TBSS Thread

With the 2010s coming to a close, it's time to look back and reflect on another decade of Bears football. Unfortunately, being a Bears fan in the 2010s meant wading through some pretty nasty shit. In this post, I'll share my top (bottom?) ten worst Bears losses of the decade. If there are any you think should be on the list that are missing, leave a comment so I can reflect on how I can't even keep all the bad games straight.

10. vs Arizona Cardinals (2015)

The second game of the 2015 season, this was a home game against Bruce Arians and the Cardinals, our first game facing him since passing him over for the coaching vacancy in January 2013. While nobody expected us to win this game, the way it unfolded was not ideal. After giving up a touchdown on the opening kickoff, a pick six from Cutler dug the Bears further into the hole. Despite only trailing 28-20 at halftime, Cutler was injured and out for the rest of the game. The Cardinals then proceeded to run up the score, with a final score of 48-23, supposedly because Arians wanted to punish the Bears for not hiring him (even though Phil Emery was no longer the GM). This led to Jimmy Clausen starting the following week in Seattle, the only time the Bears were shut out in the 2010s.

9. vs Seattle Seahawks (2012)

This week 13 matchup between the 8-3 Bears and the 6-5 Seahawks was the final game for Brian Urlacher. While not the most egregious example of the Bears being shredded by a rookie/inexperienced quarterback (and I'm actually surprised how few of those games made this list), this was arguably the game where the Bears defensive regression began. For the first half of 2012, the Bears defense was near-unstoppable. At this point, they began to show their age, a problem which was exacerbated by losing Urlacher. There was a new defensive powerhouse in the NFC, and it wasn't Chicago. The Seahawks won 23-17 in overtime, and the Bears continued a slide after starting 7-1, eventually missing the playoffs.

8. vs Miami Dolphins (2014)

The Bears went into this week 7 matchup 3-3, having just won a decisive victory in Atlanta and favored at home against the 2-3 Dolphins. After being shut out in the first half, the Bears tried to play catch-up only to fumble twice and lose 27-14. While this obviously wasn't the Bears' first loss, this was where the season really started to unravel. After the game, yelling could be heard from inside the Bears locker room. This was reportedly when Brandon Marshall told Robbie Gould, "You just kick the ball!", and it was at that point where the Bears 2014 season turned toxic. Stay tuned for more 2014 hijinks!

7. @ New Orleans Saints (2017)

The 3-4 Bears faced the 4-2 Saints in New Orleans. At this point, the Bears had a far better record than anyone was expecting, largely on the back of their strong defense. A win would give the Bears some momentum heading into their bye week. What followed was one of the worst-officiated games I've ever seen, where both teams had terrible calls go against them. The worst of these involved Zach Miller's touchdown catch being ruled incomplete, a play where Miller nearly lost his leg and spent the next month in the hospital in New Orleans. To see such a good player and teammate have his career ended so cruelly was upsetting for all Bears fans. The momentum of both the game and the season shifted after that play, and the Bears ultimately fell short (20-12).

6. vs Kansas City Chiefs (2019)

I considered ranking this higher, but I think that would be recency bias, as this game only happened a little over a week ago (and for as bad as it was, we were already eliminated and it didn't affect our season). I won't dwell on this, since a lot has been written about this game recently, but being reminded on national television every couple minutes that the Bears drafted Trubisky over Mahomes was both painful and the result of lazy commentating that cemented Cris Collinsworth as my least favorite announcer. I'll gladly take Booger and his idiotic non-sequiturs any day. Another game on this list where the offense decided not to show up (but not the last).

5. @ Denver Broncos (2011)

The Bears were 7-5 entering this game, having lost their last two to the Raiders and Chiefs. Despite the season taking a downward turn after losing Cutler to injury, the Bears were still in the playoff hunt, and went to Denver to face the Broncos, led by Tim Tebow. With a couple minutes left in the game, RB Marion Barber went out of bounds, stopping the clock and allowing time for some late-game heroics by Tebow to force overtime. In OT, Barber fumbled while the Bears were in field goal range, allowing the Broncos to complete the comeback. This game marked the start of Tebow-mania, where Tebow improbably led the Broncos to a division title and playoff win. The Bears greatest accomplishment of 2011 was helping give birth to a meme.

4. @ New England Patriots (2014)

The week after the Dolphins game that was #8 on this list, the now 3-4 Bears traveled to New England, hoping for some momentum headed into their bye week. Beating the Patriots in Foxboro is a tall order for any team and, win or lose, fans just wanted to see the Bears competitive against an elite team on the road. Needless to say, this did not happen. The score was 45-7 before the Patriots took their foot off the gas in the third quarter and the Bears scored some garbage time points (for a final score of 51-23). Our big free agent signing of the 2014 offseason, Lamarr Houston, tore his ACL celebrating a meaningless sack. At this point, it looked like the season was over, but there was hope that maybe the Bears could come back strong after the bye week to save face. More on that later.

3. @ Philadelphia Eagles (2013)

This is a game most people seem to have forgotten about. Both the Eagles and Bears entered this week 16 SNF game 8-6. However, due to a win by Dallas earlier in the day, this game was essentially meaningless for the Eagles. For the Bears, on the other hand, a win clinched the NFC North thanks to losses by the Lions and Packers (to the Giants and Steelers, respectively). What proceeded was one of the all-time pants shittings in Chicago Bears history. The final score of 54-11 didn't even fully capture how one-sided this game was. In a game where we could have punched our ticket to the playoffs, our #2 ranked offense decided not to show up, and our shitty defense couldn't even hold Chip Kelly and Nick Foles under 50 points. This was the biggest blowout loss by the Bears since 1997, and a hint of things to come.

2. vs Philadelphia Eagles (Wild Card Round, 2018)

I almost didn't include this game on the list. Playoff losses, in general, are different from regular season losses. For the most part, you can at least point to the fact that you made the playoffs as an accomplishment. While I personally agree with that, and was actually upset by other losses lower on the list more than this one, a loss in the playoffs means more. Playoffs are never a given (as this season showed), and you have to make the most of every appearance. Our 2018 team deserved so much better than a loss in the WC round courtesy of offensive ineptitude, the defense folding on the final drive, and the crossbar. The game itself foreshadowed a lot of the problems we had in 2019, and I hope for better in our next playoff appearances (which we will hopefully have more of in the 2020s).

1. A whole bunch of Green Bay Packers games to choose from

When I sat down to make this ranking, the hardest part was that you could make a top ten list, or close to it, exclusively comprised of losses to the Packers. Compressing it to a single spot on the ranking seemed appropriate, and I don't think I have to say much to justify it here at #1. Our record against Green Bay in the 2010s was abysmal (4-17). Let's take a quick look at each of these losses:

• Week 17, 2010 (10-3): Where a win would have eliminated them from the playoff race. But that's okay, there's no way they'll be a threat to us as the 6th seed. After all, they would have to beat the red-hot Eagles with Vick and the #1 seed Falcons. That won't happen, right?

• NFC Championship Game, 2010 (21-14): Okay, so that didn't work out. But here we are at Soldier Field. We have as good a shot as anyone to beat the Packers, and.... Cutler goes down. Hanie plays well but comes up short. Cue media shitstorm and a divided fanbase. Packers win the Super Bowl. Fuck.

• Week 3, 2011 (27-17): This one and the next few all kind of run together. Basically, we were good, but they were better. Cutler would put up some of his absolute worst numbers in these games.

• Week 16, 2011 (35-21)

• Week 2, 2012 (23-10)

• Week 15, 2012 (21-13)

• Week 17, 2013 (33-28): After being out for a couple months, Rodgers returns for the NFC North title game. Rodgers throws the go-ahead touchdown on 4th and 8 thanks to Chris Conte's blown coverage. Despite Cutler playing pretty well, the defense proves to be the achilles heel we thought it was. We head to the offseason disappointed, but cautiously optimistic for the future.

• Week 4, 2014 (38-17): Right when we think we might be competitive with the Pack again, they hand us this humiliating loss at home.

• Week 10, 2014 (55-14): Coming out of the bye, after the New England game from earlier, we hoped that maybe the Bears would put up a fight at Lambeau to salvage their season. It was pretty clear early on that this would not happen, as Rodgers set passing records for the first half and the commentators openly mocked the Bears. It was also the second fifty-burger dropped on us in two weeks. By this time, the Bears are a full-on dumpster fire and I have no idea how we beat Tampa Bay and Minnesota in the weeks after this.

• Week 1, 2015 (31-23): John Fox's first game as Bears HC. Honestly, this one was kind of forgettable.

• Week 7, 2016 (26-10): Leonard Floyd has a nice forced fumble/touchdown, forever cementing his legacy as only showing up for division games.

• Week 15, 2016 (30-27): This was during "run the table". Somehow we almost beat the Packers with Matt Barkley.

• Week 4, 2017 (35-14): The game that gets Mike Glennon benched for Trubisky.

• Week 10, 2017 (23-16): In our first game since 2008 in which we are favored against the Packers, we lose to Brett Hundley at home. I'm pretty sure this is the game that got Fox fired.

• Week 1, 2018 (24-23): We blow a 20-point lead in our season opener on national television. If I had to pick my overall worst loss of the 2010s, it would be this game. For most of the losses on this list, I was bummed for a couple hours and then moved on with my life. I was fuming for days after this game. Thankfully, the rest of the season softened it, but I have never been angrier as a Bears fan.

• Week 1, 2019 (10-3): I can't think of a better salute to 100 years of Bears football than the offense taking a shit at home in primetime against their biggest rival.

• Week 15, 2019 (21-13): The game that officially eliminated us from the playoffs this year. At least we scored more than three points?

As you can see, the 2010s were not kind to our favorite team. Here's hoping we have better fortunes in the coming decade, and put these losses even further behind us. Happy New Year, and Bear Down 2020!