Bradley Ruzicka

Headline: Running back by committee gives the Green Bay Packers a rejuvenated ground attack but outcome is the same, no winning record and no playoffs.

Regular Season Record: 8 – 8 (Second Place NFC Central Division)

Offseason Highlights: The 1985 NFL draft yielded four future Pro Football Hall of Famers, including the No. 1  overall selection, Virginia Tech DE Bruce Smith (Buffalo Bills), the 4th selection, Pittsburgh DE Chris Doleman (Minnesota Vikings), the 16th selection, Mississippi Valley State WR Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), and the 86th selection, Kutztown Pennsylvania WR Andre Reed (Buffalo Bills).

In his second year, Green Bay Packers’ Head Coach Forrest Gregg decided to focus his 1985 draft on offense. Specifically, Gregg wanted to improve the offensive line and had a particular player in mind. To get him, Green Bay traded their 1985 1st round pick, 14th overall, and their 2nd round pick to the Buffalo Bills for the 7th pick of the 1985 draft, one of the Bills’ two first round selections, as well as a 1986 4th round selection. The Packers then chose OT Ken Ruettgers out of USC. Although Ruettgers never made All-Pro or the Pro Bowl, he started 140 out of 156 games over his 12 year career, all with Green Bay, before retiring after the 1996 season due to an accumulation of injuries.

Four additional impact players were selected in 1985; 3rd round pick OG Rick Moran (71st overall), 4th rounder WR Walter Stanley (98th overall), 5th round selection LB Brian Noble (125th overall), and 8th rounder DB Ken Stills (209th overall). Like Ruettgers, Moran and Noble played their entire careers with Green Bay. Moran started 82 out of 108 games, before retiring after nine seasons. Noble also played nine seasons, starting 110 out of 117 games, intercepting three passes and accumulating 14 sacks, before retiring in 1993. Stills, a University of Wisconsin alumni, played five of his six seasons with Green Bay, starting 51 out of 65 games, intercepting a total of 7 passes during his Packers tenure, before being released after the 1989 season, and subsequently finishing his playing career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1990.

Walter Stanley played only four of his 10 professional seasons with Green Bay, starting 23 out of 48 games, before being released after the 1988 season, ultimately finishing his career with the New England Patriots in 1995. Stanley was a solid kick returner during his Packers’ tenure, returning 87 punts for 720 yards (8.3 yard average) and 1 touchdown along with 42 kickoffs for 857 yards (20.4 yard average). In a game between Green Bay and the Detroit Lions in November 1986, with just 41 seconds to play, Stanley was instructed by Gregg to make a fair catch of a Detroit punt. On his own, he caught the ball and took off running, scoring an 83 yard touchdown, that gave the Packers a last minute 44-40 victory. In total, Gregg used 7 of his 12 selections on offensive players.

However, on September 5, shortly before the season opener, Gregg made a fateful decision that ultimately tarnished his reputation and that of the franchise, trading their 1986 1st round draft pick as well as a 1987 5th round selection to the San Diego Chargers for the rights to DB Mossy Cade. San Diego drafted Cade in the 1st round in 1984, but he signed with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL). Later, Green Bay learned why the Chargers might have been eager to unload him. Cade was sued for child support by an Arizona woman, who said she had borne his son in 1980, and the Packers paid her $88,787.

Cade then reported to training camp overweight, out of shape, slow and lacking in coverage skills, according to team officials. He started only three games in 1985. But the worst was yet to come. On November 14, 1986, Cade was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault for raping his 44-year-old aunt by marriage while she was visiting from Houston on November 3. He was arrested on his way to practice, charged, and subsequently released on bond. Gregg stuck with Cade despite the charges, with the defensive back starting all 16 games in 1986, before being convicted on two of the counts on May 24 1987.

Combined with other ugly incidents both on and off the field in 1986, Gregg’s reputation within the Green Bay community continued to deteriorate when he stated, “I’m disappointed in the outcome of this trial. There was no basis for them to find Mossy guilty.” That comment didn’t go over very well with local citizens, among them Robert J. Parins, the Packers’ president and a former Brown County district attorney circuit court judge. “Those were Gregg’s remarks,” Parins pointed out. “The publicity . . . certainly hasn’t helped the image of the corporation.” On July 28, Cade was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $15,000 after admitting his guilt.

But, despite Parins announcement in March 1988 that Cade would never play for the franchise again, the Packers agreed to sit down with him after his release from prison on October 21. Reportedly, team officials told Cade he could play in Green Bay beginning in 1989. When his lawyer hinted Cade might seek legal action to play with the Packers yet in 1988, they waived him on November 5, claiming no takers were found regarding a possible trade. Three days later, Minnesota claimed Cade and put him on the reserve list, saying they would not re-instate him until 1989. After a tremendous backlash from their fans, the Vikings quickly released him. Cade was denied re-instatement to the NFL in September 1989 and August 1990, ending his pro career.

Regular Season Highlights: Proving they could finish with exactly the same record by a completely different avenue, the Packers weren’t as streaky as they were in 1984, but ended up 8-8 for the third consecutive season, good once again for second place in the NFC Central Division, behind the 15-1 Chicago Bears. Green Bay never lost more than three consecutive games, but also never won more than two in a row. Most embarrassing was the Packers’ Week 7 23-7 Monday night loss to the Bears, when rookie DT William “The Refrigerator” Perry scored a touchdown on a 1 yard run, a game Forrest Gregg would not easily forget, as he believed Chicago Head Coach Mike Ditka had tried to embarrass his team on national television.

While it seemed Green Bay made it to 8-8 the hard way in 1984, starting 1-7 and finishing 7-1, there was nothing easy about 1985. After a 1-3 preseason, the Packers lost their home opener to the New England Patriots, 26-20. With only one win in their first three games, including an embarrassing Week 3 home loss to the New York Jets, 24-3, starting QB Lynn Dickey was replaced in Week 4 by backup QB Randy Wright. But the result was the same, a 43-28 road loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. With Dickey’s history of injury, Wright in just his second year, and the departure of 1981 top draft pick Rich Campbell in the offseason, Gregg picked up recently released Seattle Seahawks’ QB Jim Zorn on September 24. After nine years in Seattle, the first seven as the starter, Zorn was an accomplished veteran, having thrown for 3,000 yards in three consecutive seasons (1978-80).

However, Zorn’s career was on the decline after being replaced by QB Dave Krieg in 1983, and he would last only one season with the Packers. Dickey, playing his ninth season in Green Bay, returned as the starting quarterback in Week 5, a 43-10 blowout of the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Another home victory in Week 6 over the Minnesota Vikings, 20-17, put the Packers at 3-3. But that’s as good as it would get until season’s end. A three game losing streak left Green Bay at 3-6, with the offense managing a total of only 27 points, an average of less than 10 points per game. Zorn took over for Dickey as the starter in Week 9’s 16-10 home loss to Chicago as well as the next week’s 27-17 road win over Minnesota. But Dickey was back for Week 11’s rout of the New Orleans Saints, 38-14, in Milwaukee County Stadium.

For both Dickey and the Packers, the season’s high point came in Week 13, with Green Bay dominating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-0, in what became known as the “Snow Bowl”. Six inches of snow fell the day before the game, six inches fell during the game, and another foot and a half the following day. It was the worst weather Lambeau Field had seen on a game day in 30 years. Despite the conditions, Dickey had his best day of the year, completing 22 out of 36 attempts for 299 yards. In total, the offense gained 512 yards, while the defense limited Tampa Bay to only 65 net yards, boosting the Packers to a record of 6-7. A winning season was still possible with three games left to play.

Unfortunately, Dickey’s season came to an inglorious end when he suffered a neck injury while weightlifting a few days after the Tampa Bay win. Zorn started the remaining contests, beginning with Week 14’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, 34-24, the Packers final home game of the year, ending their last hopes for 1985. Green Bay rallied to win their last two road games, 26-23 over Detroit and 20-17 over Tampa Bay, but it was too little, too late. On his way into retirement after 15 NFL seasons, Dickey’s injuries and ineffectiveness limited him to a total of 10 starts and a 5-5 record. He completed 172 out of 314 attempts (54.8%) for 2,206 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, earning a QB Rating of 70.4.

Zorn led the team to thee wins in his five starts, completing 56 out of 123 attempts (45.5%) for 794 yards, 4 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 57.4. Wright started a single game, the September 29 loss to St. Louis, finishing with 74 attempts, 39 completions, 552 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions for a QB Rating of 63.6. The trio became the first in Green Bay history to each attempt more than 70 passes. Gone was two time All-Pro WR John Jefferson, acquired in a 1981 trade with San Diego, dealt at his request to the Cleveland Browns on September 19 for the rights to USFL OG Tom Robison and a 1987 7th round pick. Jefferson had become frustrated because he wasn’t getting the ball enough under Offensive Coordinator Bob Schnelker.

During his four years with the Packers, Jefferson started 49 out of 50 games, catching 149 passes for 2,253 yards (15.1 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns. After only three catches total in 1985, Jefferson retired prior to the 1986 season. Eight year veteran WR James Lofton, selected to play in his sixth straight Pro Bowl, once again lead all Green Bay receivers with 69 catches for 1,153 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and 4 touchdowns. However, this was his lowest total receiving yardage since 1981, although still good enough for sixth overall in the NFL. With the departure of Jefferson, WR Philip Epps, in his fourth season, and TE Paul Coffman, in his eighth year, finished second and third in receiving yards, with 44 catches for 683 yards and 49 catches for 666 yards respectively. Epps totaled three scores while Coffman led the team with six touchdowns.

Whether out of necessity or preference, Gregg decided to rely more on the running game, going with a “running back-by-committee” approach. Six year veteran RB Gerry Ellis rushed for a league leading 5.5 yards per carry on 104 attempts, though he was only the team’s third leading rusher with 571 yards. RB Eddie Lee Ivory, completing his seventh season, just edged third year RB Jessie Clark for the team lead, rushing for 636 yards on 132 attempts (4.8 yards per carry) while Clark rushed for 633 yards on 147 attempts (4.3 yards per carry). Both Ellis and Clark scored 5 touchdowns while Ivory had three scores. Rookie RB Gary Ellerson chipped in 205 yards on only 32 carries (6.4 yards per rush).

In his second season with Green Bay, K Al Del Greco led the Packers in scoring with 95 points, converting 19 out of 26 field goals (73.1%) and 38 out of 40 extra points. Overall, Green Bay finished 11th in rushing offense (2,208), 15th in passing (3,163), and 16th in scoring, with 337 points. Defensively, the Packers finished 16th against the run (2,047), 13th against the pass (3,126), and 15th in scoring defense, yielding 355 points. Both totals were slightly worse than 1984. By the end of the season, Gregg had turned over another dozen of former Head Coach Bart Starr’s 1983 squad.

Chicago had the NFL’s best record at 15-1, winning the NFC’s top playoff seed as well as the NFC Central title, while the Los Angeles Rams won the NFC West title and the second playoff seed with a 11-5 record. The 10-6 Dallas Cowboys, after missing the playoffs in 1984, won the NFC East and the third playoff seed over the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, when Dallas finished ahead of both New York and Washington based on a better head-to-head record (4-0 to Giants’ 1-3 and Redskins’ 1-3).

The Giants (fourth seed) and the 1984 World Champion San Francisco 49ers (fifth seed) were the NFC’s Wild Card teams, both at 10-6. New York was the first Wild Card based on a better conference record (8-4) than either San Francisco (7-5) or Washington (6-6), while San Francisco was the second Wild Card based on a head-to-head victory over the Redskins.

Meanwhile, the 1984 AFC Champion Dolphins and the Los Angeles Raiders finished with the AFC’s best record at 12-4, winning the AFC East and the AFC West titles respectively. Los Angeles was the AFC’s top seed and Miami the second seed, based on the Raiders’ better record against common opponents (5-1 to Dolphins’ 4-2). While finishing with only an 8-8 record, the Cleveland Browns were the third seed as a result of winning the AFC Central title.

New York (fourth seed) and New England (fifth seed) were the AFC’s Wild Card teams, both at 11-5. The Jets were the first Wild Card based on a better conference record (9-3) than either the Patriots (8-4) or the Denver Broncos (8-4), while New England was the second Wild Card ahead of Denver based on a better record against common opponents (4-2 to the Broncos’ 3-3).

Of note, on October 14th, during a Monday Night Football halftime ceremony, the Jets retired Joe Namath’s Number 12 jersey, helping inspire the team to a 23-7 victory over the playoff bound Dolphins. Also of note, Washington QB Joe Theisman’s 12 year career came to a painful end on November 18, when he suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his leg while being sacked by Giants’ LBs Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson during a Monday Night Football game at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. At the time, the Redskins had been attempting to run a “flea-flicker” play. New York’s defense, however, was not fooled, and they tried to blitz the All-Pro quarterback.

As Taylor pulled Theismann down, his knee came down and drove straight into his lower right leg, fracturing both the tibia and the fibula. The compound fracture of the tibia ultimately led to insufficient bone growth during his recovery, leaving the right leg shorter than the left. As a result, the injury forced Theismann into retirement at the age of 36. As a testament to his character, Theismann never blamed Taylor for ending his career. The injury was voted the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History” by viewers in an ESPN poll, and the tackle was dubbed “The Hit That No One Who Saw It Can Ever Forget” by The Washington Post.

Finally, Raiders’ RB Marcus Allen won the 1985 NFL Most Valuable Player Award as well as Offensive Player of the Year. Chicago LB Mike Singletary won Defensive Player of the Year, while Indianapolis Colts’ LB Duane Bickett won Defensive Rookie of the Year. Cincinnati Bengals’ WR Eddie Brown won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Bears’ Head Coach Mike Ditka won Coach of the Year.

Post Season Highlights: In the AFC Wild Card Playoffs, the New England Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium to play the New York Jets while, in the NFC, the New York Giants hosted the San Francisco 49ers, also in Giants Stadium. The winners would advance to their respective Divisional Playoffs. Because the Jets and Giants both used Giants Stadium as their home field, the two wild card playoff games were held on different days.

On December 28, in the NFL’s first ever playoff game at Giants Stadium, the New England Patriots dominated the New York Jets by forcing four turnovers and five sacks. This was New England’s first playoff win since 1963, when they were known as the Boston Patriots of the old American Football Conference.

New England jumped to 3-0 lead in the first quarter, after K Tony Franklin made a 33 yard field goal. Then, after New York scored on second year QB Ken O’Brien’s 11 yard touchdown pass to RB Johnny Hector, Franklin kicked his second field goal from 41 yards for a 7-6 Jets lead. Late in the second quarter, S Fred Marion intercepted an O’Brien pass and returned it 26 yards to the New York 33 yard line. A few plays later, WR Stanley Morgan hauled in a 36 yard touchdown completion from QB Tony Eason, giving the Patriots a 13-7 halftime lead. In the third period, Franklin made a 20 yard field goal to give New England a 16-7 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hector was stripped of the ball by LB Johnny Rembert, who then picked up the fumble and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown, giving the Patriots a commanding 23-7 lead. However, Hector returned the next kickoff 33 yards to the New England 43 yard line. From there, backup QB Pat Ryan replaced O’Brien, who had been suffering from a concussion ever since the first half, and completed 5 of 7 passes on a 57 yard scoring drive, the last a 12 yard touchdown throw to TE Mickey Shuler, cutting the score to 23-14. But, in the fourth quarter, Patriots’ LB Andre Tippett deflected a Ryan pass into the arms of DE Garin Veris, who returned the interception 18 yards, setting up Franklin’s fourth field goal, for a 26-14 New England victory.

On December 29, in the New York Giants first home playoff game since 1962, and despite the fact that the San Francisco 49ers recorded 362 yards of total offense, New York’s defense limited San Francisco to only one field goal the entire game, defeating the defending Super Bowl champions.

New York scored on their opening possession of the game, with K Eric Schubert’s 47 yard field goal, for a 3-0 lead. Then, in the second quarter, the Giants intercepted a pass from San Francisco QB Joe Montana and returned it 15 yards, setting up seven year veteran QB Phil Simms’ 18 yard touchdown pass to TE Mark Bavaro, and a 10-0 lead. The 49ers managed to drive inside New York’s 10 yard line with a 15 play drive that included two personal fouls and a holding call against the Giants defense. However, they could not get into the end zone, and had to settle for K Ray Wersching’s 21 yard field goal, cutting the score to 10-3 going into halftime. A 77 yard drive in the third quarter was capped by Simms’ 3 yard touchdown pass to TE Don Hasselbeck, increasing New York’s lead to 17-3.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants made two key defensive stands to keep the game out of reach. First, they forced San Francisco to turn the ball over on downs at the New York 26 yard line with 4:46 left. Following a Giants punt, the 49ers drove into the New York red zone. With 2:16 left in the game, Montana, in his seventh season, threw a touchdown pass to TE John Frank, but it was eliminated by a holding penalty. On the next play, Montana threw a pass to RB Carl Monroe, only to have him drop it in the end zone. Then, on 4th and 15, Montana’s final pass was incomplete, and the Giants ran out the clock, for a 17-3 victory.

In the Divisional Playoffs, the AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins hosted the AFC Central Champion Cleveland Browns in the Orange Bowl, while the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys traveled to Anaheim Stadium to play the NFC West Champion Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, the NFC Central Champion and top seed Chicago Bears hosted the NFC Wild Card winner, the New York Giants, in Soldier Field, while the AFC Wild Card winner, the New England Patriots, traveled to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to play the AFC West Champion and top seed Los Angeles Raiders. The winners would advance to their respective Conference Championship games.

On January 4 1986, after barely making the playoffs, the Cleveland Browns hardly seemed a match for the defending AFC Champion Miami Dolphins. However, Cleveland jumped to a 21-3 lead midway through the third period. Miami subsequently scored 21 unanswered points, the final touchdown with 1:57 left to play, to advance to the AFC Championship.

Aided by a 17 yard run from RB Woody Bennett on the first play of the game, Miami scored on their opening drive with a 51 yard field goal by K Fuad Reveiz, for a 3-0 lead. Cleveland later marched 82 yards in 10 plays, mainly on the strength of their ground game, with RB Kevin Mack rushing for 12 yards, RB Curtis Dickey picking up 9 yards, and RB Ernest Byner’s 15 yard carry, taking them into the red zone. Rookie QB Bernie Kosar eventually finished the drive with a 16 yard touchdown pass to TE Ozzie Newsome to give the Browns a 7-3 lead. In the second quarter, the Dolphins got two big chances to score, but came up empty both times.

First, they threatened to score with a drive to the Cleveland 36 yard line. But the Browns defense stepped up, forcing two incompletions, a run for no gain, and a punt. On Cleveland’s next drive, Miami intercepted Kosar and returned the ball to the Browns’ 25 yard line. The Dolphins then drove to the 6 yard line, only to lose the ball when QB Dan Marino, in only his third season, was picked off in the end zone. The turnover ultimately set up a 21 yard rushing touchdown by Byner, increasing Cleveland’s lead to 14-3. Miami responded with a drive to the Browns’ 29 yard line, but Reveiz missed a 47 yard field goal attempt as time expired in the half.

Byner ran for a 66 yard touchdown with 11:03 left in the third quarter, the longest play in Cleveland’s postseason history, to give the Browns a 21-3 lead. However, Miami would control the rest of the game. A 13 play, 74 yard drive, aided by a 15 yard late hit penalty against Cleveland and a 15 yard reception by WR Mark Clayton from Marino, was capped by Marino’s 6 yard touchdown pass to WR Nat Moore, cutting their deficit to 21-10. The Dolphins defense quickly forced a punt, and Jeff Gossett’s kick went only 26 yards, to the Browns’ 49 yard line. From there, it took just five plays to score on a 31 yard burst by RB Ron Davenport, further cutting Cleveland’s lead to 21-17.

The Browns had a chance to get their momentum back, with a 35 yard kickoff return to the 42 yard line. But after a holding penalty wiped out a first down run, Cleveland could not recover and had to punt. In the fourth quarter, Marino got the team rolling on a 74 yard, 10 play drive for the game winning score, connecting with RB Tony Nathan for a 39 yard gain to the Browns 35 yard line, and later finding TE Bruce Hardy for 18 yards inside the Cleveland red zone. On the first play after the two minute warning, Davenport went into the end zone on a 1 yard score with 1:57 left, to give the Dolphins the lead, 24-21. The Browns then took the ball and tried to drive for the tying field goal but, on the game’s last play, Byner was tackled on the Miami 45 yard line as time expired to preserve a 24-21 victory.

Later that day, RB Eric Dickerson led the Los Angeles Rams to victory by scoring two touchdowns and recording a playoff record 248 rushing yards, while the Rams’ defense held the Dallas Cowboys to 243 yards and forced six turnovers.

Los Angeles WR Henry Ellard’s 23 yard punt return and 21 yard reception set up the first score of the game, a 33 yard field goal by K Mike Lansford 5:19 into the first quarter, for a 3-0 lead. This ended up being the only score of the first half. The Rams returned the second half kickoff 14 yards to the Los Angeles 45 yard line. Dickerson scored a 55 yard touchdown run on the next play, giving the Rams a 10-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Los Angeles on the Dallas 18 yard line, to set up Lansford’s second field goal and a 13-0 lead.

In the fourth period, the Cowboys managed to reach the Rams’ 20 yard line. However, LB Kevin Greene sacked Dallas QB Danny White, completing his 10th season, on third down, and the Cowboys ended up turning the ball over on downs. The Los Angeles defense subsequently forced a punt, but Dallas muffed the kick, and the Rams recovered the ball to set up Dickerson’s 40 yard rushing touchdown, sealing Los Angeles’ 20-0 victory. This would be Tom Landry’s final postseason game as the Cowboys’ head coach. Landry was fired at the end of the 1988 season after 29 years.

On January 5, the Chicago Bears defense dominated the game by allowing only 32 rushing yards, 181 total yards, and sacking the New York Giants’ quarterbacks for 60 yards. New York QB Phil Simms was sacked six times during the game, 3½ of them coming from Chicago DE Richard Dent. New York’s offense passed for just 48 yards in the first half, and had -11 total yards in the third quarter.

Chicago’s first touchdown resulted from a New York punt attempt from their own 12 yard line. As P Sean Landeta dropped the ball to kick it, the wind altered the ball’s decent and caused it to go off the side of his foot. The ball went right into the ground and bounced a short distance, before the Bears’ Shaun Gayle picked it up and returned it 5 yards for a touchdown, and a 7-0 lead. Gayle’s run was the shortest punt return touchdown in NFL history. The Giants had their best chance to score late in the second quarter when Simms completed passes to WRs George Adams and Bobbie Johnson for gains of 31 and 17 yards, giving the team a first down on the Chicago 2 yard line.

But Sims’ next three passes were incomplete and, with just 11 seconds left in the half, K Eric Schubert hit the left upright on his 19 yard field goal attempt. In the third quarter, Bears’ QB Jim McMahon increased the Bears lead to 14-0 with a 23 yard touchdown pass to WR Dennis McKinnon. Later in the quarter, with Chicago facing 2nd and 12 on their own 34 yard line, McMahon threw the ball to WR Tim Wrightman for a 46 yard gain, finishing the drive with a 20 yard touchdown pass from McMahon to McKinnon on the next play, for a 21-0 victory.

Meanwhile, New England Patriots RB Craig James rushed for 104 yards, caught 3 passes for 48 yards, completed one pass for 8 yards, and scored a touchdown, while the Patriots defense forced six turnovers, and shut out the heavily favored Los Angeles Raiders in the second half.

In the first quarter, New England recovered a muffed Los Angeles punt, to set up QB Tony Eason’s 13 yard touchdown pass to TE Lin Dawson, and a 7-0 lead. On the Raiders’ next drive, the Patriots intercepted a pass from six year veteran QB Marc Wilson, but were unable to move the ball. Then, Los Angeles blocked a New England punt, getting the ball back at the 16 yard line, leading to a 29 yard field goal by K Chris Bahr, and a 7-3 score. In the second quarter, Bahr missed a 44 yard field goal, but the Raiders defense once again held the Patriots and forced a punt. Los Angeles returned the punt 16 yards to start a 52 yard scoring drive, culminating in Wilson’s 16 yard touchdown throw to WR Jessie Hester, and a 10-7 lead.

On New England’s first play from scrimmage after the turnover, Raiders’ DE Howie Long recovered RB Mosi Tatupu’s fumble on the New England 19 yard line, and Los Angeles scored another touchdown on RB Marcus Allen’s 11 yard run, increasing their lead to 17-7. The Patriots stormed back with an 80 yard touchdown drive. Tatupu helped make up for his fumble with a 22 yard run, while James caught a 24 yard reception and rushed for 27 yards on the drive, including a 2 yard touchdown, that cut the Raider lead to 17-14. Then, on Los Angeles’ ensuing possession, Lippett recorded his second interception of Wilson, giving New England the ball at the Raiders’ 28 yard line, and setting up a Tony Franklin field goal to tie the game 17-17. There was just 1:40 left in the half at this point, but Los Angeles still managed to retake the lead before halftime.

Allen rushed for a 17 yard gain, and Wilson completed a 31 yard pass to TE Todd Christensen, on the way to a 32 yard field goal from Bahr, for a 20-17 lead. Midway through the third quarter, Allen lost a fumble that led to a Franklin field goal, tying the game again at 20-20. Then, in what turned out to be the key play of the game, the Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Patriots recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, to give New England a 27-20 lead. Although there was still a full quarter left to play, the Los Angeles offense would advance no further than the Patriot 41 yard line. The Raiders three fourth quarter drives resulted in a punt, a Wilson interception, and a turnover on downs at their own 13 yard line. New England had upset Los Angeles, 27-20, to advance to the AFC Championship game.

On January 12, the NFC Championship Game pitted the Chicago Bears against the Los Angeles Rams in Chicago’s Soldier Field. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins played the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship in Miami’s Orange Bowl.

In the NFC, the Chicago Bears defense dominated the game by limiting Los Angeles Rams RB Eric Dickerson to 46 yards, forcing him to fumble twice, and holding Dieter Brock, in his first and only season as the Rams starting quarterback, to 10 completions out of 31 attempts for 66 passing yards. While Chicago’s offensive numbers were hardly stellar (232 yards and 10 punts), Los Angeles only gained 130 yards of total offense, and had to punt the ball 11 times.

After forcing Los Angeles to go three and out on the game’s first possession, Chicago QB Jim McMahon threw consecutive 20 yard completions to TE Emery Moorehead and WR Willie Gault, before finishing the drive with a 16 yard touchdown run, for a 7-0 lead. K Kevin Butler added a 34 yard field goal, to give the Bears a 10-0 first quarter lead. With 1:04 left in the second quarter, the Rams had a huge opportunity to get back in the game, when Dale Hatcher’s punt bounced into the leg of the Bears’ Reggie Phillips, and Los Angeles recovered the ball on Chicago’s 21 yard line. Dickerson rushed twice for 9 yards and caught a pass for 7 yards but, on his reception, was tackled on the 5 yard line as time expired in the half.

The Rams drove to their own 47 yard line on their first drive of the second half, but LB Otis Wilson forced a Dickerson fumble, recovered by the Bears on their own 48 yard line. On the ensuing drive, faced with 4th and 6 on the Los Angeles 35 yard line, Chicago picked up a first down with McMahon’s 13 yard completion to RB Walter Payton. Then they took a 17-0 lead, with McMahon’s 22 yard touchdown pass to Gault on the next play. The Rams responded with a drive into Bear territory, but DB Leslie Frazier ended it by intercepting Brock. With 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Dent forced Brock to fumble while sacking him, and LB Wilber Marshall picked up the loose ball and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown, for a 24-0 victory.

Meanwhile, the New England Patriots racked up 255 rushing yards and converted six Miami Dolphins’ turnovers into 24 points, once again upsetting a heavily favored opponent.

On Miami’s first offensive play, LB Steve Nelson stripped the ball from RB Tony Nathan and New England recovered it, setting up K Tony Franklin’s 23 yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Dolphins later scored on an 80 yard drive, with QB Dan Marino completing passes to TE Bruce Hardy for 12 yards and WR Mark Duper for 18 yards, before finding TE Dan Johnson in the end zone with an 11 yard touchdown pass, to take a 7-3 lead. But the Patriots responded on a 66 yard possession, featuring a 45 yard run from RB Robert Weathers, to score on QB Tony Eason’s 4 yard touchdown pass to RB Tony Collins, giving the Pats a 10-7 lead.

On Miami’s next drive, Marino fumbled the ball and New England recovered on the Dolphins’ 36 yard line. Patriots’ RB Craig James then rushed for 23 yards on 3 carries, and Eason completed a 12 yard pass to WR Stanley Morgan on the 1 yard line, before throwing a 1 yard touchdown toss to TE Derrick Ramsey, giving New England a 17-7 lead. Just before halftime, Miami missed the chance to cut the deficit down to three points, when Dan Johnson dropped a pass from Marino in the end zone, and the Dolphins had to settle for a field goal attempt from the Patriots’ 14 yard line. However, Fuad Reveiz’s kick sailed wide right.

Miami’s Lorenzo Hampton then lost a fumble on the second half kickoff, which New England recovered on the Dolphins’ 25 yard line. Eason then converted the turnover into points at the end of a 6 play drive, with a 2 yard touchdown pass to Weathers, making the score 24-7. Miami had a chance to take back the momentum, when the Dolphins recovered the Patriots fumbled punt return on the New England 45 yard line. But, after a 19 yard run by RB Joe Carter and a 16 yard catch by RB Ron Davenport from Marino, the Patriots’ intercepted Marino’s pass in the end zone to end Miami’s scoring threat. New England then put together a 13 play drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock, and moved the ball to the Dolphins’ 24 yard line.

However, Franklin subsequently missed a 41 yard field goal attempt, keeping Miami’s slim comeback hopes alive going into the fourth quarter. Three plays into the final period, the Patriots fumbled another punt return, and the Dolphins took over on the New England 10 yard line. This time, they took advantage of their scoring opportunity, with Marino’s 10 yard touchdown pass to Nathan on the next play, cutting their deficit to 24-14. Things looked even more promising for Miami when they forced a punt and drove to the Patriot 38 yard line. But Carter fumbled the ball, and DE Julius Adams picked it up for New England’s fourth fumble recovery of the day.

The Patriots put the game away with a 9 play drive, featuring a 14 yard run by Collins and a 13 yard carry by James. Tatupu finished the drive with a 1 yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach at 31-14. With 7:34 left in the game, the Dolphins mounted one last drive, moving the ball to the New England 8 yard line. But two penalties pushed them back to the 28 yard line, and a desperation Marino pass was picked off by DB Raymond Clayborn in the end zone to secure a 31-14 Patriot victory. The win was the first for New England at the Orange Bowl since 1966, Miami’s inaugural season, ending a string of 18 consecutive losses by the Patriots in Miami.

Thus, the NFC’s top seed, the Chicago Bears, would meet 1985’s Cinderella team, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl XX. To date, it’s the fourth, and most recent, Super Bowl where both teams were making their Super Bowl debuts. Neither team had been to a championship game since 1963.

Super Bowl Highlights: On January 26 1986, at Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, the NFC Champion Chicago Bears, led by fourth year Head Coach Mike Ditka, played the AFC Champion New England Patriots, led by second year Head Coach Raymond Berry, in Super Bowl XX. Although Chicago had never been to a Super Bowl, Mike Ditka had been here before, playing for the 1971 World Champion Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI.

Originally known as the Decatur Staleys, what would become the Chicago Bears were established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur, Illinois as a company team, a typical starting point for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward “Dutch” Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, with the Staleys completing their inaugural campaign in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (APFA), later renamed the National Football League (NFL), two years later.

After taking over ownership of the franchise in 1921, Halas would coach the team for a total of 40 years until his retirement after the 1967 season. Even after retiring as coach, Halas stayed in the front office until his death in 1983, the only person to be involved in the NFL over its’ first 60 years. In his honor, the NFL named the NFC Championship trophy as the George Halas Memorial Trophy. The Bears are one of only two remaining franchises from the league’s founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals, which was originally also in Chicago.

The franchise became the Chicago Staleys in 1921 and Halas renamed them to the Bears in 1922. The team was an early success under Halas, capturing the APFA Championship in 1921, with winning seasons 11 out of 12 years between 1920 and 1931. Chicago would dominate the NFL between 1932 and 1946, playing in nine Championship Games and winning six league titles. The Bears appeared in four straight NFL Championships between 1940 and 1943, capturing three titles, under the leadership of QB Sid Luckman, including 1940’s 73-0 domination of the Washington Redskins. Over his 12 year career (1939-50), Luckman established many of the Bears’ passing records for decades to come.

After declining throughout the 1950s, the team rebounded in 1963 to capture its eighth NFL Championship, 14-10, over the New York Giants. However, over the next 20 years, Chicago would total only three winning seasons (1965, 1977, 1979). It wasn’t until Halas hired Mike Ditka in 1982 that the Bears would again challenge for an NFL title. In 1985, Chicago became the second consecutive team, after the San Francisco 49ers, to go 15-1 in the regular season, outscoring their opponents by a staggering margin of 456-198. The Bears’ “46 defense” allowed the fewest points (198), fewest rushing yards (1,319), and the fewest total yards (4,135) of any team during the regular season.

Chicago also led the league in interceptions (34), ranked 3rd in passing yards allowed (2,816), and finished third in sacks (64). All-Pro LB Mike Singletary recorded 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and one interception on his way to winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. But one of the most distinguishable players on defense was a large rookie lineman named William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Perry came into training camp before the season weighing over 380 pounds. But, after Bears’ defensive coach Buddy Ryan told the press that the team “wasted” their first round draft pick on him, Perry lost some weight and ended up being an effective defensive tackle.

Perry got even more attention when Ditka started putting him in the game at the fullback position during offensive plays near the opponent’s goal line. During the regular season, he rushed for two touchdowns, caught a pass for another touchdown, and was frequently a lead blocker for Payton during goal line plays. Also on the defensive line, All-Pro DE Richard Dent led the NFL in sacks for the second year in a row, with 17, while Pro Bowl DE Dan Hampton recorded 6.5 sacks, and All-Pro NT Steve McMichael compiled 8 sacks.

In addition to Singletary, LBs Otis Wilson had 10.5 sacks and 3 interceptions while Wilber Marshall recorded 4 picks. In the secondary, DBs Leslie Frazier had 6 interceptions, Mike Richardson recorded 4 takeaways, Pro Bowler Dave Duerson had 5 picks, and Gary Fencik recorded 5 interceptions. On offense, Pro Bowl QB Jim McMahon provided the team with a solid passing attack. In 11 starts, McMahon completed 178 out of 313 attempts (56.9%) for 2,392 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, earning a 82.6 QB Rating, 7th overall, while also rushing for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns. Backup QB Steve Fuller didn’t play nearly as well in his five starts, finishing with 53 completions out of 107 attempts (49.5%) for 777 yards, 1 touchdown, and 5 interceptions for a QB Rating of 57.3.

Five time All-Pro RB Walter Payton, in his 11th season and the NFL’s all time leading rusher with 14,860 yards at that time, rushed for 1,551 yards on 324 attempts (4.8 yards per carry), scoring 9 rushing touchdowns, finishing 3rd and 4th overall in rushing yards and attempts respectively. A big reason for Payton’s success was RB Matt Suhey as the primary lead blocker. Suhey was also a good ball carrier, finishing second on the team in rushing with 471 yards, and catching 33 passes for 295 yards. Payton also led the Bears in receptions with 49 catches for 483 yards and 2 additional touchdowns.

Chicago’s primary deep threat was WR Willie Gault, who led the Bears in receiving yards and yards per reception, catching 33 passes for 704 yards, an average of 21.3 yards per catch, and returned 22 kickoffs for 557 yards and a touchdown. TE Emery Moorehead was another key contributor, catching 35 passes for 481 yards, finishing second on the team in receptions. WR Dennis McKinnon was another passing weapon, recording 31 receptions, 555 yards, and 7 touchdowns. In addition to Payton, LT Jimbo Covert was named All-Pro while C Jay Hilgenburg was elected to the Pro Bowl. On special teams, K Kevin Butler set a rookie scoring record with 144 points, making 31 of 37 field goals (83%), and 51 of 51 extra points.

Overall, Chicago led the league in rushing yards (2,761) and finished 2nd in scoring offense (456). However, the Bears finished a lowly 20th in passing yards (3,076). In total, Chicago had 6 All-Pros (2 on offense and 4 on defense) as well as 9 Pro Bowl selections (5 on defense and 4 on offense). Meanwhile, Chicago’s players brought their characterizations to the national stage with the “Super Bowl Shuffle”, a rap song the Bears recorded during the season. Even though it was in essence a novelty song, it actually peaked at #41 on the Billboard charts and received a Grammy nomination for best R&B song by a group.

Founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, an original member of the American Football League (AFL), the team joined the NFL as part of the 1970 NFL / AFL merger, then changed its name to the New England Patriots when the team moved to Foxborough in 1971. The Patriots struggled for most of their years in the AFL, playing in only one AFL Championship game following the 1963 season, when they finished 7-6-1 to win the AFL East, but subsequently lost to the San Diego Chargers 51-10. They did not appear again in an AFL or NFL postseason game for another 13 years.

After the 1966 season, New England did not have another winning season until 1976, when they finished 11-3 and in second place in the AFC East division. The Patriots subsequently lost as a Wild Card team in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Champion Oakland Raiders, 24-21. Two years later, New England won their division, finishing 11-5, but again were unable to win a playoff game, this time losing to the Houston Oilers, 31-14, in the divisional round. For the next six years, with the exception of 1981, when the team plunged to a 2-14 record, the Patriots were a mediocre team, finishing with winning seasons but falling short of the playoffs.

No one expected anything different in 1985, particularly given that Raymond Berry, New England’s ninth head coach since 1963, was in his first full season after replacing Ron Meyer during the 1984 season. However, New England won 11 games, barely making the playoffs as the last Wild Card team. Many sports writers and fans alike thought the team was lucky to be in the playoffs, beginning the season with three losses in their first five contests. But then the Patriots caught fire, winning their next six games, ultimately edging out the Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot on a tie breaker.

QB Tony Eason, in his third year since being selected 15th overall in 1983, was inconsistent over the course of the season, completing 168 out of 299 passes (56.2%) for 2,156 yards, throwing 11 touchdowns but giving up 17 interceptions, for a 67.5 QB Rating in his 10 starts. Eason suffered an injury midway through the season and was replaced by backup quarterback and 11 year veteran Steve Grogan. Grogan started six games, finishing with 85 completions out of 156 attempts (54.5%) for 1,311 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and a 84.1 QB Rating. WR Stanley Morgan provided the team with its’ primary deep threat, catching 39 passes for 760 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 19.5 yards per reception average was good for 6th in the league.

On the other side of the field, multi-talented Pro Bowl WR Irving Fryar was equally effective, catching 39 passes for 670 yards, rushing for 27 yards, gaining another 559 yards returning punts and kickoffs, and scoring 10 touchdowns. But, like Chicago, New England’s main strength on offense was their rushing attack. Pro Bowl RB Craig James rushed for 1,227 yards on 263 attempts (4.7 yards per carry), caught 27 passes for 370 yards, and scored 7 touchdowns, finishing 9th overall in rushing yards. RB Tony Collins rushed for 657 yards, recorded a team leading 52 receptions for 549 yards, and scored 5 touchdowns. The Patriots also had an outstanding offensive line, led by Pro Bowl OT Brian Holloway and All-Pro OG John Hannah.

Overall, New England finished 6th in rushing yards (2,331), 14th in passing yards (3,168), and 10th in scoring (362) while their defense ranked 6th in rushing yards allowed (1,655), 9th in passing yards allowed (3,059), and 6th in points allowed (290). All-Pro LB Andre Tippett led the AFC with 16.5 sacks and recovered 3 fumbles. Pro Bowl LB Steve Nelson was also a big defensive weapon, excelling at pass coverage and run stopping. Also, the Patriots’ secondary only gave up 14 touchdown passes during the season, second fewest in the league. Pro Bowl DBs Raymond Clayborn recorded 6 interceptions and one touchdown while Fred Marion had 7 interceptions for 189 return yards.

New England took the then quickest lead in Super Bowl history, after recovering a Walter Payton fumble at the Chicago 19 yard line on the second play of the game. The Bears’ Jim McMahon took responsibility for the fumble after the game, saying he had called the wrong play. This set up K Tony Franklin’s 36 yard field goal 1:19 into the first quarter, after three incomplete passes by Tony Eason. “I looked up at the message board,” said Chicago’s Mike Singletary, “and it said that 15 of the 19 teams that scored first won the game. I thought, yeah, but none of those 15 had ever played the Bears.”

Chicago struck back with a 7 play, 59 yard drive, featuring a 43 yard pass completion from McMahon to Willie Gault, to set up a field goal from Kevin Butler, tying the score 3-3. After both teams traded punts, Richard Dent and Wilber Marshall shared a sack on Eason, forcing a fumble that Dan Hampton recovered on the Patriots’ 13 yard line. The Bears then drove to the 3 yard line, but had to settle for another field goal from Butler and a 6-3 lead, after William Perry was tackled for a 1 yard loss while trying to throw his first NFL pass on a halfback option play. On New England’s ensuing drive, Dent forced Craig James to fumble, which was again recovered by Chicago at the 13 yard line. Two plays later, Matt Suhey scored on an 11 yard touchdown run.

With the Bears leading 13-3, the Patriots took the ensuing kickoff and ran one play before the first quarter ended, resulting in positive yardage for the first time in the game. But, after an incomplete pass and a 4 yard loss, they had to send in P Rich Camarillo again, and Chicago returned the ball to the 41 yard line. The team subsequently drove 59 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 24 yard reception by Suhey from McMahon, to score on the quarterback’s 2 yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 20-3. After the ensuing kickoff, New England lost 13 yards in 3 plays, had to punt again, but got the ball back with great field position, when the Patriots recovered a fumble at their own 46 yard line.

Ray Berry then replaced Eason with Steve Grogan. On his first drive, Grogan could only lead his team to the 37 yard line, and the Patriots decided to punt rather than risk a 55 yard field goal attempt. The Bears then marched 72 yards in 11 plays, moving the ball inside the New England 10 yard line. The Patriots kept Chicago out of the end zone, but Butler kicked his third field goal on the last play of the half, giving them a 23-3 halftime lead. However, the score itself was controversial as a result of events that proceeded it.

With 21 seconds remaining, McMahon scrambled to the Patriots’ 3 yard line and was stopped inbounds. With the clock ticking down, players from both teams were fighting, and the Bears were forced to snap the ball before the officials formally put it back into play, allowing McMahon to throw the ball out of bounds and stop the clock with three seconds left. Chicago was penalized 5 yards for delay of game but, according to NFL rules, 10 seconds should have also been run off the clock during such a deliberate clock stopping attempt in the final two minutes of a half. The non-call was promptly acknowledged by the officials and reported by NBC sportscasters during halftime, but the resulting three points were not taken off the board.

Regardless, Chicago had dominated New England in the first half, holding them to 21 offensive plays, −19 total offensive yards, 2 pass completions, one first down, and 3 points. Meanwhile, the Bears gained 236 yards and scored 23 points. After the Patriots received the second half kickoff, they managed to get one first down, but then had to punt after Grogan was sacked twice. Camarillo, who punted four times in the first half, managed to pin Chicago back at their own 4 yard line with a then Super Bowl record 62 yard punt. But New England’s defense had no ability to stop the Bears offense. On their very first play, McMahon faked a handoff to Payton, then threw a 60 yard completion to Gault. Eight plays later, McMahon finished the Super Bowl record 96 yard drive with a 1 yard touchdown run to increase Chicago’s lead to 30-3.

On the Patriots second drive of the quarter, Bears’ CB Reggie Phillips intercepted a Grogan pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown, extending their lead to 37-3. On the second play of their ensuing possession, New England turned the ball over again, when WR Cedric Jones lost a fumble after catching a 19 yard pass from Grogan, and Wilber Marshall returned the fumble 13 yards to the Patriots’ 37 yard line. A few plays later, McMahon’s 27 yard completion to WR Dennis Gentry moved the ball to the 1 yard line, setting up perhaps the more memorable moment of the game. “Refrigerator” Perry was brought on to score as he had done twice in the regular season. His touchdown made the score 44-3.

Chicago’s 21 points in the third quarter is still a record for the most points scored in that period. New England finally scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, advancing the ball 76 yards in 12 plays, and scoring on an 8 yard fourth down pass from Grogan to Irving Fryar. But the Bears defense dominated the Patriots for the rest of the game, forcing another fumble, another Grogan interception, and DT Henry Waechter’s sack on Grogan in the end zone for a safety, to make the final score 46-10. Chicago had captured their first NFL championship since 1963, three years prior to the birth of the Super Bowl. For Cinderella New England, the clock had clearly struck midnight, as they were destroyed by 36 points, the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history.

Richard Dent, who had 1.5 quarterback sacks, forced 2 fumbles, and blocked a pass, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. In addition to the largest margin of victory, Chicago set or tied Super Bowl records for sacks (7) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (7). Meanwhile, New England finished with just 123 total yards from scrimmage, the second lowest total yards in Super Bowl history, behind only the Minnesota Vikings’ 119 total yards in Super Bowl IX. One oddity in the Bears’ victory was that Walter Payton had a relatively poor performance running the ball, and never scored a touchdown during the first and only Super Bowl appearance of his Hall of Fame career. Ditka has since gone on record stating that his biggest regret of his career was not creating a scoring opportunity for Payton during the game.

Conclusion: For Green Bay Packer fans, 1985 produced a third consecutive 8-8 season, their fourth in five years, and their second under Head Coach Forrest Gregg. Not counting the strike shortened 1982 season, Green Bay had not had a winning year since 1978, and had not glimpsed the playoffs since 1972. The team failed to build on 1984’s 7-1 finish and, with their current personnel, appeared unable to get to the next level.

Gregg seemed to be in agreement, as 1986 would see the Packers shift from a strategy of gradual change to a more dramatic approach, one that would erase the core of former Head Coach Bart Starr’s roster. Once again, Green Bay was starting over. Unfortunately, the change would not be a positive one as the next several years would prove to be another low point in the history of this once proud franchise.

Attached is the NFL Films Super Bowl XX Highlight video.

Enjoy!!

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