1980: Bears at Steelers, Week #4

[74_75_78_79_]

Saw a bit of this game just now. This 38-3 Steeler-triumph is, to me, the 'last-breath' of them still looking..."Number One", will win-it-all yet again! You can say it extended for yet another week in their road-win at Minny to make it 4-1. Their Week #3 loss to Cincy? I can remember my fellow 4th-grade schoolmates in the cafeteria making a big deal of it, but if I were an adult already having been following at the time, I'd simply look back to the year prior (the 'Burgh getting bludgeoned at Riverfront in Week #7, 'allegedly' because Steelers were too focused on the Pirates) and then I'd say "no biggie" - they'll beat 'em next time as they did in the second ’79 game.

38-3 the final score, but Chicago did look good very early on. Opening drive, Sweetness had 4 carries for 32 yards. Phipps connected with Matt Suhey for a nice 21-yard pass. Brian Baschnagel, a Pittsburgh-native, came very close to a one-handed grab in the endzone - Phipps needling the pass to him right between JT Thomas and Ron Johnson (with #58 charging right from behind). Bears had to settle for a FG to make it 3-0. On Steelers' possession, Greg Hawthorne fumbled and Bears had ball back on Steelers' 38. Only problem, Robin Cole then sacks Phipps, forcing a fumble (was his arm moving forward, asked the announcers), then Steelers get ball right back. Bradshaw, wearing a flak jacket that game, connected a nice pass to Hawthorne; and then the announcers saying how Steelers expect him to eventually take over for Franco - he and Sidney Thornton being the future-studs in the Steeler backfield.

As for the announcers, it was Frank Glieber doing play-by-play and just-retired Roger Staubach. Reading the 'comments' on this game, some seemed to be busting chops on the Dodger's booth skills, but some stuck up for him. I agree. I think Rog sounded pretty good if perhaps maybe a little green. He could have made a career of it if given a proper chance. Gleiber asked Rog to tell about the meeting he had with the Bears' HC a year ago in a hotel in Chicago. Rog said how he really enjoyed his trip in space only for NeilL to correct him mid-sentence and then say he heard it a few times before, lol.

Also in the 'comments', it was said that in the last Bears/Steelers game in '75, that Walter Payton didn't actually play in that game. And Joe Greene didn't play in this '80 affair due to the flu (he lost 5 lbs that week). This means #34 and #75 never played against each other. Someone commented (not sure the accuracy) that Payton was benched that '75 game to not 'risk' he being injured against the Steel Curtain. Thing is though, despite Bears also being held to just 3 pts, their two RBs played well. Adamle rushed for 110 yards, Harper for 86 as Bleier, Harris, and Fuqua rushed for 44. 41, and 38 respectively. Back to '80, Greene being out, was I seeing things or was Furness in this Bears game lining up in that angle the same way Joe would?

One also commented that this was the 'closest' we had to '70s Steelers playing those '85 Bears. Despite Bears having Hampton, Fencik, Suhey, and - last but not least - #34 and Buddy Ryan, still a LONG way off; and many more pieces to be added starting with Ditka, Singletary, Dent, and so on. Not close at all. Someone mentioned how the Bears' heartbreaker opener to GB may have set a bad tone for their entire season; and the poster may very well be someone here on this site! Someone else commented that Jim Smith (3 TDs this game; make it 3 in the 1st HALF) was a "poor man's" Martavis Bryant only for one to rebuttal it as an insult to him, then pointing out that Bo Schembechler considered he and Anthony Carter his best two Michigan WRs who ever played for him. He would have started on most NFL teams in '80! How about Theo Bell?

Alan Page played in this game!

Billy Joel "You May Be Right", Doobie Brothers' "Depending on You", Heart "Crazy on You", and "Tired of Towing the Line" by Rocky Burnette were alternated as songs going into the commercials as scoreboard would show.

1980...('70s still very fresh)...the memories!! Steelers 38 Bears 3 - the last week, or two, of the Dynasty still seeming, at least, to be in-tact.

[JohnTurney]

If you watch close you can see the 46 defense being employed. The players are in different spots, forexample Otis Wilson is where Wilbur Marshall would be in 1985 and Al Harris has in hand on turf, but he's where Otis Wilson would be in 1985. Alan Page is at nose, where Hampton would be in 1985 and Hampton is at RT where Fridge would be in 1985 and the actual 46 is in the 46 defense

[L.C. Greenwood]

Saw a bit of this game just now. This 38-3 Steeler-triumph is, to me, the 'last-breath' of them still looking..."Number One", will win-it-all yet again! You can say it extended for yet another week in their road-win at Minny to make it 4-1. Their Week #3 loss to Cincy? I can remember my fellow 4th-grade schoolmates in the cafeteria making a big deal of it, but if I were an adult already having been following at the time, I'd simply look back to the year prior (the 'Burgh getting bludgeoned at Riverfront in Week #7, 'allegedly' because Steelers were too focused on the Pirates) and then I'd say "no biggie" - they'll beat 'em next time as they did in the second ’79 game.

38-3 the final score, but Chicago did look good very early on. Opening drive, Sweetness had 4 carries for 32 yards. Phipps connected with Matt Suhey for a nice 21-yard pass. Brian Baschnagel, a Pittsburgh-native, came very close to a one-handed grab in the endzone - Phipps needling the pass to him right between JT Thomas and Ron Johnson (with #58 charging right from behind). Bears had to settle for a FG to make it 3-0. On Steelers' possession, Greg Hawthorne fumbled and Bears had ball back on Steelers' 38. Only problem, Robin Cole then sacks Phipps, forcing a fumble (was his arm moving forward, asked the announcers), then Steelers get ball right back. Bradshaw, wearing a flak jacket that game, connected a nice pass to Hawthorne; and then the announcers saying how Steelers expect him to eventually take over for Franco - he and Sidney Thornton being the future-studs in the Steeler backfield.

As for the announcers, it was Frank Glieber doing play-by-play and just-retired Roger Staubach. Reading the 'comments' on this game, some seemed to be busting chops on the Dodger's booth skills, but some stuck up for him. I agree. I think Rog sounded pretty good if perhaps maybe a little green. He could have made a career of it if given a proper chance. Gleiber asked Rog to tell about the meeting he had with the Bears' HC a year ago in a hotel in Chicago. Rog said how he really enjoyed his trip in space only for NeilL to correct him mid-sentence and then say he heard it a few times before, lol.

Also in the 'comments', it was said that in the last Bears/Steelers game in '75, that Walter Payton didn't actually play in that game. And Joe Greene didn't play in this '80 affair due to the flu (he lost 5 lbs that week). This means #34 and #75 never played against each other. Someone commented (not sure the accuracy) that Payton was benched that '75 game to not 'risk' he being injured against the Steel Curtain. Thing is though, despite Bears also being held to just 3 pts, their two RBs played well. Adamle rushed for 110 yards, Harper for 86 as Bleier, Harris, and Fuqua rushed for 44. 41, and 38 respectively. Back to '80, Greene being out, was I seeing things or was Furness in this Bears game lining up in that angle the same way Joe would?

One also commented that this was the 'closest' we had to '70s Steelers playing those '85 Bears. Despite Bears having Hampton, Fencik, Suhey, and - last but not least - #34 and Buddy Ryan, still a LONG way off; and many more pieces to be added starting with Ditka, Singletary, Dent, and so on. Not close at all. Someone mentioned how the Bears' heartbreaker opener to GB may have set a bad tone for their entire season; and the poster may very well be someone here on this site! Someone else commented that Jim Smith (3 TDs this game; make it 3 in the 1st HALF) was a "poor man's" Martavis Bryant only for one to rebuttal it as an insult to him, then pointing out that Bo Schembechler considered he and Anthony Carter his best two Michigan WRs who ever played for him. He would have started on most NFL teams in '80! How about Theo Bell?

Alan Page played in this game!

Billy Joel "You May Be Right", Doobie Brothers' "Depending on You", Heart "Crazy on You", and "Tired of Towing the Line" by Rocky Burnette were alternated as songs going into the commercials as scoreboard would show.

1980...('70s still very fresh)...the memories!! Steelers 38 Bears 3 - the last week, or two, of the Dynasty still seeming, at least, to be in-tact.

Regarding that 1975 Steelers-Bears clash, I wish PFR had play by play breakdowns of these older games. Pittsburgh had taken a commanding lead sometime in the third quarter, and Gary Huff was completely ineffective. I have to wonder how many of Mike Adamle's rushing yardage came after the Steelers called off the dogs, and began substituting in the fourth quarter.

[nicefellow31]

If you watch close you can see the 46 defense being employed. The players are in different spots, forexample Otis Wilson is where Wilbur Marshall would be in 1985 and Al Harris has in hand on turf, but he's where Otis Wilson would be in 1985. Alan Page is at nose, where Hampton would be in 1985 and Hampton is at RT where Fridge would be in 1985 and the actual 46 is in the 46 defense

At that time I think Al Harris was a DE. With him in the game, it looks like 5 D-lineman. Harris, Page, Osborne (68), Hartenstine (not numbered but the DE) and Hampton. Did Buddy use a lot of 5 man D-lines in '85 or did he have one of the LB's put their hand in the ground?

[JohnTurney]

At that time I think Al Harris was a DE. With him in the game, it looks like 5 D-lineman. Harris, Page, Osborne (68), Hartenstine (not numbered but the DE) and Hampton. Did Buddy use a lot of 5 man D-lines in '85 or did he have one of the LB's put their hand in the ground?

what I saw was where you see Al Harris, would be Otis Wilson, and he was in a 2 point stance. So, rather than a 5-DL "look" it was a 4 DL "Look"

The only difference, as you point out is Al Harris was a DE and Wilson was a LBer. But Wilson and Harris did the same thing, they were both rushers.

When the Rams ran that defense, Kevin Greene was that position, and he did it from a 2-point stance.

Here is 1984--remember, the players switched sides based on the TE, so here the TE is right, on the first shot I posted the TE was left. Essentially Wilson and Harris have switched positions, bit Wilson stays in 2-point stance whereas Harris, in 1980-81, played this from a 3-point stance. But it's the same position, same technique.

[74_75_78_79_]

Nice, informative posts, gang! This game hardly at all ’79 Steelers-vs-’85 Bears, but the 46 rearing it’s head just the same. Not sure when those Bears’ rushing yards accumulated in that ’75 game, LC. Maybe the bulk of it was in garbage time.

It wouldn’t be until their next meeting, in ’86 at Soldier Field, that John Stallworth would play his very first game against Chicago. Steelers also playing in that later game, who played this ’80 one, are Webster, Pinney, Cole, and Shell. Tunch and Dunn also played in the ’86 game, but didn’t play (or at least not start) in ’80. Despite finishing 6-10 in ’86, the Steelers brought the 14-2-to-be defending-Super Bowl Shufflers into OT. Not too much a shocker considering the Steelers improved down the stretch (a few close losses away from rallying to a playoff-berth, actually) as Bears won many a close game vs weak competition.

Some clown must have high-jacked Gary Dunn’s wiki page. You got to read it to believe it!

[L.C. Greenwood]

Nice, informative posts, gang! This game hardly at all ’79 Steelers-vs-’85 Bears, but the 46 rearing it’s head just the same. Not sure when those Bears’ rushing yards accumulated in that ’75 game, LC. Maybe the bulk of it was in garbage time.

It wouldn’t be until their next meeting, in ’86 at Soldier Field, that John Stallworth would play his very first game against Chicago. Steelers also playing in that later game, who played this ’80 one, are Webster, Pinney, Cole, and Shell. Tunch and Dunn also played in the ’86 game, but didn’t play (or at least not start) in ’80. Despite finishing 6-10 in ’86, the Steelers brought the 14-2-to-be defending-Super Bowl Shufflers into OT. Not too much a shocker considering the Steelers improved down the stretch (a few close losses away from rallying to a playoff-berth, actually) as Bears won many a close game vs weak competition.

Some clown must have high-jacked Gary Dunn’s wiki page. You got to read it to believe it!

Forgot about that '86 clash, Mike Tomczak started for Chicago, and Payton rushed for 90 yards on 31 carries.

[Jay Z]

Regarding that 1975 Steelers-Bears clash, I wish PFR had play by play breakdowns of these older games. Pittsburgh had taken a commanding lead sometime in the third quarter, and Gary Huff was completely ineffective. I have to wonder how many of Mike Adamle's rushing yardage came after the Steelers called off the dogs, and began substituting in the fourth quarter.

Harper and Adamle rushed 22 times for 140 yards in the 1st half. 8 for 56 in the second half.

[74_75_78_79_]

Regarding that 1975 Steelers-Bears clash, I wish PFR had play by play breakdowns of these older games. Pittsburgh had taken a commanding lead sometime in the third quarter, and Gary Huff was completely ineffective. I have to wonder how many of Mike Adamle's rushing yardage came after the Steelers called off the dogs, and began substituting in the fourth quarter.

Harper and Adamle rushed 22 times for 140 yards in the 1st half. 8 for 56 in the second half.

Nice knowledge-drop, Jay! Yeah, as much as Steel Curtain was at their peak in ’75 (or just about there), it wasn’t the only time they were run on (see Week #2).

[ChrisBabcock]

Some clown must have high-jacked Gary Dunn’s wiki page. You got to read it to believe it!

I've seen stuff like this before and it makes me laugh and cry at the same time. Wikipedia usually is a "self-correcting" interactive community so it'll probably get returned to normal at some point. Heck, Matt, you could do it.

According to the current state of his wikipedia page, he was born 4 years after his rookie year!