1977 Chicago Bears season
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Chicago Bears
season was their 58th regular season
and 13th postseason
completed in the National Football League
. The club posted a 9-5 record earning them a wild card spot against the Dallas Cowboys
, who eventually beat the Bears en route to a Super Bowl
victory.
Walter Payton
was the star of the team as he led the entire NFL in rushing (1,852 yards), 275 of those 1,852 came on a November 20 game against their division rivals the Minnesota Vikings
and he did it despite coming down with a flu and a dark rainy day at Soldier Field
.
A week after the Dallas playoff loss, Coach Pardee stunned the team by resigning to take the head coaching position of the Washington Redskins
(George Allen having been fired after the Redskins were eliminated from the playoffs by a Bears overtime victory over the New York Giants
in the last game of the regular season).
led the Cowboys to a 37-7 victory by setting an NFL playoff record of 3 interceptions. Dallas built a 17-0 halftime lead, with the aid of running back Doug Dennison
's 2-yard touchdown run and quarterback Roger Staubach
's 28-yard scoring pass to tight end Billy Joe Dupree
. In the second half, running back Tony Dorsett
recorded two rushing touchdowns and Efren Herrera
added two more field goals. The Bears were limited to 224 total yards and did not score until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was their 58th regular season
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
and 13th postseason
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
completed in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The club posted a 9-5 record earning them a wild card spot against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, who eventually beat the Bears en route to a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
victory.
Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
was the star of the team as he led the entire NFL in rushing (1,852 yards), 275 of those 1,852 came on a November 20 game against their division rivals the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and he did it despite coming down with a flu and a dark rainy day at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
.
A week after the Dallas playoff loss, Coach Pardee stunned the team by resigning to take the head coaching position of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(George Allen having been fired after the Redskins were eliminated from the playoffs by a Bears overtime victory over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the last game of the regular season).
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18, 1977 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 30-20 | |
| 2 | September 25, 1977 | at St. Louis Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 16-13 | |
| 3 | October 2, 1977 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 42-24 | |
| 4 | October 10, 1977 | Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 24-23 | |
| 5 | October 16, 1977 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 22-16 | |
| 6 | October 23, 1977 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 16-10 | |
| 7 | October 30, 1977 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 26-0 | |
| 8 | November 6, 1977 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 47-0 | |
| 9 | November 13, 1977 | Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
W 28-27 | |
| 10 | November 20, 1977 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W 10-7 | |
| 11 | November 24, 1977 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 31-14 | |
| 12 | December 4, 1977 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 10-0 | |
| 13 | December 11, 1977 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 21-10 | |
| 14 | December 18, 1977 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 12-9 | |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 26, 1977 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 37-7 | |
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings 1977 Minnesota Vikings season 1977 was the 17th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and five losses. Quarterback Fran Tarkenton was injured with a broken leg in week 9 and missed the rest of the... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 231 | 227 | W-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 255 | 253 | W-6 |
| Detroit Lions 1977 Detroit Lions season The 1977 Detroit Lions season was their 48th in the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 6-8. The team missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 183 | 252 | L-1 |
| Green Bay Packers 1977 Green Bay Packers season The 1977 Green Bay Packers season was their 57th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 4-10 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:... |
4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 134 | 219 | W-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, which as of remains a record in the modern National Football League. Fear of becoming the Buccaneers' first victim provided motivation to opposing teams... |
2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 103 | 223 | W-2 |
NFC Divisional Playoff
Safety Charlie WatersCharlie Waters
Charlie Tutan Waters is a former American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys from 1970-1981 in the National Football League...
led the Cowboys to a 37-7 victory by setting an NFL playoff record of 3 interceptions. Dallas built a 17-0 halftime lead, with the aid of running back Doug Dennison
Doug Dennison
William Douglas Dennison is a former American football running back who played six seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He later played for the Arizona Wranglers of the United States Football League.Dennison played college football at Kutztown...
's 2-yard touchdown run and quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
's 28-yard scoring pass to tight end Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe Dupree
Billy Joe DuPree is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League who played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:DuPree was born and reared in Monroe, Louisiana...
. In the second half, running back Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
recorded two rushing touchdowns and Efren Herrera
Efren Herrera
Efren Herrera is a former placekicker in the National Football League from 1974–1982. After a college career at the University of California, Los Angeles, Herrera kicked for the Dallas Cowboys in 1974 and 1976–1977. Herrera was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1977 season. He was a part of...
added two more field goals. The Bears were limited to 224 total yards and did not score until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.
Awards and records
- Walter Payton, NFL MVP
- Walter Payton, led NFL in rushing (1,852 yards)
- Walter Payton, Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player
- Walter PaytonWalter PaytonWalter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, Led NFL in Total Yards, (2,216)