Lambeau Hasn't Always Been Bears' Dead End
In a season of milestones for the NFL and Bears, another one comes Sunday at Lambeau Field when ancient rivals square off for the 200th time.
The Packers currently own the series lead 98-95 with six ties after the Bears led the series from 1932-2017 and were up by as many as 24 games at the end of the Mike Ditka era.
Lambeau Field has been a particular nightmare for the Bears on occasion, especially when Dave Wannstedt coached in Chicago.
Marc Trestman had his problems, as well. A 55-14 loss at Lambeau sealed his fate in 2014.
The stadium was opened as New City Stadium in 1957 and was renamed for Curly Lambeau in 1965.
Along the way the Bears have had some disasters there, like the 1980 blocked field goal scoop-and-run by kicker Chester Marcol for the winning touchdown in overtime. And they've had their share of big wins, like when they clinched the 2005 NFC North title on Christmas.
Here are one man's most memorable 10 Bears efforts in Lambeau Field.
Not all of them are wins. There is one defeat, and it may have been the key to starting the Bears on the way to a division title.
1. Sept. 15, 1963
BEARS 10, PACKERS 3
The Bears knocked off the defending NFL champion Packers in the season opener and intercepted Bart Starr four times. Bill George, Richie Petitbon, Rosey Taylor and Dave Whitsell all picked off Starr, and helped hold him to 83 yards passing. Joe Marconi went in from a yard out in the third quarter to break a 3-3 tie. The game started the Bears on the way to winning the 1963 NFL championship.
2. Nov. 3, 1985
BEARS 16, PACKERS 10
William Perry becomes the receiving Refrigerator with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jim McMahon. But the unbeaten Bears seemed stuck in neutral against the dirty tactics of the Packers. Kenny Stills cheap-shotted Matt Suhey after the whistle and Mark Lee pushed Walter Payton over the bench. Then, in the fourth quarter, Steve McMichael sacked Jim Zorn in the end zone to get the Bears within 10-9 and Payton capped a 192-yard rushing day with a 27-yard game-winning TD run. The Bears went on to win the Super Bowl and lost just once all year.
3. Nov. 7, 1999
BEARS 14, PACKERS 13
Payton's death earlier in the week jolted Chicagoland and the NFL, and at a stirring weekend memorial tribute to Payton at Soldier Field former Bears urged Dick Jauron's struggling team to win one for Walter. But they appeared headed for certain defeat when Ryan Longwell lined up for a 28-yard chip shot field goal to end their chances. But Bryan Robinson deflected the kick, Tony Parrish fell on it and the Bears had an emotional win. Robinson afterward said he felt "the hand of Walter" had lifted him up to block it.
4. Dec. 25, 2005
BEARS 24, PACKERS 17
The Bears clinch the NFC North title for Christmas to go 11-4 in Lovie Smith's second season as coach. They intercepted Favre four times, including a pick-6 by Lance Briggs. Thomas Jones ran for 105 yards and a touchdown, and Rex Grossman hit Muhsin Muhammad for a 12-yard TD pass.
5. Sept. 10, 2006
BEARS 26, PACKERS 0
It's not often the Bears can roll into Lambeau to start a season and come out runaway winners, but this was the start to a spectacular Bears season. They went to the Super Bowl that year and it started with Grossman's 49-yard TD bomb to Bernard Berrian in this game. Robbie Gould kicked four field goals and Devin Hester capped off a shutout by the defense with his first-ever TD return on a punt for 84 yards. The defense held Favre to a passer rating of 40.9 with two interceptions, and sacked him three times.
6. Nov. 3, 1968
BEARS 13, PACKERS 10
Mac Percival lined up without anyone rushing him following a Bears fair catch on a punt, and made a 43-yard free-kick field goal as the Bears got revenge for losing a game to Green Bay in 1964 when the Packers used a free-kick field goal before halftime. Gale Sayers rushed for his career best of 205 yards in this one. The Packers later got revenge by beating the Bears 28-27 at Wrigley Field to close the season, denying the Bears the NFC Central title in a tumultuous season marred by Sayers' devastating knee injury.
7. Nov. 15, 2015
BEARS 17, PACKERS 13
On a cold, windy raw night when the Packers honored Favre, and Starr even made an appearance, the quarterback of the night wasn't those two or Aaron Rodgers but was none other than Jay Cutler. He completed 19 of 31 for 200 yards and a touchdown of 3 yards to Zach Miller, Jeremy Langford scored on a 1-yard plunge and Robbie Gould's 21-yard field spoiled the big night for the Packers. Vic Fangio's defense held Rodgers to a 62.4 passer rating.
8. Nov. 8, 1987
BEARS 26, PACKERS 24
The Packers and coach Forrest Gregg thought they had the upset win after Randy Wright drove Green Bay to position for an Al Del Greco 47-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for a 24-23 lead. But McMahon ran the two-minute drill to get the Bears a shot and Kevin Butler drilled a game-ending 53-yard field goal. The Bears went on to their fourth straight division title in a season marred by a strike.
9. Sept. 9, 2018
PACKERS 24, BEARS 23
Khalil Mack had an interception return for a touchdown and strip-sack and the Bears announced they would be a force under Matt Nagy by taking a 20-0 lead in the second half, before Rodgers authored a comeback and won it with a 75-yard catch-and-run TD by wide receiver Randall Cobb.
10. Oct. 30, 1977
BEARS 26, PACKERS 0
Payton ran for 205 yards on 23 carries, with two touchdowns for the easy win. Two weeks later the Bears began a late run to their first postseason appearance in 14 years.
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