Lovie Smith, 20 years later: 5 of Smith's best moments with the Chicago Bears 2 decades after his hiring
CHICAGO, Ill. - January 14, 2004, was a historic day in the Chicago Bears franchise.
The Bears, in need of a head coach after Dick Jauron was fired, turned to the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams.
That was Lovie Smith.
In light of the 20th anniversary of his hiring, here are the five best moments of the Lovie Smith era.
His first-career win, and first win over the Packers
When Smith was hired in 2004, he preached three goals: beat the Green Bay Packers, win the NFC North and win a Super Bowl.
It took him two games to accomplish that first goal.
On Sept. 19, 2004, Smith led the Bears to a 21-10 win over the Packers. More impressively, Smith beat Green Bay in Lambeau.
The Bears defense recorded three takeaways, including Michael Green and Bobby Gray both intercepting Brett Favre and Mike Brown returning a fumble recovery 95 yards for a touchdown right before halftime to take a 14-3 advantage into the break.
Smith finished his Bears tenure with an 8-11 record against Green Bay, this includes the playoffs.
That 8-11 record across nine seasons may seem uninspiring, but the Packers also went from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another in Favre to Aaron Rodgers. The Bears are 2-16 against the Packers in the last nine years.
LAKE FOREST, IL - MAY 04: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears talks with reporters about the arrest of Bears running back Cedric Benson in Texas on Saturday following a rookie mini-camp practice at Halas Hall May 4, 2008 in Lake Forest, Illin
Smith wins the AP Coach of the Year award
After finishing 5-11 in his first season, Smith turned it around fast in Year 2. This included an 11-5 finish, a season sweep of the Packers and an NFC North Title.
Smith did it all with a rookie quarterback.
Rex Grossman broke his ankle during the second game of the preseason against the St. Louis Rams and would miss the first 14 games of the season. Smith turned to rookie Kyle Orton and the Bears started with a 9-4 record behind a stellar defense.
The Bears even got the cherry on top with a Christmas Day win over the Packers to clinch the NFC North.
This led Smith to the Associated Press’s Coach of the Year honor in 2005, the first coach to win the award since Dick Jauron in 2001.
The Bears lost in the playoffs to the Carolina Panthers 29-21, but it showed how successful the Bears could be behind Smith’s defense.
Smith guides Bears to the Super Bowl
Up until 2006, the 1985 Bears were the only team in franchise history to make it to a Super Bowl. Smith changed that with one of the best seasons in team history.
With a franchise-record 13 wins in 2006, the Bears stymied the Seahawks in overtime and advanced to the NFC Championship game.
On a snowy day at Soldier Field, the Bears beat down the Saints to advance to Super Bowl XLI. The defense recorded a late-game safety after the offense gave the team breathing room.
The Bears fell to the Colts in the Super Bowl, but it was a season that etched Smith’s name into the franchise’s record books as one of the best coaches to ever walk through Halas Hall.
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Smith’s defense records 300th takeaway
The 2012 season proved to be Smith’s last in Chicago. His Bears still won 10 games before Phil Emery chose to fire him after the season ended.
But, it was a milestone season.
The Cover-2 scheme, Smith’s preferred defense, was simple but he coached it to peak effectiveness.
How consistently good was it? The Bears forced a Marshawn Lynch fumble in Week 12 of the 2010 season, and Kelvin Hayden recovered. That was the 300th turnover that Smith’s defenses had forced since he took over in 2004.
That’s an average of 34 turnovers forced per season.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears shakes hands with Brandon Marshall after Marshall caught a touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts during their 2012 NFL season opener at Soldier Field on September 9, 2012
Bears defeat Seahawks 35-24 in 2011 NFC Divisional Playoffs
After missing the playoffs in three-straight seasons after 2006, the Bears finally broke back through under Smith in 2010.
The Bears won 11 games and won the NFC North, advancing to the NFC Divisional Round against the Seattle Seahawks.
Jay Cutler paved the way for Smith’s defense to shut the door, even as the Seahawks tried to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Bears won 35-24 in front of a sold-out Solider Field crowd in 24-degree weather and occasional snow flurries.
The Bears fell in the NFC Title game to the Packers in one of the most painful losses in recent franchise history. It was proof that Smith could make it back to the playoffs and contend for an NFC Championship.
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