Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

This was the only time they missed the playoffs between the 1984 and 1991 seasons.

Coming off 5 straight NFC Central titles, they went from 4-0 to a shocking 6-10.

Considering they went 11-5 the following two seasons with basically the same team, how does one explain this big-time off year given they still had two more decent seasons before the end came in 1992?

The Bears were 6-5 after 11 weeks, with four of the losses coming by a combined 14 points. Their defense collapsed in the last six games, allowing nearly 31 points per game after allowing an average of 19 during the first 10 games. The main flaws were on the DL and in the secondary, with top pick Donnell Woolford seemingly getting smoked with regularity.

Not surprisingly, they decided to go with defense for their first four draft picks in the 1990 Draft. However, only top pick Mark Carrier was of much value, while DT Fred Washington (the 32nd player taken) turned out to be a bust.

Their easier 1990 schedule helped as did the fact that the other four teams in the NFC Central all finished with identical 6-10 records. That year, they made the playoffs and hosted the 8-8 Saints, winning 16-6 before getting blown out by the Giants.

A pretty excellent 4-0 start it was. Beating Cincy w Ickey Opening Day, burying the Vikes (in the 4th Q) avenging last year's sweep, then two weeks later beating Buddy's Eagles 27-13 on MNF. They go down to Tampa and get beat, 42-35, then Houston comes to town the following week handing them another 'L'. That's when Ditka said at the post-game press conference that his team "stinks". So much for a motivating tool as Bud Carson's Browns club them the following Monday Night (Bears now 4-3).

They do bounce back against the Rams and then came the famous 'instant replay' game involving the controversial Maj-to-Sterling TD pass; Green Bay 14 Bears 13. The following year, in the Bears' game program showing the previous year's results, the game had an asterisk. The following week, in the dorms, I picked my 4-5 at-home Steelers in the weekly betting pool held by two of the residents. Everyone thought I was 'nuts' betting the 'Burgh; Bears are going to be "mad", they all said. Turns out they were right (Bears 20 Steelers 0) and so was Ditka post-game when he said they wouldn't win another game. Bears would not only go 0-6 rest of the way, but really stink it up in doing so. Losing AGAIN to TB the following week at Soldier, 32-31, and then by convincing margins the rest of the way; defense really coming apart as already stated on this thread. It would be Pittsburgh's 3rd shutout suffered so far but their last bad game played as they would finish the regular season 5-1 from there.

Yes, Bears were clearly a paper-tiger the following year, taking full advantage of a very weak division. I used to say the same for '88 & '91 but I now disagree. Looking at who they beat each of those regular seasons warrants the change-of-heart. Vikes swept Bears in '88 because Bears already had division clinched that MNF finale and the '89 Niners BECAME the '89 Niners not that September, or in the off-season leading up, but that very JANUARY of '89 ('88 playoffs); so the 28-3 massacre at Soldier Field nothing to call them a 'paper tiger' over. Bears beat good teams in '91 as well (may have actually been better than Detroit) but ran up against an upstart soon-to-be-Dynasty Dallas squad, and gave them a game making them EARN it.

74_75_78_79_ wrote: I used to say the same for '88 & '91 but I now disagree. Looking at who they beat each of those regular seasons warrants the change-of-heart. Vikes swept Bears in '88 because Bears already had division clinched that MNF finale and the '89 Niners BECAME the '89 Niners not that September, or in the off-season leading up, but that very JANUARY of '89 ('88 playoffs); so the 28-3 massacre at Soldier Field nothing to call them a 'paper tiger' over. Bears beat good teams in '91 as well (may have actually been better than Detroit) but ran up against an upstart soon-to-be-Dynasty Dallas squad, and gave them a game making them EARN it.

They beat the then-unbeaten Saints in the Superdome. That was more impressive than any of their 1990 wins, as weird as it sounds.