Read The '85 Bears: We Were the Greatest Online
Authors: Mike Ditka,Rick Telander
The '85 Bears: We Were the Greatest (37 page)
Many Stars of This Show
O
n paper, a 20-point victory over a division rival to end the regular season 15–1 would seem to provide a springboard into the playoffs. But these were the ’85 Bears, who could find something wrong with a $100 bill. For instance, it took the Bears more than 46 minutes to score an offensive touchdown. They turned the ball over four times, three on interceptions and once on a fumble.
They managed just two touchdowns on eight trips inside the Detroit 30-yard line. They failed by four points to break the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers’ record for points allowed in a 16-game schedule, finishing with 198.
They watched inspirational leader Mike Singletary limp off the field with a sprained left knee.
Even though coach Mike Ditka berated his team after the victory at the Pontiac Silverdome, the Bears had become just the second squad in NFL history to win 15 games in the regular season and the first in a dozen years to go unbeaten in the NFC Central. They finished second in the league in points scored and first in total defense, first in rushing defense, and third in passing defense.
Many individuals merited notice, even the grouchy Ditka, who matched Bill Walsh as the only coaches with 15 wins in a season. The incomparable Walter Payton became the first man with more than 2,000 yards in combined rushing and receiving yardage three years in a row.
Dennis Gentry tightropes the sideline and holds the ball aloft at the end of his 94-yard kickoff return.
The first of Kevin Butler’s three field goals gave him 134 points for the season and broke Gale Sayers’ NFL rookie scoring record set 20 years earlier. Ron Rivera, replacing the injured Singletary, became the 21st Bear to score by returning a recovered fumble five yards in the fourth quarter.
Bears’ coach Mike Ditka autographs a football for a fan in Cicero, Illinois, on December 27, 1985.
Dennis Gentry electrified his team by returning the second-half kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown that busted open a tight 6–3 contest. Wilber Marshall creamed Joe Ferguson so hard on a rollout that the Lions quarterback’s arms dangled at his side before he hit the ground.
Laughter was provided in the fourth quarter when William Perry, who had forced James Jones to cough up the ball earlier in the game, scooped up a fumble and trudged some 40 hilarious yards downfield before being hauled down inside the Detroit 20. That set up Jim McMahon’s 11-yard pass to Ken Margerum for the final touchdown of an irregular regular season.
Now the playoffs—and history—awaited.
Chicago 37, Detroit 17
DEC. 22, 1985, AT THE SILVERDOME
Lots of contributors help end on right note
Dennis Gentry’s 94-yard kickoff return for a TD to open the second half. The play helped turn a 6–3 lead into a rout.
The Bears recovered four Detroit fumbles and picked off three interceptions.
Otis Wilson is an unpleasant backfield visitor, sacking Detroit’s Eric Hipple.
DENNIS MCKINNON
No. 85, wide receiver
“T
he thing I’m proudest of was that I was part of a group of guys who did what they had to do, who gave Walter a chance to be in a place he should’ve always been. He was the quintessential icon. I was humbled by his presence.”
“Even today, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Walter Payton. I still say that this city has not honored him the way he should be. No different than the National Football League. We hope to change that. We would love to be able to get the National Football League on one given Sunday that a percentage of all tickets sold in all the markets goes to the Walter Payton Fund, which is something that has never been done, not even in our own backyard.”
“Having the great Payton, we were a running team. Everybody talks about how great our defense was, but it’s ironic that we led the league in time of possession, second in the league in scoring, three consecutive years I think we led the league in rushing, which means the defense was definitely rested.”
“Our offense, we never wanted to sit on the bench. We wanted to stand and see what quarter back would get knocked out. There was always a bounty on every quarterback.”
“We were so disappointed that we didn’t get the Dolphins. We never believed the Patriots had a prayer anyway.”
“Opening lineup. We’re in the tunnel. They’re doing the introductions, and they said, “No. 85, from Florida State, Dennis McKinnon.” Here I am, in my third year in the league, a free-agent walk-on, has a chance to start at a place I never thought I would be. It’s remarkable when you look back on it.”
“Yeah, I complained. Yeah, I was screaming, ‘Willie’s not open. I am. Throw me the ball. What do I have to do? Who else do I have to knock out?’”
“The McKinnon payoff? At a time where if you were really good at returning kicks, teams didn’t kick it to you. A majority of our guys who were on
special teams weren’t making a whole lot of money. I wanted to insure my safety. I would always tell whoever makes the block that springs me, there’s $5,000 or $10,000 for you.”
“[Mike Ditka] is a guy in my first year I couldn’t stand. I got yelled at every single practice as a rookie. He had me learning three different positions—flanker, split end, tight end. Then I had veteran players tell me the wrong plays because they didn’t want to practice. I was frustrated, frustrated, frustrated. Then I realized that he saw something in me that some people didn’t see.”
“We did something so special to this town because we played for a city. We didn’t just play for the Bears or for the McCaskeys. We played for the city of Chicago. For every Bear fan who got off a plane in any city, they were proud to be from Chicago.”
