2012 Chicago Bears season
| 2012 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Head coach | Lovie Smith |
| General manager | Phil Emery |
| Owner | The McCaskey Family |
| Home field | Soldier Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC North |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers |
5
|
| AP All-Pros |
4
|
| Uniform | |
 |
|
The 2012 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 93rd season in the National Football League, as well as the ninth under head coach Lovie Smith. The team played at Soldier Field for the tenth season since its reconstruction in 2001.
The Bears entered the 2012 season looking to improve on their 8–8 record in 2011. They acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins, who had played with Bears Quarterback, Jay Cutler with the Denver Broncos from 2006–2008. The Bears were expected to be a wild card team by ten ESPN experts, and four NFL.com analysts predicting that the team will finish second in the NFC North. By the season's midpoint, the Bears had proven to be among the league's most elite teams, having a record of 7–1 in their first 8 games, something they had not accomplished since their 2006 Super Bowl season. Along with a scoring differential of +120, which led the league. The team trailed the San Francisco 49ers in scoring defense with 15 points per game allowed, and third in scoring offense with 29.5, trailing the New England Patriots and Houston Texans. The defense also recorded six interceptions returned for touchdowns in the first seven games of the season, an NFL record; the Bears then recorded two more in the season, one shy of the record set by the 1961 San Diego Chargers. However, during the second half of the season, the Bears went 3–5, and after scoring 19 touchdowns in the first eight games, the Bears scored ten fewer in the second half of the season. Despite defeating the Detroit Lions in the season finale to have a record of 10–6, the Minnesota Vikings, who had a better division record than Chicago, defeated the Green Bay Packers 37–34, ending the Bears season. As a result, the Bears became the first team since the 1996 Washington Redskins to start the season 7–1 and miss the playoffs. On December 31, Smith was fired, and was replaced by Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.
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