Chicago Bears seasons
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This is a list of seasons completed by the Chicago Bears American football franchise of the National Football League. The list documents the season-by-season records of the Bears' franchise from 1920 to present, including postseason records, and league awards for individual players or head coaches. The Bears franchise was founded as the Decatur Staleys, a charter member of the American Professional Football Association. The team moved to Chicago in 1921, and changed their name to the Bears in 1922, the same year the APFA changed its name to the National Football League.
The Chicago Bears have played over one thousand games. In those games, the club won nine professional American football championships including eight NFL Championships and one Super Bowl—the second most in the NFL after the Green Bay Packers' twelve. The franchise captured seventeen NFL divisional titles and four NFL conference championships, and recorded more regular season (677) and overall victories (693) than any other NFL franchise.
The franchise has experienced three major periods of continued success in their history. The first period of success came from 1932–1946 when the Bears played in nine NFL Championship Games, winning six of them. This period saw the Bears participate in the first ever National Football League playoff game, the first ever official NFL Championship Game, and become the American football sports dynasty of the 1940s. The Bears played in four straight NFL Championship Games between 1940–1944, winning three of them including an NFL record 73–0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940. The second period of success was between 1984–1991 where the Bears captured six NFC Central Division titles in eight years and won Super Bowl XX. The most recent period of success ranges from 2005–present where the franchise has captured two straight NFC North titles and a NFC Championship title earning them a berth in Super Bowl XLI, which the club lost to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears have experienced failure in their history. The two most notable times of failure were in the 1970s, where the franchise finished in last place within their division five times, and in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, where the club posted six season with ten or more losses. By chance these two decades—the 1970s and 1990s—are the only decades in the Bears history where the franchise has not won or played for an NFL Championship or Super Bowl. In 1969 season, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–13 showing.
- Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play. Regular and postseason records are combined only at the bottom of the list.
Record as of December 30, 2007
| NFL Champions (1920–1969) | Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth | One-Game Playoff Berth | League Leader |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Post Season Results | Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||||||
| Decatur Staleys | ||||||||||
| 1920 | 1920 | APFA | 2nd[1] | 10 | 1 | 2 | The APFA did not hold playoff games | |||
| Chicago Staleys | ||||||||||
| 1921 | 1921 | APFA | 1st | 9 | 1 | 0 | Named APFA Champions (1) [2] | |||
| Chicago Bears | ||||||||||
| 1922 | 1922 | NFL | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932 | |||
| 1923 | 1923 | NFL | 2nd | 9 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1924 | 1924 | NFL | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| 1925 | 1925 | NFL | 7th | 9 | 5 | 3 | ||||
| 1926 | 1926 | NFL | 2nd | 12 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 1927 | 1927 | NFL | 3rd | 9 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 1928 | 1928 | NFL | 5th | 7 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1929 | 1929 | NFL | 9th | 4 | 9 | 2 | ||||
| 1930 | 1930 | NFL | 3rd | 9 | 4 | 1 | ||||
| 1931 | 1931 | NFL | 3rd | 8 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 1932 | 1932 | NFL | 1st | 7 | 1 | 6 | Named NFL Champions (2)[3] | |||
| 1933 | 1933 | NFL | West | 1st | 10 | 2 | 1 | Won NFL Championship (3) (Giants) (23-21)[4] | ||
| 1934 | 1934 | NFL | West | 1st | 13 | 0 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Giants) (30-13)[5] | ||
| 1935 | 1935 | NFL | West | T-3rd | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 1936 | 1936 | NFL | West | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1937 | 1937 | NFL | West | 1st | 9 | 1 | 1 | Lost NFL Championship (Redskins) (28-21) | ||
| 1938 | 1938 | NFL | West | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1939 | 1939 | NFL | West | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1940 | 1940 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 3 | 0 | Won NFL Championship (4) (Redskins) (73-0) | ||
| 1941 | 1941 | NFL | West | 1st | 10 | 1 | 0 | Won Western Divisional Playoff (Packers) (33-14) Won NFL Championship (5) (Giants) (37-9) |
||
| 1942 | 1942 | NFL | West | 1st | 11 | 0 | 0 | Lost NFL Championship (Redskins) (14-6)[5] | ||
| 1943 | 1943 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 1 | 1 | Won NFL Championship (6) (Redskins) (41-21) | Sid Luckman (NFL MVP) | |
| 1944 | 1944 | NFL | West | T-2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 1945 | 1945 | NFL | West | 4th | 3 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1946 | 1946 | NFL | West | 1st | 8 | 2 | 1 | Won NFL Championship (7) (Giants) (24-14) | ||
| 1947 | 1947 | NFL | West | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1948 | 1948 | NFL | West | 2nd | 10 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 1949 | 1949 | NFL | West | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1950 | 1950 | NFL | National | 2nd | 9 | 3 | 0 | Lost Conference Playoff (Rams) (24-14) | ||
| 1951 | 1951 | NFL | National | 4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 1952 | 1952 | NFL | National | 5th | 5 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1953 | 1953 | NFL | Western | 4th | 3 | 8 | 1 | |||
| 1954 | 1954 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1955 | 1955 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1956 | 1956 | NFL | Western | 1st | 9 | 2 | 1 | Lost NFL Championship (Giants) (47-7) | ||
| 1957 | 1957 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1958 | 1958 | NFL | Western | T-2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1959 | 1959 | NFL | Western | 2nd | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1960 | 1960 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 1961 | 1961 | NFL | Western | T-3rd | 8 | 6 | 0 | Mike Ditka (UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) | ||
| 1962 | 1962 | NFL | Western | 3rd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Ronnie Bull (UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) | ||
| 1963 | 1963 | NFL | Western | 1st | 11 | 1 | 2 | Won NFL Championship (8) (Giants) (14-10) | George Halas (NFL Coach of the Year) | |
| 1964 | 1964 | NFL | Western | 6th | 5 | 9 | 0 | |||
| 1965 | 1965 | NFL | Western | 3rd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Gale Sayers (UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) George Halas (NFL Coach of the Year) |
||
| 1966 | 1966 | NFL | Western | 5th | 5 | 7 | 2 | |||
| 1967[6] | 1967 | NFL | Central | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 1 | |||
| 1968 | 1968 | NFL | Central | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 1969 | 1969 | NFL | Central | 4th | 1 | 13 | 0 | |||
| AFL-NFL Merger | ||||||||||
| 1970 | 1970 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1971 | 1971 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1972 | 1972 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 4 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 1973 | 1973 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 3 | 11 | 0 | Wally Chambers (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year) | |
| 1974 | 1974 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1975 | 1975 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 4 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1976 | 1976 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 7 | 7 | 0 | Jack Pardee (NFL Coach of the Year) | |
| 1977 | 1977 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 9 | 5 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) (37-7) | Walter Payton (NFL MVP/UPI NFC Player of the Year) (NFL Offensive Player of the Year/Man of Year Award) |
| 1978 | 1978 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1979 | 1979 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) (27-17) | |
| 1980 | 1980 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1981 | 1981 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1982[7] | 1982 | NFL | NFC | 12th | 3 | 6 | 0 | Jim McMahon (UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) | ||
| 1983 | 1983 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1984 | 1984 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 10 | 6 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (23-19) Lost Conference Championship (49ers) (23-0) |
Mike Singletary (UPI NFC Player of the Year) |
| 1985 | 1985 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 15 | 1 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) (21-0) Won Conference Championship (Rams) (24-0) Won Super Bowl XX (9) (Patriots) (46-10)[8] |
Mike Singletary (NFL Defensive Player of the Year/UPI NFC Player of the Year) Mike Ditka (NFL Coach of the Year) Richard Dent (Super Bowl XX MVP) Walter Payton (UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year/Bert Bell Award) |
| 1986 | 1986 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 14 | 2 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (27-13) | |
| 1987[9] | 1987 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 11 | 4 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) (21-17) | Dave Duerson (MOY) |
| 1988 | 1988 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 12 | 4 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) (20-12)[10] Lost Conference Championship (49ers) (28-3) |
Mike Singletary (NFL Defensive Player of the Year/UPI NFC Player of the Year) Mike Ditka (NFL Coach of the Year) |
| 1989 | 1989 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1990 | 1990 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Saints) (16-6) Lost Divisional Playoffs (Giants) (31-3) |
Mark Carrier (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year/UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) Mike Singletary (Man of the Year) |
| 1991 | 1991 | NFL | NFC | Central | 2nd | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Cowboys) (17-13) | |
| 1992 | 1992 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1993 | 1993 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1994 | 1994 | NFL | NFC | Central | 4th | 9 | 7 | 0 | Won Wild Card Playoffs (Vikings) (35-18) Lost Divisional Playoffs (49ers) (44-15) |
Dave Wannstedt (NFL Coach of the Year) |
| 1995 | 1995 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 9 | 7 | 0 | Rashaan Salaam (UPI NFL Rookie of the Year) | |
| 1996 | 1996 | NFL | NFC | Central | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 1997 | 1997 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1998 | 1998 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1999 | 1999 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 2000 | NFL | NFC | Central | 5th | 5 | 11 | 0 | Brian Urlacher (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year) Jim Flanigan (Walter Payton Man of the Year) |
|
| 2001 | 2001 | NFL | NFC | Central | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) (33-19)[11] | Anthony Thomas (NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year) Dick Jauron (NFL Coach of the Year) |
| 2002 | 2002 | NFL | NFC | North | 3rd | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2003 | 2003 | NFL | NFC | North | 3rd | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | 2004 | NFL | NFC | North | 4th | 5 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 2005 | NFL | NFC | North | 1st | 11 | 5 | 0 | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Panthers) (29-21)[12] | Brian Urlacher (NFL Defensive Player of the Year) Lovie Smith (NFL Coach of the Year) |
| 2006 | 2006 | NFL | NFC | North | 1st | 13 | 3 | 0 | Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) (27-24 OT) Won Conference Championship (Saints) (39-14) Lost Super Bowl XLI (Colts) (29-17) |
|
| 2007 | 2007 | NFL | NFC | North | 4th | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | 2008 | NFL | NFC | North | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Total | 677 | 491 | 42 | (1920–2007, includes only regular season) | ||||||
| 16 | 17 | (1920–2007, includes only playoffs) | ||||||||
| 693 | 508 | 42 | (1920–2007, includes both regular season and playoffs; 9 NFL Championships) | |||||||
Footnotes
- ^ No official standings were maintained for the 1920 season, and the championship was awarded to the Akron Pros in a League meeting on April 30, 1921. Clubs played schedules that included games against nonleague opponents.
- ^ The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932. The team that finished with the best regular season record was named the league champions.
- ^ The result of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game to determine the NFL champion between the Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans. The game counted in the standings and broke the tie.
- ^ The score of the playoff game is in parenthesis with the Bears score first no matter of the outcome.
- ^ a b The Bears were denied perfect seasons on two accounts. The first one was in the 1934 when the 13-0 club lost to the New York Giants in the Championship game. The second occurrence happenend in 1942 when the 11-0 club was denied perfection and a "three-peat" by the Washington Redskins.
- ^ The 1967 NFL season marks the first season in the league's history where the league was divided into two conferences which were subdivided into two divisions. Up to 1967, the league was either divided into two divisions, two conferences, or neither.
- ^ 1982 was a strike-shorten season so the league was divided up into two conferences instead of its normal divisional alignment.
- ^ Even though this is the franchise's first Super Bowl victory, it is their 9th league championship hence the number 9 after the Super Bowl XX line.
- ^ The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games.
- ^ The game was known as the Fog Bowl due to the heavy fog that covered the field for most of the game.
- ^ This marked the final game to be played at the old Soldier Field as the stadium went under a massive $600 million, 20 month renovation.
- ^ This was the first playoff game played at the newly renovated Soldier Field.
References
- NFL Football History. CBS Sportsline. Retrieved on January 2, 2007.
- Chicago Bears History. Chicago Bears History Website. Retrieved on April 30, 2006.
- Chicago Bears.com - All Time Statistics. Chicago Bears Official website. Retrieved on October 29, 2007.
- NFL.com - History - Yearly Standings. National Football League Official website. Retrieved on October 29, 2007.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame - Chicago Bears. Pro Football Hall of Fame Website. Retrieved on February 9, 2006.
- Taylor, Roy (2004). Chicago Bears History. Arcadia Publishing (SC). ISBN 0-7385-3319-X.
External links
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