1977 Chicago Bears season

Infobox NFL_season
team = Chicago Bears
year = 1977
record = 9-5
division_place = 2nd NFC Central
coach = Jack Pardee
stadium = Soldier Field
playoffs = L NFC DivisionalThe 1977 Chicago Bears season was their 58th regular season and 13th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9-5 record earning them a wild card spot against the Dallas Cowboys, who eventually beat the Bears en route to a Super Bowl victory.

Walter Payton was the star of the team as he led the entire NFL in rushing (1,852 yards), 275 of those 1,852 came on a November 20 game against their division rivals the Minnesota Vikings and he did it despite coming down with a flu and a dark rainy day at Soldier Field.

A week after the Dallas playoff loss, Coach Pardee stunned the team by resigning to take the head coaching position of the Washington Redskins (George Allen having been fired after the Redskins were eliminated from the playoffs by a Bears overtime victory over the New York Giants in the last game of the regular season).

Offseason

NFL Draft

Regular Season

eason Standings

eason Schedule

* Week 1 Sep 18 W 30-20 vs Detroit Lions
* Week 2 Sep 25 L 16-13 at St. Louis Cardinals
* Week 3 Oct 2 L 42-24 vs New Orleans Saints
* Week 4 Oct 10 W 24-23 vs Los Angeles Rams
* Week 5 Oct 16 L 22-16 at Minnesota Vikings (OT)
* Week 6 Oct 23 L 16-10 vs Atlanta Falcons
* Week 7 Oct 30 W 26-0 at Green Bay Packers
* Week 8 Nov 6 L 47-0 at Houston Oilers
* Week 9 Nov 13 W 28-27 vs Kansas City Chiefs
* Week 10 Nov 20 W 10-7 vs Minnesota Vikings
* Week 11 Nov 24 W 31-14 at Detroit Lions
* Week 12 Dec 4 W 10-0 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Week 13 Dec 11 W 21-10 vs Green Bay Packers
* Week 14 Dec 18 W 12-9 at New York Giants (OT)

Roster

Postseason

NFC Divisional Playoff

* Dallas Cowboys 37, Chicago Bears 7Linescore Amfootball
Road=Bears
R1=0
R2=0
R3=0
R4=7
RT=7
Home=Cowboys
H1=7
H2=10
H3=17
H4=3
HT=37

"at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas"

*TV: CBS

Safety Charlie Waters led the Cowboys to a 37-7 victory by setting an NFL playoff record of 3 interceptions. Dallas built a 17-0 halftime lead, with the aid of running back Doug Dennison's 2-yard touchdown run and quarterback Roger Staubach's 28-yard scoring pass to tight end Billy Joe Dupree. In the second half, running back Tony Dorsett recorded two rushing touchdowns and Efren Herrera added two more field goals. The Bears were limited to 224 total yards and did not score until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.

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)

Milestones

References

* [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1977.htm?redir Chicago Bears on Pro Football Reference]
* [http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/results.nsf/Teams/1977-chi Chicago Bears on jt-sw]