| 1987 Chicago Bears season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mike Ditka |
| Home field | Soldier Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Redskins) 17–21 |
The 1987 season was the Chicago Bears' 68th in the National Football League the 18th post-season completed in the NFL, and their sixth under head coach Mike Ditka. The team was looking to return to the playoffs, win the NFC Central Division for the fourth consecutive year and avenge their loss in the Divisional Playoffs to the Washington Redskins the year before when the team finished 14–2.
However, the Bears failed to improve on their 14–2 record from 1986, with the team finishing at 11–4 in the strike-shortened season. Their record was once again good enough for the division title and the #2 seed in the conference, as the team had done the year before. The team also saw the same result as 1986 as the Bears suffered a second consecutive loss to the Redskins, who went on to win Super Bowl XXII, in the Divisional Playoffs.
The November 22 game against the Detroit Lions gained some fame as highlights of that game were shown during the Max Headroom signal hijacking which took place across the city of Chicago that night.
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Jim Harbaugh | QB | Michigan |
| 2 | 54 | Ron Morris | WR | SMU |
| 4 | 101 | Sean Smith | DE | Grambling State |
| 5 | 120 | Steve Bryan | DE | Oklahoma |
| 5 | 138 | Will Johnson | LB | Louisiana Monroe |
| 6 | 154 | John Adickes | C | Baylor |
| 7 | 193 | Archie Harris | T | William & Mary |
| 8 | 221 | Paul Migliazzo | LB | Oklahoma |
| 9 | 249 | Lakei Heimuli | RB | BYU |
| 10 | 277 | Dick Chapura | DT | Missouri |
| 11 | 305 | Tim Jessie | RB | Auburn |
| 12 | 333 | Eric Jeffries | DB | Texas |
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Brown | Punter | West Texas A&M |
| Mike Hintz | Defensive Back | Wisconsin–Platteville |
| Mike January | Linebacker | Texas |
| Sean Payton | Quarterback | Eastern Illinois |
| Dave Romasko | Tight end | Carroll (MT) |
| Doug Rothschild | Linebacker | Wheaton |
The 1987 season proved to be a frustrating one for not only the Bears, but probably for most associating with professional football. The league endured its second strike-shortened season in the last 6 seasons, and this was a strike that truly divided teams, including Chicago.
In the windy city, the strike divided its players and tarnished its coach, and the season would be the last for greats such as Walter Payton, Gary Fencik (both of whom retired), Willie Gault (dealt to the Raiders), Wilber Marshall (signed as a free agent by the Redskins), and for all intents and purposes, Otis Wilson.
1987 started with the usual drama in Platteville-everyone wondering if Jim McMahon would play at all during the year, McMahon openly feuded with coach Mike Ditka, upset over the new signal-caller Jim Harbaugh that the team picked in the first round. Tension was also building due to strike talk that loomed- always a bad omen for a team.
First up for Chicago in 1987 was a matchup with the defending world champion New York Giants. As if this game wasn't tough enough in and of itself, it would be played on Monday Night Football, and the Bears would be led by 3rd-year QB Mike Tomczak. McMahon and Steve Fuller were injured, Doug Flutie was traded, and rookie Jim Harbaugh needed to be groomed for a few years before he would be ready. The Bears pulled it out in their typical fashion, however, trouncing the world champs by a score of 34–19 behind a remarkable performance by Tomczak who completed 20 of 34 passes for 292 yards. Dennis McKinnon delighted the Soldier Field crowd that night by returning a punt 94 yards for a touchdown, it was the longest TD Punt return in the NFL in 1987. The Bears, it appeared were back. The club won their second game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, then the strike of 1987 was called, forcing the cancellation of all NFL games the week of September 27.
During the first days of the strike, the league pondered what to do, as most teams' players were deeply divided over whether to strike or not. This was not 1982, everyone learned, as the league decided to hire replacement players (referred to as "scabs" and "spare Bears"), as cancelling half the season was not an option.
Mike Ditka decided to make his feelings public about the strike, as he fully backed management on the work-stoppage. He referred to the spare players as his "real" players, a move which angered the true Bears out on strike and forced the team to spend the night in Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium before their first game, to avoid crossing the pickets. This turned out to be a wound not healed easily or quickly in the months to come.
Defensive end Steve Trimble was the last Bear to wear #40 as the number was later retired in honor of Gale Sayers.
The replacement players held their foes to 29 points in three games, and posted a 2-1 record.
After the league decided to use replacement players during the NFLPA strike, the following team was assembled, [1] and was given the name "Spare Bears" by the Chicago Tribune's writer Don Pierson. [2] The players were also known as "The Impostors of the Midway", "Bearlys" and "Chicago Bares". No regular players crossed during the strike.
The strike turned out to only last four weeks, encompassing three games, and the Bears went 2–1. The teams that hired the best replacement players did themselves a favor in the end, a group of which the Bears were a part of. When the "real" 1987 resumed, Jim McMahon was back at QB, and the Bears pulled off their biggest come-from-behind win in history, beating Tampa 27–26 after trailing 20–0. The victory proved to be inspiring, as they then won the next two games, including a 26–24 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. In this game, Chicago trailed with less than a minute left, when McMahon led the team down the field for a game-winning 55-yard field goal off the leg of Kevin Butler. After the kick, Butler turned and "flipped the bird" to Packer coach Forrest Gregg, in effect saying "see you later" to the coach who was finally axed after the 1987 NFL season.
After the inspiring Green Bay win, Chicago lost a close game at Mile High Stadium to the Denver Broncos 31–29 on Monday Night Football, then beat Green Bay at home and Minnesota on the road, in the infamous "Rollerdome" game (Mike Ditka referred to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome by this name, prompting the Vikings' cheerleaders to parade around on skates throughout the contest.) The Bears were 10–2 with three games left, but dropped 2 of them, and struggled into the playoffs. One of those losses was a 41–0 disaster at San Francisco at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, and Mike Ditka threw his gum at a heckling fan, prompting assault charges to be filed against him.
The Bears lost 21–17 to the Washington Redskins in the divisional playoffs. They took a 14–0 lead, but the Redskins rallied behind quarterback Doug Williams to win a playoff game in Soldier Field for the second straight season.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 14 | New York Giants | W 34–19 | 65,704 |
| 2 | September 20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 20–3 | 63,551 |
| – | September 27 | at Detroit Lions | Canceled | N/A |
| 3 | October 4 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–3 | 4,074 |
| 4 | October 11 | Minnesota Vikings | W 27–7 | 32,113 |
| 5 | October 18 | New Orleans Saints | L 17–19 | 46,813 |
| 6 | October 25 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–26 | 70,747 |
| 7 | November 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 31–28 | 63,498 |
| 8 | November 8 | at Green Bay Packers | W 26–24 | 53,320 |
| 9 | November 16 | at Denver Broncos | L 29–31 | 75,783 |
| 10 | November 22 | Detroit Lions | W 30–10 | 63,357 |
| 11 | November 29 | Green Bay Packers | W 23–10 | 61,638 |
| 12 | December 6 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 30–24 | 62,331 |
| 13 | December 14 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 0–41 | 63,509 |
| 14 | December 20 | Seattle Seahawks | L 21–34 | 62,518 |
| 15 | December 27 | at Los Angeles Raiders | W 6–3 | 78,019 |
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| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Chicago Bears (2) | 11 | 4 | 0 | .733 | 7–0 | 9–2 | 356 | 282 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings (5) | 8 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 3–5 | 6–6 | 336 | 335 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 9 | 1 | .367 | 3–4 | 4–7 | 255 | 300 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | 11 | 0 | .267 | 3–4 | 4–9 | 286 | 360 | L8 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 11 | 0 | .267 | 2–5 | 4–7 | 269 | 384 | W1 |
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 10, 1988 | Washington Redskins (3) | L 17–21 | 0–1 | Soldier Field | 58,153 |
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1985 season. The Bears defeated the Patriots by the score of 46–10, capturing their first NFL championship since 1963, three years prior to the birth of the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XX was played on January 26, 1986, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
James Robert McMahon Jr. is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played college football for the BYU Cougars, winning the Davey O'Brien Award and the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior. He was selected by the Bears fifth overall in the 1982 NFL Draft.
Michael Keller Ditka is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL); he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ditka was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving.
In American football, the Fog Bowl was the December 31, 1988 National Football League (NFL) playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. A dense fog rolled over Chicago's Soldier Field during the 2nd quarter, cutting visibility to about 15–20 yards for the rest of the game. The Eagles moved the ball effectively all game and their quarterback Randall Cunningham recorded 407 passing yards despite the low visibility; but they could not advance the ball into the end zone. Many players complained that they could not see the sidelines or first-down markers. The Bears ended up winning the game by a score of 20–12. The game eventually was named #3 on NFL Top 10's Weather Games.
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Allen Beverly "Ben" Bennett II is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls, Chicago Bruisers, Dallas Texans, Sacramento Surge, San Antonio Riders, Orlando Predators, San Jose SaberCats and Portland Forest Dragons. He was a football coach in the Arena Football League (AFL), AF2, and National Arena League (NAL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils, earning third team All-American honors in 1983.
Vincent Tobias Evans is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was the most valuable player (MVP) of the 1977 Rose Bowl after the team's 14–6 victory over Michigan. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL draft.
The 1985 season was the Chicago Bears' 66th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Mike Ditka.
The 1984 season was the Chicago Bears' 65th in the National Football League the 15th post-season completed in the NFL, and their third under head coach Mike Ditka. The team improved from their 8–8 record from 1983, to a 10–6 record, earning them a spot in the NFL playoffs. The Bears went on to lose in the NFC Championship Game 23–0 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers.
The 1986 Chicago Bears season was their 67th regular season and 17th post-season completed in the National Football League. The Bears entered the season looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions, as they had won in 1985. Chicago managed to finish 14–2, one game off of their 1985 record of 15–1. Although the Bears had an equal 14–2 record as the New York Giants for the league's best record, the Giants were seeded number one in the NFC for the playoffs due to the Giants having a better conference record (11–1) than that of the Bears (10–2). In going 14–2, the Chicago Bears were the first team in NFL history to have consecutive seasons with 14 or more victories.
The 1989 Chicago Bears season was their 70th regular season completed in the National Football League. The Bears were looking to win the NFC Central for a sixth consecutive season, but instead finished with a 6–10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1983. The Bears’ offseason moves prior to this season had consequences for years afterward as the pieces from Super Bowl XX’s team slowly began to leave or retire.
Robert Herber Parsons was an American football punter and tight end who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears from 1972 to 1983 and later played with the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).
The 1991 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the third year of the franchise under the ownership of Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson. This also marked Norv Turner's first year as offensive coordinator under head coach Jimmy Johnson. The Cowboys improved on their 7–9 record from 1990, finishing 11–5, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1985.
The 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League, the 12th playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the first under head coach Ray Perkins. It was a year of great change for the Buccaneers. Perkins had only needed three seasons (1979–1981) to build the New York Giants into a playoff team, and it was hoped that he would be able to repeat the feat with the Buccaneers. They improved over their 2–14 record from 1986 and finished 4–11.
Russell John "Rusty" Lisch is an American former football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played five seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (1980–1983) and the Chicago Bears (1984). In five seasons in the NFL, Lisch only managed one touchdown versus 11 interceptions, and ended his career with a 25.1 passer rating. He is considered by many to be one of the least effective quarterbacks in NFL history, if not the least effective, to have started multiple games.
The Bears–Vikings rivalry is an NFL rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
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