The Weirdest Single-Season Performances In Chicago Bears History

The Chicago Bears have seen a lot of seasons from a lot of players. There have been some all-time great seasons. Some all-time bad seasons. Then there are those that earn the title of just plain "weird." These are the seasons that probably should never have happened. Typically coming from a player nobody remembers or wasn't with the team long enough for fans to feel much of anything about. Players who never stood out much in their NFL careers outside of one or two moments. Then all of a sudden they decide they'll put together a season that would make Pro Bowlers proud. When the dust settles after that, they go back to normal as if it were all just a dream. Everything that had happened being quickly forgotten. Fans might be surprised to known how many of these weird seasons exist in team history. Here are a few that stand out the most. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/McCown-Cowboys.mp4"][/video]

Chicago Bears have seen way too much weird in their history

Josh McCown in 2013

From 2002 to 2012, there was nothing remarkable about McCown. He was a 3rd round pick for the Arizona Cardinals who bounced in and out of the starting lineup most of his career. His biggest claim to fame was a crazy 4th quarter comeback in 2003. One that saw him throw two touchdowns in the final two minutes to knock the Minnesota Vikings out of playoff contention. Going into 2013, McCown was nothing more than a 34-year old backup. Then Jay Cutler got hurt. Out of nowhere, the veteran took advantage of a loaded offensive roster to throw for a ridiculous 13 touchdowns and just one interception across eight games including five starts. His crowning moment was a 5-TD performance on a frigid night at Soldier Field to crush the Dallas Cowboys 45-28. It was the only time he posted a winning record in his career.

James Allen in 2000

The Bears have had so many noteworthy running backs who topped 1,000 yards in their career. Beattie Feathers was the first man in NFL history to every do it in 1934. Gale Sayer, Walter Payton, Neal Anderson, Anthony Thomas, Thomas Jones, Matt Forte, Jordan Howard, and David Montgomery have all done it. Then there was James Allen. Don't feel bad if you don't recall the name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW_4nngjbGE&ab_channel=SW561 He was an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 1998. The running back had 389 yards rushing total his first two years. He was never supposed to be the guy. That changed by 2000 as injuries ruined the career of Curtis Enis. One can only imagine the shock when Allen went off for 1,120 yards that season. He had 1,411 yards from scrimmage. Yet despite that? He only scored three touchdowns.

Ross Brupbacher in 1976

The Chicago Bears have a storied legacy at the linebacker position. It's possible that Brupbacher could've been part of it. Instead he's seldom remember by any but the most diehard fans. A 4th round pick in 1970, he became a starter by his second season and was developing into a solid player. Then in 1974, he made the decision to leave the NFL for the upstart World Football League as part of their Birmingham Americans franchise. Fans forgot about him. Then after the WFL folded, Brupbacher popped back up in 1976. Not only did he regain his starting job almost immediately, he ended up with seven interceptions. That beat out eventual Pro Bowl cornerback Allan Ellis for the most on the team that year. He remains tied for the second-most interceptions by a linebacker in Bears history, trailing only Bulldog Turner who had eight. The last weird part? Brupbacher retired after that season to become a lawyer.

Cecil Turner in 1970

One legacy the Bears are particularly proud of is their special team. Particularly the returners. They've had a long track record of success finding guys who are great at taking it back to the house. When thinking about the big names? It starts with Devin Hester and then goes to guys like Cordarrelle Patterson, Glyn Milburn, and Gale Sayers. Most people probably don't recollect Cecil Turner. Not surprising. A 5th round pick in 1968, Turner was a backup receiver who did some okay things on kickoff returns his first two seasons. Then he decided he was just going to become the offense almost by himself, taking not one, not two, not three, but four kicks to the house. He did this on just 23 returns. Keep in mind that Patterson had only two in 63 total returns the past two seasons. Turner never scored a touchdown again after that.

Mark Anderson in 2006

It's one thing for a 1st or 2nd round pick to crack double digit sacks as a pass rusher. It's something entirely different when a 5th round pick does it. Especially one who only had 6.5 sacks total in his college career. Yet Mark Anderson did exactly that in 2006. Aided by an outstanding interior pass rush, the rookie feasted on quarterbacks that season. Not only did he have 12 sacks in the regular season. He added another 1.5 in the playoffs. Easily the best pass rushing season a rookie has ever had. The Chicago Bears thought he'd hit the jackpot. Then Anderson managed just 9.5 sacks over the next 3.25 seasons before he was randomly released in 2010. His rise and fall was so rapid that it was easy to miss. Then for good measure he had 10 sacks in 2011 with the Patriots, went to Buffalo the next year and managed just one, then retired. [video width="498" height="360" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1995-Chicago-bears000705.512-000810.639.mp4"][/video]

Erik Kramer in 1995

Think about this for a second. Prior to 1995, Erik Kramer had never thrown for more than 1,700 yards in a season. He'd also never thrown for more than 11 touchdowns. Yes, really. Those were his peaks during his five previous seasons in the NFL. This should help you understand just how insane his '95 run was. One that saw him throw for 3,838 yards and 29 touchdowns. Both remain Bears single-season records to this day. Sure enough, after that he was never the same player. Kramer managed 28 touchdowns total over the next four seasons. He only reached 3,000 yards once more. It remains the best passing season in Bears history and it was quite literally a flash in the pan. Nothing sums up this baffling franchise better.