2012 Chicago Bears season

American football league team season August 2023 March 2026 2012 Chicago Bears Lovie Smith Phil Emery The McCaskey Family Soldier Field 10–6 3rd NFC North Did not qualify Ch bears uniforms.png 5Rosenthal Gregg https://www.nfl.com/news/2013-pro-bowl-roster-analysis-nfc-0ap1000000117397 2013 Pro Bowl roster analysis: NFC National Football League December 26, 2012 December 26, 2012 WR Brandon Marshall DE Julius Peppers DT Henry Melton CB Charles Tillman CB Tim Jennings 4Rosenthal Gregg https://www.nfl.com/news/all-pro-team-headlined-by-adrian-peterson-j-j-watt-0ap1000000125147 All-Pro Team headlined by Adrian Peterson, J.J. Watt National Football League 2013-01-12 2013-01-12 WR Brandon Marshall (first team) CB Charles Tillman (first team) DE Julius Peppers (second team) CB Tim Jennings (second team) Bears seasons The 2012 season was the Chicago Bears' 93rd in the National Football League (NFL), as well as their ninth and final season under head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears played at Soldier Field for the 10th season since its reconstruction in 2001. The Bears entered the 2012 season looking to improve on their 8–8 record in 2011. They acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins, who had played with Bears Quarterback, Jay Cutler with the Denver Broncos from 2006 to 2008. The Bears were expected to be a wild card team by ten ESPN experts,https://www.espn.com/nfl/preview12/story/_/id/8295463/espn-experts-nfl-predictions-2012 Our experts' NFL predictions for 2012 ESPN 2012-08-30 2012-12-30 and four NFL.com analysts predicted that the team would finish second in the NFC North.http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000054798/article/chicago-bears-2012-nfl-season-preview-predictions Chicago Bears 2012 NFL Season Preview, Predictions National Football League 2012-08-27 2012-12-30 2013-01-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20130105042504/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000054798/article/chicago-bears-2012-nfl-season-preview-predictions dead By the season's midpoint, the Bears had proven to be among the league's elite teams, having a record of 7–1 in their first eight games, something they had not accomplished since their 2006 Super Bowl season, along with a scoring differential of +120, which led the league. The team trailed the San Francisco 49ers in scoring defense with 15 points per game allowed, and third in scoring offense with 29.5, trailing the New England Patriots and Houston Texans.Byrne Kenny http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/kerry_byrne/11/06/bears-defense/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121109075212/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/kerry_byrne/11/06/bears-defense/index.html dead November 9, 2012 Dominant Bears defy modern-day NFL logic in season's first half CNN Sports Illustrated 2012-11-06 2012-12-30 The defense also recorded six interceptions returned for touchdowns in the first seven games of the season, an NFL record; the Bears then recorded two more in the season, one shy of the record set by the 1961 San Diego Chargers.http://www.profootballhof.com/history/2012/10/29/bears-chase-nfl-record-interceptions-for-touchdown/ Bears picking on history Pro Football Hall of Fame 2012-10-29 2012-12-30 2012-11-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20121114055643/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/2012/10/29/bears-chase-nfl-record-interceptions-for-touchdown/ dead However, during the second half of the season, the Bears went 3–5, and after scoring 19 touchdowns in the first eight games, the Bears scored ten fewer in the second half of the season.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Failures-on-offense-cost-Bears-Lovie-Smith/8effd871-c070-498f-8cd7-5ad25426fc01 Failures on offense cost Bears, Lovie Smith Chicago Bears 2012-12-31 2012-12-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103034010/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Failures-on-offense-cost-Bears-Lovie-Smith/8effd871-c070-498f-8cd7-5ad25426fc01 2013-01-03 dead Despite defeating the Detroit Lions in the season finale to have a record of 10–6, the Minnesota Vikings, who also had a record of 10–6, had a better division record than Chicago after they defeated the Green Bay Packers 37–34 the same week, thus earning the second wild-card spot and ending the Bears’ season. As a result, the Bears became the first team since the 1996 Washington Redskins to start the season 7–1 and miss the playoffs.Trister Noah http://www.boston.com/sports/football/2012/12/30/bears-beat-lions-stay-playoff-race/cHK5d0A5v5jGN0sPwdYltM/story.html https://web.archive.org/web/20131002101357/http://www.boston.com/sports/football/2012/12/30/bears-beat-lions-stay-playoff-race/cHK5d0A5v5jGN0sPwdYltM/story.html dead October 2, 2013 Bears miss playoffs despite 26–24 win over Lions Boston.com 2012-12-30 2012-12-30 On December 31, Smith was fired, and was replaced by Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-01-16/marc-trestman-chicago-bears-new-coach-lovie-smith-fired-jay-cutler-cfl Marc Trestman to be hired as Chicago Bears' new head coach – report Sporting News 2013-01-16 2013-03-24 2013-01-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20130126151331/http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-01-16/marc-trestman-chicago-bears-new-coach-lovie-smith-fired-jay-cutler-cfl dead The Bears finished the season by leading the NFL in takeaways with 44, sixth in third-down efficiency (35.5 percent) and eighth in sacks with 41,Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Trestman-wants-Bears-defense-to-get-after-quarterback/41b6020c-8f95-404c-95e7-0e1271f3b0a0 Trestman wants Bears defense to get after quarterback Chicago Bears 2013-01-25 2013-01-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20130128032757/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Trestman-wants-Bears-defense-to-get-after-quarterback/41b6020c-8f95-404c-95e7-0e1271f3b0a0 2013-01-28 dead while ranking third in the league in fewest points allowed with 277; Chicago was the lone team in the top five in that category to not qualify for the playoffs. The Bears also had a +20 turnover margin, second behind the New England Patriots; the Bears and New York Giants were the only teams in the top 11 of the category to not make the playoffs.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Reviewing-Bears-season-by-the-numbers/527155e6-2790-458c-a3df-c26aaf2c136c Reviewing Bears season by the numbers Chicago Bears 2013-01-07 2013-01-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20141006093201/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Reviewing-Bears-season-by-the-numbers/527155e6-2790-458c-a3df-c26aaf2c136c 2014-10-06 dead This was the last winning season for the Bears until 2018. 3 Offseason Organizational changes On January 3, the team fired eleven-year general manager Jerry Angelo.Jensen Sean http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/01/jerry_angelo_relieved_of_his_d.html Jerry Angelo fired as Bears general manager, Martz resigns Chicago Sun-Times 2012-01-03 2012-09-02 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120414182637/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/01/jerry_angelo_relieved_of_his_d.html 2012-04-14 In the search for a new general manager, the Bears considered New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye III, New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht, and Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery, along with in-house candidate Tim Ruskell (Ruskell and the Bears would mutually part ways on January 30).Lombardi Michael https://www.nfl.com/news/bears-sever-ties-with-director-of-player-personnel-ruskell-09000d5d82671ac6 Bears sever ties with director of player personnel Ruskell National Football League 2012-01-30 2012-09-02 The hunt later narrowed down to Emery and Licht,http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/10193830-606/bears-gm-search-down-to-chiefs-phil-emery-patriots-jason-licht.html Jensen Sean Bears' GM search down to Chiefs' Phil Emery, Patriots' Jason Licht Chicago Sun-Times 2012-02-25 2012-10-03 and Emery was ultimately chosen as the new general manager on January 28.Wright Michael https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/7513812/chicago-bears-select-phil-emery-next-general-manager Chicago Bears select Phil Emery as next general manager ESPN 2012-01-29 2012-09-02 Offensive coordinator Mike Martz later resigned from his position, and on January 7, the Bears promoted offensive line coach Mike Tice to Martz's role.https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/7431931/mike-tice-chicago-bears-offensive-coordinator Mike Tice will be Chicago Bears offensive coordinator ESPN 2012-01-07 2012-09-02 On January 8, Tim Holt was hired to take Tice's place.https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/02/08/bears-hire-tim-holt-as-offensive-line-coach/ Bears hire Tim Holt as offensive line coach Chicago Tribune 2012-02-08 2012-09-02 In the team's search for a new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach after Shane Day's resignation, they originally considered former Bears quarterback coach Greg Olson (though he later declined) and Alex Van Pelt. Tice had expressed interest in hiring Dirk Koetter, who worked with Tice in Jacksonville, though Koetter would later be hired by the Atlanta Falcons.http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Bears-to-check-out-Alex-Van-Pelt-for-QB-job.html Bears to check out Alex Van Pelt for QB job National Football Post 2012-01-31 2012-10-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20130116100711/http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Bears-to-check-out-Alex-Van-Pelt-for-QB-job.html 2013-01-16 dead The Bears eventually hired former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.Dickerson Jeff https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4675289/carroll-bears-hiring-bates-a-wise-move Carroll: Bears hiring Bates a wise move ESPN 2012-02-24 2012-03-06 The team also re-signed special-teams coordinator Dave Toub back on the team to a two-year extension; Toub had been among the candidates for the Miami Dolphins head coach position, but failed to get hired.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/10066011-606/dave-toub-signs-extension-with-bears.html Dave Toub signs 2-year extension with Bears Chicago Sun-Times 2012-01-17 2012-10-06 The Bears, after head athletic trainer Tim Bream left for Penn State, promoted former assistant athletic trainer Chris Hanks to Bream's role, as well as director of rehabilitation Bobby Slater to Hanks's role.Jensen Sean http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/04/bears_promote_chris_hanks_to_h.html Bears promote Chris Hanks to head athletic trainer Chicago Sun-Times 2012-04-13 2012-09-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20150905214455/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/04/bears_promote_chris_hanks_to_h.html 2015-09-05 dead The Bears' scouting team was expanded after hiring Chris Ballard as director of pro scouting, Marty Barrett as college scouting director, while adding seven new scouts and four scouting assistants. Among the new scouts is former Bears cornerback Dwayne Joseph, who was hired as a pro scout.https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/06/05/bears-add-scouts-expand-personnel-department/ Bears add scouts, expand personnel department Chicago Tribune 2012-06-05 2012-09-02 Roster changes Chicago opened free agency with an NFC North-leading $24 million in cap space.Jensen Jean http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/03/bears_have_nfc_north-high_24_m.html Bears have NFC North-high $24 million in cap space Chicago Sun-Times 2012-03-12 2013-04-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102191834/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/03/bears_have_nfc_north-high_24_m.html 2014-01-02 dead Acquisitions The first transaction of 2012 was on January 6, when the Bears signed Donovan Warren, Reggie Stephens, and Draylen Ross to future/reserve contracts.Carroll Chuck http://www.footballnewsnow.com/2012/chicago-bears-sign-3-players-to-reservefutures-contracts/ Chicago Bears Sign 3 Players To Reserve/Futures Contracts Football News Now 2012-01-06 2012-09-02 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20130523132444/http://www.footballnewsnow.com/2012/chicago-bears-sign-3-players-to-reservefutures-contracts/ 2013-05-23 On March 13, the first day of free agency, Chicago acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins for two third round draft picks,https://www.nfl.com/news/dolphins-ship-wr-marshall-to-bears-in-blockbuster-trade-09000d5d82791ddb Dolphins ship WR Marshall to Bears in blockbuster trade National Football League 2012-03-13 2012-03-13 along with Jason CampbellLa Canfora Jason http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/03/13/bears-reach-terms-with-campbell-to-back-up-cutler/?module=HP11_headline_stack Bears reach terms with Campbell to back up Cutler National Football League 2012-03-13 2012-03-15 and Blake Costanzo.Bears sign veteran linebacker Blake Costanzo https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/03/13/bears-sign-veteran-linebacker-blake-costanzo/ 2012-03-22 Brad Biggs Chicago Tribune 2012-03-22 The following day, Eric Weems was signed,http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/03/14/bears-sign-pro-bowler-eric-weems/ Bears Sign Pro-Bowler Eric Weems « CBS Chicago Chicago.cbslocal.com 2012-03-14 2012-09-02 followed by Michael Bush eight days later.Bears sign free agent running back Michael Bush http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-sign-free-agent-running-back-michael-bush-20120322,0,953338.story Chicago Tribune 2012-03-22 2012-03-22 Brad Biggs The final signing of March was New York Giants receiver Devin Thomas.Hendricks Maggie http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/grizzly-detail/Bears-Sign-Devin-Thomas-144740495.html Bears Sign Devin Thomas NBC Chicago 2012-03-28 2012-09-02 On April 4, the Bears signed cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite,https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/7780006/chicago-bears-agree-deal-kelvin-hayden Chicago Bears agree to deal with Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite ESPN 2012-04-05 2012-05-11 and offensive guard Chilo Rachal on April 18.http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/18/chilo-rachal-signs-with-bears/ Chilo Rachal signs with Bears Profootballtalk.com 2012-04-18 2012-05-11 The following day saw Chicago signing Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayes.https://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-buccaneers-free-agent-linebacker-geno-hayes-joins-chicago-bears/1225850/ Tampa Bay Buccaneers free-agent linebacker Geno Hayes joins Chicago Bears Tampa Bay Times 2012-04-19 2012-09-02 The first signings of May occurred on May 10, when the Bears signed John McCargo, DeMario Pressley, and Cheta Ozougwu,http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/05/11/bears-add-three-d-linemen Bears add three D-linemen Pro Football Weekly 2012-05-11 2012-09-02 https://archive.today/20130208165954/http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/05/11/bears-add-three-d-linemen 2013-02-08 dead and 13 days later, Nate Collins was signed.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-agree-1-deal-dt-213249924--nfl.html Bears agree to 1-year deal with DT Collins Yahoo! Sports 2012-05-23 2012-07-26 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120527122813/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-agree-1-deal-dt-213249924--nfl.html 2012-05-27 On June 15, the Bears signed Cornelius Brown and Cory Brandon.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-sign-brandon-brown-192043195--nfl.html Bears sign Brandon, Brown – Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports 2012-06-15 2012-07-26 2012-06-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20120621103625/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-sign-brandon-brown-192043195--nfl.html dead Two days later, Chicago signed Lorenzo Booker.Associated Press https://www.nfl.com/news/lorenzo-booker-chicago-bears-agree-to-one-year-deal-09000d5d82aa1b63 Lorenzo Booker, Chicago Bears agree to one-year deal National Football League 2012-07-18 2012-09-02 Departures The first departures were on March 1, when the Bears released Anthony Adams and Frank Omiyale.https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4675317/bears-release-adams-omiyale Bears release Adams, Omiyale ESPN 2012-03-01 2012-03-09 Six days later, the Bears announced that they will not bring back quarterback Caleb Hanie,https://www.nfl.com/news/report-bears-won-t-bring-back-backup-qb-hanie-09000d5d82771c8c Report: Bears won't bring back backup QB Hanie National Football League 2012-03-07 2012-03-09 who was subsequently signed by the Denver Broncos.http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/AP-Source-Broncos-sign-Caleb-Hanie-81205324 https://archive.today/20130123160116/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/AP-Source-Broncos-sign-Caleb-Hanie-81205324 dead 2013-01-23 AP Source: Broncos sign Caleb Hanie Fox Sports 2012-03-24 2012-08-08 On March 23, the Bears lost Marion Barber to retirement,http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-marion-barber-retires-20120323,0,5605096.story Bears running back Marion Barber retires Vaughn McClure Chicago Tribune 2012-03-23 2012-03-23 2012-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20120323195129/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-marion-barber-retires-20120323,0,5605096.story dead and unrestricted free agent Corey Graham to the Baltimore Ravens.http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827d0a2d/article/ravens-agree-to-twoyear-deal-with-cb-graham Ravens agree to two-year deal with CB Graham National Football League 2012-03-23 2012-04-04 2012-03-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20120327232130/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827d0a2d/article/ravens-agree-to-twoyear-deal-with-cb-graham dead Three days later, Zack Bowman was signed by the Minnesota Vikings,http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/26/zack-bowman-signs-with-vikings/ Zack Bowman signs with Vikings Profootballtalk.com 2012-03-26 2012-08-08 followed by Amobi Okoye to Tampa Bay on April 7.Christopher Erik http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/4/8/2934725/amobi-okoye-signs-with-buccaneers Amobi Okoye Signs With Buccaneers Windy City Gridiron 2012-04-08 2012-08-08 On April 19, the Bears released Max Komar,http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/4/17/2956155/chicago-bears-release-wr-max-komar Chicago Bears release WR Max Komar Windy City Gridiron 2012-04-17 2012-08-08 and Winston Venable was released on May 3.http://www.bearsclaws.com/2012/05/04/bears-release-safety-winston-venable/ Bears release safety Winston Venable Bears Claws 2012-05-04 2012-08-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20130116094145/http://www.bearsclaws.com/2012/05/04/bears-release-safety-winston-venable/ 2013-01-16 dead Eleven days later, Chicago waived Levi Horn, Reggie Stephens, and Andre Smith.Adam Oestmann http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/05/bears-waive-horn-smith-and-stephens/ Bears waive Horn, Smith and Stephens ChicagoNow 2012-05-14 2012-08-08 2016-03-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030649/http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/05/bears-waive-horn-smith-and-stephens/ dead On June 12, Donovan Warren was released,https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/06/14/bears-could-sign-one-of-5-players-trying-out-wrotto-waived/ Bears could sign one of 5 players trying out Chicago Tribune 2012-06-14 2012-10-06 followed by Nathan Enderle and Mansfield Wrotto on June 14.Adam Oestmann http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/06/bears-waive-three-tryout-five/ Bears waive three, tryout five ChicagoNow 2012-06-14 2012-09-02 2016-03-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053815/http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/06/bears-waive-three-tryout-five/ dead On July 17, undrafted free agent Alvester Alexander was released.http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-23/news/sns-rt-fbn-player-news-wiresxf14dba1-20120723_1_sign-rookie-deals-productive-season-qb-robert-griffin-iii https://web.archive.org/web/20130522212230/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-23/news/sns-rt-fbn-player-news-wiresxf14dba1-20120723_1_sign-rookie-deals-productive-season-qb-robert-griffin-iii dead May 22, 2013 Part 1 Chicago Tribune 2012-07-23 2012-09-02 2012 draft class 2012 NFL draft In the first round, the Bears selected Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin with the 19th overall pick. Though McClellin played defensive end and linebacker at college, Bears general manager Phil Emery stated that McClellin will exclusively play defensive end with the Bears.https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/7860385/chicago-bears-draft-shea-mcclellin-19th-pick-2012-nfl-draft Chicago Bears draft Shea McClellin with 19th pick in 2012 NFL draft ESPN 2012-04-27 2012-10-06 In the second round, the Bears traded their second round pick (50th overall) and their fifth rounder (150th overall) to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for their second rounder (45th overall), which was used on South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Emery considered Jeffery one of the best receivers in the draft, placing him ahead of Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd.https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/04/27/bears-take-chances-in-2nd-and-3rd-rounds-of-nfl-draft/ Chicago Tribune Bears take chances in 2nd and 3rd rounds of NFL draft 2012-04-27 In round three, the Bears drafted Oregon State safety Brandon Hardin 79th overall, despite missing the entire 2011 college football season with a shoulder injury.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/12547967-606/bears-sign-brandon-hardin-entire-draft-class-under-contract.html Bears sign Brandon Hardin; entire draft class under contract Chicago Sun-Times 2012-05-15 2012-10-06 Hardin's selection marked the eighth consecutive year the team spent a draft pick on a safety. In the next round, the Bears selected Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez. Though he played tight end, he was envisioned as a fullback by the team, and was primarily intended to be a blocker. Rodriguez stated that he has been a blocker at Temple during Al Golden's tenure as offensive coordinator.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/15458436-606/tight-end-evan-rodriguez-is-playing-more-fullback-these-days.html Tight end Evan Rodriguez is playing more fullback these days Chicago Sun-Times 2012-09-29 2012-10-06 The Bears closed out the draft by drafting two cornerbacks, Nevada's Isaiah Frey (184th overall) and TCU's Greg McCoy (220th overall), despite the team already having six cornerbacks. McCoy was sixth in the nation in kickoff return yards, having averaged 30.6 yards per return, and scoring two touchdowns.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/12198864-606/late-cornerback-picks-bears-take-isaiah-frey-greg-mccoy.html Late cornerback picks: Bears take Isaiah Frey, Greg McCoy Chicago Sun-Times 2012-04-28 2012-10-06 Draft analysts gave the Bears draft grades mainly C's.Jensen Sean http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/04/bears_2012_draft_grades_c_c-_c.html Experts giving Bears get mostly C's for 2012 draft Chicago Sun-Times 2012-04-29 2012-08-03 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120708050728/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/04/bears_2012_draft_grades_c_c-_c.html 2012-07-08 The entire draft class was signed by May 15. 2012 Chicago Bears 1 19 Shea McClellin Defensive end Boise State yes 2 45 Alshon Jeffery Wide receiver South Carolina From St. Louis Rams yes yes 3 79 Brandon Hardin Safety Oregon State yes 5 111 Evan Rodriguez Fullback/Tight end Temple yes 6 184 Isaiah Frey Cornerback Nevada 7 220 Greg McCoy Cornerback/Kick returner TCU + Draft Day Trades Round Overall Team Received 2 50 to St. Louis Rams St. Louis's second round pick (45th overall) 5 150 Undrafted free agents After the conclusion of the draft, the Bears announced coming to terms with eleven undrafted free-agents.http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/29/bears-sign-11-undrafted-free-agents/ Bears Sign 11 Undrafted Free Agents Chicago.cbslocal.com 2012-04-29 2012-09-02 Alvester Alexander, RB (Wyoming) James Brown, OT (Troy) Ronnie Cameron, DT (Old Dominion) Adrien Cole, LB (Louisiana Tech) Trevor Coston, S (Maine) Terriun Crump, WR (Western Illinois) Brittan Golden, WR (West Texas A&M) A. J. Greene, OT (Auburn) Jeremy Jones, S (Wayne State) Chris Summers, WR (Liberty) Ronnie Thornton, LB (Southern Mississippi) Offseason workouts Rookie minicamp 51 rookies worked out with the team at Rookie Minicamp, consisting of closed two-hour practices. The rookies included 6 draft picks, 11 undrafted free agents and 34 others.https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/05/11/complete-roster-for-bears-rookie-minicamp/ Complete roster for Bears rookie minicamp Chicago Tribune 2012-05-11 2012-09-10 Chicago Bears 2012 Rookie Mini-Camp Roster Quarterbacks 4 Matt Blanchard 18 Ronnie Fouch Running backs 38 Alvester Alexander 37 Embry Peeples Wide receivers 12 Joseph Anderson 11 Willie Clark 81 Terriun Crump 82 Brittan Golden 17 Alshon Jeffery 19 David Mosley 16 Keith Nichol 83 Chris Summers Tight ends 88 Evan Rodriguez 85 Brandon Venson 86 Alejandro Villanueva Offensive linemen 78 James Brown 64 Mike Garrity 75 A. J. Greene 76 Tyler Hendrickson 70 Jarvis Jones 52 Anthony Mihota 68 Trevor Olson 62 Nick Pieschel Defensive linemen 79 Ronnie Cameron 76 Myles Caragein 93 T. J. Greenstone 70 Eli Joseph 99 Shea McClellin 68 Josue Ortiz 94 Jason Peters 97 Zary Stewart Linebackers 52 Josh Biezuns 95 Adrien Cole 58 Archie Donald 62 Tyler Holmes 64 Ronnie Thornton 59 Youri Yenga Defensive backs 43 Trevor Coston S 31 Isaiah Frey CB 35 Brandon Hardin S 46 Jeremy Jones S 39 Greg McCoy CB 48 Matthew Pearson S 49 Brian Peters S Special teams 59 Brad Fortney LS 1 Kevin Goessling K 2 Ryan Quigley P 14 David Teggart K 10 Philip Welch K 58 Kyle Wojta LS Drafted players in bold Undrafted signees in italicshttps://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-agree-deals-7-rookie-011517096--nfl.html Bears agree to deals with 7 rookie free agents Yahoo! Sports 2012-05-13 2012-09-02 2012-05-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20120517010112/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-agree-deals-7-rookie-011517096--nfl.html dead 50 Total, 6 Drafted, 7 Signed, 37 Unsigned OTA workouts thumb|right|Quarterback Jay Cutler (center) talks with Brandon Marshall (right) during training camp On May 22, the Bears began their organized team activity (OTA) workouts, with workouts being from May 29–31 and June 4–7, with a mandatory full squad workout in June. Under the new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFLPA, offseason programs will last 9 weeks, instead of the former 14 weeks, and will be in 3 phases. In the first phase, activities were limited to strength, conditioning, and physical rehabilitation, with only strength and conditioning coaches allowed on the field. Players cannot wear helmets, and footballs are limited to quarterbacks and their receivers. In the second phase, all coaches are allowed on the field, and players will perform 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 non-contact drills. In the third and final phase, players may wear helmets, but one-on-one drills involving the offense and defense are prohibited.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-to-begin-OTA-workouts-on-Tuesday/B1C83983-E16A-46E5-86FF-7648BEC12A59 Bears to begin OTA workouts on Tuesday Chicago Bears 2012-05-21 2012-09-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121245/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-to-begin-OTA-workouts-on-Tuesday/B1C83983-E16A-46E5-86FF-7648BEC12A59 2016-03-04 dead Running back Matt Forté skipped the workouts due to a contract dispute.https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/matt-forte-skips-bears-otas-as-contract-dispute-continues/2012/05/23/gJQAAEcvkU_blog.html?wprss=rss_sports The Washington Post Matt Brooks Stats, scores and schedules 2012-05-23 Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, cornerback Charles Tillman, wide receiver Devin Hester and kicker Robbie Gould did not attend the workouts. Tight end Matt Spaeth, rookie receiver Alshon Jeffery, receiver Johnny Knox and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite were present, but did not participate. Julius Peppers held out of team drills, and Chauncey Davis was called to take first team reps at defensive end. Kyle Adams replaced Spaeth at tight end. Dom DeCicco and Nick Roach replaced Urlacher at linebacker. Patrick Mannelly also did not practice due to an injury.https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4676254/urlacher-tillman-among-no-shows-at-ota Urlacher, Tillman among no-shows at OTA ESPN 2012-06-06 2012-07-26 Minicamp During Bears minicamp, Matt Forte still held out, and remained unavailable. Forte had a July 16 deadline to agree to a long-term deal, and eventually signed it on the day of the deadline.Associated Press https://www.nfl.com/news/matt-forte-absent-as-chicago-bears-open-minicamp-09000d5d829c5c6b Matt Forte absent as Chicago Bears open minicamp National Football League 2012-06-12 2012-07-26https://www.nfl.com/news/matt-forte-chicago-bears-strike-four-year-deal-09000d5d82a952d4 Matt Forte, Chicago Bears strike four-year deal National Football League 2012-07-16 2012-07-26 Newcomer Michael Bush was called to take Forte's place before the signing.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/13146845-606/bears-minicamp-is-minus-matt-fortebut-michael-bush-has-been-a-plus.html Bears minicamp is minus Matt Forte, but Michael Bush has been a plus Hayes Neil Chicago Sun-Times Training Camp The team held training camp at Olivet Nazarene University for the eleventh consecutive year, which ran from July 25 to August 17.http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/06/bears-announce-2012-training-camp-schedule/ Bears announce 2012 Training Camp schedule ChicagoNow 2012-06-05 2012-10-15 2016-03-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060137/http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/06/bears-announce-2012-training-camp-schedule/ dead The Bears held their annual Family Fest at Soldier Field on August 3 in front of a crowd of 27,352.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Fans-get-first-glimpse-of-2012-Bears-at-Soldier-Field/8287a6da-573c-41c7-8ea1-ca2638526567 Fans get first glimpse of 2012 Bears at Soldier Field Chicago Bears 2012-08-03 2012-08-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131543/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Fans-get-first-glimpse-of-2012-Bears-at-Soldier-Field/8287a6da-573c-41c7-8ea1-ca2638526567 2016-03-04 dead The first transaction of Training Camp occurred on July 26, when the Bears traded with the Buccaneers, with the Buccaneers sending Brian Price to Chicago in exchange for an undisclosed 2013 NFL draft pick.Associated Press https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bucs-trade-dt-brian-price-214051096--nfl.html Bucs trade DT Brian Price to Bears Yahoo! Sports 2012-07-26 2012-07-26 2012-07-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20120729074053/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bucs-trade-dt-brian-price-214051096--nfl.html dead The last signing of July happened two days later, when Jeremy Ware was signed.http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/19140212/chicago-bears-sign-jeremy-ware-waive-david-teggart Bears sign CB Ware, waive K Teggart Myfoxchicago.com 2012-08-04 2012-08-08 The first acquisition of August was former Bears receiver Rashied Davishttp://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-bring-back-rashied-davis-20120806,0,1791107.story Bears bring back Davis to fill Thomas void Chicago Tribune 2012-08-06 2012-08-08 2012-08-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120806220132/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-bring-back-rashied-davis-20120806,0,1791107.story dead after Devin Thomas announced his retirement, and Derek Walker was signed the next day.https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/tag/_/name/derek-walker Derek Walker ESPN 2012-09-02 The first departure during Training Camp was David Teggart on July 28, and on August 5, Devin Thomas announced his retirement.http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2012/08/08/Bears-Devin-Thomas-announces-retirement/UPI-95411344444565/ Bears' Devin Thomas announces retirement United Press International 2012-08-08 2012-09-02 The final two departures before preseason occurred on August 7, when the Bears released Tyler Hendrickson, and August 8, when Draylen Ross was released.http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/08/bears-waive-te-draylen-ross/ Bears Waive TE Draylen Ross Chicago.cbslocal.com 2012-08-08 2012-08-09 Preseason Transactions Preseason roster changes background:#03182f; color:white; border:2px solid #df6108; border: #aaa 1px solid Additions On August 11, the Bears signed Xavier Adibi, K. C. Asiodu and Aston Whiteside.https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/8260088/chicago-bears-sign-lbs-xavier-adibi-kc-asiodu-add-de-aston-whiteside Chicago Bears sign LBs Xavier Adibi, K.C. Asiodu, add DE Aston Whiteside ESPN 2012-08-11 2012-10-06 On August 20, the Bears signed Mark LeGree.http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/2012/08/20/bears_legree/ Bears sign S LeGree to one-year deal Sportsnet 2012-08-20 2012-10-06 2016-03-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20160310122044/http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/2012/08/20/bears_legree/ dead On August 29, the Bears signed Terriun Crump.Associated Press https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/bears-sign-wr-terriun-crump-waive-injured-lb-dom-decicco/2012/08/29/7cbba0d6-f239-11e1-b74c-84ed55e0300b_story.html Bears sign WR Terriun Crump, waive injured LB Dom DeCicco The Washington Post 2012-08-28 2012-09-01June 2021 medicmedic On August 31, the Bears acquired Sherrick McManis via trade for Tyler Clutts.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-reach-53-man-roster-limit/d1ca7b2d-acca-46d6-b488-46f71f813615 Bears reach 53-man roster limit Chicago Bears 2012-08-31 2012-09-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20120902213924/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-reach-53-man-roster-limit/d1ca7b2d-acca-46d6-b488-46f71f813615 2012-09-02 dead On September 3, the Bears signed Amobi Okoye.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Okoye-thrilled-to-return-to-Bears/fbd972cc-b6fb-4bf6-b6a4-ee973845cfc2 Okoye thrilled to return to Bears Chicago Bears 2012-09-03 2012-09-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120906022134/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Okoye-thrilled-to-return-to-Bears/fbd972cc-b6fb-4bf6-b6a4-ee973845cfc2 2012-09-06 dead Departures On August 11, the Bears waived Jeremy Ware and Ronnie Cameron. On August 20, the Bears waived Ronnie Thornton. On August 23, the Bears waived Kahlil Bell.Sessler Marc http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000053395/article/kahlil-bell-waived-by-chicago-bears?module=HP11_headline_stack Kahlil Bell waived by Chicago Bears National Football League 2012-08-23 2012-08-26 2012-08-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20120826224815/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000053395/article/kahlil-bell-waived-by-chicago-bears?module=HP11_headline_stack dead On August 25, the Bears waived Chris Summers and Derek Walker.http://www.fantasysp.com/player/nfl/Derek_Walker/2393835/bears-waived-de-derek-walker-and-wr-chris-summers Bears waived DE Derek Walker and WR Chris Summers Fantasysp.com 2012-08-26 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160307014627/https://www.fantasysp.com/player/nfl/Derek_Walker/2393835/bears-waived-de-derek-walker-and-wr-chris-summers 2016-03-07 On August 26, the Bears waived John McCargo, K. C. Asiodu, Matt Blanchard, Trevor Coston, Terriun Crump, and Thaddeus Gibson.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/-Hardin-placed-on-IR-Knox-goes-on-PUP/927bde3e-44e4-4e1c-b78c-6194d032b2d8 Hardin placed on IR, Knox goes on PUP Chicago Bears 2012-08-26 2012-08-27 On August 27, the Bears waived Harvey Unga.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Preseason-finale-was-critical-for-Clutts/3a0088ee-3057-42ff-8566-d4bc0d2be972 Preseason finale was critical for Clutts Chicago Bears 2012-08-27 2012-09-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20120902003903/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/preseason-finale-was-critical-for-clutts/3a0088ee-3057-42ff-8566-d4bc0d2be972 2012-09-02 dead On August 29, the Bears waived Dom DeCicco. On August 31, the Bears traded away Tyler Clutts for Sherrick McManis. On August 31, the Bears waived Josh McCown, Joseph Anderson, Terriun Crump, Brittan Golden, Xavier Adibi, Chauncey Davis, James Brown, A. J. Greene, Cornelius Brown, Isaiah Frey, Greg McCoy, Ricky Henry, Mark LeGree, Jordan Miller, Brandon Venson, Aston Whiteside, and Jabara Williams. On September 3, the Bears waived Brian Price. Practice squad additions On September 1, the Bears added Armando Allen, Joseph Anderson, Matt Blanchard, Cory Brandon, James Brown Isaiah Frey, Harvey Unga and Aston Whiteside to the practice squad.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-sign-eight-to-practice-squad/7f389801-88e5-428d-89e1-168b9dac6fc5 Bears sign eight to practice squad Chicago Bears 2012-09-01 2012-10-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20120905030955/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-sign-eight-to-practice-squad/7f389801-88e5-428d-89e1-168b9dac6fc5 2012-09-05 dead Reserve list On August 26, the Bears placed Johnny Knox on the Physically Unable to Play (PUP) list and Brandon Hardin on IR. On August 31, the Bears placed Nate Collins on the reserve/suspended list. Schedule The Bears' preseason schedule was announced on April 4, 2012. The Bears took on the Broncos, Peyton Manning, and former Bear Caleb Hanie, playing in their first game as Broncos, a game the Bears lost 31–3. Though safety Major Wright was able to intercept Manning, and rookie Shea McClellin managed to sack Hanie in the first quarter,http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/McClellin-produces-impact-plays-in-first-game/d651c4cd-d740-41d5-ab9b-bee4d22450f9 McClellin produces impact plays in first game Chicago Bears 2012-08-10 2012-08-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20130421084237/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/McClellin-produces-impact-plays-in-first-game/d651c4cd-d740-41d5-ab9b-bee4d22450f9 2013-04-21 dead the team, playing without Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers, the offense failed to convert any third down attempts, and only managed to get into Broncos territory once in the first half, which resulted in Josh McCown getting sacked. The defense also allowed Denver to convert 8 out of 16 third down conversions. In the second half, the Broncos scored three touchdowns on Xavier Omon's run, Brock Osweiler's pass to Jason Hill, and Adam Weber's pass to Cornelius Ingram.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-struggle-on-both-sides-of-ball-in-preseason-loss/430f5c56-ed9a-413a-980b-618a482cf625 Bears struggle on both sides of ball in preseason loss Chicago Bears 2012-08-09 2012-09-06 In the second game, the Bears faced rookie first-round draft pick Robert Griffin III and the Redskins, and forced Griffin to fumble.Rosenthal Gregg http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000051916/article/robert-griffin-iii-redskins-starters-stymied-by-bears?module=HP11_content_stream Robert Griffin III, Redskins' starters stymied by Bears National Football League 2012-08-19 2012-08-26 2012-08-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20120821233750/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000051916/article/robert-griffin-iii-redskins-starters-stymied-by-bears?module=HP11_content_stream dead The Bears would lead 30–10, but Washington would take the lead in the fourth quarter after scoring 21 points on two Kirk Cousins passes and a Brandon Banks punt return, but Robbie Gould would tie the Bears record (that he himself set) for the longest field goal to give the Bears the victory.http://www.csnchicago.com/football-chicago-bears/bears-talk/Gould-lifts-Bears-over-Redskins?blockID=759227 https://archive.today/20130120021532/http://www.csnchicago.com/football-chicago-bears/bears-talk/Gould-lifts-Bears-over-Redskins?blockID=759227 dead 2013-01-20 Gould lifts Bears over Redskins Comcast SportsNet Chicago 2012-08-18 2012-08-26 Against the defending champion New York Giants, though Cutler only completed 9 of 21 passes for 96 yards, he threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and Gould kicked two field goals. The Giants would go on to score two touchdowns in the second-quarter, and led 17–7, though the Bears would later regain the lead 20–17. Late in the fourth quarter, Bears rookie Isaiah Frey intercepted a David Carr pass that was tipped by Anthony Walters to give the Bears the victory.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-rally-to-overcome-key-mistakes-to-beat-Giants/f8895ae1-e920-42e6-a9dc-d581389b0af1 Bears rally to overcome key mistakes to beat Giants Chicago Bears 2012-08-24 2012-08-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20120905005335/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-rally-to-overcome-key-mistakes-to-beat-Giants/f8895ae1-e920-42e6-a9dc-d581389b0af1 2012-09-05 dead In the final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, a frequent preseason opponent, the Bears took an early lead that they never relinquished for the rest of the game on two Josh McCown touchdown passes, an interception return by rookie Greg McCoy, and a blocked punt returned 22 yards for a touchdown by Brittan Golden, leading to a Bears 28–20 victory.https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/08/30/bears-beat-browns-28-20-finish-preseason-3-1/ Bears beat Browns 28–20, finish preseason 3–1 Chicago Tribune 2012-08-30 2012-09-01 Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comGameBook NFL.comrecap 1 August 9 Denver Broncos L 3–31 0–1 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120810122519/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55766/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-08-10 Recap 2 August 18 Washington Redskins W 33–31 1–1 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120823212826/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55785/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-08-23 Recap 3 August 24 at New York Giants W 20–17 2–1 MetLife Stadium Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120831141545/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55796/NYG_Gamebook.pdf 2012-08-31 Recap 4 August 30 at Cleveland Browns W 28–20 3–1 Cleveland Browns Stadium Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20130116093417/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55817/CLE_Gamebook.pdf 2013-01-16 Recap Regular season Transactions Regular season roster changes background:#03182f; color:white; border:2px solid #df6108; border:1px #aaa solid; Additions On September 8, the Bears elevated Armando Allen to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. On September 10, the Bears signed Jonathan Scott.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-Scott-Collins-to-roster/e6f51788-098f-4cd0-9f25-fcbcb11fe0d7 Bears add Scott, Collins to roster Chicago Bears 2012-09-10 2012-09-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20120912032235/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-Scott-Collins-to-roster/e6f51788-098f-4cd0-9f25-fcbcb11fe0d7 2012-09-12 dead On September 15, the Bears signed Kahlil Bell.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-sign-Kahlil-Bell/b2d887dc-8104-4cd0-9456-c89c166de744 Bears sign Kahlil Bell Chicago Bears 2012-09-13 2012-09-17 On October 15, the Bears signed Brody Eldridge.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-set-to-release-rb-bell-20121015,0,4263161.story Bears set to release RB Bell Chicago Tribune 2012-10-15 2012-10-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20121017041910/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-set-to-release-rb-bell-20121015,0,4263161.story 2012-10-17 dead On October 16, the Bears signed Zack Bowman.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-release-2008-first-round-pick-Chris-Williams/d11f875d-982f-41f5-a7eb-e60778b64622 Bears release 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams Chicago Bears 2012-10-16 2012-10-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20121018200846/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-release-2008-first-round-pick-Chris-Williams/d11f875d-982f-41f5-a7eb-e60778b64622 2012-10-18 dead On November 13, the Bears signed Josh McCown.http://www.pjstar.com/free/x719492708/Bears-sign-veteran-QB-Josh-McCown Bears sign veteran QB Josh McCown Journal Star 2012-11-13 2012-11-13 On November 21, the Bears elevated James Brown to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Rachal-leaves-Bears-for-personal-reasons/f04395b1-d5bb-414d-bb0d-b0b15b5088a4 Rachal leaves Bears for personal reasons Chicago Bears 2012-11-21 2012-11-21 On November 27, the Bears signed Andre Gurode.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-veteran-Gurode-to-offensive-line/d4f20455-135a-4dca-ad32-6ce38a682e5a Bears add veteran Gurode to offensive line Chicago Bears 2012-11-27 2012-11-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20121130090903/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-veteran-Gurode-to-offensive-line/d4f20455-135a-4dca-ad32-6ce38a682e5a 2012-11-30 dead On December 4, the Bears signed Dom DeCicco.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-sign-DeCicco-waive-Trahan/e669e34c-155e-459c-9342-09829e96ca06 Bears sign DeCicco, waive Trahan Chicago Bears 2012-12-04 2012-12-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20121206100014/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-sign-DeCicco-waive-Trahan/e669e34c-155e-459c-9342-09829e96ca06 2012-12-06 dead On December 11, the Bears signed Olindo Mare and Jerry Franklin.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-among-three-Bears-played-on-injured-reserve/12d03969-41b4-4d61-8eda-d89419979835 Gould among three Bears played on injured reserve Chicago Bears 2012-12-11 2012-12-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20140327221106/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-among-three-Bears-placed-on-injured-reserve/12d03969-41b4-4d61-8eda-d89419979835 2014-03-27 dead On December 11, the Bears elevated Joseph Anderson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. On December 12, the Bears signed Amobi Okoye.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/report-bears-try-two-quarterbacks-170013212--nfl.html Report: Bears try out two quarterbacks Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-12 2012-12-13 On December 17, the Bears elevated Cory Brandon to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/12/17/toeaina-placed-on-ir-ot-brandon-elevated-to-active-roster/ Toeaina placed on IR; OT Brandon Elevated To Active Roster WBBM-TV 2012-12-17 2012-12-17 On December 18, the Bears signed Kahlil Bell.Associated Press http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/chicago-bears-michael-bush-injured-reserve-rib-injury-121812 Bears place Bush on IR with rib injury Fox Sports 2012-12-18 2012-12-18 On December 26, the Bears signed Troy Nolan.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-sign-nolan-163004441--nfl.html Bears sign S Nolan Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-26 2012-12-26 On December 28, the Bears elevated Harvey Unga to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-counting-on-defense-to-take-ball-away/40efdacd-bca7-4efd-8eac-22c805a45394 Bears counting on defense to take ball away Chicago Bears 2012-12-28 2012-12-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20131012032126/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-counting-on-defense-to-take-ball-away/40efdacd-bca7-4efd-8eac-22c805a45394 2013-10-12 dead Departures On September 8, the Bears waived Patrick Trahan.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-Allen-place-Booker-on-IR/42a1ed12-929d-4947-8235-7577d405c3d8 Bears add Allen, place Booker on IR Chicago Bears 2012-09-08 2012-09-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20120911001809/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-add-Allen-place-Booker-on-IR/42a1ed12-929d-4947-8235-7577d405c3d8 2012-09-11 dead On September 10, the Bears released Ryan Quigley. On September 14, the Bears lost Dedrick Epps to the New York Jets.Larry Mayer http://blog.chicagobears.com/2012/09/17/bears-sign-gabe-miller-to-practice-squad/ Write Now Blog | Bears sign Gabe Miller to practice squad Chicago Bears 2012-09-17 2012-09-17 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120924231509/http://blog.chicagobears.com/2012/09/17/bears-sign-gabe-miller-to-practice-squad/ 2012-09-24 On September 15, the Bears released Jeremy Jones. On September 18, the Bears released Lorenzo Booker. On October 9, the Bears waived Harvey Unga.Oestmann Adam http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/10/bears-sign-wr-aiken-release-rb-unga/ Bears sign WR Aiken, release RB Unga ChicagoNow 2012-10-09 2012-10-09 2012-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20121011003528/http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/10/bears-sign-wr-aiken-release-rb-unga/ dead On October 15, the Bears released Kahlil Bell. On October 16, the Bears released Chris Williams. On October 30, the Bears waived Joseph Anderson.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Urlacher-confident-Bears-wont-look-past-Titans/c21d427e-c8fb-4fa2-8dde-86a110d7675b Urlacher confident Bears won't look past Titans Mayer Larry Chicago Bears 2012-10-30 2012-10-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20121101231920/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Urlacher-confident-Bears-wont-look-past-Titans/c21d427e-c8fb-4fa2-8dde-86a110d7675b 2012-11-01 dead On November 6, the Bears waived Kamar Aiken.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-ready-to-begin-difficult-stretch-of-schedule/5786690c-60c1-472a-8490-02020c26172c Bears ready to begin difficult stretch of schedule Chicago Bears 2012-11-06 2012-11-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20121108175517/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-ready-to-begin-difficult-stretch-of-schedule/5786690c-60c1-472a-8490-02020c26172c 2012-11-08 dead On November 13, the Bears released Brody Eldridge. On November 21, Chilo Rachal left the Bears for personal reasons. On November 27, the Bears released Amobi Okoye, Raymond Radway, and Chris Riley. On December 4, the Bears released Patrick Trahan and Matt Blanchard. On December 11, the Bears released Andre Gurode. On December 24, the Bears released Dane Sanzenbacher.Biggs Brad Sanzenbacher waived to clear roster spot http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-dane-sanzenbacher-waived-to-clear-roster-spot-20121224,0,5129694.story https://archive.today/20130119013712/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-dane-sanzenbacher-waived-to-clear-roster-spot-20121224,0,5129694.story dead 2013-01-19 Chicago Tribune 2012-12-24 2012-12-24 On December 28, the Bears released Cheta Ozougwu. Miscellaneous On September 8, the Bears placed Lorenzo Booker on injured reserve. On November 22, the Bears placed Chilo Rachal on the reserve/non-football injury list. On November 26, the Bears placed Lance Louis on injured reserve.https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-lose-g-louis-214022089--nfl.html Bears lose G Louis for year Yahoo! Sports 2012-11-26 2012-11-26 On December 11, the Bears placed Robbie Gould, Craig Steltz and Sherrick McManis on injured reserve. On December 17, the Bears placed Matt Toeaina on injured reserve. On December 18, the Bears placed Michael Bush on injured reserve. Practice squad additions On September 10, the Bears added Dedrick Epps to the practice squad. On September 14, the Bears added Gabe Miller to the practice squad. On October 9, the Bears added Kamar Aiken to the practice squad. On October 17, the Bears added Cory Brandon to the practice squad.Wright Michael https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4679172/bears-sign-ot-brandon-to-practice-squad Bears sign OT Brandon to practice squad ESPN 2012-10-17 2012-10-17 On October 30, the Bears added Raymond Radway to the practice squad. On November 6, the Bears added Joseph Anderson to the practice squad. On November 22, the Bears added Chris Riley to the practice squad.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-practices-on-a-limited-basis/5c354740-9770-41b7-af30-46b4903caaf5 Cutler practices on a limited basis Chicago Bears 2012-11-22 2012-11-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20121127233231/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-practices-on-a-limited-basis/5c354740-9770-41b7-af30-46b4903caaf5 2012-11-27 dead On November 27, the Bears added Derek Dennis and Dale Moss to the practice squad. On December 4, the Bears added Harvey Unga to the practice squad. On December 11, the Bears added Chris Riley to the practice squad. On December 19, the Bears added Reggie Stephens to the practice squad.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-reggie-stephens-20121219,0,6754750.story Bears sign guard Stephens to practice squad Chicago Tribune 2012-12-19 2012-12-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20121221070446/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-reggie-stephens-20121219,0,6754750.story 2012-12-21 dead Schedule The team's schedule was announced on April 17.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-to-open-season-with-two-games-in-five-days/01916DF5-82A6-430F-BB95-B965EBB339D2 Bears open with two games in five days Chicago Bears 2012-04-17 2012-05-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20140102200333/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-to-open-season-with-two-games-in-five-days/01916DF5-82A6-430F-BB95-B965EBB339D2 2014-01-02 dead Besides the team's divisional opponents, the Bears played the AFC South, NFC West, along with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers.Oestmann Adam http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/01/chicago-bears-2012-schedule-set/ Chicago Bears' 2012 schedule set ChicagoNow 2012-01-02 2012-10-17 2012-04-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20120428222411/http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bears-huddle/2012/01/chicago-bears-2012-schedule-set dead The team had the twentieth strongest schedule in the NFL, tied with the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs with opponents having a combined record of 126–130 (.492) in 2011.https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/56896/2012-nfl-strength-of-schedule 2012 NFL strength of schedule ESPN 2012-04-12 2012-10-06 The team captains for the season remained the same as the previous season; the Bears selected Jay Cutler, Roberto Garza, Patrick Mannelly, Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher as captains.Jensen Sean http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/09/bears_name_same_captains_for_s.html Bears name same captains for second consecutive season Chicago Sun-Times 2012-09-03 2012-12-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20121030215338/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/09/bears_name_same_captains_for_s.html 2012-10-30 dead Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.comGameBook NFL.comrecap 1 September 9 Indianapolis Colts W 41–21 1–0 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120915234322/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55505/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-09-15 Recap 2 September 13 Thursday at Green Bay Packers L 10–23 1–1 Lambeau Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120916061728/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55520/GB_Gamebook.pdf 2012-09-16 Recap 3 September 23 St. Louis Rams W 23–6 2–1 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20120925030725/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55537/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-09-25 Recap 4 October 1 Monday at Dallas Cowboys W 34–18 3–1 Cowboys Stadium Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121011205403/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55566/DAL_Gamebook.pdf 2012-10-11 Recap 5 October 7 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 41–3 4–1 EverBank Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121011134248/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55576/JAC_Gamebook.pdf 2012-10-11 Recap 6 Bye 7 October 22 Monday Detroit Lions W 13–7 5–1 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121025035608/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55607/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-10-25 Recap 8 October 28 Carolina Panthers W 23–22 6–1 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121101034940/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55609/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-11-01 Recap 9 November 4 at Tennessee Titans W 51–20 7–1 LP Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121108044210/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55629/TEN_Gamebook.pdf 2012-11-08 Recap 10 November 11 Houston Texans L 6–13 7–2 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121117223018/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55648/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-11-17 Recap 11 November 19 Monday at San Francisco 49ers L 7–32 7–3 Candlestick Park Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121124103731/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55663/SF_Gamebook.pdf 2012-11-24 Recap 12 November 25 Minnesota Vikings W 28–10 8–3 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121201210513/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55667/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-12-01 Recap 13 December 2 Seattle Seahawks L 17–23 (OT) 8–4 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121208215644/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55682/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-12-08 Recap 14 December 9 at Minnesota Vikings L 14–21 8–5 Mall of America Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121216032259/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55703/MIN_Gamebook.pdf 2012-12-16 Recap 15 December 16 Green Bay Packers L 13–21 8–6 Soldier Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121223144421/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55715/CHI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-12-23 Recap 16 December 23 at Arizona Cardinals W 28–13 9–6 University of Phoenix Stadium Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20121230170211/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55741/ARI_Gamebook.pdf 2012-12-30 Recap 17 December 30 at Detroit Lions W 26–24 10–6 Ford Field Gamebook https://web.archive.org/web/20130113152407/http://www.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/55747/DET_Gamebook.pdf 2013-01-13 RecapNOTE: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. LEGEND #03202F # white Games played with color uniforms.Uniforms The Bears announced their uniform combinations for the season and the dates in which they would wear their 1940s throwbacks. Rumors were also debunked of the "orange pants" combination the team dons in the Madden NFL 13 video game.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/What-color-jerseys-will-Bears-wear-Sunday/94b32bc4-c8dd-4fa8-8b72-b3f012aaadc7 What color jerseys will the Bears wear Sunday? Chicago Bears 2012-09-06 2012-09-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20120912010319/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/What-color-jerseys-will-Bears-wear-Sunday/94b32bc4-c8dd-4fa8-8b72-b3f012aaadc7 2012-09-12 dead white # #03202F Games played with white uniforms.Uniforms #03202F # #df6108 Games played with 1940s throwback uniforms.Uniforms #dfd – black Light green background indicates a victory. #fdd – black Light red background indicates a loss. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears – Game summary September 9 12:00 p.m. CDT Colts 7 7 0 7 Bears 7 17 10 7 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,341 69 F C, partly cloudy Wayne ElliottReplacement Replacement officials used due to the ongoing referee labor dispute. CBS Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf Gamebook First quarter IND – Jerrell Freeman 4-yd interception return (A. Vinatieri kick, IND 0–7) CHI – Michael Bush 1-yd run (R. Gould kick, TIE 7–7) Second quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 3-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 14–7) CHI – Robbie Gould 35-yd FG (CHI 17–7) IND – Donald Brown 18-yd run (A. Vinatieri kick, CHI 17–14) CHI – Michael Bush 1-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 24–14) Third quarter CHI – Matt Forte 6-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 31–14) CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yd FG (CHI 34–14) Fourth quarter IND – Donnie Avery 4-yd pass from Andrew Luck (A. Vinatieri kick, CHI 34–21) CHI – Alshon Jeffery 42-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 41–21) Top passers IND – Andrew Luck – 23/45, 309 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT CHI – Jay Cutler – 21/35, 333 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers IND – Donald Brown, 9 car, 48 yds, 1 TD CHI – Matt Forte, 16 car, 80 yds, 1 TD Top receivers IND – Reggie Wayne, 9 rec, 135 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall, 9 rec, 119 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – Antoine Bethea, 9 tkls CHI – Major Wright, 6 tkls, 1 ast The Bears opened the season against the Indianapolis Colts and first overall draft pick Andrew Luck at Soldier Field. The Bears opened the game on a sour note when Jay Cutler's pass to Matt Forte was intercepted by Jerrell Freeman and returned for a touchdown, giving the Colts a 7–0 lead. Cutler would only complete 30 percent of his passes (3 of 10) for 21 yards for a 4.9 passer rating. Despite this, in the second quarter, Cutler would complete 15 of 17 for 228 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 80.5, as the Bears would score twice on a Michael Bush 1-yard touchdown run and Brandon Marshall's 3-yard touchdown catch to give Chicago a 14–7 lead. The Bears defense was not able to sack Luck, but the Colts offense was only able to convert 1 of 4 third down attempts, and Tim Jennings was able to intercept Luck.Wright Michael https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4677791/halftime-bears-24-colts-14 Halftime: Bears 24, Colts 14 ESPN 2012-09-09 2012-09-10 In the third quarter, the Bears scored on a 6-yard rushing touchdown by Forte to increase the lead to 31–14. In the final quarter, Luck threw his first career touchdown to Donnie Avery to close the gap by 13 points, but the Bears would retaliate when Cutler threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery.http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000059691/Alshon-Jeffery-catches-a-long-touchdown NFL Videos: Alshon Jeffery catches a long touchdown National Football League 2012-09-09 2012-09-17 The Colts attempted to score, but Luck's pass would be intercepted by Jennings with less than two minutes left in the game.https://www.espn.com/nfl/playbyplay?gameId=320909003&period=4 Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears – Play By Play ESPN 2012-09-10 With the win, the Bears opened the season with a 1–0 record. The 41 points scored by the Bears were the most in a season opener since the 1986 season, when the Bears defeated the Cleveland Browns 41–31,Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Jennings-plays-takeaway-in-Bears-victory/a699dd3a-11ad-45d4-8e74-51ad9b52b184 Jennings plays takeaway in Bears victory Chicago Bears 2012-09-09 2012-09-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20120912020312/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Jennings-plays-takeaway-in-Bears-victory/a699dd3a-11ad-45d4-8e74-51ad9b52b184 2012-09-12 dead and is also the first time the Bears scored 41 points without a defensive/special teams touchdown since 1993.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-heading-to-Green-Bay-in-attack-mode/4201aa01-c759-4c57-80a5-9ac4c702f1a0 Bears heading to Green Bay in attack mode Chicago Bears 2012-09-13 2012-09-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20120915005533/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-heading-to-Green-Bay-in-attack-mode/4201aa01-c759-4c57-80a5-9ac4c702f1a0 2012-09-15 dead Week 2: at Green Bay Packers #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers – Game summary September 13 7:20 p.m. CDT Bears 0 0 3 7 Packers 0 13 0 10 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,543 60 F C, cloudy Gerald WrightReplacement NFLN Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan Gamebook First quarter Second quarter GB – Mason Crosby 48-yd FG (GB 0–3) GB – Tom Crabtree 27-yd pass from Tim Masthay (M. Crosby kick, GB 0–10) GB – Mason Crosby 35-yd FG (GB 0–13) Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 45-yd FG (GB 3–13) Fourth quarter GB – Mason Crosby 54-yd FG (GB 3–16) GB – Donald Driver 26-yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (M. Crosby kick, GB 3–23) CHI – Kellen Davis 21-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, GB 10–23) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 11/27, 126 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/32, 219 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Michael Bush – 14 car, 54 yds GB – Cedric Benson – 20 car, 81 yds Top receivers CHI – Matt Forte – 4 rec, 49 yds GB – Jordy Nelson – 6 rec, 84 yds Top tacklers CHI – Lance Briggs – 7 tkls, 3 ast GB – Morgan Burnett – 4 tkls, 2 ast In a Thursday Night showdown against the rival Green Bay Packers, the Bears struggled throughout much of the game, and the offense was only able to muster one touchdown and 168 yards. Quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked seven times, and completed 11 of 27 passes for 126 yards with one touchdown, four interceptions and a 28.2 passer rating. Cutler's counterpart Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times, and ended the game by completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, an interception and a passer rating of 85.3. In the first quarter, Packers kicker Mason Crosby opened the game with a field goal, and the Bears would fall behind even more when Packers holder Tim Masthay threw a pass to tight end Tom Crabtree on a fake field goal.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/13/packers-fake-field-goal-bears-tom-crabtree_n_1882802.html Packers Fake Field Goal Touchdown: Tom Crabtree Scores On Toss From Tim Masthay (VIDEO) The Huffington Post 2012-09-14 2012-10-06 In the third quarter, Matt Forte sustained an ankle injury (originally reported as a high ankle sprain), and was lost for the game.https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/8376430/chicago-bears-matt-forte-ankle-leaves-game-green-bay-packers Chicago Bears' Matt Forte (ankle) leaves game against Green Bay Packers ESPN 2012-09-14 2012-09-18 After Cutler was later intercepted by Tramon Williams, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs dropped a possible interception, as Green Bay later increased the lead on another field goal. The Bears would later score on a Robbie Gould field goal, but the Packers later scored ten points (a Crosby field goal and a Rodgers 26-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver) in 21 seconds early in the fourth quarter. After Tim Jennings intercepted a Rodgers pass, Cutler connected with Kellen Davis to narrow the score to 23–10 with 6:49 left in the game, but the Packers would hold for the win.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-lose-to-Packers-23-10-at-Lambeau/c9db8a80-11ca-4f1a-9be0-fd62c8e0a403 Bears lose to Packers 23–10 at Lambeau Chicago Bears 2012-09-13 2012-09-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20120917121556/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-lose-to-Packers-23-10-at-Lambeau/c9db8a80-11ca-4f1a-9be0-fd62c8e0a403 2012-09-17 dead The loss dropped the Bears to a 1–1 record. Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: St. Louis Rams at Chicago Bears – Game summary September 23 12:00 p.m. CDT Rams 0 3 3 0 Bears 3 7 0 13 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,224 56 F C, partly cloudy Jerry HughesReplacement Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale Gamebook First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 54-yd FG (CHI 3–0) Second quarter CHI -Michael Bush 3-yd run (R. Gould, CHI 10–0) STL – Greg Zuerlein 56-yd FG (CHI 10–3) Third quarter STL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yd FG (10–6) Fourth quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yd FG (CHI 13–6) CHI – Major Wright 45-yd interception return (R. Gould, CHI 20–6) CHI – Robbie Gould 37-yd FG (CHI 23–6) Top passers STL – Sam Bradford – 18/35, 152 yds, 2 INT CHI – Jay Cutler – 17/31, 183 yds, 1 INT Top rushers STL – Steven Jackson – 11 car, 29 yds CHI – Michael Bush – 18 car, 55 yds, 1 TD Top receivers STL – Danny Amendola – 5 rec, 66 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 5 rec, 71 yds Top tacklers STL – James Laurinaitis – 11 tkls CHI – Lance Briggs – 7 tkls Attempting to bounce back from the Week 2 loss to the Packers, the Bears faced the St. Louis Rams. Throughout the course of the game, the Bears defense sacked Rams quarterback Sam Bradford six times, marking the first time the Bears defense has recorded at least five sacks in back-to-back games since the team's 2001 season.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-pass-rush-overwhelms-Rams/d36292a6-8646-489a-8595-ecd64801ff00 Bears' pass rush overwhelms Rams Chicago Bears 2012-09-18 2012-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20120925073057/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-pass-rush-overwhelms-Rams/d36292a6-8646-489a-8595-ecd64801ff00 2012-09-25 dead The six sacks increased the Bears season sack total to 14, which led the league, and is the most they have recorded in the first three games since 1987.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Forte-thinks-hell-be-able-to-play-Monday/b1c8b328-02b4-434d-b10b-b1f2815ee083 Forte thinks he'll be able to play Monday Chicago Bears 2012-09-26 2012-09-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20120929015239/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Forte-thinks-hell-be-able-to-play-Monday/b1c8b328-02b4-434d-b10b-b1f2815ee083 2012-09-29 dead On the offensive side, however, Jay Cutler completed only 17 of 31 passes for 183 yards and an interception (by Cortland Finnegan; Finnegan appeared to fumble on the return, and the ball was recovered by Bears receiver Devin Hester, but the fumble was overturned),Hayes Neil http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/15337660-606/rams-come-away-with-little-respect-for-bears-passing-game.html Rams come away with little respect for Bears' passing game Chicago Sun-Times 2012-09-23 2012-10-27 and a mere passer rating of 58.9. With running back Matt Forte out for the game, the Bears rushing attack ran for 103 yards and Michael Bush ran for a 3-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked a 56-yard field goal, the longest in Soldier Field history.http://www.kmov.com/sports/Zuerlein-says-hes-made-74-yard-FG-172486891.html Zuerlein says he's made 74-yard FG KMOV 2012-10-03 2012-10-06 2015-01-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20150127031038/http://www.kmov.com/sports/Zuerlein-says-hes-made-74-yard-FG-172486891.html dead In the fourth quarter, Bears cornerback Tim Jennings deflected a Bradford pass intended for Danny Amendola to Major Wright, who returned the interception 45 yards for a touchdown.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-cruise-behind-strong-defensive-effort/3aec02ce-f85e-47b8-afbe-56979e61a798 Bears cruise behind strong defensive effort Chicago Bears 2012-09-18 2012-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20120925073052/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-cruise-behind-strong-defensive-effort/3aec02ce-f85e-47b8-afbe-56979e61a798 2012-09-25 dead The victory gave the Bears a 2–1 record. Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary October 1 7:30 p.m. CDT Bears 0 10 14 10 Cowboys 0 7 3 8 Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas 90,080 80 F C, clear Walt Anderson ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Gamebook First quarter Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 43-yd FG (CHI 3–0) CHI – Charles Tillman 25-yd interception return (R. Gould kick, CHI 10–0) DAL – Miles Austin 10 yd-pass from Tony Romo (D. Bailey kick, CHI 10–7) Third quarter CHI – Devin Hester 34 yd-pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould, CHI 17–7) CHI – Lance Briggs 74 yd-interception return (R. Gould, CHI 24–7) DAL – Dan Bailey 39-yd FG (CHI 24–10) Fourth quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 31-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 34–10) DAL – Jason Witten 5-yd pass from Kyle Orton (2 pt, CHI 34 – 18) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 18/24, 275 yds, 2 TD DAL – Tony Romo – 31/43, 307 yds, 1 TD, 5 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 13 car, 52 yds DAL – DeMarco Murray – 11 car, 24 yds Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall – 7 rec, 138 yds, 1 TD DAL – Jason Witten – 13 rec, 112 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers CHI – Chris Conte – 8 tkls, 3 ast DAL – Sean Lee – 10 tkls, 4 ast In week 4, the Bears played against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Dallas. After a scoreless first quarter and Robbie Gould's field goal, Charles Tillman intercepted Tony Romo, returning the pick for a touchdown. The interception would be the first of Romo's five interceptions. Romo would later hit Miles Austin for a 10-yard touchdown.Schilken Chuck http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-tony-romo-20121002,0,3651687.story?track=rss Tony Romo has a nightmare outing against Bears on Monday night Los Angeles Times 2012-10-02 2012-10-02 In the second half, Cutler was able to hit Devin Hester on a 34-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bears lead.http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-01/sports/ct-spt-1002-bears-side-chicago--20121002_1_devin-hester-offensive-coordinator-mike-tice-jay-cutler https://archive.today/20130119012322/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-01/sports/ct-spt-1002-bears-side-chicago--20121002_1_devin-hester-offensive-coordinator-mike-tice-jay-cutler dead January 19, 2013 Chicago Bears: Chicago Bears' Devin Hester gets his wish – big part in offense Chicago Tribune 2012-10-01 2012-10-02 Later, Romo's pass was intercepted by Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who then returned the interception for a touchdown to increase the lead 24–7. The pick-six marked Bears' fourteenth forced turnover, which led the league, and also leads the league in interceptions (11).Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-aim-to-keep-Hester-involved-on-offense/22e1a72f-36f7-49bd-9e38-c6fa30bea9f6 Bears aim to keep Hester involved on offense Chicago Bears 2012-10-03 2012-10-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20121005012256/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-aim-to-keep-Hester-involved-on-offense/22e1a72f-36f7-49bd-9e38-c6fa30bea9f6 2012-10-05 dead Cutler would then throw another touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. Cutler would have his highest performance of the season, completing 18 of 24 passes for 275 yards, along with two touchdowns. His 140.1 passer rating was the third highest of his career. Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards, a season-best.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-lauds-offensive-line-Mike-Tice-/5a247135-cea4-4899-a7e7-4b59044cef46 Cutler lauds offensive line, Mike Tice Chicago Bears 2012-10-02 2012-10-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20121004225026/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-lauds-offensive-line-Mike-Tice-/5a247135-cea4-4899-a7e7-4b59044cef46 2012-10-04 dead With 34 seconds left in the game, Romo was replaced by former Bears quarterback Kyle Orton, who threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten, and the Cowboys had a two-point conversion, but the Bears would then win 34–18.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/tony-romo-interceptions-5-cowboys-bears_n_1931256.html Tony Romo Throws 5 Interceptions In Cowboys' 34–18 Loss To Bears (VIDEO) The Huffington Post 2012-10-02 2012-10-02 With the win, the Bears shared the NFC North lead with the Minnesota Vikings with a 3–1 record. Week 5: at Jacksonville Jaguars #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary October 7 4:05 p.m. EDT/3:05 p.m. CDT Bears 3 0 10 28 Jaguars 0 3 0 0 EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida 67,012 88 F C, cloudy Ron Winter Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Gamebook First quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 32-yd FG (CHI 3–0) Second quarter JAC – Josh Scobee 31-yd FG (TIE 3–3) Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 31-yd FG (CHI 6–3) CHI – Charles Tillman 36-yd interception return (R. Gould kick, CHI 13–3) Fourth quarter CHI – Alshon Jeffery 10-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 20–3) CHI – Brandon Marshall 24-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 27–3) CHI – Lance Briggs 36-yd interception return (R. Gould kick, CHI 34–3) CHI – Armando Allen 46-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 41–3) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 23/39, 292 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT JAC – Blaine Gabbert – 17/33, 142 yds, 2 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 22 car, 107 yds JAC – Maurice Jones-Drew – 12 car, 56 yds Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall – 12 rec, 144 yds, 1 TD JAC – Marcedes Lewis – 5 rec, 24 yds Top tacklers CHI – Tim Jennings – 6 tkls JAC – Paul Posluszny – 8 tkls, 1 ast In week 5, the Bears recorded the highest margin of victory of the season, defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 41–3. In the first quarter, the Bears scored first on a Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal, though Jacksonville would respond in the next quarter on Josh Scobee's 31-yard kick. In the second half, the Bears broke the deadlock by kicking another field goal and cornerback Charles Tillman returning a Blaine Gabbert interception 36 yards for a touchdown, breaking former Bears safety Mike Brown's franchise record for the most pick-sixes in a career. Tillman also tied Donnell Woolford for the most interceptions by a cornerback in team history. In the fourth quarter, the Bears scored on Jay Cutler's 10-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Tillman-repeats-stellar-performance/cd4329ee-7829-43f1-8286-e2262d28f33d Tillman repeats stellar performance Chicago Bears 2012-10-07 2012-10-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20121011012951/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Tillman-repeats-stellar-performance/cd4329ee-7829-43f1-8286-e2262d28f33d 2012-10-11 dead Chicago would then extend their lead on Cutler's 24-yard pass to Brandon Marshall to increase the lead to 27–3. Bears linebacker Lance Briggs would then intercept Gabbert and score on a 36-yard return.Long Mark https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-overwhelm-jaguars-defense-win-232523332--nfl.html Bears overwhelm Jaguars with defense, win 41–3 Yahoo! Sports 2012-10-07 2012-10-08 2012-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20121011044812/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-overwhelm-jaguars-defense-win-232523332--nfl.html dead Briggs and Tillman would become the first pair in league history to return interceptions for touchdowns in consecutive games, and the Bears became the first team in NFL history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five games of a season.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Hester-could-have-chance-to-get-back-in-end-zone/acd9abfd-62a6-49de-8c75-1a00ecf0bef7 Hester could have chance to get back in end zone 2012-10-17 2012-10-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20121018045657/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Hester-could-have-chance-to-get-back-in-end-zone/acd9abfd-62a6-49de-8c75-1a00ecf0bef7 2012-10-18 dead The Bears would close out the game with backup running back Armando Allen scoring on a 46-yard touchdown run.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ct-spt-1008-bears-jaguars-chicago--20121008,0,1536024.story Chicago Bears beat Jacksonville Jaguars 41–3 Orlando Sentinel 2012-10-07 2012-10-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20130520154011/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ct-spt-1008-bears-jaguars-chicago--20121008,0,1536024.story 2013-05-20 dead The victory improved the team's record to 4–1. The victory is the most lopsided win for the Bears since their 1985 44–0 victory over the Cowboys,Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-offensive-line-earn-high-marks/66f5cc4f-6563-4d6a-8a8e-139d3fa59350 Cutler, offensive line earn high marks Chicago Bears 2012-10-09 2012-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20121011064922/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Cutler-offensive-line-earn-high-marks/66f5cc4f-6563-4d6a-8a8e-139d3fa59350 2012-10-11 dead and the 38 points scored in the second half are the most since the team scoring 49 second half points in the 1941 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/What-is-Bears-record-when-defense-scores-TD/4f367030-2425-44b3-b7a3-ff5c20f07f67 What is Bears record when defense scores TD? Chicago Bears 2012-10-09 2012-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20121012000423/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/chalk-talk/article-1/What-is-Bears-record-when-defense-scores-TD/4f367030-2425-44b3-b7a3-ff5c20f07f67 2012-10-12 dead Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 22 7:30 p.m. CDT Lions 0 0 0 7 Bears 10 0 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,300 63 F C, cloudy Alberto Riveron ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Gamebook First quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 7-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–0) CHI – Robbie Gould 39-yd FG (CHI 10–0) Second quarter Third quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 21-yd FG (CHI 13–0) Fourth quarter DET – Ryan Broyles 12-yd pass from Matthew Stafford (J. Hanson kick, CHI 13–7) Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/46, 261 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT CHI – Jay Cutler – 16/31, 150 yds, 1 TD Top rushers DET – Mikel Leshoure – 12 car, 63 yds CHI – Matt Forte – 22 car, 96 yds Top receivers DET – Titus Young – 6 rec, 81 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 rec, 81 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers DET – Amari Spievey – 6 tkls, 2 ast CHI – Tim Jennings – 7 tkls, 2 ast Coming off a bye week, the Bears battled rival Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. The team kept the Lions from scoring until the fourth quarter, and forced four takeaways. The first turnover forced was in the first half, when Lance Briggs stripped the ball from Mikel Leshoure, which was recovered by Julius Peppers. The second and third turnovers were forced in the third quarter on Zack Bowman's muffed punt recovery, and Brian Urlacher recovering Joique Bell's fumble. The final turnover occurred when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's pass was intercepted by D. J. Moore.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Stifling-defense-leads-Bears-to-win/9f333b01-fa0f-4a97-a9e1-b905ddd62f25 Stifling defense leads Bears to win Chicago Bears 2012-01-01 2012-10-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20121025224929/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Stifling-defense-leads-Bears-to-win/9f333b01-fa0f-4a97-a9e1-b905ddd62f25 2012-10-25 dead The Bears struck first on Jay Cutler's touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, and Robbie Gould kicked a field goal to increase the first half score to 10–0. During the game, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh threw Cutler to the ground, injuring his ribs. Cutler was eventually replaced by Jason Campbell for a play, before returning to the game.https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2012/10/23/jay-cutler-shakes-off-ndamukong-suhs-hit-as-brandon-marshall-lawrence-jackson-take-to-twitter/ Jay Cutler shakes off Ndamukong Suh's hit as Brandon Marshall, Lawrence Jackson take to Twitter The Washington Post 2012-10-23 2012-10-23 In the second half, Gould kicked another field goal, and prevented the Lions from scoring until the final 36 seconds of the game, when Stafford threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Broyles to narrow the margin to six points, but the Bears sealed the victory by recovering the ensuring onside kick.Reuters https://news.yahoo.com/bears-defense-feasts-lions-050326051--nfl.html Bears' defense feasts on Lions Yahoo! News 2012-10-23 2012-10-23 dead https://archive.today/20121026103023/http://news.yahoo.com/bears-defense-feasts-lions-050326051--nfl.html 2012-10-26 The victory increased the team's record to 5–1. Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers #eee #eee Chicago Bears 41thru48 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 28 12:00 p.m. CDT Panthers 3 10 6 3 Bears 7 0 0 16 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,254 49 F C, cloudy – wind gusts to 25mph Ed Hochuli Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Gamebook First quarter CHI – Matt Forte 13-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–0) CAR – Justin Medlock 34-yd FG (CHI 7–3) Second quarter CAR – Louis Murphy fumble recovery in end zone (J. Medlock kick, CAR 7–10) CAR – Justin Medlock 31-yd FG (CAR 7–13) Third quarter CAR – Justin Medlock 22-yd FG (CAR 7–16) CAR – Justin Medlock 43-yd FG (CAR 7–19) Fourth quarter CHI – Kellen Davis 12-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CAR 14–19) CHI – Tim Jennings 25-yd interception return (2pt conversion failed, CHI 20–19) CAR – Justin Medlock 45-yd FG (CAR 20–22) CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yd FG (CHI 23–22) Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 20/39, 314 yds, 2 INT CHI – Jay Cutler – 19/28, 186 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 17 car, 42 yds CHI – Matt Forte – 15 car, 70 yds Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith – 7 rec, 118 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 9 rec, 98 yds Top tacklers CAR – Luke Kuechly – 8 tkls, 3 ast CHI – Tim Jennings – 8 tkls In Week 8, the Bears donned their 1940s throwback uniforms against the Carolina Panthers, who had the worst record in the NFC.http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121024/sports/710249619/ Bears know Panthers a threat even at 1–5 Daily Herald 2012-10-24 2012-11-21 The Bears scored first on Matt Forte's 13-yard touchdown run, which would be countered by Justin Medlock's 34-yard field goal. The Panthers then took the lead on Louis Murphy's fumble recovery; Panthers quarterback Cam Newton ran with the ball, and lost the ball when Bears safety Major Wright tackled him at the 1-yard line. The ball rolled into the endzone, where Murphy recovered it.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Larry-Mayers-Bears-Panthers-blog/8218a8e8-7bee-48b4-8068-1289817e7c59 Larry Mayer's Bears-Panthers blog Chicago Bears 2012-01-01 2012-10-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20121030174824/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Larry-Mayers-Bears-Panthers-blog/8218a8e8-7bee-48b4-8068-1289817e7c59 2012-10-30 dead Medlock would then kick three more field goals, and by the fourth quarter, the Panthers led 19–7. The tide eventually turned when Panthers punter Brad Nortman shanked a 6-yard punt, and Jay Cutler hit Kellen Davis on a 12-yard touchdown pass with less than seven minutes left in the game. On the first play of the Panthers' next drive, Tim Jennings intercepted Newton and returned the pick 25 yards to regain the lead 20–19, after Cutler's two-point conversion passing attempt was intercepted. Medlock later kicked another field goal to reclaim the lead 22–20 with 2:27 left in the game. Cutler would lead the Bears downfield, and Gould kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give Chicago the victory.http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/55164897-77/chicago-carolina-yards-bears.html.csp NFL: Bears 23, Panthers 22 The Salt Lake Tribune 2012-08-23 2012-10-29 The kick was Gould's tenth game-winning field goal, and the first since 2010.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-rebounds-from-miss-to-hit-game-winner/5ff33bd1-888e-4ddf-bd2f-eb3cc20ab5cd Gould rebounds from miss to hit game-winner Chicago Bears 2010-09-27 2012-10-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20121101005822/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Gould-rebounds-from-miss-to-hit-game-winner/5ff33bd1-888e-4ddf-bd2f-eb3cc20ab5cd 2012-11-01 dead The win gave Chicago a 6–1 record. Week 9: at Tennessee Titans #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans – Game summary November 4 12:00 p.m. CST Bears 28 3 6 14 Titans 2 3 7 8 LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee 69,143 50 F C, sunny Terry McAulay Fox Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin Gamebook First quarter CHI – Corey Wootton 5-yd blocked punt return (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–0) TEN – Penalty on J'Marcus Webb in endzone for safety (CHI 7–2) CHI – Matt Forte 8-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 14–2) CHI – Brian Urlacher 46-yd interception return (R. Gould kick, CHI 21–2) CHI – Brandon Marshall 13-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 28–2) Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 40-yd FG (CHI 31–2) TEN – Rob Bironas 39-yd FG (CHI 31–5) Third quarter TEN – Nate Washington 30-yd pass from Matt Hasselbeck (R. Bironas kick, CHI 31–12) CHI – Robbie Gould 25-yd FG (CHI 34–12) CHI – Robbie Gould 22-yd FG (CHI 37–12) Fourth quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 39-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 44–12) CHI – Brandon Marshall 5-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 51–12) TEN – Chris Johnson 80-yd run (2 pt, CHI 51–20) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 19/26, 229 yds, 3 TD TEN – Matt Hasselbeck – 20/35, 200 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 12 car, 103 yds, 1 TD TEN – Chris Johnson – 16 car, 141 yds, 1 TD Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall – 9 rec, 122 yds, 3 TD TEN – Kenny Britt – 5 rec, 67 yds Top tacklers CHI – Charles Tillman – 9 tkls TEN – Zach Brown – 7 tkls, 3 ast Against the Tennessee Titans, the Bears recorded a franchise record 28 points in the first quarter. The Bears defense recorded five turnovers; Charles Tillman recorded four forced fumbles by stripping Kenny Britt and Jared Cook once, and Chris Johnson twice (a league first),Sessler Marac https://www.nfl.com/news/chicago-bears-win-big-gain-steam-in-nfc-playoff-race-0ap1000000089598 Chicago Bears win big, gain steam in NFC playoff race National Football League 2012-11-04 2012-11-04 while Brian Urlacher recorded an interception.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/11/04/5015/index.html https://archive.today/20130119152800/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/11/04/5015/index.html dead January 19, 2013 Bears vs. Titans – 2012-11-04 Sports Illustrated 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 The Bears scored the first touchdown of the game when Sherrick McManis blocked Brett Kern's punt, which was recovered by Corey Wootton, who returned the blocked punt five yards for his first career touchdown. The Titans later recorded a safety when J'Marcus Webb was penalized for illegal-hands-to-the-face while blocking in the end zone. The Bears then scored on Matt Forte's eight-yard run, followed by Urlacher intercepting Matt Hasselbeck and returning the pick for another touchdown. Jay Cutler later hit Brandon Marshall to end the quarter with the Bears leading 28–2.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-defeat-Titans-51-20-to-win-sixth-straight/feba53cb-b8af-4044-b226-f4105a34735c https://archive.today/20130119045525/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-defeat-Titans-51-20-to-win-sixth-straight/feba53cb-b8af-4044-b226-f4105a34735c dead 2013-01-19 Bears crush Titans to extend win streak to six Chicago Bears 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 The Bears became the first team in league history to score a touchdown pass, a touchdown run, an interception returned for a touchdown, and a kick/punt blocked for a score in a quarter. Titans kicker Rob Bironas later ended the half on a 39-yard field goal.https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=321104010 Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans – Box Score ESPN 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 The Titans would finally score a touchdown on Hasselbeck's 30-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington in the third quarter.http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap2000000089732/Washington-30-yard-TD NFL Videos: Tennessee Titans QB Matt Hasselbeck hits Nate Washington for a 30-yard TD National Football League 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 After Robbie Gould's three field goals, the Bears scored two more touchdowns on Cutler's passes to Marshall.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/04/bears-titans-51-20-turnovers-jay-cutler-marshall_n_2073548.html Bears Crush Titans 51–20: Chicago Forces 5 Turnovers, Brandon Marshall Catches 3 Touchdowns The Huffington Post 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 With ten minutes left in the game, Johnson scored on an 80-yard run to narrow the score to 51–20, but the game would still be out of reach for the Titans. With the win, the Bears improved to 7–1. The 51 points scored by the Bears were the most by the team since the 1980 victory over the Green Bay Packers, when the team triumphed 61–7.http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/19998817/bears-force-5-turnovers-rout-titans-51-20 Bears force 5 turnovers, rout Titans 51–20 Myfoxaustin.com 2012-11-04 2012-11-05 The points scored were also the highest by the Bears in a road game since their 1963 win over the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 52–14.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Marshall-hauls-in-three-TDs-in-victory/e78c5e4c-1572-40bd-85bf-8be1edb0bb76 Marshall hauls in three TDs in victory Chicago Bears 2012-11-04 2012-11-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20121107011613/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Marshall-hauls-in-three-TDs-in-victory/e78c5e4c-1572-40bd-85bf-8be1edb0bb76 2012-11-07 dead In addition, Urlacher was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week while McManis was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It was the first time teammates have won weekly awards since 2008. Week 10: vs. Houston Texans #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 11 7:20 p.m. CST Texans 3 7 0 3 Bears 0 3 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,410 54 F C, rain Gene Steratore NBC Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Gamebook First quarter Shayne Graham 20-yd FG (HOU 0–3) Second quarter Robbie Gould 51-yd FG (TIE 3–3) Arian Foster 2-yd pass from Matt Schaub (S. Graham kick, HOU 3–10) Third quarter Robbie Gould 24-yd FG (HOU 6–10) Fourth quarter Shayne Graham 42-yd FG (HOU 6–13) Top passers HOU – Matt Schaub – 14/26, 95 yds, 1 TD CHI – Jason Campbell – 11/19, 94 yds Top rushers HOU – Arian Foster – 29 car, 102 yds CHI – Matt Forte – 16 car, 39 yds Top receivers HOU – Arian Foster – 5 rec, 15 yds, 1 TD CHI – Brandon Marshall – 8 rec, 107 yds Top tacklers HOU – Tim Dobbins – 5 tkls, 2 ast CHI – Brian Urlacher – 7 tkls, 1 ast In a game that various analysts considered a potential Super Bowl XLVII preview,Dillon Dennis http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/dennis_dillon/11/08/bears-texans/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121112022917/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/dennis_dillon/11/08/bears-texans/index.html dead November 12, 2012 Game of Week 10: Texans-Bears Sports Illustrated 2012-11-09 2012-11-12 the 7–1 Bears faced the also 7–1 Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football, in a game waged in the rain.Strauss Ben https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/sports/football/in-showdown-of-defenses-texans-outlast-bears.html?_r=0 Texans Left Standing in Showdown of Defenses The New York Times 2012-11-12 2012-11-12 The first half proved disastrous for Chicago, as Kellen Davis had the ball stripped by former Bear Danieal Manning, and recovered by Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins. Shayne Graham later kicked a 20-yard field goal to give Houston the first points of the game. On Chicago's next possession, Michael Bush fumbled, and the Texans recovered again. The Texans drive wouldn't last long, as Tim Jennings would intercept Matt Schaub. However, the Bears failed to take advantage of the turnover, as Jay Cutler's pass would get intercepted by Manning. A quarter later, Jennings once again intercepted Schaub, which set up a Robbie Gould 51-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, Justin Forsett broke a 25-yard run to the Bears 3-yard line, which set up Arian Foster's 2-yard touchdown catch.https://news.yahoo.com/texans-lead-bears-10-3-halftime-031804908--spt.html Texans lead Bears 10–3 at halftime Yahoo! News 2012-11-11 2012-11-12 Late in the first half, Cutler was hit by Dobbins, giving him a concussion, which sidelined him for the rest of the game, and was replaced by Jason Campbell. With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, Gould hit a 24-yard field goal to draw the Bears within four points, but Graham would make a 42-yarder to increase the deficit to seven with less than five minutes left in the game. Gould had attempted a 48-yard field goal earlier in the fourth quarter, but the ball hit the left upright.Mitchell Fred https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/11/11/bears-lose-cutler-fall-13-6-to-texans/ Bears lose Cutler, fall 13–6 to Texans Chicago Tribune 2012-11-11 2012-11-12 The loss snapped Chicago's six-game winning streak, the longest since their seven-game streak in 2006, and dropped Chicago to a 7–2 record, and 0–3 all-time against the Texans. Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary November 19 7:30 p.m. CST/5:30 p.m. PST Bears 0 0 7 0 49ers 10 10 7 5 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 69,732 64 F C, cloudy Tony Corrente ESPN Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Gamebook First quarter SF – David Akers 32-yd FG (SF 0–3) SF – Vernon Davis 3-yd pass from Colin Kaepernick (D. Akers kick, SF 0–10) Second quarter SF – Kendall Hunter 14-yd run (D. Akers kick, SF 0–17) SF – David Akers 37-yd FG (SF 0–20) Third quarter SF – Michael Crabtree 10-yd pass from Colin Kaepernick (D. Akers kick, SF 0–27) CHI – Brandon Marshall 13-yd pass from Jason Campbell (R. Gould kick, SF 7–27) Fourth quarter SF – David Akers 32-yd FG (SF 7–30) SF – Chilo Rachal tackled in endzone (SF 7–32) Top passers CHI – Jason Campbell – 14/22, 107 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT SF – Colin Kaepernick – 16/23, 243 yds, 2 TD Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 21 car, 63 yds SF – Frank Gore – 17 car, 78 yds Top receivers CHI – Devin Hester – 3 rec, 23 yds SF – Vernon Davis – 6 rec, 83 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers CHI – Major Wright – 8 tkls SF – NaVorro Bowman – 11 tkls, 1 ast The Bears faced off on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers in a battle of backup quarterbacks between Jason Campbell and Colin KaepernickGordon Jeremy https://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/11/13/a-backup-plan-for-bears-49ers/?mod=WSJBlog A Backup Plan for Bears, 49ers The Wall Street Journal 2012-11-13 2012-11-13 after Jay CutlerSeligman Andrew https://news.yahoo.com/bears-cutler-miss-49ers-game-concussion-175944644--nfl.html Bears' Cutler to miss 49ers game with concussion Yahoo! News 2012-11-16 2012-11-16 and Alex SmithDavis Nate https://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/11/19/alex-smith-colin-kaepernick-concussion-san-francisco-49ers/1714031/ 49ers' Alex Smith out vs. Bears, Colin Kaepernick to start USA Today 2012-11-19 2012-11-21 were lost for the game due to concussions. With Campbell and Kaepernick making their first starts of the 2012 season, the game marked the first time two quarterbacks made their first starts of the season on Monday Night Football in a non-strike season (besides Week 1) since 1979 between Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Vince Ferragamo and June Jones in Week 12.Mortensen Chris https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8651667/alex-smith-san-francisco-49ers-concussion-ruled-out 49ers' Alex Smith out vs. Bears ESPN 2012-11-20 2012-11-21 In Kaepernick's first career start, he completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns and a 133.1 rating, while Campbell struggled, completing 14 of 22 passes for 107 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a 52.7 passer rating. Campbell was also sacked six times, including 5.5 times by Aldon Smith, the most by an individual on Chicago's opposing team. After David Akers made a 32-yard field goal, and the Bears went three-and-out, Kaepernick completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams to give the 49ers a 10–0 lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, 49ers running back Kendall Hunter scored on a 14-yard run, followed by Akers' 37-yard field goal. In the second half, the 49ers continued their dominance, with Kaepernick hitting Michael Crabtree on a 10-yard touchdown pass, which was countered by Campbell hitting Brandon Marshall on a 13-yard pass. In the final quarter, Akers hit a 32-yard field goal, and San Francisco recorded a safety when Campbell fumbled while getting sacked, with the ball being recovered by Bears offensive lineman Chilo Rachal in the endzone, making the final score 32–7.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-suffer-defeat-at-the-hands-of-49ers/135985f7-883c-435c-ac92-7ca3dcc8d43a Bears suffer defeat at the hands of 49ers Chicago Bears 2012-11-19 2012-11-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20141028075415/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-suffer-defeat-at-the-hands-of-49ers/135985f7-883c-435c-ac92-7ca3dcc8d43a 2014-10-28 dead The loss dropped Chicago to a 7–3 record, tying them with the Packers for the division lead. The loss was the eighth consecutive loss at Candlestick Park since 1985. Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – Game summary November 25 12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 3 0 7 0 Bears 10 15 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,306 41 F C, partly cloudy Scott Green Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Gamebook First quarter MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yd FG (MIN 0–3) CHI – Michael Bush 1-yd run (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–3) CHI – Robbie Gould 47-yd FG (CHI 10–3) Second quarter CHI – Michael Bush 1-yd run (2 pt, CHI 18–3) CHI – Matt Spaeth 13-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 25–3) Third quarter MIN – Kyle Rudolph 2-yd pass from Christian Ponder (B. Walsh kick, CHI 25–10) CHI – Robbie Gould 46-yd FG (CHI 28–10) Fourth quarter Top passers MIN – Christian Ponder – 22/43, 159 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT CHI – Jay Cutler – 23/31, 188 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson – 18 car, 108 yds CHI – Michael Bush – 21 car, 60 yds, 2 TD Top receivers MIN – Jarius Wright – 7 rec, 49 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 12 rec, 92 yds Top tacklers MIN – Erin Henderson – 8 tkls, 1 ast CHI – Nick Roach – 6 tkls, 1 ast The Bears fought their rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 12. The game was an injury-laden game for both teams, with a total of seven players lost for both teams, with Chicago losing five (Lance Louis [knee], Chris Spencer [knee], Matt Forte [ankle], Devin Hester [concussion], and Charles Tillman [ankle]), while Minnesota lost Kyle Rudolph and Harrison Smith to concussions.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1126-bears-vikings-chicago--20121126,0,822982.story Bears pay a price for win over Vikings Chicago Tribune 2012-11-25 2012-11-25 The Bears first offensive play resulted in Matt Forte fumbling for the first time all season when he ran into Evan Rodriguez, and had the ball recovered by Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway. The Vikings then scored on Blair Walsh's 40-yard field goal. The Bears then struck back when Nick Roach stripped the ball from Adrian Peterson, which was recovered by Tillman. Jay Cutler, returning from the concussion he sustained two weeks prior, moved the ball downfield to the Vikings one-yard line, where Michael Bush ran in to give the Bears the lead. The Bears closed out the quarter with a 10–3 lead after Gould kicked a 47-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Bears scored again on Bush's second one-yard touchdown run.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-end-two-game-skid-with-resounding-victory/6cf7c865-f4a9-4f8a-b9f3-7ac67e21de4a Bears end two-game skid with resounding victory Chicago Bears 2012-11-25 2012-11-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20121128011459/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-end-two-game-skid-with-resounding-victory/6cf7c865-f4a9-4f8a-b9f3-7ac67e21de4a 2012-11-28 dead On the ensuing extra point, holder Adam Podlesh faked the kick and ran in to give the Bears two points.Hendricks Maggie https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/bears-special-teams-trickery-win-over-vikings-video-220535432--nfl.html Bears use special teams' trickery in win over Vikings (VIDEO) Yahoo! Sports 2012-11-25 2012-11-25 Chris Conte would eventually intercept Christian Ponder at the 48-yard line and return the interception 35 yards to the Vikings 13-yard line. Cutler then hit Matt Spaeth in the left corner of the end zone to increase the score to 25–3. Early in the second half, Minnesota would record their first touchdown of the game on Ponder's two-yard pass to Rudolph, and Gould would then make a 46-yard field goal late in the third quarter to end the game with a Chicago victory. In his return, Cutler completed 15 of 17 passes for 117 yards with one touchdown and a 115.0 passer rating in the first half, and would end the game with stats of 23 of 31 passes completed for 188 yards with one touchdown, one interception and an 86.5 passer rating. Receiver Brandon Marshall recorded 12 catches for 92 yards, and passed the 1,000 yards receiving mark for the sixth time in his career with 1,017 yards, making him the first Bears receiver to record 1,000 yards in a season since Marty Booker in 2002.LeGere Bob http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20121125/sports/711259776 Brandon Marshall is Mr. 1,000 for sixth straight season Daily Herald 2012-11-25 2012-11-25 With the win, Chicago improved to 8–3, snapping their two-game losing streak. Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears – Game summary December 2 12:00 p.m. CST Seahawks 0 10 0 7 6 Bears 7 0 7 3 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 60,103 61 F C, cloudy Mike Carey Fox Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio Gamebook First quarter CHI – Earl Bennett 12-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–0) Second quarter SEA – Marshawn Lynch 4-yd run (S. Hauschka kick, TIE 7–7) SEA – Steven Hauschka 31-yd FG (SEA 7–10) Third quarter CHI – Matt Forte 12-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 14–10) Fourth quarter SEA – Golden Tate 14-yd pass from Russell Wilson (S. Hauschka kick, SEA 14–17) CHI – Robbie Gould 46-yd FG (TIE 17–17) Overtime SEA – Sidney Rice 13-yd pass from Russell Wilson (SEA 17–23) Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson – 23/37, 293 yds, 2 TD CHI – Jay Cutler – 17/26, 233 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 19 car, 87 yds, 1 TD CHI – Matt Forte – 21 car, 66 yds Top receivers SEA – Sidney Rice – 6 rec, 99 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 10 rec, 165 yds Top tacklers SEA – Bobby Wagner – 9 tkls, 2 ast CHI – Charles Tillman – 8 tkls, 1 ast, 1 FF thumb|The Bears offense during a TV timeout The Bears hosted the 6–5 Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, who had lost five of their first six road games.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/02/5070/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121205023819/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/gameflash/2012/12/02/5070/index.html dead December 5, 2012 Rice TD gives Seahawks 23–17 OT win over Bears Sports Illustrated 2012-12-02 2012-12-02 The Bears started the game strong, with Brian Urlacher forcing Marshawn Lynch to fumble, and the ball was recovered by Kelvin Hayden, and Jay Cutler eventually hit Earl Bennett on a 12-yard touchdown pass. The Bears would later fail twice to expand their lead; first, Lovie Smith called for Michael Bush to run up the middle on fourth-and-one at the Seattle 15, and he was stopped for no gain. On the second occasion, Bennett dropped a potential 62-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks capitalized on the two blunders, with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson hitting Golden Tate on a 49-yard pass, and eventually scored on Lynch's 4-yard touchdown run. Wilson would complete 23 of 37 passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns and a 104.9 passer rating while rushing for 71 yards on nine carries. Seattle then took the lead on Steven Hauschka's 31-yard field goal to close the half. Seattle would have scored a touchdown on the previous play, but Braylon Edwards dropped the potential 10-yard touchdown pass in the end zone. In the third quarter, Chicago regained the lead on Cutler's 12-yard touchdown pass to Matt Forte,Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-defense-shredded-by-rookie-QB-in-OT-loss/47d3b470-8cb7-482a-90fb-8c71dd359c35 Bears defense shredded by rookie QB in OT loss Chicago Bears 2012-12-02 2012-12-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20121204213032/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-defense-shredded-by-rookie-QB-in-OT-loss/47d3b470-8cb7-482a-90fb-8c71dd359c35 2012-12-04 dead but Wilson would lead the Seahawks 97 yards to take back the lead on a touchdown pass to Tate. Cutler would then hit Brandon Marshall on a 56-yard pass to set up Robbie Gould's game-tying 46-yard field goal. In overtime, the Seahawks won the toss, and Wilson took the offense 80 yards, and threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Sidney Rice.Biggs Brad https://www.baltimoresun.com/2012/12/03/bears-defense-unable-to-hold-off-seahawks/ Bears defense unable to hold off Seahawks The Baltimore Sun 2012-12-02 2012-12-02 On the play, Major Wright hit Rice while he was catching the ball, appearing to knock Rice unconscious and the ball out of his hands, but the review upheld the touchdown, giving Seattle the victory.Seligman Andrew http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/55387505-77/seahawks-wilson-chicago-seattle.html.csp NFL: Rice TD gives Seahawks 23–17 OT win over Bears The Salt Lake Tribune 2012-11-02 2012-11-03 The loss dropped Chicago down to 8–4, once again tying them with the Packers for the NFC North lead. The 459 yards allowed are the most by the team all season.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Wilson-burns-Bears-with-arm-feet-in-OT-loss/74db2d98-89f7-4afb-a0cb-a568e03aa363 Wilson burns Bears with arm, feet in OT loss Chicago Bears 2012-12-02 2012-12-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20121205025755/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Wilson-burns-Bears-with-arm-feet-in-OT-loss/74db2d98-89f7-4afb-a0cb-a568e03aa363 2012-12-05 dead This would mark Urlacher's final game in a Bears' uniform. Urlacher was inactive for the final four games of the 2012 season, and he retired from the NFL on May 22, 2013.Wright Michael Brian Urlacher retiring from NFL https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/9301402/brian-urlacher-chicago-bears-retiring ESPN 2013-05-22 2013-05-22 Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary December 9 12:00 p.m. CST Bears 0 7 0 7 Vikings 14 0 7 0 Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota 64,134 Played indoors (dome stadium) Walt Coleman Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Gamebook First quarter MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yd run (B. Walsh kick, MIN 0–7) MIN – Adrian Peterson 1-yd run (B. Walsh kick, MIN 0–14) Second quarter CHI – Alshon Jeffery 23-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, MIN 7–14) Third quarter MIN – Harrison Smith 56-yd interception return (B. Walsh kick, MIN 7–21) Fourth quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 16-yd pass from Jason Campbell (R. Gould kick, MIN 14–21) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 22/44, 260 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/16, 91 yds, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 13 car, 85 yds MIN – Adrian Peterson – 31 car, 154 yds, 2 TD Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall – 10 car, 160 yds, 1 TD MIN – Michael Jenkins – 4 rec, 36 yds Top tacklers CHI – Lance Briggs – 6 tkls, 5 ast MIN – Jasper Brinkley – 9 tkls, 3 ast thumb|270px|Chicago playing at the Minnesota Vikings on December 9, 2012 Two weeks after their last meeting, the Bears faced the Vikings again, this time in Minnesota. During pregame warmups, the Bears lost kicker Robbie Gould to a left calf sprain, and was replaced by punter Adam Podlesh, though Gould would eventually kick the Bears extra points and an onside kick. Like the previous meeting, the game was injury-laden for the Bears, having lost Brian Urlacher, Tim Jennings, Stephen Paea and Earl Bennett before the game, while Henry Melton, Shea McClellin, Craig Steltz and Sherrick McManis were lost during the game.Associated Press https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-kicker-gould-calf-strain-183846147--nfl.html Bears K Gould has calf strain; Cutler hurts neck Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-10 2014-04-19 2012-12-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20121212025723/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-kicker-gould-calf-strain-183846147--nfl.html dead On the game's first play from scrimmage, Adrian Peterson broke free for a 51-yard gain, and scored on a one-yard touchdown run a few plays later. On Chicago's first drive, Jay Cutler's pass intended for Alshon Jeffery was intercepted by Josh Robinson, who returned the pick to the five-yard line, setting up Peterson's second one-yard touchdown run. Peterson would end the game rushing for a Vikings-record 104 yards. The Bears would finally score on Cutler's 23-yard touchdown pass to Jeffery to end the first half. The Vikings, however, scored once again when rookie Harrison Smith intercepted Cutler and returned the pick 56-yards for a touchdown.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-fall-to-Vikings-21-14/65efcf91-8190-4e3d-8ce6-355e35043ddc Bears fall to Vikings 21–14 Chicago Bears 2012-12-10 2012-12-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20121212010532/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-fall-to-Vikings-21-14/65efcf91-8190-4e3d-8ce6-355e35043ddc 2012-12-12 dead Cutler would later be lost for the game due to a neck injury when he was hit by Everson Griffen, and was replaced by Jason Campbell, who threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall to bring the Bears seven points behind.Biggs Brad http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1210-bears-web-gamer-vikings--20121210,0,2675098.story Bears unable to dig out of early hole in loss to Vikings Chicago Tribune 2012-12-10 2012-12-10 Marshall caught ten passes for 160 yards in the game, and surpassed Marty Booker's 2002 franchise season reception record with 101.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Marshall-eclipses-Bookers-receptions-record/4e623b04-4ec7-4d15-af59-8731c006bfb2 Marshall eclipses Booker's receptions record Chicago Bears 2012-12-10 2012-12-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20121212031707/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Marshall-eclipses-Bookers-receptions-record/4e623b04-4ec7-4d15-af59-8731c006bfb2 2012-12-12 dead However, Gould's onside kick was recovered by Kyle Rudolph, ending the game with a Vikings victory,Krawcynski Jon https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/peterson-defense-lead-vikings-bears-21-14-17919862 Peterson, Defense Lead Vikings Over Bears 21–14 ABC News 2012-12-10 2012-12-10 and snapping the Bears six-game winning streak in the rivalry. With the loss, the Bears dropped to 8–5. The loss is the sixth straight by the Bears in December, dating back to the 2011 season. The Bears also dropped behind the Packers in the NFC North after the latter defeated the Detroit Lions 27–20.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-playoff-fate-remains-in-their-hands/d04d261c-d56e-4487-8c5d-a04bda015aad Bears' playoff fate remains in their hands Chicago Bears 2012-12-10 2012-12-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20121214030305/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-playoff-fate-remains-in-their-hands/d04d261c-d56e-4487-8c5d-a04bda015aad 2012-12-14 dead Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers #eee #eee Chicago Bears 41thru48 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears – Game summary December 16 12:00 p.m. CST Packers 0 14 7 0 Bears 0 7 3 3 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 62,534 45 F C, cloudy Walt Anderson Fox Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver Gamebook First quarter Second quarter CHI – Brandon Marshall 15-yd pass from Jay Cutler (R. Gould kick, CHI 7–0) GB – James Jones 29-yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (M. Crosby kick, TIE 7–7) GB – James Jones 8-yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (M. Crosby kick, GB 7–14) Third quarter GB – James Jones 6-yd pass from Aaron Rodgers (M. Crosby kick, GB 7–21) CHI – Olindo Mare 34-yd FG (GB 10–21) Fourth quarter CHI – Olindo Mare 34-yd FG (GB 13–21) Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/36, 291 yds, 3 TD CHI – Jay Cutler – 12/21, 135 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers GB – Alex Green – 13 car, 35 yds CHI – Matt Forte – 20 car, 69 yds Top receivers GB – Randall Cobb – 6 rec, 115 yds CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 rec, 56 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers GB – Brad Jones – 6 tkls, 2 ast CHI – Lance Briggs – 5 tkls, 4 ast The Bears donned their 1940s throwbacksMayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-set-to-battle-rival-Packers-at-Soldier-Field/1da67f4b-2aea-47ed-a1de-62dd7ab2e3cf Bears set to battle rival Packers at Soldier Field Chicago Bears 2012-12-16 2012-12-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20121219005916/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-set-to-battle-rival-Packers-at-Soldier-Field/1da67f4b-2aea-47ed-a1de-62dd7ab2e3cf 2012-12-19 dead in their second game against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC North showdown, with a division title on the line for the Packers. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears scored on Jay Cutler's 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. However, the Packers scored three unanswered touchdowns on Aaron Rodgers' touchdown passes to James Jones. The defending league MVP completed 23 of 36 passes for 291 yards, along with the touchdown passes. Cutler completed 12 of 21 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown, one interception and a 72.5 passer rating, and was sacked four times. After the Packers scored their first touchdown on Rodgers' touchdown pass to Jones late in the first half, Cutler's pass intended for Devin Hester was intercepted by Casey Hayward, which then became an eight-yard touchdown pass. The Packers then opened the second half when Rodgers threw another touchdown pass to Jones. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery was later flagged for pass interference, nullifying a touchdown pass, and the Bears had to resort to Olindo Mare-substituting for Robbie Gould-kicking a 34-yard field goal.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-free-fall-continues-with-loss-to-Packers/6cda27ac-1a2a-4187-8eaf-8ea1c547f4f5 Bears' free fall continues with loss to Packers Chicago Bears 2012-12-16 2012-12-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20121219005912/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-free-fall-continues-with-loss-to-Packers/6cda27ac-1a2a-4187-8eaf-8ea1c547f4f5 2012-12-19 dead On the Bears following drive, they went three-and-out, and on the punt return, Randall Cobb threw a lateral to Jeremy Ross, who fumbled the ball. Anthony Walters then recovered the ball, but the Bears failed to capitalize on the turnover, failing to gain a yard, and the team had to resort to Mare's second 34-yard field goal.Schwab Frank https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/packers-run-one-most-inane-trick-plays-ever-205907908--nfl.html Packers run one of the most inane trick plays ever seen, fumble it away to Bears (VIDEO) Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-16 2012-12-16 However, the Packers would hang on to defeat Chicago 21–13, clinching the NFC North. With the Bears' sixth straight loss to the Packers in the rivalry, the Bears dropped to 8–6.Biggs Brad http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1217-bears-packers-chicago--20121217,0,5625498.story Bears lose 6th straight against Packers, who clinch NFC North Chicago Tribune 2012-12-16 2012-12-16 The ten penalties committed for 91 yards by the Bears are a season high. Week 16: at Arizona Cardinals #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Sixteen: Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary December 23 3:25 p.m. CST/2:25 p.m. MST Bears 7 14 7 0 Cardinals 3 3 0 7 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 62,734 62 F C, sunny Terry McAulay Fox Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale Gamebook First quarter CHI – Zack Bowman 1-yd fumble return (O. Mare kick, CHI 7–0) ARI – Jay Feely 49-yd FG (CHI 7–3) Second quarter CHI – Matt Forte 4-yd run (O. Mare kick, CHI 14–3) ARI – Jay Feely 35-yd FG (CHI 14–6) CHI – Brandon Marshall 11-yd pass from Jay Cutler (O. Mare kick, CHI 21–6) Third quarter CHI – Charles Tillman 10-yd interception return (O. Mare kick, CHI 28–6) Fourth quarter ARI – Justin Bethel 82-yd blocked field goal return (J. Feely kick, CHI 28–13) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 12/26, 146 yds, 1 TD ARI – Ryan Lindley – 17/30, 141 yds, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 12 car, 88 yds, 1 TD ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling – 10 car, 19 yds Top receivers CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 rec, 68 yds, 1 TD ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 rec, 111 yds Top tacklers CHI – Charles Tillman – 8 tkls, 1 INT ARI – Calais Campbell – 7 tkls, 1 ast, 1 sck The Bears fought to continue their playoff chances against the Arizona Cardinals, with a loss knocking the Bears out of contention. Jay Cutler began the game having his first six passes fall incomplete, though he ended the game completing 12 of 26 for 146 yards and a touchdown. The Bears started the game on a strong note when Cardinals running back Beanie Wells fumbled the ball, and was recovered by Zack Bowman in the end zone, giving the Bears the lead. Arizona then settled for Jay Feely's 49-yard field goal. On the following drive, Matt Forte broke free for a 36-yard run, followed by Brandon Marshall's 30-yard catchMcManaman Bob https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bears-28-cardinals-13-010010621--nfl.html Bears 28, Cardinals 13 Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-23 2012-12-23 reaching the Cardinals 4-yard line, where Forte ran in untouched to increase the score to 14–3. The Cardinals later tried a fake field goal instead of attempting a 50-yard field goal, but failed. Later in the game, D. J. Moore muffed Dave Zastudil's punt, which was recovered by Arizona's Michael Adams. However, the Cardinals were only able to get a field goal.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/12/23/chicago-bears-arizona-cardinals/1788169/ Bears keep playoff hopes afloat by drubbing Cardinals USA Today 2012-12-23 2012-12-23 On Chicago's final possession of the first half, Cutler completed all of his passes, and the Bears scored on Cutler's 11-yard pass to Marshall. In the second half, Charles Tillman intercepted Ryan Lindley, and had the pick returned 10-yards for a touchdown.https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bears-defense-delivers-in-much-needed-win-over-cardinals/ Bears' defense delivers in much-needed win over Cardinals Fox News 2012-12-23 2012-12-23 The interception return is the eighth by the team, one shy of the NFL record.Associated Press http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/bears-stay-hunt-beating-cardinals-article-1.1226396 Chicago defense gets the best of Arizona Cardinals, keeps Bears in the playoff hunt New York Daily News 2012-12-23 2012-12-23 Lindley was later replaced by Brian Hoyer, who was also ineffective, having a pass intercepted by Kelvin Hayden, who took it 39 yards to the Arizona 10. The Bears failed to take advantage of the interception, as Olindo Mare's field goal was blocked by Adrian Wilson, which was recovered by Justin Bethel, who returned the blocked kick 82 yards for the Cardinals lone touchdown.Baum Bob http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1353225095/28-13-thrashing-of-Cardinals-keeps-Chicago-Bears-in-playoffs-hunt 28–13 thrashing of Cardinals keeps Chicago Bears in playoffs hunt Rockford Register Star 2012-12-23 2012-12-23 https://archive.today/20130202044049/http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x1353225095/28-13-thrashing-of-Cardinals-keeps-Chicago-Bears-in-playoffs-hunt 2013-02-02 dead With the win, the Bears kept their playoff hopes alive, as their record improved to 9–6. In order for the Bears to qualify for the playoffs, they must defeat the Lions in Week 17, while having the Packers defeat the Vikings.Associated Press https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/12/24/sports/football/ap-fbn-bears-cardinals-folo.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Bears Need Help From Packers After Beating Arizona The New York Times 2012-12-24 2012-12-24 Week 17: at Detroit Lions #eee #eee Chicago Bears 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seventeen: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 30 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Bears 10 10 3 3 Lions 3 7 7 7 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 64,451 Played indoors (dome stadium) Bill Leavy Fox Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa Gamebook First quarter DET – Jason Hanson 44-yd FG (DET 0–3) CHI – Earl Bennett 60-yd pass from Jay Cutler (O. Mare kick, CHI 7–3) CHI – Olindo Mare 33-yd FG (CHI 10–3) Second quarter CHI – Matt Forte 1-yd run (O. Mare kick, CHI 17–3) CHI – Olindo Mare 40-yd FG (CHI 20–3) DET – Kris Durham 25-yd pass from Matthew Stafford (J. Hanson kick, CHI 20–10) Third quarter DET – Will Heller 10-yd pass from Matthew Stafford (J. Hanson kick, CHI 20–17) CHI – Olindo Mare 28-yd FG (CHI 23–17) Fourth quarter CHI – Olindo Mare 20-yd FG (CHI 26–17) DET – Brian Robiskie 9-yd pass from Matthew Stafford (J. Hanson kick, CHI 26–24) Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 18/31, 257 yds, 1 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/42, 272 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 24 car, 103 yds, 1 TD DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 car, 57 yds Top receivers CHI – Earl Bennett – 5 rec, 109 yds, 1 TD DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 rec, 72 yds Top tacklers CHI – Nick Roach – 7 tkls, 1 ast DET – Ron Bartell – 6 tkls, 3 ast In the final week of the season, the Bears played their second game against the Lions with a spot in the playoffs on the line. The Bears fell behind the Lions after the Bears drive stalled, and Jason Hanson kicked a field goal. Chicago then struck back, with Jay Cutler throwing a swing pass to Earl Bennett, who ran 60 yards for the touchdown; the pass is the longest completion of the season for the Bears.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Larry-Mayers-Bears-Lions-blog/b154d48a-cc80-4425-8003-e19f046b1d28 Larry Mayer's Bears-Lions blog Chicago Bears 2012-12-30 2012-12-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103043742/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Larry-Mayers-Bears-Lions-blog/b154d48a-cc80-4425-8003-e19f046b1d28 2013-01-03 dead On the eventual kickoff, Joique Bell fumbled, and the Bears scored on a field goal. In the second quarter, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Julius Peppers, who reached Detroit's 10-yard line, and Matt Forte later scored on a one-yard run. The Bears recorded another takeaway when Tim Jennings intercepted Stafford and returned the pick to Detroit's 23-yard line, and the Bears scored another field goal. Detroit scored the final points of the half on Stafford's 25-yard touchdown pass to Kris Durham to make the score at halftime 20–10 in Chicago's favor.Trister Noah https://news.yahoo.com/bears-beat-lions-26-24-stay-playoff-race-211232304--spt.html Bears beat Lions 26–24 to stay in playoff race Yahoo! Sports 2012-12-30 2012-12-30 In the second half, the Lions scored again on Stafford's 10-yard touchdown pass to Will Heller. The Bears then had to settle for Olindo Mare kicking another field goal after Cutler failed to connect with Brandon Marshall. Chicago later had to kick another field goal when Cutler again failed to connect with Marshall. The Lions then drew within two points when Stafford threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie. However, Detroit would fail to score again and keep Chicago from running out the clock.Michael David Smith http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/30/bears-stay-alive-by-beating-lions-giants-are-eliminated/related/ Bears stay alive by beating Lions, Giants are eliminated Profootballtalk.com 2012-12-30 2012-12-30 January 2, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130102014007/http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/30/bears-stay-alive-by-beating-lions-giants-are-eliminated/related/ dead With the win, Chicago eliminated the New York Giants from playoff contention, but the Bears would also miss the playoffs after the Vikings defeated the Packers 37–34. The Bears ended the season with a 10–6 record. Standings Standings breakdown W L TPct. PF PAHome5 3 0 5 3 164 123Away5 3 0 5 3 211 154NFC North Opponents3 3 0 3 3 104 106AFC Opponents3 1 0 3 1 139 57NFC Opponents7 5 0 7 5 234 220By Stadium TypeIndoors1 1 0 1 1 40 45OutdoorsThe retractable roofs were open during the Cowboys' and Cardinals' games.Archer Todd https://www.espn.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4698787/loss-will-linger-but-will-it-haunt-cowboys Loss will linger, but will it haunt Cowboys? ESPN 2012-10-02 2012-12-26Sunnucks Mike http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/12/22/roof-to-be-open-for-cards-bears-game.html Roof to be open for Cards-Bears game as Arizona nears end of losing season Phoenix Business Journal 2012-12-22 2012-12-269 5 0 9 5 324 232 Statistical leaders + Table key§Bears franchise record Regular season Category Player(s) Value NFL Rank NFC Rank Passing yards Jay Cutler 3,033 yards 24th 12th Passing touchdowns Jay Cutler 19 TDs 21st 11th Rushing yards Matt Forte 1,094 yards T-12th 6th Rushing touchdowns Michael Bush/Matt Forte 5 TDs T-20th T-11th Receptions Brandon Marshall 118 rec § T-2nd 2nd Receiving yards Brandon Marshall 1,508 yards § 3rd 2nd Receiving touchdowns Brandon Marshall 11 TDs T-4th 3rd Points Robbie Gould 96 points 25th 13th Kickoff Return Yards Devin Hester 295 yards 22nd 10th Punt return Yards Devin Hester 621 yards 32nd 6th Tackles (combined)Lance Briggs 40 tackles 40th T-22nd Sacks Julius Peppers 11.5 sacks T-9th T-5th Interceptions Tim Jennings 9 INTs 1st 1st Stats updated to the end of the season (Week 17).http://www.nfl.com/stats/player NFL Stats: Players National Football League 2013-01-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20130104223553/http://www.nfl.com/stats/player 2013-01-04 Statistical league rankings Total Offense (YPG): 310.6 yds (28th NFL) Passing (YPG): 187.4 yds (29th NFL) Rushing (YPG): 123.1 yds (10th NFL) Points (PPG): 23.4 (16th NFL) Total Defense (YPG): 315.6 yds (5th NFL) Passing (YPG): 213.9 yds (8th NFL) Rushing (YPG): 101.7 yds (8th NFL) Points (PPG): 17.3 (3rd NFL) Stats updated to the end of the season (Week 17).http://www.nfl.com/stats/team NFL Stats: Teams National Football League 2013-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20130105223713/http://www.nfl.com/stats/team 2013-01-05 Awards and records Awards Weekly awards CB Charles Tillman was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for games played during Week 5.http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/10/tillman_named_nfc_defensive_pl.html Tillman named NFC defensive player of the week Chicago Sun-Times 2012-10-10 2012-10-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20130512140140/http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2012/10/tillman_named_nfc_defensive_pl.html 2013-05-12 deadhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-tillman-named-defensive-player-of-week-20121010,0,5867622.story Bears' Tillman named Defensive Player of Week Chicago Tribune 2012-10-10 2012-10-10 2012-10-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20121011050552/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-tillman-named-defensive-player-of-week-20121010,0,5867622.story dead CB Charles Tillman was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for games played during Week 7.https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4679476/tillman-wins-nfc-defensive-honors-again Charles Tillman wins NFC defensive honors again ESPN 2012-10-24 2012-10-24http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-tillman-again-earns-defensive-player-of-week-honor-20121024,0,4319279.story Bears' Tillman again earns Defensive Player of Week honor Chicago Tribune 2012-10-24 2012-10-24 2012-10-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20121024170754/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-tillman-again-earns-defensive-player-of-week-honor-20121024,0,4319279.story dead MLB Brian Urlacher was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for games played during Week 9.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-brian-urlacher-sherrick-mcmanis-capture-weekly-awards-20121107,0,2109720.story Urlacher, McManis earn NFC honors Chicago Tribune 2012-11-07 2012-11-07 2012-11-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20121108072610/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-chicago-bears-brian-urlacher-sherrick-mcmanis-capture-weekly-awards-20121107,0,2109720.story dead CB Sherrick McManis was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for games played during Week 9. DE Julius Peppers was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for games played during Week 16.http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/12/27/ryan-peppers-bryant-named-nfc-players-fo-the-week Ryan, Peppers, Bryant named NFC Players of the Week Pro Football Weekly 2012-12-27 2013-01-01 dead https://archive.today/20130201032255/http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/12/27/ryan-peppers-bryant-named-nfc-players-fo-the-week 2013-02-01 Monthly awards CB Tim Jennings was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of September.Mayer Larry http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Jennings-tabbed-NFC-Defensive-Player-of-Month/fae242ac-9e7c-42d8-b775-f3d54c4cdcd8 Jennings tabbed NFC Defensive Player of Month Chicago Bears 2012-10-04 2012-10-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20121005210934/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Jennings-tabbed-NFC-Defensive-Player-of-Month/fae242ac-9e7c-42d8-b775-f3d54c4cdcd8 2012-10-05 dead CB Charles Tillman was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for the month of October.Hendricks Maggie http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49643134/ns/local_news-chicago_il/t/charles-tillman-named-bears-nfc-defensive-player-month/#.UJLmWFJu_qM Charles Tillman Named Bears NFC Defensive Player of the Month NBC News 2012-11-01 2012-11-01August 2024 medicmedic Records Team Game The Bears set a franchise record for most points scored in the first quarter with 28 points. The mark was set against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9.http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49686319/ns/sports-nfl/ Bears 51, Titans 20 Associated Press 2012-11-04 2012-11-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20121104225327/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49686319/ns/sports-nfl/ 2012-11-04 dead The previous mark was 24 points set against the San Francisco 49ers in 2006.https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=321104010 Brian Urlacher's pick-six caps dominant day by Bears defense ESPN 2012-11-04 2012-11-04 The Bears became the first team in NFL history to score a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, defensive interception return for a touchdown, and a blocked punt return for a touchdown in the same quarter by completing the feat against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9 during the first quarter of the game.http://nfl.si.com/2012/11/04/bears-defense-special-teams-turn-in-first-quarter-for-the-ages/?sct=hp_t11_a4&eref=sihp Bears' defense, special teams turn in first quarter for the ages Sports Illustrated 2012-11-04 2012-11-04 2013-02-02 https://archive.today/20130202040312/http://nfl.si.com/2012/11/04/bears-defense-special-teams-turn-in-first-quarter-for-the-ages/?sct=hp_t11_a4&eref=sihp dead Season The Bears set a franchise record for most consecutive games with an interception return for a touchdown with 3 games. The record occurred in games against the St. Louis Rams (Week 3), Dallas Cowboys (Week 4), and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 5). The previous record was 2 consecutive games.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-deliver-second-half-knockout-punch/e2d587b0-493a-4991-b304-34d9f9d49155 Bears deliver second-half knockout punch Chicago Bears 2012-10-07 2012-10-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20121015052227/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-deliver-second-half-knockout-punch/e2d587b0-493a-4991-b304-34d9f9d49155 2012-10-15 dead The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five contests in a season. The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return six interceptions for touchdowns in the first seven contests in a season. The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return seven interceptions for touchdowns in the first eight contests in a season.http://www.suntimes.com/sports/16153791-419/record-setting-day-for-first-place-bears-in-51-20-hammering-of-titans.html Record-setting day for first-place Bears in 51–20 hammering of Titans Chicago Sun-Times 2012-11-05 2012-11-05 The Bears set a franchise record for most defensive interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season with 9. The initial mark of 6 touchdowns was set over the first 7 games. The previous record of 5 was set in 2004 over a full 16-game season.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1029-bears-4-downs--20121029,0,3140903.story 4 downs: Bears make big plays late Chicago Tribune 2012-10-28 2012-10-28 2012-10-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20121030042756/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1029-bears-4-downs--20121029,0,3140903.story deadhttp://prod.static.bears.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/2012-Chicago-Bears-Media-Guide.pdf 2012 Chicago Bears Media Guide Chicago Bears 2012-08-31 2012-10-28 2013-01-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20130116093343/http://prod.static.bears.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/2012-Chicago-Bears-Media-Guide.pdf dead Individual Game CB Charles Tillman and LB Lance Briggs became the first teammates in NFL history to score defensive touchdowns in consecutive games. The pair first scored against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, before scoring again against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1008-bears-tillman--20121008,0,2748904.story Tillman, Briggs make history with repeat returns Chicago Tribune 2012-10-07 2012-10-08 2012-10-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20121008042501/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-1008-bears-tillman--20121008,0,2748904.story dead CB Charles Tillman became the first player in NFL history to force four fumbles in one game. The feat came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9. Season WR Brandon Marshall set the Bears franchise record for most receptions, single season with 118 receptions. The previous record of 100 receptions was set by WR Marty Booker during the 2001 season. WR Brandon Marshall set the Bears franchise record for most receiving yards, single season with 1,508 receiving yards. The previous record of 1,400 receiving yards was set by WR Marcus Robinson during the 1999 season. WR Brandon Marshall set the Bears franchise record for most 100+ yard receiving yards in a game, single season with 7 games. CB Charles Tillman set the Bears franchise record for most forced fumbles, single season with 10 forced fumbles during the season. Career LS Patrick Mannelly set the Bears franchise record for the most seasons in a Bears uniform with 15 when he stepped on the field in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. The previous mark of 14 seasons was held by Bill George and Doug Buffone.http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Mannelly-will-make-history-Sunday/a7a189c1-6fc0-4335-a676-25f7a9a3a5cf Mannelly will make history Sunday Chicago Bears 2012-09-08 2012-09-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20120911001813/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Mannelly-will-make-history-Sunday/a7a189c1-6fc0-4335-a676-25f7a9a3a5cf 2012-09-11 dead CB Charles Tillman set the Bears franchise record for the most defensive touchdowns in a career with 8 when he returned an interception for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Tilman ended the season by extending the franchise mark to 9 defensive touchdowns. The previous mark of 7 touchdowns was held by FS Mike Brown. CB Charles Tillman set the Bears franchise record for most forced fumbles in a career with 37 forced fumbles. Tillman set the mark by forcing 10 fumbles during the 2012 season. The previous mark was held by DE Richard Dent with 34 forced fumbles over his career. Staff 2012 Chicago Bears #03182f white #df6108 Secretary of the board of directors – Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman – George McCaskey President/CEO – Ted Phillips General manager – Phil Emery Vice president of football administration/general counsel – Cliff Stein Director of pro scouting – Chris Ballard Director of college scouting – Marty Barrett Assistant director of pro scouting – Dwayne Joseph Assistant director of pro scouting – Kevin Turks Head coach – Lovie Smith Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator – Rod Marinelli Offensive coordinator – Mike Tice Quarterbacks – Jeremy Bates Running backs – Tim Spencer Wide receivers – Darryl Drake Tight ends – Mike DeBord Offensive line – Tim Holt Offensive assistant/wide receivers – Andrew Hayes-Stoker Defensive line – Mike Phair Linebackers – Bob Babich Defensive backs – Jon Hoke Assistant Defensive Backs (Safeties) – Gill Byrd Defensive assistant/nickelbacks – Mikal Smith Special teams coordinator – Dave Toub Assistant special teams – Kevin O'Dea Strength and conditioning coordinator – Rusty Jones Strength and conditioning assistant – Jim Arthur Conditioning assistant – Phil Brauch Final roster 2012 Chicago Bears 53 10 7  2 Jason Campbell  6 Jay Cutler 12 Josh McCown 25 Armando Allen 32 Kahlil Bell 22 Matt Forte 48 Evan Rodriguez y FB 45 Harvey Unga FB 19 Joseph Anderson American football y 80 Earl Bennett 23 Devin Hester RS 17 Alshon Jeffery y 15 Brandon Marshall 14 Eric Weems 86 Kyle Adams American football 87 Kellen Davis 89 Matt Spaeth 76 Cory Brandon T 78 James Brown American football guard y G 72 Gabe Carimi G/T 63 Roberto Garza C 79 Jonathan Scott American football T 67 Chris Spencer American football C/G 73 J'Marcus Webb T 70 Edwin Williams American football G 93 Nate Collins DT 71 Israel Idonije DE/DT 99 Shea McClellin y DE 69 Henry Melton DT 91 Amobi Okoye DT 92 Stephen Paea DT 90 Julius Peppers DE 98 Corey Wootton DE 55 Lance Briggs OLB 52 Blake Costanzo OLB 57 Dom DeCicco MLB 59 Jerry Franklin y OLB 58 Geno Hayes OLB 53 Nick Roach OLB/MLB 97 J. T. Thomas linebacker OLB 54 Brian Urlacher MLB 38 Zack Bowman CB 47 Chris Conte FS 24 Kelvin Hayden CB 26 Tim Jennings CB 30 D. J. Moore cornerback CB 43 Troy Nolan SS 33 Charles Tillman CB 37 Anthony Walters American football FS 21 Major Wright SS 65 Patrick Mannelly LS 10 Olindo Mare K  8 Adam Podlesh P 29 Michael Bush RB IR 35 Brandon Hardin y SS IR 13 Johnny Knox WR PUP 60 Lance Louis G IR  9 Robbie Gould K IR 27 Sherrick McManis CB IR -- Nick Pieschel y G IR 62 Chilo Rachal G NF-Inj. 20 Craig Steltz SS IR 75 Matt Toeaina DT IR 74 Derek Dennis y T 31 Isaiah Frey y CB 85 Gabe Miller TE 83 Dale Moss y WR 68 Chris Riley American football G 64 Reggie Stephens offensive lineman C 94 Aston Whiteside y DE Depth charts Week One depth chart Pro-Set 4-3 Yes No No Jay Cutler Jason Campbell Matt Forté Armando Allen Michael Bush Khalil Bell Evan Rodriguez Harvey Unga Brandon Marshall Earl Bennett Dane Sanzenbacher Alshon Jeffery Eric Weems Kellen Davis Matt Spaeth Kyle Adams Matt Spaeth J'Marcus Webb Chris Williams Jonathan Scott Chris Spencer Chilo Rachal James Brown Roberto Garza Edwin Williams Chris Spencer Lance Louis Chilo Rachal James Brown Gabe Carimi Chris Williams Jonathan Williams Nick Roach Geno Hayes Patrick Trahan Brian Urlacher Geno Hayes Blake Costanzo Lance Briggs J.T. Thomas Chris Conte Anthony Walters Major Wright Craig Steltz Jeremy Jones Charles Tillman Sherrick McManis D. J. Moore Tim Jennings Kelvin Hayden Julius Peppers Shea McClellin Cheta Ozougwu Stephen Paea Matt Toeaina Henry Melton Stephen Paea Amobi Okoye Israel Idonije Shea McClellin Corey Wootton Robbie Gould Adam Podlesh Ryan Quigley Devin Hester Devin Hester Patrick Mannelly Adam Podlesh 85 85 No Footnotes References 33em External links http://www.chicagobears.com/index.html Chicago Bears Report at ESPN Chicago Chicago Bears Team Page on NFL.comJanuary 2022 InternetArchiveBot yes 2012 Chicago Bears at Pro Football Reference Chicago Category:Chicago Bears seasons Bear Category:2012 in Chicago Category:2012 in Illinois