2001: Surging Bears Shut Down Vikings

The Chicago Bears were 7-2 as they took on the Minnesota Vikings on November 25, 2001 but had benefited from some good fortune in close games along the way. The Bears, who had not had a winning season in six years, were coached by Dick Jauron for the third season. Workmanlike QB Jim Miller directed a conservative offense that benefited from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Thomas. The tough defense was buttressed by the arrival of veteran newcomers on the line in DTs Ted Washington and Keith Traylor, plus the continued development of second-year MLB Brian Urlacher. However, they were without Thomas due to a hamstring injury and RB James Allen (pictured above) was starting in his place against the Vikings.

Minnesota reached the playoffs in each of the five previous seasons, but was stumbling along at 4-5 thus far in ’01 (including an earlier loss at Chicago), although the Vikings were coming off of an impressive win over the Giants the previous Monday night. Head Coach Dennis Green produced consistently strong offensive teams, and there was plenty of talent with QB Daunte Culpepper and wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss. But the retirement of RB Robert Smith hurt and so did the tragic training camp death of OT Korey Stringer. Defense was a chronic problem.  

There were 64,214 fans in attendance for the Sunday night game at the Metrodome. The Vikings had the game’s first possession and moved into Chicago territory but were forced to punt, and that set the stage for the rest of the first quarter. Neither offense was able to move effectively. A 23-yard punt return by WR Nate Jacquet gave the Vikings good starting field position at the Chicago 44 at one point, but they came up empty when LB Rosevelt Colvin intercepted a Daunte Culpepper pass.

Finally, in the second quarter the Bears put together an 80-yard drive in seven plays. Jim Miller completed a pass to WR Dez White for 17 yards and RB Leon Johnson gained 34 yards on a carry to the Minnesota four. Two plays later, Johnson ran for a two-yard touchdown and, with Paul Edinger adding the extra point, Chicago was in front by 7-0.

Following more exchanges of punts, the Bears got favorable field position at the Minnesota 34 and, starting with a 15-yard run by James Allen, came away with a 30-yard Edinger field goal to lead by 10-0 at the half.

The Vikings finally got on the board on their first possession of the third quarter. Culpepper completed six passes to get from his 31 to the Chicago 26 and Gary Anderson booted a 44-yard field goal to narrow the Bears’ margin to 10-3.

That was it until, in a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Bears moved 55 yards in eight plays. Miller completed passes to WR David Terrell that picked up 26 and 25 yards to reach the Minnesota 26 and, while the drive stalled, Edinger kicked a 43-yard field goal to again make it a ten-point contest.

After another exchange of punts, the Vikings put together a long series, the key play being a pass from Culpepper to TE Byron Chamberlain in a third-and-five situation that gained 23 yards to the Chicago 12. However, after getting another first down at the one, Minnesota couldn’t punch the ball in and had to settle for a 21-yard Anderson field goal.

That was effectively the last gasp for the Vikings. Taking over on offense with 3:10 on the clock, the Bears managed to maintain possession until the final seconds before having to punt, and pinned back in their own territory, time ran out on the Vikings. Chicago won the low-scoring affair by the final score of 13-6.

Minnesota failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 98 games but led in total yards (316 to 235), first downs (15 to 11), and time of possession (34:13 to 25:47). However, the Vikings also were called for 11 penalties, at a cost of 75 yards, to just two flags thrown on Chicago. Each team turned the ball over once and punted eight times apiece.

Jim Miller (pictured at left) completed just 10 of 21 passes for 97 yards, but gave up no interceptions. James Allen rushed for 107 yards on 27 carries while Leon Johnson ran the ball twice for 35 yards that included a TD and did well returning kicks, averaging 10.8 yards on four punt returns and running back one kickoff for 33 yards. Dez White had four catches for 32 yards and David Terrell gained 51 yards on his two receptions.

For the Vikings, Daunte Culpepper was successful on 26 of 46 throws for 209 yards, but failed to throw a TD pass for the first time all season and gave up one interception. He also rushed for 43 yards on seven carries. Rookie RB Michael Bennett gained 75 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Byron Chamberlain caught 7 passes for 56 yards and Cris Carter contributed 45 yards on five receptions, while Randy Moss was a negligible presence with four receptions for 25 yards and some dropped passes.

The Bears lost only one more game the rest of the way, finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record that put them on top of the NFC Cental. They lost to the Eagles in the Divisional playoff round. Minnesota collapsed, winning only one more time and ending up at 5-11 and fourth in the division. Coach Green was replaced by Mike Tice before the end, and Tice continued on as head coach for the next four seasons.

The defensive performance by the Bears was typical as they led the NFL in fewest points allowed (203). Ted Washington and Brian Urlacher were both consensus first-team All-NFL selections in addition to being named to the Pro Bowl.

2002: Saints Come From 20 Points Down to Beat Bears

The Week 3 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears on September 22, 2002 featured two teams that had gotten off to 2-0 starts. The Bears, coming off a 13-3 season in ’01 under Head Coach Dick Jauron, had a conservative offense led by QB Jim Miller, a competent game manager, and RB Anthony Thomas, the NFC’s top offensive rookie in 2001. The defense had been top-ranked in the league and featured a solid line, star MLB Brian Urlacher, and CB R.W. McQuarters and FS Mike Brown in the backfield.

New Orleans, on the other hand, had been 7-9 in 2001 after going to the postseason in 2000. Coached by Jim Haslett, the Saints dealt away RB Ricky Williams, who never quite lived up to the heavy price of an entire slate of draft picks to obtain him in 1999, and RB Deuce McAllister had emerged in his place. The mobile and hard-throwing Aaron Brooks (pictured above) directed the attack at quarterback.

There were 63,216 fans present at Memorial Stadium of the University of Illinois, which was serving as home for the Bears while Soldier Field underwent a complete overhaul. They saw the Bears get the first break of the day when McAllister fumbled at midfield and LB Bryan Knight recovered for Chicago. The Bears drove to the New Orleans 13 yard line in 10 plays and Paul Edinger kicked a 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

On the third play of the Saints’ next possession, Brooks was intercepted by CB Reggie Austin, again near midfield. Thomas ran the ball four straight times, including a 24-yard gain to the 15 yard line, and Miller completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to WR Dez White. The score stood at 10-0 after one quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Bears scored again when a six-play, 56-yard drive ended with Miller throwing to WR Marty Booker for a 22-yard TD. The Saints turned the ball over once again, with Brooks fumbling and Knight recovering for the second time for Chicago. With the ball at the New Orleans 27, the Bears seemed well positioned to deliver a killing blow, but had to settle for another Edinger field goal, this time from 25 yards. Still, Chicago led by 20-0 with just under twelve minutes remaining in the first half.

The New Orleans offense responded by coming alive on a nine-play possession that included six straight pass completions by Brooks. He threw to WR Jerome Pathon for a 16-yard touchdown that finally got the Saints on the board. On the ensuing kickoff, it was Chicago’s turn to hurt itself with a turnover as RB Leon Johnson fumbled and the Saints recovered at the Bears’ eight. Two plays later, Brooks ran for a seven-yard touchdown and the once-imposing margin was down to six points at 20-14.

In the third quarter, New Orleans took the kickoff and methodically drove 65 yards in 12 plays that featured a 24-yard completion from Brooks to Pathon along the way and ended with Brooks tossing a five-yard touchdown pass to WR Joe Horn. John Carney’s extra point was good, and the Saints took the lead at 21-20. The teams traded punts until early in the fourth quarter, when Edinger capped a 70-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal that put the Bears back in front at 23-21.

The teams again traded punts and, with the clock down to 3:21 in the game, the Saints took over at their 27. Brooks completed all four of his passes and ran for 14 yards as New Orleans went 73 yards in 7 plays, ending with WR Donte’ Stallworth pulling in a pass for a 29-yard touchdown, and retook the lead.

Chicago still had over a minute to work with, and Miller passed the team down the field, including completions of 19 yards to Booker and 20 to White. But with a second down at the New Orleans 18, his pass to the goal line was intercepted by safety Sammy Knight to nail down the 29-23 win for the Saints.

The Bears outgained New Orleans (353 yards to 302) and also had more first downs (21 to 18). The Saints even gave up more turnovers with three to Chicago’s two and were penalized ten times.


Aaron Brooks completed 22 of 34 passes for 233 yards with three touchdowns and one interception; he also ran the ball seven times for 28 yards and a TD. Joe Horn caught 6 passes for 42 yards and a score while Jerome Pathon (pictured at left) gained 71 yards on his 5 catches, also including a touchdown. Deuce McAllister was held to 45 yards rushing on 17 carries and grabbed four passes for 42 more.

For the Bears, Jim Miller went to the air 40 times, with 26 completions for 236 yards that included two TDs against one that was picked off. Anthony Thomas ran for 111 yards on 27 attempts. Marty Booker caught 8 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.

“It's tough when you're down 20-0, especially in the NFL,” Aaron Brooks said. “We were lucky we didn't get blown out. We could have been down 28-0 at the half.”

“We came in at halftime down 20-14 and the guys knew we were going to win the game,” added Coach Haslett.

The Saints lost to Detroit the next week but won three more in a row to peak at 6-1 before going 3-6 the rest of the way. They finished in third place in the NFC South at 9-7 and just missed the postseason. The loss to New Orleans was the first of eight strait for Chicago. The injury-riddled Bears ended up a poor third in the NFC North at 4-12.

Aaron Brooks tied for second in the league in touchdown passes with 27, but also was sacked 36 times, which tied for the fourth most, and was prone to inconsistency. Deuce McAllister led the NFC by rushing for 1388 yards on 325 carries and scored a total of 16 TDs (13 rushing, 3 receiving).

Jim Miller (pictured below) suffered through shoulder and knee injuries and played in just ten games, with Chris Chandler taking over until he, too, was lost - inexperienced Henry Burris finished off the dismal season. Miller ended up passing for 1944 yards with 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and was waived afterward, essentially marking the end of his NFL career (he was a backup for three more teams, but never appeared in another regular season game) in which he demonstrated great toughness, if not much savvy. Anthony Thomas slumped badly as the season progressed and then was sidelined by a broken finger after rushing for 721 yards while averaging 3.4 yards per attempt. “The A-Train” bounced back with a 1024-yard campaign in 2003.