Rams vs Fabled 85 Bears NFC Championship

[GoodBadUgly]

This came up on another thread, and I commented this game was closer than it seemed. So I watched it on YouTube.

To save you from re-watching, here is recap in a nutshell.

1) Through a little over a quarter, Bears dominate. Up 10-0. This is going to be a blowout.
2) Dieter Brock, worst performance by a QB I've ever seen. Complaints about Goff? Watch this game and never complain again.
3) Most of 2nd quarter, Rams D gets going. Couple of sacks. Game tightens up.
4) Rams get a big play, long pass to Mike Young that would have changed the game. Young called for going out of bounds and coming back in, even though he was pushed out 30 yards downfield. Madden says "Great the official caught that he went out first, but why not call the penalty that PUSHED him out??" I love you, John.
5) Last minute of 1st half. Rams recover muffed punt. Screen pass to ED gets down inside the 5 yard line with 2 seconds left. Rams call TO, officials all conveniently looking the other way and let the half expire. If this happened today, entire crew fired on spot.
6) Game should have been tied at 10, or worst case 10-6 Bears.
7) Start of 3rd quarter, ED shows why he is immortal. Goes for 250 yds the week before, now he saves our QB. Richard Dent beats 2 guys on our really good OL, heading towards QB at full speed. Dickerson squares him up and stops him dead in his tracks. Thing of beauty.
8) Payton completely held in check by stout Rams D, until he converts on a 4th-and-6, turning the tide, end of 3rd ends 17-0.
9) Rams throwing on every play. Bears finally get first sack against our OL.
10) Garbage time TD with 2 minutes left, on what should have been another penalty, 24-0.

Confirmed my recollection of this game. The closest 24-0 "blowout" ever. Any QB on any NFL roster gives us enough to win it.

Best Defense Ever? My ass.

 

[Merlin]

That was the game I lost all faith in Brock. Thanks for putting that up man.

 

[Tano]

That was the game I lost all faith in Brock. Thanks for putting that up man.

He was ousted the next year.

 

[Tano]

This came up on another thread, and I commented this game was closer than it seemed. So I watched it on YouTube.

To save you from re-watching, here is recap in a nutshell.

1) Through a little over a quarter, Bears dominate. Up 10-0. This is going to be a blowout.
2) Dieter Brock, worst performance by a QB I've ever seen. Complaints about Goff? Watch this game and never complain again.
3) Most of 2nd quarter, Rams D gets going. Couple of sacks. Game tightens up.
4) Rams get a big play, long pass to Mike Young that would have changed the game. Young called for going out of bounds and coming back in, even though he was pushed out 30 yards downfield. Madden says "Great the official caught that he went out first, but why not call the penalty that PUSHED him out??" I love you, John.
5) Last minute of 1st half. Rams recover muffed punt. Screen pass to ED gets down inside the 5 yard line with 2 seconds left. Rams call TO, officials all conveniently looking the other way and let the half expire. If this happened today, entire crew fired on spot.
6) Game should have been tied at 10, or worst case 10-6 Bears.
7) Start of 3rd quarter, ED shows why he is immortal. Goes for 250 yds the week before, now he saves our QB. Richard Dent beats 2 guys on our really good OL, heading towards QB at full speed. Dickerson squares him up and stops him dead in his tracks. Thing of beauty.
8) Payton completely held in check by stout Rams D, until he converts on a 4th-and-6, turning the tide, end of 3rd ends 17-0.
9) Rams throwing on every play. Bears finally get first sack against our OL.
10) Garbage time TD with 2 minutes left, on what should have been another penalty, 24-0.

Confirmed my recollection of this game. The closest 24-0 "blowout" ever. Any QB on any NFL roster gives us enough to win it.

Best Defense Ever? My ass.

You also forgot the overthrow to Brown on a 10 yard slant that would have gone all the way for a TD if Brock didn't overthrow the pass.

Would have made it 7-0 Rams

 

[GoodBadUgly]

You also forgot the overthrow to Brown on a 10 yard slant that would have gone all the way for a TD if Brock didn't overthrow the pass.

Would have made it 7-0 Rams

So true. I felt bad just picking one throw like that, since he under and overthrew so many. The long pass to Young was by far his best pass of the day and a shame it was incorrectly called back.

 

[AZRams]

So true. I felt bad just picking one throw like that, since he under and overthrew so many. The long pass to Young was by far his best pass of the day and a shame it was incorrectly called back.

That and the recovery on the muffed punt and ensuing shit show are my enduring memories of that game.

I was in college and renting a room from a couple at the time. He came in and watched about 10 minutes with me (don't recall where in the game we were). Got up, said "I can see where this is going," and walked out of the room.

 

[Allen2McVay]

2) Dieter Brock, worst performance by a QB I've ever seen. Complaints about Goff? Watch this game and never complain again.

Just to note, that was the final game of Dieter Brock’s football career.

Terrific Game Summary.

 

[XXXIVwin]

Yeah, I recently re-watched the first half of the game, and couldn’t believe how awful Dieter was for that game. Weird, because he kinda had a folk-hero vibe that year.

 

[Rams77]

I sure wish we had that OLine on this team though

 

[TexasRam]

I remember vividly watching that game with my buddy in CA that is now the Oline coach at Indiana University.

He was a big Raider fan and I was talking up the Rams so much before that game and how Dickerson was going to break through their defense for us. He was buying my hype I guess because he hated the Bears for some reason.

He looked at me during that game with such disdain like I killed some puppys or something.

 

[Merlin]

I sure wish we had that OLine on this team though

No shit. We need to get back to those old lines of yore.

 

[Allen2McVay]

I remember vividly watching that game with my buddy in CA that is now the Oline coach at Indiana University.

He was a big Raider fan and I was talking up the Rams so much before that game and how Dickerson was going to break through their defense for us. He was buying my hype I guess because he hated the Bears for some reason.

He looked at me during that game with such disdain like I killed some puppys or something.

If I remember right, the week before against Dallas, Dickerson ran for 250 yards and the only two TDs of the game.

Still, that Bears defense was great.

 

[GoodBadUgly]

If I remember right, the week before against Dallas, Dickerson ran for 250 yards and the only two TDs of the game.

Still, that Bears defense was great.

Yeah, I pointed that out in my recap. ED was unbelievable the week before, and the Bears sold out to stop him. He still played well including some amazing blocking that saved Brock's blind side.

The main issue was that we didn't/couldn't take advantage of the HUGE coverage holes that were created by them focusing on ED. Leslie Frazier played a great game, but there were opportunities nearly every time Brock dropped back (especially early on, before it got out of hand in the 4th).

Brock just couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, unfortunately.

 

[Tano]

Yeah, I pointed that out in my recap. ED was unbelievable the week before, and the Bears sold out to stop him. He still played well including some amazing blocking that saved Brock's blind side.

The main issue was that we didn't/couldn't take advantage of the HUGE coverage holes that were created by them focusing on ED. Leslie Frazier played a great game, but there were opportunities nearly every time Brock dropped back (especially early on, before it got out of hand in the 4th).

Brock just couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, unfortunately.

He would have missed hitting the Great Wall of China if it was just 10 feet in front of him

 

[Ellard80]

I didn't watch sports at that time... I was 9.

I looked that game up... lol Dieter brock in that game was 18-53 116 yards 2ints

That might be the worst passing line ive ever seen


for a few people blaming watson win loss record... there is a prime example.

The Rams QB wasn't that good and they made it to the nfc championship game.

via Special Teams (3 kick off return TD's 1 punt return - my boy ellard)

4th ranked defense.

Super offensive line and a great RB.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Super offensive line and a great RB.

Without checking, I believe the ‘85 O-Line had Slater and Pankey at OT, Harrah and Hill at G and Doug Smith at C.

All but Pankey were multiple Pro Bowlers, and Irv Pankey was really good.

 

[Classic Rams]

Rams defense was 4th in the league that year. That team was D & D; defense and Dickerson.

They beat 3 playoff teams during the reg/post season: Denver, SF, Dallas

Brock's first 3 games he avg'd a 52.6 QB rating, Dickerson held out the 1st 2 games, and the Rams started 3-0 on their way to 7-0.

First game I watched that season was 13-10 win vs Vikings. Brock had a 90 rating. I saw about 8 Rams games on TV that year; before satellite, Direct TV and all that so we had to cross fingers every week.

The Rams convincingly beat the Bears in 1983 and 1984 so there was no reason to have a lot of doubt in this playoff. The Bears had most of the same personnel on D those 2 years prior and ED ran wild on them.

Ready for the most surprising stat of all? Brock's overall 1985 QBR of 82 (he did have some good games) was the highest Rams QBR from 1981 to 1987 until Everett got an 89 QBR in 1988! Yes past his prime Ferragamo and early Everett only had 67 to 77 QBRs between them during that span.

 

[NJRamsFan]

We woulda had em too if it wasn't for Jared Goff

 

[dieterbrock]

That game sucked, but the 51-7 beatdown 2 years before hurt so much worse IMO

 

[XXXIVwin]

Yeah that '85 season was a blast. Starting out 7-0 was awesome.

And that blowout win vs. the Cowboys was awesome. 20-0! Dickerson was unstoppable.

Bears had the fairy-tale season, it was just their year.

And yes, agreed, that 51-7 thumping in '83 was just awful, way worse than the 1985 NFCCG.

Those '80s Rams.... Dickerson was kind of a prima donna, but man.... just unreal to watch him glide through defenses.