Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sport
For the Bears, the story is quite different:
| Year | W | L | Playoffs |
| 1986 | 14 | 2 | Lost Div |
| 1987 | 11 | 4 | Lost Div |
| 1988 | 12 | 4 | Lost Conf |
| 1989 | 6 | 10 | |
| 1990 | 11 | 5 | Lost Div |
| 1991 | 11 | 5 | Lost WC |
| 1992 | 5 | 11 | |
| 1993 | 7 | 9 | |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 | Lost Div |
| 1995 | 9 | 7 | |
| 1996 | 7 | 9 | |
| 1997 | 4 | 12 | |
| 1998 | 4 | 12 | |
| 1999 | 6 | 10 | |
| 2000 | 5 | 11 | |
| 2001 | 13 | 3 | Lost Div |
| 2002 | 4 | 12 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 9 | |
| 2004 | 5 | 11 | |
| 2005 | 11 | 5 | Lost Div |
| 2006 | 13 | 3 | Lost SB |
| 2007 | 7 | 9 | |
| 2008 | 9 | 7 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 9 | |
| 2010 | 11 | 5 | Lost Conf |
| 2011 | 8 | 8 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 8 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 11 |
In the immediate years after Super Bowl XX, the Bears made the playoffs consistently – 5 of 6 seasons. Then the bottom fell out. In the 22 years A.D. (After Ditka), the Bears have made the playoffs just 5 (FIVE!) times with just one trip back to the Super Bowl since that magical 1985 season.
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What’s disturbing is the Bears have compiled a winning 239-224 record in the 29 years since the Super Bowl season, but they’re not getting to the playoffs, stuck behind the Green Bay Packers most of the time they’ve missed the playoffs. The Bears have been stuck in NFL purgatory, not good enough to be making the playoffs and not bad enough to draft difference makers.
The biggest difference over the last decade and a half is the duo of Belichick and Brady. They offer the type of stability that franchises yearn for. While the Bears were churning through quarterbacks throughout he 90’s and the 00’s, teams like the Packers have been solid with Favre and Rodgers. While the Bears have gone through three coaches since 2000 (Jauron, Smith and Trestman), the Pats have had “the Hoodie” at the helm.
Things looked so promising back in 1986.