Thread by @readjack

Fumble return touchdowns! A backup QB! 4th quarter comebacks!

World Series heroics?

Here is the true story of two wild weeks at Soldier Field, and the iconic playmaking of a man Bears fans love.

The magical, the memorable, the magnificent.

The Mike Brown Games.

A thread.

In consecutive weeks in 2001, Oct. 28 & Nov. 4, the great Mike Brown delivered two of the most memorable plays in Bears history: a pair of walkoff OT interceptions.

These TDs fueled that great 2001 season, and shared connections to memorable Bears games before and after.

While Mike Brown's career was far more than just two plays in two weeks, these plays epitomized what we all loved about #30: leadership, instincts, joy, winning games and the flair for the moment.

Here he is discussing them in 2019 with @JeffJoniak.

Yet the Mike Brown TDs were not the only parallels at play in those two games. If those were the only connections, they would have felt memorable yet flukey.

Instead, deeper sports connections were everywhere, including in the week between.

And that built a new sense:

Fate.

So, what was cooking in 2001?

Entering the season, the story of the 2001 Bears was how the fun promise of 1999 imploded in the wake of a disastrous 2000, putting Dick Jauron on the hot seat in just his third season.

But there were reasons to be hopeful.

First of all, the actual conclusion of the 2000 season gave us all a good memory for the offseason, as the Bears knocked the Lions out of the playoffs.

There were the free agent acquisitions of defensive tackles Ted Washington and Keith Traylor, whose dual arrival proved a big splash both tactically and emotionally.

windycitygridiron.com/2018/3/19/1711…

There was the improved play in 2000 of second-year linebackers Rosevelt Colvin and Warrick Holdman, who flanked 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Urlacher to form a linebacker trio that had Bears fans thinking about Otis-Samurai-Wilber.

And there was reason for hope on the offense, with rookies David Terrell and Anthony Thomas, the QB room focused on Shane Matthews and Jim Miller, a boss offensive line and standout wide receivers.

But the main reason for excitement around the 2001 Bears was their two star rookies from 2000: NFL DROY Brian Urlacher and fellow All-Rookie Team member Mike Brown.

So, let's talk Mike Brown.

In 2000, the rookie out of Nebraska joined Tony Parrish to form one of the most dynamic, devastating safety duos in the NFL — and one of my favorites ever.

Before the '01 opener, Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache called Brown "a coach's dream."

There were a lot of reasons why Bears fans loved @21MB30 as soon as he came here. But I think he sums it up here:

"I played with a lot of heart."

(Oh, and he's humble too. The skillset was 🔥🔥🔥)

#BearDown

The Mike Brown Games were our 6th and 7th games of the season. And though we lost in Week 1 to the defending champion Ravens, we showed a spark that suggested good things were, if not certainly to come, then definitely possible.

And then... 9/11.

The September 11 terror attacks on a Tuesday led to the postponement of Week 2 of the NFL, pushing back a Bears-Jags game to the end of the season.

The Bears returned Sept. 23 at home, and beat the Vikings 17-10, losing Shane Matthews to injury.

The Bears then had a bye week and traveled to Atlanta. This is where the 2001 Bears team we came to love truly showed itself. DOMINANCE. A 31-3 win.

And the beginning of the Brian Urlacher - Michael Vick rivalry. 54 was never better.

Next up: The Cardinals. For the second straight week, the Bears score a defensive touchdown, this time a 69-yard fumble return from RW McQuarters. Bears win 20-13.

(And thank you to @All_Highlytes for uploading all of these Primetime clips!)

Week 6 was a transformative game. A 24-0 win over the Bengals — our longest win streak since 1995 and our first shutout since 1993.

This was the emergence of the A-Train. Anthony Thomas rushed for 188 yards and wrested the starting job away from James Allen.

We were ready.

The Bears were 4-1. The significance for me personally? I was in Bloomington, Indiana at IU, and Bears games weren't on in our market in 2000, or the start of '01.

But with the team's fast start, the Week 7 Niners game would be on in Indiana.

Otherwise, I would have missed it.

The 49ers game meant a chance to avenge the most brutal loss of the year before: the Terrell Owens 20-catch game.

This one haunted that defense. Here is Mike Brown getting the shove out of bounds on T.O. on his 15th catch.

This game... yuck!

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/936477324823990273

Let's meet the Bears offense. This offensive line was MEAN. Started all 16 games. s/o to @olin_kreutz and @JBigCatWilliams.

The Niners game started with a nice moment for the Bears: @JBigCatWilliams blocked a 49ers field goal.

But on the ensuing Bears drive...

TOUCHDOWN 49ERS!

Bryant Young breaks thru the line, forces a fumble on Jim Miller, and Julian Peterson returns it 26 yards for the touchdown.

Keep this in mind for later, Bears fans...

Jim Miller's day would get worse in the 2nd quarter, when he would get knocked out of the game with a hip injury.

Enter Shane Matthews.

And though Matthews was not your typical backup — he entered that game as the Bears career leader in completion percentage — our struggles continued.

The Niners took a 28-9 lead in the 3rd on a 97-yard pick six by Zack Bronson.

Things were not looking good for the Beloved.

Things were still looking bad for the Bears with 8 minutes left in the game. We trailed 31-16.

Yet Shane Matthews was the man for this particular two-score 4th quarter comeback job. Why?

Because he'd done it before! Two years prior:

Mike Brown always says that The Mike Brown Games weren't just about him. And he's right!

Because in the 4th quarter, the Bears *offense* took over. First was a nine-play drive from the Bears 34, ending with a 13-yard TD from Matthews to Terrell.

31-23 49ers, 4:08 to go.

Now the game was back with the defense, a unit that entered that week as the NFL's #1 D in points allowed at 8.6.

Here they end San Fran's drive. Warrick Holdman with the speed and the stick!

The Bears got the ball back at the 33 with just over two minutes to play, and went right down the field again: 12 plays, only one third down, and a four-yard TD from Matthews to... David Terrell! The rookie strikes again.

31-29, with a two-pointer to come...

With 26 seconds left, A-Train plunged in for the game-tying two-point conversion. Both the Terrell TD and the Train 2-pointer went to the booth review, and both were upheld.

Bears 31, 49ers 31. Soldier Field goes BALLISTIC.

Overtime! The 49ers win the toss and choose to receive, and FOX recaps San Fran's two overtime games that year, both wins against Atlanta.

Edinger's kick is downed in the endzone, bringing up 1st & 10 from the 20.

And then...

MIKE BROWN FOR THE WIN!

@21MB30 @WCGridiron @ChicagoBears

Look at this scene. Absolute pandemonium. Chaos. Confusion. Joy. Ebullience. Mike Brown caps off a win for that ages.

And you know what?

We would have been fine if he only did it once.

#BearDown

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https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1229245750569205761

The 37-31 overtime win over the 49ers brought the Bears to 5-1. We were in first place and riding high.

And we were about to welcome the Browns to Soldier Field and do it all over again.

Enjoy the Super Bowl! Part 2 of The Mike Brown Thread coming later. #BearDown

@WCGridiron

An anniversary of grieving. On-field coincidences. A World Series connection. Another improbable comeback.

An onside kick. A Hail Mary. A tipped pass.

And my oh my here we go again.

The Mike Brown Games. A thread... Part 2.

On November 4, 2001, the 5-1 Bears played host to the 4-2 Browns. Cleveland was riding high, coming off the bye week. Their last game was a 10-point win over the Ravens, still very much the "ex-Browns" at that point.

The Bears' last game... well:

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1358496906368933890

Here's the deal, Bears fans. If Mike Brown had back-to-back OT pick-sixes yet those were the only similarities between those games, we would have remembered, but they would have seemed like just a fun coincidence.

Instead, those TDs felt like the capstone to something deeper...

Let’s start with what was on the hearts of all Bears players. Three days before the Browns game was the two-year anniversary of Walter Payton’s death. For players in '01 who were there in '99, the anniversary carried a deep, meaningful, painful memory:

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1169474666626527232

But there were two Bears who were particularly affected by the anniversary of Walter’s passing:

James Allen and Bryan Robinson.

James Allen was having a difficult season. The week before, he had officially lost his starting job to Anthony Thomas. And as a Bears running back, the Walter connection was personal for him.

“There’s not a day that goes by," he said, "that I don’t think about Walter Payton…”

Bryan Robinson, meanwhile, was the man who famously blocked the field goal after Walter’s death, claiming Walter had lifted him up.

He felt 34’s presence again in 2001, leading up to the Browns game: “We spoke earlier this week about Walter Payton and how much he meant to us.”

Robinson and Allen entered the game with heavy hearts. Allen entered it a team spirit... and something to prove.

“Anthony is so good, what am I supposed to do?" Allen said later. "I’ve been telling myself, ‘When you get in, make plays so they don’t want to take you out.’”

Autry Denson returned the opening kickoff 37 yards, and the Bears offense was ready to roll! The key difference from the 49ers game the week before: Shane Matthews was now the starter, replacing the injured Jim Miller.

But then, on 2nd and 8...

BROWNS TOUCHDOWN!

Courtney Brown recovers the Matthews fumble and goes 25 yards the other way to open the scoring at 7-0.

Now, remember when I said there were some eerie coincidences that went beyond the two Mike Brown touchdowns?

Well, do you remember how the 49ers game began the week before?

A FUMBLE RETURN FOR A TOUCHDOWN.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1358519892346036224

Seriously, can someone better than me at video editing put these two plays together? Because this was the beginning of the duty déjà vu of The Mike Brown Games.

26-yard fumble return for Julian Peterson.

25-yard fumble return TD for Courtney Brown.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1358519892346036224

When it comes to comebacks, as a fan, I always depend on a previous vision of success. The Bears O gave us that at the end of the half. We'd been bad all day: fumble/TD, INT, INT, 3x punt.

But suddenly, the O was snapping! Two straight A-Train catches brought us to the 13.

The offense converted a 3rd and 5 down to the 2 with a pass to Marty Booker, and then after consecutive incompletions with goal to go, A-Train punched it in.

Despite a brutal 1st half on O, the D had held Cleveland to all punts (five in all), and we were tied 7-7 at the half.

You're wondering when exactly this becomes "The Mike Brown Game." Mike Brown was too.

"I'm pretty upset because I played a horrible game," he said afterward. "I let my teammates down."

His "horrible game" started on Cleveland's first drive of the 2nd half, with these two plays:

Then, following Matthews throwing his third interception, Mike Brown caught another bad break. He had a great read and tried to intercept a pass, but it bounced off his hands and landed in the arms of Browns receiver Kevin Johnson, who went 55 yards for the score. 21-7 Cleveland.

Part of what made this Browns game even more wild than the 49ers game the week before was that the 49ers game was the week before. We'd seen a comeback. And for a long time, this game did not feel like a comeback.

4th quarter, for instance, first drive: We botch a 4th and 4.

What's funny about something becoming "The Someone Game" is that many times, as you watch, it feels like it will be "The Someone Else Game."

And this Mike Brown Game for the longest time was going to be The Courtney Brown Game.

@SamHouseholder

Again... what about this Browns game felt like a comeback in the making? Almost nothing. With 5:46 to go, we were still down 21-7 and failed to convert a 4th and 20. At this point the week before, we were just about to score a TD to get us to a one-score game. This felt lost.

And yet, the defense was hanging tough. With three minutes to play, we forced Cleveland to punt again. Still down 21-7, and we were all about to see the genesis for feelings like this one:

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1320919891453595649

Because at this point, down 21-7 with under three to play, I had four things making me feel better. One was the Niners game the week before. Two was playing with house money — a backup QB and a 5-1 record. If we lost, we would still be tied for first place in the Central.

Third reason for hope was the Saints game.

"Wait a second," you say. "What Saints game?"

This Saints game! Week 4 1999, Bears score two TDs in the final two minutes to flip a 10-0 loss into a 14-10 win. The quarterback of that comeback?

Shane Matthews.

So those were my main three reasons for hope, even down 21-7 late in the 4th.

But there was a fourth reason, and this gets back to the eerie coincidences I've been talking about.

The New York Yankees.

These guys:

The Bears beat the 49ers on Oct. 28. That night, the Diamondbacks won Game 2 of the World Series to go up 2-0. The Yankees won Game 3, but trailed Game 4 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. D'Backs closer Byung-Hyun Kim was set to finish it.

And then, Tino Martinez:

The Diamondbacks went 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th, and after the first two Yankees came and went, Derek Jeter came up. During his at-bat, the clock struck midnight, making for the first ever November game in MLB. Soon after: Jeter, walkoff home run.

Yankees tie the series.

The very next night (or the same night, if you will), the Yankees again trailed in the 9th. Again had two outs. Again faced Kim.

And again hit a game-tying home run, this time by Scott Brosius.

Three innings later in the bottom of the 12th, Alfonso Soriano ended the game with a walkoff single. The Yankees now led the World Series 3-2 fueled by back-to-back comeback wins, both won in extra innings. This was Nov. 1, smack between the 49ers and Browns games.

Weird right?

Bears fans at Soldier Field apparently did not share my positive premonition. Because as we pieced together a desperate offensive drive, fans were fleeing the park. The empty seats were on display, and talk to anyone who stayed to the end and they'll tell you about the quiet.

But then, just as we did at the end of the 1st half, seemingly out of nowhere the offense came alive! Marty Booker caught a sideline pass for 14 yards and a reviewed 1st down call.

Matthews then completed three straight passes:

* Dez White, 12 yards
* David Terrell, 9 yards
* James Allen, 17 yards

We took a timeout with a minute to play, now down to the Browns 27, still down 21-7. Crowd starting to stir...

Next up, Matthews hit Dez White for 13. The Bears ran another play and then Cleveland challenged the White catch, which left everyone confused, especially Butch Davis. A Browns penalty gave us 1st and 5 at the 9, but we had a half a minute to go and were still down 14.

After a near-miss TD to Fred Baxter, Matthews connected with Booker for a touchdown. 21-14 Browns, 28 seconds remaining. Crowd starting to wake up with the onside kick coming. I was pacing at this point, head bobbing like Rain Man, holding the teenciest bit of hope.

Oh man, here's where things got super fun. This game went from a 0 to a 4 to a 9 in fast succession, as Paul Edinger kicked perhaps the world's perfect onside kick. Look at that bounce! @JerryAzumah kept it alive and linebacker Bobbie Howard recovered. Now the crowd was back!

Here's another look at Edinger's onside kick. That third bounce is just wild. Azumah going sky high. And all of a sudden, you could tell that every fan in that stadium was a believer. The difference in the crowd noise from like 30 seconds earlier is stunning.

Remember what James Allen had said?

"When you get in, make plays so they don’t want to take you out.”

First two plays, Matthews goes to Allen. These guys were the Week 1 starters and were now both backups, leading the biggest drive of the year.

Eight seconds left...

With eight seconds left, down 21-14 at the Browns 34, the Bears called their final timeout. It was Hail Mary time. Four wide receivers and one running back: James Allen.

He'd had his big moment before, running for a startling 163 yards as a rookie:

James Allen knew his job. Trail the receivers and pray for a chance for a tip. Booker, Terrell, White, Bates.

Allen.

"I know they can't jump with our guys," he said later. "My job is to get down there as fast as I can, let all the focus be on those guys ... and play the tip."

Matthews gets time... calm in the pocket... that ball is up and that thing looks good and HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! JAMES ALLEN! WE GOT THIS BABYYYYYY! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN!

I just can't even explain how insane this was. A 14-point 4th quarter comeback in the final minute, with an onside kick and a Hail Mary. Touchdown-onside-Hail Mary! That's the stupid thing fans say to ourselves and it actually happened!

So now there's no time left, Edinger hits the PAT, it's 21-21 and we're going to overtime...

...AND WE WIN THE TOSS! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Look at the captains cheering. Mike Brown is PUMPED.

Little did he, or any of us, know...

Let's take a moment to appreciate Dick Jauron. This guy was calm as they come.

About to lose.

Back in this thing.

Doesn't matter. Even Steven.

We're getting there Pat! Don't jump ahead.

https://twitter.com/PatrickMannelly/status/1360830307180687361

Well wouldn't you know it, after two straight magical drives, the offense sputters. Bears start with the ball in OT but go three and out. Tim Couch hits Kevin Johnson for 16 yards, and then on 1st and 10 from the Bears 28, it's @rcolvin3 time! Big sack here.

"Couch out of the shotgun. Throws. That's batted into the air — INTERCEPTED AND THE BEARS ARE GONNA WIN IT! MIKE BROWN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!"

Even 20 years later, I still can't believe this happened. Again. All of it. Just... how? HOW?

"I have nothing special to say," Mike Brown said after the game. "It has nothing to do with me. It could have been anyone."

Here is how he explained the interception itself:

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1360833380544372738

And then there was Bryan Robinson. He was the one who tipped the ball. Just three days shy of the two-year anniversary of his blocked field goal, B-Rob had another legendary tip.

"The whole Walter Payton thing..." he said later, stunned.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1360833380544372738

Go to bed my man! Bears win!

https://twitter.com/PatrickMannelly/status/1360831736410734594

For Bears fans everywhere, James Allen remains the #2 hero of this fantasy fairytale, just after Mike Brown. As the late Bryan Robinson (RIP) said: "Tomorrow, all the headlines will Mike Brown. But to me, James Allen is the player of the game."

The Mike Brown Game — or games — was an instant classic.

How rare was Mike Brown's feat? You won't be surprised to know that he is the only player in NFL history to win back-to-back overtime games with a touchdown. Offensive players, defensive, special teams, doesn't matter. It's @21MB30. That's the list.

s/o @Stathead

But consider this: OT in the NFL started in 1974.

* This was the 5th time one team won two OT games with TDs in the same season
* It was the 1st time that was done in consecutive games in one season
* It was the 2nd time that one player won two OT games in one season with TDs

Since Mike Brown's two miracles in 2001, only the 2017 Packers have won consecutive OT games with TDs, and only one player — Derrick Henry this year — has won two OT games with TDs in one season.

Mike Brown remains the only player in NFL history to win consecutive OT games with touchdowns.

And we got to see it.

2001 was a special season. You know the rest. We went 13-3 and wrapped the season with a 33-13 win over Jacksonville. It seems like everyone made a memory on the 2001 Bears — that, famously, was Keith Traylor's week.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1282442751666278401/

But I think if you ask most Bears fans for their first memory of 2001, they will give you one name: Mike Brown. As he told us in 2019: "I want to be remembered as someone who played for the people."

And I guarantee you, ask any Bears fan who was here for Mike Brown, "What do you think of first about #30?"

They won't tell you a play. They'll tell you the way he made us all feel on Sundays. Pride. Strength. Leadership. Joy.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1360839251907207168/

Thank you @21MB30! We appreciate you sir, and always will.

Bear Down.

The Mike Brown Thread — postscript

@PatrickMannelly pointed out to me how loaded Butch Davis's staff was on the '01 Browns. Arians, Bowles, Pagano. Other champs:

* Rosburg: ST, '12 Ravens
* McNair: RBs, 2020 Bucs
* Butler: LBs, '05 / '08 Steelers
* Smith: QBs, '13 Sea

The Mike Brown Thread — postscript

Here is another angle of the Shane Matthews - James Allen Hail Mary. I had never seen this until @olin_kreutz tweeted it two years ago. Love this.

The Mike Brown Thread — postscript

The reporter here is @BlanzyJeff. I should have checked for his Twitter before I posted. Thanks @jeffreya22!

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1360836248642928646

The Mike Brown Thread — postscript

The day before we beat the Browns, the Diamondbacks thumped the Yankees to tie the series. The night we beat the Browns, the D-Backs came thru with their own miracle, somehow forcing Mariano Rivera into a 9th inning blown save, winning 3-2.

Arizona's rally started with a single from Mark Grace and ended with a hit from fellow ex-Cub Luis Gonzalez. D-Backs owner Jerry Colangelo also has Chicago ties — he's from here, and worked for the expansion Bulls in '66.

Jerry Colangelo even kept the Diamondbacks' World Series trophy in Chicago, at the @NIASHF.

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/436205487332130817

The Mike Brown Thread — postscript

NFL Priiimetiiiiiime. Chris Berman and @TomJackson57. Look at Boomer referencing the Yankees. Also gotta love "Matthews to Dez White - Crash Into Me down to the 15 yard line. The Shane Matthews Band Ants Marching to Marty Booker!" @dmbriguy7

Thanks for hanging out everyone! Bear Down and enjoy your day.

@WCGridiron

https://twitter.com/readjack/status/1358496906368933890

Were you at either or both of The Mike Brown Games? Tell me your story!

@HawleySports was at the Browns game and stayed to the end:

https://twitter.com/hawleysports/status/1360817545268387842

.@JustinKaufmann was at the 49ers game — stayed to the end:

https://twitter.com/justinkaufmann/status/1358533782161285122

.@siegel_jonsiegs was at both games — stayed for both!

https://twitter.com/siegel_jonsiegs/status/1358855117064204289

.@stites8 was at both games — and left BOTH early??! Dude!

https://twitter.com/stites8/status/1360954611348168704

.@ChiSoxStokes was at the Browns game — left with five minutes left, Bears down 21-7.

https://twitter.com/chisoxstokes/status/1360959439768068098

.@shearo_ was at the Browns game — left after the failed 4th and 20 in the 4th. Watched OT in a bar.

https://twitter.com/shearo_/status/1360865721044131841

.@pacelli34 was at both games — and stayed for both!

https://twitter.com/pacelli34/status/1360980905330933761

.@CJY34 was at the 49ers game — stayed to the end 👊

https://twitter.com/cjy34/status/1360820258014134278

.@AlexxLawson was at both games — stayed to the end and hasn’t been to a Bears game since 2001. Get back!

https://twitter.com/alexxlawson/status/1358521637923127299

.@Ledfloyd13 was at the 49ers game — stayed to the end:

https://twitter.com/ledfloyd13/status/1358536214861742086

.@Rodzilla0279 & @ChiSoxStokes were at the Browns game:

https://twitter.com/rodzilla0279/status/1361011485909082121