The Bears aren’t the first team to commit six turnovers in a half.
The last two offenses to do so were also coached by Mike Martz: the Rams had six turnovers in a half on Jan. 2, 2000 in a 38-31 loss to the Eagles and again on Oct. 28, 2001 in a 34-31 defeat to the Saints.
Both of those Rams teams eventually advanced to the Super Bowl, winning the first one and losing the second.
The Bears’ 29 net passing yards Sunday against the Panthers were their fewest in a win since they mustered just 24 yards on Dec. 3, 2006 against the Vikings.
In that game, Rex Grossman completed 6 of 19 passes for 34 yards with three interceptions and a 1.3 passer rating.
The Bears won that game 23-13, scoring touchdowns on Devin Hester’s 45-yard punt return and Ricky Manning’s 54-yard interception return.
I guess Todd Collins is just as bad as “bad” Rex Grossman.
When QB Jay Cutler has a 100-plus passer rating, his teams are 16-0.
Bears DE Julius Peppers has seven sacks in six career games against the Cowboys (including the playoffs).
The Bears trail the all-time series with the Cowboys 13-8, which includes a 3-7 mark in Dallas.
The Bears have lost their last three games in Dallas: in Mike Ditka’s final game as coach in 1992 and again in 1997 and 2004.
The Bears’ last win in Dallas came in 1986.
The Bears were 0-3 last year when Jay Cutler passed for at least 300 yards, losing to the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and San Fransisco 49ers.
The most yards Cutler threw for in a victory was 276 in the season finale against the Detroit Lions.
The Bears lead the all-time series 91-82-6 against their NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers.
Since taking over as Head Coach in 2004, Lovie Smith has great success against the Packers.
When these two teams meet its always a battle to the finish. Can’t wait for the games this season against Green Bay.
Bear Down!
Did you know that former Bears great Dick Butkus ended his career in 1973 because of knee injuries.
I bet you didn’t.
Now you know.
Dick Butkus was a scary player. Football was definitely his forte. Nothing could stop him except knee injuries I guess.
Did you know that the Chicago Bears’ old nickname, “Monsters of the Midway,” was derived in the 1940′s from the University of Chicago after the school abolished its football program.
The 1940 and 1941 teams were where the nickname, “Monsters of the Midway,” really started.
It really came back to life in the 1985 when the Bears went 15-1 and their defense was ranked first in the NFL in points and yards allowed. They shut out their two opponents, the NY Giants and the L.A. Rams on the way to Super Bowl XX.
They than went on two slaughter the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
The Bears teams after that started to not play nearly to that level, so the nickname fizzled away. Then in 2006 when the defense led them to a Super Bowl appearance many analysts and fans started to call them the “Monsters of the Midway,” again.
The last three seasons have been disappointing, but maybe with the additions the Bears defense can regain the nickname “Monsters of the Midway” again.
The first ever Bear was, Joe Stydahar, who was selected by the Bears with the sixth overall pick in the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936. Stydahar was voted All-NFL four straight seasons from 1937-40. After serving in the Armed Forces during World War II, he returned to the Bears and helped lead them to the 1946 NFL championship. Stydahar was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Not too long ago former Titans general manager Floyd Reese talking about how close Tennessee came to selecting Devin Hester with the 45th pick in the second round of the 2006 draft. Reese apparently had written Hester’s name on Tennessee’s draft card and was talking to him on the phone before a last-second plea by Titans coaches led to Tennessee choosing USC running back LenDale White instead.
Hester said this about the 2006 draft and the Titans:
“They called me, got all my information and were congratulating me for being a Tennessee Titan. I talked to all the coaches and then like the last five seconds on the clock they said, ‘Sorry, we’re going to go in another direction.’ I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was hurt. I did shed a tear because I was so anxious and overwhelmed that I was finally being picked. I was frustrated at that point, like I didn’t know what was going to happen next. I just wanted to get it over.”
Hester was eventually selected 12 slots later at No. 57 by the Bears.
all quotes from chicagobears.com
Brian Urlacher caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from holder Brad Maynard on a fake field goal on Dec. 23, 2001 in Washington.
The score turned a 13-10 deficit into a 17-13 lead with 9:55 remaining in the fourth quarter in an eventual 20-15 victory over the Redskins.
