October 16, 2026
October 16, 2026
1985 Chicago Bears: All-Time Great
The Chicago Bears’ 1984 season ended with a humiliating 23-0 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the San Francisco 49ers. Under Mike Ditka, the Bears improved from 8-8 in 1983 to 10-6 in 1984. The loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game sparked another step in the team’s evolution. That next step propelled the Bears from playoff contender to one of the greatest teams of all time.
The 1985 Chicago Bears defense was the catalyst for the team’s success. Future Hall of Famers Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Richard Dent led the unit. The defense was ferocious, and its players loved to sack the quarterback. They recorded 64 sacks in 1985. Dent sacked the quarterback 17 times, while Hampton collected 6.5 sacks. The team didn’t record as many sacks as the 72 it accumulated in the 1984 season, but its interceptions rose from 21 in 1984 to 34 in 1985. Mike Singletary was the leader of the defense, and he was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1985.
The Bears’ aggression and ability to attack opposing offenses from all angles made them one of the greatest defenses of all time, but you can’t be considered the greatest team ever without an equally great offense.
The Bears offense improved from 325 points scored in 1984 to 456 points in 1985. Quarterback Jim McMahon threw for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns. Willie Gault led the team with 704 receiving yards, while Dennis McKinnon led the team with 7 receiving touchdowns. Even with those impressive statistics, McKinnon and Gault didn’t lead the team in receptions. Running back Walter Payton owned that title.
The Bears defense brought the fire and the aggression, but Walter Payton brought the grace. His combination of speed, vision and athleticism kept the Bears’ offense running on all cylinders. He led the team with 49 receptions while collecting 483 yards in the passing game. Payton also ran for 1,551 yards and 9 touchdowns.
The Bears terrorized teams on both sides of the ball. They were on their way to an undefeated season until they traveled to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. Without Jim McMahon, backup quarterback Steve Fuller led the offense. Fuller filled in admirably, throwing one touchdown pass and rushing for two more. The offense scored 24 points, but the defense couldn’t contain Dan Marino. Marino threw for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns to lead the Dolphins to a 38-24 victory over the Bears. The win ensured that the 1972 Miami Dolphins would remain the only team to go undefeated for an entire season.
The phrase “Greatest Team of All Time” can get used one too many times, but in the case of the 1985 Chicago Bears, it’s well deserved. They finished the season 18-1. They were second in the NFL in scoring and allowed a league-low 198 points. The Bears beat teams by an average of 16.1 points per game. In the playoffs, where the level of competition is at its highest, the Bears shut out the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams before crushing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. They outscored their opponents 91-10 in their three playoff games.
Greatness is hard enough to achieve; it’s even harder to maintain. The Bears continued their great play on defense in 1986, again leading the league in fewest points allowed. They finished with a 14-2 record, but they failed to advance past the divisional round. The core of the 1985 Bears would never return to the Super Bowl, and they were great for only one year, but in sports, that’s all you need to be remembered.
7th February, 2017
17th June, 2026
5th March, 2016
29th March, 2016
17th April, 2016
October 16th, 2026 2
October 16th, 2026 2
October 16th, 2026 2
