Chicago Bears' 7 Best Seasons
The Chicago Bears have a rich and successful history as one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. Championships, rivalries and Hall of Famers dot the colorful landscape of 91 seasons of pigskin excellence.
So without further adieu, let us take a look at seven of the best seasons in Chicago Bears franchise history.
Devin Hester Was Ridiculous: The 2006 Chicago Bears
1 of 7While the 2006 season ended in a super loss for the Chicago Bears, it represented a return to prominence for the Bears.
A stifling defense that ranked second in points and an underrated offense that ranked third in points led the team to its first NFC Championship in 21 years. Eight Bears were sent to the Pro Bowl.
But the show was stolen by rookie kick returner Devin Hester, who broke the NFL record for TD returns in a season and changed the way kickers approached kickoffs. Hester returned seven total kicks for touchdowns including two kickoffs, three punts and a missed field goal in the regular season. He also became the only player to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a Super Bowl.
Offensive coordinator Ron Turners inept play-calling eventually led to the team's downfall, but the team still deserves a spot on this list for sheer entertainment value alone.
...Oh, and they gave us this.
One Charles Martin Away from a Dynasty: The 1986 Chicago Bears
2 of 7Following the fantastic 1985 season, the Bears looked primed for a dynasty.
The defense in '86 was actually better than the much heralded '85 defense, allowing only 187 points in the regular season.
Walter Payton managed his 10th straight 1,000-yard season.
The Bears lost all of two games, both started by third string QB Steve Fuller and were the heavy favorites to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.
QB Jim McMahon struggled with injuries all season long but was 7-0 when starting and had the Bears rolling towards the post season. But a dirty hit by Green Bay Packer Charles Martin in Week 12 that came seconds after McMahon had released the ball, ended McMahon's season.
This left the Bears with three poor choices in Steve Fuller, Mike Tomczak and Doug Flutie. None played well, and Doug Flutie threw 11-for-31 with 134 yards, one TD and two INTs as the Redskins upset the Bears in opening round of the playoffs.
Oh, what might have been...
Close to Perfection: The 1942 Chicago Bears
3 of 7The 1942 season saw the Chicago Bears go undefeated in the regular season (11-0) and absolutely dominating en route to the NFL Championship game.
The '42 Bears led the league in offensive yardage, offensive points, defensive yardage, defensive points, turnovers and a mass of other statistical categories.
Led by Sid Luckman, Danny Fortmann and Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, the offense was nearly unstoppable and the defense nearly unbreachable. The Bears scored more 35 or more points in seven of their 11 regular season games and held opponents to 14 points or less in all but one.
But coach George Halas left to fight in World War II in November, and the Bears went on to lose the Championship game to the Redskins.
None the less, the nearly perfect '42 Bears deserve a spot among the greatest in Chicago history.
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Truly Offensive: The 1956 Chicago Bears
4 of 71956 was a fantastic season for the Bears and saw their offense roll through the regular season on the backs of Rick Casares, Harlon Hill and George Blanda.
The Bears finished 9-2-1 in the regular season and first in offensive points and yardage. Casares rushed for 1,126 yards and 12 TDs and Hill caught 47 passes for 1,128 yards and 11 TDs. Blanda added sevn passing TDs as a situational passer and 12 field goals.
The Bears would win the Western Conference title but fall in the playoffs to the New York Giants.
Ditka and Defense V1.0: The 1963 Chicago Bears
5 of 7The 1963 Bears were a picture of things to come in the '80 for Chicago. A stifling defense that terrorized the NFL and a guy named Ditka stealing the show.
The defense was loaded with talent with big names like Bill George, Doug Atkins, Rosey Taylor, Richie Petitbon and Joe Fortunato. And it showed.
The defense not only led the league in points and yardage allowed but became only the third team in league history to lead in points allowed, rushing yards allowed and passing yards allowed.
And third-year tight end Mike Ditka would lead the offense in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns.
The team went on to an 11-1-2 record and a NFL Championship Game victory over the New York Giants.
Ditka and Defense V2.0: The 1985 Chicago Bears
6 of 7Argued with regularity as one of the best teams in modern NFL history, the '85 Bears were a cultural phenomenon as well as a dominant force to be reckoned with on the field.
Head coach Mike Ditka and general manager Jim Finks built a great cast of characters, and the Bears dominated the regular season with a 15-1 record through crushing defense and on the legs of Walter Payton.
Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan created a defense that was, for a time, unstoppable. The 4-6 defense was a complex system of zones and blitzes that perfectly utilized the talents of Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton, Wilbur Marshall, Steve McMichael, Gary Fencik and Richard Dent along with the rest of the outstanding defensive talent.
On the offensive side of the ball, Walter Payton continued his Hall of Fame ways, and Jim McMahon continued his unpredictable ones. The offensive line was truly dominant, and receiver Willie Gault was one of the fastest men on the planet.
All of this added up to a steamroller of a team that allowed all of 10 points in the playoffs on its way to a Super Bowl Championship and a place in history.
The Greatest Bears Teams in History: The 1940 Chicago Bears
7 of 7Why 1940 over 1985? Because this was the season that George Halas changed football (again) with the introduction of the "T" Formation in the NFL Championship Game.
Oh, and the Bears set the record for largest margin of victory in that season, as well. In the same championship game.
The Bears finished the regular season with an 8-3 record and were the Western Division champions.
Entering the title game, the Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall, told reporters that the Bears were "crybabies" and "quitters", referring to the two teams earlier regular season meeting where the Redskins won a hard fought game 7-3.
Halas used those newspaper articles as fuel to set a fire under his team that raged through the fourth quarter.
The Bears took control from the beginning and decimated the Redskins 73-0. And it wasn't just an offensive flurry. The defense saw seven different players combine for nine interceptions and providing three interception returns for touchdowns.
Bears scoring was so frequent that the Redskins had to ask the Bears to stop kicking the extra point because they had run out of game balls and were using practice balls to complete the game.
This domination places the 1940 Bears firmly in the seat of Greatest Bears Season.
But don't just sit there and let me have all the fun. Step up on that soap box below and let us all know what you think are the greatest seasons in Chicago Bears history.
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