1. 2006, Bears @ Cardinals: They Are Who We Thought They Were!
October 16, 2006 | Bears win 24-23
There are weird wins, and then there is what happened in Arizona on Monday Night Football in 2006.
The Bears entered Week 6 undefeated at 5-0 and looking like one of the best teams in football. By halftime, none of that seemed to matter. Arizona had built a 20-0 lead while Rex Grossman and the Chicago offense completely unraveled.
Grossman eventually finished just 14-of-37 for 144 yards, four interceptions and two lost fumbles. The Bears offense never scored a touchdown.
Somehow, Chicago still won.
The comeback began when Mark Anderson stripped Matt Leinart and Mike Brown recovered the fumble for a touchdown. Later, Brian Urlacher ripped the football away from Edgerrin James, allowing Charles Tillman to scoop it up and race 40 yards for another defensive score.
That still left the Bears trailing 23-17 with under three minutes remaining.
Enter Devin Hester.
Hester fielded a punt at his own 17-yard line, found daylight and took it 83 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, completing one of the most ridiculous comebacks in franchise history.
Arizona still had a chance to win, but Neil Rackers missed a 40-yard field goal in the closing seconds, allowing Chicago to escape with a 24-23 victory.
The numbers make the result even harder to believe. The Bears committed six turnovers, gained only 168 yards and did not score an offensive touchdown. Urlacher finished with 19 tackles and forced the fumble that completely changed the game.
Of course, the night became even more memorable after Cardinals coach Dennis Green stepped to the podium and delivered one of the most famous postgame rants in NFL history.
“They are who we thought they were!”
He wasn’t wrong.
The Bears were 6-0.
2. 2014, Bears @ Falcons: Cutler leads Chicago to its 750th victory
October 12, 2014 | Bears win 27-13
The Bears entered Week 6 desperately needing to get things moving in the right direction.
Back-to-back losses had dropped Chicago to 2-3, and a road trip to Atlanta presented another difficult challenge against Matt Ryan and a dangerous Falcons offense.
Instead, Jay Cutler put together one of his best performances in a Bears uniform.
Cutler completed 26-of-38 passes for 381 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, setting what would stand as his highest single-game passing total during his time in Chicago.
He had plenty of help from his receivers.
Alshon Jeffery caught five passes for 136 yards, while Brandon Marshall added six receptions for 113. Matt Forte once again did a little bit of everything, finishing with 80 rushing yards, 77 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Chicago led 13-3 at halftime, but Atlanta erased that advantage with 10 unanswered points in the third quarter.
With the game tied at 13, Cutler delivered the play that swung momentum back toward the Bears.
Facing third-and-long, he launched a deep ball down the sideline to Jeffery, who hauled it in for a 74-yard gain. Forte scored a touchdown shortly afterward, and Chicago never trailed again.
The Bears defense shut Atlanta out in the fourth quarter, while Forte added another touchdown to finish off a 27-13 victory.
Cutler’s performance and the win itself were already noteworthy, but the afternoon also carried some franchise history.
The victory was the 750th regular-season win in Chicago Bears history, making them the first NFL franchise to reach that mark.
A big road win, Cutler throwing for nearly 400 yards, and another number added to one of the league’s oldest franchises.
Not a bad afternoon in Atlanta.
3. 2024, Bears vs. Jaguars: Caleb Williams shines in London
October 13, 2024 | Bears win 35-16
The Bears traveled across the Atlantic in Week 6 of Caleb Williams’ rookie season with some momentum beginning to build.
By the time they left London, that momentum had turned into one of Williams’ first real statement performances as an NFL quarterback.
Jacksonville actually struck first and held a 3-0 lead after the opening quarter, but Chicago quickly took control.
Williams found Cole Kmet for a 31-yard touchdown early in the second quarter before connecting with him again from two yards out just before halftime. The Bears went into the locker room leading 14-3 and never really looked back.
Williams continued spreading the football around after halftime, this time finding Keenan Allen for a pair of touchdowns as Chicago’s lead continued to grow.
He finished the afternoon 23-of-29 for 226 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while also causing problems with his legs by rushing for another 56 yards.
It was the first four-touchdown passing game of Williams’ young career.
Kmet caught five passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns, Allen added two scores of his own, and D’Andre Swift rushed for 91 yards and another touchdown as Chicago rolled to a 35-16 victory.
Kmet’s afternoon deserves a little extra appreciation as well.
When long snapper Scott Daly suffered a knee injury, Kmet suddenly found himself pulling double duty. Not only did he lead the Bears in receiving and catch two touchdowns, he also stepped in as Chicago’s emergency long snapper.
Because apparently catching touchdowns in London wasn’t enough.
The win moved Chicago to 4-2 and gave the Bears their third straight victory, while Williams walked away with the first four-touchdown game of hit young career.
For Bears fans watching from back home, waking up early turned out to be worth it.
Gary Baugher Jr. is a second year 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.
