2005 Chicago Bears season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Chicago Bears 2005 11–5 1st NFC North Lovie Smith Jerry Angelo The McCaskey Family Soldier Field Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Panthers) 21–29 C Olin Kreutz DT Tommie Harris MLB Brian Urlacher OLB Lance Briggs CB Nathan Vasher SS Mike Brown 6 Lance Briggs (1st team) Brian Urlacher (1st team) Olin Kreutz (2nd team) Tommie Harris (2nd team) Mike Brown (2nd team) Nathan Vasher (2nd team) Bears seasons The 2005 season was the Chicago Bears' 86th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the second under head coach Lovie Smith. The team improved to an 11–5 record from a 5–11 record in 2004, earning them their first playoff berth and division title since 2001 (as well as their first NFC North title after division realignment in 2002) and the second seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The season started off with the team trying to rebound from a 5–11 season under head coach Lovie Smith. Smith, in his first year with the Bears, had been eager to lead his young team to a Super Bowl, but a preseason injury to starting quarterback Rex Grossman spelled disaster for the Bears.https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2132968 Second major injury in two years for Bears QB ESPN 2005-08-13 2019-11-28 The 2005 Bears started the season slowly, winning only one of their first four games. Despite their poor passing game, the Bears won eight consecutive games, through perseverance on defense and a solid running game. The Bears eventually clinched a playoff berth on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers. However, in their first playoff game in four years the Carolina Panthers upset the Bears, 29–21. This season is notable for Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher winning Defensive Player of the Year. He was the first Bear to earn the award since 1988 when Mike Singletary won. Offseason Additions SubtractionsWR Muhsin Muhammad (Panthers) G Rex Tucker (Rams)WR Eddie Berlin (Titans) WR David Terrell (Patriots)OT Fred Miller (Titans) K Paul Edinger (Vikings)OT John St. Clair (Dolphins) QB Jonathan Quinn (Chiefs) NFL draft 2005 NFL draft 2005 Chicago Bears 1 4 Cedric Benson Running back Texas yes 2 39 Mark Bradley Wide receiver Oklahoma yes 4 106 Kyle Orton Quarterback Purdue yes 5 140 Airese Currie Wide receiver Clemson 6 181 Chris Harris Safety Louisiana-Monroe yes 7 220 Rod Wilson Linebacker South Carolina Undrafted free agents + 2005 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeJonathan JacksonDefensive endOklahomaTyler JonesKickerBoise StateStephen LarsenLinebackerSan Diego StateMatt McGhghyGuardNorthern IllinoisBrandon McGowanSafetyMaineGreg PaulyDefensive tackleNotre Dame Training camp Hopeful expectations were crushed as quarterback Rex Grossman's ankle was broken in the 2nd preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Backup quarterback Chad Hutchinson was benched and cut after struggling heavily in the next two preseason games against the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills. The Bears then turned to rookie Kyle Orton to lead their offense. Rookie running back Cedric Benson held out of training camp over a contract dispute until just before the final preseason game. His absence in camp meant that Thomas Jones would be the starting running back going into the regular season. Despite all these setbacks, the Bears were still hopeful because franchise middle linebacker Brian Urlacher had made it through the preseason in good health, unlike the year before when he battled injuries all season, beginning with a pulled hamstring on the first day of training camp. Preseason WeekDateOpponentScore HOF August 8 vs Miami Dolphins W 27–24 1 August 12 at St. Louis Rams L 13–17 2 August 20 at Indianapolis Colts W 24–17 3 August 26 Buffalo Bills W 16–12 4 September 1 Cleveland Browns L 6–16 Staff 2005 Chicago Bears Chairman of the board – Michael McCaskey President/chief executive officer – Ted Phillips General manager – Jerry Angelo Director of pro personnel – Bobby DePaul Director of college scouting – Greg Gabriel Head coach – Lovie Smith 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 Defensive backs – Perry Fewell Assistant defensive backs – Torrian Gray Defensive quality control – Lloyd Lee Special teams coordinator – Dave Toub Assistant special teams – Charlie Coiner Strength and conditioning coordinator – Rusty Jones Strength and conditioning assistant – Jim Arthur Roster 2005 Chicago Bears 53 8 8 11 Jeff Blake  8 Rex Grossman 18 Kyle Orton 32 Cedric Benson 47 Bryan Johnson FB 20 Thomas Jones 37 Jason McKie FB 29 Adrian Peterson 86 Eddie Berlin 80 Bernard Berrian 12 Justin Gage 87 Muhsin Muhammad 88 Desmond Clark 85 John Gilmore 82 Gabe Reid 68 Ruben Brown G 79 Steve Edwards G 62 Lennie Friedman C 63 Roberto Garza G 57 Olin Kreutz C 60 Terrence Metcalf G 69 Fred Miller OT 72 Qasim Mitchell OT 78 John St. Clair OT 76 John Tait OT 70 Alfonso Boone DT 96 Alex Brown DE 91 Tommie Harris DT 97 Michael Haynes DE 71 Israel Idonije DE 99 Tank Johnson DT 93 Adewale Ogunleye DE 95 Ian Scott DT 94 Brendon Ayanbadejo OLB 55 Lance Briggs OLB 58 Jeremy Cain MLB 92 Hunter Hillenmeyer OLB 53 Leon Joe OLB 54 Brian Urlacher MLB 23 Jerry Azumah CB 30 Mike Brown SS 21 Rashied Davis CB 43 Mike Green FS 46 Chris Harris FS 26 Daven Holly CB 35 Todd Johnson SS 36 Brandon McGowan SS 27 Chris Thompson CB 33 Charles Tillman CB 31 Nathan Vasher CB  9 Robbie Gould K 65 Patrick Mannelly LS  4 Brad Maynard P 16 Mark Bradley WR (IR) 7px 17 Airese Currie WR (IR) 7px 25 Bobby Gray SS (IR) 7px 22 Alfonso Marshall CB (PUP) 7px 59 Joe Odom OLB (IR) 7px 52 Marcus Reese OLB (IR) 7px 64 Rod Wilson MLB (IR) 7px 24 Cameron Worrell FS (IR) 7px 39 Willie Amos S 44 Keith Belton FB 14 Craig Bragg WR 98 Darrell Campbell DT 90 Antonio Garay DT 67 Jamaal Green DE 49 T. J. Hollowell OLB 68 Anthony Oakley G Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 1 September 11 at Washington Redskins L 7–9 0–1 FedExField 2 September 18 Detroit Lions W 38–6 1–1 Soldier Field 3 September 25 Cincinnati Bengals L 7–24 1–2 Soldier Field 4 Bye 5 October 9 at Cleveland Browns L 10–20 1–3 Cleveland Browns Stadium 6 October 16 Minnesota Vikings W 28–3 2–3 Soldier Field 7 October 23 Baltimore Ravens W 10–6 3–3 Soldier Field 8 October 30 at Detroit Lions W 19–13 (OT) 4–3 Ford Field 9 November 6 at New Orleans Saints W 20–17 5–3 Tiger Stadium 10 November 13 San Francisco 49ers W 17–9 6–3 Soldier Field 11 November 20 Carolina Panthers W 13–3 7–3 Soldier Field 12 November 27 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 13–10 8–3 Raymond James Stadium 13 December 4 Green Bay Packers W 19–7 9–3 Soldier Field 14 December 11 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 9–21 9–4 Heinz Field 15 December 18 Atlanta Falcons W 16–3 10–4 Soldier Field 16 December 25 at Green Bay Packers W 24–17 11–4 Lambeau Field 17 January 1 at Minnesota Vikings L 10–34 11–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Standings Game summaries Week 1: at Washington Redskins Bears 0 0 7 0 Redskins 0 3 6 0 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST 80 F C FedExField Fox Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston 90,138 Q2 – WAS – 7:34 – John Hall 40-yard field goal (WAS 3–0) Q2 – WAS – 1:00 – John Hall 43-yard field goal (WAS 6–0) Q3 – CHI – 11:28 – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 7–6) Q3 – WAS – 2:54 – John Hall 19-yard field goal (WAS 9–7) Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions Lions 6 0 0 0 Bears 10 21 0 7 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Sunny, 81 F C Soldier Field Fox Joe Buck and Troy Aikman 62,019 Q1 – CHI – 10:10 – Thomas Jones 3-yard run (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 7–0) Q1 – DET – 9:54 – Roy Williams 51-yard pass from Joey Harrington (kick failed) (CHI 7–6) Q1 – CHI – 6:04 – Doug Brien 48-yard field goal (CHI 10–6) Q2 – CHI – 11:34 – Bobby Wade 73-yard punt return (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 17–6) Q2 – CHI – 1:14 – Muhsin Muhammad 28-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 24–6) Q2 – CHI – 0:57 – Mike Brown 41-yard interception return (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 31–6) Q4 – CHI – 12:13 – Thomas Jones 16-yard run (Doug Brien kick) (CHI 38–6) Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Bengals 10 0 7 7 Bears 0 0 7 0 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Light rain, 72 F C Soldier Field CBS Kevin Harlan and Randy Cross 62,045 Q1 – CIN – 13:46 – Chad Johnson 18-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick) (CIN 7–0) Q1 – CIN – 5:31 – Shayne Graham 33-yard field goal (CIN 10–0) Q3 – CIN – 7:03 – Chris Henry 36-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick) (CIN 17–0) Q4 – CHI – 13:30 – Thomas Jones 2-yard run (Doug Brien kick) (CIN 17–7) Q4 – CIN – 11:56 – Chad Johnson 40-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Shayne Graham kick) (CIN 24–7) This was Chicago's only loss at home during the season. Week 5: at Cleveland Browns Bears 0 3 7 0 Browns 3 3 0 14 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST 73 F C Cleveland Browns Stadium Fox Ron Pitts and Tim Ryan 73,079 Q1 – CLE – 4:17 – Phil Dawson 19-yard field goal (CLE 3–0) Q2 – CHI – 9:01 – Robbie Gould 44-yard field goal (3–3) Q2 – CLE – 0:37 – Phil Dawson 44-yard field goal (CLE 6–3) Q3 – CHI – 5:29 – Marc Edwards 8-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 10–6) Q4 – CLE – 3:02 – Antonio Bryant 33-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Phil Dawson kick) (CLE 13–10) Q4 – CLE – 2:24 – Antonio Bryant 28-yard pass from Trent Dilfer (Phil Dawson kick) (CLE 20–10) Week 6: vs. Minnesota Vikings Vikings 0 3 0 0 Bears 0 7 7 14 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Soldier Field Fox Sam Rosen and Bill Maas 62,143 Sunny, 60 F C Q2 – MIN – 6:55 – Paul Edinger 23-yard field goal (MIN 3–0) Q2 – CHI – 0:37 – Desmond Clark 3-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–3) Q3 – CHI – 7:28 – Desmond Clark 2-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 14–3) Q4 – CHI – 13:03 – Thomas Jones 24-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 21–3) Q4 – CHI – 4:11 – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 28–3) Week 7: vs. Baltimore Ravens Ravens 0 6 0 0 Bears 7 0 3 0 4:15 p.m. EST/3:15 p.m. CST Thunderstorms, 46 F C Soldier Field CBS Ian Eagle and Solomon Wilcots 62,102 Q1 – CHI – 0:19 – Marc Edwards 9-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0) Q2 – BAL – 8:46 – Matt Stover 40-yard field goal (CHI 7–3) Q2 – BAL – 0:26 – Matt Stover 29-yard field goal (CHI 7–6) Q3 – CHI – 2:52 – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal (CHI 10–6) The 1985 Bears, who won Super Bowl XX, were honored at halftime. Much of the team was present for the reunion, which then-coach Mike Ditka spoke in a recorded segment. Dan Hampton gave a speech in which he recognized teammate Walter Payton, who died in 1999, leading to a standing ovation.America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, "#2. 1985 Chicago Bears." Premiered on CBS, Feb. 3, 2007Johnson K.C. https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-positioning-his-team-to/202880957/ Positioning his team to win Chicago Tribune Newspapers.com October 24, 2005 August 1, 2026 Week 8: at Detroit Lions Bears 0 13 0 0 6 Lions 3 0 7 3 0 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Ford Field Fox Ron Pitts and Tim Ryan 61,814 Q1 – DET – 4:11 – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal (DET 3–0) Q2 – CHI – 9:29 – Muhsin Muhammad 23-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–3) Q2 – CHI – 1:51 – Robbie Gould 38-yard field goal (CHI 10–3) Q2 – CHI – 0:17 – Robbie Gould 20-yard field goal (CHI 13–3) Q3 – DET – 3:15 – Kevin Jones 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick) (CHI 13–10) Q4 – DET – 13:20 – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal (13–13) OT – CHI – 8:43 – Charles Tillman 22-yard interception return (CHI 19–13) Bears rookie Mark Bradley was placed on injured reserve this game, and was replaced by Justin Gage.http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2005110602/2005/REG9/bears@saints/analyze#tab=recap&recap=fullstory https://archive.today/20130129231350/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2005110602/2005/REG9/bears@saints/analyze%23tab=recap&recap=fullstory dead NFL Game Center: Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints – 2005 Week 9 NFL.com August 5, 2012 January 29, 2013 Bradley had recorded 18 receptions for 230 yards at the time of his injury. Week 9: at New Orleans Saints Bears 7 3 7 3 Saints 3 7 0 7 3:05 p.m. CST Tiger Stadium Fox Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger 32,637 Q1 – NO – 12:18 – John Carney 22-yard field goal (NO 3-0) Q1 – CHI – 6:26 – Justin Gage 4-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (7–3) Q2 – NO – 9:57 – Donté Stallworth 15-yard pass from Aaron Brooks (John Carney kick) (NO 10-7) Q2 – CHI – 0:22 – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal (10–10) Q3 – CHI – 7:29 – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 17–10) Q4 – NO – 7:44 – Aaron Brooks 1-yard run (John Carney kick) (17–17) Q4 – CHI – 0:06 – Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal (CHI 20–17) thumb|Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks passes against the Bears at Tiger Stadium Due to damage from Hurricane Katrina to the Louisiana Superdome, the Saints were forced to host the game at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2159595 Saints' home games: 4 at LSU, 3 in Alamodome ESPN September 12, 2005 August 5, 2012 The Saints scored first on a John Carney field goal, but the Bears struck back with a Kyle Orton to Justin Gage touchdown pass. After the Saints scored on an Aaron Brooks touchdown pass to Donté Stallworth, Robbie Gould tied the game on a 35-yard field goal. In the second half, Adrian Peterson gave the Bears the lead on a 6-yard run, which was countered with Brooks scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth. Orton eventually threw a 22-yard pass to Muhsin Muhammad to set up a game-winning field goal from Gould with six seconds left in the game. Gould eventually scored on a 28-yard field goal to give the Bears a 20–17 lead. The Saints' last chance to march 65 yards to win was crushed when Brooks' pass to Az-Zahir Hakim was intercepted by Nathan Vasher. The win was the Bears' fourth-straight, which hasn't been accomplished by the team since their 2001 season.http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=251106018 https://web.archive.org/web/20121102085404/http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=251106018 dead November 2, 2012 Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints – Recap ESPN November 6, 2005 August 5, 2012 In the first quarter, Bears running back Thomas Jones went out with an injury, but his backups Adrian Peterson and Cedric Benson combined for 137 yards and a touchdown. Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers 49ers 0 3 3 3 Bears 0 7 0 10 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Overcast, 50 F C Soldier Field Fox Sam Rosen and Bill Maas 62,153 Q2 – SF – 8:57 – Joe Nedney 30-yard field goal (SF 3–0) Q2 – CHI – 0:00 – Nathan Vasher 108-yard missed field goal return (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–3) Q3 – SF – 9:38 – Joe Nedney 34-yard field goal (CHI 7–6) Q4 – CHI – 14:33 – Adrian Peterson 7-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 14–6) Q4 – SF – 10:54 – Joe Nedney 29-yard field goal (CHI 14–9) Q4 – CHI – 7:40 – Robbie Gould 37-yard field goal (CHI 17–9) With wind speeds reaching 26 MPH, this is the windiest game in NFL historySan Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears - November 13th, 2005 - Pro-Football-Reference.com https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200511130chi.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20081007175012/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200511130chi.htm 2026-07-31 2008-10-07Top 10: Extreme weather games https://www.chicagobears.com/photos/top-10-extreme-weather-games 2026-07-31 www.chicagobears.com Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers Panthers 0 0 0 3 Bears 10 3 0 0 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Cloudy, 44 F C Soldier Field Fox Sam Rosen and Bill Maas 62,156 Q1 – CHI – 11:50 – Muhsin Muhammad 3-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0) Q1 – CHI – 5:41 – Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal (CHI 10–0) Q2 – CHI – 7:52 – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal (CHI 13–0) Q4 – CAR – 8:31 – John Kasay 38-yard field goal (CHI 13–3) Week 12: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bears 7 3 3 0 Buccaneers 3 0 0 7 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST 76 F C Raymond James Stadium Fox Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger 65,506 Q1 – CHI – 11:50 – John Gilmore 1-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0) Q1 – TB – 2:12 – Matt Bryant 27-yard field goal (CHI 7–3) Q2 – CHI – 0:17 – Robbie Gould 25-yard field goal (CHI 10–3) Q3 – CHI – 3:47 – Robbie Gould 36-yard field goal (CHI 13–3) Q4 – TB – 7:00 – Mike Alstott 2-yard run (CHI 13–10) Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers Packers 0 7 0 0 Bears 0 9 0 10 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Sunny, 24 F C Soldier Field Fox Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston 62,177 Q2 – CHI – 13:34 – Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal (CHI 3–0) Q2 – GB – 7:03 – Samkon Gado 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick) (GB 7–3) Q2 – CHI – 4:33 – Robbie Gould 40-yard field goal (GB 7–6) Q2 – CHI – 0:02 – Robbie Gould 25-yard field goal (CHI 9–7) Q4 – CHI – 8:22 – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal (CHI 12–7) Q4 – CHI – 3:06 – Nathan Vasher 45-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 19–7) Week 14: at Pittsburgh Steelers Bears 3 0 0 6 Steelers 7 7 7 0 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Snow flurries, 30 F C Heinz Field Fox Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston 61,237 Q1 – PIT – 9:16 – Hines Ward 14-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Jeff Reed kick) (PIT 7–0) Q1 – CHI – 2:30 – Robbie Gould 29-yard field goal (PIT 7–3) Q2 – PIT – 7:25 – Jerome Bettis 1-yard run (Jeff Reed kick) (PIT 14–3) Q3 – PIT – 5:23 – Jerome Bettis 5-yard run (Jeff Reed kick) (PIT 21–3) Q4 – CHI – 13:38 – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (kick failed) (PIT 21–9) Week 15: vs. Atlanta Falcons Falcons 0 3 0 0 Bears 0 6 10 0 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST Clear, 8 F C Soldier Field ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Paul Maguire 62,170 Q2 – ATL – 10:16 – Todd Peterson 30-yard field goal (ATL 3–0) Q2 – CHI – 6:33 – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal (3–3) Q2 – CHI – 3:20 – Robbie Gould 29-yard field goal (CHI 6–3) Q3 – CHI – 8:17 – Thomas Jones 1-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 13–3) Q3 – CHI – 0:53 – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal (CHI 16–3) Week 16: at Green Bay Packers Bears 7 7 10 0 Packers 0 7 0 10 5:00 p.m. EST/4:00 p.m. CST Clear, 34 F C Lambeau Field Fox Sam Rosen and Bill Maas 69,757 Q1 – CHI – 5:00 – Muhsin Muhammad 12-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0) Q2 – GB – 12:05 – Noah Herron 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick) (7–7) Q2 – CHI – 5:05 – Thomas Jones 2-yard run (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 14–7) Q3 – CHI – 9:39 – Robbie Gould 45-yard field goal (CHI 17–7) Q3 – CHI – 4:01 – Lance Briggs 10-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 24–7) Q4 – GB – 7:54 – Antonio Chatman 85-yard punt return (Ryan Longwell kick) (CHI 24–14) Q4 – GB – 1:54 – Ryan Longwell 26-yard field goal (CHI 24–17) The win marked the first time since 1991 that the Bears swept the Green Bay Packers.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/Was-schedule-different-due-to-holiday/57f56e17-3e72-4ce2-99e1-2f56fb361cad Was schedule different due to holiday? Chicago Bears 2013-12-25 2013-12-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20131228212530/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/Was-schedule-different-due-to-holiday/57f56e17-3e72-4ce2-99e1-2f56fb361cad 2013-12-28 dead Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings Bears 3 0 0 7 Vikings 0 17 7 10 4:15 p.m. EST/3:15 p.m. CST None (indoor stadium) Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Fox Dick Stockton and Daryl Johnston 64,023 Q1 – CHI – 5:14 – Robbie Gould 22-yard field goal (CHI 3–0) Q2 – MIN – 14:53 – Paul Edinger 54-yard field goal (3–3) Q2 – MIN – 7:37 – Ciatrick Fason 2-yard run (Paul Edinger kick) (MIN 10–3) Q2 – MIN – 0:03 – Travis Taylor 17-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick) (MIN 17–3) Q3 – MIN – 3:58 – Mewelde Moore 7-yard pass from Brad Johnson (Paul Edinger kick) (MIN 24–3) Q4 – MIN – 14:52 – Paul Edinger 27-yard field goal (MIN 27–3) Q4 – CHI – 7:08 – Justin Gage 4-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Robbie Gould kick) (MIN 27–10) Q4 – MIN – 5:10 – Michael Bennett 61-yard run (Paul Edinger kick) (MIN 34–10) Playoffs NFC Divisional Playoff: vs. Carolina Panthers Panthers 7 9 7 6 Bears 0 7 7 7 4:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. CST 42 F Soldier Field FOX Joe Buck and Troy Aikman 62,209 #eee Q1 – CAR – 14:05 – 58 yd TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith (Kasay kick) (7–0 CAR) Q2 – CAR – 14:57 – John Kasay 20 yd FG (CAR 10–0) Q2 – CAR – 6:26 – John Kasay 38 yd FG (CAR 13–0) Q2 – CHI – 2:58 – Adrian Peterson 1 yd TD run (Robbie Gould kick) (CAR 13–7) Q2 – CAR – 0:00 – John Kasay 37 yd FG (CAR 16–7) Q3 – CHI – 11:21 – 1 yd TD pass from Rex Grossman to Desmond Clark (Gould kick) (CAR 16–14) Q3 – CAR – 2:07 – 39 yd TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Steve Smith (Kasay kick) (CAR 23–14) Q4 – CHI – 13:23 – Jason McKie 1 yd TD run (Gould kick) (CAR 23–21) Q4 – CAR – 8:04 – 1 yd TD pass from Jake Delhomme to Kris Mangum (kick failed) (CAR 29–21) The Bears hosted their first playoff game since the 2001 season against the red hot Panthers, fresh off a victory over Eli Manning and the New York Giants. Things were bad from the beginning for the Bears, who allowed a 58-yard Jake Delhomme TD pass to Steve Smith just 55 seconds into the game. Cornerback Charles Tillman slipped on the play, and it only signified things to come the rest of the game for the vaunted Bears defense. The Panthers added two field goals to their total before the Bears got their first points. The Bears offense got off to a slow start, having their first 5 possessions end in punts. Their first score came midway through the second quarter, when running back Adrian Peterson scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run. The Bears had opted to go for it on 4th down to get the score, cutting the Carolina lead to 13–7. Before the half expired, the Panthers' John Kasay kicked a 37-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the half, extending the lead to 16–7. The Bears offense came out at halftime firing on all cylinders, mounting an 8-play, 68-yard drive to close to within 2 points of the Panther lead. It was a balanced drive that led to the score, with the Bears running and passing 5 times each, with Rex Grossman capping the drive with a 1-yard TD pass to Desmond Clark. The spark provided by the offense was short-lived, as midway through the 3rd quarter, Delhomme went deep to Steve Smith again, this time for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Panthers up 23–14. Chris Thompson, a backup cornerback for the Bears, fell down on the play to let Smith slip past him. The Bears managed to score one more time on a drive that started with 2:07 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Grossman completed 3 of 4 passes on the drive, and running back Thomas Jones almost scored on a 7-yard run. After a replay challenge by Carolina, however, the officials reversed the call to say that Jones had fumbled into the endzone, which would have resulted in a Carolina touchback. However, a major facemask penalty on Marlon McCree gave Chicago a first down at the Carolina 3. From there, fullback Jason McKie rumbled in for a touchdown, making the score 23–21 to the Panthers. The Panthers extended their lead once more with a 1-yard Delhomme pass to tight end Kris Mangum. Kasay missed the extra point try though, making the Panthers' lead 29–21. When the Bears offense started moving the ball once more, disaster struck for the Bears, as on a 3rd and 10 play from the Carolina 37-yard line, Grossman threw an interception to Ken Lucas. References External links 2005 Chicago Bears Season at www.bearshistory.com Chicago Bears Category:Chicago Bears seasons Category:NFC North championship seasons Bear Category:2005 in Chicago