[bears9]

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – While the Bears stumbled into last place in the NFC North with a disappointing 7-9 record in 2007, the season was not devoid of highlights.

The Bears swept the season series from long-time rival Green Bay. The first victory was a 27-20 comeback win Oct. 7 at Lambeau Field. The win was the first of three straight road victories in which the Bears rallied after trailing in the final quarter, a franchise first.
The Bears offense was led by a passing attack that finished with 3,362 net yards, the third highest total in team history.

Quarterbacks Brian Griese, Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton helped six different players reach the 200-yard receiving plateau (Bernard Berrian, Muhsin Muhammad, Desmond Clark, Adrian Peterson, Greg Olsen and Devin Hester).
In the last 13 games of the season, the Bears passing offense generated 25 plays of at least 25 yards, tied for third most in the NFL during that span. Griese, Grossman and Orton each had scoring strikes of at least 55 yards this season as well.
The Bears finished eighth in the NFL with 33 takeaways, including 20 in the last eight games, tied for third most during that span.
Chicago’s defense forced an NFL-best 65 three-and-out drives on 214 opponent possessions, a 30.4 percent rate that was also tops in the league. The Bears also ranked second in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 32.7 percent of their opportunities.
The Bears excelled on special teams throughout the season. Devin Hester broke his own NFL record with six kick return touchdowns (four on punts and two on kickoffs).
Robbie Gould became the first kicker in Bears history with at least 30 field goals in multiple seasons after finishing tied for second in the NFL with 31 field goals (on 36 attempts).
Chicago’s kickoff (19.3 yards per return) and punt (5.9 ypr) coverage units finished first and third in the NFL, respectively. The Bears also blocked a league-high eight kicks during the season (three punts, four field goals and one extra point).

Disappointing season had some bright spots