Bryan wrote:7DnBrnc53 wrote:2. The MNF loss to Denver. When they were up 14-0 in the first half, they had the ball on Denver's one yard line. However, instead of giving it to Walter, Ditka tried to do the Refrigerator thing again. It wasn't 1985 anymore. He fumbled, Denver recovered, and they went on to win 31-29. After that, the Bears weren't the same.
Do you remember how that game ended? If I recall correctly, the Bears had the ball at the end and were driving to get into field goal position. Tomczak was the QB, but then like the last couple plays of the game were Walter Payton dives up the middle. I think Tomczak said he didn't realize that time was running out, but it was weird that no one else in the huddle spoke up.
Tomczak (now in for a real banged up McMahon since the previous play), as Dierdorf exclaimed from the booth, didn't even know it was 4th down on that last play. And Dan also suggested that someone should have alerted him of that. Seeing that final possession unfold, there seemed no sense of urgency at all from the Bears' sideline; not even from Ditka. No 'fire' seen from him, head held down. That final drive started on Chi's own 45 with 45 seconds left with no timeouts. Jim started the possession but should have been out in the first place. Setting up a Butler FG was doable-enough, even with Tomczak at QB and #34 now out.
But it shouldn't have come to that in the first place! Two missed XPs by Butler! Tomczak botched a snap on one of them. That Fridge decision already mentioned, but it was actually Chi 14 Den 7 when it took place; not 14-0. Not only was he placed into the goal-line offense, but
McMichael was at TE on that play and also the previous play. And on that previous play, Perry was standing behind Ditka likely begging him to get (back) in on the fun as well since Steve was also out there. Now on the field and prior to entering the Bears' huddle, #72 pointed at the Broncos huddle apparently talking trash; announcing his "Return". Of course he fumbled it away, hit as he was taking the hand-off, and from there the Bears' D (yes, Hampton and Wilson were out) allowed Elway to drive all the way down the field to tie it (but some of Denver's defenders were out as well). I don't know, you'd think after knowing just how much it upset Walter after that SB, you'd think Ditka would have simply been done with that goal-line Fridge stuff. And as great a game McMahon played, he did throw a late off-balance INT deep in Broncos' territory which, then, led to Elway driving them to what would be the winning TD. It was Jim's first loss as a starter since 1984.
As this article here states (
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html), even going into this showdown at Mile High, the Bears' fearsome-factor seemed to have gone awry. They were 7-1 at the time, 5-0 in their non-scab games; but those last three wins since the strike were close high-enough scoring affairs with each one being against not just bad competition, but bad offenses themselves (albeit, yes, DeBerg being one of those opposing QBs). WRs were no longer afraid to go across the middle against them. This '87 installment is definitely the weakest link of the three (McMahon) seasons following the 'Shuffle'.
41-0??!! Bears already having clinched the division and McMahon being out cannot at all be seen as an excuse! Two 10-2 teams not just fighting for home-field, but simply wanting to make a "statement" along with Bears still remembering that '84 NFCCG blowout, and still having reason to be fired-up despite getting 'revenge' the following season (their last meeting up to then)! Beating Minnesota on the road to bring themselves to that very 10-2 record was their only non-scab win vs a winning team in '87. And, let's face it, that opener over the defending-Champs, G-men, was only a big deal in the
immediate aftermath. Soon enough, thanks to the obvious hangover, I would see things differently.
When they went up on Washington, 14-0, I was actually surprised at the time. And already rooting for them, I further cheered them on; but all for naught. And knowing it was Sweetness's last game (image of him still on that bench after the game) a sad memory.
Yes, in '88, Bears would suffer three losses by more than 20 pts - home to Vikings, at Flutie's Pats, and at Rams - but did beat Bills 24-3 and did beat San Fran in their regular season affair (and FWIW won at 9-7 Indy though, yes, Colts were in midst of that 1-5 start). Between San Fran bashing Vikings and the 'Fog' at least seeming to assist the Bears, I leaned on San Fran going into that NFCCG. But, as I said before, Bears still looked like a valid-enough last-team-standing going into that 'final four'.