8. 2018, Week 11, Vikings at Bears
Bears 25 – Vikings 20: The country’s first look at the Bears since week two, the NFL flexed this game into primetime with both teams starting hot. The 6-3 Bears welcomed the 5-3-1 Vikings to Soldier Field in a game that would essentially decide the NFC North. Behind a rambunctious crowd, the Chicago defense flexed their muscles, limiting the Vikings to just 22 rushing yards and forcing quarterback Kirk Cousins to try and win the game. But with the Bears jumping out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a couple field goals and a touchdown pass from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to receiver Anthony Miller, the Vikings couldn’t overcome the deficit. A mounting drive in the fourth quarter was thwarted by safety Eddie Jackson when he ran back an interception for a touchdown, sealing the victory. It was the biggest game on the lakefront in years and the Bears thrilled the nation with their defensive domination.
7. 2010, Week 12, Eagles at Bears
Bears 31 – Eagles 26: Like the Bears-Vikings game in 2018, this matchup between two playoff-bound NFC teams lived up to the hype. With both squads entering this game at 7-3 on three-game winning streaks, playoff seeds were on the line. But thanks to Bears quarterback Jay Cutler’s four touchdowns on just 14 completions, the Eagles, led by resurgent quarterback Michael Vick, weren’t able to muster up a comeback. While the defense only caused one turnover, they forced Vick to throw his first interception of the season and dropped him for four sacks on the day. This was a gritty, hard-fought game that had some drama right up to the end and was a staple victory for the 2010 division champion Bears.
6. 2012, Week 9, Bears at Titans
Bears 51 – Titans 20: There are epic, dramatic clashes on this list and there are dominant performances from start to finish. And then there’s the Bears-Titans game from 2012 where dominant doesn’t come close to describing what took place in Nashville. The Bears destroyed the Titans in all facets of the game. Linebacker Brian Urlacher had a pick six, quarterback Jay Cutler threw three touchdowns to receiver Brandon Marshall, and cornerback Charles Tillman put himself on the map with his “peanut punch” forcing four fumbles on his own, an NFL record. The Bears went up 28-2 in the first quarter and capped of their impressive first half of the season with the most points they’ve scored since 1980. The only downside of this game is what came after during the second half of the season, as the Bears went 3-5 to miss the playoffs, ultimately costing coach Lovie Smith his job. But for one final time, the vaunted Bears defense of the 2000s and early 2010s showed how special they could be.
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