Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Believe this was something I heard during an NFL Films feature regarding the legendary 85 Bears. In reference to their Divisional Playoff win over the Giants, Parcells says something like

"If we played them 20 times, they would've beaten us in 19 of those games...but that day...we could've beaten them"

Always found this quote interesting, the Bears are thought of as this unstoppable juggernaut, they had their MNF blip at the Orange Bowl...but after that and especially in the playoffs they were invincible.

Parcells however appears to think that Divisional Playoff they could've been had. Remember the only score in that game until the 3rd quarter was a whiffed Landeta punt that Shaun Gayle ran into the endzone. Does Parcells have a point that if things broke a little bit differently on a few plays...that the Bears could've been had? That that game could've unfolded in a different fashion?

Leave it to Parcells to say something like that. His team scored 0 points in 4 quarters, averaged a little over 2 yards per rush, and was held to under 200 yards of total offense. The Bears had almost a 2-to-1 time of possession advantage. I don't buy Parcells' thinking.

Fast forward to the 1987 opener. The Giants score first on a blocked punt instead of the Bears, yet the Bears dominate the game and win 34-19. The Giants also scored on an INT, and they finally scored an offensive TD late in the 4th when the outcome of the game had long been decided. So Parcells' offense was shutout by the Bears defense for nearly 8 straight quarters. In the 1987 game, they had a blocked punt TD and a defensive TD and STILL LOST BY 15 POINTS! Has that ever happened before in NFL history? The breaks went NYG's way in 1987, and they still got destroyed by the Bears. The Giants offense matched up terribly with the Bears defense. Parcells' quote couldn't be further from the truth.

The Bears dominated the Giants in that divisional with Dent and Hampton having their way with that Giant offensive line. I truly believe Parcells may have said that or was quoted to motivate his team for the next season, which worked. Say what you want about Parcells, the guy could motivate in numerous ways ...