Jan. 28--You might want to sit down for this. The 1985 Bears -- who just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the franchise's greatest accomplishment -- are not the greatest Super Bowl champion among all 49 winners. They're not even No. 2. They're third in one sports writer's estimation.
"For as great as Buddy Ryan's 46 defense was (61 turnovers!) they didn't set marks for fewest points allowed or turnover margin and the offense was solely dependent on (Walter) Payton," writes USA Today's Chris Chase. "Then, in the team's biggest game of the year (not the Super Bowl, against a mediocre Patriots team, but the famed Monday night battle against Miami) the Bears had a 31-10 halftime deficit."
Chase placed the 1991 Washington Redskins (14-2) and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers (15-1, like the '85 Bears) ahead of the Shufflin' Crew.
"Criminally underrated, the '91 Skins were one halftime Hail Mary and a lineman-eligible drop in the end zone during a meaningless Week 17 game from being undefeated. They have the second-highest point differential of any Super Bowl champion," he writes. Chase added that in their Super Bowl victory over the Bills, the Redskins let their foot off the gas to allow Buffalo some garbage-time scoring while "the '85 Bears were running it up (against the New England Patriots) by giving The Fridge a Super Bowl touchdown."
Somewhere Bill Swerski is having another heart attack. That's makes a baker's dozen for him.
