Dominant Bears demolished Giants in '85 playoff opener
Dominant Bears demolished Giants in '85 playoff opener
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Bears’ unforgettable Super Bowl XX championship season, ChicagoBears.com will take a look back at the famed 1985 team every Friday.
On a bitterly cold and windy day in Chicago, the 1985 Bears unleashed their ferocious defense on the overmatched New York Giants in a one-sided NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field.
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Mike Singletary sacks Phil Simms in the Bears' 21-0 win over the Giants in a 1985 divisional playoff game.In advancing to the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears registered six sacks and held the Giants to just 181 total yards. The defense smothered quarterback Phil Simms after knocking running back Joe Morris out of the game with a concussion.
“We knew they would have to start passing the first time Joe was lying there with his eyes closed,” safety Gary Fencik said after the game.
The Giants couldn’t move the ball on the ground or in the air. They went 0 of 12 on third down and 0 of 2 on fourth down and punted after three plays on nine of their first 11 possessions. Richard Dent led the defense with 3½ sacks.
“Our players had a mission,” Ditka said after the game. “The defense, you gotta love ‘em. The job Buddy [Ryan] did was just a great job of coaching.”
The Bears generated all the points they would need on a bizarre play in the first quarter. Deep in his own territory, the Giants' Sean Landeta nearly whiffed on a punt, barely grazing the ball, which dribbled off his foot. Shaun Gayle alertly scooped it up and returned it five yards for a touchdown.
Landeta blamed the miscue on the swirling wind. “As soon as I dropped the ball, it started to go to the right,” he said later. “I’ve never experienced anything like that. It’s something you can’t explain.”
Even with only a 7-0 lead, the Bears had the Giants right where they wanted them.
“You get behind the Bears, it’s a long day,” Giants defensive end Casey Merrill said after the game. “That’s when you get 200 guys rushing the passer, all ready with their ears back. Then Simms is trying to dodge them and taking hits. It gets harder as it goes on.”
The Bears put the game away in the third quarter when Jim McMahon tossed touchdown passes of 23 and 20 yards to Dennis McKinnon. McMahon completed 11 of 21 passes for 216 yards in the win.
“When the game is on the line and you’ve got to perform, he’s the kind of guy who turns it on,” fullback Matt Suhey said of McMahon after the game. “He has the mentality of a running back or an offensive lineman stuck in a quarterback’s body.”
Walter Payton rushed for 93 yards on 27 carries for a mistake-free Bears offense that didn’t allow a sack or commit a turnover or penalty.
Rather than celebrating the win over the Giants, the Bears focused on their upcoming game against the Rams, a contest that would provide their ticket to Super Bowl XX.
“We don’t want to cheat ourselves,” middle linebacker Mike Singletary said following the victory over the Giants. “We want in 20 or 10 years to be able to look back and say we did it. We want to be able to say we were the best.
“It’s always more. We want more. We get a little better, a little closer to the best. That’s what we want. That’s what we can have. We won’t accept anything less.”
The 1985 Bears will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their Super Bowl championship Nov. 5 at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago. Ticket information is available at www.glorydayschicago.com.
