16. 1961 NEW YORK GIANTS at 1. 1985 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION CHICAGO BEARS
1. 1985 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION CHICAGO BEARS
Record: 15-1
Pythag: 14-2
Off: 2nd
Def: 1st
1st NFC North
d. Giants Div Rnd 21-0
d. Rams NFC Title 24-0
d. Patriots Super Bowl 46-10
HC: Mike Ditka, OC: Ed Hughes, DC: Buddy Ryan
Soldier Field 45 degrees
Wayne Larrivee/Dick Butkus/Jim Hart
Offense
QB Jim McMahon (26 BYU)
RB Walter Payton (31 Jackson St) All Pro
FB Matt Suhey (27 Penn St)
WR Willie Gault (25 Tennessee)
WR Dennis McKinnon (24 Florida St)
TE Emery Moorehead (31 Colorado)
LT Jimbo Covert (25 Pitt) All Pro
LG Mark Bortz (24 Iowa)
C Jay Hilgenberg (26 Iowa)
RG Tom Thayer (24-R N Dame)
RT Keith Van Horne (28 USC)
Defense
LDE Dan Hampton (28 Arkansas)
LDT Steve McMichael (28 Texas) All Pro
RDT William Perry (23 - R Clemson)
RDE Richard Dent (25 Tenn St) All Pro
LLB Otis Wilson (28 Louisville)
MLB Mike Singletary (27 Baylor) All Pro
RLB Wilber Marshall (23 Florida)
LCB Mike Richardson (24 Ariz St)
RCB Leslie Frazier (26 Alcorn St)
SS Dave Duerson (25 N Dame)
FS Gary Fencik (31 Yale)
K Kevin Butler (23 UGA)
P Maury Buford (25 TTech)
KR Willie Gault (25 Tennessee)
PR Ken Taylor (22 Ore St)
The famed '85 Bears are the second overall seed; the top seeded '07 Pats have safely advanced; the only other SB Champion we've seen was the '02 Bucs and they steamed into the second round. We just saw the '61 Giants win the Play In Game, but fair to say a Bear loss here would be a signifcant surprise. 3 All Pros on defense, 28 year old Mongo McMichael, who had 8 sacks; 25 year old Richard Dent with 17 sacks; and the leader of the defense, 27 year old Mike Singletary. Chicago also had the second best offense in '85; Jim McMahon's 26, 15 scores (and 3 on the ground) 11 picks. Two All Pros; the left tackle, 25 year old Jimbo Covert and the legendary 31 year old Walter Payton, who ran for 1551 yards.
16. 1961 NEW YORK GIANTS
Record 10-3-1
Pythag: 11-3
1st NFL East
Off: 2nd
Def: 1st
Lost NFL Title Packers 37-0
d. 1964 Browns 16-3
HC: Allie Sherman, DC: Harland Svare
Offense
QB YA Tittle (35 LSU)
FB Alex Webster (30 NC St)
RB Bob Gaiters (23 N Mexico St)
WR Del Shofner (27 Baylor) All Pro
WR Joe Walton (26 Pitt)
WR Kyle Rote (33 SMU)
LT Rosey Brown (29 Morgan St) All Pro
LG Darrell Dess (26 NC St)
C Ray Wietecha (33 Nwestern)
RG Jack Stroud (33 Tennessee)
RT Greg Larson (22-R Minnesota)
Defense
LDE Jim Katcavage (27 Dayton) All Pro
LDT Dick Modzelewski (30 Maryland)
RDT Rosey Grier (29 Penn St)
RDE Andy Robustelli (36)
LLB Cliff Livingston (31 Arnold)
MLB Sam Huff (27 W Virginia)
RLB Tom Scott (31 UVA)
LCB Erich Barnes (26 Purdue) All Pro
RCB Dick Lynch (25 N Dame)
LS Dick Nolan (29 Maryland)
RS Jimmy Patton (28 Mississippi) All Pro
K Pat Summerall (31 Arkansas)
P Don Chandler (27 Florida)
KR Bob Gaiters (23 N Mex St)
PR Bill Stits (30 UCLA)
Here's Allie Sherman and the '61 Giants; 2nd in offense, 1st in defense; they got blown out in the title game or they wouldn't be relegated to the play in game. Tittle's 35, 17 scores, 12 picks, he'll look for Del Shofner, 27 year old All Pro end with his 11 scores. Barnes/Lynch/Patton in the secondary combined for 24 picks. Barnes picked off Frank Ryan twice in the Play In Game and was named plyer of the game. Sam Huff's in his prime as is Rosey Brown. The Giants are ready to go.
First Quarter
New York starts at the 38.
1/10 - YA Tittle to Alex Webster for 15 yards.
1/10 - Webster carries for a dozen; Giants all the way to the Chicago 35. A holding call then takes the Giants back 10.
1/20 - Webster is met by Dan Hampton in the backfield for a loss of 3.
2/23 - Incomplete
3/23 - Tittle to Kyle Rote, 6 yards and well short of the first down - Giants punt, Bears to start at the 13. 11:46 left.
1/10 - Walter Payton carries for 2.
2/8 - Pitch to Payton, he gets 11.
1/10 - Matt Suhey carries, just buried by Andy Robustelli for a loss of 5.
2/15 - Jim McMahon's first pass attempt is to Kenny Margerum, he gets 6.
3/9 - McMahon finds Willie Gault for 17, Bears to their own 44.
1/10 - Payton for 2.
2/8 - Payton busts one, 33 yards following Jimbo Covert -- Chicago down to the Giants 21.
1/10 - Suhey for 7.
2/3 - Sack for Jim Katcavage for a loss of 8.
3/11 - Incomplete --- Kevin Butler kicks the 39 yard FG and Chicago is on the board.
Great return by Bob Gaiters on the kick - the Giants to open at their own 48, 5:23 left.
3 and out. Bears will start at their own 9. 3:50.
1/10 - Payton for 7.
2/3 - Payton for 1
3/2 - Suhey gets 2 and picks up the first down.
1/10 - Payton for 9.
2/1 - Suhey gets 6 and a first down, Bears to their own 34 --- Suhey loses 2 on the next play and Payton gains 2 on the following play as the quarter ends.
Second Quarter
Bears up 3-0, third and 10 at their own 34.
3/10 - Incomplete. Bears punt, Giants start at their own 26.
3 and out. The Giants got 27 yards on their first two plays and just nothing at all since.
Bears to start at their own 37; 12:37.
3 and out. And New York gets the ball back at their own 27. 11:09.
3 and out. New York unable to move the ball at all. Bears at their own 37.
3 and out. Okay - the Giants defense matching Chicago's shot for shot. New York had the best defense in 1961 and they are right there with the best defense from 1985 (it's only 24 years between them, like a 2009 team playing the '85 Bears; given my age, the distance between '61 and '85 seems much longer). So New York will start at their own 23, 7:23.
1/10 - 11 yard run for Gaiters, New York's first first down since the second play of the game, they pick up 5 more on an offsides call.
1/5 - Incomplete.
2/5 - Tittle goes to Pete Hall for a yard.
3/4 - Tittle hits Kyle Rote for 24; big gainer, Giants at the Chicago 36.
1/10 - Gaiters is stopped at the line.
2/10 - Tittle finds Webster for 8, Giants to the Bear 28.
3/2 - Webster gets a yard, 4th and 1 at the Bear 27....man, Sherman's going to kick the FG; can't do that, right? On the road in a 16/1 matchup, you have to go for it here.
And - as it turns out, Summerall misses the kick. Bears take over at their own 34, 3:10.
The Bears lose a yard on the first two plays and on the third McMahon is picked off by Jimmy Patton - Giants take over at the Chicago 44, 1:53 left. Still 3-0.
1/10 - Gaiters loses 1
2/11 - Gaiters gets back to the line, timeout.
2/11 - Tittle to Gaiters - that's a 16 yard pickup and the Giants are at the 29, 1:35 left.
1/10 - Tittle to Shofner for 8, he is out of bounds at the 21.
2/2 - Webster loses 2.
3/2 - Incomplete. Here are again in nearly the exact same spot - again Sherman kicks.
And again, Summerall misses the FG. Chicago gets it back at 1:03 left.
And again - Jimmy Patton intercepts McMahon, this time on the first play - the Giants get a first down with 55 seconds left at the Bear 21. 2 quick McMahon turnovers, 2 missed Giants FGs.
3 Giants plays lose 2 yards including an Otis Wilson sack. At the gun - it's another 40 yard FG attempt....
And another miss.
What a quarter. 2 picks, 3 missed FGs. And it's still 3-0 Bears.
Third Quarter
The Bear defense showing up as expected, but the Giants defense is keeping them in the game and if they had gone for those 4th downs we might see a different result. It's still a game.
Bears to open at the 39.
1/10 - Payton gains 11.
1/10 - Suhey gets 1.
2/9 - Dennis Gentry gets a carry, just 1.
3/8 - McMahon finds Margerum, 13 yards and Chicago picks up the first down.
1/10 - 4 for Gentry.
2/6 - 1 for Payton
3/5 - McMahon finds Payton for 9 -- that's another conversion - Bears to the Giants 21. 10:14.
1/10 - Calvin Thomas gets a carry. Nothing.
2/10 - 2 for Payton
3/8 - Incomplete - Butler hits his second FG, a 35 yarder and it's 6-0 Bears the Giants to start at the 34. 8:01.
1/10 - Webster busts a 29 yard run and like that New York is at the Bear 37.
1/10 - Tittle to Rote for 5.
2/5 - Gaiters gains a yard.
3/4 - End around to Shofner, he picks up 10 and it's first down at the Bear 21.
1/10 - Webster gets 5.
2/5 - Tittle to Shofner for 8 - the Giants have a first and goal at the 8. Big spot here.
1/goal - Webster loses 1.
2/goal - Tittle to Shofner, he's able to get to the 5 before knocked out of bounds.
3/goal - Tittle to the endzone - pass broken up by Dave Duerson.
Giants with 4th and goal at the 5. It's a FG - and it's good; New York cuts the deficit to 6-3, Bears to get the ball at the 29, 2:20 left in the third.
1/10- 2 for Thomas
2/8 - McMahon to Emery Moorehead for 9.
1/10 - 1 for Thomas
2/9 - McMahon to Payton for a dozen, thats a first down across midfield as the quarter ends.
Fourth Quarter
The second overall seed is getting all they want in round one; the '07 Patriots had to sweat out their round 1 win and the Bears are not having an easier time. First down for Chicago at the Giants 47. 6-3 Bears.
1/10 - Payton gains 9.
2/1 - Incomplete
3/1 - Payton gets 4 for the first.
1/10 - Katcavage gets his 2nd second - 9 yards and the Bears are back at the 43.
2/19 - 3 for Suhey
3/16 - McMahon converts with an 18 yd pickup to Suhey, Bears at the 22.
1/10 - Payton gets 1.
2/9 - Payton gets 5.
3/4 - Incomplete. Chicago has a short FG - its good; NY will take possession at the 23, 9:05 left, Chicago 9-3, 5 back after a false start.
1/15 - Webster gets 3 - a holding call will take NY back to their own 11.
2/22 - Webster loses 1. Yikes.
3/23 - Tittle hits Joe Walton down the sideline for 40! Enormous play in this spot, the Giants are at midfield, 6:45 left, down 6.
1/10 - Gaiters gets 2 and after an offsides penalty the Giants have 2nd and 3.
2/3 - Tittle to Walton for 8 --- New York to the Bear 35. 5:24 left.
1/10 - Webster gets 4.
2/6 - Gaiters gets 1.
3/5 - Tittle finds Kyle Rote for 17! Wow - wow - wow - wow --wow -- The Giants have a first down at the Chicago 13 yard line - it's their best drive of the game and it comes when they need it. First down at their 13, 3:17 to go. Giants trail by 6.
1/10 - Webster gets nothing/
2/10 - Wells picks up 6 and the Giants are at the 7. 3rd and 4. Huge, huge spot.
3/4 - Richard Dent sacks Tittle in the big spot - loss of 5; Giants are back at the 12 with a 4th and 9 at the 2 minute warning. Can't kick the FG here - they have to go for it.
4/9 - Tittle is hounded by Dent - throws it into traffic in the endone - incomplete.
And that will do it - the Bears pick one one first down on a Payton run, the Giants burn through all their timeouts and the time expires.
Final: BEARS 9 GIANTS 3
New York had chances here; missed 3 FGs and had a real live chance to win the game at the end; but the Bear defense rose up, huge Richard Dent sack and Chicago advances.
McMahon 8/14 85 yards 2 INT
Tittle: 15/22 161 yards
Payton: 20 carries, 129 yds
Webster: 17 carries, 57 yds
Payton: 2 catches, 21 yds
Margerum: 2 catches, 19 yds
Rote: 4 catches, 52 yds
Jimmy Patton - 2 picks
Katcavage - 2 sacks
Player of the Game - RICHARD DENT
