Chicago Bears · Franchise era 6 of 7
Urlacher and Lovie's defense: the Chicago Bears story
Franchise era
2004—2012
Urlacher and Lovie's defense
Chicago Bears
The story in one sentence
Lovie Smith restored the defense-first formula, and Hester's return brilliance helped the 2006 Bears reach Super Bowl XLI.
Takeaways and special teams reach the Super Bowl
Brian Urlacher, Devin Hester and Lance Briggs gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the quarterback search continues.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2004
What came before
Chicago searched for offensive stability while gradually assembling the line and linebackers that would power its next contender.
2007-01-14
Divisional Round: Seattle Seahawks vs Chicago Bears
2007-01-21
Conference Championship: New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears
2007-02-04
Super Bowl: Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears
After 2012
What came next
The 2018 defense briefly restored contention, but Chicago has continued rebuilding its offense in pursuit of the long-awaited franchise quarterback.
The core