Greetings, Bears fans. With this being the 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears of 1985, here at Bear Goggles On we’ll be revisiting the regular season and playoff games — including re-watching them when possible — and posting information about a game each Throwback Thursday as we move closer to the 2015 regular season.
Anyone who argues Jim McMahon wasn’t a good quarterback just needs to watch the third quarter of this game, and they’ll shut up.
We Chicago Bears fans all know the story. Losing by eight halfway through the third quarter and looking sluggish on offense, Coach Mike Ditka sent McMahon into the game. Previously sitting out because of an injury, McMahon hit Willie Gault for a 70-yard touchdown on his first pass, Dennis McKinnon for a 25-yard touchdown on his second pass, and later hit McKinnon again for a 45-yard touchdown pass. All in the third quarter.
Final: Bears win, 33-24.
Oct 3, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars and NFL former quarterback Jim McMahon speaks during a ceremony in his honor during halftime of the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Utah State Aggies at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Utah State won 35-20. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Two of those passes – the deep ball to Gault and the second score to McKinnon – were perfect passes, hitting both receivers in stride. The other pass, the first to McKinnon, was similar to much of what we see from Jay Cutler nowadays: McMahon scrambles, and you can see the disaster coming. You think no, don’t throw it, tuck it in or throw it away, don’t throw it to a receiver because I know how this movie ends.
But he throws it anyway, a wobbler back across the middle. Jay’s would likely be picked. But McMahon’s throw somehow snuck between multiple Vikings defenders to find McKinnon. Touchdown.
Such was the good fortune of being a Bears quarterback this night.