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In honor of Brian Urlacher heading into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we’re sharing some of of past Urlacher articles to our front page for you guys to reminisce on.
The year after the Bears won the 2006 NFL Championship they missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record. Brian Urlacher also missed the Pro Bowl for only the second time in his first 8 seasons, and it was his first miss when he played all sixteen games. I wonder if the Bears sudden drop in wins hurt his chances, because he had a heck of a year in 2007.
This offseason I'll sporadically look at some great individual seasons from a few Chicago Bears players. Here's my look at the 1943 season of Sid Luckman, and next up is my look at Urlacher's '07 season a little more in detail.
If you remember that season, you'll remember Rex Grossman getting absolutely creamed in the opener against the Chargers. The defense played outstanding, but the offense couldn't get anything going and they lost 14-3 in San Diego. 'Lach had a quiet start to the season with only 6 tackles in that week one match-up.
In week two he ended a personal 28 game sackless streak by getting to the Chiefs' Damon Huard in a Bears home opening win. Urlacher would go on to rack up 5 sacks in 2007, and that 5 would be a familiar number because in week five he picked off Brett Favre for what would be one of 5 interceptions on the season. Urlacher was the first Bear to get at least 5 sacks and 5 picks in the same season since Wilbur Marshall (5.5 sacks, 5 ints) and Dave Duerson (7 sacks, 6 ints) both did it in 1986.
One of his picks came in a week 13 loss to the Giants where he also had 14 tackles. In the week 15 loss to the Vikings he had 2 sacks to go along with an interception.
The Bears gave the NFC North Champion Packers 2 of their 3 losses in 2007, and Urlacher picked off Brett Favre in each Packer game. The second pick in week 16 he returned 85 yards for his 1st, and so far only, interception return TD.
He had 11 tackles and his 5th pick on the year in a season ending win against the Saints.
Urlacher got his customary 100+ tackles in 2007 to go along with the double nickle. He also had a career best 12 passes defended and he added 2 fumble recoveries.