2008 Chicago Bears season
Owner	The McCaskey Family
General manager	Jerry Angelo
Head coach	Lovie Smith
Home stadium	Soldier Field
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2ndNFC North
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	LBLance Briggs
Uniform
← 2007 Bears seasons 2009 →

The2008 season was theChicago Bears' 89th season in theNational Football League (NFL), and the fifth underhead coachLovie Smith. They finished the 2008 season with a 9–7 record, improving upon their 7–9 record from the2007 season. The Bears failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Following their 7–9 finish in the2007 season, the Bears were faced with many issues to address heading into the2008 NFL season. In an interview,Jerry Angelo, the team'sgeneral manager, stated the Bears will seek to bring stability to their offense by creating competition for their currentrunning backs andquarterbacks throughfree agency and theupcoming draft.^[1][2] The team's running game ranked near last in almost every statistical category, while the Bears had to rely on three different quarterbacks to finish the season.^[2] Additionally, the Bears were faced with many questions pertaining to their aging offensive line, which was ridden with injuries and inconsistent play throughout the 2007 season.^[3][4]A week before free agency started, the Bears opted to extendAlex Brown's contract, who recorded three sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery after reclaiming his starting job.^[5] The same day, the Bears parted withMuhsin Muhammad,Fred Miller, andDarwin Walker.^[5] A few days later, Jerry Angelo stated the franchise would not re-signRuben Brown, and suggested the team was in the process of rebuilding their offensive line.^[6] The Bears then focused their attention to their quarterbacks; re-signingRex Grossman,^[7] and extendingKyle Orton's contract for another year.^[8] The team considered releasingBrian Griese in order to avoid a $300,000dollar bonus, but eventually traded him to theTampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth round draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.^[9]

Finally, the Bears were left to deal with their top three free agents,Brendon Ayanbadejo,Bernard Berrian, andLance Briggs.^[10] Berrian left the Bears to play with theMinnesota Vikings, agreeing to a six-year contract worth $42-million dollars.^[11] On the same day, the Bears signed Briggs to a six-year, $36 million contract.^[11] The Bears also decided not to pursue Ayanbadejo, and allowed him to sign with theBaltimore Ravens.^[12] With their top-two wide receivers gone, the team re-acquiredMarty Booker, who had been released from theMiami Dolphins.^[13] The Bears also signed formerWashington Redskins wide receiverBrandon Lloyd.^[14] The team then signed restricted free agentRashied Davis to a one-year, $927,000 tender on April 18,^[15] and later signed him to a three-year contract worth $5.86 million.^[16] The Bears then released safetyAdam Archuleta after the2008 NFL draft.^[17]

The Bears were forced to also part withCedric Benson after two run-ins with the law inAustin, Texas. Benson was first arrested for allegedly operating a boat while under the influence ofalcohol.^[18] Only weeks after the incident, he was arrested again for reportedly driving while intoxicated.^[19] Benson denied the allegations that he was drunk and claimed that he was mistreated by the police on the first occasion.^[20] Angelo and Smith voiced a general sense of disappointment towards Benson's actions,^[21][22] and eventually opted to terminate his career with the organization.^[22] With Benson's departure the team had lost their passing (Griese), receiving (Berrian), and rushing (Benson) leaders from the previous season.^[23]

The Bears were reluctant to sign free agents to fill vacancies on their team. Angelo stated that he believed "free agency begins at home".^[24] The team invested a great deal of money in order to re-sign various players, including place kickerRobbie Gould, defensive tackleTommie Harris, tight endDesmond Clark, and wide receiverRashied Davis.^[24] Various veteran running backs, such asKevin Jones,Ron Dayne, andShaun Alexander, were reportedly interested in filling Benson's absence,^[25] The team acquiredP.J. Pope and rookieMatt Lawrence for competition and depth,^[26] and later Jones in mid-July.^[27]

The Bears held the fourteenth overall pick in the2008 NFL draft. In addition to their six other regular picks, the team acquired an additional third-round draft pick as a result of a trade with theSan Diego Chargers.^[28] The Bears also traded third-round picks with theSan Francisco 49ers, and obtained their fifth round pick as a result of attempting to negotiate withLance Briggs's agent,Drew Rosenhaus, before the trading deadline in October 2007.^[29] The League has also awarded the Bears with three compensatory picks, which are all in the draft's seventh round.^[30]

As widely speculated by many draft analysts, The Bears used their first three draft picks to select offensive players.^[31][32][33] The team draftedChris Williams fromVanderbilt to address holes in their offensive lines,Matt Forte fromTulane to help solidify their running game, andEarl Bennett to assist their wide receiver corp.^[34] Other rookies, such asCraig Steltz andMarcus Monk were drafted to provide additional depth and competition to their respective positions.^[35] The team also acquired several undrafted rookie after the draft.Caleb Hanie andNick Hill were signed to add competition and extra depth to the Bears quarterback position.^[36]The Bears signed Williams, their last unsigned draft pick, on July 23, 2008.^[37]

As of the2012 season, half of the drafted rookies (Marcus Harrison,Ervin Baldwin,Chester Adams,Joey LaRocque,Kirk Barton andMarcus Monk) are not on the team, with every 7th round pick (Baldwin, Adams, LaRocque, Barton, and Monk) by the team being gone by the end of the season (Baldwin is the lone exception).

^[38]

The Bears held several scattered mini-camp andOrganized Team Activity (OTA) workouts throughout May, and up to mid-June.^[39]Brian Urlacher, who had previously stated he would forgo the team's mini-camps in order due to issues with his contract, was among several Bears players to attend the training sessions.^[40] All players who were previously injured in the previous season, including veteran safetyMike Brown and cornerbackNathan Vasher, were cleared to practice.^[41] The Bears concluded their mini-camp sessions on June 18, with rookieMatt Forte as the team's top running back.^[42]

All members of the Bears reported to the team's summer training facility atOlivet Nazarene University inBourbonnais, Illinois, except forDevin Hester, who missed the first two days of camp due to a contract dispute.^[43][44]Chris Williams, the team's top draft pick, missed the camp's first weekend after sustaining a minor back injury.^[45] He was later diagnosed with separate injury, a herniated disc, which required minor surgery to repair.^[46] The Bears had not given a time table pertaining to Williams' return.^[46] His fellow offensive lineman,Terrence Metcalf was also required to have surgery to repair his knee, and is also sidelined indefinitely.^[47] The Bears held their last training camp session of the summer on August 15, 2008.^[48]Lovie Smith was generally pleased with team's progress, and stated, "Guys were fighting for positions. All of them have stepped up and we'll just keep that evaluation going. To me, a successful camp a lot of times is when you get out injury free and we've done that for the most part. And again we've gotten good work done."^[48]

• 
  QuarterbackRex Grossman taking the snap
• 
  Receiver and returnerDevin Hester during camp
• 
  Players stretch during camp
• 
  LinebackersHunter Hillenmeyer (92) andLance Briggs (55) during camp
• 
  Grossman passes
• 
  Grossman's counterpart and eventual starting quarterbackKyle Orton passes to running backGarrett Wolfe

The Bears began their 2008 season by recording an upset victory over theIndianapolis Colts at the newly openedLucas Oil Stadium.^[49] The team won theSuper Bowl XLI rematch, by a score of 29–13.^[49][50] The Bears offensive attack featured the debut of rookierunning backMatt Forté, becoming the first Bears rookie running back to start a game sinceWalter Payton in 1975, coincidentally against theBaltimore Colts^[49] (Anthony Thomas also started as a running back for the Bears in 2001). Forte carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run. The Colts and Bears exchanged field goals, and thenJoseph Addai was dropped for a safety. ARobbie Gould 25-yard field goal on the following drive ended the 1st half.^[49]

Peyton Manning helped the Colts narrow their deficit by throwing a six-yard touchdown pass toReggie Wayne.^[49] Later in the 3rd quarter, Bears cornerbackCharles Tillman forced a fumble, whichLance Briggs picked up and returned for a 21-yard touchdown.^[49] The Bears defense was able to contain the Colts the rest of the way, including a key fourth down and one yard stop near midfield early in the fourth quarter. The Bears essentially sealed their victory with 8:56 left on a one-yard touchdown run by fullbackJason McKie.^[49] After the game,Al Michaels andJohn Madden awarded Forte with theSunday Night Football's "Horse Trailer Player of the Game" award.^[51]Adewale Ogunleye received the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for recording a safety, three tackles-for-loss, and making a key fourth down stop during the game.^[52]

Coming off their upset road win over the Colts, the Bears flew toBank of America Stadium for a Week 2 intraconference duel with theCarolina Panthers. In the first quarter, Chicago struck first as WRBrandon Lloyd returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a touchdown. In the second quarter, the Bears added onto their lead as kickerRobbie Gould got a 26-yard field goal. The Panthers would respond with kickerJohn Kasay getting a 37-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Chicago added onto its lead with FBJason McKie getting a 1-yard TD run. However, Carolina started to rally as Kasay nailed a 45-yard field goal, along with RBJonathan Stewart getting a 4-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers closed out its game-winning rally with Stewart getting a 1-yard TD run.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 1–1.

atSoldier Field,Chicago

• Game time: Sunday September 21, 2008 – 1:00 p.m.EDT / 12:00 p.m.CDT
• Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Partly cloudy
• Television announcers (Fox):Sam Rosen,Tim Ryan, &Chris Myers
• Game attendance: 62,051
• Referee:Tony Corrente

Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Panthers, the Bears played their Week 3 home opener against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, who were led by former Bears QBBrian Griese.

In the first quarter, Chicago got the early lead as kickerRobbie Gould got a 40-yard and a 43-yard field goal. The Buccaneers would respond with Griese completing a 4-yard TD pass to WRIke Hilliard. In the second quarter, Tampa Bay increased its lead with DEGaines Adams returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. The Bears closed out the half with Gould's 28-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Chicago took the lead with QBKyle Orton completing a 6-yard TD pass to rookie RBMatt Forté (along with Orton's 2-point conversion pass to WRBrandon Lloyd). In the fourth quarter, the Bears increased their lead with Orton completing a 19-yard TD pass to Lloyd. However, the Buccaneers rallied with kickerMatt Bryant getting a 35-yard field goal, along with Griese's 1-yard TD pass to TEJerramy Stevens. In overtime, Tampa Bay got the victory as Bryant nailed the game-winning 21-yard field goal. The loss represented the Bears second consecutive loss as a result of a blown fourth quarter lead.^[53]

With the loss, the Bears fell to 1–2.

Q1 – CHI – 12:43 –Robbie Gould 40 yd FG (CHI 3–0)

Q1 – CHI – 6:10 – Robbie Gould 43 yd FG (CHI 6–0)

Q1 – TB – 1:50 – 4 yd TD pass fromBrian Griese toIke Hilliard (Matt Bryant kick) (TB 7–6)

Q2 – TB – 5:26 –Gaines Adams 45 yd interception return TD (Bryant kick) (Bryant kick) (TB 14–6)

Q2 – CHI – 0:00 – Robbie Gould 28 yd FG (TB 14–9)

Q3 – CHI – 2:54 – 6 yd TD pass fromKyle Orton toMatt Forté (2-pt conversion pass from Kyle Orton toBrandon Lloyd) (CHI 17–14)

Q4 – CHI – 6:38 – 19 yd TD pass from Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd (Gould kick) (CHI 24–14)

Q4 – TB – 3:11 – Matt Bryant 35 yd FG (CHI 24–17)

Q4 – TB – 0:07 – 1 yd TD pass from Brian Griese toJerramy Stevens (Bryant kick) (Tied 24–24)

OT – TB – 4:21 – Matt Bryant 21 yd FG (TB 27–24)

atSoldier Field,Chicago

• Game time: 8:15 p.m.EDT/7:15 p.m.CDT
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Cloudy)
• Television announcers (NBC):Al Michaels,John Madden, &Andrea Kremer
• Game attendance: 62,099
• Referee:Walt Coleman

The Bears remained a home for week four's Sunday night duel with thePhiladelphia Eagles, led by Chicago nativeDonovan McNabb.

In the first quarter, the Bears drew first blood as QBKyle Orton completed a 19-yard TD pass to TEGreg Olsen. The Eagles responded with McNabb completing a 22-yard TD pass to WRDeSean Jackson. In the second quarter, Chicago responded with Orton completing a 23-yard TD pass to WRMarty Booker. Philadelphia responded with RBCorrell Buckhalter getting a 1-yard TD run. The Bears closed out the half with Orton completing a 20-yard TD pass to WR/KRDevin Hester.

In the third quarter, the Eagles drew closer as kickerDavid Akers got a 24-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia got even closer with Akers kicking a 31-yard field goal. Chicago answered with kickerRobbie Gould nailing a 41-yard field goal. The Eagles were able to mount an offensive drive in the fourth quarter, but after getting a first down at CHI 4, the Eagles were stopped on 3 straight plays from the 1, turning the ball over on downs. The Bears managed to get a first down on the subsequent drive, milking most of the remaining time and allowed the Bears to walk away with a 24–20 victory.^[54][55]

Q1 – CHI – 13:05 – 19 yd TD pass fromKyle Orton toGreg Olsen (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0)

Q1 – PHI – 8:49 – 22 yd TD pass fromDonovan McNabb toDeSean Jackson (David Akers kick (7–7)

Q2 – CHI – 13:58 – 23 yd TD pass from Kyle Orton toMarty Booker (Gould kick) (CHI 14–7)

Q2 – PHI – 11:40 –Correll Buckhalter 1 yd TD run (Akers kick) (14–14)

Q2 – CHI – 1:16 – 20 yd TD pass from Kyle Orton toDevin Hester (Gould kick) (CHI 21–14)

Q3 – PHI – 4:22 – David Akers 24 yd FG (CHI 21–17)

Q4 – PHI – 13:21 – David Akers 31 yd FG (CHI 21–20)

Q4 – CHI – 10:28 – Robbie Gould 41 yd FG (CHI 24–20)

atFord Field,Detroit, Michigan

• Game time: 1:00 PMEDT/12:00 PMCDT
• Game weather: None (Domed Stadium)
• TV announcers (Fox):Matt Vasgersian,Brian Baldinger,Brian Billick, &Laura Okmin
• Game attendance: 59,790
• Referee:Scott Green

Coming off their Sunday night home win over the Eagles, the Bears flew toFord Field for a Week 5 NFC North duel with theDetroit Lions. In the first quarter, Chicago drew first blood as kickerRobbie Gould got a 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Bears increased their lead with QBKyle Orton completing a 9-yard TD pass to rookie RBMatt Forté and a 12-yard TD pass to WR/KRDevin Hester. In the third quarter, Chicago continued its domination with Forté getting a 1-yard TD run, along with CBCharles Tillman returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. Afterwards, the Lions would get their only score of the game as RBKevin Smith got a 12-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Bears closed out the game with Gould nailing a 45-yard field goal.

With the win, Chicago improved to 3–2.

Q1 – CHI – 6:48 –Robbie Gould 37 yd FG (CHI 3–0)

Q2 – CHI – 5:27 – 9 yd TD pass fromKyle Orton toMatt Forté (Gould kick) (CHI 10–0)

Q2 – CHI – 1:56 – 12 yd TD pass from Kyle Orton toDevin Hester (Gould kick) (CHI 17–0)

Q3 – CHI – 11:17 – Matt Forté 1 yd TD run (Gould kick) (CHI 24–0)

Q3 – CHI – 10:10 –Charles Tillman 26 yd interception return TD (Gould kick) (CHI 31–0)

Q4 – DET – 7:08 –Kevin Smith 12 yd TD run (Jason Hanson kick) (CHI 31–7)

Q4 – CHI – 11:58 – Robbie Gould 45 yd FG (CHI 34–7)

atGeorgia Dome,Atlanta

• Game time: 1:00 PMEDT/12:00 PMCDT
• Game weather: None (Domed Stadium)
• TV announcers (Fox):Thom Brennaman &Brian Billick
• Game attendance: 64,096
• Referee:Alberto Riveron

Coming off their divisional road win over the Lions, the Bears flew to theGeorgia Dome for a Week 6 duel with theAtlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, Chicago trailed early as Falcons kickerJason Elam got a 29-yard and a 48-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Atlanta increased its lead with Elam getting a 32-yard field goal. The Bears would get on the board as kickerRobbie Gould got a 36-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the Falcons kept increasing their lead as Elam kicked a 41-yard field goal. Chicago began to threaten as rookie RBMatt Forté got a 3-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta answered with QBMatt Ryan completing a 3-yard TD pass to WRRoddy White. The Bears would take the lead as Gould got a 32-yard field goal, and QBKyle Orton completed an apparent game-winning 17-yard TD pass to WRRashied Davis with 11 seconds remaining. However, after a poorly performed squib kick and a quick 26-yd pass play which got the Falcons to within the CHI 30 with only 1 second left, the Falcons escaped with a win as Elam nailed the game-winning 48-yard field goal.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 3–3.

Q1 – ATL – 9:13 –Jason Elam 29 yd FG (ATL 3–0)

Q1 – ATL – 0:59 – Jason Elam 48 yd FG (ATL 6–0)

Q2 – ATL – 7:49 – Jason Elam 32 yd FG (ATL 9–0)

Q2 – CHI – 4:02 –Robbie Gould 36 yd FG (ATL 9–3)

Q3 – ATL – 10:36 – Jason Elam 41 yd FG (ATL 12–3)

Q3 – CHI – 2:24 –Matt Forté 3 yd TD run (Gould kick) (ATL 12–10)

Q4 – ATL – 13:25 – 3 yd TD pass fromMatt Ryan toRoddy White (Elam kick) (ATL 19–10)

Q4 – CHI – 4:00 – Robbie Gould 32 yd FG (ATL 19–13)

Q4 – CHI – 0:11 – 17 yd TD pass fromKyle Orton toRashied Davis (Gould kick) (CHI 20–19)

Q4 – ATL – 0:00 – Jason Elam 48 yd FG (ATL 22–20)

atSoldier Field,Chicago

• Game time: 1:00 p.m.EDT / 12:00 p.m.CDT
• Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) (Partly Cloudy)
• Television announcers (Fox):Sam Rosen,Tim Ryan, &Charissa Thompson
• Game attendance: 62,235
• Referee:Carl Cheffers

Hoping to rebound from their last-second road loss to the Falcons, the Bears went home, donned their alternate uniforms, and played a Week 7 NFC North duel with theMinnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, Chicago trailed early as Vikings RBAdrian Peterson got a 1-yard TD run. The Bears responded with QBKyle Orton completing an 18-yard TD pass to TEGreg Olsen, along with RBGarrett Wolfe returning a blocked punt 17 yards for a touchdown. Minnesota would answer with QBGus Frerotte completing a 24-yard TD pass to TEVisanthe Shiancoe. In the second quarter, it was back and forth. Chicago kickerRobbie Gould would get a 26-yard field goal, while Vikings kickerRyan Longwell got a 42-yard field goal. Bears rookie CBZackary Bowman would recover a fumble from Minnesota's endzone for a touchdown, while Vikings RBChester Taylor got a 1-yard TD run. Chicago closed out the half as Gould got a 48-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, the high-scoring mayhem continued as WRRashied Davis recovered a fumble within Minnesota's endzone for a touchdown. The Vikings would reply with Peterson getting a 54-yard TD run. Afterwards, the Bears increased their lead as Orton completed a 51-yard TD pass to WRMarty Booker. In the fourth quarter, Chicago continued its run as rookie RBMatt Forté got a 1-yard TD run. Minnesota tried to rally as Longwell nailed a 23-yard field goal, along with Frerotte completing a 5-yard TD pass to former Bears WRBernard Berrian. Fortunately, Chicago's defense got the game-winning interception to seal the deal.

With the win, the Bears went into their bye week at 4–3.

The 89 combined points became the highest single-game scoring total in the history of the Bears/Vikings rivalry.

Q1 – MIN – 9:18 –Adrian Peterson 1 yd TD run (Ryan Longwell kick) (MIN 7–0)

Q1 – CHI – 6:43 – 18 yd TD pass fromKyle Orton toGreg Olsen (Robbie Gould kick) (7–7)

Q1 – CHI – 5:43 –Garrett Wolfe 17 yd blocked punt return TD (Gould kick) (CHI 14–7)

Q1 – MIN – 2:18 – 24 yd TD pass fromGus Frerotte toVisanthe Shiancoe (Longwell kick) (14–14)

Q2 – CHI – 13:33 – Robbie Gould 26 yd FG (CHI 17–14)

Q2 – MIN – 9:10 – Ryan Longwell 42 yd FG (17–17)

Q2 – CHI – 4:58 –Zackary Bowman 0 yd fumble return TD (Gould kick) (CHI 24–17)

Q2 – MIN – 0:22 –Chester Taylor 1 yd TD run (Longwell kick) (24–24)

Q2 – CHI – 0:00 – Robbie Gould 48 yd FG (CHI 27–24)

Q3 – CHI – 12:12 –Rashied Davis 0 yd fumble recovery TD (Gould kick) (CHI 34–24)

Q3 – MIN – 10:40 – Adrian Peterson 54 yd TD run (Longwell kick) (CHI 34–31)

Q3 – CHI – 2:35 – 51 yd TD pass from Kyle Orton toMarty Booker (Gould kick) (CHI 41–31)

Q4 – CHI – 14:53 –Matt Forté 1 yd TD run (Gould kick) (CHI 48–31)

Q4 – MIN – 5:54 – Ryan Longwell 23 yd FG (CHI 48–34)

Q4 – MIN – 3:00 – 5 yd TD pass from Gus Frerotte toBernard Berrian (Longwell kick) (CHI 48–41)

atSoldier Field,Chicago

• Game time: 1:00 PMEDT / 12:00 PMCDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Mostly cloudy)
• Game attendance: 62,188
• Referee:Pete Morelli
• TV announcers: (Fox):Sam Rosen,Tim Ryan andChris Myers

Coming off their bye week, the Bears stayed at home for a Week 9 NFC North rematch with theDetroit Lions. In the first quarter, Chicago drew first blood as kickerRobbie Gould got a 36-yard field goal, while QBKyle Orton got a 5-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Lions responded with RBKevin Smith getting a 1-yard TD run, along with QBDan Orlovsky completing a 17-yard TD pass to WRCalvin Johnson and a 14-yard TD pass to WRShaun McDonald. The Bears would respond with Gould getting a 41-yard field goal, yet Detroit replied with kickerJason Hanson getting a 52-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Chicago began to rally as QBRex Grossman completed a 6-yard TD pass to WRRashied Davis. In the fourth quarter, the Bears completed their comeback as Grossman got a 1-yard TD run. The Lions tried to come back, but Chicago's defense prevented any possible rally from happening.

With the season-sweep, the Bears improved to 5–3.

Kyle Orton (8/14 for 108 yards) left the game in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle.

Q1 – CHI – 11:19 –Robbie Gould 36 yd FG (CHI 3–0)

Q1 – CHI – 4:40 –Kyle Orton 5 yd TD run (Gould kick) (CHI 10–0)

Q2 – DET – 13:25 –Kevin Smith 1 yd TD run (Jason Hanson kick blocked) (CHI 10–6)

Q2 – DET – 13:14 – 17 yd TD pass fromDan Orlovsky toCalvin Johnson (Hanson kick) (DET 13–10)

Q2 – DET – 6:55 – 14 yd TD pass from Dan Orlovsky toShaun McDonald (Hanson kick) (DET 20–10)

Q2 – CHI – 4:46 – Robbie Gould 41 yd FG (DET 20–13)

Q2 – DET – 1:10 – Jason Hanson 52 yd FG (DET 23–13)

Q3 – CHI – 7:05 – 6 yd TD pass fromRex Grossman toRashied Davis (Gould kick) (DET 23–20)

Q4 – CHI – 5:44 – Rex Grossman 1 yd TD run (Gould kick) (CHI 27–23)

atSoldier Field,Chicago

• Game time: 1:00 PMEDT / 12:00 PMCDT
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C) (Cloudy)
• Game attendance: 62,124
• Referee:Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers: (CBS):Greg Gumbel &Dan Dierdorf

Coming off their season-sweep over the Lions, the Bears stayed at home for a Week 10 interconference duel with the unbeatenTennessee Titans. With QBKyle Orton nursing an almost-healed right ankle, QBRex Grossman was given the start.

In the first quarter, Chicago struck first as Grossman completed a 5-yard TD pass to rookie RBMatt Forté. In the second quarter, the Titans responded with QBKerry Collins completing a 10-yard TD pass to TEBo Scaife. In the third quarter, Tennessee took the lead as Collins completed a 12-yard TD pass to former Bears WRJustin Gage. In the fourth quarter, the Titans increased their lead as RBLenDale White got a 2-yard TD run. Chicago tried to rally as Grossman got a 1-yard TD run. However, Tennessee's defense stiffened for the win.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 5–4.

Q1 – CHI – 7:11 – 5 yd TD pass fromRex Grossman toMatt Forté (Robbie Gould kick) (CHI 7–0)

Q2 – TEN – 8:45 – 10 yd TD pass fromKerry Collins toBo Scaife (Rob Bironas kick) (7–7)

Q3 – TEN – 11:34 – 12 yd TD pass from Kerry Collins toJustin Gage (Bironas kick) (TEN 14–7)

Q4 – TEN – 12:09 –LenDale White 2 yd TD run (Bironas kick) (TEN 21–7)

Q4 – CHI – 5:00 – Rex Grossman 1 yd TD run (Gould kick) (TEN 21–14)

Hoping to rebound from their home loss to the Titans, the Bears flew toLambeau Field for a Week 11 NFC North duel with their hated rival, theGreen Bay Packers. In the first quarter, Chicago trailed early as Packers QBAaron Rodgers completed a 3-yard TD pass to WRGreg Jennings. In the second quarter, the Bears got on the board with kickerRobbie Gould getting a 35-yard field goal. Green Bay would answer with RBRyan Grant getting a 4-yard TD run, along with kickerMason Crosby getting a 53-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Chicago continued to trail as Rodgers completed a 5-yard TD pass to TEDonald Lee. In the fourth quarter, the Packers pulled away as Crosby made a 33-yard field goal, DEJason Hunter returned a fumble 54 yards for a touchdown, and Crosby nailing a 45-yard field goal.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 5–5.

Hoping to rebound from their embarrassing divisional road loss to the Packers, the Bears flew to theEdward Jones Dome for a Week 12 duel with theSt. Louis Rams. In the first quarter, Chicago drew first blood as rookie RBMatt Forté got a 13-yard TD run, while QBKyle Orton completed a 7-yard TD pass to FBJason McKie. In the second quarter, the Bears continued their domination as Forté got a 47-yard TD run. The Rams would respond as kickerJosh Brown got a 43-yard field goal. Chicago would close out the half with kickerRobbie Gould getting a 43-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Bears pulled away as Gould nailed a 38-yard field goal. From there on out, Chicago's defense kept St. Louis in check.

With the win, the Bears improved to 6–5.

Coming off their easy road win over the Rams, the Bears flew to theHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 13 NFC North rematch with theMinnesota Vikings, with first place in the division on the line. In the first quarter, Chicago struck first as QBKyle Orton completed a 65-yard TD pass to WRDevin Hester. In the second quarter, the Vikings responded with kickerRyan Longwell getting a 23-yard field goal. After aMatt Forte 26-yd run got the Bears to the MIN 1, they failed on 4 attempts from the 1-yard line to get a TD. Subsequently, QBGus Frerotte completed a 99-yard TD pass to former Bears WRBernard Berrian on the next play, changing momentum in the Vikings favor with a 10-7 lead, and later got a 1-yard TD run for a 17-7 Vikings halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Chicago tried to rally as Orton completed a 2-yard TD pass to Forté, yet Minnesota answered with RBChester Taylor getting a 21-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings pulled away as RBAdrian Peterson got a 1-yard TD run, while Longwell converted a 27-yard field goal.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 6–6.

With a divisional road loss to the Vikings behind them, the Bears went home for a Week 14 interconference duel with theJacksonville Jaguars. Chicago got off to a fast start in the first quarter as QBKyle Orton completed a 2-yard TD pass to TEDesmond Clark. The Jaguars would respond with kickerJosh Scobee getting a 46-yard field goal, yet kickerRobbie Gould replied by giving the Bears a 22-yard field goal. Chicago would greatly increase their lead in the second quarter as Gould got a 36-yard field goal, along with Orton completing a 22-yard TD pass to TEGreg Olsen. After a scoreless third quarter, Jacksonville tried to come back in the fourth quarter, as QBDavid Garrard completed a 4-yard TD pass to RBMaurice Jones-Drew. Afterwards, after Gould nailed a 35-yard field goal, the Bears defense stiffened for the rest of the game.

With the win, Chicago improved to 7–6.

Rookie RBMatt Forté (21 carries for 69 yards and 5 catches for 37 yards) would surpassGale Sayers for the most rookie scrimmage yards in franchise history with 1,476 yards.

Fresh off their win over the Jaguars, the Bears stayed at home for a Week 15 Thursday night battle with theNew Orleans Saints. Chicago immediately got the lead as free safetyDanieal Manning returned the game's opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown. The Saints would respond in the second quarter with quarterbackDrew Brees completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to running backPierre Thomas, yet the Bears answered with rookie running backMatt Forté getting a 1-yard touchdown run, while quarterbackKyle Orton got a 6-yard touchdown run.

New Orleans would begin to rally in the third quarter as Thomas got a 42-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, the Sains took the lead as kickerGarrett Hartley made a 30-yard field goal, along with Brees completing an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverMarques Colston. Afterwards, Chicago replied with a game-tying 28-yard field goal from kickerRobbie Gould. In overtime, the Bears clinched the victory as Gould nailed the game-winning 35-yard field goal.

With the win, Chicago kept its playoff hopes alive by improving to 8–6.

Coming off their overtime win over the Saints, the Bears stayed at home for a Week 16 NFC North rematch with their hated rival, theGreen Bay Packers. After a scoreless first quarter, Chicago would trail in the second quarter as Packers quarterbackAaron Rodgers completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverGreg Jennings. The Bears would respond with a 31-yard field goal from kickerRobbie Gould. Green Bay would end the half with Rodgers completing a 17-yard touchdown to running backRyan Grant.

In the third quarter, Chicago would begin to rally as quarterbackKyle Orton completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight endGreg Olsen. The Packers would answer in the fourth quarter with kickerMason Crosby making a 28-yard field goal. The Bears would reply with rookie running backMatt Forté getting a 3-yard touchdown run. After defensive endAlex Brown blocked a Crosby field goal attempt to force overtime, Chicago would seal the victory as Gould nailed the game-winning 38-yard field goal.

With the win, the Bears kept their playoff hopes alive at 9–6.

Needing a win to stay alive in the playoff picture, the Bears flew toReliant Stadium for a crucial Week 17 interconference battle with theHouston Texans. Chicago got off to a fast first-quarter start as quarterbackKyle Orton completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverBrandon Lloyd, followed by kickerRobbie Gould's 37-yard field goal. The Texans responded in the second quarter with quarterbackMatt Schaub completing a 43-yard and a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverAndre Johnson.

In the third quarter, Houston added to their lead as running backRyan Moats got a 2-yard touchdown run. The Bears tried to rally as Orton completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight endGreg Olsen. However, in the fourth quarter, the Texans struck back as kickerKris Brown nailed a 22-yard field goal, followed by running backSteve Slaton's 2-yard touchdown run. Chicago tried to come back as Orton got a 1-yard touchdown run, but Houston's defense stopped any other attempt.

With the loss, the Bears' season ended at 9–7.

Updated as of January 23, 2009

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