NFL Network continued its countdown of the 100 greatest teams in NFL history. The Chicago Bears had nine teams that made the list from Nos. 31-100.
When discussing the greatest teams of all time, you can’t leave out the 1985 Bears, who 34 years later are still revered for their sheer dominance.
The ’85 Bears were a team of destiny. They had the most dominant defense in NFL history, as well as arguably the best running back of all time, Walter Payton.
The Bears were near perfect (minus a loss to the Miami Dolphins) and continued that show of dominance in the postseason with back-to-back shutouts of the New York Giants (21-0) and Los Angeles Rams (24-0) before destroying the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
Many consider them to be the greatest NFL team of all time. But not NFL Network, which ranked the ’85 Bears as the second-greatest team in league history.
No. 2: 1985 @ChicagoBears, @SuperBowl XX Champions #Bears100
đź“ş: #NFL100 Greatest Teams on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/D5KPYoC8EZ
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2019
The only team that ranked ahead of them on the list? The 1972 Miami Dolphins, who remain the only undefeated team in NFL history.
But when discussing the greatest teams in history, it’s not just about the stats. It’s about the impact.
And you can’t deny the impact of the ’85 Bears.
Who knows what could’ve been if Buddy Ryan had stayed as defensive coordinator in Chicago? Or if Jim McMahon had stayed healthy? Who knows what this group of guys could have accomplished in another one, two, three seasons? What if?
But that’s what made this team so special. For one moment, they shone brighter than any star in the galaxy. And then that light was gone. But that team’s impact has never faded.
For the ’85 Bears, it’s not about what could’ve been, it’s about what was accomplished. And boy, did they leave their mark.
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