Super Bowl XX

Super Bowl XX was the 20th Super Bowl, the championship game of the National Football League (NFL). The game was played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana following the 1985 regular season.

The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots, 46–10. The Bears set Super Bowl records for sacks (7) and rushing yards allowed (7). Chicago's 46 points were the most ever scored by a team in the Super Bowl, and their 36-point margin of victory was also a Super Bowl record. The Patriots were held to negative yardage (-19) throughout the entire first half, and just 123 total yards in the entire game, the second lowest total in Super Bowl history.

Bears defensive end Richard Dent, who had 1.5 quarterback sacks, forced 2 fumbles, and blocked a pass, was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

[edit] Background

NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXIV to New Orleans, Louisiana on December 14, 1982. This would be the sixth time that New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl. Tulane Stadium was the site of Super Bowls IV, VI, and IX; while the Louisiana Superdome previously hosted XII and XV.

[edit] "Da Bears" and the 46 defense

The 1985 Chicago Bears became national stars. Under head coach Mike Ditka, who won the 1985 NFL Coach of the Year Award, they went 15-1 in the regular season, becoming the second NFL team ever to win 15 regular season games (after the 1984 San Francisco 49ers). Their only loss was in a Monday night game against the Miami Dolphins.

The Bears' then-revolutionary, strong defense, "46 Zone", enabled them to lead the league during the regular season in fewest points allowed (198), interceptions (34), fewest total yards allowed (4,135), and fewest rushing yards allowed (1,319). And under a strong running game, Chicago led the NFL in rushing yards (2,761) and rushing touchdowns (27), and finished second in the league in scoring (456 points).

It was a team full of characters. Pro Bowl quarterback Jim McMahon provided the team with a solid passing attack, throwing for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Walter Payton, who was then the NFL's all time leading rusher with 14,860 yards, rushed for 1,551 yards. He also caught 49 passes for 483 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Singletary won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award by recording 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception.

But the player who got the most attention was a lovably large rookie defensive tackle simply known as the "Fridge", William "Refrigerator" Perry. Perry came into training camp before the season weighing over 320 pounds. But after Bears defensive coach Buddy Ryan told the press that the team "wasted" their first round draft pick on him, Perry worked hard to lose some weight to become a fine defensive tackle. He got even more attention when he started playing at the fullback position during offensive plays near the opponent's goal line. The spectacle of the 300+ pound Perry crashing through the line as a blocker or a ball carrier delighted many sports writers and fans. During the regular season, Perry rushed for 2 touchdowns, caught a pass for 1, and was frequently a lead blocker for Payton during goal line plays.

The Bears "46 defense" also had the following impact players: On the defensive line, Pro Bowler Richard Dent led the NFL in sacks for the second year in a row with 17, while Pro Bowler and future hall of famer Dan Hampton recorded 6.5 sacks. In addition to Singletary, linebacker Otis Wilson had 11.5 sacks while Wilber Marshall recorded 4 interceptions. In the secondary, defensive back Laslie Frazier had 6 interceptions, Mike Richardson recorded 4 interceptions, Dave Duerson had 5 interceptions, and Gary Fencik recorded 5 interceptions and 118 tackles.

Chicago's main offensive weapon was Payton and their running game. A big reason for Payton's success was fullback Matt Suhey as the primary lead blocker. Suhey was also a good ball carrier, rushing for 471 yards and catching 33 passes for 295 yards. The team's rushing was also aided by Pro Bowlers Jim Covert and Jay Hilgenberg and the rest of the Bears offensive line.

In their passing game, the Bears primary deep threat was wide receiver Willie Gault, who caught 33 passes for 704 yards, an average of 21.3 yards per catch. Tight end Emery Moorehead was another a key contributor, catching 35 passes for 481 yards. Wide receiver Dennis McKinnon was another passing weapon, recording 31 receptions, 555 yards, and 7 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the players brought their characterizations to the national stage with the "Super Bowl Shuffle", a rap song the Bears recorded during the season. Even though it was in essence a novelty song, it actually peaked at #41 on the Billboard charts and got a Grammy nomination for best R&B song by a group.

[edit] The "Cinderella" Patriots

The Patriots were considered a cinderella team during the 1985 season because many sports writers and fans thought they were lucky to make the Super Bowl at all. New England began the season losing 3 of their first 5 games, but won 6 consecutive games to finish with an 11-5 record. However, the 11-5 mark only earned them third place in the AFC East behind the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets.

Quarterback Tony Eason, in his third year in the NFL, was inconsistent during the regular season, completing 168 out of 299 passes for 2,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, but also 17 interceptions. Eason suffered an injury midway through the season and was replaced by backup Steve Grogan, who was considered one of the best reserve quarterbacks in the league. Grogan was the starter in 6 of the Patriots' games, and finished the regular season with 85 out of 156 completions for 1,311 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

Wide receiver Stanley Morgan provided the team with a good deep threat, catching 39 passes for 760 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the other side of the field, multi-talented wide receiver Irving Fryar was equally effective, catching 39 passes for 670 yards, while also rushing for 27 yards, gaining another 559 yards returning punts and kickoffs, and scoring 10 touchdowns. But like the Bears, the Partiots main strength on offense was their rushing attack. Halfback Craig James rushed for 1,227 yards, caught 27 passes for 370 yards, and scored 7 touchdowns. Fullback Tony Collins rushed for 657 yards, recorded a team leading 52 receptions for 549 yards, and scored 5 touchdowns. The Patriots also had an oustanding offensive line, led by Pro Bowl tackle Brian Holloway and future hall of fame guard John Hannah.

New England's defense ranked 5th in the league in fewest yards allowed (5,048). Pro Bowl linebacker Andre Tippett led the AFC with 16.5 sacks. Outside linebackers Don Blackman and pro bowler Steve Nelson were also big defensive weapons, excelling at pass coverage and run stopping. Also, the Patriots secondary only gave up 14 touchdown passes during the season, the 2nd fewest in the league. Pro bowl defensive back Raymond Clayborn recorded 6 interceptions for 80 return yards and 1 touchdown, while Pro Bowler Fred Marion had 7 interceptions for 189 return yards.

[edit] Playoffs

In the playoffs, the Patriots qualified as the AFC's second wild card, the last playoff seed under the rules of that time, and were forced to spend all of the postseason on the road. Thus going into the playoffs, it seemed unlikely that New England would become the fourth wild card team to advance to a Super Bowl.

But the Patriots shocked everybody, beating the New York Jets 26-14, Los Angeles Raiders 27-20, and the Dolphins 31-14 on the road to make it to the Super Bowl. The win against Miami had been especially surprising, not only because Miami was the only team to beat Chicago in the season, but also because New England had not won in the Orange Bowl (Miami's then-home field) since 1966, the Dolphins' first NFL season. The Patriots had lost to Miami there 18 consecutive times, including a 30-27 loss in their 15th game of the season. But New England dominated the Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game, recording two interceptions from quarterback Dan Marino and recovering 4 fumbles.

Meanwhile, the Bears became the first team in NFL history to shutout both of their opponents in the playoffs, beating the New York Giants 21-0 and the Los Angeles Rams 24-0.

[edit] Super Bowl pregame hype

Much of the Super Bowl pregame hype centered around Bears quarterback McMahon. First, he was fined by the NFL for wearing a head band during the playoffs in which he had handwritten "Adidas" on it, which was not permitted under the league's dress code. So he started to wear a head band saying "Rozelle", after then-league commissioner Pete Rozelle.

McMahon was also suffering a sore rear end from a hit he took in the NFC Championship Game. So he flew in his acupuncturist into New Orleans to get treatment. During practice four days before the Super Bowl, he started wearing a hand band that said "Acupuncture".

McMahon's most outrageous stunt involved mooning a passing helicopter flying overhead and other photographers during practice to show off his injured rear end. Pictures of that incident then appeared on the sports sections of many newspapers across the country.

[edit] Television and entertainment

The NBC telecast of the game, with play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg and color commentators Merlin Olsen and Bob Griese, garnered the third highest Nielsen rating of any Super Bowl to date, a 48.3.

To celebrate the 20th Super Bowl game, the Most Valuable Players of the previous Super Bowls were featured during the pregame festivities. After trumpeter Wynton Marsalis performed the national anthem, Bart Starr, Super Bowl MVP of I and II, tossed the coin.

The performance event group Up with People performed during the halftime show titled "Beat of the Future". Up with People dancers portrayed various scenes into the future.

[edit] Game summary

The Patriots took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history after a fumble by Walter Payton at the Chicago 19-yard line set up Tony Franklin's 36-yard field goal 1:19 into the first quarter. The Bears struck back with a 7 play, 59-yard drive, featuring a 43-yard pass completion from Jim McMahon to wide receiver Willie Gault, to set up a field goal from Kevin Butler, tying the score 3-3.

After both teams traded punts, Richard Dent and linebacker Wilber Marshall shared a sack on quarterback Tony Eason, forcing a fumble that lineman Dan Hampton recovered on the Patriots 13-yard line. Chicago then drove to the 3-yard line, but had to settle for another field goal from Butler after rookie defensive lineman William "Refrigerator" Perry was tackled for a 1-yard loss while trying to throw his first NFL pass on a halfback option play. On the Patriots' ensuing drive, Dent forced running back Craig James to fumble, which was recovered by linebacker Mike Singletary at the 13-yard line. Two plays later Bears fullback Matt Suhey scored on an 11-yard touchdown run to increase the lead 13-3.

New England took the ensuing kickoff as the first quarter ended, but after 3 plays they had to send in punter Rich Camarillo again. After getting the ball back, the Bears drove 59 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 24-yard reception by Suhey, to score on McMahon's 2-yard touchdown run to increase their lead, 20-3. Patriots coach Raymond Berry then replaced Eason with Steve Grogan to see if he could spark the Patriots offense. But even Grogan could not get New England into scoring range on their next drive, and thus Camarillo had to punt again. The Bears then marched 72 yards in 11 plays, moving the ball inside the Patriots 10-yard line. New England kept them out of the end zone, but Butler kicked his third field goal on the last play of the half to give Chicago a 23-3 halftime lead.

The Bears had absolutely dominated New England in the first half, holding them to -19 total offensive yards, 2 pass completions, 1 first down, and 3 points. Meanwhile, Chicago gained 236 yards and scored 23 points themselves.

After the Patriots received the second half opening kickoff, they managed to get one first down, but then had to punt after Grogan was sacked twice. Camarillo, who punted 4 times in the first half, managed to pin the Bears back at their own 4-yard line. But the Patriots defense still had no ability to stop Chicago's offense. On their very first play, McMahon faked a handoff to Payton, then threw a 60-yard completion to Gault. Eight plays later, McMahon finished the Super Bowl record 96-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make the Bears lead 30-3. On New England's second drive of the period, Chicago cornerback Reggie Phillips intercepted Grogan and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to increase the lead 37-3.

On the second play of their ensuing possession, the Patriots turned the ball over again, when receiver Cedric Jones lost a fumble after catching a 19-yard pass from Grogan, and Marshall recovered the ball at New England's 37-yard line. Afterwards, the Bears moved the ball to the 1-yard line, to set up perhaps the most memorable moment of the game. William "the Refrigerator" Perry was brought on to score on offense, as he had done twice in the regular season. His touchdown made the score 44-3.

The Patriots finally scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter with receiver Irving Fryar's 8-yard catch. But the Bears defense dominated New England for the rest of the game, forcing another fumble, another interception, and defensive lineman Henry Waechter's sack on Grogan in the end zone for a safety to make the final score 46-10.

One irony in the Bears victory was that Payton had a relatively poor performance running the ball and never scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XX, his first and only Super Bowl appearance during his hall of fame career. Although Payton was ultimately the Bears' leading rusher during the game, the Patriots defense held him to only 61 yards on 22 carries, with his longest run being only 7 yards. He was given several opportunities to score near the goal line, but New England stopped him every time before he reached the end zone (such as his 2-yard loss from the New England 3-yard line a few plays before Butler's second field goal, and his 2-yard run from the 4-yard line right before McMahon's first rushing touchdown). Thus, Chicago head coach Mike Ditka opted to go for other plays to counter the Patriots defense. Perry's touchdown and McMahon's rushing touchdowns could be considered as scoring opportunities that were denied to Payton.

McMahon, who completed 12 out of 20 passes for 256 yards, became the first quarterback in a Super Bowl to score 2 rushing touchdowns. Bears receiver Willie Gault finished the game with 129 receiving yards on just 4 receptions, an average of over 32.2 yards per catch. Suhey had 11 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for 24 yards.

Eason became the first Super Bowl starting quarterback to fail to complete a pass, going 0 for 6 attempts. The Bears also dominated Patriots starting running back James, holding him to 1 yard on 5 carries, with 1 fumble. Grogan completed 17 out of 30 passes for 177 yards and 1 touchdown, with 2 interceptions. Although Fullback Tony Collins was the Patriots leading rusher, he was limited to just 4 yards on 3 carries, and caught 2 passes for 19 yards.

[edit] Scoring summary

• NE- FG Franklin 36
• CHI- FG Butler 28
• CHI- FG Butler 24
• CHI- Suhey 11 run (Butler kick)
• CHI- McMahon 2 run (Butler kick)
• CHI- FG Butler 24
• CHI- McMahon 1 run (Butler kick)
• CHI- Phillips 28 interception return (Butler kick)
• CHI- Perry 1 run (Butler kick)
• NE- Fryar 8 pass from Grogan (Franklin kick)
• CHI- Safety, Waechter sacked Grogan in end zone

[edit] Trivia

• This was the first Super Bowl to feature brand new participants since Super Bowl XVI.
• The Bears' 21 points in the third quarter is still a record for the most points scored in that period.
• Richard Dent became just the second defensive end to be named Super Bowl MVP. The first being Harvey Martin, as he shared to MVP with fellow D-Lineman Randy White for Super Bowl XII.
• Jim McMahon became the 6th player to rush for two touchdowns in a Super Bowl and he is still the only quarterback to rush for more than one touchdown in a Super Bowl.
• A major reason why the 46 defense was so effective in 1985 was that almost all of their opponents were unprepared for its then-unusual primary tactic: blitz five to eight players on each play. But in less than two years, offensive coaches discovered how to exploit the 46 defense by using quick, timed passes from formations that used multiple receivers.
• The Last Precinct debuted on NBC after the game.

[edit] Officials

• Referee: Red Cashion
• Umpire: Ron Botchan
• Head Linesman: Bama Glass
• Line Judge: Dale Williams
• Field Judge: Jack Vaughan
• Side Judge: Bob Rice
• Back Judge: Al Jury

[edit] References

• Super Bowl official website
• NFL Record and Fact Book(ISBN 193299436X)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
• The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995 (ISBN 089204523X)
• http://www.pro-football-reference.com - Large online database of NFL data and statistics
• Super Bowl play-by-plays from USA Today (Last accessed September 28, 2005)
• All-Time Super Bowl Odds from The Sports Network (Last accessed October 16, 2005)