Super Bowl XX

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Lore & Background

This was the fourth Super Bowl and, to date, the last time in which both teams made their Super Bowl debuts. The Bears entered the game after becoming the second team in NFL history to win 15 regular season games. With their then-revolutionary 46 defense, Chicago led the league in several defensive categories, outscored their opponents with a staggering margin of 456–198, and recorded two postseason shutouts. The Patriots were considered a Cinderella team during the 1985 season, and posted an 11–5 regular season record, but entered the playoffs as a wild card because of tiebreakers; defying the odds, New England posted three road playoff wins to advance to Super Bowl XX. In their victory over the Patriots, the Bears set or tied Super Bowl records for sacks (seven), fewest rushing yards allowed (seven), and margin of victory (36 points). At the time, New England broke the record for the quickest lead in Super Bowl history, with Tony Franklin's 36-yard field goal 1:19 into the first quarter after a Chicago fumble. But the Patriots were eventually held to negative yardage (−19) throughout the entire first half, and finished with just 123 total yards from scrimmage, the second lowest total yards in Super Bowl history, behind the Minnesota Vikings (119 total yards) in Super Bowl IX. Bears defensive end Richard Dent, who had 1.5 quarterback sacks, forced two fumbles, and blocked a pass, was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Although he posted relatively mediocre game statistics and failed to score a touchdown himself, star running back Walter Payton was also later credited as being a major factor in the Bears' victory on account of the Patriots' heavy coverage of him giving other members of the team more and better opportunities to score. The telecast of the game on NBC was watched by an estimated 92.57 million viewers. To commemorate the 20th Super Bowl, all previous Super Bowl MVPs were honored during the pregame ceremonies.

In Their Own Story

New England entered Super Bowl XX as an 11–5 wild card team that had defied the odds by posting three road playoff wins. Their Cinderella run faced immediate resistance when Tony Franklin kicked a 36-yard field goal just 1:19 into the first quarter, setting the record for the quickest lead in Super Bowl history. However, after that early score, the Patriots were held to negative yardage (-19) throughout the entire first half. The Bears' defense, anchored by Dent and Singletary, completely neutralized New England's offense, limiting them to just 123 total yards from scrimmage—the second-lowest total in Super Bowl history. While star running back Walter Payton faced heavy coverage that prevented him from scoring a touchdown himself, his presence opened opportunities for others. The game concluded with the Bears setting records for sacks (seven), fewest rushing yards allowed (seven), and margin of victory (36 points).

Reader's Guide

Under head coach Mike Ditka, who won the 1985 NFL Coach of the Year Award, the Bears went 15–1 in the regular season, becoming the second NFL team to win 15 regular season games, while outscoring their opponents with a staggering margin of 456–198. The Bears' defense, the '46 defense', allowed the fewest points (198), fewest total yards (4,135), and fewest rushing yards of any team during the regular season (1,319). They also led the league in interceptions (34) and ranked third in sacks (64). Pro Bowl quarterback Jim McMahon provided the team with a solid passing attack, throwing for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns (both career highs), while also rushing for 252 yards and three 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 500 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Singletary won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award by recording three sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception. Rookie lineman William 'The Refrigerator' Perry came into training camp before the season weighing over 380 pounds. After Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan told the press that the team 'wasted' their first round draft pick on him, Perry lost some weight and ended up being an effective defensive tackle, finishing the season with five sacks. He got even more attention when Ditka started putting him in the game at the fullback position during offensive plays near the opponent's goal line. During the regular season, Perry rushed for two touchdowns, caught a pass for another touchdown, and was frequently a lead blocker for Payton during goal line plays. The source does not state that Perry scored on a goal-line plunge in the Super Bowl. The defensive line featured three future Hall of Famers: defensive end Richard Dent led the NFL in sacks (17), while tackle/end Dan Hampton recorded 6.5 sacks, and tackle Steve McMichael compiled eight. Outside linebacker Otis Wilson had 10.5 sacks and three interceptions, with fellow outside linebacker Wilber Marshall adding six sacks and four interceptions. In the secondary, cornerback Leslie Frazier (who would suffer a career-ending knee injury in the game) had six interceptions, cornerback Mike Richardson recorded four interceptions, strong safety Dave Duerson had five interceptions, and free safety Gary Fencik c

Did You Know?

• The Bears set or tied Super Bowl records for sacks (seven), fewest rushing yards allowed (seven), and margin of victory (36 points).
• The Patriots were held to negative yardage (−19) throughout the entire first half.
• Richard Dent was named Super Bowl MVP with 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked pass.
• The game was watched by an estimated 92.57 million viewers on NBC.

Historical Context and Venue Selection

NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XX to New Orleans on December 14, 1982, during a mid-season meeting in Dallas. This was the sixth time New Orleans hosted the event; Tulane Stadium had previously hosted Super Bowls IV, VI, and IX, while the Louisiana Superdome hosted XII and XV. Ten cities submitted bids for the game: Palo Alto (Stanford Stadium), New Orleans (Superdome), Miami (Orange Bowl), Houston (Rice Stadium), Seattle (Kingdome), Detroit (Silverdome), Pasadena (Rose Bowl), Tampa (Tampa Stadium), Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium), and Jacksonville (Gator Bowl). New Orleans representatives warned that scheduling conflicts would prevent them from hosting again until 1990 if they did not secure Super Bowl XX. Miami was rejected due to the aging condition of the Orange Bowl, further complicated by a failed sales tax levy for a new stadium.

The Bears' Dominant Season

Under head coach Mike Ditka, who won the 1985 NFL Coach of the Year Award, the Bears finished the regular season with a 15–1 record. Their '46 defense' allowed the fewest points (198), fewest total yards (4,135), and fewest rushing yards (1,319) in the league, while recording 34 interceptions and ranking third with 64 sacks. Quarterback Jim McMahon threw for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns, both career highs, while also rushing for 252 yards and three scores. Running back Walter Payton rushed for 1,551 yards, caught 49 passes for 500 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Singletary won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award with three sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception. Rookie William 'The Refrigerator' Perry recorded five sacks as a defensive tackle and rushed for two touchdowns as a fullback. The defense included future Hall of Famers Richard Dent (17 sacks), Dan Hampton (6.5 sacks), and Steve McMichael (eight sacks).

Game Dynamics and Records

In their victory over the Patriots, the Bears set or tied Super Bowl records for sacks (seven), fewest rushing yards allowed (seven), and margin of victory (36 points). The Patriots briefly held the record for the quickest lead in Super Bowl history with a 36-yard field goal by Tony Franklin at 1:19 into the first quarter following a Chicago fumble. Despite this early score, New England was held to negative yardage (-19) throughout the entire first half and finished the game with just 123 total yards from scrimmage, the second-lowest total in Super Bowl history behind the Minnesota Vikings' 119 yards in Super Bowl IX. The Patriots entered the game as an 11–5 wild card team that had won three consecutive road playoff games to advance.

Individual Honors and Legacy

Bears defensive end Richard Dent was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) after recording 1.5 sacks, forcing two fumbles, and blocking a pass. Although Walter Payton posted relatively mediocre game statistics and failed to score a touchdown, he was credited as a major factor in the victory because heavy Patriots coverage of him created better scoring opportunities for teammates. The NBC telecast was watched by an estimated 92.57 million viewers. To commemorate the 20th Super Bowl, all previous Super Bowl MVPs were honored during the pregame ceremonies.