Rams vs Fabled 85 Bears NFC Championship

[dieterbrock]

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

It sure was. The Natural had just come out in the movies a year earlier, and the Rams grab Brock out of Canada. Was like they found a Roy Hobbs of their own.
Of course unlike the Knights, we got stuck with the bleedin, broken down, strikeout Hobbs, ole DB never got to hit that game winner in the big game
First rookie QB to start in an NFC Championship game though....
Good times

 

[XXXIVwin]

It sure was. The Natural had just come out in the movies a year earlier, and the Rams grab Brock out of Canada. Was like they found a Roy Hobbs of their own.
Of course unlike the Knights, we got stuck with the bleedin, broken down, strikeout Hobbs, ole DB never got to hit that game winner in the big game
First rookie QB to start in an NFC Championship game though....
Good times

Yeah, Dieter had a whole mystique about him.

Here’s a link to an old SI story.

Had a cannon arm, that’s for sure. The main “fable” I remember was how he could get on his knee behind the 50-yard line, and throw it all the way through the goalpost.

A Rifle Wrapped In An Enigma

It began, more or less, like this: The Los Angeles Rams' brain trust was sitting around a small room in Anaheim last March when in walked this old boy named

www.google.com

 

[Allen2McVay]

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.

Great post that brings back memories of a terrific season. That Sunday, I took the first business trip of my professional career. It was a train out of Penn Station NYC to Philadelphia. Big Time!

I reached the hotel shortly before kickoff, and was supposed to go to a working lunch to have a strategy meeting for the next day. Instead, I made up a story so that I could delay attending the meeting to watch the game.

I was a dedicated young professional with clear priorities.

However, I remember feeling very differently about the NFC Championship Game. Despite the Rams success against the Bears in ‘83 and ‘84, that 1985 Chicago team was elite. I had little expectation of a Rams’ victory. Always hope.

 

[Tano]

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.

The football masochist that I am - I "sorta" wish that there was an all 22 so I can look at each pass play and give my analysis of it

But that would just torture all of you lol

 

[AZRams]

I sure wish we had that OLine on this team though

Any O-line featuring Jackie Slater would be an improvement...

 

[Classic Rams]

Great post that brings back memories of a terrific season. That Sunday, I took the first business trip of my professional career. It was a train out of Penn Station NYC to Philadelphia. Big Time!

I reached the hotel shortly before kickoff, and was supposed to go to a working lunch to have a strategy meeting for the next day. Instead, I made up a story so that I could delay attending the meeting to watch the game.

I was a dedicated young professional with clear priorities.

However, I remember feeling very differently about the NFC Championship Game. Despite the Rams success against the Bears in ‘83 and ‘84, that 1985 Chicago team was elite. I had little expectation of a Rams’ victory. Always hope.

Actually looking back some more on that season I was enjoying the 1985 Bears making the surge that they did. I was caught up in the fridge hype, and loved that they stomped the Whiners and Cowboys during the reg season. Anybody but the Whiners was always my battle cry, and after the Giants knocked them off in the playoffs I was more at ease.

But I'll add this, sure there were games, performances, stories, etc, but we really didn't consider that Bears D as elite until the last 2 games vs Rams and Pats were done. They had lost to Miami that year, but no one else could maintain that blueprint. Bears had an off game, sure. But again, before the NFC championship many of us could see the obvious signs that the Bears D was one of the better ones, the all-time label wasn't officially given yet, and despite playing a lot better with McMahon and Payton, no one on their O scared anyone. After the dust cleared with the Bears' first SB title the accolades began pouring in. So at the time I knew the Rams were faced with a challenge, I just fgured they had a chance to win but if they lost it would be close. But Brock and the O turned out to be a liability and mainly because they were 1-dimentional.

 

[David Ray]

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.

With all the hype surrounding the Bears that season, such as the shuffle vid, Rozelle was NOT going to permit the darlings of the league that year to lose that game. BTW, when recounting officiating 'errors', you forgot to mention ED having 1st down yardage on one play, only to see the official spot the ball a yard and a half back of his forward progress.