Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Quite a gap between '86 and '85 despite just one-less win than the year before! I wouldn't at all call them the "worst" 14-2 team ever (no), but definitely a very disappointing campaign obviously considering what happened last year and they basically looking the same during that 6-0 start! Looked to defend, go back-to-back!

But losing at home on MNF to a Rams team that was lesser than they were the previous year (who they utterly suffocated in the NFCCG, 24-0), winning the rest of their games but against weak competition and not at all dominating, and finally their performance vs Washington simply underlining the "oh what a difference a year makes"-factor.

You do, indeed, got to give a superior coach like Joe Gibbs credit where credit is due, he preparing his team and all. And give Schroeder credit as well. He did have plenty of moments throughout his career. But with just one-year-removed from making History, it's difficult to picture that '46' - still under Buddy's supervision - allowing Jay to do what he did against them at Soldier.

Not having McMahon did hurt. He and Buddy together ought to topple Washington in a hypo-'86 divisional round event. But the two of them together vs the now-also-superior GIANTS the following week...home or away...not necessarily a shoe-in. I'd give them getting out of the NFC again, thus repeating, a just more-than-even shot. How about 53% for them, 47% for G-men? In my opinion, da Bears with Buddy and a healthy-all-year McMahon either go 15-1 again or still 14-2 anyway, but a more-dominating 14-2!

Doug Flutie, I think, was already better than Fuller or Tomczak in '86. But Chi-town simply not the place he should have been considering how tight-nit and loyal the team was to those other QBs. Ditka inviting him over for Thanksgiving clearly didn't help. And neither did the release of that local "Flutie, Flutie" song. With the right team, Doug could have already been a good starting NFL QB. Hey, if he was able to take the league by storm ten years later...and even Buffalo wasn't the best fit for him with a QB-controversy there as well; he could have had an even-better career turn-of-century! But back to the late-'80s...just those moments he had with the Patriots before going up North - one of them at his old team's expense in '88, Week #9 - should serve as enough indication that he was "ready" if with the right team.

But turns out it was a blessing-in-disguise for he was able to SEIZE the opportunity to become, at least arguably...the 'Best CFL Player Ever'!!

74_75_78_79_ wrote: But the two of them together vs the now-also-superior GIANTS the following week...home or away...not necessarily a shoe-in. I'd give them getting out of the NFC again, thus repeating, a just more-than-even shot. How about 53% for them, 47% for G-men? In my opinion, da Bears with Buddy and a healthy-all-year McMahon either go 15-1 again or still 14-2 anyway, but a more-dominating 14-2!

There was huge buildup for the Week 1 MNF game in 1987 of the Bears vs. the Giants. I think it was called Battle of the Champions or something. The game was in Chicago, but McMahon was still hurt so Tomczak had to start for the Bears. I remember watching the game and being completely unimpressed with Phil Simms and the Giants. Every break went New York's way, yet they still lost 34-19 and the game really wasn't even that close. New York's offense couldn't do anything against the Bears defense (9 sacks) and managed only 6 points while Tomczak had a surprisingly productive game.

Bryan wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote: But the two of them together vs the now-also-superior GIANTS the following week...home or away...not necessarily a shoe-in. I'd give them getting out of the NFC again, thus repeating, a just more-than-even shot. How about 53% for them, 47% for G-men? In my opinion, da Bears with Buddy and a healthy-all-year McMahon either go 15-1 again or still 14-2 anyway, but a more-dominating 14-2!

There was huge buildup for the Week 1 MNF game in 1987 of the Bears vs. the Giants. I think it was called Battle of the Champions or something. The game was in Chicago, but McMahon was still hurt so Tomczak had to start for the Bears. I remember watching the game and being completely unimpressed with Phil Simms and the Giants. Every break went New York's way, yet they still lost 34-19 and the game really wasn't even that close. New York's offense couldn't do anything against the Bears defense (9 sacks) and managed only 6 points while Tomczak had a surprisingly productive game.

Yeah, such a downer that Giants team was. And that's even if you take away the bad 0-2 start followed, then, by 0-3 in the scab games. No assurance they would have fared well even if those three weren't scabs in that their opponents would have been...San Fran, Washington, and then at Rich vs a now-respectable Bills squad in Levy's first full year with them. Tuna did admit that he wrongly sat back and assumed his players would simply fire themselves up to repeat. BIG mistake!

And Chicago...yet another level, or so, down from '85 as exemplified in losing that battle-of-10-2s at Candlestick, 41-0, followed by 8-5 Seattle coming into town and beating them by 13. I'd say a better season the following year ('88), but being totally sliced-and-diced once again by San Fran despite the bitter cold on their side. Three eliminations in a row, each one at Soldier Field! This basically signaled the end of any more Super Bowl-flirtations in the Ditka Era - but not before breathing one last, big breath with that 4-0 start in '89.

The Giants and Bears were major disappointments in 87 and 88. With Morris getting hurt and Bavaro the only true weapon in 87, the offense, which never gave Simms enough weapons anyway, never could get it going. The Giant offense did better in 88 but key losses to the Niners and Jets the final sunday of the season, knocked them out of the playoffs.

When the Bears and McMahon had the 14-0 lead over the Redskins in the 87/88 playoffs, I thought the defense would get it done but Doug Williams and the offense for Washington toughed it out and won a close game. In the 1988/89 NFC Championship with a chance to go to the SB in Soldier Field, I felt the Bears were overconfident with Montana and Rice playing their best games ever, as the Niner defense completely shut down the offense and sadly letting the Bears fans know, that McMahon's best days were way behind him.