Tag: Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: Chiefs’ Derrick Thomas sets NFL’s single-game sack record

#TBT to #Chiefs legend Derrick Thomas setting the NFL’s single-game sack record on Nov. 11, 1990, with seven sacks against #Seahawks QB Dave Krieg.

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31 years to the day, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas broke the NFL’s single-game sack record.

The record was previously held by San Francisco 49ers DE Fred Dean, who set it with six sacks in 1983 against the New Orleans Saints. He held the record for seven seasons before Thomas put up one of the best performances by a defensive player in NFL history. Facing the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 10 of the 1990 NFL season, Thomas notched seven sacks on QB Dave Kreig, including four sacks in the second half of the game.

It was just Thomas’ second season as a professional and he was building upon a stellar rookie campaign. While the record stands to this day, it didn’t matter at the moment. Kreig escaped what would have been the eighth sack by Thomas and delivered a fourth-quarter strike to WR Paul Skansi with seconds remaining in the game. The Seahawks would win the game 17-16 over Kansas City, giving the Chiefs their fourth loss of the season.

“I thought I had him,” said Thomas, via the New York Times. “He just stumbled back and caught his balance and threw the pass. That last sack I didn’t get is the one I’m going to remember.”

The Chiefs would go on to finish the season with an 11-5 record. Marty Schottenheimer’s team would make the wild-card round of the playoffs, but lose with a familiar 17-16 score against the Miami Dolphins. Thomas would go on to record a league-leading 20 sacks that season, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.

Bringing the past to the present, Thomas actually faced off against current Chiefs OL coach Andy Heck, who played left tackle for the Seahawks from 1989-1991. While his team won the game, playing against Thomas is probably a memory he’d rather soon forget.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears dismantle Steelers in prime time

On this edition of Throwback Thursday, the Bears defeated the Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0 in 2013.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history.

September 22, 2013: Bears defeat Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0

The Chicago Bears travel to the Steel City this week to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time. The last time the Bears faced the Steelers on the road was eight years ago, which also happened to be a night game. It was three weeks into the short-lived Marc Trestman era, but the Bears were riding high. They had started 2-0 and were looking for their first road win of the year.

Like their season, Chicago got off to a hot start. They scored a field goal on their opening possession, then got the ball right back when they stripped-sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers’ opening drive. The fumble led to a touchdown by Matt Forte to make it 10-0. The star running back then kept the points coming, ripping off a 55-yard run to set backup Michael Bush for a rushing touchdown of his own. The Bears were up 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and this one looked like it was already over. The Bears defense wanted to make sure of it.

Though they fell off significantly during much of Trestman’s tenure, the Bears defense still had some juice early on. Roethlisberger was beaten up by the front seven, getting sacked three times on the day, two of which came from linebacker D.J. Williams. Turnovers also continued to be a problem as the future Hall of Fame quarterback threw a pick six to safety Major Wright in the second quarter, giving the Bears a 24-3 lead. But the Steelers weren’t going away quietly.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Roethlisberger relied on emerging superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown to get points and he delivered. Brown caught nine passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, his best performance of his career at that time, to pull Pittsburgh within seven points. The Bears lead narrowed to 27-20 late in the third quarter, but they wouldn’t let it get closer than that.

For much of the night, Jay Cutler was dinking and dunking the ball for short gains while relying on the running game. In the fourth quarter, however, he decided to let loose – both in the air and on the ground. Cutler began completing deeper passes to his wide receivers while also gaining yards on the ground. On a third down, he scrambled for 13 yards, capped off with a hard hit he put on the defender to move the chains. The drive ended with an impressive touchdown toe-tapping catch by Earl Bennett to extend the lead.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense had one final trick up their sleeve. Lance Briggs casually stripped Roethlisberger for another fumble, this one picked up by Julius Peppers, who ran his way into the endzone for the score. It was the finishing touch on a dominant 41-23 victory for the 3-0 Bears. The win was also arguably the most complete victory of the Trestman era, with offense and defense both playing at a high level.

Can the Bears find similar success when they make their return to Pittsburgh on Monday night? We’ll find out soon enough when both teams square off in primetime yet again.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears defeat Tom Brady for the first time

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re going back to last season when the Bears defeated the Bucs as Tom Brady lost track of downs.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

October 8th, 2020: Bears defeat Tampa Bay Buccaneers as Tom Brady loses track of downs.

You won’t have to go too far in the past for this throwback. It’s been just over a year since the Bears got their first victory against Tom Brady during his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now that the two teams are meeting once again this weekend, let’s relive that thrilling, yet confusing game.

The Bucs visited the Bears on Thursday Night Football as heavy favorites, despite missing some of their key offensive personnel. Brady got things started early on a promising opening drive that ended with three points. An interceptions by Nick Foles led to a Tampa touchdown to make it 10-0, followed by another field goal. The Buccaneers were on their way to a blowout before the Bears caught fire.

On the ensuing drive, Foles utilized running backs David Montgomery and Cordarrelle Patterson to move 75 yards down the field. The drive was capped off with a Montgomery run for a touchdown, but the momentum didn’t end there. Tampa Bay’s next drive was thwarted by a forced fumble from cornerback Kyle Fuller at their own 26-yard line. The Bears recovered, setting up a touchdown pass from Foles to Jimmy Graham. All of a sudden it was 14-13 Bears at the half.

The second half admittedly wasn’t as exciting, with both teams trading field goals. Each team’s defense clamped down on the opposing offense, but it was the Bears who got the last strike. After getting the ball back from the Buccaneers with just 2:21 to go and down 19-17, Foles manufactured a game-winning drive that featured a clutch catch by Anthony Miller on third and long, as well as a quick wheel route from Montgomery to put the Bears in field goal range. With 1:13 left in the game, Cairo Santos made a 38-yard kick to take the 20-19 lead. But did Brady have too much time on the clock?

The future Hall of Fame quarterback set out to do what he’s done many times over the course of his storied career and lead a comeback victory. But on fourth down, Brady took a shot downfield and missed his target, believing he still had another down to work with. Confused and holding up four fingers, Brady trotted off the field, losing 20-19. He hasn’t forgotten that gaffe and will likely want to make a statement this Sunday when he faces the Bears for the first time since the loss.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears defense stifles Packers on the lakefront in 2005

Back in Dec. 2005, rookie QB Kyle Orton and the Bears defeated Brett Favre and the Packers 19-7 at Soldier Field.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

December 4th, 2005: Rookie Kyle Orton and the Bears defeat Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers 19-7

Two things right off the bat: First, this game took place a couple months later than today’s date. Second, it admittedly wasn’t the most exciting Bears win over the Packers that we’ve seen before. But it’s very timely considering the circumstances heading into this weekend’s matchup.

Justin Fields gets his first of hopefully many starts against the Green Bay Packers this weekend and he’ll look to be the first Bears rookie quarterback to defeat them since Kyle Orton back in 2005. Orton, a third-round rookie at the time, was gunning for his eighth victory in a row against Brett Favre and the Packers at Soldier Field.

Orton had a rough start to the game, however, throwing an interceptions on the second play of the Bears’ opening drive. Fortunately, it didn’t result in any damage and the score remained scoreless for the first quarter. After Robbie Gould gave the Bears a 3-0 lead in the second quarter, the Packers offense came alive and scored a touchdown on a run from Samkon Gado. It would be the Packers only score of the day, however. The Bears began to chip away with another field goal, then eliminated another Packers touchdown threat when Charles Tillman intercepted Favre at the end of the half, leading to another field goal and a 9-7 lead.

Things only got worse for the Hall of Fame quarterback in the second half. Favre was battered in the pocket, injuring his hand on a strip sack from Mike Brown. Though he was able to move the ball downfield at times, the defense would always catch up. Late in the game down 12-7, Favre was driving but threw another pick, this time to Nathan Vasher, who took it in for the score and sealing the victory. The Bears won 19-7, despite only getting 190 total yards of offense.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears tame Dan Orlovsky, Lions in 2008 blowout

Back on Oct. 5, 2008, the Bears defeated the Lions 34-7 during Detroit’s 0-16 season.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

October 5, 2008: Bears defeat Detroit Lions 34-7 during their 0-16 season

The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions have had their share of notable games over the years, being division rivals and all. But this game during the 2008 season stands out for a couple of reasons.

First, prior to this year, this marked the last season the Lions faced the Bears without quarterback Matthew Stafford on the roster. Two, quarterback Dan Orlovsky played a significant role in this game, who was also in the news this week after blasting the 2021 Bears and head coach Matt Nagy. With it being Lions week, this felt like the perfect game to look back on.

Taking place in Detroit, the Bears and Lions got off to a slow start. Despite the Bears opening their first drive with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead, both teams stalled out quite a bit in the first quarter. The Lions in particular had trouble moving the ball as the Bears defense had quarterback Jon Kitna under siege all first half. He was unable to get comfortable in the pocket, leading to many inaccurate passes.

On the other side, Bears quarterback Kyle Orton had a career day. He went 24-for-34 for 334 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His first score was a quick strike to running back Matt Forte in the second quarter and in their ensuing possession, Orton found wide receiver Devin Hester for another score to make it a 17-0 ballgame at halftime.

Into the third quarter, Orton led the Bears on yet another scoring drive, this time capped by a touchdown run by Forte to make it 24-0. Things only got worse for Detroit on the next series as Kitna was replaced by Orlovsky due to injury and he had an even tougher time against the defense. Orlovsky was picked off by cornerback Charles Tillman for a pick six to make it a 31-0 game. The Bears defense forced an interception and a fumble on the day and had 4 sacks as well.

The Bears bullied the Lions all day, winning 34-7 and keeping Detroit’s skid going at 0-4 en route to their winless 0-16 season.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears rally to beat Cardinals in 2018

Three years ago, the Bears completed a comeback against Cardinals to secure Matt Nagy’s first road victory of his career.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

September 23rd, 2018: Bears complete comeback against Cardinals to secure Matt Nagy’s first road victory of his career.

When you think about the Chicago Bears executing a comeback in Arizona against the Cardinals, your mind probably goes straight to 2006, and rightfully so. It was a legendary comeback in a historic season for the Bears. But on this day three years ago, the Bears executed yet another, albeit not as exciting, comeback against the Cardinals to start the season 2-1.

Like 2006, this game started ugly for the Bears. The Cardinals, led by Sam Bradford in what would be the final start of his career, drove his team down the field and threw a touchdown pass to a wide open Ricky Seals-Jones to give the Cardinals the early lead.

The Bears missed a field goal by Cody Parkey on their opening drive and a fumble by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky led to another Cardinal touchdown. Bradford found running back David Johnson for the score, putting the Cardinals up 14-0 after the first quarter. It looked like a blowout in the making.

The Bears found some yards, but didn’t do much in the second quarter in terms of points. They mustered a field goal to make it a 14-3 ballgame at halftime. It seemed as if a winless Cardinals team was about to boat race the Bears for their first victory. But thing quickly turned around.

On Arizona’s first drive of the half, Bradford threw a pick to safety Eddie Jackson, setting up the Bears for a touchdown drive to cut the lead to 4 points. Another interception on the Cardinals ensuing drive led to a field goal and suddenly it was 14-13 entering the fourth quarter. Bradford committed yet another turnover, this time a fumble thanks to a sack from outside linebacker Khalil Mack. It set up the go-ahead field goal from Parkey to make it 16-14.

The Cardinals entered desperation mode and removed Bradford for rookie Josh Rosen to try and mount a comeback with under five minutes remaining in the game. Instead, he threw an interception to cornerback Bryce Callahan, sealing the win for the Bears.

It’s not the 2006 game but it was a fun comeback victory in Nagy’s first season. Both teams meet again this year for the first time since this game.

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Throwback Thursday: The last 10 Texas-Rice matchups

Rice has only defeated Texas one time since 1966.

As Texas prepares to face Rice in Week 3 of the 2021 college football season, let’s take a look at their most recent matchups.

As is the case for the last few decades, the Longhorns are expected to blow out the Owls in convincing fashion this year. The all-time series sits at 73-21-1 in favor of Texas.

Since 1966, Rice has only defeated Texas one time. It came in 1994, when the Longhorns traveled to Houston and fell to the Owls 19-17.

From 1930-1960, which was the only time rice was considered to have the slight edge over the Longhorns, the Owls recorded 17 of their 21 total wins over Texas.

The largest win between the two programs came in 1915, when Texas defeated Rice 59-0.

The Longhorns are currently on a win-streak dating back to 1995 and the two schools have faced off 95 times. It’s unlikely that Rice will break that streak this week.

Take a look at the last 10 matchups between the two programs:

Throwback Thursday: Bears opened 2013 season with comeback win over Bengals

Back in 2013, the Bears rallied from behind to defeat the Bengals in the first game of the Marc Trestman era.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

September 8th, 2013: Bears defeat Bengals in first game of the Marc Trestman era

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to make their first trip back to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears since the 2013 season opener. Back then, Andy Dalton (now the Bears quarterback) was considered the franchise savior with the Bengals entering his third season. Meanwhile on the Bears sideline, Jay Cutler was entering his first season with “offensive guru” Marc Trestman as head coach, looking to create an offensive powerhouse for the first time in franchise history.

Chicago wound up striking first, thanks to a Dalton interception to cornerback Charles Tillman. The Bears responded with a touchdown to new tight end Martellus Bennett for the early 7-0 lead, but the Bengals fought back. Superstar wide receiver A.J. Green torched Tillman and the Bears secondary for two unanswered touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead. Chicago did narrow the gap to 14-10 thanks to a field goal from Robbie Gould near the end of the first half, but still trailed the AFC North foe.

Cincinnati expanded their lead again, though, in the third quarter thanks to another long reception from Green, setting up running back Benjarvus Green-Ellis for a short touchdown run to make the score 21-10. Down 11 points, the Bears turned to their biggest playmakers for help.

First, running back Matt Forte punched the ball in the endzone late in the third quarter to once again trim the lead to 4 points. Then, All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall bullied the Bengals defensive backs, eventually catching a 19-yard pass from Cutler to take back the lead.

After an unsuccessful rebuttal from Dalton, the Bears chewed over six minutes on their final drive to preserve the lead and hang on to start the season 1-0. Up until last year’s victory against the Detroit Lions, this was the last season opener the Bears had won.

Now with Dalton on the opposite sidelines, will he be able to find the Bears’ big playmakers for substaintal gains like he did back then? Or will we see another safe gameplan from the coaching staff. The Bears and Bengals kickoff at noon CT on FOX.

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Throwback Thursday: Devin Hester returns opening kickoff for TD in Super Bowl XLI

The Bears know a little something about making history in the Super Bowl, particularly when it comes to Devin Hester.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl LV on Sunday, when the Bucs become the first team in NFL history to play in their home stadium for the big game.

The Chicago Bears know a little something about making history in the Super Bowl, particularly when it comes to Devin Hester, who made the first play of Super Bowl XLI the most memorable of the evening.

February 4, 2007: Devin Hester returns opening kickoff for TD in Super Bowl XLI

https://youtu.be/rGtxZlQwxNQ

Bears fans know how the rest plays out. In a monsoon at Hard Rock Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts bested the Bears 29-17 to win the Super Bowl. Hester provided the lone highlight for Chicago, returning the opening kickoff for a score for the first time in NFL history. Which felt right as he took the league by storm as a rookie in 2006 and never looked back.

Hester holds the NFL record with 19 kick-return touchdowns, 14 punt-return touchdowns and 20 return touchdowns, which includes punts, kickoffs, missed field goals, interceptions and fumbles.

There’s no doubt that Hester is the greatest kick returner in NFL history. But the question is whether being the best at his position will be enough to get him elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which he becomes eligible for in 2022.

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Throwback Thursday: Bears win the NFC North in Green Bay on Christmas in 2005

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, the Bears celebrated Christmas ’05 with a 24-17 win over the Packers and division title at Lambeau Field.

Every Thursday throughout the 2020 regular season, Bears Wire looks back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history that occurred on or near that given day.

December 25, 2005: Bears celebrate Christmas at Lambeau Field with a 24-17 win and division title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXlV16JL5g0

Back in 2005, there weren’t many new feats the Chicago Bears haven’t accomplished in their storied history. Well, except having a quarterback who can throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. But up until 2005, the Bears had never played a football game on Christmas day. When it finally happened, they made sure it was a memorable game.

Fifteen years ago, the Bears turned a slow start to their season into an improbable playoff run during head coach Lovie Smith’s second season. Led by one of the best defenses of the decade, along with a power running game, the Bears were stifling opponents left and right, winning 10 games and were on the verge of capturing a division title. They just needed to defeat their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers, to get there.

In their primetime matchup, the Bears struck first. Quarterback Rex Grossman, who was making his first start of the season after missing much of the year with a broken ankle, fired a dart to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad on the Bears’ first drive to put them up 7-0. The lead wouldn’t last, though, as the Packers responded on their next drive.

Quarterback Brett Favre drove down the field on a defense that had only allowed 12.6 points per game, tying it up at 7-7. Green Bay had a chance to take the lead on their next possession but missed a 38-yard field goal attempt from kicker Ryan Longwell. From there, the Bears began to turn things around. Grossman launched a 54-yard bomb to wide receiver Bernard Berrian to put the Bears in striking distance. Running back Thomas Jones finished the job, putting the Bears up 14-7. The veteran back had 105 yards on 25 carries.

Things got worse for the Packers as Favre began throwing passes to the other team. The Hall of Fame quarterback threw four interceptions in total, including a pick six to linebacker Lance Briggs that put the Bears up 24-7 in the third quarter. The game tightened at the end, however, when the Packers cut the Bears lead to 24-17 late in the fourth quarter.

With one last chance and just under a minute to go, Favre would fall short in his comeback bid as he would be picked off to end the game. The win gave the Bears the NFC North title, a first-round bye in the playoffs, a sweep of the Packers for the first time since 1991, and one heck of a Christmas present for fans everywhere.

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