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| [http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55629/TEN_Gamebook.pdf Gamebook]
| [http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55629/TEN_Gamebook.pdf Gamebook]
| [http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2012110403/2012/REG9/bears@titans Recap]
| [http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2012110403/2012/REG9/bears@titans Recap]
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Revision as of 04:33, 12 November 2012

2012 Chicago Bears season
OwnerThe McCaskey Family
(Since 1983)
General managerPhil Emery
(Since 2012)
Head coachLovie Smith
(9th season)
Home fieldSoldier Field
(Since 1971)
Local radioWBBM · WCFS · WLEY · WSCR
Results
Record7–1
Division place1st NFC North
Uniform
File:NFCN-UNIFORM-CHI-V3.png

The 2012 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 93rd season in the National Football League, as well as the 9th under head coach Lovie Smith. The team will play at Soldier Field for the 10th season since its reconstruction in 2001.

Offseason

Organizational changes

On January 3, the team fired eleven-year general manager Jerry Angelo.[1] In the search for a new general manager, the team considered New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye III, New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht, and Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery, along with in-house candidate Tim Ruskell (Ruskell and the Bears would mutually part ways on January 30).[2] The hunt later narrowed down to Emery and Licht,[3] and Emery was ultimately chosen as the new general manager.[4]

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz later resigned,[1] and the Bears promoted offensive line coach Mike Tice to Martz's role.[5] Tim Holt was hired to take Tice's place.[6]

The team also re-signed special-teams coordinator Dave Toub back on the team to a 2-year extension.[7]

In the team's search for a new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach after Shane Day's resignation, they originally considered former Bears quarterback coach Greg Olson (though he later declined) and Alex Van Pelt. Tice had expressed interest in hiring Dirk Koetter, who worked with Tice in Jacksonville, though Koetter would later be hired by the Atlanta Falcons.[8] The Bears eventually hired former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.[9]

The Bears, after head athletic trainer Tim Bream left for Penn State, promoted former assistant athletic trainer Chris Hanks to Bream's role, as well as director of rehabilitation Bobby Slater to Hanks's role.[10]

The Bears' scouting team expanded by hiring Chris Ballard as director of pro scouting, Marty Barrett as college scouting director, while adding seven new scouts and four scouting assistants. Among the new scouts is former Bears cornerback Dwayne Joseph, who was hired as a pro scout.[11]

Roster changes

Additions

Departures

2012 draft class

In 2011, the Bears acquired the Carolina Panthers' third round pick for Greg Olsen,[46] though a year later, the Bears traded the pick to the Miami Dolphins and a future third rounder for Marshall.[47]

In the first round, the Bears selected Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin with the 19th overall pick. Though McClellin played defensive end and linebacker at college, Bears general manager Phil Emery stated that McClellin will play defensive end with the Bears.[48] In the second round, the Bears traded their second round pick (50th overall) and their fifth rounder (150th overall) to the St. Louis Rams for their second rounder (45th overall), which was used on South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Emery considered Jeffery one of the best receivers in the draft, placing him ahead of Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd.[49] In round three, the Bears drafted Oregon State safety Brandon Hardin 79th overall, despite missing the entire 2011 college football season with a shoulder injury.[50] Hardin's selection marked the eighth year in a row the team spent a draft pick on a safety.[49] In the next round, the Bears selected Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez. Though he played tight end, he was envisioned as a fullback by the team, and will be primarily intended to be a blocker. Rodriguez stated that he has been a blocker at Temple during Al Golden's tenure as offensive coordinator.[51] The Bears closed out the draft by drafting two cornerbacks, Nevada's Isaiah Frey (184th overall) and TCU's Greg McCoy (220th overall), despite the team already having six cornerbacks. McCoy was sixth in the nation in kickoff return yards, having averaged 30.6 yards per return, and scoring two touchdowns.[52] Draft analysts gave the Bears draft grades mainly C's.[53] The entire draft class was signed by May 15.[50]

Round Selection Player Position College
1 19 Shea McClellin Defensive end Boise State
2 45 Alshon Jeffery Wide receiver South Carolina
3 79 Brandon Hardin Safety Oregon State
4 111 Evan Rodriguez Fullback/Tight End Temple
6 184 Isaiah Frey Cornerback Nevada
7 220 Greg McCoy Cornerback/Kick Returner TCU
Draft Day Trades
Round Overall Team Received
2 50 to St. Louis Rams Received St. Louis's second round pick (45th overall)
5 150 to Rams None (traded along with 50th overall pick)

Undrafted free agents

After the conclusion of the draft, the Bears announced coming to terms with 11 undrafted free-agents.[54]

Offseason workouts

Rookie minicamp

Quarterback Jay Cutler (center) talks with Brandon Marshall (right) during training camp

51 rookies worked out with the team at Rookie Minicamp, consisting of closed two-hour practices. The rookies included 6 draft picks, 11 undrafted free agents and 34 others.[55]

Chicago Bears 2012 Rookie Mini-Camp Roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Drafted players in bold
Undrafted signees in italics

50 Total, 6 Drafted, 7 Signed, 37 Unsigned

Rookie workout signees

On May 13, the Bears later announced that they had signed 7 rookies.[56]

OTA workouts

On May 22, the Bears began their organized team activity (OTA) workouts, with workouts being from May 29–31 and June 4–7, with a mandatory full squad workout in June. Under the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFLPA, offseason programs will last 9 weeks, instead of the former 14 weeks, and will be in 3 phases. In the first phase, activities were limited to strength, conditioning, and physical rehabilitation, with only strength and conditioning coaches allowed on the field. Players cannot wear helmets, and footballs are limited to quarterbacks and their receivers. In the second phase, all coaches are allowed on the field, and players will perform 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 non-contact drills. In the third and final phase, players may wear helmets, but one-on-one drills involving the offense and defense are prohibited.[57] Running back Matt Forté skipped the workouts due to a contract dispute.[58] Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, cornerback Charles Tillman, wide receiver Devin Hester and kicker Robbie Gould did not attend the workouts. Tight end Matt Spaeth, rookie receiver Alshon Jeffery, receiver Johnny Knox and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite were present, but did not participate. Julius Peppers held out of team drills, and Chauncey Davis was called to take first team reps at defensive end. Kyle Adams replaced Spaeth at tight end. Dom DeCicco and Nick Roach replaced Urlacher at linebacker. Patrick Mannelly also did not practice to an injury.[59]

Minicamp

During Bears minicamp, Matt Forte still held out, and was unavailable. Forte had a July 16 deadline to agree to a long-term deal, and eventually signed it on the day of the deadline.[60][61] Newcomer Michael Bush was eventually called to take Forte's place before the signing.[62]

Training Camp

The team held training camp at Olivet Nazarene University for the eleventh consecutive year, which ran from July 25 to August 17.[63] The Bears held their annual Family Fest at Soldier Field on August 3 in front of a crowd of 27,352.[64] During training camp, newcomer Devin Thomas announced his retirement,[44] and the Bears brought back Rashied Davis.[28]

Preseason

Transactions

Preseason roster changes
Additions
Departures
Practice squad additions
Reserve list

Zeitplan

The Bears' preseason schedule was announced on April 4, 2012. The Bears took on the Broncos, Peyton Manning, and former Bear Caleb Hanie, playing in their first game as Broncos, a game the Bears lost 31–3. Though safety Major Wright was able to intercept Manning, and rookie Shea McClellin managed to sack Hanie in the first quarter,[76] the team, playing without Jay Cutler, Matt Forté, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers, the offense failed to convert any third down attempts, and only managed to get into Broncos territory once in the first half, which resulted in Josh McCown getting sacked. The defense also allowed Denver to convert 8 out of 16 third down conversions. In the second half, the Broncos scored three touchdowns on Xavier Omon's run, Brock Osweiler's pass to Jason Hill, and Adam Weber's pass to Cornelius Ingram.[77] In the second game, the Bears faced rookie first-round draft pick Robert Griffin III and the Redskins, and forced Griffin to fumble.[78] The Bears would lead 30-10, but Washington would take the lead in the fourth quarter after scoring 21 points on two Kirk Cousins passes and a Brandon Banks punt return, but Robbie Gould would tie the Bears record (that he himself set) for the longest field goal to give the Bears the victory.[79] Against the defending champion New York Giants, though Cutler only completed 9 of 21 passes for 96 yards, he threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and Gould kicked two field goals. The Giants would go on to score two touchdowns in the second-quarter, and led 17-7, though the Bears would later regain the lead 20-17. Late in the fourth quarter, Bears rookie Isaiah Frey intercepted a David Carr pass that was tipped by Anthony Walters to give the Bears the victory.[80] In the final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, a frequent preseason opponent, the Bears took an early lead that they never relinquished for the rest of the game on two Josh McCown touchdown passes, an interception return by rookie Greg McCoy, and a blocked punt returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Brittan Golden, leading to a Bears 28-20 victory.[81]

Week Date Kickoff (CDT) Opponent Results Game site TV NFL.com
GameBook
NFL.com
Recap
Final score Team record
1 August 9 7:30 p.m. Denver Broncos L 3–31 0–1 Soldier Field WFLD[a] Gamebook Recap
2 August 18 7:00 p.m. Washington Redskins W 33–31 1–1 Soldier Field WFLD[a] Gamebook Recap
3 August 24 7:00 p.m. at New York Giants W 20–17 2–1 MetLife Stadium CBS Gamebook Recap
4 August 30 6:30 p.m. at Cleveland Browns W 28–20 3–1 Cleveland Browns Stadium WFLD[a] Gamebook Recap

Regular season

Transactions

Regular season roster changes
Additions
Departures
Miscellaneous

Zeitplan

The team's schedule was announced on April 17.[91] Besides the team's divisional opponents, the Bears will also play the AFC South, NFC West, along with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers.[92] The team has the twentieth strongest schedule in the NFL, tied with the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs with opponents having a combined record of 126-130 (.492) in 2011.[93]

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game site TV NFL.com
GameBook
NFL.com
Recap
Final score Team record
1 September 9 12:00 p.m. Indianapolis Colts W 41–21 1–0 Soldier Field CBS Gamebook Recap
2 September 13 7:20 p.m. at Green Bay Packers L 10–23 1–1 Lambeau Field NFLN[b] Gamebook Recap
3 September 23 12:00 p.m. St. Louis Rams W 23–6 2–1 Soldier Field Fox Gamebook Recap
4 October 1 7:30 p.m. at Dallas Cowboys W 34–18 3–1 Cowboys Stadium ESPN[e] Gamebook Recap
5 October 7 3:05 p.m. at Jacksonville Jaguars W 41–3 4–1 EverBank Field Fox Gamebook Recap
6 Bye
7 October 22 7:30 p.m. Detroit Lions W 13–7 5–1 Soldier Field ESPN[f] Gamebook Recap
8 October 28 12:00 p.m. Carolina Panthers W 23–22 6–1 Soldier Field Fox Gamebook Recap
9 November 4 12:00 p.m. at Tennessee Titans W 51–20 7–1 LP Field Fox Gamebook Recap
10 November 11 7:20 p.m. Houston Texans L 6-13 7-2 Soldier Field NBC
11 November 19 7:30 p.m. at San Francisco 49ers Candlestick Park ESPN[f]
12 November 25 12:00 p.m. * Minnesota Vikings Soldier Field Fox *
13 December 2 12:00 p.m. * Seattle Seahawks Soldier Field Fox *
14 December 9 12:00 p.m. * at Minnesota Vikings Mall of America Field Fox *
15 December 16 12:00 p.m. * Green Bay Packers Soldier Field Fox *
16 December 23 3:25 p.m. * at Arizona Cardinals University of Phoenix Stadium Fox *
17 December 30 12:00 p.m. * at Detroit Lions Ford Field Fox *
NOTES: All times are Central. Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

LEGEND:

 #  Games played with color uniforms.[c]
 #  Games played with white uniforms.[c]
 #  Games played with 1940s throwback uniforms.[c]
 *  Yellow background indicates that the game time and network are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.
 -  Light green background indicates a victory.
 -  Light red background indicates a loss.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Colts 7 7 0721
Bears 7 17 10741

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

The Bears opened the season against the Indianapolis Colts and first overall draft pick Andrew Luck at Soldier Field. The Bears opened the game on a sour note when Jay Cutler's pass to Matt Forte was intercepted by Jerrell Freeman and returned for a touchdown, giving the Colts a 7-0 lead. Cutler would only complete 30 percent of his passes (3 of 10) for 21 yards for a 4.9 passer rating. Despite this, in the second quarter, Cutler would complete 15 of 17 for 228 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 80.5, as the Bears would score twice on a Michael Bush 1-yard touchdown run and Brandon Marshall's 3-yard touchdown catch to give Chicago a 14-7 lead. The Bears defense was not able to sack Luck, but the Colts offense was only able to convert 1 of 4 third down attempts, and Tim Jennings was able to intercept Luck.[94] In the third quarter, the Bears scored on a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Forte to increase the lead to 31-14. In the final quarter, Luck threw his first career touchdown to Donnie Avery to close the gap by 13 points, but the Bears would retaliate when Cutler threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery.[95] The Colts attempted to score, but Luck's pass would be intercepted by Jennings with less than two minutes left in the game.[96]

With the win, the Bears opened the season with a 1-0 record. The 41 points scored by the Bears were the most in a season opener since the 1986 season, when the Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-31,[97] and is also the first time the Bears scored 41 points without a defensive/special teams touchdown since 1993.[98]

Week 2: at Green Bay Packers

Week Two: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 0 3710
Packers 0 13 01023

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

In a Thursday Night showdown against the rival Green Bay Packers, the Bears struggled throughout much of the game, and the offense was only able to muster one touchdown and 168 yards. Quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked seven times, and completed 11 of 27 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown, four interceptions and a 28.2 passer rating. Cutler's counterpart Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times, and ended the game by completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, an interception and a passer rating of 85.3. In the first quarter, Packers kicker Mason Crosby with a field goal, and the Bears would fall behind even more when Packers holder Tim Masthay threw a pass to tight end Tom Crabtree on a fake field goal.[99] In the third quarter, Matt Forte sustained an ankle injury (originally reported as a high ankle sprain), and was lost for the game.[100] After Cutler was later intercepted by Tramon Williams, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs dropped a possible interception, as Green Bay later increased the lead on another field goal. The Bears would later score on a Robbie Gould field goal, but the Packers later scored ten points (a Crosby field goal and a Rodgers 26-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver) in 21 seconds early in the fourth quarter. After Tim Jennings intercepted a Rodgers pass, Cutler connected with Kellen Davis to narrow the score to 23-10 with 6:49 left in the game, but the Packers would hold for the win.[101]

The loss dropped the Bears to a 1-1 record.

Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week Three: St. Louis Rams at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rams 0 3 306
Bears 3 7 01323

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Attempting to bounce back from the Week 2 loss to the Packers, the Bears faced the St. Louis Rams. Throughout the course of the game, the Bears defense sacked Rams quarterback Sam Bradford six times, marking the first time the Bears defense has recorded at least five sacks in back-to-back since the team's 2001 season.[102] The six sacks increased the Bears season sack total to 14, which led the league, and is the most they have recorded in the first three games since 1987.[103] On the offensive side, however, Jay Cutler completed only 17 of 31 passes for 183 yards and an interception (by Cortland Finnegan; Finnegan appeared to fumble on the return, and the ball was recovered by Bears receiver Devin Hester, but the fumble was overturned),[104] and a mere passer rating of 58.9. With running back Matt Forte out for the game, the Bears rushing attack ran for 103 yards and Michael Bush ran for a 3-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked a 56-yard field goal, the longest in Soldier Field history.[105] In the fourth quarter, Bears cornerback Tim Jennings deflected a Bradford pass intended for Danny Amendola to Major Wright, who returned the interception 45 yards for a touchdown.[106]

The victory gave the Bears a 2-1 record.

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Week Four: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 10 141034
Cowboys 0 7 3818

at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

In week 4, the Bears played against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Dallas. After a scoreless first quarter and Robbie Gould's field goal, Charles Tillman intercepted Tony Romo, returning the pick for a touchdown. The interception would be the first of Romo's five interceptions. Romo would later hit Miles Austin for a 10-yard touchdown.[107] In the second half, Cutler was able to hit Devin Hester on a 34-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bears lead.[108] Later, Romo's pass was intercepted by Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who then returned the interception for a touchdown to increase the lead 24-7. The Bears' 14 forced turnovers led the league,[109] and also leads the league in interceptions (11).[110] Cutler would then throw another touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. Cutler would have his highest performance of the season, completing 18 of 24 passes for 275 yards, along with two touchdowns. His 140.1 passer rating was the third highest of his career. Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards, a season-best.[111] With 34 seconds left in the game, Romo was replaced by former Bears quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten, and the Cowboys had a two-point conversion, but the Bears would then win 34-18.[112]

With the win, the Bears shared the NFC North lead with the Minnesota Vikings with a 3-1 record.

Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Five: Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 3 0 102841
Jaguars 0 3 003

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

In week 5, the Bears recorded the highest margin of victory of the season, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-3. In the first quarter, the Bears scored first on a Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal, though Jacksonville would respond in the next quarter on Josh Scobee's 31-yard kick. In the second half, the Bears broke the deadlock by kicking another field goal and cornerback Charles Tillman returning a Blaine Gabbert interception 36 yards for a touchdown, breaking former Bears safety Mike Brown's franchise record for the most pick-sixes in a career. Tillman also tied Donnell Woolford for the most interceptions by a cornerback in team history. In the fourth quarter, the Bears scored on Jay Cutler's 10-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery.[113] Chicago would then extend their lead on Cutler's 24-yard pass to Brandon Marshall to increase the lead to 27-3. Bears linebacker Lance Briggs would then intercept Gabbert and score on a 36-yard return.[114] Briggs and Tillman would become the first pair in league history to return interceptions for touchdowns in consecutive games, and the Bears became the first team in NFL history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five games of a season.[115] The Bears would close out the game with backup running back Armando Allen scoring on a 46-yard touchdown run.[116]

The victory improved the team's record to 4-1. The victory is the most lopsided win for the Bears since their 1985 44-0 victory over the Cowboys,[117] and the 38 points scored in the second half are the most since the team scoring 49 second half points in the 1941 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.[118]

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Seven: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 077
Bears 10 0 3013

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Coming off a bye week, the Bears battled rival Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. The team kept the Lions from scoring until the fourth quarter, and forced four takeaways. The first turnover forced was in the first half, when Lance Briggs stripped the ball from Mikel Leshoure, which was recovered by Julius Peppers. The second and third turnovers were forced in the third quarter on Zack Bowman's muffed punt recovery, and Brian Urlacher recovering Joique Bell's fumble. The final turnover occurred when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's pass was intercepted by D. J. Moore.[119] The Bears struck first on Jay Cutler's touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and Robbie Gould kicked a field goal to increase the first half score to 10-0. During the game, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh threw Cutler to the ground, injuring his ribs. Cutler was eventually replaced by Jason Campbell for a play, before returning to the game.[120] In the second half, Gould kicked another field goal, and prevented the Lions from scoring until the final 36 seconds of the game, when Stafford threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Broyles to narrow the margin to six points, but the Bears sealed the victory by recovering the ensuring onside kick.[121]

The victory increased the team's record to 5-1.

Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Eight: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 3 10 6322
Bears 7 0 01623

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: October 28
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), cloudy - wind gusts to 25mph
  • Game attendance: 62,254
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
  • Gamebook
Game information

In Week 8, the Bears donned their 1940s throwback uniforms against the Carolina Panthers, who had the worst record in the NFC. The Bears scored first on Matt Forte's 13-yard touchdown run, which would be countered by Justin Medlock's 34-yard field goal. The Panthers then took the lead on Louis Murphy's fumble recovery; Panthers quarterback Cam Newton ran with the ball, and lost the ball when Bears safety Major Wright tackled him at the 1-yard line. The ball rolled into the endzone, where Murphy recovered it.[122] Medlock would then kick three more field goals, and by the fourth quarter, the Panthers led 19-7. The tide eventually turned when Panthers punter Brad Nortman shanked a 6-yard punt, and Jay Cutler hit Kellen Davis on a 12-yard touchdown pass with less than seven minutes left in the game. On the first play of the Panthers' next drive, Tim Jennings intercepted Newton and returned the pick 25 yards to regain the lead 20-19, after Cutler's two-point conversion passing attempt was intercepted.[122] Medlock later kicked another field goal to reclaim the lead 22-20 with 2:27 left in the game. Cutler would lead the Bears downfield, and Gould kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Chicago the victory.[123] The kick was Gould's tenth game-winning field goal, and the first since 2010.[124]

The win gave Chicago a 6-1 record.

Week 9: at Tennessee Titans

Week Nine: Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bears 28 3 61451
Titans 2 3 7820

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information

Against the Tennessee Titans, the Bears recorded a franchise record 28 points in the first quarter. The Bears defense recorded five turnovers; Charles Tillman recorded four forced fumbles by stripping Kenny Britt and Jared Cook once, and Chris Johnson twice (a league first),[125] while Brian Urlacher recorded an interception.[126] The Bears scored the first touchdown of the game when Sherrick McManis blocked Brett Kern's punt, which was recovered by Corey Wootton, who returned the blocked punt five yards for his first career touchdown. The Titans later recorded a safety when J'Marcus Webb was penalized for illegal-hands-to-the-face while blocking in the end zone. The Bears then scored on Matt Forte's eight-yard run, followed by Urlacher intercepting Matt Hasselbeck and returning the pick for another touchdown. Jay Cutler later hit Brandon Marshall to end the quarter with the Bears leading 28-2.[127] The Bears became the first team in league history to score a touchdown pass, a touchdown run, an interception returned for a touchdown, and a kick/punt blocked for a score in a quarter.[125] Titans kicker Rob Bironas later ended the half on a 39-yard field goal.[128] The Titans would finally score a touchdown on Hasselbeck's 30-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington in the third quarter.[129] After Robbie Gould's three field goals, the Bears scored two more touchdowns on Cutler's passes to Marshall.[130] With ten minutes left in the game, Johnson scored on an 80-yard run to narrow the score to 51-20, but the game would still be out of reach for the Titans.[130]

With the win, the Bears improved to 7-1. The 51 points scored by the Bears were the most by the team since the 1980 victory over the Green Bay Packers, when the team triumphed 61-7.[131] The points scored were also the highest by the Bears in a road game since their 1963 win over the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 52-14.[132] In addition, Urlacher was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week while McManis was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It was the first time teammates have won weekly awards since 2008.[133]

Week 10: vs. Houston Texans

Week Ten: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Texans 0
Bears 0

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

On November 11, the Bears will play their lone NBC Sunday Night Football game against the also 7-1 Houston Texans.[134]

Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Eleven: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Bears 0
49ers 0

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: November 19
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. CST/5:30 p.m. PST
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
Game information

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Vikings 0
Bears 0

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: November 25
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Seahawks 0
Bears 0

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: December 2
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Bears 0
Vikings 0

at Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Date: December 9
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Packers 0
Bears 0

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Sixteen: Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Bears 0
Cardinals 0

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

  • Date: December 23
  • Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: TBD (retractable roof stadium)
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Week 17: at Detroit Lions

Week Seventeen: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 Total
Bears 0
Lions 0

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • TV: Fox
Game information

Standings

NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Green Bay Packers 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 433 336 L1
(6) Minnesota Vikings 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 379 348 W4
Chicago Bears 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 375 277 W2
Detroit Lions 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 372 437 L8

Statistical leaders

Regular season

Kategorie Player(s) Value NFL Rank NFC Rank
Passing Yards Jay Cutler 1,774 yards 23rd 13th
Passing Touchdowns Jay Cutler 12 TDs 12th T-6th
Rushing Yards Matt Forte 539 yards 16th 8th
Rushing Touchdowns Michael Bush/Matt Forte 3 TDs T-20th T-12th
Receiving Yards Brandon Marshall 797 yards 2nd 1st
Receiving Touchdowns Brandon Marshall 7 TDs T-3rd T-2nd
Points Robbie Gould 74 points 5th 4th
Kickoff Return Yards Devin Hester 295 yards 22nd 10th
Punt Return Yards Devin Hester 171 yards 11th 7th
Tackles Tim Jennings 37 tackles T-62nd T-33rd
Sacks Henry Melton/Julius Peppers 5.0 T-23rd T-14th
Interceptions Tim Jennings 6 INTs 1st 1st

Stats updated thru Week 9.[135]

Statistical league rankings

  • Total Offense (YPG): 325.2 yds (25th NFL)
  • Passing (YPG): 196.8 yds (29th NFL)
  • Rushing (YPG): 128.5 yds (11th NFL)
  • Points (PPG): 29.5 (3rd NFL)
  • Total Defense (YPG): 318.9 yds (6th NFL)
  • Passing (YPG): 230.9 yds (16th NFL)
  • Rushing (YPG): 88.0 yds (6th NFL)
  • Points (PPG): 15.0 (2nd NFL)

Stats updated thru Week 9.[136]

Awards and records

Awards

Weekly awards

Monthly awards

  • CB Tim Jennings was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of September.[109]
  • CB Charles Tillman was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of October.[141]

Records

Team

Game
  • The Bears set a franchise record for most points scored in the first quarter with 28 points. The mark was set against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9.[142] The previous mark was 24 points set against the San Francisco 49ers in 2006.[143]
  • The Bears became the first team in NFL history to score a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, defensive interception return for a touchdown, and a blocked punt return for a touchdown in the same quarter by completing the feat against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 during the first quarter of the game.[144]
Season
  • The Bears set a franchise record for most consecutive games with an interception return for a touchdown with 3 games. The record occurred in games against the St. Louis Rams (Week 3), Dallas Cowboys (Week 4), and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 5). The previous record was 2 consecutive games.[145]
  • The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five contests in a season.[115]
  • The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return six interceptions for touchdowns in the first seven contests in a season.[146]
  • The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return seven interceptions for touchdowns in the first eight contests in a season.[147]
  • The Bears set a franchise record for most defensive interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season with 7. The initial mark of 6 touchdowns was set over the first 7 games. The previous record of 5 was set in 2004 over a full 16 game season.[144][146][148]

Individual

Game
Career

Staff

Front office
  • Secretary of the board of directors – Virginia Halas McCaskey
  • Chairman – George McCaskey
  • President/CEO – Kevin Warren
  • General manager – Ryan Poles
  • Assistant general manager – Ian Cunningham
  • Senior director of player personnel – Jeff King
  • Director of player personnel – Trey Koziol
  • Director of college scouting – Breck Ackley
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Francis St. Paul
  • Director of pro scouting – DJ Hord
  • Director of football administration – Matt Feinstein
  • Director of football analytics – Krithi Chandrakasan
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
 
Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Eric Washington
  • Defensive line – Travis Smith
  • Assistant defensive line – Brian Bing
  • Linebackers – Dave Borgonzi
  • Cornerbacks/defensive passing game coordinator – Jon Hoke
  • Nickelbacks – David Overstreet II
  • Safeties – Andre Curtis
  • Defensive quality control – Kevin Koch
  • Defensive quality control – Kenny Norton III
  • Defensive analyst (advance/special projects) – Matt Pees
Special teams coaches
Coaching administration
  • Director of research and analysis – Harrison Freid
  • Coaching administration manager – Chavis Cook
Strength and conditioning
  • Head strength and conditioning – Jim Arthur
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Noble Landry
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Pierre Ngo
  • Player engagement/strength and conditioning – Isaiah Harris

Coaching staff
Front office
More NFL staffs

Current roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

Practice squad


Rookies in italics

Roster updated August 29, 2024

53 active, 6 inactive, 16 practice squad

AFC rostersNFC rosters

Depth charts

Week One depth chart

Current depth chart


Footnotes

^[a] Preseason games air and are produced by the team as the "Chicago Bears Network". WFLD-TV in Chicago is the flagship station but games are broadcast to other local affilities in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. These include: KFXA - Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Ch. 28); KLJB - Quad Cities, Iowa-Illinois (Ch. 18); WCCU - Champaign, Illinois (Ch. 27); WMBD - Peoria, Illinois (Ch. 31); WIFR - Rockford, Illinois (Ch. 23); WRSP - Springfield, Illinois (Ch. 55); WSBT - South Bend, Indiana (Ch. 22)[151]
^[b] Simulcast locally on WPWR-TV.
^[c] The Bears announced their uniform combinations for the season and the dates they will be wearing their 1940s throwbacks. Rumors were also debunked of the "orange pants" combination the team dons in the Madden NFL 13 video game.[152]
^[d] Replacement officials used due to the ongoing referee labor dispute.
^[e] Simulcast locally on WGN-TV.
^[f] Simulcast locally on WCIU-TV.

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