'77 or '79 Bears?

[74_75_78_79_]

Pardee's 9-5 installment or Armstrong's 10-6? What's the better of the two?

And what WAS IT that prevented them, in these early Walter Payton years, from being a more regular playoff participant?

[ChrisBabcock]

And what WAS IT that prevented them, in these early Walter Payton years, from being a more regular playoff participant?

Possibly not much passing offense. It was Payton and not much else. It was a similar situation to the early-mid 70s Simpson/Saban Bills... They had just one "one and done" in the playoffs in '74.

[JohnH19]

Bob Avellini or Mike Phipps...hmmm...

[7DnBrnc53]

Bob Avellini or Mike Phipps...hmmm...

Exactly, And yet, Jim Finks still passed on Montana in 1979 because they had those two (along with Vince Evans, who was considered to be promising at the time).

[BD Sullivan]

Both teams clinched a playoff spot in odd fashion: in '77, they kicked a field goal in the final minute of overtime on a snow-covered field in the Meadowlands to win. I believe Washington would have gotten the spot if that game had ended in a tie. Of course, they would have been better off not making it since they got wiped out by the Cowboys.

Two years later, the Bears pour it on against the Pack so that they can be in position to win on a tiebreaker involving points. Washington seemingly upsets that effort when they have a lead over Dallas, but they choke and Chicago gets in to face Philly in the WC game. In that game, Payton had a huge run called back with the Bears having plenty of momentum.

[slats7]

Two years later, the Bears pour it on against the Pack so that they can be in position to win on a tiebreaker involving points. Washington seemingly upsets that effort when they have a lead over Dallas, but they choke and Chicago gets in to face Philly in the WC game. In that game, Payton had a huge run called back with the Bears having plenty of momentum.

Cardinals, actually. I remember Pardee publicly excoriating them for mailing it in.

[BD Sullivan]

Two years later, the Bears pour it on against the Pack so that they can be in position to win on a tiebreaker involving points. Washington seemingly upsets that effort when they have a lead over Dallas, but they choke and Chicago gets in to face Philly in the WC game. In that game, Payton had a huge run called back with the Bears having plenty of momentum.

Cardinals, actually. I remember Pardee publicly excoriating them for mailing it in.

Correct, I confused that with the 1983 finale, which got Bart Starr canned after Bob Thomas kicked the winning FG and started a weird chain of events involving head coaches. Starr was replaced by Cincy's Forrest Gregg, who was replaced by Indiana U.'s Sam Wyche, who was replaced by No. Illinois' Bill Mallory, who was replaced by Lee Corso, who commented at the press conference announcing his hiring, "I'd like to thank Bob Thomas."

[SixtiesFan]

And what WAS IT that prevented them, in these early Walter Payton years, from being a more regular playoff participant?

Possibly not much passing offense. It was Payton and not much else. It was a similar situation to the early-mid 70s Simpson/Saban Bills... They had just one "one and done" in the playoffs in '74.

The Simpson/Saban 1974-75 Bills had more good players at the skill positions than Payton's Bears. Ie. Rashad, Hill, Chandler, Ferguson, Braxton.

[Jay Z]

Bob Avellini or Mike Phipps...hmmm...

Phipps I guess. Not much of a choice.