August 4, 2026
August 4, 2026
1988 Chicago Bears: Starting to Bow Out
In the mid-1980s, the Chicago Bears were on top of the football world as they rose to prominence with their new 46 defense and crushed the competition to win Super Bowl XX in 1985. The Bears had developed such a potent nucleus of talented players who complemented each other so well that they legitimately became a feared team to play against. Their iconic run to Super Bowl glory was stamped by some feel-good moments, such as the “Super Bowl Shuffle” music video, the heart and determination shown by running back Walter Payton, and the coming together of two coaches in Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan, who were often at odds with each other.
The 1988 Chicago Bears season produced a 12-4 record, finishing just one game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC Central Division. The Bears went 6-2 in divisional play and 9-3 in conference play. The Bears went 7-1 on their home field of Soldier Field and went 5-3 on the road.
Quarterback Jim McMahon had his ups and downs with Mike Ditka, and 1988 appeared to be the zenith of this emotional roller coaster ride. McMahon went 7-2 as a starter and completed 114 of 192 pass attempts for 1,346 yards and 6 touchdowns while throwing 7 interceptions. McMahon also made plays with his feet, tallying 26 rushing attempts for 104 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mike Tomczak went 4-1 as the starting quarterback and completed 86 of 170 pass attempts for 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns while throwing 6 interceptions. Slowly emerging as an option at quarterback was the mobile Jim Harbaugh, who had 19 rushing attempts for 110 yards and 1 touchdown.
Running back Neal Anderson would take over for Walter Payton as the go-to back in the backfield. Anderson had 249 rushing attempts for 1,106 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 39 receptions for 371 yards. Running back Thomas Sanders had 95 rushing attempts for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fullback Matt Suhey had 87 rushing attempts for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding 20 receptions for 154 yards. Fullback Brad Muster was chosen by the Bears with the 23rd pick in the 1st round of the 1988 NFL Draft, and Muster had 44 rushing attempts for 197 yards along with 21 receptions for 236 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Dennis McKinnon had 45 receptions for 704 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ron Morris had 28 receptions for 498 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Dennis Gentry had 33 receptions for 486 yards and 3 touchdowns while also adding 7 rushing attempts for 86 yards and 1 touchdown. Wide receiver Wendell Davis was chosen by the Bears with the 27th pick in the 1st round of the 1988 NFL Draft, and Davis had 15 receptions for 220 yards. Tight end Emery Moorehead had 14 receptions for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end James Thornton was taken by the Bears with the 105th pick in the 4th round of the 1988 NFL Draft, and he had 15 receptions for 135 yards.
Special teams for Chicago was a reliable unit for the most part. Gentry had 27 kick returns for 578 yards. McKinnon had 34 punt returns for 277 yards. Sanders had 13 kick returns for 248 yards.
The imposing 46 defense was something to behold when it got going in the 1980s, and 1988 was still a good year for this unit overall.
Left defensive tackle Steve McMichael had 88 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. Right defensive end Richard Dent had 61 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Right defensive tackle Dan Hampton had 9.5 sacks. Left defensive end Al Harris had 3.5 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries. Left linebacker Ron Rivera had 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. Defensive tackle Dick Chapura had 2 sacks. Middle linebacker Mike Singletary, who was appropriately nicknamed “Samurai Mike” for his ability to slash through offensive lines and make key plays, had 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery. Linebacker Troy Johnson and defensive end Sean Smith both had 1 sack each. Right linebacker Jim Morrissey had 3 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery.
Strong safety Dave Duerson had 1 sack and 2 interceptions. Free safety Maurice Douglass had 76 tackles and 1 interception. Defensive back David Tate was taken by the Bears with the 208th pick in the 8th round of the 1988 NFL Draft, and he had 45 tackles and 4 interceptions. Right cornerback Vestee Jackson had 8 interceptions for 94 yards. Defensive back Todd Krumm and left cornerback Mike Richardson both had 2 interceptions.
The Bears still showed flashes of their mid-80s dominance during the 1988 Chicago Bears season, reeling off a 5-game winning streak. This streak began with a 24-6 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 on September 25, and it ended with a 10-9 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 on October 24.
In the Divisional Round on December 31 at Soldier Field, the Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 20-12. Mike Tomczak would carry the Bears forward in this game, completing 10 of 20 passes for 172 yards and 1 touchdown, though he threw 3 interceptions. Philadelphia’s Randall Cunningham gave his team a fighting chance, completing 27 of 54 passes for 407 yards, but he also threw 3 interceptions.
In the 1st quarter, Dennis McKinnon had a 64-yard touchdown reception. Eagles kicker Luis Zendejas was busy in this game, first kicking a 42-yard field goal, and then in the 2nd quarter a 29-yard field goal. Neal Anderson would punch in a 4-yard touchdown run for Chicago, and then Bears kicker Kevin Butler booted a 46-yard field goal. Zendejas kicked two more field goals, a 30-yarder and then, in the 3rd quarter, a 35-yarder. In the 4th quarter, Butler kicked a 27-yard field goal.
In the NFC Championship Game on January 8 at Soldier Field, the Bears were unable to topple the only team that was consistently great throughout the 1980s, as they were crushed by the San Francisco 49ers 28-3.
After the season, Jim McMahon would be let go by the Bears, and more changes would come to a team exiting its prime years; the Bears would make the playoffs only two more times in the early 1990s. Once Mike Ditka stepped down as head coach after the 1992 season, it marked the end of an era that the 1988 Chicago Bears season had quietly begun to close.
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