Chicago will line up against Philadelphia on Sunday for the first time since that woeful day in the Windy City.
But Bears coach Matt Nagy, who replayed the game countless times for his team, is seeking no revenge on Sunday.
"That was a big game for us, a big loss for us that we used [as motivation] in the offseason," Nagy said via the team website's Larry Mayer. "I think internally, everybody knows the feeling of what we felt, but we haven't turned this into any type of revenge game: 'You've got to do this or do that.' We're just focused on going 1-0 with where we're at this year."
To think that a postseason defeat can be avenged with a win in the regular season is folly in the first place.
So, beyond any contemplations of revenge or the first meeting from a classic or infamous (pending the fan base) postseason game, a victory of any kind is of the utmost importance. It just so happens that it's against the Eagles, who are also in a precarious spot at 4-4.
Hence, Nagy is avoiding using the revenge tag.
"You just have to be a little bit careful of that because then maybe it takes you out of your element for this game that matters this year," Nagy said. "It's a different year. You can use it in the offseason because you haven't got to the season yet.
"Now we're in the season, that's last year. We don't want to live in the past. We don't want to live in the past last week. That's just kind of where we're at. We're trying to stay moving our feet forward. That's probably why it hasn't been brought up as much."
When the teams met last season, the Bears had already won the NFC North and posted a sterling 12-4 record. Now, they've already matched their loss total from all of the last campaign, fallen far short of expectations and lost a handful of one-score games.
Last year's playoff game means nothing now as the Bears find themselves, with 10 games remaining, fighting, scratching and clawing for a chance just to get back to the postseason.
"If you look at the situation in itself, you gotta understand that a win is going to be huge on Sunday," Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack said via the team website's Nathan Smith. "That's ultimately how you have to think about this game. it's going to be one of those games where you gotta get it by any means."
There's no revenge at stake for the Bears. But like the last time Chicago faced Philly, there might well be a season at stake.
