| 2006 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | The McCaskey Family |
| General manager | Jerry Angelo |
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| Home field | Soldier Field |
| Local radio | WBBM · WCFS · WLEY · WSCR |
| Results | |
| Record | 13–3 |
| Division place | 1st NFC North |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 27–24 (OT) Won NFC Championship (vs. Saints) 39–14 Lost Super Bowl XLI (vs. Colts) 17–29 |
| Pro Bowlers | 8
|
| AP All-Pros | 6
|
The 2006 season was the Chicago Bears' 87th season in the National Football League, and the third under head coach Lovie Smith. The team improved on their 11–5 record from 2005 and finished with a 13–3 record; the best in the NFC. The Bears retained their NFC North divisional title, and won the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints on January 21, 2007. The Bears played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI, where they lost 29–17. The team finished the 2006 NFL season tied for second in points scored,[1] and third in points allowed.[2]
Due to the NFL's scheduling formula the Bears played 6 intra-division games, posting a record of 5–1. Because of rotating cycle scheduling, the Bears matched up against all four teams in the AFC East (going 2–2) and NFC West (going 4–0). In the remaining games, the Bears played the NFC's other reigning division winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, posting a record of 2–0. During the entire season, the Bears played 10 games at home, 8 games on the road, and 1 game at a neutral field for the Super Bowl. Including the playoffs and Super Bowl, the Bears finished with a record of 15–4.
Noteworthy football stories for the 2006 season were replacing retired cornerback and kick returner Jerry Azumah, the quarterback controversy between productive but inconsistent and potentially fragile Rex Grossman and veteran free agent Brian Griese, the record setting returns by Devin Hester, Bernard Berrian's breakout season, competition between the Bears' running backs (Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones), and 5th round draft pick Mark Anderson's 12 quarterback sacks as a rookie.[3][4][5]
- ^ [1] Archived February 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [2] [dead link]
- ^ "Preview: Bears Training Camp 2006". Retrieved May 21, 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Bernard Berrian – Stretching The Field". Archived from the original on May 3, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
- ^ "Bear Weather—so what?". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.