The '68 & '71 Bears
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2023 1:18 pm
I got a weird feeling I posted something like this already. I'm sorry if I did.
'Year One' after Halas no longer being HC, if Chicago would have beaten GB in the '68 finale, they would have finished 8-6 and gotten the nod over Minnesota for the division due to they sweeping them. They lost that finale at home to GB, 28-27 (in 'Year One' w/out the Pack, themselves, having Vince at HC), while Minnesota won at Philly by seven in that infamous 'Santa Claus' game! Even if you like "what-ifs", there is zero point in discussing a hypo they-at-Colts playoff game for its all-but-definite they do no better than Minny did as well as no better than their own 28-7 loss at Memorial to that very juggernaut early on.
In '69 they bottom-out at 1-13 (as Pittsburgh did; but they beat the Steelers, 38-7), but get back to respectability the following year at 6-8 beginning with a 2-0 start.
In '71, their first season at Soldier Field, they also start 2-0 with that second win being...at Minnesota! Not just that, but they go on to stretch things to 6-3! And within that stretch were further quality wins over Detroit at Tiger (very sadly the Chuck Hughes game), World Champs-to-be Dallas, and then Washington for that sixth win!
This dropped George Allen's bunch to 6-2-1. They would end up getting the wild card spot in '71. But they would go on to lose two more games thus Chicago's Wk#9 win over them actually placed the Bears in the driver's seat!
But then they not only lose the rest of their games, but four of those by convincing margin! And besides SB-bound Miami on the road on MNF, the other losses were quite doable. This also includes the finale vs Minny who already had their division wrapped. But, instead, an outright complete collapse that would cost Dooley his job.
These are the two post-Halas-as-HC campaigns before Pardee and Armstrong's respective pair of late-'70s post-season berths in which the Bears at least flirted with the playoffs.
Thoughts?
'Year One' after Halas no longer being HC, if Chicago would have beaten GB in the '68 finale, they would have finished 8-6 and gotten the nod over Minnesota for the division due to they sweeping them. They lost that finale at home to GB, 28-27 (in 'Year One' w/out the Pack, themselves, having Vince at HC), while Minnesota won at Philly by seven in that infamous 'Santa Claus' game! Even if you like "what-ifs", there is zero point in discussing a hypo they-at-Colts playoff game for its all-but-definite they do no better than Minny did as well as no better than their own 28-7 loss at Memorial to that very juggernaut early on.
In '69 they bottom-out at 1-13 (as Pittsburgh did; but they beat the Steelers, 38-7), but get back to respectability the following year at 6-8 beginning with a 2-0 start.
In '71, their first season at Soldier Field, they also start 2-0 with that second win being...at Minnesota! Not just that, but they go on to stretch things to 6-3! And within that stretch were further quality wins over Detroit at Tiger (very sadly the Chuck Hughes game), World Champs-to-be Dallas, and then Washington for that sixth win!
This dropped George Allen's bunch to 6-2-1. They would end up getting the wild card spot in '71. But they would go on to lose two more games thus Chicago's Wk#9 win over them actually placed the Bears in the driver's seat!
But then they not only lose the rest of their games, but four of those by convincing margin! And besides SB-bound Miami on the road on MNF, the other losses were quite doable. This also includes the finale vs Minny who already had their division wrapped. But, instead, an outright complete collapse that would cost Dooley his job.
These are the two post-Halas-as-HC campaigns before Pardee and Armstrong's respective pair of late-'70s post-season berths in which the Bears at least flirted with the playoffs.
Thoughts?