All for one, one for ...
Battling controversy, skepticism and foes real and imagined, the Bears banded together for a Super season
February 2, 2007
From the training-camp fields of Bourbonnais to Dolphin Stadium in Miami, the 2006 Bears have dealt with doubters every step of the way. They cruised to the NFC North title and easily secured home field throughout the NFC playoffs, yet experts near and far continued to question their Super Bowl credentials. How could that be?
Maybe it was because the Bears constantly seemed to be embroiled in controversy. Beginning on draft day and continuing through the regular season, this team had issues. Some were big, some were small, but they all seemed huge at the time. From a running back feud to a quarterback controversy to real-life legal woes, it's a wonder the Bears managed to win 13 regular-season games, let alone win two playoff games to earn a trip to Miami.
As it turns out, this was a talented, determined team led by a talented, focused coaching staff. Who knew? The Bears knew, and that was all that mattered.
Here are the highlights -- and lowlights -- of the 2006 championship season.
You call this a draft?
General manager Jerry Angelo focused on upgrading the defense in the draft in April, selecting safety Danieal Manning from Division II Abilene Christian at No. 42 and cornerback Devin Hester from Miami at No. 57 with his first two picks. Angelo immediately was criticized. Where was the tight end the Bears so desperately needed? Why didn't Angelo upgrade at wide receiver? And why the heck did he waste his top two picks on players that were considered projects? The prevailing mood around town: Here we go again. Realizing that Angelo had added only backup quarterback Brian Griese to an offense that ranked 29th in 2005, many questioned whether he had lost his mind.
He said: ''Let's not get fixated with this tight end. I mean, we haven't seen a tight end here since [Mike] Ditka, so I don't want to say we haven't been able to play without one.'' -- Angelo
A star begins to emerge
The standout of the rookie minicamp in May? Hester. Already, the Bears thought he could fill the punt-return position -- and maybe kickoff return, as well.
He said: ''There ain't nothing stopping me from catching the ball. You could throw three hats at me, and I'm still going to catch the ball.'' -- Hester
Someone get the coach a dictionary
When linebacker Lance Briggs and running back Thomas Jones showed up for mandatory team minicamp in June, coach Lovie Smith demoted them to second string because they had missed more than a month of ''voluntary'' workouts. Briggs had stayed away because he was unhappy that he didn't have a new contract after turning down an extension that would have averaged $5.5 million annually. No one was quite sure why Jones stayed away, since he had two years left on his contract, but the consensus was that he felt unappreciated after rushing for 1,335 yards in 2005, especially since he knew the Bears were committed to Cedric Benson, the team's top pick in '05. Both Briggs and Jones, not coincidentally, are represented by controversial agent Drew Rosenhaus.
He said: ''In order to be at the top of the starting rotation, you have to be here.'' -- Smith
Getting off on the wrong foot
Training camp in Bourbonnais began on a curious note, with Jones and Briggs still relegated to backup duty. The plot thickened when Jones mysteriously tweaked his right hamstring during a fitness test on the first day of camp and therefore could not practice. Meanwhile, Benson, who was promoted to first team over Jones, declared a personal goal of 1,700 rushing yards for 2006.
He said: ''Right now, it's about today. There will be a starting rotation, but what's happened in the past has happened in the past. What's happened in the past kind of puts us in this position right now. No, there won't be any ramifications.'' -- Smith, attempting to clarify the demotions
He speaks!
Jones, who hadn't spoken to reporters in six months, addressed the media in camp after tweaking his hamstring, saying that anyone who had performed the way he had the last two seasons should be a starting running back. Meanwhile, rumors circulated that the Bears were shopping Jones.
He said: ''We have three good running backs [in Jones, Benson and Adrian Peterson], and we're happy we have them. And if it's a situation where we feel we could upgrade our football team, we're certainly going to look at that situation.'' -- Angelo, neither confirming nor denying the trade speculation
And we've only just begun
In an interview before the first official practice of training camp, quarterback Rex Grossman, who missed most of his first three NFL seasons because of injuries, indicated he already was tired of the speculation about his ability.
He said: ''I am sick of people thinking or telling me I am good or I am bad when basically they don't have much to go on.'' -- Grossman
Welcome to the NFL, kid
When Benson went down with a sprained left shoulder after being hit from behind by safety Mike Brown during camp, he suggested his teammates were trying to hurt him intentionally. Benson, who previously had suggested some of his teammates and coaches didn't like him, backtracked after looking at film of the hit that caused his injury.
He said: ''Everything happens for a reason, and I am sure there is a big positive waiting to come out now on the other side of this. I woke up this morning, sun was shining, and I couldn't help but to feel good.'' -- Benson
Taking matters into his own hands
With Benson nursing his shoulder, Jones, who had returned to practice, gave his opinion of the running back controversy to the Sun-Times' Mike Mulligan.
He said: ''It's ridiculous. I feel like there is no question who the starter is, who the guy is. Everyone knows. It shouldn't be an issue. I am the starting running back. I look at it like this is my offense.'' -- Jones
With friends like these
In the preseason game against San Diego in which both Jones and Benson were held out of the game with injuries, Benson left the sideline during the first quarter and skipped the team's mandatory postgame meeting. Benson's early exit wasn't noticed until his teammates brought it to the attention of the Sun-Times. Upon being told that his teammates had leaked word about his early departure, Benson said he didn't want to know who turned him in. Although Benson claimed he wasn't fined for his early exit and Smith said only that Benson was ''punished,'' Benson reportedly was fined. He also was benched during the first quarter of the next preseason game.
He said: ''I really don't consider Cedric to be a cancer on this team. ... As far as his play on the field, he hasn't had the chance to prove what he can do yet. So talking about respect [in the locker room], No. 1, you have to be respected for your play.'' -- wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, coming to Benson's defense -- sort of
Quarterback controversy
Combine an ineffective Grossman with an effective Griese, and what do you get? Yep, a quarterback controversy started in training camp. After playing poorly in exhibition games against San Francisco (passer rating: 44.9) and San Diego (passer rating: 38.7), Grossman's ability to lead the team into the regular season was questioned.
He said: ''I'm not going to lie and say I didn't hear it. It's pretty overwhelming.'' -- Grossman, after being booed by the Soldier Field crowd during the Arizona game
Hey, remember us?
After all the moaning on draft day about Angelo's failure to draft a tight end, veteran tight end Desmond Clark caught five passes for 77 yards in the team's season-opening shutout victory against the Packers in Green Bay. Hester, one of the raw draft picks, returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown. And rookie defensive end Mark Anderson, a fifth-round pick, sacked Brett Favre.
He said: ''Hopefully, it'll be something we see throughout the season. That's what I would want to happen.'' -- Clark, on his productive day
Three-and-oh!
After the defense forced a fumble against Minnesota with less than four minutes to play, Grossman found wide receiver Rashied Davis in the end zone to give the Bears a 19-16 victory and a perfect 3-0 record. The 24-yard pass to Davis, the first fourth-quarter touchdown pass of Grossman's career, came on the road in a game in which Grossman had previously thrown two interceptions.
He said: ''He's got to go play. If you try to be too careful, you play cautious. You can't play cautious. You've got to play smart and patient and aggressive.'' -- offensive coordinator Ron Turner, noting that it was just Grossman's 10th pro start
Quit picking on Ced
When newspapers reported that Benson, who didn't get a single carry against Minnesota, moped after the game, the Bears went on the offensive.
He said: ''I would just like our fans to know that Cedric Benson practiced very well last week. He's doing everything that we've asked him to do right now. He's a big part of what we're going to do around here. I couldn't be more pleased with how he's handling playing behind a good player in Thomas Jones.'' -- Smith
This just in
Benson and Jones went on to peacefully coexist, with Benson becoming a productive backup.
Can we put the lousy draft talk to bed now?
Manning was inserted into the starting lineup, replacing Chris Harris at free safety, before the third game of the season.
He said: ''We think [Manning] gives us the best opportunity to win right now.'' --Smith
Pleading his case
Cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., still on probation for his role in a 2002 assault, pleaded no contest in September to a felony charge of assault after being implicated in the beating of a UCLA student named Soroush Sabzi in April at a Los Angeles Denny's. (The assault occurred fewer than 48 hours after the Bears had signed Manning to an offer sheet worth $21 million.) A court sentenced Manning to three years of probation and ordered him to undergo anger-management counseling and to perform 100 hours of community service. The NFL later suspended Manning for one game, the New England Patriots game.
He said: ''We are disappointed in Ricky's involvement. Situations like these are embarrassing to our team and create unnecessary distractions.'' -- Angelo, in a statement
Not to mention the fact that we need him in the secondary
NBCsports.com leaked details of Manning Jr.'s probation report in which he is alleged to have made gay slurs to Sabzi, precipitating the fight that led to Manning's arrest and subsequent no-contest plea. According the document, Manning asked Sabzi, who was working on his computer while at the restaurant, ''Are you a faggot?'' The probation report also called Manning, who was convicted of misdemeanor assault in Los Angeles in 2002, ''an ongoing threat to the community's safety.''
He said: ''I haven't heard that, and I'd be disappointed if that was the case, but I don't know that to be fact. We have high-character guys, and Ricky is one.'' -- Smith
Who would have thunk it?
For the first time in 17 years, a Bears offensive player was named Player of the Month. Grossman earned the honor for September after leading the team to a 3-0 start while passing for 829 yards and six touchdowns. The last member of the offense to earn the honor? Running back Neal Anderson, in 1989.
He said: ''I'm not sure what happened in the last 17 years, but I know that a lot of players in this organization have had good months.'' -- Grossman
Well, sure, the offense stunk, but who cares?
Safety Mike Brown and cornerback Peanut Tillman scored on fumble returns, middle linebacker Brian Urlacher had a career-high 25 tackles and Hester returned a punt 83 yards for the game-winner as the Bears came back from a 20-0 halftime deficit to beat the Cardinals in Arizona 24-23 on Monday, Oct. 16, lifting their record to 6-0. The only downside: Brown tore a ligament in his right foot and underwent season-ending surgery.
He said: ''I don't know how to put it into words. I've never played so bad and won a game.'' -- Grossman, who was intercepted four times and lost two fumbles
Real life
In the final battle of a custody dispute between Urlacher and Tyna Robertson, the mother of Urlacher's then-16-month-old son, a judge ordered on Oct. 18 that Urlacher and Robertson, who lives in Joliet, should meet halfway between Joliet and Lake Forest on Urlacher's visitation days. Urlacher had wanted Robertson to bring the boy to his Lake Forest home.
Can we get a recount?
A survey of 361 NFL players by Sports Illustrated resulted in Urlacher being named the second-most overrated player in the league. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was first. The survey, conducted in the summer, was released late in October.
He said: ''They are a bunch of haters.'' -- defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, on the survey
What about Lance?
Veteran Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2010, the team announced Nov. 2.
He said: ''I wanted to stay here, and the team stepped up. They really didn't have to.'' -- Kreutz
But 7-1 isn't so bad
The Miami Dolphins came into Soldier Field on Nov. 5 and crushed the Bears 31-13, halting premature chatter of a perfect season.
He said: ''The disappointing thing is that we lost at home. We play the '85 Bears at home, we should win. The stadium was dead. We were dead. It was kind of surreal.'' -- linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo
Lightning strikes
Hester returned a missed field goal by the New York Giants 108 yards for a touchdown on Nov. 12, tying cornerback Nate Vasher's year-old record for the longest return in history.
He said: ''I'll tell you what, he looks good with the ball in his hands.'' -- special-teams coordinator Dave Toub, on Hester
This just in
Robbie Gould missed a field goal. That's right, Mr. Nearly Perfect's first attempt against the Patriots on Nov. 26 was blocked, ending his consecutive field-goal streak at 26.
Clueless
With only four regular-season games left, Grossman addressed his poor play, which included 18 turnovers in the previous seven games.
He said: ''I am just so confused why I do some of the things I do. It just doesn't make any sense to me.'' -- Grossman
Uh-oh
Defensive tackle Tommie Harris underwent surgery for a ruptured hamstring Dec. 12, ending his season.
He said: ''We told Tommy, We're looking at your career here, we're not just looking at the playoffs.'' -- Angelo
'You are ridiculous'
Hester returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against the Rams in St. Louis on Monday, Dec. 11, becoming only the sixth player in league history with more than one in a single game.
He said: ''I've never seen anything like it before in my life.'' -- Urlacher on Hester
Guns and pit bulls
A police SWAT team stormed defensive tackle Tank Johnson's Gurnee home on Dec. 14, seizing six guns, including two military-style assault weapons. Johnson, whose two young daughters lived at the home and who was already on probation for a misdemeanor weapons offense, was hit with six new misdemeanors for illegally possessing weapons without a valid firearm owners identification card. An occupant of Johnson's residence, Willie Posey, also was arrested and charged with felony possession of marijuana. Police said numerous complaints about Johnson's three neglected and incessantly barking pit bulls triggered the raid.
He said: ''I apologize to the Bears organization, my teammates, my family, first and foremost, for causing a distraction.'' -- Johnson, the day after his arrest
We'll give you one last chance, and this time we mean it
Two days after the raid on his home and roughly 12 hours after publicly apologizing for the ''distraction'' he had caused, Johnson and Posey went out to a Chicago nightclub, where Posey was shot and killed during a fight. As Johnson mourned, many in the media called for the Bears to cut him immediately. In an unscientific survey of 100 fans by the Sun-Times, 68 percent voted to give Johnson another chance. Ultimately, the Bears decided to give Johnson one more chance and suspended him for one game only. His criminal case is still pending.
He said: ''The easiest thing to do would be to write him off. But give him a chance to turn it around.'' -- Bears fan Michael Lyp
Clinch!
Having already wrapped up the division, the Bears clinched homefield advantage for the NFC playoffs by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime 34-31 on Dec. 17. On a related note, Bears president Ted Phillips said he was committed to giving Smith, the NFL's lowest-paid coach, a new long-term deal, but talks were on hold until after the Bears' playoff run ends.
He said: ''I heard he was probably one of the lowest-paid coaches in the NFL. For him to come out this year and produce the way he did, I'm looking for him to get paid.'' -- Hester, on Smith
Good-enough Rex
After leading the Bears to their first playoff victory in 12 seasons by passing for 282 yards and a touchdown in a 27-24 overtime victory against the Seattle Seahawks, the much-maligned Grossman said he didn't feel any sense of vindication and that the media give themselves ''too much credit'' as to how they affect him.
He said: ''I feel like, for some reason, I have more hurdles to go through than most first-round quarterbacks have had as far as gaining respect.'' -- Grossman, a couple of days later
Just Super
Jones, who as you'll recall began the season in Smith's doghouse, ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game, both franchise records, as the Bears beat the New Orleans Saints 39-14 on Jan. 21 to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. Later that day, the Bears learned their Super Bowl opponent would be the Indianapolis Colts, meaning that Smith and the Colts' Tony Dungy would become the first two African Americans to coach a Super Bowl team.
He said: ''I'll feel even better to be the first black coach to hold up the world championship trophy.'' --Smith
She said
''I'm speechless. It's just lovely. Lovie always says it's never in doubt, so here we are.'' -- majority owner Virginia McCaskey, celebrating with the George Halas Trophy
cslezak@suntimes.com
