The Audible: Highlights of Jim Harbaugh’s Most Infamous Game as Chicago Bears QB

Since Jim Harbaugh is at the center of the football universe this week as he leads his San Francisco 49ers against brother John’s Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, I thought it would be interesting to look back where his NFL career started, as quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Harbaugh’s stats as Bears QB are nothing to write home about.  In seven seasons with the Bears, the first round draft pick out of Michigan in the 1987 draft appeared in 89 games as a member of the Bears.  He  started 65 games for the Beloved, leading them to a 35-30 record while throwing 11567 yards, 50 TD’s and 56 INT’s with a completion percentage of 58.2%.

His most infamous game that most Bears fans will remember is “The Audible” game.  With the Bears comfortably up 20-0, an ill-advised audible by Harbaugh led to a pick-6 and propelled the Vikings to a 21-20 win over the Bears.  Here’s a highlight reel from the game, from the Vikings point of view.

Here’s a link to the box score from Pro-Football Reference, in case you’re interested.

That 1992 season spelled the end of the Mike Ditka era, but he went out with a bang, thanks in part to his sideline and postgame tirade on Harbaugh.

Ditka has gone on to praise Harbaugh as a coach, calling him the ‘most competitive guy he’s ever known’ and is not surprised by his success on the sidelines.  I wonder how much coach Harbaugh draws from coach Ditka?