The Chicago Bears 2011 campaign was marred by injury, with ten players finishing the season on injured reserve not including Brandon Iwuh who was released after injuring his hamstring. The Bears won seven of their first ten games including wins over playoff teams to be Atlanta and Detroit before losing Jay Cutler for the season to a broken thumb. Two weeks later Matt Forte was lost for the year. The Bears won just one of their final six games, including crushing losses to Kansas City and Denver. The failings of back up quarterback Caleb Hanie and a regression in the play of the offensive line cost Bears GM Jerry Angelo and offensive coordinator Mike Martz their jobs. The new Bears GM will have his hands full as the Bears have holes at wide receiver, tight end, tackle, guard, defensive end, cornerback and safety.
Week One: Bears 30, Falcons 12 @ Chicago
Play of the game: Midway through the third quarter Bears defensive end Julius Peppers's relentless pressure resulted in one of his two sacks and knocked the ball away from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher scooped it up and returned it twelve yards for a touchdown.
Player of the game: Brian Urlacher
The star linebacker registered ten tackles, four assists, one interception and returned a recovered fumble for a touchdown.
Week Two: Saints 30, Bears 13 @ New Orleans
Play of the game: Early in the second quarter Drew Brees connected with Devery Henderson who had blown by both Bears safeties for a 79 yard touchdown on third and long. At the time the Saints trailed 7-3 but never trailed again after the play.
Player of the game: Drew Brees
The Saints quarterback completed 26 of 37 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns.
Week Three: Packers 27, Bears 17 @ Chicago
Play of the game: Early in the fourth quarter Aaron Rodgers hit tight end Jermichael Finley for a ten yard score. The catch was Finley's third touchdown of the game, each coming against a different Bears defender.
Player of the game: Jermichael Finley
The big tight end caught seven passes for 85 yards and three touchdowns.
Week Four: Bears 34, Panthers 29 @ Chicago
Play of the game: Early in the second quarter Devin Hester returned a Jason Baker punt 69 yards for a score, making him the all time leader for punt return touchdowns.
Player of the game: Matt Forte
The Bears half back rushed for 205 yards and one score. He also caught four passes for 23 yards.
Week Five: Lions 24, Bears 13 @ Detroit
Play of the game: Late in the third quarter Lions half back Jahvid Best ran untouched through the heart of the Bears defense 88 yards for a touchdown that put Detroit up two scores.
Player of the game: Jahvid Best
The Lions runner put up 163 yards and one score on just 12 carries. He also caught four passes for nine yards.
Week Six: Bears 39, Vikings 10 @ Chicago
Play of the game: After the Vikings scored their only touchdown of the game early in the third quarter Devin Hester took the ensuing kick off back for a score, reminding the Vikings how thoroughly they were being dominated.
Player of the game: Devin Hester
The Bears special teams star returned three kicks for 125 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Week Seven: Bears 24, Buccaneers 18 @ Tampa Bay (in London)
Play of the game: The Bucs had sliced an eighteen point deficit down to just six and held the ball in Bears territory inside the game's final minute. Bears defensive end Julius Peppers got pressure in the face of Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman and forced a poor throw that was picked off by Bears cornerback D.J. Moore.
Player of the game: Matt Forte
The Bears runner dazzled gaining 145 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He also gained 38 yards on two receptions.
Week Eight: Bye
Week Nine: Bears 30, Eagles 24 @ Philadelphia
Play of the game: The Bears trailed by four early in the fourth quarter when Jay Cutler hit Earl Bennett for a five yard score that put the Bears ahead for the rest of the game.
Player of the game: Earl Bennett
The Bears receiver returned from a chest injury in grand fashion. He caught five passes for 95 yards and the deciding touchdown.
Week Ten: Bears 37, Lions 13 @ Chicago
Play of the game: On Detroit's first possession of the second half Major Wright returned a Matthew Stafford interception 24 yards for a touchdown, turning the game in to a rout.
Player of the game: Charles "Peanut" Tillman
The Bears cornerback's physical play stifled the Lions big play receiver Charles Johnson. Tillman also returned an interception for a touchdown and recorded five tackles.
Week Eleven: Bears 31, Chargers 20 @ Chicago
Play of the game: Midway through the fourth quarter Bears receiver Johnny Knox slipped on his route and Jay Cutler's pass was intercepted Antoine Cason. On the return Cutler held up the convoy long enough for Matt Forte to bump Cason out of bounds inside the Bears 20. The Bears defense would eventually take the ball back, but on the play Cutler broke his thumb.
Player of the game: Jay Cutler
The Bears quarterback completed 18 of 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran five times for 11 yards and a touchdown.
Week Twelve: Raiders 25, Bears 20 @ Oakland
Play of the game: The Bears held the ball deep in Raiders territory in the first half's final minute when Caleb Hanie's ill fated throwback screen was deflected by Aaron Curry and intercepted by Kamerion Wimbley. Lance Louis hustled to bring down Wimbley inside the Bears 10 and the defense forced a field goal, but the point and momentum swing was too much for the Bears and their backup quarterback.
Player of the game: Sebastian Janikowski
The Raiders kicker banged home 19 of the Raiders 25 points, connecting on all six of his field goal tries.
Week Thirteen: Chiefs 10, Bears 3 @ Chicago
Play of the game: On the final play of the first half Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko made a desperation heave from near midfield to the Bears end zone. The pass appeared to be defended by Brian Urlacher, but in an effort to knock the ball to the ground safety Chris Conte swatted the ball out of Urlacher's hands and in to the hands of Chiefs running back Dexter McCluster resulting in the game's only touchdown and deciding points. It was Palko's first career touchdown pass and one of many bizarre plays that lead to the Bears demise.
Player of the game: Justin Houston
The Kansas City linebacker led a blitzing defense recording 7 tackles, 3 sacks, a forced fumble and a defensed pass.
Week Fourteen: Broncos 13, Bears 10 (OT) @ Denver
Play of the game: With the Bears leading by three at the two minute warning Bears running back Marion Barber inexplicably ran out of bound on a second down run. The play stopped the clock and gave the Broncos an extra forty seconds when they received the ball, leaving them just enough time to drive for a tying field goal. Denver would capitalize on a Barber fumble in overtime to win the game.
Player of the game: Matt Prater
The Denver kicker accounted for seven points including a 59 yard field goal to tie the game and a 53 yard field goal to win the game.
Week Fifteen: Seahawks 38, Bears 14 @ Chicago
Play of the game: With the game tied at fourteen early in the third quarter Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright pressured Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie on a play action pass. Hanie's course of action was to throw the ball to Seahawks defensive end Red Bryant who had nothing but twenty yards between himself and a go ahead touchdown. It was the first of two Hanie interceptions returned for scores by the Seattle defense.
Player of the game: Marshawn Lynch
The Seattle running back rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for five yards.
Week Sixteen: Packers 35, Bears 21 @ Green Bay
Play of the game: After the Bears scored a touchdown on the first possession of the second half to pull within four points of the lead the Packers answered with a fifty five yard bomb from Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson that beat both Bears safeties. Green Bay would also score touchdowns on their next two possessions to put the game out of reach.
Player of the game: Aaron Rodgers
The Green Bay quarterback completed 21 of 29 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed four times for 18 yards.
Week Seventeen: Bears 17, Vikings 13 @ Minnesota
Play of the game: Less than a minute after a Bears offensive touchdown got the Bears within three points of the lead early in the second quarter Bears cornerback Charles Tillman picked off Christian Ponder and returned the interception for a touchdown. The Bears would not trail again after this play.
Player of the game: Charles Tillman
The Bears cornerback celebrated his first ever Pro Bowl selection in style recording six solo tackles, assisting four others and returning an interception for a touchdown. The return makes him the Bears all time leader in interception return touchdowns with five.
The Top Three Bears Games Of 2011
3. Week One: Bears 30, Falcons 12 @ Chicago
The Bears validated the previous season's great run by throttling a team that had been the NFC's top playoff seed the previous season and would become a wild card participant in this season's playoffs. Big games from Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers led the way to victory.
2. Week Nine: Bears 30, Eagles 24 @ Philadelphia
For the second consecutive season the Bears out classed the Eagles in a key mid season show down. Despite being the underdog the Bears ran over and around the Eagles, exposing the "Dream Team" and continuing their dominance over Michael Vick. Only one of ESPN's Monday Night Countdown "experts" picked the Bears to win this game: Mike Ditka.
1. Week Ten: Bears 37, Lions 13 @ Chicago
The Bears avenged an embarrassing week five loss to the Lions in dominant fashion. Despite getting a sub par game from the offense the Bears defense and special teams took Detroit out of the game taking the ball away six times, returning two interceptions and a punt return for touchdowns. The most prevalent victims were the Lion's two best players quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Stafford looked uncomfortable all game and was picked off four times. Johnson was shut down Charles Tillman while the game was in the balance, lost a fumble and was rocked by Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs.
Bear Of The Year: Jay Cutler
Despite having five players named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad (Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Corey Graham), no one player's fortune's impacted the Bears than those of Jay Cutler. In ten games with Cutler the Bears were 7-3 and rounding in to one of the NFC's best teams. In the six games following losing Cutler to a broken thumb the Bears went 1-5 facing softer competition than what Cutler faced. In ten games Cutler completed 182 of 314 passes for 2319 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also ran 10 times for 18 yards and one touchdown.
