2009 Chicago Bears season The 2009 Chicago Bears season is the franchise ' s 90th season overall in the National Football League . The Bears had looked to improve upon their 9 – 7 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006 season , but failed to do so for the third consecutive season . The team finished 7 – 9 , and third in the NFC North . This season is Lovie Smith ' s sixth season as the team ' s head coach . The Bears played all their home games at Soldier Field . Offseason . Coaching changes . The Bears hired former Detroit Lions head coach , Rod Marinelli , to be their defensive line and assistant head coach . Bob Babich became the linebackers coach again after Lloyd Lee was fired . However , Babich even though he is still the Defensive Coordinator was stripped of his play calling duties in favor of Head Coach Lovie Smith . Jon Hoke was hired as defensive backs coach . Regular season . Week 1 : at Green Bay Packers . The Bears began their season at Lambeau Field for a Sunday night battle with their hated rival , the Green Bay Packers . After a scoreless first quarter , Chicago trailed early as Packers kicker Mason Crosby got a 52 - yard field goal . The Bears would respond with safety Danieal Manning sacking quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his own endzone for a safety , but Green Bay would respond as running back Ryan Grant got a 1 - yard touchdown run . Chicago would take the lead in the third quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler completed a 36 - yard pass to wide receiver Devin Hester , along with kicker Robbie Gould making a 47 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the lead went back and forth in the fourth quarter . Crosby would kick a 39 - yard field goal , while Gould nailed a 21 - yard field goal . Afterwards , the Packers took the lead again as Rodgers completed a 50 - yard touchdown pass and the following two - point conversion to wide receiver Greg Jennings . The Bears tried to rally , but an interception ended any hope of a comeback . With the loss , Chicago began its season at 0 – 1 . Cutler ' s 4 interceptions were the most he had thrown in one game of his career , until week 10 against the 49ers . Week 2 : vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . Hoping to rebound from their Sunday night loss to the Packers , the Bears played their Week 2 home opener against the defending Super Bowl champions , the Pittsburgh Steelers . The Steelers took an early lead in the first quarter as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a 1 - yard TD pass to tight end Matt Spaeth , but the Bears immediately fired back in the second quarter as quarterback Jay Cutler completed a 7 - yard TD pass to tight end Kellen Davis to tie the score 7 – 7 . In the third quarter , Pittsburgh retook the lead once more as Roethlisberger got a 2 - yard run , but Chicago would rally in the fourth quarter as Cutler threw a 7 - yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox . The Steelers would then miss 2 field goal attempts , as the Bears drive the ball down to Steelers territory , ending the drive with kicker Robbie Gould ' s 44 - yard field goal , to give the Bears the lead . The Steelers then fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff , ending any chance for a last second hail mary . With this win , the Bears improved to 1 – 1 . Week 3 : at Seattle Seahawks . Coming off their home win over the Steelers , the Bears flew to Qwest Field for a Week 3 duel with the Seattle Seahawks . Chicago would trail in the first quarter as quarterback Seneca Wallace completed a 39 - yard touchdown pass to running back Julius Jones , followed by kicker Olindo Mare ' s 46 - yard field goal . Seattle would add onto their lead in the second quarter with Mare ' s 37 - yard field goal , yet the Bears would answer with quarterback Jay Cutler ' s 1 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen . Chicago would take the lead in the third quarter with Cutler ' s 7 - yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox , followed by kicker Robbie Gould ' s 37 - yard field goal . The Seahawks would reply in the fourth quarter with Mare ' s 39 - yard and 46 - yard field goal , yet the Bears would prevail as Cutler completed a 36 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Hester , followed by a 2 - point conversion pass to wide recevier Earl Bennett . Afterwards , Chicago ' s defense would hold on for the win . With the win , the Bears improved to 2 – 1 . Week 4 : vs . Detroit Lions . Coming off their road win over the Seahawks , the Bears went home for a Week 4 NFC North duel with the Detroit Lions . Chicago surprisingly trailed early in the first quarter as Lions running back Kevin Smith got a 1 - yard touchdown run . The Bears would answer with quarterback Jay Cutler ' s 5 - yard touchdown run , yet Detroit came right back with quarterback Matthew Stafford ' s 14 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller . Chicago would take the lead in the second quarter with Cutler ' s 2 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis and a 1 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen , yet the Lions would tie the game prior to halftime with Smith ' s 3 - yard touchdown run . The Bears would start the third quarter with a bang as rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox returned the half ' s opening kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown . Later on , kicker Robbie Gould would add onto Chicago ' s lead with a 52 - yard and a 22 - yard field goal . Detroit tried to rally in the fourth quarter with kicker Jason Hanson ' s 35 - yard field goal , yet the Bears pulled away with running back Matt Forté ' s 37 - yard touchdown run and running back Garrett Wolfe ' s 2 - yard touchdown run . With the win , Chicago would enter its bye week at 3 – 1 . Week 6 : at Atlanta Falcons . Coming off their bye week , the Bears flew to the Georgia Dome for a Week 6 Sunday night duel with the Atlanta Falcons . Following a scoreless first quarter , Chicago delivered the game ' s opening strike in the second quarter with quarterback Jay Cutler completing a 23 - yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Johnny Knox . However , the Falcons would respond with quarterback Matt Ryan hooking up with wide receiver Roddy White on a 40 - yard touchdown pass and finding tight end Tony Gonzalez on a 10 - yard touchdown . After a scoreless third quarter , the Bears tied the game in the fourth quarter with Cutler hooking up with tight end Greg Olsen on a 2 - yard touchdown pass . However , Atlanta struck back with a 5 - yard touchdown run from running back Michael Turner . Cutler would get Chicago ' s offense deep into Falcon territory , but Atlanta ' s defense would spoil the comeback . With the loss , the Bears fell to 3 – 2 . Week 7 : at Cincinnati Bengals . Hoping to rebound from their Sunday night road loss to the Falcons , the Bears flew to Paul Brown Stadium for a Week 7 interconference duel with the Cincinnati Bengals . Chicago would trail early in the first quarter as Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer found wide receiver Chris Henry on a 9 - yard touchdown pass and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco on an 8 - yard touchdown pass . Things continued to get worse for the Bears as Palmer completed a 3 - yard touchdown pass to tight end J . P . Foschi and an 8 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Laveranues Coles , followed by a 29 - yard field goal from kicker Shayne Graham . Chicago would close out the half as kicker Robbie Gould booted a 22 - yard field goal . Afterwards , Cincinnati would pull away with Palmer finding Ochocinco again on a 13 - yard tochdown pass in the third quarter and former Bears running back Cedric Benson getting a 1 - yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter . Chicago would end the game with quarterback Jay Cutler ' s 5 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devin Hester . With the loss , the Bears fell to 3 – 3 . Week 8 : vs . Cleveland Browns . Hoping to rebound from their horrendous road loss to the Bengals , the Bears went home for a Week 8 interconference duel with the Cleveland Browns . Before the game , a pregame ceremony was held for the late Walter Payton , who passed away exactly 10 years ago on November 1 . Chicago got off to a fast start in the first quarter as kicker Robbie Gould made a 37 - yard and a 29 - yard field goal . In the second quarter , the Bears would add onto their lead as Gould booted a 32 - yard field goal , followed by running back Matt Forté got a 1 - yard touchdown run . In the third quarter , the Browns would get onto their board with a 1 - yard touchdown run by quarterback Derek Anderson ( with a blocked PAT ) . Afterwards , Chicago would continue their dominating day with a 10 - yard touchdown run by Forté . The Bears would then close out the game in the fourth quarter with cornerback Charles Tillman returning an interception 21 yards for a touchdown . With the win , Chicago improved to 4 – 3 . Week 9 : vs . Arizona Cardinals . Coming off their win over the Browns , the Bears stayed at home for a Week 9 duel with the Arizona Cardinals . Chicago would trail early in the first quarter as Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner hooked up with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on an 11 - yard touchdown pass . The Bears would answer as quarterback Jay Cutler competed a 33 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen , but Arizona came right back as Warner hooked up with tight end Ben Patrick on a 6 - yard touchdown pass . Chicago would find themselves in a huge deficit in the second quarter as Warner completed a 17 - yard touchdown pass to Fitzpatrick and a 15 - yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Becht , followed by kicker Neil Rackers nailing a 43 - yard field goal . The Cardinals would add onto their lead as Rackers booted a 30 - yard field goal in the third quarter . The Bears tried to rally in the fourth quarter as Cutler connected with Olsen on a 3 - yard and a 20 - yard touchdown pass , but Arizona pulled away with Warner completing a 4 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Breaston . With the loss , Chicago fell to 4 – 4 . Week 10 : at San Francisco 49ers . Hoping to rebound from a miserable home loss to the Cardinals , the Bears flew to Candlestick Park for a Week 10 Thursday night duel with the San Francisco 49ers , led by head coach Mike Singletary ( former Bears linebacker ) . After a scoreless first quarter , Chicago would trail in the second quarter as 49ers running back Frank Gore got a 14 - yard touchdown run . The Bears would close out the half with a 50 - yard field goal from kicker Robbie Gould . In the third quarter , Chicago would inch closer with Gould ' s 38 - yard field goal . In the fourth quarter , San Francisco would answer with kicker Joe Nedney making a 21 - yard field goal . The Bears would get have a late game drive go deep into 49er territory , but an interception by safety Michael Lewis ended any hope of a win . With the loss , the Bears fell to 4 – 5 . Quarterback Jay Cutler ( 29 / 52 for 307 yards ) would throw for a career - worst 5 interceptions in one game . Week 13 : vs St . Louis Rams . " at Soldier Field , Chicago , Illinois " Week 16 : vs Minnesota Vikings . " at Soldier Field , Chicago , Illinois "