The2001Chicago Bears season was their 82ndregular season and 23rdpostseason completed in theNational Football League (NFL). The team finished with a 13–3 record under head coachDick Jauron en route to an NFC Central title and the number two seed in theNFC, and the Bears' first playoff appearance since1994. With former 1st round pickCade McNown being traded during training camp, the Bears were led byJim Miller. The team had five comeback wins during the season, including two straight improbable wins where safetyMike Brown returned an interception for the game-winning touchdown in overtime. However, the Bears were upset at home bythe Philadelphia Eagles 33–19 in the NFC Divisional playoffs.
The Bears surprised most with a breakout campaign in 2001. After losing the opening game of the season to theSuper Bowl XXXV ChampionBaltimore Ravens 17–6 on the road, the Bears won their next six games, starting with a 17–10 victory against their division rival,the Minnesota Vikings in the Bears’ home opener. They carried their momentum through the Week 3 Bye and won on the road againstthe Atlanta Falcons (31–3).
The Bears returned home and won againstthe Arizona Cardinals 20–13. After a road shutout ofthe Cincinnati Bengals 24–0 the Bears played three home games. The first two games of this stretch were back-to-back overtime wins, first against theSan Francisco 49ers (37–31), then against theCleveland Browns (27–21). Both times safetyMike Brown capped remarkable comebacks (the Bears trailed 28–9 in the third quarter against San Francisco, and 21–7 with seconds remaining against Cleveland) by returning an interception in overtime for a touchdown.
Unfortunatelythe Green Bay Packers (their historic rival) buried the Bears’ win streak at home, 20–12. The Bears rebounded, winning their next three games. They first defeated then-division rivalTampa Bay 27–24. A season sweep of the Vikings (13–6) followed, then the Bears defended their turf againstthe Detroit Lions 13–10.
The Bears then traveled toLambeau Field and were swept by the Packers 17–7. Once again the Bears rebounded, winning their last four games, against the Buccaneers at home (27–3), theRedskins (20–15), the Lions on the road (24–0), and then their season-finale againstthe Jacksonville Jaguars (33–13). The Bears ended the regular season with a 13–3 record.
The Bears entered the playoffs with the league's top defense (allowing a league-low 203 points), an offense ranked 11th in points scored (338 points), and a plus-13 turnover differential (4th in the league), but their magical season ended on a sour note, losing 33–19 tothe Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs atSoldier Field.
The Bears trailed the 49ers 28–9 in the third quarter. The Bears would score 22 unanswered points after Shane Matthews threw two touchdown passes to David Terrell in the last four minutes to tie the game 31–31. The 49ers won the coin toss and elected to receive. On the first play of overtime, quarterback Jeff Garcia threw a pass to Terrell Owens which Owens bobbled it out of his hands and was intercepted by Mike Brown. Brown would return the ball all the way for a walk-off pick six to win the game for the Bears 37–31.[7]
The Bears trailed the Browns 21–7 with 30 seconds left in the game. The Bears were able to score 14 points in those 30 seconds after Shane Matthews threw a touchdown pass to Marty Booker, Bears get the onside kick, and Matthews throwing a Hail Mary that got tipped up in the air and somehow caught in the endzone by James Allen for a touchdown. The game would go into Overtime for the second game in a row for the Bears. The Bears won the coin toss but had to punt it to the Browns. On the Browns' third play of their drive, Tim Couch threw a pass that was batted up in the air by Bryan Robinson and fell into the hands of Mike Brown who would return it for a game winning pick six. Brown became the first and currently only player in NFL history to have back-to-back games with a game winning pick six in overtime.[9]
After the winless Lions control play for most of the first half, Detroit kicker Jason Hanson misses three relatively easy field goals and the Bears recover their offense for a come-behind victory.[14] The win moves the Bears to 9–2 but leave the Lions at 0–11 and looking down the barrel of the first0–16 season in NFL history.
Quarterback Miller controls play, and the Bear defence dominates Lion QBTy Detmer, so that the Lions suffer a second home shutout for the first time since1942. The Bears’ first playoff berth in eight seasons becomes settled and the team gains an opportunity to win the NFC Central – in the last year under that banner – for the first time since 1990.[19]
The game's biggest highlight was defensive tackleKeith Traylor intercepting aMark Brunell pass and returning it 67 yards setting up aDavid Terrell touchdown in the third quarter. With the win, the Bears clinched the NFC Central and the #2 seed in the NFC at 13-3.
^abThe Bears were originally scheduled to host the Jacksonville Jaguars during Week 2 of the original NFL schedule (September 16) at Soldier Field. However, due to theSeptember 11 attacks, the game was rescheduled to Week 17.
^Dowbiggin, Bruce; ‘Lions give futility a whole new meaning: After an 0-11 start, the history books beckon for woeful NFL franchise’;Calgary Herald, 15 December 2001, p. D3
