1977 Chicago Bears season
1977 Chicago Bears season | |
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Owner | Cowboys ) 7–37 |
The 1977
A week after the Dallas playoff loss, Coach Pardee stunned the team by resigning to take the head coaching position of the
Offseason
NFL Draft
1977 Chicago Bears draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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1 | 14 | Ted Albrecht | Offensive tackle
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California | |
2 | 43 | Mike Spivey | Defensive back | Colorado | |
3 | 61 | Robin Earl | Tight end | Washington | |
6 | 140 | Vince Evans | Quarterback | USC | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Undrafted free agents
Player | Position | College |
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Mike Andrus | Safety | Richmond |
Terry Egerdahl | Defensive back | Minnesota-Duluth |
Bob Gregolunas | Linebacker | Northern Illinois |
Chris Hoskins | Running back | Missouri Western |
Neil Little | Defensive back | Northwestern |
Tony Madau | Punter | Nevada |
Art Meadowcroft | Guard | Minnesota |
Len Walterscheid | Safety | Southern Utah |
Scott Yelvington | Wide receiver | Northwestern |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Rookies in italics |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
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1 | September 18 | Detroit Lions | W 30–20 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | 51,530 | |
2 | September 25 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 13–16 | 1–1 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,878 | |
3 | October 2 | New Orleans Saints | L 24–42 | 1–2 | Soldier Field | 51,488 | |
4 | October 10 | Los Angeles Rams | W 24–23 | 2–2 | Soldier Field | 51,412 | |
5 | October 16 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 16–22 | 2–3 | Metropolitan Stadium | 47,708 | |
6 | October 23 | Atlanta Falcons | L 10–16 | 2–4 | Soldier Field | 49,407 | |
7 | October 30 | at Green Bay Packers | W 26–0 | 3–4 | Lambeau Field | 56,002 | |
8 | November 6 | at Houston Oilers | L 0–47 | 3–5 | Houston Astrodome
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47,226 | |
9 | November 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 28–27 | 4–5 | Soldier Field | 49,543 | |
10 | November 20 | Minnesota Vikings | W 10–7 | 5–5 | Soldier Field | 49,563 | |
11 | November 24 | at Detroit Lions | W 31–14 | 6–5 | Pontiac Silverdome | 71,373 | |
12 | December 4 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 10–0 | 7–5 | Soldier Field | 48,948 | |
13 | December 11 | Green Bay Packers | W 21–10 | 8–5 | Soldier Field | 33,557 | |
14 | December 18 | at New York Giants | W 12–9 (OT) | 9–5 | Giants Stadium | 50,152 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Playoffs
Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
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Divisional | December 26 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 7–37 | 0–1 | Texas Stadium | 62,920 |
Game summaries
Week 1
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Week 2
- TV Station: CBS
- TV Announcers: Frank Glieber, Johnny Morris
Jim Hart completed 12 straight passes, one of 10 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, while directing St. Louis to victory over Chicago 16–13. The veteran Hart who completed 16 of 24 passes while suffering two interceptions, contributed balance to a crisp Cards attack and Jim Bakken booted three field goals.
Week 3
- TV Station: CBS
- TV Announcers: Don Criqui, Emerson Boozer
Archie Manning scored on runs of 8, 2 and 11 and threw a 35-yard Touchdown pass to Chuck Muncie as the Saints gain a road victory. The Saints also got TDs on a 52-yard fumble recovery by Bob Pollard and a 57-yard interception return by Jim Merlo.
Week 4
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Week 6
- Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
- TV Station: CBS
- Announcers: Vin Scully, Alex Hawkins
With about two minutes to go, Chicago appeared to have a one-point victory over Atlanta. But the Bears' Steve Schubert fumbled a punt deep in his own territory, Atlanta recovered and Haskel Stanback plowed in moments later from the two-yard line for the Falcons victory. Chicago had taken a 3–0 lead on Bob Thomas' 40-yard field goal, but Nick Mike-Mayer come back with shots of 32, 44, and 21 yards to put Atlanta ahead 9–3. Brian Baschnagel's 84-yard kickoff return resulted in the Bears only touchdown.
Week 7
- Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin
- TV Station: CBS
- Announcers: Gary Bender and Johnny Morris
Walter Payton's 205 tied Gale Sayers record for most rushing yards in a game that was set in 1968. "I didn't want to break Sayers' record because Sayers is a super guy. What's a record? I just want to win the game" Payton said it after scoring touchdown runs of 1 and 6 and setting up Johnny Musso's 3-yard touchdown run in a rout over the Packers.
Week 8
- The Astrodome in Houston, Texas
- TV Station: CBS
- Announcers: Frank Glieber and Johnny Morris
Houston's big play offense, dormant throughout the season sprang to life on touchdown bombs of 85 and 43 yards to Ken Burrough and a 75-yard free kick return and a 61-yard touchdown run by Billy Johnson as the Oilers dazzled Chicago 47–0. Houston's first two big plays, Johnson's run and Burrough's 85-yarder we're delivered over a span of 2:55 in the second quarter and helped the Oilers to a 17–0 halftime lead and never looked back. Coach Jack Pardee call the loss "The worst thing I've ever been associated with in any form". This loss turns out to be a turning point in the Bears season. They would not lose a game again in the 1977 regular season.
Week 10
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Bears | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at
- Date: Sunday, November 20
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), wind 21 mph (34 km/h)
- Game attendance: 49,563
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information | ||
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Week 11
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- Walter Payton 20 Rush, 137 Yds, 4 Rec, 107 Yds
Standings
NFC Central
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Minnesota Vikings(3) | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 6–1 | 8–4 | 231 | 227 | W1 |
Chicago Bears(4) | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 6–1 | 8–4 | 255 | 253 | W6 |
Detroit Lions | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 2–5 | 4–8 | 183 | 252 | L1 |
Green Bay Packers | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 2–5 | 4–7 | 134 | 219 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 0–4 | 2–11 | 103 | 223 | W2 |
Postseason
NFC Divisional Playoff
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 37 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
- Game attendance: 62,920
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
Safety
Awards and records
- Walter Payton, NFL MVP
- Walter Payton, led NFL in rushing (1,852 yards)
- Walter Payton, Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player
- Walter Payton, Led NFL in Total Yards, (2,216)