What happened? Examining the 3-year fall at Halas Hall Optimism reigned even after the Bears' Super Bowl loss to the Colts, but there has been little but disappointment since that defeat
February 7, 2010
BY MARK POTASH
mpotash@suntimes.com
After the Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, they vowed to return. And while not many were betting on it, they had the right to dream big.
Their defense, the envy of the league with an NFL-high 44 takeaways in 2006, was one of the best in the NFL -- and one of the youngest. The average age of the Bears' 11 defensive starters in the Super Bowl was 25.8. In fact, every key contributor was in his 20s except Alfonso Boone, who was 30.
Their big playmakers were in their prime. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was 28. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris was 23. Linebacker Lance Briggs was 26.
The offense had its issues, but it still was eighth in the NFL in offensive points scored with 22.6 per game. Quarterback Rex Grossman was erratic, but he was an MVP candidate early that season -- and still only 26. Running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson combined for 1,721 yards and 12 touchdowns. And playing sensational kick returner Devin Hester at wide receiver had all sorts of possibilities.
The Bears had a Pro Bowl special-teams ace in Brendon Ayanbadejo. Placekicker Robbie Gould was as good as there was from inside 50 yards. Punter Brad Maynard still was one of the best punters in the NFL.
They were good, young and signed. So even if they were felled by the Super Bowl-loser malaise in 2007, chances are they wouldn't be far from contention in the following years.
As we all know, that didn't happen. The Bears were 7-9 in 2007, 9-7 in 2008 and 7-9 in 2009, becoming only the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to fail to make the playoffs in three consecutive seasons after playing in the Super Bowl.
That the Colts are playing the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV today casts an unflattering light on the Bears' unfortunate demise. Three years ago, the Bears beat the Saints 39-14 in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field, then lost to the Colts 29-17 in the Super Bowl.
The Colts went 13-3, 12-4 and 14-2 in the three seasons since playing the Bears in the Super Bowl. The Saints went 7-9, 8-8 and 13-3.
What happened to the Bears? A quarterback sure makes a difference. But even with a Pro Bowl quarterback in Jay Cutler, the Bears still struggled in 2009. Here's a look at the litany of disappointments that have the Bears where they are today:
Tommie Harris
No single player, not even Urlacher, has been a bigger factor in the success or failure of the Bears in recent years. When Harris was at his best in 2004-06, wreaking havoc in the middle of the line and commanding double-teams, the chain reaction made every other player better.
In 2006, the Bears ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (261 yards per game) before Harris suffered a ruptured left hamstring in Week 11. Without Harris, the Bears allowed 371 yards per game, dropping to fifth in total defense.
Harris had eight sacks in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl, but he developed knee problems and never has regained the form he showed before his hamstring injury. Harris played in 15 of 16 games this season. But outside of flashes here and there, he was nowhere near the player he was in 2005 or 2006.
Brian Urlacher
Urlacher still was one of the best defensive players in the NFL in 2006. He led the Bears with 185 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, had three interceptions and finished fourth in voting for Defensive Player of the Year.
But he has struggled with injuries since then. He developed an arthritic back and had neck surgery after the 2007 season. After a mediocre season in 2008, he suffered a dislocated wrist in the 2009 opener and missed the rest of the season.
The loss of Urlacher and the demise of Harris exposed weaknesses in the Bears' defense. In 2005, when both stars were at their best, the Bears' secondary had 20 interceptions, returning four of them for touchdowns. In 2009, the Bears' secondary had 10 interceptions and one touchdown return.
The offensive line
The Bears patched together a good-enough offensive line in 2006, with veterans Ruben Brown (34), John Tait (31) and Fred Miller (33) around Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz and guard Roberto Garza. But Brown, Tait and Miller began showing their age after the 2006 season. Brown and Miller lasted one more season, and Tait retired after 2008.
Though none was even close to his peak when he left, all have proved difficult to replace. Terrence Metcalf and John St. Clair didn't pan out. In 2009, veteran free agent Orlando Pace was a disappointment. Frank Omiyale struggled at guard, and Josh Beekman, a fourth-round pick in 2007, failed to beat out Omiyale. Chris Williams, a first-round pick in 2008, struggled at right tackle but showed promise after replacing Pace at left tackle.
And Kreutz, a six-time Pro Bowl center, is not the same player at 32 that he was three years ago. When the Bears played the Colts in the Super Bowl, Kreutz was the first-team center on the Associated Press' All-NFL team. Colts center Jeff Saturday was the second-team center.
Today, Saturday -- an undrafted free agent the same year the Bears took Kreutz in the third round (1998) -- still is playing at a Pro Bowl level and was second-team All-Pro.
Rex Grossman
With good protection early in the 2006 season, Grossman was an MVP candidate after he had passer ratings of 98.6, 148.0, 100.5 and 101.2 in the first five weeks of the season. It looked like the Bears had their quarterback.
But it wasn't to be. Grossman threw four interceptions and had a 10.2 rating against the Arizona Cardinals and never was the same. He seemed to wilt as the criticism of his ''Good Rex/Bad Rex'' performances mounted, suffered another injury in 2007, lost his job to Kyle Orton in 2008 and signed with the Houston Texans in 2009.
Grossman's tenure with the Bears represents much of what has ailed them in the last three seasons. He kept suffering injuries. He was inconsistent. The Bears struggled to develop him. And their unwavering faith in him when he hadn't proved himself only exacerbated the problem at the most important position on the team.
Thomas Jones/ Cedric Benson
Only the Bears, it seems, could acquire two running backs this good and screw them both up. After signing Jones as a free agent in 2004, the Bears drafted Benson with the fourth pick of the draft in 2005. Jones had three good seasons with the Bears, but the lingering presence of Benson as the heir apparent caused friction that became a distraction on and off the field.
The Bears made matters worse by choosing the player with the most potential instead of the player who had earned the job. The Bears traded Jones to the New York Jets after the Super Bowl, and Benson was a bust as the featured back in 2007 (674 yards, 3.4 yards per carry, four touchdowns) and was cut.
Matt Forte, a second-round draft pick in 2008, had a promising rookie season (1,238 yards, 3.9 yards per carry, eight touchdowns) but regressed in 2009 (929 yards, 3.6 yards per carry, four touchdowns). Meanwhile, Jones rushed for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Jets. And Benson finally had the breakout season the Bears had been expecting, rushing for 1,251 yards and scoring six touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The draft
Whatever momentum the Bears had after 2006 didn't carry over to the draft. In 2007, general manager Jerry Angelo took tight end Greg Olsen in the first round, then struck out with defensive end Dan Bazuin in the second round and linebacker Michael Okwo in the third. In 2008, he took Williams in the first round, Forte in the second and Earl Bennett in the third. Last year, they traded first- and third-round picks for Cutler and took defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert and wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias in the third round -- though fifth-round pick Johnny Knox was a find as a receiver and kick returner.
But Knox is the best Angelo pick in the last three seasons. And while Olsen, Williams, Bennett and the others eventually might pan out, the Bears failed to get the immediate jump they needed from the draft.
Injuries
In 2006, the Bears lost safety Mike Brown to an injury in Week 6 and Harris to an injury in Week 11, but they still finished 13-3 and went to the Super Bowl.
They haven't had such luck since. Harris isn't the same player. Brown was let go after 2008 because of injuries. Nathan Vasher, who had eight interceptions in 2005 and made the Pro Bowl, hasn't been the same player since suffering a groin injury in 2007.
Not all teams are so unfortunate. The Colts' Bob Sanders missed most of the 2006 season with an injury but returned to shore up their run defense, which was the key to their postseason success. Dwight Freeney had Lisfranc surgery in 2007 but hasn't lost a step. He had 10½ sacks in 2008 and 13½ in 2009.
Ron Rivera
It's unlikely the Bears' defense would have maintained its elite status with Rivera as their coordinator, but it's pretty clear the firing of Rivera after the 2006 season did nothing to help the team, either.
Under Rivera, the Bears were second in the NFL in total defense in 2005 and fifth in 2006. After coach Lovie Smith fired Rivera and promoted linebackers coach Bob Babich to coordinator, the Bears were 28th in 2007 and 21st in 2008. Smith then demoted Babich and took over the coordinator's duties. The Bears were 17th this season -- without Urlacher.
If nothing else, firing Rivera called Smith's judgment into question.
Mark Anderson
The rookie defensive end had 12 sacks in 2006 and looked as though he could step into a starting role. The Bears handed the job to Anderson over Alex Brown in 2007, but Anderson flopped as a starter (five sacks in 14 starts) and eventually was replaced by Brown. Anderson had one sack in 2008 and 2½ in 2009. The Bears still are searching for a defensive end who can produce double-digit sacks consistently.
Mike Brown
After Urlacher and Harris, there probably was no player more vital to the Bears' defense than Brown, a team leader with an incredible knack for making big plays. In 2006, Brown lived up to his reputation by scoring on a fumble recovery to ignite the Bears' memorable comeback against the Cardinals. But he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the game and was out for the season.
Brown suffered a knee injury in the 2007 opener against the San Diego Chargers and again was lost for the season. He returned in 2008 and played in 15 games before suffering another injury, but he wasn't the player he was in his prime.
The Bears didn't re-sign Brown and spent the 2009 season rotating safeties seemingly weekly, with no luck in coming close to replacing him. Chris Harris did it in 2006, but the Bears traded him to the Carolina Panthers after that season to make room for Adam Archuleta, who had played for Smith with the St. Louis Rams. Archuleta lasted 11 games as a starter.
COMPARING THE LINEUPS
OFFENSE
'06 Position '09
Rex Grossman QB Jay Cutler
Thomas Jones RB Matt Forte
Bernard Berrian WR Devin Hester
Jason McKie FB Jason McKie
John Tait LT Orlando Pace
Ruben Brown LG Frank Omiyale
Olin Kreutz C Olin Kreutz
Roberto Garza RG Roberto Garza
Fred Miller RT Chris Williams
Desmond Clark TE Greg Olsen
DEFENSE
'06 Position '09
Adewale LE Adewale Ogunleye Ogunleye
Tommie Harris DT Tommie Harris
Tank Johnson DT Adams/Harrison
Alex Brown RE Alex Brown
Lance Briggs SLB Nick Roach
Brian Urlacher MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer
Hunter WLB Lance Briggs Hillenmeyer
Charles Tillman CB Charles Tillman
Nathan Vasher CB Nate Bowman
Brown/Harris SS Al Afalava
Danieal Manning FS Danieal Manning
SPECIAL TEAMS
'06 Position '09
Robbie Gould PK Robbie Gould
Brad Maynard P Brad Maynard
Rashied Davis/ KR Johnny Knox/ Devin Hester Danieal Manning
Devin Hester
PR Devin Hester/ Earl Bennett
Thomas Jones Tank Johnson Devin Hester 
Linear Mode
