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1986 Chicago Bears season

NFL team season

NFL team season

FieldValue
teamChicago Bears
year1986
record14–2
division_place1st NFC Central
coachMike Ditka
off_coachEd Hughes
def_coachVince Tobin
general managerJerry Vainisi
ownerThe McCaskey Family
stadiumSoldier Field
pro bowlers{{Collapsible list
title7
1RB Walter Payton
2LT Jimbo Covert
3C Jay Hilgenberg
4DT Steve McMichael
5LB Wilber Marshall
6MLB Mike Singletary
7SS Dave Duerson
AP All-pros{{Collapsible list
title11
1WR Dennis Gentry
2RB Walter Payton
3RB Neal Anderson
4LT Jimbo Covert
5C Jay Hilgenberg
6DE Dan Hampton
7DT Steve McMichael
8LB Wilber Marshall
9MLB Mike Singletary
10CB Mike Richardson
11SS Dave Duerson
playoffsLost [Divisional Playoffs](1986-87-nfl-playoffs)
(vs. [Redskins](1986-washington-redskins-season)) 13–27
shortnavlinkBears seasons

| AP All-pros = {{Collapsible list (vs. Redskins) 13–27 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.

After winning the championship in 1985, the Bears seemed like a dynasty in the making. However, quarterback Jim McMahon showed up to training camp 25 pounds overweight – the product of the post-Super Bowl partying he'd partaken in. Nonetheless, he was once again named as the starter. Injuries to his rotator cuff (including a flagrant late-hit by Charles Martin which exacerbated it), however, derailed his season. McMahon played in only six of the team's first 12 games.

Aided by a strong offensive line, the Bears were once again led on offense by Walter Payton. Payton remained his usual stellar self, posting his 10th and final 1,000-yard season. With McMahon's poor play, as well as the equally poor play of backups Mike Tomczak, Steve Fuller and Doug Flutie, Payton was the sole spark on offense, which ranked 13th in the NFL.

As had been the case the year before, the Bears were once again led by their explosive defense. Any shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball were more than made up for on the defensive side. They once again were ranked 1st in the NFL. The Bears' defense became the third defense in the history of the NFL to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest total yards allowed for two consecutive seasons. The Bears' 187 points allowed is the fewest surrendered by any team in the 1980s (other than the strike-shortened 1982 season) – even fewer than the 198 points the Bears allowed in their historic 1985 season. The 187 points allowed set the all-time NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game regular season at the time, which would not be broken until the 2000 Baltimore Ravens allowed a mere 165 points 14 years later.

However, the Bears were not able to recapture their magic from the season before and were bounced from the playoffs in their first game by the Washington Redskins.

Offseason

1986 NFL draft

Main article: 1986 NFL draft

Personnel

Coaches / Staff

Roster

  • 20 Thomas Sanders

  • 26 Matt Suhey

  • 33 Calvin Thomas

  • 83 Willie Gault

  • 29 Dennis Gentry

  • 89 Keith Ortego

  • 87 Emery Moorehead

  • 80 Tim Wrightman

  • 75 Stefan Humphries G

  • 78 Keith Van Horne T

  • 72 William Perry DT

  • 70 Henry Waechter DT

  • 90 Al Harris OLB

  • 58 Wilber Marshall WLB

  • 51 Jim Morrissey OLB

  • 59 Ron Rivera MLB

  • 55 Otis Wilson SLB

  • 25 Todd Bell SS

  • 36 Maurice Douglass CB/S

  • 45 Gary Fencik FS

  • 23 Shaun Gayle CB/S

  • 24 Vestee Jackson CB

  • 48 Reggie Phillips CB

  • 52 Larry Rubens LS

Preseason

Chicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"GameChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"DateChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"OpponentChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"ResultChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"RecordChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"Venue12345
August 3[Dallas Cowboys](1986-dallas-cowboys-season)**W** 17–61–0UK Wembley Stadium (London)
August 9[Pittsburgh Steelers](1986-pittsburgh-steelers-season)**W** 33–132–0Three Rivers Stadium
August 16[Indianapolis Colts](1986-indianapolis-colts-season)**W** 38–213–0Soldier Field
August 23[St. Louis Cardinals](1986-st-louis-cardinals-nfl-season)**L** 7–143–1Soldier Field
August 30[Buffalo Bills](1986-buffalo-bills-season)**W** 31–174–1Notre Dame Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

Chicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"WeekChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"DateChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"OpponentChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"ResultChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"RecordChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"VenueChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"Attendance12345678910111213141516
September 7[Cleveland Browns](1986-cleveland-browns-season)W 41–311–0Soldier Field66,030
September 14[Philadelphia Eagles](1986-philadelphia-eagles-season)W 13–10 (OT)2–0Soldier Field65,130
September 22at **[Green Bay Packers](1986-green-bay-packers-season)**W 25–123–0Lambeau Field55,527
September 28at [Cincinnati Bengals](1986-cincinnati-bengals-season)W 44–74–0Riverfront Stadium55,146
October 5**[Minnesota Vikings](1986-minnesota-vikings-season)**W 23–05–0Soldier Field63,921
October 12at [Houston Oilers](1986-houston-oilers-season)W 20–76–0Astrodome46,026
October 19at **[Minnesota Vikings](1986-minnesota-vikings-season)**L 7–236–1Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome62,851
October 26**[Detroit Lions](1986-detroit-lions-season)**W 13–77–1Soldier Field62,064
November 3[Los Angeles Rams](1986-los-angeles-rams-season)L 17–207–2Soldier Field64,877
November 9at **[Tampa Bay Buccaneers](1986-tampa-bay-buccaneers-season)**W 23–38–2Tampa Stadium70,097
November 16at [Atlanta Falcons](1986-atlanta-falcons-season)W 13–109–2Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium55,520
November 23**[Green Bay Packers](1986-green-bay-packers-season)**W 12–1010–2Soldier Field59,291
November 30[Pittsburgh Steelers](1986-pittsburgh-steelers-season)W 13–10 (OT)11–2Soldier Field61,425
December 7**[Tampa Bay Buccaneers](1986-tampa-bay-buccaneers-season)**W 48–1412–2Soldier Field52,746
December 15at **[Detroit Lions](1986-detroit-lions-season)**W 16–1313–2Pontiac Silverdome75,602
December 21at [Dallas Cowboys](1986-dallas-cowboys-season)W 24–1014–2Texas Stadium57,256

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 15: at Detroit Lions

Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys

Playoffs

Main article: 1986–87 NFL playoffs

Chicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"RoundChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"DateChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"OpponentChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"ResultChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"RecordChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"VenueChicago Bearsyear=1986border=2}}"AttendanceDivisional
January 3, 1987[Washington Redskins](1986-washington-redskins-season) (4)L 13–270–1Soldier Field65,141

Game summary

First quarter

  • WAS – Art Monk 28 yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Jess Atkinson kick) Redskins 7-0 Second quarter
  • CHI – Willie Gault 50 yard pass from Doug Flutie (Kevin Butler kick) Tie 7-7
  • CHI – Kevin Butler 23 yard field goal. Bears 10-7
  • CHI – Kevin Butler 41 yard field goal. Bears 13-7 Third quarter
  • WAS – Art Monk 23 yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Jess Atkinson kick) Redskins 14-13 Fourth quarter
  • WAS – George Rogers 1 yard run (Jess Atkinson kick) Redskins 21-13
  • WAS – Jessie Atkinson 35 yard field goal. Redskins 24-13
  • WAS – Jessie Atkinson 25 yard field goal. Redskins 27-13 Redskins
  • Jay Schroeder. 15–32, 185 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
  • Art Monk. 5 rec, 81 yards, 2 TD

Bears

  • Doug Flutie. 11–31, 134 yards, 1 TD, 2 Int
  • Walter Payton. 14 rush, 38 yards.

Turnovers:

  • Redskins – 1
  • Bears – 4 The 1986 Bears earned a first round playoff bye, but in their opening playoff game, they were upset at home by the Washington Redskins. A holding penalty and a missed field goal by Kevin Butler frustrated the Bears in the first quarter. They still, however, managed to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. But their usually stout defense fell apart in the second half, allowing the Redskins to score 20 unanswered points.

"Maybe my dreams didn't come true", said Chicago Coach Mike Ditka. "The defense has to play outstanding and today they were just not up to the way the Redskins were playing."

Despite injuries to Redskins offensive linemen Joe Jacoby and Russ Grimm, the Washington offensive line was able to pick up the Bears patented blitzes. Washington quarterback Jay Schroeder was sacked only twice. He was also able to use the blitzes to his advantage, completing passes while being chased out of the pocket.

Trailing 14–13 in the 4th quarter, the Bears' good fortune ran out, when the usually dependable Payton lost a fumble, which led to an 83-yard touchdown drive by the Redskins. The long drive perpetrated against the NFL's best defense seemed to take the wind out of the Bears' sails. A few minutes later, the Bears muffed a punt return which set up an easy field goal for the Redskins. The Bears lost 27–13.

Standings

References

References

  1. "1986 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. "1986 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  3. ''The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns'', p. 294, Andy Piascik, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007, {{ISBN. 978-1-58979-360-6
  4. "Which NFL teams have allowed the fewest points in the 16-game era?".
  5. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198609070chi.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com]. Retrieved 2014-Jun-06.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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