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When September rolls around, NFL fans are champing at the bit for the season to start. They've already gotten a taste from the preseason, read up on their team's draft picks, and made predictions about how the season should go with their team's roster. Adrenaline is high during Week 1 and often doesn't wear off until Week 18. A tough loss could end in tears, for both the team and its fans.

It's hard for people who aren't fanatics to wrap their heads around how a sport could evoke so much emotion, but there's a psychological explanation for fandom.

For many, a team association ties into self-esteem and identity. It has been proved that people receive a self-esteem boost from associating with successful individuals or groups, which is why fans are more likely to wear team gear the day after a win than the day after a loss, and die-hards speak about team successes in first person and failures in third person. Shared fandom also provides a sense of connection, whether it be with friends who follow the same team or via strangers bonding at a game, and all humans have a need for connectedness.

A Super Bowl win, the pinnacle of the sport, can bring a city together and give fans a personal sense of pride and satisfaction. Conversely, when a team has a particularly disappointing season or loses in the playoffs, it can feel like a gut punch.

compiled a list featuring the Chicago Bears seasons that most exceeded expectations since 2000 using data from . Each season was selected based on the number of wins by which the team overperformed its preseason over/under for that season. Ties were broken via the highest preseason over/under.

#5. Chicago Bears 2010
- Preseason over/under: 8 wins
- Season record: 11-5 (3 games over)

#4. Chicago Bears 2005
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 11-5 (4 games over)

#3. Chicago Bears 2006
- Preseason over/under: 9 wins
- Season record: 13-3 (4 games over)

#2. Chicago Bears 2018
- Preseason over/under: 7.5 wins
- Season record: 12-4 (4.5 games over)

#1. Chicago Bears 2001
- Preseason over/under: 7 wins
- Season record: 13-3 (6 games over)