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Bears Sports

14 years ago today: Mike Brown returns overtime interception for touchdown for second consecutive week

By  Rob Ogden
   
SHARE 14 years ago today: Mike Brown returns overtime interception for touchdown for second consecutive week
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November 4, 2001--Bears free safety Mike Brown comes down with an overtime interception for a game-winning touchdown over the Cleveland Browns. Sun-Times photo by Tom Cruze

On this day in 2001, Bears safety Mike Brown picked off Browns quarterback Tim Couch in overtime and ran untouched into the end zone to hand the Bears a comeback win.

It was the second-straight week that Brown returned an interception for a touchdown in overtime.

Trailing 21-7 with less than a minute remaining, Chicago scored twice in the final 28 seconds and won on Brown’s interception.

From Nov. 4, 2001 via the Associated Press:

Mike Brown couldn’t believe it was happening again when he saw the ball pop in the air. Brown grabbed the ball and took off for the end zone, his 16-yard interception return giving the Chicago Bears a stunning overtime win for the second week in a row. It’s just weird, real weird, Brown said Sunday after the Bears beat Cleveland 27-21 for their sixth straight win. If a book was written, I don’t think they’d believe it. It just came right to me and fell right into my hands, Brown said. I don’t know what to say. A higher power, luck, destiny, whatever you call it.

Just a week earlier, Brown had intercepted 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia in overtime.

Like they did against the Browns, the Bears completed a major comeback against San Francisco as well.

Chicago trailed 28-9 but used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown catches from David Terrell and a two-point conversion from Anthony Thomas to force overtime.

Brown picked off a pass intended for Terrell Owens and returned it for the game-winning touchdown on the very first play of overtime.

The No. 39 overall pick in the 2000 draft, Brown was two-time NFL All-Pro.

He played nine seasons in Chicago before playing a final year in Kansas City and retiring in 2009.

The Bears won the NFC central with a 13-3 finish.

[FBTW]

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