1.) 2005, Bears @ Saints: Bears beat the Saints at Tiger Stadium for their first 4 game win streak since 2001
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which tore off nearly 70% of the Superdome’s roof and forced the Saints to play their “home games” across three different stadiums, including LSU’s Tiger Stadium,
Kyle Orton was named the Bears’ starting quarterback for the 2005 season after Rex Grossman broke his left ankle in the preseason against the St. Louis Rams. (Grossman would later returned in Week 16, leading Chicago to a 24–17 win on Christmas Day to clinch the NFC North title.)
The Bears piled up 183 rushing yards, led by Adrian Peterson (no, not that Adrian Peterson), who averaged nearly 10 yards per carry and scored a third-quarter touchdown to give Chicago a 17–10 lead.
Aaron Brooks and the Saints answered with a touchdown drive of their own, as Brooks punched it in from one yard out to tie the game.
Both teams traded three-and-outs and punts until, with 4:08 remaining, Kyle Orton marched the Bears 65 yards downfield in 10 plays. On third-and-five from the Saints’ 32, he found Muhsin Muhammad on a perfectly lofted 22-yard pass, setting up Robbie Gould for an easy chip-shot field goal to take the lead with four seconds left.
A desperation heave from Aaron Brooks was intercepted by Nathan Vasher, sealing the win. The Bears used that momentum to rattle off four more victories in a row.
During that stretch, the 2005 Bears defense became nearly untouchable, allowing just 8.5 points per game over eight straight wins. It remains one of the most dominant defensive runs in Chicago Bears history.
2.) 1969 Bears vs. Steelers: Dick Butkus dominates the Steelers, recording 25 tackles and a safety in the Bears lone win in the ‘69 season
(This game technically took place in Week 8, but since it was before the NFL adopted the bye week, we’ll give it a pass.)
In what became the highlight of an otherwise lost season, the 0–7 Chicago Bears hosted the 1–6 Pittsburgh Steelers at Wrigley Field. Legendary linebacker Dick Butkus took control of the game, setting the tone throughout the afternoon.
A 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bobby Douglass (who famously would play in his Chuck Taylors) to running back Brian Piccolo, followed by a safety on the ensuing drive, provided all the points the Bears would need. But they didn’t stop there, tacking on 29 more. The defensive showcase continued as Butkus sacked Steelers quarterback Dick Shiner for another safety, one of eight total sacks by the Bears defense.
The Kansas Comet, Gale Sayers, capped the rout with a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 38–0. The Steelers finally got on the board late with an Earl Gros two-yard touchdown, but by then, the damage was long done.
Butkus was a monster all game, recording 25 tackles and the sack that lead to the aforementioned safety. His performance would lead him to being named the NFC defensive player of the week from the Associated Press.
It was a lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 1–13 season.
3.) 2012, Bears @ Titans: The Peanut Punch game
The 6–1 Chicago Bears were on fire. After splitting their first two games of the season, they rattled off five straight wins to enter Nashville at 6–1 for a matchup with the Tennessee Titans. The Bears defense came out playing at another level. Before the first quarter even ended, they had already recorded an interception for a touchdown, two fumble recoveries (both forced by Charles Tillman), and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.
The Titans were in a 28–2 hole before they even knew what hit them.
The Bears poured on 23 more points as Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall connected for three touchdown passes. Chicago’s defense never eased up. Charles Tillman forced two more fumbles, and the unit as a whole finished with six forced fumbles, one interception, and two sacks on veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
Tillman was a force of nature, finishing with four forced fumbles, one pass breakup, and nine tackles. Despite his dominance, NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors went to Brian Urlacher, who tallied seven tackles, a forced fumble, and a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown.
This was the game that put the “Peanut Punch” in the national spotlight, and to this day, the move remains part of NFL vocabulary.
The 51 points remains the 12th highest point outpoint in Bears regular season history, a mark the Bears have yet to top since.
4.) 2015, Bears @ Chargers: Cutler breaks franchise passing TD mark, leads late comeback victory
The John Fox era in Chicago was mostly forgettable, but it was a necessary reset after the mess left behind by Marc Trestman.
But, one of its most memorable moments came on Monday Night Football, when the 2–5 Bears traveled to Qualcomm Stadium to face the 2–6 San Diego Chargers.
The Bears fell behind early. A 14-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Danny Woodhead and a 68-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Chargers a quick 13–0 lead.
From there, the Bears defense tightened up, allowing just two field goals the rest of the way, while Jay Cutler found his rhythm.
Following the pick-six, Cutler led an 80-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 47-yard bomb to Alshon Jeffery. Six plays later, he hit Martellus Bennett off play action for a one-yard score, breaking his tie with Sid Luckman at 137 career touchdown passes and moving into first place in franchise history with 138.
But Cutler wasn’t done yet. Trailing 19–14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Bears cut the deficit to two with a one-yard touchdown run by Jeremy Langford. The Chargers added a field goal to make it 19–14, meaning the Bears needed a touchdown, and Cutler delivered.
Orchestrating an 80-yard drive, Cutler went 6-for-8 for 68 yards, capping the comeback with a perfectly placed throw to tight end Zach Miller in the end zone. It was yet another example of Cutler’s knack for late-game heroics, as he led the Bears to a fourth-quarter, game-winning drive, a category in which he still leads all Chicago quarterbacks with 18 game-winning drives and 16 fourth-quarter comebacks.
Jay Cutler would go on to finish his Bears career with 154 passing touchdowns, holding nearly every major passing record in franchise history.
Cutty does it.
5.) 2022, Bears vs. Dolphins: Justin Fields’ historic day
The Justin Fields era may have been one of the more divisive stretches for Bears fans when it came to the quarterback position. Fields possessed elite athleticism and one of the better deep balls in the league, but when things weren’t clicking, it could get ugly in a hurry.
But not this week.
The 2-6 Chicago Bears played host to the 6-2 Miami Dolphins on a brisk Sunday afternoon, November 6, 2022. The Bears took an early lead, taking a 10-7 lead after Justin Fields found Cole Kmet for an 18-yard touchdown. From there, Fields torched the Dolphins defense with his legs, averaging an astonishing 11.9 yards per carry.
After back-to-back touchdowns from Miami, the Bears clawed back into it once again, with Fields connecting on his second passing touchdown of the day, a 16-yard strike to Darnell Mooney.
But the Bears couldn’t stop a nosebleed that afternoon. A Jaylen Waddle 18-yard touchdown reception stretched the Dolphins’ lead to 28–17, but less than two minutes later, Justin Fields ripped off a 61-yard scramble for a touchdown. (He would follow it up a week later with another 67-yard rushing score, becoming the only quarterback in NFL history to record 60-yard rushing touchdowns and over 140 rushing yards in back-to-back games.)
Each time the Bears climbed back, the Dolphins managed to pull away again. With 11:38 left in the fourth quarter, Fields tossed a 4-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet, cutting the deficit to 35–32, but that would be the final score, as Miami held on to win.
Justin Fields set the NFL single-game rushing record for a quarterback that day, exploding for 178 yards on 15 carries, while also becoming the first QB in league history to rush for 150+ yards and throw for three touchdowns in a game.
With flashes like that, it’s easy to understand why it was so difficult for some Bears fans to move on from Justin Fields.
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.
