The 1985 Chicago Bears Had An All-Time Great Defense

Published on December 11th, 2024 11:09 am EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


The 1985 Chicago Bears were one of the most feared teams of all time.

The Bears, led by head coach Mike Ditka, finished the 1985 regular season with a record of 15-1-0.

The team had a fantastic offense (second best in the league) but it was their defense that truly instilled fear into the hearts of their opponents.

Over the course of the 16-game season, the Bears allowed just 198 points, or a total of 12.4 points per game.

The Bears defense had three first-time All-Pros - Richard Dent, Steve McMichael and Mike Singletary. Mike Singletary also won the Defensive Player of the Year in 1985.

Teams were petrified to play the Bears. If you tried to run the bear, you were swallowed up by the likes of Singletary. If you tried to throw the ball, your quarterback would be running for his life.

-

The post-season was no different, as the Bears' opponents had no clue had to deal with their formidable defense.

The first post-season game for the Bears was a home game against the New York Giants, which they ended up winning by a score of 21-0. The Giants were completely lost on that day, as they managed just 10 first downs and 181 total yards. The Giants managed to gain just 32 yards on the ground and were sacked six times. A total debacle.

The AFC Championship game was more of the same, as the Bears obliterated the St. Louis Rams by a score of 24-0. The Rams managed just 130 total yards on offense, including a paltry 66 yards through the air. The Rams' quarterback, Dieter Brock, was running for his life all game, and managed to complete just 10 of his 31 passes.

The Super Bowl would be the only time that a team would score a touchdown on the Bears in the 1985-86 post-season, and that came during garbage time when the Bears were already celebrating.

The Bears won by a score of 46-10 and the game was never in doubt.

The Bears' defense was stout once again, allowing just 123 total yards. The Patriots rushed for just 7 yards and were sacked a total of 7 times, including two sacks from Otis Wilson.

The Bears had just strolled to a Super Bowl title, led by their ridiculous defense.

-

The 1985 Chicago Bears defense is the greatest of all time.