From Adrian Amos to Chris Zorich, ex-Bears have been coming back to beat the Bears for years. Here are 10 who particularly haunted the Bears after leaving them.
1. Doug Flutie, QB, Patriots — Less than two seasons after he was the goat (two interceptions, a 33.5 passer rating) in the Bears’ playoff loss to the Redskins following the 14-2 1986 season, Flutie stunned the 7-1 Bears, throwing four touchdown passes in a 30-7 victory. The Bears’ defense had allowed 30 points in the previous five games. It was the Bears’ only loss in a 10-game span during a 12-4 season.
2. Robbie Gould, PK, 49ers — The most accurate kicker in Bears history, Gould has made 85-of-89 (95.5 percent) of his field goal attempts since being cut in 2016. But he exacted particular revenge on Dec. 3, 2017 when he made 5-of-5 field goals, including a 24-yarder as time ran out, to beat the Bears 15-14 at Soldier Field.
3. Cedric Benson, RB, Bengals — A first-round draft pick (fourth overall) in 2005 who was unceremoniously dumped in 2008 following a rocky career in Chicago, Benson rushed for a career-high 189 yards on 37 carries, scoring on a one-yard run in a 45-10 blowout on Oct. 25, 2009 at Paul Brown Stadium.
4. Fabien Bownes, WR, Seahawks — Two weeks after being cut by the Bears on Sept. 19, 1999, Bownes burned his former team with a 49-yard touchdown reception from Glenn Foley with 7:51 left as the Seahawks rallied from a 13-0 fourth-quarter deficit to win 14-13 at Soldier Field.
5. Chris Conte, S, Buccaneers — A dependable starter who became a target for boo-birds because of untimely mis-steps, Conte took sweet satisfaction in burning the Bears and disappointing Bears fans with a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown against Jay Cutler that sparked the Bucs to a 36-10 rout on Nov. 13, 2016 at Raymond James Stadium.
6. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles — Many ex-Bears have beaten the Bears, but few have inflicted the pain and elicited disdain as Jeffery, who had six catches for 82 yards — including five catches of 10-plus yards for first downs — and taunted Bears fans in the aftermath of a 16-15 victory in the wild-card playoff game on Jan. 6 at Soldier Field.
7. Bernard Berrian, WR, Vikings — After the Bears were stopped four times from the 1-yard line late in the first half at the Metrodome on Nov. 30, 2008, Berrian hauled in a Gus Frerotte pass at the Vikings 45-yard line and went 99 yards for a touchdown. Instead of a 14-3 lead, the Bears were down 10-7. They lost 34-14 and finished 9-7, missing the playoffs by one game.
8. Bobby Layne, QB, Lions — The future Hall of Famer threw for 296 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 45-21 victory at Briggs Stadium in 1952. He also threw four touchdown passes in a 41-28 victory over the Bears at Wrigley Field in 1951.
9. Greg Olsen, Panthers — Traded after four productive seasons because he was a bad fit for Mike Martz’s offense, Olsen caught two touchdown passes, including a tie-breaking score with 2:14 left, to give the Panthers a 31-24 victory over the Bears on Oct. 5, 2014 at Bank of America Stadium.
10. Wally Dreyer, RB/DB, Packers — Five weeks after being obtained by the Packers in 1950, Dreyer intercepted a Johnny Lujack pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown to spark the Packers to a 31-21 upset over the two-touchdown-favorite Bears on Oct. 1, 1950. The loss ultimately cost the Bears (9-3) a berth in the NFL championship game.
