2003 Chicago Bears season


The Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League. The team improved to a 7–9 record over its 4–12 record from 2002 under head coach Dick Jauron. The team was once again in a quarterbacking carousel with quarterbacks Kordell Stewart, Chris Chandler, and rookie Rex Grossman. In the end, head coach Dick Jauron was fired after the conclusion of the season.

Draft

Stadium changes and new mascot

During this season, the team returns to their original home, Soldier Field, after a year of renovations and rebuilding during the previous season; in which the home games were temporary held at Memorial Stadium in the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign. the first 2 pre-season games were held at Memorial Stadium before the reopening was on August 9 against the Indianapolis Colts and on August 16, against the Denver Broncos. The first home game held at the newly renovated Soldier Field was their primetime game against Green Bay Packers on September 29, 2003, televised on ABC's Monday Night Football.
Also introducing this season is the team's brand new mascot Staley Da Bear. Staley was introduced during the team's home game on September 29, 2003 against the Green Bay Packers. Prior to the start of this season, Don Wachter says that will no longer wear the team's unofficial mascot "Bearman", but they will continued to appear in the team's 2004 and 2005 seasons. Staley was officially selected as a mascot for the 2004 Pro Bowl.

Broadcasting Changes

Beginning this season, the television broadcasts of the Bears preseason games were moved back to NBC Owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV as part of a five-year broadcast partnership with the station and the team, these will marked the return of the Bears preseason games on the station for the first time since the 1993 season and the return of the NFL games on the station for the first time since the 1997 season after the NBC network lost the rights of the American Football Conference to CBS beginning with the 1998 season; ending its 9-year relationship with the team and WBBM-TV. the Pre-game show Bears Gameday Live and the Post-game show Bears Gamenight were premiered also on the station at the start of the regular season. Telemundo Owned-and-operated station WSNS-TV will provide the spanish language broadcasts of the preseason games following the purchase of the station and the network by NBC. WBBM-AM will regained their radio rights for the third season.

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular Season

Week-by-week results

Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

at Candlestick Park in San Francisco

Scoring Summary

Q1 – SF – 7:51 – Jeff Chandler 22 yd FG
Q1 – SF – 3:23 – 12 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia to Garrison Hearst
Q2 – CHI – 12:05 – 3 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Desmond Clark
Q2 – SF – 6:01 – Jeff Garcia 3 yd TD run
Q2 – SF – 3:18 – 16 yd TD pass from Jeff Garcia to Tai Streets
Q2 – SF – 0:44 – Ahmed Plummer 68 yd interception return TD
Q2 – SF – 0:00 – Jeff Chandler 29 yd FG
Q3 – SF – 7:29 – Jeff Chandler 28 yd FG
Q3 – SF – 2:37 – Jeff Chandler 24 yd FG
Q4 – SF – 14:05 – Jeff Chandler 26 yd FG
Q4 – SF – 12:16 – Garrison Hearst 1 yd TD run
Attendance – 67,554

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Scoring Summary

Q1 – MIN – 13:57 – Moe Williams 1 yd TD run
Q1 – CHI – 10:35 – Paul Edinger 42 yd FG
Q2 – MIN – 11:18 – Aaron Elling 23 yd FG
Q2 – MIN – 1:55 – 3 yd TD pass from Daunte Culpepper to Jim Kleinsasser
Q2 – CHI – 0:39 – 14 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to David Terrell
Q3 – CHI – 4:43 – Paul Edinger 43 yd FG
Q4 – MIN – 2:56 – 11 yd TD pass from Daunte Culpepper to Jim Kleinsasser
Attendance – 64,144

Week 3: Bye

Week 4: vs Green Bay Packers

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – GB – 11:55 – Ahman Green 60 yd TD run
Q1 – GB – 2:32 – Ryan Longwell 34 yd FG
Q1 – GB – 0:19 – Ahman Green 6 yd TD run
Q2 – CHI – 9:07 – Paul Edinger 31 yd FG
Q2 – GB – 3:51 – 14 yd TD pass from Brett Favre to William Henderson
Q2 – CHI – 0:48 – Paul Edinger 38 yd FG
Q3 – CHI – 0:02 – Paul Edinger 41 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 12:36 – Anthony Thomas 67 yd TD run
Q4 – GB – 8:51 – 9 yd TD pass from Brett Favre to Javon Walker
Q4 – GB – 4:21 – 1 yd TD pass from Brett Favre to Bubba Franks
Q4 – CHI – 1:28 – Kordell Stewart 1 yd TD run
Attendance – 61,500

Week 5: vs Oakland Raiders

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – OAK – 6:10 – Zack Crockett 1 yd TD run
Q2 – CHI – 11:05 – Paul Edinger 35 yd FG
Q2 – OAK – 7:35 – Sebastian Janikowski 36 yd FG
Q2 – OAK – 6:19 – Sebastian Janikowski 39 yd FG
Q2 – OAK – 1:51 – Sebastian Janikowski 32 yd FG
Q2 – OAK – 0:00 – Sebastian Janikowski 33 yd FG
Q3 – CHI – 5:37 – Paul Edinger 50 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 14:53 – 14 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Marty Booker
Q4 – CHI – 6:58 – Stanley Pritchett 8 yd TD run
Q4 – OAK – 3:30 – Sebastian Janikowski 49 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 0:00 – Paul Edinger 48 yd FG
Attendance – 61,500

Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana

Scoring Summary

Q1 – NO – 7:53 – John Carney 50 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 7:35 – Paul Edinger 28 yd FG
Q2 – NO – 0:00 – John Carney 30 yd FG
Q3 – NO – 12:01 – 9 yd TD pass from Aaron Brooks to Ernie Conwell
Q4 – CHI – 13:18 – Paul Edinger 31 yd FG
Q4 – NO – 7:18 – 6 yd TD pass from Aaron Brooks to Joe Horn
Q4 – CHI – 2:10 – 4 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Dez White
Attendance – 68,390

Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks

at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle

Scoring Summary

Q1 – CHI – 3:08 – Paul Edinger 50 yd FG
Q2 – SEA – 12:41 – Shaun Alexander 1 yd TD run
Q2 – SEA – 8:47 – 25 yd TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Bobby Engram
Q2 – CHI – 1:49 – Paul Edinger 35 yd FG
Q3 – SEA – 5:37 – Josh Brown 45 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 13:28 – Paul Edinger 40 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 4:12 – Stanley Pritchett 1 yd TD run
Q4 – SEA – 0:58 – Shaun Alexander 25 yd TD run
Attendance – 65,671

Week 8: vs Detroit Lions

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q2 – CHI – 7:22 – 22 yd TD pass from Chris Chandler to Justin Gage
Q2 – CHI – 0:00 – Paul Edinger 37 yd FG
Q3 – CHI – 14:46 – Jerry Azumah 89 yd kickoff return TD
Q3 – CHI – 5:23 – Brock Forsey 8 yd TD run
Q3 – DET – 5:10 – Reggie Swinton 96 yd kickoff return TD
Q4 – DET – 0:53 – 3 yd TD pass from Joey Harrington to Mikhael Ricks
Attendance – 61,428

Week 9: vs San Diego Chargers

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – CHI – 8:33 – Paul Edinger 38 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 9:27 – Anthony Thomas 1 yd TD run
Q3 – CHI – 4:27 – Paul Edinger 22 yd FG
Q4 – SD – 9:13 – LaDainian Tomlinson 3 yd TD run
Q4 – CHI – 0:21 – Anthony Thomas 1 yd TD run
Attendance – 61,500

Week 10: at Detroit Lions

at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Scoring Summary

Q1 – DET – 1:53 – Jason Hanson 24 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 11:28 – Paul Edinger 43 yd FG
Q2 – DET – 2:40 – Jason Hanson 25 yd FG
Q3 – CHI – 7:52 – 12 yd TD pass from Chris Chandler to Desmond Clark
Q3 – DET – 2:49 – Jason Hanson 30 yd FG
Q4 – DET – 0:39 – Jason Hanson 48 yd FG
Attendance – 61,492

Week 11: vs St. Louis Rams

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – STL – 1:14 – Jeff Wilkins 41 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 10:25 – R. W. McQuarters 60 yd punt return TD
Q2 – CHI – 3:04 – Anthony Thomas 1 yd TD run
Q3 – STL – 3:48 – 4 yd TD pass from Marc Bulger to Torry Holt
Q4 – STL – 12:46 – 4 yd TD pass from Marc Bulger to Brandon Manumaleuna
Q4 – STL – 7:21 – Jeff Wilkins 44 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 5:58 – 11 yd TD pass from Chris Chandler to Dez White
Q4 – STL – 0:38 – Jeff Wilkins 31 yd FG
Attendance – 61,820

Week 12: at Denver Broncos

at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado

Scoring Summary

Q1 – DEN – 3:59 – 1 yd TD pass from Jake Plummer to Rod Smith
Q1 – CHI – 1:31 – Paul Edinger 33 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 1:57 – Paul Edinger 23 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 0:03 – Paul Edinger 54 yd FG
Q3 – DEN – 11:41 – Jason Elam 25 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 12:45 – Kordell Stewart 1 yd TD run
Q4 – CHI – 8:46 – Paul Edinger 47 yd FG
Attendance – 75,540

Week 13: vs Arizona Cardinals

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – CHI – 8:50 – 2 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Marty Booker
Q1 – ARZ – 2:37 – Neil Rackers 32 yd FG
Q4 – CHI – 13:55 – 10 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Dez White
Q4 – CHI – 7:46 – Kordell Stewart 8 yd TD run
Q4 – CHI – 3:33 – Brock Forsey 9 yd TD run
Attendance – 61,550

Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Scoring Summary

Q1 – CHI – 1:46 – 61 yd TD pass from Kordell Stewart to Marty Booker
Q1 – CHI – 0:50 – Lance Briggs 45 yd interception return TD
Q2 – GB – 11:12 – Ryan Longwell 24 yd FG
Q2 – GB – 9:57 – Ryan Longwell 38 yd FG
Q2 – GB – 2:43 – 22 yd TD pass from Brett Favre to Javon Walker
Q3 – GB – 6:52 – Ryan Longwell 35 yd FG
Q3 – GB – 0:43 – Ryan Longwell 45 yd FG
Q4 – GB – 9:16 – Mike McKenzie 90 yd interception return TD
Q4 – GB – 2:26 – Ahman Green 2 yd TD run
Q4 – CHI – 2:13 – Jerry Azumah 88 yd kickoff return TD
Attendance – 70,458

Week 15: vs Minnesota Vikings

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – CHI – 13:10 – Paul Edinger 38 yd FG
Q2 – CHI – 10:53 – Anthony Thomas 1 yd TD run
Q2 – MIN – 1:10 – Aaron Elling 22 yd FG
Q3 – CHI – 4:09 – Paul Edinger 22 yd FG
Q4 – MIN – 10:23 – 16 yd TD pass from Daunte Culpepper to Randy Moss
Attendance – 61,804

Week 16: vs Washington Redskins

at Soldier Field in Chicago

Scoring Summary

Q1 – WAS – 10:12 – John Hall 27 yd FG
Q1 – CHI – 9:57 – 59 yd TD pass from Rex Grossman to Marty Booker
Q1 – CHI – 2:45 – Paul Edinger 19 yd FG
Q1 – WAS – 0:48 – 36 yd TD pass from Rod Gardner to Chad Morton
Q2 – WAS – 0:16 – 14 yd TD pass from Tim Hasselbeck to Laveranues Coles
Q3 – CHI – 8:23 – 11 yd TD pass from Rex Grossman to Justin Gage
Q3 – CHI – 0:34 – Anthony Thomas 3 yd TD run
Q4 – WAS – 12:52 – 19 yd TD pass from Tim Hasselbeck to Laveranues Coles
Q4 – CHI – 0:05 – Paul Edinger 45 yd FG
Attendance – 61,719

Week 17:at Kansas City Chiefs

at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri

Scoring Summary

Q2 – KC – 13:40 – Priest Holmes 1 yd TD run
Q2 – KC – 7:07 – 6 yd TD pass from Trent Green to Eddie Kennison
Q3 – CHI – 9:24 – Paul Edinger 48 yd FG
Q3 – KC – 0:58 – Priest Holmes 2 yd TD run
Q4 – KC – 10:03 – Morten Andersen 38 yd FG
Q4 – KC – 3:40 – Larry Johnson 5 yd TD run
Attendance – 78,413

Standings