2006 Chicago Bears season

87th season in franchise history, 1st Super Bowl loss August 2023 March 2026 2006 Chicago Bears Lovie Smith Ron Turner Ron Rivera Jerry Angelo The McCaskey Family Soldier Field 13–3 1st NFC North Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 27–24 (OT Overtime)Won NFC Championship(vs. Saints) 39–14Lost Super Bowl XLI(vs. Colts) 17–29 8 C Olin Kreutz LG Ruben Brown KR/PR Devin Hester MLB Brian Urlacher OLB Lance Briggs OLB Brendon Ayanbadejo DT Tommie Harris K Robbie Gould 6 C Olin Kreutz MLB Brian Urlacher OLB Lance Briggs AP-2 KR+PR Devin Hester K Robbie Gould ST Brendon Ayanbadejo Bears seasons The 2006 season was the Chicago Bears' 87th season in the National Football League, and the third under head coach Lovie Smith. The team improved on their 11–5 record from 2005 and finished with a 13–3 record; the best in the NFC. The Bears retained their NFC North divisional title and advanced to their first NFC Championship Game in 18 years, defeating the New Orleans Saints on January 21, 2007, by a score of 39–14. The Bears played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI, where they lost 29–17. The team finished the 2006 NFL season tied for second in points scored, https://web.archive.org/web/20070220163015/http://www.nfl.com/stats/teamsort/NFL/OFF-SCORING/2006/regular?&_3%3Acol_1=3&_3%3Acol_2=2 February 20, 2007 and third in points allowed. June 2016 medicmedic Due to the NFL's scheduling formula the Bears played 6 intra-division games, posting a record of 5–1. Because of rotating cycle scheduling, the Bears matched up against all four teams in the AFC East (going 2–2) and NFC West (going 4–0). In the remaining games, the Bears played the NFC's other reigning division winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, posting a record of 2–0. During the entire season, the Bears played 10 games at home, 8 games on the road, and 1 game at a neutral field for the Super Bowl. Including the playoffs and Super Bowl, the Bears finished with a record of 15–4. Noteworthy football stories for the 2006 season were replacing retired cornerback and kick returner Jerry Azumah, the quarterback controversy between productive but inconsistent and potentially fragile Rex Grossman and veteran free agent Brian Griese, the record setting returns by Devin Hester, Bernard Berrian's breakout season, competition between the Bears' running backs (Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones), and 5th round draft pick Mark Anderson's 12 quarterback sacks as a rookie.http://www.nbc5.com/news/9571397/detail.html?subid=10101401 Preview: Bears Training Camp 2006 2007-05-21 May 2022 InternetArchiveBot yes http://www.nflplayers.com/news/news_release.aspx?id=6629 Bernard Berrian – Stretching The Field 2007-05-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20070503225450/http://www.nflplayers.com/news/news_release.aspx?id=6629 3 May 2007 livehttp://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?/wessler/comments/bear_weather_so_what/ Bear Weather—so what? 2007-05-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070927204722/http://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?%2Fwessler%2Fcomments%2Fbear_weather_so_what%2F 2007-09-27 Offseason Draft 2006 NFL draft 2006 Chicago Bears Draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes242Danieal ManningSAbilene Christian57Devin HesterCBMiami373Dusty DvoracekDTOklahoma4120Jamar WilliamsLBArizona State5159Mark AndersonDEAlabama6195J.D. RunnelsFBOklahoma200Tyler ReedGPenn State The Chicago Bears’ 2006 NFL draft picks drew much criticism from various Bears’ fans and local sports critics. After injuries plagued the Bears’ offensive depth chart, the team finished the 2005 NFL season ranked 31st in passing yardage per game. Many fans assumed that the Bears would draft a tight end or wide receiver to improve the offense. However, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith surprised the media by trading away the Bears’ first round draft pick, and drafting five defensive players.http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/askthewriter/cs-061116askdavidhaugh,1,6118076.story?page=2&coll=cs-bears-headlines Ask David Haugh 2007-05-21 Chicago Tribune Devin Hester was drafted to fill the void left by former cornerback Jerry Azumah and punt returner Bobby Wade, while Danieal Manning could provide additional depth to the Bears’ secondary while also being potentially available for punt and kick returns, as his highest prospect grade came in kick returning.http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/manning_danieal Danieal Manning prospect profile NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070403035735/http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/manning_danieal 2007-04-03 dead Additionally, Anderson and Dvoracek were drafted to add depth to the Bears’ defensive line. Training camp The preseason featured a brewing quarterback controversy when Rex Grossman struggled in his exhibition appearances and newly signed veteran back-up Brian Griese moved the second team offense freely.http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/20/Bucs/Quarterback_battle_be.shtml Quarterback battle benefits Bears 2007-05-21 The competition for the starting running back position went to Thomas Jones by default after sophomore running back Cedric Benson missed every preseason game with a shoulder injury inflicted in practice by Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown. Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 11, 2006 San Francisco 49ers L 14–28 0–1 Monster Park Recap 2 August 18, 2006 San Diego Chargers W 24–3 1–1 Soldier Field Recap 3 August 25, 2006 Arizona Cardinals L 16–23 1–2 Soldier Field Recap 4 August 31, 2006 Cleveland Browns W 20–7 2–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap Uniform combinations During the 2006 season, the Bears reintroduced three combinations of jerseys. During their week eight game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears wore special orange jerseys in the spirit of Halloween. They also wore all-white uniforms during their final two away games. Additionally, the Bears wore all-blue uniforms during their season finale against the Green Bay Packers. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site 1 September 10 at Green Bay Packers W 26–0 1–0 Lambeau Field 2 September 17 Detroit Lions W 34–7 2–0 Soldier Field 3 September 24 at Minnesota Vikings W 19–16 3–0 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 4 October 1 Seattle Seahawks W 37–6 4–0 Soldier Field 5 October 8 Buffalo Bills W 40–7 5–0 Soldier Field 6 October 16, 2006 at Arizona Cardinals W 24–23 6–0 University of Phoenix Stadium 7 Bye 8 October 29 San Francisco 49ers W 41–10 7–0 Soldier Field 9 November 5 Miami Dolphins L 13–31 7–1 Soldier Field 10 November 12 at New York Giants W 38–20 8–1 Giants Stadium 11 November 19 at New York Jets W 10–0 9–1 Giants Stadium 12 November 26 at New England Patriots L 13–17 9–2 Gillette Stadium 13 December 3 Minnesota Vikings W 23–13 10–2 Soldier Field 14 December 11, 2006 at St. Louis Rams W 42–27 11–2 Edward Jones Dome 15 December 17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 34–31 (OT) 12–2 Soldier Field 16 December 24 at Detroit Lions W 26–21 13–2 Ford Field 17 December 31 Green Bay Packers L 7–26 13–3 Soldier Field Standings Game summaries Week 1: at Green Bay Packers Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – Game summary September 10 3:15 p.m. CDT Bears 7 9 3 7 Packers 0 0 0 0 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,918 Cloudy, 62 F C Tony Corrente Fox Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan Box score First quarter CHI – Bernard Berrian 49-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 12:05. Bears 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:55. Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 40-yard field goal, 13:44. Bears 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:03. CHI – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal, 6:29. Bears 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 4:33. CHI – Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal, 4:38. Bears 16–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:45. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 30-yard field goal, 1:47. Bears 19–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:12. Fourth quarter CHI – Devin Hester 84-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), 14:06. Bears 26–0. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 18/26, 262 yards, TD, INT GB – Brett Favre – 15/29, 170 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 21 rushes, 63 yards GB – Ahman Green – 20 rushes, 110 yards Top receivers CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 6 receptions, 102 yards GB – Donald Driver – 7 receptions, 96 yards The Bears began their season on a victorious note by defeating the Green Bay Packers. Widely considered one of the league's most storied rivalries, the Bears and Packers had previously met 28 times at Lambeau Field for a season opener.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20060910_CHI@GB Week 1 game summary NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070517010929/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20060910_CHI%40GB 2007-05-17 dead Sportsillustrated.com, Top 10 NFL Rivalries Of All Time Retrieved on March 14, 2007http://www.chicagobears.com/gameday/GamedayNews.asp?story_id=2376 Defense of NFC North title begins at Lambeau Field 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070711225555/http://www.chicagobears.com/gameday/GamedayNews.asp?story_id=2376 2007-07-11 dead Notably, this was the first shutout ever for the Packers with quarterback Brett Favre at the helm.http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/PKR0201/609110474/0/theme Packers embarrassed in 26–0 shutout in season opener against Bears 2008-08-26 September 27, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927062112/http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/PKR0201/609110474/0/theme dead Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary September 17 12:00 p.m. CDT Lions 0 0 7 0 Bears 10 14 7 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,181 Clear, 68 F C Mike Carey Fox Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan Box score First quarter CHI – John Gilmore 3-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 10:11. Bears 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:38. CHI – Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal, 6:19. Bears 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:16. Second quarter CHI – Bernard Berrian 41-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 14:16. Bears 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 1:54. CHI – Desmond Clark 31-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 3:36. Bears 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 3:48. Third quarter DET – Jon Kitna 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 10:20. Bears 24–7. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:40. CHI – John Gilmore 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 0:32. Bears 31–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:45. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 45-yard field goal, 10:03. Bears 34–7. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:24. Top passers DET – Jon Kitna – 23/30, 230 yards CHI – Rex Grossman – 20/27, 289 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DET – Kevin Jones – 12 rushes, 44 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 21 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers DET – Roy Williams – 6 receptions, 71 yards CHI – Bernard Berrian – 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD "No defense can stop us. That's only in my opinion. We are our only defense. We will win this game. Y'all take that as a guarantee or what not, but we will win this game." ~Roy Williams The Bears began a winning streak by defeating the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The game drew more media attention than usual when Roy Williams of the Detroit Lions guaranteed a victory against the Bears.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playbyplay/NFL_20060917_DET@CHI Week 2 play by play NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070217121827/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playbyplay/NFL_20060917_DET%40CHI 2007-02-17 dead http://www.nola.com/archives/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1158478203165140.xml&coll=1 Talk is cheap coming from Lions WR 2007-05-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185913/http://www.nola.com/archives/t-p/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fsports-2%2F1158478203165140.xml&coll=1 2007-09-30 Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary September 24 12:00 p.m. CDT Bears 3 0 6 10 Vikings 3 3 0 10 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,754 None (indoor stadium) Scott Green Fox Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Box score First quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 31-yard field goal, 10:49. Vikings 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:11. CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 6:20. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:29. Second quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal, 1:08. Vikings 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 14 yards, 3:24. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 24-yard field goal, 10:53. Tied 6–6. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:07. CHI – Robbie Gould 31-yard field goal, 3:18. Bears 9–6. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 5:14. Fourth quarter MIN – Antoine Winfield Sr. 7-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick), 14:53. Vikings 13–9. CHI – Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal, 10:37. Vikings 13–12. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 4:16. MIN – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, 7:27. Vikings 16–12. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:10. CHI – Rashied Davis 24-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 1:53. Bears 19–16. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 1:32. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 23/41, 278 yards, TD, 2 INT MIN – Brad Johnson – 21/31, 194 yards Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 18 rushes, 54 yards MIN – Chester Taylor – 20 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 9 receptions, 118 yards MIN – Travis Taylor – 6 receptions, 82 yards The Bears offense was limited by a resurgent Minnesota Vikings defense, but fourth-quarter heroics from both the offense and defense resulted in a 19–16 victory.http://www.nfl.com/scores/2006/week3 Week 3 play by play NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070509021443/http://www.nfl.com/scores/2006/week3 2007-05-09 dead Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 1 7:15 p.m. CDT Seahawks 3 3 0 0 Bears 7 13 14 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,225 Clear, 75 F C Terry McAulay NBC Al Michaels and John Madden Box score First quarter SEA – Josh Brown 23-yard field goal, 8:58. Seahawks 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:09. CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 9-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 2:27. Bears 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:31. Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 36-yard field goal, 13:33. Bears 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 2:33. CHI – Robbie Gould 20-yard field goal, 6:23. Bears 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 34 yards, 3:33. CHI – Thomas Jones 3-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 2:25. Bears 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:22. SEA – Josh Brown 24-yard field goal, 0:27. Bears 20–6. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 1:58. Third quarter CHI – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 10:05. Bears 27–6. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 4:55. CHI – Bernard Berrian 40-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 0:51. Bears 34–6. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 3:43. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 7:43. Bears 37–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:09. Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 16/35, 196 yards, 2 INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 17/31, 232 yards, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Maurice Morris – 11 rushes, 35 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 24 rushes, 98 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SEA – Darrell Jackson – 5 receptions, 62 yards CHI – Bernard Berrian – 3 receptions, 108 yards, TD Taking advantage of an injured Shaun Alexander, who did not play, and playing very well on both sides of the ball, the Bears defeated the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field by a score of 37–6 on the Bears' first night game of the year.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061001_SEA@CHI Week 4 play by play NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070219210834/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061001_SEA%40CHI 2007-02-19 dead Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 8 12:00 p.m. CDT Bills 0 0 0 7 Bears 6 21 3 10 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,206 Sunny, 73 F C Bill Carollo CBS Jim Nantz and Phil Simms Box score First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 42-yard field goal, 9:07. Bears 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:09. CHI – Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, 3:43. Bears 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:46. Second quarter CHI – Bernard Berrian 8-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 13:01. Bears 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 4:10. CHI – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 8:30. Bears 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:43. CHI – Rashied Davis 15-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 4:22. Bears 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:52. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal, 7:05. Bears 30–0. Drive: 9 plays, 26 yards, 4:18. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 6:05. Bears 33–0. Drive: 14 plays, 47 yards, 8:39. CHI – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:36. Bears 40–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:19. BUF – Lee Evans 5-yard pass from J. P. Losman (Rian Lindell kick), 1:06. Bears 40–7. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 1:38. Top passers BUF – J. P. Losman – 14/27, 115 yards, TD, 3 INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 15/27, 182 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – Willis McGahee – 14 rushes, 50 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 21 rushes, 110 yards Top receivers BUF – Lee Evans – 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD CHI – Bernard Berrian – 4 receptions, 97 yards, TD Week five marked the return of former Bears head coach Dick Jauron to Soldier Field. It would also be the second straight week in which the Bears defeated their opponent by more than 30 points.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061008_BUF@CHI Week 5 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070520001127/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061008_BUF%40CHI 2007-05-20 dead Week 6: at Arizona Cardinals 2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game Chicago Bears 2006 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Six: Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals October 16 Monday 6:30 p.m. MDT/7:30 p.m. CDT Bears 0 0 10 14 Cardinals 14 6 3 0 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 63,977 Clear, 73 F C (retractable roof open) Jerome Boger ESPN Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, and Tony Kornheiser Box score First quarter ARI – Bryant Johnson 11-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 7:06. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 6:52. ARI – Anquan Boldin 26-yard pass from Matt Leinart (Neil Rackers kick), 0:54. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:32. Second quarter ARI – Neil Rackers 41-yard field goal, 4:15. Cardinals 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 3:50. ARI – Neil Rackers 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Cardinals 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:10. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal, 7:22. Cardinals 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 5:49. ARI – Neil Rackers 29-yard field goal, 1:47. Cardinals 23–3. Drive: 13 plays, 34 yards, 5:35. CHI – Mike Brown 3-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick), 0:02. Cardinals 23–10. Fourth quarter CHI – Charles Tillman 40-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick), 5:00. Cardinals 23–17. CHI – Devin Hester 83-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), 2:58. Bears 24–23. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 14/37, 144 yards, 4 INT ARI – Matt Leinart – 24/42, 232 yards, 2 TD Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 43 yards ARI – Edgerrin James – 36 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers CHI – Desmond Clark – 4 receptions, 61 yards ARI – Anquan Bolden – 12 receptions, 136 yards, TD "The Bears are who we thought they were, and that’s why we took the damn field. Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass! But, they are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!." ~Dennis Green The Bears traveled to the newly opened University of Phoenix Stadium to play the Arizona Cardinals, their former cross-town rivals. While many expected the game a lop-sided affair in favor of the 5–0 Bears, the Cardinals led the Bears before stumbling in the game's last quarter. The game marked the Bears’ first Monday Night Football appearance since the 2003 NFL season, and second overall prime-time appearance of the season. The game started on an auspicious note for the Cardinals, as Rex Grossman faced a quick three and out after failing to connect to Bernard Berrian on a deep pass. The Cardinals responded offensively when rookie quarterback Matt Leinart threw two touchdowns in the first quarter. As Neil Rackers helped bolster the Cardinals lead with a set of field goals, Grossman continued to struggle and committed four turnovers in the first half alone. By half time, the Cardinals were leading the Bears by a score of 20–0, which was the largest deficit they had faced all season at that point. The Bears finally got on the score board in the third quarter when Robbie Gould kicked a 23-yard field goal. However, Rackers responded again to boost the Cardinals lead back to twenty points. By the game's third quarter, many had assumed the Cardinals had grasped their second win of the season, and the undefeated Bears would be forced to face defeat. However, in the dying minutes of the third quarter, the Bears’ defense made a series of staunch defensive plays that allowed them to rally back. First, rookie defensive end Mark Anderson sacked Leinart, causing him to fumble. The loose ball was picked up by Mike Brown, who returned it for a 3-yard touchdown. Later, Brian Urlacher stripped the ball from running back Edgerrin James, and Charles Tillman recovered the football and returned it for another touchdown. The Bears, now only trailing by six points, took the lead when rookie punt returner Devin Hester returned a punt for an 83-yard touchdown. The Cardinals had one final attempt to win the game, but Rackers missed a 40-yard field goal attempt, allowing the Bears to kneel the clock out. After the game's conclusion, Dennis Green, who was the Cardinal's coach at the time, threw his infamous "They are who we thought they were!" postgame conference. The rant became so popular, that it was featured in a Coors Light commercial the next season.http://go.speeple.com/news-EthMTkFrESgDecember 2016 InternetArchiveBot yes Week 7: Bye Celebration of the Bears' improbable win over Arizona was tempered by the news that starting safety Mike Brown was lost for the season with torn ligaments in his foot. The rest of the team was able to work toward renewed good health for the San Francisco game. Week 8: vs. San Francisco 49ers Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 29 12:00 p.m. CST 49ers 0 0 0 10 Bears 24 17 0 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,200 Sunny, 55 F C Ron Winter Fox Pat Summerall and Brian Baldinger Box score First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, 12:05. Bears 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 2:55. CHI – Thomas Jones 7-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 10:39. Bears 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:18. CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 1:55. Bears 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:50. CHI – Cedric Benson 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 1:02. Bears 24–0. Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:38. Second quarter CHI – Desmond Clark 1-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 10:33. Bears 31–0. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:54. CHI – Robbie Gould 36-yard field goal, 3:15. Bears 34–0. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:16. CHI – Desmond Clark 27-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 0:10. Bears 41–0. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 1:02. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter SF – Joe Nedney 23-yard field goal, 11:35. Bears 41–3. Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:53. SF – Antonio Bryant 16-yard pass from Alex Smith (Joe Nedney kick), 6:49. Bears 41–10. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 3:08. Top passers SF – Alex Smith – 14/25, 135 yards, TD, 2 INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 23/29, 252 yards, 3 TD Top rushers SF – Frank Gore – 12 rushes, 111 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 111 yards, TD Top receivers SF – Antonio Bryant – 4 receptions, 44 yards, TD CHI – Desmond Clark – 6 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TD Week 8 saw the Bears return to Soldier Field to play the San Francisco 49ers. Prior to the game, Lovie Smith announced that the Bears would don their alternative orange jerseys to commemorate the upcoming Halloween holiday, and asked Bear fans to wear orange clothing to create an “orange swarm” at Soldier Field.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2590 Bears hoping fans turn lakefront orange 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111215/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2590 2007-09-29 dead The Bears' 41 point first half tied the franchise record for most points scored in one half, the other game being the 1940 NFL Championship, where the Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 73–0.https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/boxscore?gid=20061029003&page=plays Week 8 play by play 2007-05-21 Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 5 12:00 p.m. CST Dolphins 0 14 7 10 Bears 3 7 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,206 Partly cloudy, 55 F C Peter Morelli CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Box score First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 38-yard field goal, 0:04. Bears 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 6:41. Second quarter MIA – Marty Booker 5-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Olindo Mare kick), 10:47. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 1:25. MIA – Jason Taylor 20-yard interception return (Olindo Mare kick), 10:32. Dolphins 14–3. CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 30-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 1:57. Dolphins 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:01. Third quarter MIA – Wes Welker 6-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Olindo Mare kick), 13:13. Dolphins 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:27. CHI – Robbie Gould 38-yard field goal, 1:02. Dolphins 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:54. Fourth quarter MIA – Chris Chambers 24-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Olindo Mare kick), 10:00. Dolphins 28–13. Drive: 1 play, 24 yards, 0:08. MIA – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, 1:09. Dolphins 31–13. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:44. Top passers MIA – Joey Harrington – 16/32, 137 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 18/42, 210 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers MIA – Ronnie Brown – 29 rushes, 157 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 20 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers MIA – Chris Chambers – 5 receptions, 58 yards, TD CHI – Justin Gage – 2 receptions, 51 yards Week 9 saw the Bears take on the Joey Harrington-led Miami Dolphins and fall to 7–1 with their first loss of the season. Miami defensive end Jason Taylor recorded a sack, a forced fumble, and a 20-yard pick-six.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061105_MIA@CHI Week 9 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070504134930/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061105_MIA%40CHI 2007-05-04 dead Week 10: at New York Giants Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Chicago Bears at New York Giants – Game summary November 12 7:15 p.m. CST/8:15 EST Bears 3 7 14 14 Giants 7 6 7 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 78,641 Rain, 55 F C Ed Hochuli NBC Al Michaels and John Madden Box score First quarter NYG – Brandon Jacobs 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 9:55. Giants 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04. CHI – Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal, 5:59. Giants 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:00. Second quarter NYG – Jay Feely 46-yard field goal, 13:25. Giants 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:59. NYG – Jay Feely 40-yard field goal, 2:21. Giants 13–3. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 3:56. CHI – Mark Bradley 29-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 0:35. Giants 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 1:46. Third quarter CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 10-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 8:20. Bears 17–13. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:28. CHI – Desmond Clark 2-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 5:35. Bears 24–13. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:48. NYG – Brandon Jacobs 8-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 3:26. Bears 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:09. Fourth quarter CHI – Devin Hester 108-yard field goal return (Robbie Gould kick), 11:20. Bears 31–20. CHI – Thomas Jones 2-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 8:20. Bears 38–20. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:33. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 18/30, 246 yards, 3 TD, INT NYG – Eli Manning – 14/32, 121 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 30 rushes, 113 yards, TD NYG – Tiki Barber – 19 rushes, 141 yards Top receivers CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 7 receptions, 123 yards, TD NYG – Plaxico Burress – 4 receptions, 48 yards The Bears traveled to Giants Stadium to face the New York Giants. The game was highly anticipated, as it was the first game in league history to benefit from the NFL's flexible scheduling. Furthermore, leading up to the game Giants receiver Plaxico Burress provided plenty of fodder for the Chicago media by calling the Bears’ cornerbacks “average”.https://www.mcall.com/2006/11/09/giants-burress-calls-out-bears-corners-giants/ Giants' Burress calls out Bears corners The Morning Call November 9, 2006 April 20, 2024 Nevertheless, the Bears went on to beat the Giants by a score of 38–20. The win over the Giants allowed the Bears to hold their first-place ranking in the National Football Conference.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061112_CHI@NYG Week 10 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070203014406/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061112_CHI%40NYG 2007-02-03 dead Devin Hester was also able to tie a record 108-yard return for a touchdown shared by teammate Nathan Vasher. Week 11: at New York Jets Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Chicago Bears at New York Jets – Game summary November 19 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Bears 0 0 3 7 Jets 0 0 0 0 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 77,632 Overcast, 47 F C Gene Steratore Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 20-yard field goal, 10:39. Bears 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:21. Fourth quarter CHI – Mark Bradley 57-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 14:50. Bears 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 0:41. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 11/22, 119 yards, TD NYJ – Chad Pennington – 19/35, 162 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 121 yards NYJ – Cedric Houston – 11 rushes, 50 yards Top receivers CHI – Mark Bradley – 4 receptions, 80 yards, TD NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 8 receptions, 80 yards For week eleven, the Chicago Bears returned to Giants Stadium to play the New York Jets. While the Bears managed to record their second shut-out win of the year, their offense struggled throughout the first half the game, and managed only ten points in the second half. The victory over the Jets marked the first time in two games that the Bears did not turn over the ball, and Robbie Gould had not failed to convert a field goal or extra point on the year.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061119_CHI@NYJ Week 11 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070203014442/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061119_CHI%40NYJ 2007-02-03 dead Week 12: at New England Patriots Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Chicago Bears at New England Patriots – Game summary November 26 3:15 p.m. CST/4:15 p.m. EST Bears 0 3 0 10 Patriots 0 10 0 7 Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts 68,756 Clear, 56 F C Walt Coleman Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter NE – Laurence Maroney 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:07. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:05. CHI – Robbie Gould 46-yard field goal, 4:04. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 5:03. NE – Stephen Gostkowski 52-yard field goal, 0:01. Patriots 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 1:43. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CHI – Cedric Benson 2-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 14:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 1:14. NE – Benjamin Watson 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 8:22. Patriots 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:31. CHI – Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal, 3:31. Patriots 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:51. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 15/34, 176 yards, 3 INT NE – Tom Brady – 22/33, 267 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 23 rushes, 99 yards NE – Corey Dillon – 11 rushes, 40 yards Top receivers CHI – Bernard Berrian – 5 receptions, 104 yards NE – Benjamin Watson – 6 receptions, 87 yards, TD Following two consecutive wins at Giants Stadium, the Bears were to finish a three-game road trip at Gillette Stadium against the New England Patriots. Similar to the week nine confrontation with the Miami Dolphins, turnovers contributed to the Bears’ 17–13 loss against the Patriots.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061126_CHI@NE Week 11 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070509141138/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061126_CHI%40NE 2007-05-09 dead The opening two quarters were a story of turnovers in a Rex Grossman interception by Asante Samuel, a Benjamin Watson catch knocked into the hands of Charles Tillman, a blocked Bears field goal attempt, and fumbles by Laurence Maroney and Grossman. The third quarter saw a bizarre sequence of turnovers – first fumbles by both Watson and Reche Caldwell on the same play, followed by another Samuel interception of Grossman, and finally a second Tillman interception of Brady. Through three quarters the game was tied 10–10 before a drive where Brady faked out Brian Urlacher on a nine-yard run ended in a two-yard score to Watson. Turnovers then ended the game, with a Corey Dillon fumble followed by Samuel's third interception of Grossman. Samuel's three picks tied Roland James in Patriots history for three interceptions in one game. Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary December 3 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 3 3 7 Bears 0 7 14 2 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,221 Sunny, 18 F C Tony Corrente Fox Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter CHI – Devin Hester 45-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), 12:20. Bears 7–0. MIN – Ryan Longwell 23-yard field goal, 8:54. Bears 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:26. Third quarter MIN – Ryan Longwell 30-yard field goal, 10:07. Bears 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:53. CHI – Ricky Manning 54-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), 4:33. Bears 14–6. CHI – Cedric Benson 24-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 3:04. Bears 21–6. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 1:16. Fourth quarter CHI – Ciatrick Fason tackled in own end zone, 13:59. Bears 23–6. MIN – Ciatrick Fason 4-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 5:40. Bears 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:34. Top passers MIN – Brad Johnson – 11/26, 73 yards, 4 INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 6/19, 34 yards, 3 INT Top rushers MIN – Chester Taylor – 17 rushes, 99 yards CHI – Cedric Benson – 9 rushes, 60 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Mewelde Moore – 5 receptions, 51 yards CHI – Bernard Berrian – 4 receptions, 21 yards After the loss to New England, the Bears returned to Soldier Field to play the Minnesota Vikings. The weather conditions were harsh throughout the game; the below-freezing temperatures and swirling winds provided a clichéd background for a rivalry game in the "Black and Blue Division". Despite a marginal offensive performance, the Bears managed to defeat the Vikings 23–13. With their tenth win of the season, the Bears secured their second consecutive NFC North Title. Additionally, the Bears became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff berth, and remained tied for the NFL's best record.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061203_MIN@CHI Week 13 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070322201342/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061203_MIN%40CHI 2007-03-22 dead Week 14: at St. Louis Rams Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams – Game summary December 11, 2006 7:30 p.m. CST Bears 0 14 14 14 Rams 0 13 0 14 Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 66,234 None (indoor stadium) Jeff Triplette ESPN Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, and Tony Kornheiser Box score First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter STL – Torry Holt 1-yard pass from Marc Bulger (kick failed), 12:45. Rams 6–0. Drive: 12 plays, 99 yards, 6:22. CHI – Devin Hester 94-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 12:32. Bears 7–6. STL – Steven Jackson 2-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 7:43. Rams 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:49. CHI – Bernard Berrian 34-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 3:30. Bears 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:13. Third quarter CHI – Thomas Jones 30-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 8:40. Bears 21–13. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:16. CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 14-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 3:31. Bears 28–13. Drive: 8 plays, 7 yards, 3:44. Fourth quarter CHI – Adrian N. Peterson 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 13:04. Bears 35–13. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:30. STL – Torry Holt 6-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 7:35. Bears 35–20. Drive: 15 plays, 98 yards, 5:29. CHI – Devin Hester 96-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 7:22. Bears 42–20. STL – Steven Jackson 6-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick), 4:41. Bears 42–27. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 2:41. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 13/23, 200 yards, 2 TD STL – Marc Bulger – 34/55, 356 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 11 rushes, 76 yards, TD STL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 81 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – Bernard Berrian – 3 receptions, 62 yards, TD STL – Kevin Curtis – 4 receptions, 77 yards For week 14, the Bears traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to play the St. Louis Rams. Prior to the game, a quarterback controversy arose between Rex Grossman and Brian Griese regarding the Bears’ starting quarterback position. Grossman, who finished the preceding game with a quarterback rating of 1.3, was eager to make a statement, and rebound against the same team which injured him during the previous year's preseason. Grossman rose to the occasion, and spearheaded the Bears to a 42–27 victory over the Rams, while rookie CB Devin Hester had a record-breaking performance. Also, many spectators of the Monday night game may remember then-Senator Barack Obama's humorous television introduction before kickoff.Barack Obama on Monday Night Football https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmWlrtpqp40 https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211217/OmWlrtpqp40 2021-12-17 live YouTube ESPN 9 January 2021 During the course of the game, Hester broke the NFL record for combined return touchdowns in a single season with six. He also became the sixth player in NFL history to return two kicks for touchdowns in a single game. For his performance, he earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award. On a low note, kicker Robbie Gould uncharacteristically missed two field goal attempts, and the Bears announced that defensive tackle Tommie Harris would miss the remainder of the season with a severe hamstring injury.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061211_CHI@STL Week 14 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070219211614/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061211_CHI%40STL 2007-02-19 dead Week 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears – Game summary December 17 12:00 p.m. CST Buccaneers 0 3 7 21 0 Bears 7 14 3 7 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,260 Partly sunny, 49 F C Larry Nemmers Fox Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Box score First quarter CHI – Desmond Clark 24-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 7:42. Bears 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:57. Second quarter TB – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 8:19. Bears 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 1:34. CHI – Thomas Jones 5-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 3:58. Bears 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:21. CHI – Desmond Clark 12-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 0:23. Bears 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:05. Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 38-yard field goal, 5:22. Bears 24–3. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 3:38. TB – Mike Alstott 14-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:25. Bears 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 4:57. Fourth quarter TB – Alex Smith 9-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Matt Bryant kick), 14:13. Bears 24–17. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 1:04. CHI – Cedric Benson 4-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 9:23. Bears 31–17. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:50. TB – Joey Galloway 64-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Matt Bryant kick), 6:13. Bears 31–24. Drive: 5 plays, 95 yards, 1:12. TB – Ike Hilliard 44-yard pass from Tim Rattay (Matt Bryant kick), 3:44. Tied 31–31. Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 0:47. Overtime CHI – Robbie Gould 25-yard field goal, 3:37. Bears 34–31. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 2:46. Top passers TB – Tim Rattay – 20/35, 268 yards, 3 TD, INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 29/44, 339 yards, 2 TD Top rushers TB – Mike Alstott – 6 rushes, 26 yards, TD CHI – Thomas Jones – 17 rushes, 68 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Joey Galloway – 3 receptions, 107 yards, TD CHI – Desmond Clark – 7 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD The Bears improved to 12–2 and secured home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with an overtime victory over their former division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears entered the game without Pro Bowlers Mike Brown, Nathan Vasher and Tommie Harris. Additionally, Lovie Smith deactivated defensive tackle Tank Johnson due to his legal issues.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061217_TB@CHI Week 15 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070219030127/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061217_TB%40CHI 2007-02-19 dead Week 16: at Detroit Lions Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 24 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST Bears 3 14 0 9 Lions 7 0 14 0 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 60,665 None (indoor stadium) Terry McAulay Fox Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Jay Glazer Box score First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 36-yard field goal, 8:38. Bears 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:22. DET – Dan Campbell 23-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Jason Hanson kick), 2:32. Lions 7–3. Drive: 2 plays, 49 yards, 0:47. Second quarter CHI – Bernard Berrian 13-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 14:05. Bears 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:27. CHI – Adrian N. Peterson 2-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 0:26. Bears 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:16. Third quarter DET – Mike Furrey 20-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Jason Hanson kick), 10:53. Bears 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 4:07. DET – Roy Williams 2-yard pass from Jon Kitna (Jason Hanson kick), 4:27. Lions 21–17. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 5:06. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 36-yard field goal, 12:21. Lions 21–20. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:05. CHI – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal, 5:13. Bears 23–21. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 4:54. CHI – Robbie Gould 44-yard field goal, 2:50. Bears 26–21. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:56. Top passers CHI – Rex Grossman – 20/36, 197 yards, TD DET – Jon Kitna – 27/45, 283 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CHI – Thomas Jones – 12 rushes, 62 yards DET – Arlen Harris – 10 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers CHI – Muhsin Muhammad – 3 receptions, 64 yards DET – Mike Furrey – 10 receptions, 107 yards, TD The Bears traveled to Detroit, Michigan in hopes of another victory over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve. However, the game was essentially meaningless, as the Bears had already clinched the NFC's top playoff seed in the previous week. Therefore, the Bears experimented with different defensive and offensive plans en route to a victory over the Lions.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061224_CHI@DET Week 16 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070219211750/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061224_CHI%40DET 2007-02-19 dead Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears – Game summary December 31 7:15 p.m. CST Packers 13 10 0 3 Bears 0 0 7 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,287 Cloudy, 50 F C Bill Vinovich NBC Al Michaels, John Madden and Andrea Kremer Box score First quarter GB – Donald Driver 9-yard pass from Brett Favre (Dave Rayner kick), 9:31. Packers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:29. GB – Nick Collins 55-yard interception return (kick failed), 0:50. Packers 13–0. Second quarter GB – Dave Rayner 25-yard field goal, 0:49. Packers 16–0. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 2:54. GB – Patrick Dendy 30-yard interception return (Dave Rayner kick), 0:34. Packers 23–0. Third quarter CHI – Mark Bradley 75-yard pass from Brian Griese (Robbie Gould kick), 0:34. Packers 23–7. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:54. Fourth quarter GB – Dave Rayner 46-yard field goal, 10:39. Packers 26–7. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:55. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 21/42, 285 yards, TD, INT CHI – Brian Griese – 5/15, 124 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 22 rushes, 71 yards CHI – Cedric Benson – 13 rushes, 109 yards Top receivers GB – Ruvell Martin – 7 receptions, 118 yards CHI – Mark Bradley – 1 reception, 75 yards, TD After their road victory against the Detroit Lions, the Bears returned home to finish their season against the archenemy Green Bay Packers. On December 24, the NFL announced that they would move to game to a primetime slot, making it the final game of the 2006 regular season. The loss marked the Bears second consecutive loss in a regular season finale. Brett Favre appeared at the end of the game, and gave a tearful interview with an NBC Sports correspondent, where he admitted his future as a professional was still questionable. Additionally, Grossman's four turnovers (including two interceptions that were returned for a touchdown), zero passer rating, and press conference comments (where he admitted to being underprepared) drew criticism both from fans and the media as the Bears' regular season came to an end.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061231_GB@CHI Week 17 recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070505020051/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20061231_GB%40CHI 2007-05-05 dead http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6446740 Bad news Bears fans, Rex is staying 2007-05-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070216173657/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6446740 2007-02-16 Playoffs 2006–07 NFL playoffs thumb|right|250px|The two lion sculptures outside of the Art Institute of Chicago decorated to show support for the Bears The Bears clinched a playoff berth after defeating the Minnesota Vikings during week thirteen. They obtained a first round bye the following week, and later secured the NFC's first playoff seed. This ensured the Bears home field advantage for the NFC's Divisional and Conference games. Post season schedule Round Date Opponent Result Game siteNFC Wild Card First-round byeNFC Divisional January 14, 2007 Seattle Seahawks (4) W 27–24 (OT) Soldier Field NFC Championship January 21, 2007 New Orleans Saints (2) W 39–14 Soldier FieldSuper Bowl XLI February 4, 2007 vs. Indianapolis Colts (A3)L 17–29 Dolphin Stadium NFC Divisional playoff: vs Seattle Seahawks (4) Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Divisional Round: Seattle Seahawks (4) at Chicago Bears (1) – Game summary January 14, 2007 12:00 p.m. CST Seahawks 0 14 10 0 0 Bears 7 14 0 3 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,184 Cloudy, 32 F C Gerald Austin Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers Box score First quarter CHI – Thomas Jones 9-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 8:35. Bears 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:25. Second quarter SEA – Nate Burleson 16-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick), 14:54. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:54. CHI – Bernard Berrian 68-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 14:36. Bears 14–7. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, 0:18. SEA – Shaun Alexander 4-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 2:29. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:50. CHI – Thomas Jones 7-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 0:48. Bears 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:41. Third quarter SEA – Josh Brown 40-yard field goal, 9:56. Bears 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 5:04. SEA – Shaun Alexander 13-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 4:57. Seahawks 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2:25. Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, 4:24. Tied 24–24. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 5:51. Overtime CHI – Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal, 10:02. Bears 27–24. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 2:49. Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 18/33, 195 yards, TD, INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 21/38, 282 yards, TD, INT Top rushers SEA – Shaun Alexander – 26 rushes, 108 yards, 2 TD CHI – Thomas Jones – 21 rushes, 66 yards, 2 TD Top receivers SEA – Darrell Jackson – 4 receptions, 49 yards CHI – Bernard Berrian – 5 receptions, 105 yards, TD The Bears advanced to the NFC Championship game by defeating the Seattle Seahawks on January 14, 2007. In a hard-fought battle, the Bears had to rely on all “four phases” of the game (offense, defense, special teams, and crowd noise) to win 27–24 in overtime.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070114_SEA@CHI Division round recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070502012041/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070114_SEA%40CHI 2007-05-02 dead NFC Championship: vs New Orleans Saints (2) Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse NFC Championship Game: New Orleans Saints (2) at Chicago Bears (1) – Game summary January 21, 2007 2:00 p.m. CST Saints 0 7 7 0 Bears 3 13 2 21 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 61,047 Snow, 28 F C Terry McAulay Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers Box score First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 19-yard field goal, 0:41. Bears 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 35 yards, 4:44. Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, 13:40. Bears 6–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:53. CHI – Robbie Gould 24-yard field goal, 8:52. Bears 9–0. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:25. CHI – Thomas Jones 2-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 1:56. Bears 16–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:55. NO – Marques Colston 13-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Carney kick), 0:46. Bears 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:10. Third quarter NO – Reggie Bush 88-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Carney kick), 12:20. Bears 16–14. Drive: 2 plays, 93 yards, 0:53. CHI – Drew Brees intentional grounding in end zone, 5:27. Bears 18–14. Fourth quarter CHI – Bernard Berrian 33-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 14:23. Bears 25–14. Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 2:24. CHI – Cedric Benson 12-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 11:37. Bears 32–14. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:04. CHI – Thomas Jones 15-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:19. Bears 39–14. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 3:02. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 27/49, 354 yards, 2 TD, INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 11/26, 144 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Reggie Bush – 4 rushes, 19 yards CHI – Thomas Jones – 19 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NO – Reggie Bush – 7 receptions, 132 yards, TD CHI – Bernard Berrian – 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD The Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field to play the second-seeded New Orleans Saints for the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLI. On a cold field with unsure footing, and eventually falling snow, the Bears defeated the Saints 39–14 to claim their first NFC Championship since the 1985 Season. After the game, Bears owner Virginia McCaskey was presented the George Halas Trophy, named after her late father, "Papa Bear" George Halas. With the win, Lovie Smith became the first African American coach to achieve a Super Bowl berth. In Super Bowl XLI, The Bears would match up against the Indianapolis Colts, and Smith would face his mentor, Tony Dungy.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070121_NO@CHI Conference round recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070502034838/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070121_NO%40CHI 2007-05-02 dead Super Bowl XLI: vs Indianapolis Colts (A3) Super Bowl XLI Chicago Bears 2006 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts (A3) vs. Chicago Bears (N1) – Game summary February 4, 2007 5:25 p.m. CST/6:25 p.m. EST Colts 6 10 6 7 Bears 14 0 3 0 Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 74,512 Rain, 67 F C Tony Corrente CBS Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Solomon Wilcots, Steve Tasker, Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan Box score First quarter CHI – Devin Hester 92-yard kickoff return (Robbie Gould kick), 14:46. Bears 7–0. IND – Reggie Wayne 53-yard pass from Peyton Manning (kick failed), 6:50. Bears 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:30. CHI – Muhsin Muhammad 4-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick), 4:34. Bears 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 2:00. Second quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal, 11:17. Bears 14–9. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:52. IND – Dominic Rhodes 1-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 6:09. Colts 16–14. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:08. Third quarter IND – Adam Vinatieri 24-yard field goal, 7:26. Colts 19–14. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:34. IND – Adam Vinatieri 20-yard field goal, 3:16. Colts 22–14. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:07. CHI – Robbie Gould 44-yard field goal, 1:14. Colts 22–17. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:02. Fourth quarter IND – Kelvin Hayden 56-yard interception return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:44. Colts 29–17. Top passers IND – Peyton Manning – 25/38, 247 yards, TD, INT CHI – Rex Grossman – 20/28, 165 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers IND – Dominic Rhodes – 21 rushes, 113 yards, TD CHI – Thomas Jones – 15 rushes, 112 yards Top receivers IND – Joseph Addai – 10 receptions, 66 yards CHI – Desmond Clark – 6 receptions, 64 yards Super Bowl XLI, the first Super Bowl to be played entirely in intemperate weather, saw the Bears lose to the Indianapolis Colts at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070204_IND@CHI Super Bowl Recap NFL.com 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070502023416/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070204_IND%40CHI 2007-05-02 dead 2007 Pro Bowl 2007 Pro Bowl Eight members of the Chicago Bears were selected to play in the 2007 Pro Bowl. Olin Kreutz, Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Robbie Gould, Devin Hester, and Brendon Ayanbadejo were selected by NFL fans throughout the nation to represent the Bears.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2825 Bears send three special teams players to Pro Bowl 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20091026213514/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2825 2009-10-26 dead The eight selections were the most from any team in the NFC. The Bears had not sent that many players to Honolulu since the 1986 Pro Bowl, which succeeded the 1985 NFL season, when they sent nine. On January 25, Bears' left guard Ruben Brown was named to his ninth Pro Bowl, taking the spot of injured Shawn Andrews of the Philadelphia Eagles.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2980 Brown's eyes focused solely on ultimate prize 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070127182129/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2980 2007-01-27 dead However, Harris, Urlacher, Kreutz, and Briggs missed the Pro Bowl on the account of injuries. Off the field incidents Perhaps the most prevalent off-field occurrences were the actions taken by and against Tank Johnson and Ricky Manning, Jr. On December 14, 2006, Lake County police officers searched Johnson's home in Gurnee, Illinois, and discovered that he possessed six firearms, including two assault rifles. Johnson was charged with violation of probation and possessing unlicensed weapons. A Chicago media storm erupted shortly after when Johnson's bodyguard was shot and killed December 16, after attending a club with him. Bears coach Lovie Smith deactivated Johnson for the following game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers based on the incidents. Speculation arose in Chicago that the Bears' defensive tackle would not be allowed either legally or by the team to travel to Miami to play in the Super Bowl, but he was ultimately allowed to play. Johnson eventually served 60 days in a Cook County jail because of the charges.http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_5535471,00.html Tank Johnson released from jail 2007-05-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225104/http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0%2C2777%2CDRMN_23918_5535471%2C00.html 2007-09-27 dead Manning Jr. faced a similar situation that cost him a one-game suspension. On April 23, 2006, two days after receiving an offer sheet from the Bears, Manning Jr. attacked a man in a Denny's restaurant after teasing him for working on a laptop computer.http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=37279 Drew charged with assault 2007-05-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20061012005744/http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=37279 October 12, 2006 dead24 April 2006 Manning Jr. arrested on night he signed offer sheet https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2419713 live https://web.archive.org/web/20070402111808/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2419713 2 April 2007 2007-05-18 ESPN.com Associated Press In September 2006, Manning pleaded no contest to felony assault in exchange for another probation deal, though later he proclaimed his innocence.http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CHI/9690177 Manning says he did not beat man NFL.com 2007-05-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20070627015254/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CHI/9690177 2007-06-27 dead Staff 2006 Chicago Bears Owner – Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman – Michael McCaskey President/CEO – Ted Phillips General manager – Jerry Angelo Director of pro personnel – Bobby DePaul Director of college scouting – Greg Gabriel Head coach – Lovie Smith Football operations assistant – Andrew Hayes-Stoker Offensive coordinator – Ron Turner Quarterbacks – Wade Wilson Running backs – Tim Spencer Wide receivers – Darryl Drake Tight ends – Rob Boras Offensive line – Harry Hiestand Assistant offensive line – Harold Goodwin Offensive quality control – Mike Bajakian Defensive coordinator – Ron Rivera Defensive line – Don Johnson Linebackers – Bob Babich Secondary – Steve Wilks Defensive assistant – Lloyd Lee Defensive quality control – Gill Byrd Special teams – Dave Toub Assistant special teams – Kevin O'Dea Director of physical development – Rusty Jones Assistant strength and conditioning – Jim Arthur Final roster 2006 Chicago Bears 53 8 7 14 Brian Griese  8 Rex Grossman 18 Kyle Orton 32 Cedric Benson 20 Thomas Jones American football 37 Jason McKie FB 29 Adrian Peterson American football, born 1979 48 J. D. Runnels FB y 80 Bernard Berrian 16 Mark Bradley 81 Rashied Davis KR 12 Justin Gage 87 Muhsin Muhammad 88 Desmond Clark 85 John Gilmore American football 82 Gabe Reid 74 Ruben Brown G 63 Roberto Garza G 57 Olin Kreutz C 60 Terrence Metcalf G 69 Fred Miller American football, born 1973 T 68 Anthony Oakley G/T 78 John St. Clair T 76 John Tait American football T 97 Mark Anderson American football DE y 70 Alfonso Boone DT 96 Alex Brown defensive end DE 90 Antonio Garay DT 71 Israel Idonije DE 99 Tank Johnson DT 93 Adewale Ogunleye DE 95 Ian Scott American football DT 94 Brendon Ayanbadejo OLB 55 Lance Briggs OLB 92 Hunter Hillenmeyer OLB 53 Leon Joe OLB 58 Darrell McClover OLB 54 Brian Urlacher MLB 59 Rod Wilson MLB 22 Tyler Everett y SS 46 Chris Harris safety FS/SS 23 Devin Hester CB/KR/PR y 35 Todd Johnson SS 38 Danieal Manning FS y 24 Ricky Manning CB 33 Charles Tillman CB 27 Nick Turnbull FS 31 Nathan Vasher CB 21 Dante Wesley CB 44 Cameron Worrell FS  9 Robbie Gould K 65 Patrick Mannelly LS  4 Brad Maynard P 30 Mike Brown safety S IR 17 Airese Currie WR IR 98 Dusty Dvoracek DT IR y 91 Tommie Harris DT IR 47 Bryan Johnson fullback FB IR 73 Khari Long DE IR 36 Brandon McGowan S IR 52 Jamar Williams LB IR y 86 Richard Angulo TE 72 Copeland Bryan DE y 83 Mike Hass WR y 75 Mark LeVoir T y 64 Tyler Reed G y American football 84 Brandon Rideau WR 45 Dwayne Slay S y References 30em External links 2006 Chicago Bears Schedule and Results Official Statistics 2006 at BearsHistory.com Pro Football Reference entry Chicago Bears Category:NFC North championship seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Category:Chicago Bears seasons Bear Category:2006 in Chicago