1.) 2010, Bears @ Dolphins: Bears become first team to reach 700 wins all time
The 2010 season was a bit of return to form for the Chicago Bears, after making a big splash trade bringing in Denver Broncos starting quarterback Jay Cutler in 2009, the resulting season was a major let
down. The Bears would win only 7 games, and Jay Cutler would lead the league in interceptions, throwing 26 on the season. (Can you imagine seeing a quarterback now days throw 26 picks in a season? How far this game has changed.)
But 2010 was a great bounce back season, the Bears would go on to win 11 games, secure the NFC North, and Jay Cutler would cut he interception total by 10.
One of the more memorable games came in the midst of a midseason 5 game win-streak. When the 6-3 Chicago Bears traveled down to Miami to take on the 5-4 Dolphins. It was a tall task for the Dolphins, down their top two quarterbacks, playing the NFL’s 4th best defense in 2010.
Tyler Thigpen never stood a chance. The Miami offense was shutout, and Thigpen threw 1 interception and was sacked 6 times, 3 by future hall of famer Julius Peppers, once more by fellow hall of famer Brian Urlacher, and Henry Melton and Israel “Arm”donije had a sack of their own.
The Bears offense…did enough, with Matt Forte doing the bulk of the work, carrying 25 times for 97 yards and the games only touchdown. The clock would strike 0:00 and the Bears would become the first team in the NFL history to rack up 700 franchise wins.
Not bad for a Thursday night.
2.) 1985, Bears @ Cowboys: Bears hand Cowboys worst home loss in franchise history, securing the NFC Central title
Pardon me if I’m beating a dead horse with the 1985 Bears, but they are a legendary team for good reason. Week 11 in 1985 proved to be no exception.
The Bears traveled down to Dallas in week 11 to take on the Cowboys, who were in a dogfight with the New York Giants for control of the NFC East, both teams coming into this game 7-3. The Bears had not won in Dallas since a 34-33 thriller in 1962, a game which saw the Bears score 17 in the fourth quarter to stun the Cowboys.
But there was no need for that this week.
After the teams traded punts a few times early, it was the Bears who finally dented the scoreboard, after a pass was batted up in the air, Richard Dent hauls in the floating ball and backs into the endzone for a 1 yard interception return for a touchdown.
It would be all the Bears would need to win, but the Bears defense wasn’t close to being down, much like it was all season. Cowboys quarterbacks would be sacked 6 times on the day, and throw a total of 4 interceptions as the Dallas offense had no answers from the onslaught of the Bears defense.
Walter Payton was, Walter Payton. Rushing for 132 yards and passing for 33 on his lone attempt.
3.) 2011, Bears Vs. Chargers: Bears move to 7-3, but lose Cutler for the season
The 2011 season was a season of “What if?” Coming of the tailcoats of a 11-5 NFC North winning campaign in 2010, the 2011 Bears were humming heading into week 11.
After starting the season off rocky at 2-3, the Bears fired off 4 straight wins, leading them into a late Sunday afternoon showdown with the 4-5 San Diego Chargers.
Both teams traded body blows through the first half, but it wasn’t until back-to-back touchdowns in under a minute of game time that the Bears started to pull away, highlighted by a 24-yard touchdown throw lofted perfectly to Johnny Knox.
But with just over 10 minutes left in the game, the whole season would shift.
Cutler would fire a pass intended for Johnny Knox, who slipped on his route, and Antoine Cason would be the benefactor of the turf monster, earning himself an easy interception. Cason would turn up field trying to turn the turnover into 6 points.
Jay Cutler took on 2 blockers, and forced Cason out of bounds to prevent a touchdown. But in turn, broke his thumb on his throwing hand. He would actually play the ensuing Bears drive with that broken thumb, completing both his attempted passes, and even lined up in victory formation to finish the game out.
It was later diagnosed as a fractured metacarpal bone in his right thumb, sidelining him for the season. The Bears would go on to lose 5 of their last 6 games with ineffective quarterbacking play by Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown, both of whom combined for 13 interceptions over the final 6 games.
4.) 2023, Bears @ Lions: Bears collapse late allowing 2 touchdowns in the last 2:59
In week 11, the Bears traveled to Michigan to take on the Detroit Lions who were sitting at a healthy 7-2, as they were beginning to see the fruits of the Ben Johnson effect.
But the 3-7 Bears had some fight in them, primarily lead by the dual threat capabilities of quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields was efficient in throwing the ball, completing 16-of-23 passes for 169 yards and 1 touchdown, he also added 104-yards on the ground. (Justin LOVED the Lions, 3 of his career 5 100-yard rushing games came against the Lions.)
This paced the Bears to a 26-14 lead with 4:15 to play in the 4th. But that’s where things went off the rails. A defense that gave fits to the Lions all day, which included forcing 4 turnover and limiting them to just 19:36 time of possession, faltered, majorly. The Lions would drive 75-yards, and then 73-yards in back-to-back drives to pull ahead of the Bears with just 29 seconds to play. But any chance at a comeback was snuffed out immediately with a 1st down strip sack by Aiden Hutchinson, that went for a safety, ensure the Bears would not touch the ball again on offense.
In what became a Matt Eberflus staple, the Bears held a lead in a game where they had a 90%+ chance to win (in this case 98.8%), and somehow found themselves on the losing end.
5.) 1994 Bears @. Dolphins: Bears steal one in Miami
The Bears have historically struggled playing the Dolphins in Miami, owning just 2 wins in 7 total trips all time. Famously the only loss of the 1985 took place in Miami against Dan Marino.
But the Bears would enact their revenger in 1994, finally winning on the road in Miami.
The 5-4 Chicago Bears took on the 7-2 Miami Dolphins led by Dan Marino, who was in midst of having perhaps his best Statistical season since the 1986 season, throwing for 4453 yards and 30 touchdowns, marks he would never reach again.
It took a lot more than regular football, however, to steal a win away from the Dolphins. The BEars first touchdown of the game coming off a bizarrely drawn up fake field goal, on a throw that was more of a prayer by wide receiver Curtis Conway, the ball was batted into the air and mercifully landed in the hands of Bears tight end Keith Jennings, who rumbled the rest of the way for a touchdown.
The game also so a rare double turnover, when Bears cornerback Donnell Woolford picked off a Dan Marino pass intended for Irving Fryar, but Fryar, not giving up on the play chased Woolford down from behind, forcing a fumble and giving the ball right back to the Dolphins.
Each team would play to a 14-14 tie until the Bears drove 47 yards to take the lead with 1L04 left off the leg of Kevin Butler.
The Dolphins would respond quickly, driving into field goal range in just two plays, and with 7 seconds left Dan Marino stopped the clock with a spike.
On comes the kicking team, and with the game on the line, personal Bears favorite of mine James “Big Cat” Williams gets just enough of his paw on the kick, as the ball falls short, securing the Bears 17-14 victory, their first in franchise history.
Gary Baugher Jr. is a rookie contributor to WCG, bringing football insight backed by over 16 years of experience in organized football and more than 30 years as a passionate fan of the game. You can follow him on Twitter at @iamcogs.
