout the 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...
37–9 in the NFL Championship.
In 1942
1942 in sports
1942 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...
, the Bears started the season off well before Halas departed for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His handpicked successors Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos
Luke Johnsos
Luke Andrew Johnsos, Sr. was an American football player, assistant coach, and head coach for the National Football League's Chicago Bears franchise. He started with the Bears in 1929 at the age of 23 as an All-Pro end. He played eight NFL seasons in Chicago finishing his playing career in 1936...
ran the team for the next three years until Halas returned. The Bears finished the regular season 11–0 and played the Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in the Championship game. The Redskins spoiled the Bears attempt at a perfect season; with a 14–6 upset preventing the Bears from three-peat
Three-peat
Three-peat is a contraction of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018...
ing. In the 1943
1943 in sports
1943 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Chicago Bears win 41-26 over Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game in Chicago...
season, the Bears dominated the Western Division behind the quarterbacking of Luckman, who threw for 433 yards and seven TDs that season in a single game versus 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...
. In the Championship game, the Redskins were no challenge to the Bears as the crowd of 34,320 at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
watched the Bears win 41–21 behind Sid Luckman's five TDs and Nagurski's final TD run.
The Bears' domination of the NFL took a slight fall in as the Bears posted a mediocre result in 1944
1944 in sports
1944 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:* Green Bay Packers defeats 14-7 New York Giants in New York City for the NFL title...
and a losing season in 1945
1945 in sports
1945 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...
. "Papa Bear" Halas made a return to the Bears in 1946
1946 in sports
-American football:* All-America Football Conference begins play. Cleveland Browns win the championship by beating New York Yankees 14-9.* Chicago Bears win the NFL crown by defeating the New York Giants 24-14 in New York.-Association football:England...
. The Bears were able to find their old magic again, with many players returning from service in the war, finishing the regular season 8–2–1 to claim another Western Division title and a return trip to the Championship game. The Bears won their last Championship of the decade over 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...
, 24–14, before a then NFL Championship Game
NFC 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...
record crowd of 58,346 at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in New York. This would be the Bears' last Championship for the next 16 years.
Middle years: The rough years (1947–1981)
During this span of 34 seasons, the Bears had a combined record of 237–224–9. Seventeen of those seasons finished with a record of .500 or better. Out of those seventeen seasons, they won the NFL Western Division twice. Also, they qualified for the playoffs only five times, while losing the 1956 NFL ChampionshipNFL Championship Game, 1956
In the 1956 National Football League Championship Game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City on 30 December 1956, the New York Giants defeated the Chicago Bears 47-7. It was the 24th annual NFL championship game....
and then winning the 1963 NFL Championship. Despite these rough years, players like Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
and Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
thrived in their careers.
The decline from the top
In 19471947 in sports
-American football:* Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.-Association football:England* First Division – Liverpool win the 1946-47 title.* FA Cup – Charlton Athletic beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time...
, The Bears got off to a slow start by losing their first two games. The team rebounded however and quickly ran off an eight-game winning streak to get back into the race for first place in the Western Division. After losing to the Los Angeles Rams 17–14 in the second to last game of the season, the Bears and Chicago Cardinals faced off in the final game of the season, with the Western Division title on the line. Despite it being a home game for the Bears at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
the Cardinals came in and would stun the Bears 30–21 en route to the 1947 NFL Championship
1947 in sports
-American football:* Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.-Association football:England* First Division – Liverpool win the 1946-47 title.* FA Cup – Charlton Athletic beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time...
. In 1948
1948 in sports
-American football:* University of Michigan wins college football national championship.* Cleveland Browns 49–7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game....
, for the second season in a row, the Bears put together another great regular season but fell short to their inner city rival Cardinals. The Bears posted a 10–2 record, but lost a key game against the Cardinals that gave them the Western Division Championship.
In 1949
1949 in sports
-American football:* Cleveland Browns 21–7 San Francisco 49ers for the All-America Football Conference championship. After the 1949 season, the Browns, 49ers and original Baltimore Colts all joined the NFL for the 1950 season....
, The Bears continued to be one of the best teams in the NFL. However, they fell one game short of making the Championship game again. The Bears' success continued into 1950
1950 in sports
-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:...
as they began the new decade in style by finishing 9–3, which was good enough to earn them a tie for the Western Division with the Los Angeles Rams and play in the Conference Playoff against them. However, the Bears were unable to slow down the high-powered Ram offense in a 24–14 loss in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
as the Rams advanced to the NFL Championship Game.
In 1951
1951 in sports
1951 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 14 – The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game ....
, The Bears got off to a streaking start winning five of their first six games. The magic faded in the second half as they collapsed, winning just 2 of their final 6 games as they finished in 4th place in the conference with a mediocre record of 7–5. In the 1952
1952 in sports
1952 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions win 17–7 over the Cleveland BrownsGeorgia Tech wins national college football championship-England:...
season, the Bears' defense struggled all season as they allowed a wretched 326 points and the team finished below .500 for the first time since 1945
1945 in sports
1945 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.Note — many sporting events did not take place because of World War II-American football:...
, finishing in 5th place with a record of 5–7. The team's struggles continued into 1953 as most of their superstars from the 1940s dynasty were now retired the Bears finished 3–8–1, and, for the first time in team history, the Bears posted back-to-back losing seasons. One notable occurrence in the 1953 season was that the NFL's first modern era African-American quarterback, Willie Thrower
Willie Thrower
Willie Lawrence Thrower was a American football quarterback. Born near Pittsburgh in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Thrower was known as "Mitts" for his large hands and arm strength compared to his 5'11 frame. He was known to toss a football 60 yards...
played in his 1st and only game against the 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...
. Like Thrower's career in the NFL, the Bears troubles were short lived, as they rose up in 1954
1954 in sports
1954 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 56-10 over the Detroit Lions* Ohio State Buckeyes - college football champions.-Artistic gymnastics:* 1954 World Championships...
to the Bears of old. The team got back into the league playoff picture by posting a solid record of 8–4, good enough for 2nd place in the division, but not an appearance in the Championship game.
In 1955
1955 in sports
-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns won 38-14 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners - college football champions.-England:* First Division - Chelsea win the 1954-55 title.* FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1....
, the team posted a second consecutive 8–4 season, 2nd place again, as Head Coach George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
called it quits for the third time in his coaching career. Halas replaced himself with former team standout Paddy Driscoll
Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...
. Driscoll's success would be highlighted in his first season with the team. In 1956
1956 in sports
1956's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Toni Sailer, Austria** Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria* The women's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland...
, Paddy Driscoll
Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...
led the Bears to put together a solid 9–2–1 season and to beat out fellow Midwest rival 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...
by a half a game for the 1956
1956 in sports
1956's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Toni Sailer, Austria** Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria* The women's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland...
Western Division Championship. The magical season though ended sourly as the Bears were no match for 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...
in the 1956 NFL Championship
1956 in sports
1956's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The men's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Toni Sailer, Austria** Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria** Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria* The women's Olympic Gold Medal:** Downhill: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland...
, as the Bears were blasted in a 47–7 rout in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The magic of the championship season was short lived though as in 1957
1957 in sports
1957 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions won 59-14 over the Cleveland Browns.*College football champions Auburn University-Association football:...
the Bears dropped from first to below .500 with a 5–7 record. This prompted Halas to quickly fire Driscoll and return to the sidelines.
In George Halas's return to the sidelines in 1958
1958 in sports
1958 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – December 28 the Baltimore Colts won 23-17 over the New York Giants in overtime. The game is later called the "Greatest game ever played"....
, the Bears rebounded off the disappointing losing season by challenging for the Western Division Championship all season before faltering at the end and finishing in a second place tie with an 8–4, one game away from the Championship Game. The Bears closed out the decade in 1959
1959 in sports
1959 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Baltimore Colts won 31-16 over the New York Giants* August 14 - The American Football League is founded...
with yet another consecutive 8–4 finish that was only good enough for second place in the division. The 1950s gave way to Bear greats such as Ed "The Claw" Sprinkle, Bill George
Bill George
William J. George was a professional football player, playing linebacker, for the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams....
, George Connor
George Connor (American football)
George Leo Connor was an American football offensive tackle/linebacker for the Chicago Bears from 1948 to 1955. He was originally a number one draft pick by the New York Giants in 1946. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and of the College Football Hall of Fame. He attended the...
, and Harlon Hill.
The end of the decade also marked the first time in team history that the Bears did not win an NFL Championship during a decade. This was a sign of the downfall that the Bears were about to encounter. Halas, always the resilient innovator, found a young assistant in George Allen
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
. A tireless and detail oriented young coach, Allen quickly created innovations such as thick play books for training camps, the first glimpses of deceptive schemes and exhaustive research for the NFL draft. With the support of George Halas, Allen turned the draft into a windfall for future Hall of Fame talent.
One more championship for Halas
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
made an instant impact by collecting 1,076 receiving yards and 12 TDs, and setting a club record for rookies with 56 receptions, while winning the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
. The 1962 season brought on for the second straight season a rookie who made an immediate impact with the team as Ron Bull
Ronnie Bull (American football)
Ronald David Bull is a retired American football running back. He played running back at Bishop High School in Bishop, Texas which is located 30 miles southwest of Corpus Christi. To this day the "Ronnie Bull" award is given every year to the top senior male athlete of that high school...
won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Since 1967, the Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to National Football League players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
as the Bears finished in 3rd place in the Conference with a solid 9–5 record.
The Bears' rookie success hit a pinnacle in 1963 as the Bears broke the 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...
three-year stranglehold on the Western Division and the NFL by posting an 11–1–2 record. In the NFL Championship Game
NFC 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...
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
the Bears battled 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...
in front of 45,801 fans on a bone-chilling afternoon. The Bears won their eighth NFL Championship, 14–10 as Bill Wade scored both Bear touchdowns. However, the star of the game was the Bears' dominating defense, which intercepted Giants star QB Y.A. Tittle a stunning 5 times. The following season the Bears followed up their NFL Championship with an underachieving 5–9 season. This poor performance prompted Halas to search for young talent in the upcoming draft. He selected the "Kansas Comet" RB Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
and LB Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
in the first round of the draft to improve both the offense and defense.
The 1965 season proved to be yet another year where a rookie Bear made an impact as Gale Sayers won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award, while establishing a new NFL record with 22 touchdowns during the season, still a club record. His record season and his entire career would be highlighted by his six-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field on December 12. The new element of Sayers helped the Bears to finish in 3rd place with a 9–4–1 record. Sayers continued his offensive successes in 1966 with a then-NFL record 2,440 all-purpose yards, but his offensive success did not result in wins and the team finished with a 5–7–2 season. Meanwhile, Mike Ditka abruptly retired from playing at the end of the season, dissatisfied with Halas's unwillingness to spend money on talent. He went to Dallas and became an assistant coach under Tom Landry.
1967 not only saw the first Super Bowl in the NFL, but also 47 years after his first season, George Halas (now 72) retired for the final time with a then-NFL record 324 coaching wins, which stood until 1993 when Don Shula broke the record. In Papa Bear's final season, the team played respectably with a 7–6–1 record and a second place finish in the Central Division. Halas claimed that he didn't retire from coaching because of his age, but because the old hip injury he had sustained as a baseball player made it almost impossible for him to stand on the sidelines during games.
Halas's replacement was Jim Dooley
Jim Dooley
James William Dooley was a former American football player and coach. He is best remembered for his tenure in both capacities with the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
. In Dooley's first season at the helm of the team, the Bears finished with a 7–7 record. The low point of the season, though, was not the mediocre performance but a career threatening knee injury to Gale Sayers, from which he never fully recovered. The decade though was highlighted with the 1969 season. After Sayers's injury, back-up running back Brian Piccolo did not believe he deserved the job because of the injury. Instead of running away with his opportunity as most athletes would, Piccolo, who was a popular figure in the Chicago area and roomed with Sayers for a few years on road trips, during the entire off-season pushed Sayers to get his knee back into football playing shape. Sayers got back into the lineup, and Piccolo was back on the bench when the season started. Sayers rushed for 1,000 yards and earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly. The player named Comeback Player of the Year shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor...
. This was the ultimate display of friendship between Piccolo and Sayers, who were friends despite race differences within society during the 1960s. The Bears finished the season, even with Sayers's performance, with a franchise-worst 1–13 record.
The horror of the season came when Brian Piccolo started suffering breathing problems. A hospital physical revealed his worst fear: lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. On June 16, 1970 just 7 months after being diagnosed, Brian Piccolo lost his battle with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the age of 26. The Bears responded by setting up the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which raises money through various annual events for cancer research. In November 1971, ABC premiered the TV Movie entitled "Brian's Song
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale...
." The film starred James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams
William December "Billy Dee" Williams, Jr. is an American actor, artist, singer, and writer.-Early life:Williams was born in New York City, New York, the son of Loretta...
as Gale Sayers detailing the friendship between the two Bear running backs. A heartfelt and sad story that evolves would go down as one of the most beloved sports movies of all time.
After AFL-NFL merger
The 1970s began with the end of an era for the entire league, especially for the Chicago Bears. The sport, which once lagged behind baseball and college football in terms of popularity, was beginning a huge rise since the event of the Super Bowl. Due to this, bigger venues were needed to support the fan base. The home of the Cubs had been the Bears home field for nearly 50 years; but after the merger the NFL required all stadiums to seat at least 50,000.[5] The Bears finished off their tenure at Wrigley Field on December 13 by winning against the rival Green Bay Packers (35–17). In doing so, the Bears finished in 4th place in the NFC Central with a record of 6–8.The new home of the Bears was another classic stadium in itself; Soldier Field, built in the 1920s as a memorial for World War I veterans and was the host of many great sports events including Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney in 1927 and various college football games such as annual Army-Navy matches.
In their first home game at Soldier Field, the Bears emerged victorious defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers (17–15). The victory was short-lived as the Bears finished 6–8 leading to the termination of head coach Jim Dooley. New Coach Abe Gibron did not start his tenure any better with the Bears. The team was last place in the NFC Central division with a record of 4–9–1. The era under Gibron took a deeper dive during the 1973 season as the team finished in last place again with a record of 3–11 as the Bears were limited to just 195 total points during the entire season. Dick Butkus, who had terrorized enemy offensive players for the last eight years, retired early in the season after being hobbled by knee injuries. The 1974 season proved to be Gibron's final one with the Bears as the team finished yet again in last place, this time with a record of 4–10. The Gibron era was marked with a combined record of 11–30–1 and with the only memory was not a play or moment, but Gibron's appearance in an NFL Films production where he was taped singing Joy to the World not paying attention to the game in front of him.
Building for a championship
In 1975, the rebuilding of the Bears fell to Hall of Fame GM Jim FinksJim Finks
James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
who brought in Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...
to coach. This was the first time in franchise history that the Bears hired a head coach who was not associated with the franchise. The move did not have any initial impact as the team finished 4–10. The best move of the year was the drafting of RB Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
in the first Round. Known as "Sweetness", he eventually would become one of the Bears' greatest players ever. The string of losing seasons ended in 1976 with Pardee's coaching and the running of Walter Payton who rushed for 1,390 yards while scoring 13 TDs. The Bears posted a 7–7 record, which was good enough for 2nd place. In his 3rd season, Payton had a breakout year, rushing for a team record 1,852 yards highlighted by a single-game performance of 275 yards, which established a single game record that would stand for the next two decades.
That year Payton captured both NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given annually by the Associated Press to the offensive player of the National Football League believed to have had the most outstanding season...
and the NFL MVP Award. Behind the running of Payton, the Bears won their final six games to finish second with a 9–5 record, which was good enough for the NFC's Wild Card spot. The Bears though were outpowered and overmatched in their first playoff game since 1963 as the eventual Super Bowl Champion
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
Cowboys defeated them 37–7 in Dallas. At the end of the season, Pardee left the Bears to take over the coaching reins of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. The Bears replaced Pardee with 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...
Defensive coordinator Neill Armstrong
Neill Armstrong
Neill Ford Armstrong is a former American football player and coach whose career spanned more than 40 years at both the collegiate and professional levels....
. Armstrong's first season proved to be a step backwards from their playoff appearance with a 7–9 showing. The Bears would be more successful in the 1979 season, but tragedy struck the team as the Bears were celebrating their playoff berth.
On December 16 as the Bears earned that spot on the final day of the season with a 42–6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, team president George "Mugs" Halas Jr. died of a massive heart attack at the age of 54. "Mugs," the son of the legendary Bears founder George Halas, had served as the president since 1953. The Bears had to regroup quickly as they would face the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the Wild Card Game
NFL playoffs, 1979-80
The NFL playoffs following the 1979 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XIV.Note: As per the rules of the NFL playoffs prior to the 1990 season , the Dallas Cowboys did not play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional playoff round because both teams were in the same division.-AFC: Houston Oilers 13,...
at Philadelphia a week later. The Bears held a 17–10 lead in the early moments of the second half only to see the Eagles soar back, moving on to the next round with a 27–17 victory. The Bears did not return to the playoffs again under Armstrong and in 1980, they fell below .500 with a 7–9 record (despite some seminal moments in Bear lore). On October 6, 1980, Payton broke the Bears all-time franchise rushing total previously held by Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
's with 9,462 career yards. On Thanksgiving in Detroit, Dave Williams
Dave Williams (American football)
David Laverne Williams is a former National Football League wide receiver who played seven professional seasons, mainly for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the first Seattle Seahawk to be signed, but didn't ever play for the Seahawks due to a knee injury...
took the overtime kickoff 95 yards for a TD, setting an NFL record for the fastest end to an OT, and on December 7 the Bears ripped the Green Bay Packers 61–7, the biggest margin of victory in the series. Armstrong lasted just one more year with the Bears, finishing with a last place showing and a 6–10 record. He was fired in the off-season.
By the end of the 1970s the beginnings of a front office brain trust was in place. General Manager Jim Finks was building the foundation of a championship team. Scout Bill Tobin had a knack for finding overlooked talent in the NFL draft. Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan was beginning to formulate his revolutionary "46 Defense." As with earlier innovations involving the T-formation with Clark Shaughnessy and later creative ideas with George Allen, the pieces began to fit into place for a championship run.
Early in 1982, George Halas summoned Mike Ditka back from Dallas and offered him the head coaching job, which he accepted.
The Ditka era: Bears renaissance (1982–1992)
From 1982 to 1993 under coach Mike DitkaMike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
, the Bears recorded a win-loss record of 112 to 68. After George Halas, Ditka becomes the second Bears coach to record more than 100 wins as coach. In addition, the Bears won 6 Division titles and made two trips to the NFC Championship game. The peak of this era was the 1985 Bears season
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
where they won Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
.
The 1982 season was Mike Ditka's first season as head coach of the Bears, and he began his rebuilding program by drafting Jim McMahon from Brigham Young University with the intention of his being a franchise QB. The season was interrupted by a players' strike and shortened to nine games. As a result, the NFL held a special playoff tournament involving the top eight teams in both conferences. The Bears did not qualify for the postseason, finishing in 12th place with a 3–6 record. In the spring of 1983, George Halas died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 88. He was the last surviving NFL founder. The death of Halas also brought the addition of the initials "GSH" on the left sleeve of the Bears uniforms. In Ditka's second season, the Bears improved and finished with a record of 8–8. With Halas's passing, his daughter Virginia McCaskey and her husband Mike McCaskey assumed ownership of the team. The 1983 draft was a critical one as it saw the core of the Bears' 1985 championship team arrive.
In 1984, Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
broke Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
's all-time career rushing record (which pleased Brown, who had threatened to come out of retirement if Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
running back Franco Harris
Franco Harris
Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...
broke the record—Brown disliked Harris's tendency to run out of bounds to avoid oncoming rushers ). Payton's record stood for eighteen years until it was broken by Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
in 2002. The Bears finished the season with a 10–6 record to win their first NFC Central Division Championship. Even though the Bears won the division, they struggled toward the end of the season, which cost them a playoff home game. Instead, in the Divisional Playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1984-85
The NFL playoffs following the 1984 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XIX.The two wild card games were held on different days because both venues were in the Pacific Standard Time Zone. The NFL did not schedule prime time playoff games on the east coast until 2002. Normally, playoff games started at...
the Bears played the Washington Redskins at RFK stadium, ending the Redskins' quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance with a 23–19 victory. The Bears advanced to the NFC Championship to play the 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...
. The 49ers shut the Bears out 23–0 on their way to a Super Bowl Championship.
1985: Super Bowl XX
1985 is the most celebrated year in Bears history. Through various rankings, the 1985 Bears have been marked as one of the top 5 NFL teams of all time. The Bears beat the first twelve of their opponents. In the process, they outscored opponents 456 to 198.Along the way, the Bears created a huge amount of hype around themselves. The season brought players to the national spotlight such as William "The Refrigerator" Perry
William Perry (American football)
William Perry is a former professional American football player. He is best known for his years as a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. In reference to his large size, he was popularly known as "The Refrigerator" or, abbreviated, "The Fridge".-Life and athletic career:Perry was born in...
, Mike Singletary
Mike Singletary
Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....
, Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
, Dan Hampton
Dan Hampton
Daniel Oliver Hampton also known as "Danimal" is a retired Hall of Fame American football defensive tackle who played twelve seasons for the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990 in the National Football League. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002...
, and Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
. Then, in the Week 12 game on Monday Night Football, the Bears suffered their only defeat, a 38–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins, who in doing so retained their status as the lone team to have ever had a perfect season. Chicago afterwards produced a music video called "The Super Bowl Shuffle". The Bears were also divided, as Head Coach Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
and Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan
Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan is a former American NFL football coach.-Early years:Ryan was born and reared in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and...
did not see eye to eye. In the Divisional Playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1985-86
The NFL playoffs following the 1985 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XX.Because the Jets and Giants both used Giants Stadium as their home field, the two wild card playoff games were held on different days.-AFC: New England Patriots 26, New York Jets 14:...
the Bears played 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...
, shutting them out 21–0, on a bitterly cold and windy afternoon. The Bears then faced the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. This game too was a shutout, the score being 24–0. The "Monsters of the Midway" advanced to the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
, the Bears were enormously favored to beat their opponents, the New England Patriots. In the week before the game, Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
allegedly made some controversial comments about New Orleans women that got him some death threats, while the NFL was cracking down on his trademark message headbands. McMahon responded by mooning a group of reporters because of the injury report stated McMahon had an injury to his buttock. The Super Bowl was a circus atmosphere, getting huge TV ratings and reversing a decline in NFL viewership during the previous two years. The Bears started shaky as Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
fumbled deep in Bears territory. On the subsequent possession, the Patriots were unable to advance the football and had to settle for a field goal, taking a 3–0 lead. However, the Patriots' lead was short-lived as the Bears struck back by scoring the next 44 points in a relentless battering of the Patriots, including a touchdown by "The Refrigerator". The Bears won the game 46–10, setting then Super Bowl records for points and margin of victory as defensive end Richard Dent
Richard Dent
Richard Lamar Dent is a former American football defensive end, who played primarily for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XX...
was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
.
Post-Super Bowl years
In 1986, the Bears' defense was even stingier coming off the Super Bowl establishing a new NFL record low for 187 points allowed as the Bears finished with another NFC Central title and a 14–2 record. The Bears attempt to defend their Super Bowl title took a blow when Jim McMahon suffered an injury as the result of an illegal hit by Packers' defender Charles Martin. McMahon threw an interception and was slammed into the turf by Martin, injuring his shoulder and ending his season, which had already been subpar. Doug Flutie took over, but proved to be ineffective as the Bears were shocked by the Washington Redskins in the divisional playoffs, 27–13.As the 1980s wore on, teams began to gradually figure out the 46 defense. Offensive coordinators learned it was vulnerable to a short passing game, particularly the one devised by Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers (later referred to as the West Coast offense). The Bears also failed to draft proper replacements for aging starters.
The 1987 season brought a month long strike that included the use of replacement players for three games. Off-field turmoil resulted when the team drafted QB Jim Harbaugh in the first round as a possible replacement for the injury-prone Jim McMahon. McMahon was offended by this and quarreled with Mike Ditka. The latter meanwhile unwisely took the side of the league during the strike, hurting relations with his players. Even with the replacements, the Bears continued to dominate the NFC Central, winning their fourth straight NFC Central title and achieving an 11–4 record (the strike resulted in a 15-game season), but ended 1987 on an embarrassing note as the team was destroyed in San Francisco 41-0. The year however was remembered for an end of an era as the player called "Sweetness" by many Bear fans retired after 13 seasons where he only missed one game.
In his great career Walter Payton rushed for an all-time career record 16,726 yards. The Bears earned a Divisional Playoff rematch with Redskins at Soldier Field. The Bears jumped out to a 14–0 lead early on only to see the Redskins storm back and take a 21–17 lead late in the game. As time was winding down on the season and Payton's career, the Bears need to score a touchdown late. The ball was in the hands of Payton who tried to extend his career, but on fourth down he was shoved out of bounds one yard short of the first down marker allowing the Redskins to run the clock out. Payton watched the rest of the game as he sat alone on the bench.
In the 1988 season the Bears kept on rolling, winning their fifth straight division title with a 12–4 record and earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a Divisional Playoffs game on New Year's Eve, the Bears faced the Philadelphia Eagles, and former defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan in a game that forever would be known as the "Fog Bowl". Late in the 2nd Quarter the fog began to roll in off Lake Michigan, and at the start of the 3rd Quarter, Soldier Field was immersed in thick fog that made viewing the game impossible. The Bears emerged from the fog with a 20–12 victory. The victory was short-lived as the Bears lost the NFC Championship game the following week 28–3 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers.
The 1989 season started with a deal that sent Jim McMahon to the San Diego Chargers. The move was made as McMahon fell out of favor with Mike Ditka and the Bears front office with his behavior and repeated injuries. This gave the starting job to Mike Tomczak, who had already seen considerable playing time as McMahon regularly missed games due to various injuries. The change at quarterback did not help the Bears as they finished 6–10 missing a sixth consecutive division title. The Bears came into the 1990 season bouncing back from a 6–10 season to finish in 1st Place with an 11–5 record. During the season, Head Coach Mike Ditka earned legendary status when he coached the team again just 10 days after a heart attack. This incident had been referenced and used several times in Bill Swerski's Superfans. However, a change in the playoff system caused the Bears a three seed to play in a wild card game to get to the Divisional Playoffs. In the first ever NFC 3 vs. 6 game the Bears defeated the New Orleans Saints, 16–6, to advance to a Divisional Playoff showdown against the New York Giants. The Bears were trounced 31–3 by the eventual Super Bowl Champion. The Bears made a return trip to the playoffs in 1991 with an 11–5 record in a season that saw Mike Ditka earn his 100th career-coaching win. The Bears did not win the division, but made the playoffs as a Wild Card qualifier. In the wild card round the Bears were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys, 17–13, in Chicago. The 1992 season saw the end of an era in Chicago. The Bears suffered their worst record of Mike Ditka's tenure, finishing 5–11. As a result, the Mike Ditka era ended as team president Mike McCaskey fired Ditka and hired Dave Wannstedt. Another era that ended that season came with the retirement of Hall of Famer Mike Singletary, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Wannstedt and Jauron years (1993–2003)
For the next 10 seasons, the Bears had a combined win-loss record of 76 to 103. They posted 3 winning seasons above .500. Twice the Bears qualified for the post-season, with only 1 playoff win. In this same span, they placed first in their division only once.Dave Wannstedt
In Wannstedt's first season, the Bears finished with a record of 7–9. During the 1993 season, the Bears played their 1,000th franchise game and won, 6–0, against the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta 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...
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...
. The following season, the Bears put together a 9–7 season, and they earned a trip to the playoffs as a wild card. In the Wild Card round the Bears defeated the NFC Central Division Champion 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...
35–18. The Bears' success did not last long as they were beaten badly by the eventual Super Bowl Champion 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...
44–15 in San Francisco. In the 1995 season, the Bears again finished 9–7, but missed the playoffs due to a loss in a tiebreaker with the Atlanta Falcons. In the 1996 season, the Bears took a step backwards under Wannstedt and finished in third place with a record of 7–9.
The Bears declined further in the 1997 season, losing their first seven games toward a 4–12 season. One of the few highlights of the 1997 season was the Bears picking up franchise victory number 600 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 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...
, becoming the first franchise to achieve the feat. The Bears had a setback when their October 26 game at the Miami Dolphins
Miami 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...
was pushed to the following Monday night after Pro Player Stadium was needed for game 7 of the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
, but the Bears managed to come back and beat the Dolphins 36–33 in overtime for their first win of the season.
The 1998 season proved to be the last one for Coach Wannstedt as his Bears again finished 4–12. After the season, Wannstedt was fired and McCaskey reassigned by McCaskey's mother Virginia, the daughter of Halas.
Dick Jauron
The Bears hired Dick JauronDick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
as their next head coach. The decade ended with Jauron's first season at 6–10. In the same year, Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
died at the age of 45, one of the Chicago Bears and the league's greatest running backs of all time.
The Bears began the 2000 season and the new decade on a sour note. After losing their first four games, the Bears finally won their first game of the season on the road against their historic rival, the 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...
. Yet the Bears could not build off that win and lost their next three games. After the bye-week, they win against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in Week 10. For the remaining seven games, they would win 3 games. Though the team ended the season 5–11, rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Bears surprised most with a breakout campaign in 2001. Apparently, this remained as the most successful season for Jauron with the Bears. After they lost their first game of the season to the Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
Champion Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
17–6 on the road, the Bears won their next six games. Two of those games were won in overtime, against the 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...
(37–31) and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(27–21). In both games, Safety Mike Brown capped remarkable comebacks (the Bears trailed 28–9 in the third quarter against San Francisco, and 21–7 with seconds remaining against Cleveland) by returning an interception in overtime for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the 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...
ended the win streak at home.
Fortunately, the Bears would win their next three games. However, the Bears traveled to 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...
and were swept by the Packers 17–7. That would be their last loss of the regular season. The Bears would win their last four games. The Bears ended the regular season with a 13–3 record. This qualified for second place in the NFC, and thus earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff game, the visiting Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
won the game with a final score of 33–19. Despite their season ending on a sour note, rookie running back Anthony Thomas
Anthony Thomas (American football)
Anthony Jermaine Thomas is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Thomas was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Also, coach Dick Jauron was given the Coach of the Year award.
With 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...
being renovated, the Chicago Bears had to play their 2002 home games at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
in Champaign, Illinois (136 miles outside Chicago). This was also the year when the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
joined the NFL and realignments were made. The Bears joined the Lions, the Packers, and the Vikings in the newly formed NFC North. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 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...
leave the NFC Central to join the NFC South
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
. The Bears even acquired former Steelers Quarterback Kordell "Slash" Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
. Despite starting the season 2–0, the team was plagued by injuries, and they lost their next eight games. The Bears finally got their third win of the year at home against the Lions. The Bears would lose four out of the remaining five games of the season. The Bears ended the season with a 4–12 record.
For the 2003 campaign, the Bears were able to move back to their newly renovated Soldier Field (also known as Soldier Field II). Nevertheless, mediocrity continued as the Bears ended the season with a 7–9 record.
The Bears began the season with a 1–4 record by Week 5. Then Kordell Stewart lost his starting job after the Bears lost their next two road games. Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
was named their new quarterback. However, Chandler ended up playing only 4 games; winning the first 2 and losing the second 2. This allowed Kordell Stewart to reclaim his starting job; and played the next three games winning 2.
Looking towards the future, the Bears allowed rookie quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
to start the last three games of the season. Grossman brought the Bears victories in their final two home games. In the end, the late showing of talent was not enough to save Dick Jauron's job. He ended up being dismissed from the Bears.
This post-Ditka decade saw an uneven effort to bring back the fiery Halas style and forge new ideas. Two coaches and various schemes came and went. Furthermore, this era was marred by a "quarterback carousel", where the starting job changed year after year. The hiring of GM Jerry Angelo
Jerry Angelo
Jerry Angelo is the General Manager for the National Football League's Chicago Bears. He has held the role since 2001. Prior to joining the Chicago Bears, Angelo spent 14 years overseeing Tampa Bay Buccaneers' scouting department as their Director of Player Personnel...
in 2001, after 14 years of with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was viewed as a hopeful sign.
The Lovie Smith era (2004–present)
With Lovie SmithLovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
(the former defensive coordinator for the 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,...
) as their new head coach, the Bears made plans for their 2004 campaign. Since hiring Lovie, all personnel moves made by GM Jerry Angelo have had an overwhelming degree of success. Under Lovie Smith, the Bears have a cumulative record of 63 and 49, including 2 playoff wins and 2 playoff losses, one of which is a loss from Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
.
At the beginning of Smith's tenure, he stated three goals:
- End Green Bay's dominance of the division
- Win the DivisionNFC NorthThe NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
- Win the Super Bowl
By the end of 2005, the first two goals had been realized.
The new "Monsters of the Midway": 2004–present
In his inaugural year, the Bears ended their 2004 campaign at 5–11. For the first goal, Lovie Smith aimed to defeat their historic rival, the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau FieldLambeau 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...
. However, by Week 7, the Bears recorded a poor starting record of 1–5, with the only win against Green Bay largely due to the Week 3 road game loss to the Minnesota Vikings. There, they lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman from a season-ending knee injury. From then on, they cycled through three different quarterbacks: Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel
Craig Krenzel is a former college and professional American football quarterback. He is currently a radio commentator for WBNS 97.1 The FAN in Columbus, which broadcasts the Ohio State Buckeyes football games.-High school career:...
, Jonathan Quinn
Jonathan Quinn
Jonathan Ryan Quinn is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. He was originally selected with the 25th pick of the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Middle Tennessee State University by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears...
, and Chad Hutchinson
Chad Hutchinson
Chad Martin Hutchinson is a retired National Football League quarterback and Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the St. Louis Cardinals of the MLB...
. After a modest three-game win streak from Week 8 to 10, the Bears capped the streak in their Week 10 (19–17) win over the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in overtime with a safety. That was the second time in NFL history that a game ended in overtime on a safety. Afterwards, the Bears ended up losing six of the remaining seven games.
In 2005, after going 3–2 in the preseason (with Rex Grossman suffering a broken ankle in their preseason loss to the 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,...
), the Bears named rookie QB Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle 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...
their starter, and their regular season started off poorly. The Bears began the season with a 1–3 record. Not even a Week 4 Bye could help them, because in Week 5, the Bears lost a hard-fought road game to Trent Dilfer
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer is a former football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sixth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
20–10.
After the 1–3 start, the Bears had an eight-game winning streak, which started with two home games against Minnesota 28–3 and the Ravens 10–6. On a Week 10 home game, the visiting 49ers attempted a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half and the wind blew it to Nathan Vasher
Nathan Vasher
Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
who was in the end zone. He returned that missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown, the longest touchdown play in NFL history then, only to be repeated by Chicago's own 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...
almost exactly one year later. The eight-game winning streak came to an end on the road in a cold and snowy fight against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(21–9).
The Bears closed out the season with a 2–2 record. In Week 15, they won their last regular-season home game against the 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...
with a final score of 16–3. During the game, head coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
replaced Kyle Orton with a fully healed Rex Grossman. In the following week, the Bears clinched the division with a dominant performance at 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...
on Christmas Day (the first time the Bears ever played on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
). For the first time since 1991, they swept the Packers; they also secured the NFC North Division title. The Bears ended the regular season with an 11–5 record, enough for 2nd place in the NFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2005-06
The National Football League playoffs for the 2005 season began on January 7, 2006 and led up to Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan....
. In addition, Lovie Smith received NFL Coach of the Year
NFL Coach of the Year Award
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...
honors.
In the NFC divisional playoff game 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...
defeated the Bears 29–21, ending the Bears' season. Panthers' receiver Steve Smith had 12 receptions for 218 yards and two TD's. The Panthers' offense dismantled the Bears' top-ranked defense. The Bears had a final chance to force overtime, but Rex Grossman's 4th-and-1 pass intended for Muhsin Muhammad fell incomplete with less than a minute to go in the game.
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
by winning their first seven games, marking their best start since the 1988 season
1988 Chicago Bears season
The 1988 Chicago Bears season was their 69th regular season and 19th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 12-4 record, winning the NFC Central for the fifth straight season, but lost in the NFC Championship Game. Coach Mike Ditka suffered a heart attack during the...
. The Bears started the season by establishing a strong offense under the helm of a healthy Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
. Grossman, who was inactive for the most of his first three seasons because of injuries, earned a “FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Offensive Player of the Month Award”, a 100.9 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
during the first month of the season. During one of the games, Grossman threw four touchdowns and earned a passer rating of 148. The Bears’ defense also made headlines, allowing the Bears to outscore their opponents, 221–69 during the first two months of the season.
However, the Bears showed a glimpse of mortality during this period. After defeating the 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...
40–7, the Bears traveled to Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, to face the Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where Grossman committed six turnovers in a seemingly lost effort. With less than twenty minutes remaining, the Bears’ defense and special teams mounted a comeback that allowed the team to overcome a 20-point deficit and win the game, 24–23. Grossman had another turn-over ridden performance against the Miami Dolphins
Miami 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...
(which reminisced the 1985 season), where the Bears lost 31–13, the most points the team allowed that season. The team bounced back with a staunch performance against 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...
, in which 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...
tied Nathan Vasher’s longest missed-field goal return record, and a shutout victory over the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The Bears then traveled to Foxboro, Massachusetts, where Grossman and the Bears’ defense struggled to defeat the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Despite earning another chance to win the game, Grossman threw a game-ending interception to Asante Samuel
Asante Samuel
Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
. The following week, the Bears’ defense and special teams came up big, in the wake of a struggling passing game, against the Vikings 23–13. The win clinched their second consecutive NFC North title, and a playoff-berth. The team began to re-establish their clockwork performance during the next three games, including a game where Devin Hester returned two kicks for touchdowns against the 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,...
, and an overtime thriller against the Buccaneers where Grossman threw for over 300 yards. The season ended on a low note, when the Packers defeated the Bears 26–7, in the regular season’s finale, with Grossman leaving a passer rating of zero.
The local media began to criticize Grossman for his inconsistent performances and shortcomings. Many fans called upon Lovie Smith to bench Grossman in favor of veteran quarterback Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
. Nevertheless, Smith, who had supported Grossman throughout the season, opted to keep Grossman as the team’s starter. The Bears prepared to take on 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...
for a second time, who had returned with a healthy Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
. Prior to the game, Smith announced the creation of the “Fourth Phase,” which involved using fan support as an advantage. On a dreary day along the lake-front, the Bears defeated the Seahawks, 27–24, on an overtime 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...
field goal. The win marked the first time since 1994 season
1994 Chicago Bears season
The 1994 Chicago Bears season was their 75th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9–7 record under head coach Dave Wannstedt. The club was one of four teams from the NFC Central to make the playoffs. This was also the NFL's 75th Anniversary so it saw the Bears...
, that the Bears had won a playoff game.
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
exploited the Saints’ run defense for nearly 180 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears defeated the Saints, 39–14. The win allowed the Bears to claim the George Halas Trophy and the right to represent the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
at Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. Also, Lovie Smith became the first African-American coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. This feat was matched hours later by his mentor and friend, Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
of the Colts.
The Bears entered Super Bowl XLI as seven point underdogs. Amidst the game’s rainy weather, the Bears took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history after 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 the game’s opening kick-off for a touchdown return. Though the Bears’ expanded their lead with a touchdown, the Colts struck back to take a halftime lead. The Bears’ hopes for a comeback were almost thwarted when Grossman threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Ultimately, the Colts defeated the Bears, 29–17. After a productive season, the Bears returned to Chicago in hopes of replicating their success next year.
Success was not forthcoming in 2007, which saw the Bears struggle through the season and finish 7–9. Legal troubles affected defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson during the spring, and he was cut by the Bears on June 25. Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was dropped as well after his contract with the team expired. After the Bears started the season with a 1–3 record, Lovie Smith benched Grossman in favor of Griese. However, injuries ravaged the team's roster, resulting in multiple inconsistent performances on defense and offense. The team finished the season with a 7–9 record, one game behind the 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...
.
In 2008, Lovie Smith named Kyle Orton as the team's starting quarterback. The team parted with Cedric Benson
Cedric Benson
Cedric Myron Benson is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft...
, who was cut after two alcohol related arrests. Benson was succeeded by rookie running back 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...
, who rushed for 1,238 yards and caught 47 receptions for 438 yards. The Bears posted a winning record again, with nine wins and seven losses, however Chicago ended up being one game behind the eventual NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings, and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
During the 2009 off-season, Rex Grossman achieved free-agent status and left the team, signing with the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Bears then traded Kyle Orton to the Broncos in exchange for QB Jay Cutler. The regular season began on a promising note, including a victory in Week 2 over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers, but things fell apart quickly after the bye week, with the Bears losing eight of the next ten games. A 31–7 loss to the Ravens in Week 15 mathematically eliminated them from the playoffs, but the team managed to close out the year by winning the last two matches against the Vikings (a thrilling 36–30 overtime win) and Lions (37–23) to finish 7–9.
In lieu of their mediocre 2009 season, little was expected of the Bears in 2010, but the season turned out in a way no one thought possible. On Week 1, they hosted the Lions and won 19-14 after a controversial penalty call. Next, the Bears traveled to Dallas and swept the Cowboys 27-20. On Monday Night Football in Week 3, the Packers came to town and lost 20-17 after a mass of penalties (18 total), putting the Bears up at 3-0. However, that ended in Week 4 when the team suffered an embarrassing 10-3 loss to the Giants on the road. A terrible O-line and inept play calling led to Jay Cutler being sacked multiple times and concussed. Veteran free agent QB Todd Collins took over at center, but was himself quickly knocked out. Third-stringer Caleb Hanie played the remainder of the game.
After this loss, the Bears had an easy road win over the 0-5 Carolina Panthers before another embarrassment, this time at home against Seattle (losing 20-23). Continued difficulties with the offense and O-line led to a second straight home loss when the Redskins won 17-14 in Week 7. After the bye week, offensive coordinator Mike Martz worked to revamp the offense to compensate for Jay Cutler's lack of O-line protection. After this, they easily beat the struggling Vikings at home 27-13, followed by a 16-0 shutout of the Dolphins in Miami.
In Week 12, the Bears hosted Philadelphia for the second season in a row and won 31-27, while also preserving the franchise's perfect record against Eagles QB Michael Vick (who after the game had a 0-5 all-time record playing them). After beating the Lions in Detroit on more questionable officiating, Chicago next suffered a total collapse at home against New England in a blowing snowstorm (the Patriots won 36-7).
The next week saw the Bears drawn into the turmoil of the Vikings' 2010 season. As the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome's inflatable roof collapsed, the two teams had to play at the University of Minnesota in frigid winter weather. Despite being a nominal home game for the Vikings, they were not a team prepared for outdoor play and Chicago overwhelmed them 40-14. It was here that Brett Favre took his final snap in the NFL after he was knocked into the frozen ground and suffered a concussion, ending a remarkable 20-year career that included 297 consecutive starts.
Afterwards, the Bears returned home and beat the Jets 38-34 before traveling to the "Frozen Tundra" of Lambeau Field for Week 17. Their arch-rival only needed to lose this game to be removed from playoff contention, and so Lovie Smith decided to play Chicago's starters. He also apparently ran generic plays to avoid giving anything away to the Packers for the playoffs, but the offense again sputtered and Green Bay won a 10-3 defensive struggle to secure a wild card playoff berth.
Throughout the season, the Bears' offense and O-line were rated in the NFL's bottom ten and the team mainly depended on special teams (especially Devin Hester's duties as a punt returner) and an aging, but still effective defense led by DE Julius Peppers (acquired from Carolina during the off-season) and LB Brian Urlacher.
Although the Bears' own playoff chances were unharmed by the loss in Green Bay (they had already gotten the #2 NFC seed and a first-round bye with their 12-4 regular season record), that game ultimately proved fatal because of their inability to remove the Packers from postseason contention.
After the Seahawks gained a surprise division title with a 7-9 regular season record and an even more miraculous playoff victory over the defending champion Saints, they headed to Chicago in the divisional round. However, there was no repeat of Week 6 this time. On a gray, fog-shrouded winter afternoon, Jay Cutler threw two TD passes as the Bears overpowered their opponent 35-24 to advance to the NFC Championship.
The Packers meanwhile had beaten the Eagles and Falcons in the playoffs to head to Soldier Field for what was only the second-ever postseason meeting between them and the Bears (the first was in 1941). To everyone's surprise, Green Bay marched out to an early lead as Chicago's offense struggled. During the third quarter, Jay Cutler was pulled with a knee injury and replaced by Todd Collins, who was benched after only two minutes of play. Caleb Hanie came in and tried to rally the team, but hammered by the Packers defense, threw a fatal interception that was caught by nose tackle B.J. Raji and returned for a touchdown. Although Hanie subsequently belted a 35-yard TD pass, Green Bay's defense held on to win the game 21-14, advance to Super Bowl XLV, and ultimately win the championship.
Jay Cutler was widely blamed for a disastrous end to the Bears' miracle season and after the NFC Championship, some fans burned Cutler jerseys. Critics argued that he did not show any indication that his knee injury was serious enough to keep him out of the game and that he had been riding an exercise bike during the rest of the game.
The Bears' most important 2011 draft pick was (ironically) a University of Wisconsin alumnus, OT Gabe Carimi. Jay Cutler's toughness was still being called into question as the preseason began, and veteran LB Brian Urlacher loudly denounced his critics.
Footnotes
External links
Chicago bears.com