Good lord. With defenses realizing the Chicago offense could pose little consistent threat through the air, their number one goal must have been to stop Payton. How he managed the stats he did is remarkable. One tough, talented hombre.
It’s because of this era that Walter Payton tops my customer stat called IMPACT rating. Getting them to the post-season in ‘77 and ‘79 was the biggest carry job in the history of the NFL.
I’m a falcons fan so I know all about lousy players, QBs or otherwise. But I came over to watch another of Mark’s videos after watching the current AFC championship game in order to cleanse my football soul. No ridiculous dances after routine tackles, no penalties for hard tackles, no celebrities in heated luxury boxes. These videos are far more satisfying than the soulless tripe that passes for NFL football these days.
Yes, before Steve Bartkowski there was some troubling QB situations for the Falcons. Then after him were troubling times again with David Archer, Turk Schoenert and Scott Campbell. I suppose I could go on and on, but you know the story far better than I. I'm with ya regarding your take on today's game and I certainly appreciate your comments - thanks!
I’ll be honest, the bears had other QB stretches 96-05 and 14-18 that were akin to this. My dad disagrees and always tells me plainly, ‘you didn’t experience Gary Huff’ 😂😂
Except for Sid Luckman, Jim McMahon (when he was healthy, which wasn't too often), and maybe Bill Wade in 1963, the Bears' quarterbacking history wasn't much of a picnic.
@mxxjss what about Busch Stadium. Everybody hated playing there. In an 1979 Texas Monthly article, the Cowboys stated that the Astrodome and Busch Stadium were the worst surfaces they ever played on.
Dude, your videos are really good. I'm a Vikes fan, and it didn't matter that the Bears passing attack in these years resembled what you would expect to see out of the service academies. They almost always gave us trouble. I was stunned to see the 28-3 score early in the video. Trust me, the Vikes just couldn't get any comfortable wins against this team while losing a few from 75-79. Imagine if they had competent QB play. What could have been.
Thank you very much! I grew up a Vikes fan, too, so I know how the Bears used to play 'em. They were always hard hitting games - Plank and Fencik as safeties were as tough as they came. The Vikes would block a punt, extra point or field goal and come away with a victory to win some of those games.
Need to give a little more love to Mike Phipps in 1979. He played very well down the stretch of the ‘79 season and led them to the playoffs and threw more TDs than interceptions. He had a gorgeous TD throw dropped by Ricky Watts against the Eagles in the playoffs and Payton had an 80 yd TD run called back on a questionable penalty or else the Bears would have beaten the Eagles.
Yeah, Phipps took to a more safer, short passing game (RB's Payton and Dave Williams) that year which aided in ball control. The leading WR only had 30 catches (Baschnagel) and their best deep threat, James Scott, only had 21 receptions.
The Bears were a tough 7-7 in 1976.... outscored the opponents 253-216 with a very one-sided offense! Sweetness nearly had as many yards from scrimmage as the Bears had passing...and the Bears had 3 1 point losses,2 to the Vikings NFC Champions, and 1 to Oakland (Super Bowl XI winner) but Jim Finks was starting to lay the groundwork
@tommy. Can't blame the Bears for their playoff loss going up against the so called "America's team" from back then, but give credit due for making the playoffs.
It was always a good Sunday watching the NFL on CBS when it was from frigid Soldier Field. With those monuments towering in the background, the wind chill factor, the loud fans- it was always a good game even with those QBs they had. Good stuff, Mark. 🏈
I remember the game vs. KC in 1977. Nearly punched a hole in the ceiling jumping so high to celebrate the victory. Avelllini looked like he was trying to throw wearing a straightjacket but he seemed to have a strong arm. I don't recall the Bears having any last second wins like that since. Thanks for the memories.
Ive heard some stories as well as reading Jeff Pearlman's outstanding biography of Walter Payton, "Sweetness" about a decade ago that suggested that Avelinni wasnt the most popular, well-liked guy on the roster. He could come across as more then a little bit arrogant, diva-like and a prima donna when his stats and performances didnt back up his attitude. Phipps, IIRC, and a few other of Walter's teammates said in the book that the major problem with the mid-late 70's Chicago Bears was their ownership/FO's overall philosophy and committment to winning with bargain-basement, cheap players. They also had a future HOF GM in Jim Finks who was a great, saavy judge of talent but never felt that you had to have a great QB to win games, even in Minnesota, before Tarkenton was traded back to Vikings in 1972, Finks believed that a middling, mediocre QB in Gary Cuozzo was sufficient to win Super Bowls. Thankfully, Bud Grant was conscious and prescient enough to recognize this stupidity, but Finks' mindset on employing mediocre, lackluster QB's while stacking the rest of the team with Pro-Bowlers was how you won NFC Central division titles, or made the postseason. Finks refused to entertain a possible trade with SB-winning QB, 4-time Pro-Bowl Kenny Stabler with Oakland in 1979 preseason, saying "we're happy with who we have" and only begrudgingly considered the Raiders offer by trading a 3rd or 4th round pick. Many Bears scouts and players were certain that on Draft day 1979, they'd draft Joe Montana out of Notre Dame? We all know how that turned out. They were just as happy being a "bubble" playoff team going 10-6, 9-5, or 9-7, as much as going 7-9, 6-10, or 8-8.
Thank you for providing awesome information. So Jim Finks was to blame - I was unaware of his philosophy in that regard. Regarding Halas (the team) being satisfied with middling win/loss records, it reminds me of Connie Mack's similar philosophy of fielding those sorts of teams because it will keep the fans interested and coming to the games, but you don't have to pay the players high salaries because it isn't substantiated based upon not going to the playoffs. Thank you for watching and commenting - much appreciated!
Despite being a quarterback in his playing days, Finks really had a blind spot when it came to the quarterback position. He traded a first round pick for Mike Phipps who had maybe a good nine game stretch in his entire Bear career @@davidroberts7282
Pretty sure I caught a glimpse of my high school principal Steve Okoniewski playing DT for the Packers here. He was journeyman for GB, Buffalo and others. Settled outside of Green Bay and limped about the halls as our warden. Nice guy of course but you look at him different as teen
That's cool. One of my buddies had former Bengals linebacker Jim LeClair as a high school gym teacher. I see that Okoniewski played for the Cardinals for a couple of years after the Packers and that he was a second round draft pick. Thanks for watching and commenting!
In my freshman year at TSU, my PE teacher was former Steeler defensive end Ben McGee. He was a quiet guy, didn't really seem to like talking about football much.
Bears didn't end up with a decent QB until Jim McMahon in '82 (?). Before that it was probably Sid Luckman from back in the 40's! Most of the time QB was never the Bears best position.
Billy Wade is not well known, but he wasn't bad. He led the league in passing attempts and completions and threw for over 3,000 yards in a 14 game season in 1962 ( John Unitas only had 2,967) and then led the Bears to the NFL title in 1963. His stats were not that far down in 1964, but the team had a losing record and in 1965, with Gayle Sayers now on the team, they gave the starting to Rudy Bukich which became Jack Concannon in 1968 and the start of the Bears run of Hall of Shame quarterbacks.
@@williamford9564Rudy Bukich actually led the league in passing in 1965 and had one of the best years any Bears QB ever had (20 TD, 9 INT, QBR 93.7). Problem was, he was 35 years old and on the downside of his career, which only lasted 3 more seasons.
@@russellmurray3964 Bukich did play well. As you said he was older. He initially intended to retire after 1966 so the Bears traded for Concannon in early 1967 thinking he was a worthy successor. I think Bukich did agree to come back in 1967 as a backup and mentor.
From 1975-1979 you really could not distinguish between Gary Huff, Bob Avellini, and Mike Phipps. All three threw for 2x as many INT's vs TD's. You could not rely on any of them to win a game but can count on them losing it. At least Vince Evans was fun to watch. The Bears franchise was built on defense and great RB's although that was missing for several seasons in the last 40 years.
The Bears were snake bit all of the '70s. Avellini was horrible indeed, Vince Evans seemed to have the most talent. All the Bears qb's were tossed around like rag dolls....the Dallas playoff game was lost when they got off the bus. Nobody NOBODY gave Chi. a chance in that wildcard game. Sweetness though, man what a talent. Walter is top 3 all time! Thanks brother you're appreciated.
To me, Vince Evans was similar in style to Bobby Douglass. Both of them were tough, great runners, and had BIG arms - they could really fire the ball. For value (rushing, receiving, blocking, leadership, and in a pinch quarterbacking/kicking/punting, if needed) I give the nod to Payton as the #1 RB of all-time
@@markgardner9460 Think about Payton getting tackled, he was amazing at avoiding hits, glancing off. I guess you could say he was an angry runner but he had/(depended on) an unbelievable straight arm and an innate ability to slither through stone wall hits. One of my favorite backs/players all time....shame he's not still with us. Thanks for your hard work and tolerating garrulous idiots like me.
I used to love watching him pop up super quickly when tackled. It was like he was on a trampoline. He weighed only 202 pounds, but he played like he was 250 pounds with no regard for his body. Thanks, Jammin'; it's easy to tolerate a super fan of this NFL era.
I don't know the stats perfectly but this group could rank as the worst group of five years in history which would be a great video itselff ranking worst QB's on a team in a five year or decade period.@@markgardner9460
The Bears has already wasted the great careers of Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. Now with Walter Payton, perhaps the most complete RB the game ever saw, Chicago almost wasted another. It was fortunate that Mike Ditka would come to town and change that culture. And finally give Sweetness his ring. That Bears-Cowboys playoff tilt in '77, was the only post-season match-up between Walter Payton and Tony Dorsett. The Doomsday Defense was special that season. And in that unforgettable post-season. Arguably the best that America's Team ever fielded.
@@kendallevans4079 Wrong. Before Ditka the Bears were an also-ran team. With minimal success at best. Mike turned that program around. Winning Coach of the year twice. He made them a powerhouse contender and a World Champion in 1985(one of the most dominant teams in history). As a player Ditka was a no-nonsense competitor. Nothing change when he was assistant under Coach Landry with the Cowboys. So I would hope as HC he would try to instill that kind of discipline to his players. And he did. The results speak for themselves.
@@markgardner9460 Singletary was drafted in 2nd round in 1981. Amazing that 37 players were picked before him. He would start 9 games that year. Playing behind the one and only Alan Page(playing in his final season)
Boy were these guys bad! Even worse than the early 70’s group. I seem to recall Avellini complaining when the Bears drafted McMahon. This guy is arguably worst starter in league history with a minimum of 50 career starts. No mobility, bonehead passes and always good for a costly fumble or sack. I think Rusty Lisch could have done better. Nice work, Mr. Gardner. Brutal is being kind.
I agree with you - this group is worse than the early '70's group. Why they stuck with Avellini so long is amazing. He was only a 6th round draft pick, so it wasn't like they had invested a lot into him. Maybe it was Halas' tight-fistedness.
The Bears best QB during that period was Walter Payton. Their best Receiver and kick returner too. If they had asked him to play Safety he could have done that as well. I worked at Soldier Field from 1977 to 1980 and saw him play in person. The Michael Jordan of football.
You ain’t never lied Payton left Payton right Payton up the middle a horror show at QB Avellini ,Hufff ,Douglass a lefty running nut QB lol thank Goodness Sweetness survived
It's amazing that Walter could stay so healthy, given the number of carries and the fact that everybody in the stadium knew that he was going to get the ball.
@@markgardner9460Payton once remarked that one thing he really appreciated about Jim McMahon was that when Ditka and Ed Hughes would call Walter's number for a run up the middle against a stacked d-line on 3rd and 8, McMahon would audible out of it and get the easy short pass for a first down, saving Payton a bit of futile wear and tear running a play destined for failure. And he admired McMahon having the moxie to hold his own afterward with Ditka on the sidelines when Jimmy Mac was getting his butt chewed out for changing the play.
Hi Ross! I was thinking to myself, if I got a Bears jersey of an offensive player and it couldn't be Sayers or Payton, who would it be? Well, I'm not sure that I've come to a conclusion yet. You know me, I've got to keep it prior to '81.
@@markgardner9460 The second. The fact that they stuck with Avellini ( a 6th round draft pick, not like he was drafted as an “elite” quarterback) that long is appalling. 69 interceptions! And can you believe they traded a FIRST ROUND draft pick for Phipps who was a 5 year bust in Cleveland!!
In 7 years with the Browns, he threw for exactly 7,700 yards and 40 td's with 81 int's. What the heck did the Bears think they were getting anyway? He couldn't even beat out 13th round draft pick Brian Sipe for the starting job in Cleveland.
Avellini had a good rapport with #89 James Scott who was a decent deep threat. Why didn't the Bears draft a QB in the first round until McMahon in 82 ?
Turk Schonert in the '80 9th round was the highest QB selected after Vince Evans in the 6th round of the '77 draft. They stockpiled defensive picks, predominately.
My grandfather's favorite running back was Bronko Nagurski. Gotta love that last name - it's a lot like Butkus, Csonka, Ditka and Nitschke....hard-sounding vowels.
@@markgardner9460 it's easy to see why, didn't he come back 6 years after he retired cause they lost all the FBS to the war draft? There's so many great players over the years and a lot get forgotten. Bill George, Doug Atkins, Wally Chambers, The whole 63 team l,Buffone. Galimore. It's the mythology of the Bears that keeps me around.
It's amazing. You'd think that they'd find a diamond in the rough by now, so I think that it has to be attributed to team philosopy in combination with coaching. I mean, what else? 80+ years now.
I think the old man (Halas) was partially to blame, for stubbornly refusing to change eith the times as the years went on. His ideas of offense was considered archaic even for the '70s.
At Fran Tarkenton's insistence is how Grim came back to play for the Vikes and that's how Bob Tucker (another Giants receiver) came to play with the Vikes for the last 4 years of his career. What Fran wanted, Fran got.
I think that the success was primarily due to Walter Payton's 1,852 rushing yards in 1977 which was #1 in the NFL, his 1,610 rushing yards in 1979 which was #2, and the Bears playing in an extremely weak NFC Central Division.
No team in history can match the Bears lifetime achievement award of employing such mediocre quarterbacks for decades. I’m 61 and can’t remember them ever having a real stud QB. Luckman is before my time 😊
I'm guessing that Luckman is before almost all viewers of this channel time. I'd love to see video of his passing! It's quite rare, I'm sure. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Yeah, they didn't have the scouting combine, but then again the 1974 1st round was held on January 29th. Now it's held three months later, so teams had far less time to perform their due diligence.
@@newtheisThe Bears couldn't draft worth beans until Jim Finks showed up in 1974. And Lionel Antoine was one of their better picks, that's how lousy the other ones were.
I’m almost 70 and I don’t ever remember the Bears having a good QB for more than a year or two. The only good QB they’ve ever had for any length of time was Sid Luckman, who was way before my time.
You bring up a good point. The Bears offensive line was geared towards the run, so they drafted accordingly. Logically, the pass blocking would suffer. It's the exact opposite problem that Dan Marino experienced in Miami where they were a passing team, so they drafted offensive linemen primarily for their pass-protecting skills. Therefore, Miami's rushing attack suffered.
Evans was the most gifted athlete. Had high hopes for him just didn’t work out. That blame falls on the organization not the offensive line. Bears invested 4 first round picks in the offensive line between 76-83 never had a good offensive coordinator
I think that's a credit to his demonstrated ability to always be ready for action in the event of an injury and also in keeping in great shape at an advanced football age. He also must have had the respect of his teammates or else Al Davis would not have kept him on the team for so long.
Jay Cutler was OK. In '95, Erik Kramer had 29 td's, 10 int's and 3,838 yards, but he didn't make the Pro Bowl and that was his only standout year with the Bears.
Ah, yes. The good old days of the NFC Central. The Vikings were good, but never quite good enough. The Bears, Packers, and Lions were three poorly run, skinflint franchises stuck in the past. Then the league tossed in the Bucs for good measure. I will say, though, as a Packers fan, I do sort of miss those days. There were no disappointments because there were no expectations. My friends and I would get together every Sunday, crack open a beer, and wait for the comic mishaps. When The Pack got good in the 90s a lot was gained, but something was lost, too.
"Huff" was alright...."However" Bobby Douglas"...was my boy....in spite of his "alledged shortcomings....he being a "southpaw"too...."I love to see a "southpaw" rifle the ball"!! "Avellini was o.k. he had a "decent arm".."he was not as "agile" as "Bobby" !!!
Douglass was incredibly agile - AND a bruising runner, too, when the situation called for it. In these QB's defense, they didn't have any big name receivers to which to throw, but then it becomes a case of "which cames first: the chicken or the egg?" Were the QB's bad because the receivers were bad or the other way around?
I went to a bunch of games at Soldier Field back then, and I can guarantee you absolutely no one I ever ran into was saying anything remotely like that. It was more like, "THAT (expletive) AVELLINI IS OUR (expletive) QB (expletive, expletive)".
@@robertmasina7388 The Bears introduced the navy blue pants in 1984 to connect with the 1940 championship team that also wore navy blue pants (the Bears hadn't worn them since 1940. On an interesting side note, they did wear orange pants in 1948-49 and in preseason games of 1950 and 1952). I don't remember exactly why, but I'm guessing it was in tribute to founder/owner/coach George Halas, who had passed away the previous season on 10/31/83.
Looking at these highlights a few things stand out. What is the deal with these 10 yard drop backs. In these highlights, you rarely see a 3,5, or 7 step drop back and release which is standard in today’s NFL but John Unitas was doing that in the 60s. The deeper drop backs mean the ball is in the air longer. A 10 yard pass beyond the line of scrimmage is 20 yards, a 10 yard out pattern to the sidelines is now 40 yards. There seems to be absolutely no timing between quarterbacks and receivers; the quarterbacks seem to have no clue where to throw the ball, they either hols onto the ball too long or they’re panicking and throwing the ball up for grabs. These guys are taking lots of sacks and turning over the ball a ton. It might not just be the quarterback. They’re set up to fail with a crappy offensive line and a coaching staff giving these guys absolutely no direction
With only a few exceptions, NFL teams in this era were predominately running teams. The QB's coming out of college were almost all QB's who rarely threw the ball. So, the modern passing game was in it's infancy in that regard (The AFL is an entirely different story). I like that you mentioned the offensive line because they were drafted primarily based upon their run blocking effectiveness. Coaches, too, were inexperienced in passing strategies. Viewers of today's product are spoiled because they mainly view QB's who are first rate passers who had years of passing experience through high school and college. By the time that they arrive at the pro level, a lot of them are game ready.
Let's just say that he wasn't that good, but then again, he was the first string QB. So if he was bad as the first string QB, how bad were the second and third stringers?
Had Bidwell spent some money and let Don Coryell do his job unabated- the Cardinals would’ve remained competitive. Instead- Bidwell was cheap- Coryell leaves and goes to San Diego, Cards bring in Wilkinson and that was the end for the Cardiac Cardinals.
Now that I think about it- the Don Coryell St. Louis years are usually forgotten because of his career with the Chargers. The Cardinals from 73-78 would be a great story: building the foundation for greatness but never finishing and then watching it crumble.
Walter Payton didn't have any help at all. The Bears don't know how to establish a passing game to this day. If I were Caleb Williams. I would tell the Bears not to draft me.
Yes, he had a very long career. Even though he didn't start that many games, he did play professionally for 17 years, so that is amazing. He was even out of the NFL for the '88 season, but came back to play another 7 years.
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Good lord. With defenses realizing the Chicago offense could pose little consistent threat through the air, their number one goal must have been to stop Payton. How he managed the stats he did is remarkable. One tough, talented hombre.
Poor guy had to play half his games on that green concrete in Soldier Field.
@@collinrust2641 Ouch. That too.
That's why I wanted Barry to be the one to break Paytons record. Detroit wasn't that much better.
And until Mike Ditka came along, the Bears' offensive line was okay, but nothing to write home about.
Barry Sanders went through it and was smart to retire young.
It’s because of this era that Walter Payton tops my customer stat called IMPACT rating. Getting them to the post-season in ‘77 and ‘79 was the biggest carry job in the history of the NFL.
I would guess that maybe Barry Sanders 1991 season rates high?
I remember only too well. I once heard a Chicago sportscaster refer to Bob Avellini, Vince Evans and Mike Phipps as Moe, Larry and Curly.
That's classic!
Yeah I rememver that too lol
Yeah I remember that too
For some reason, the Bears were one of my favorite teams growing up. It was good to see them start winning in the late 70s.
I’m a falcons fan so I know all about lousy players, QBs or otherwise. But I came over to watch another of Mark’s videos after watching the current AFC championship game in order to cleanse my football soul. No ridiculous dances after routine tackles, no penalties for hard tackles, no celebrities in heated luxury boxes. These videos are far more satisfying than the soulless tripe that passes for NFL football these days.
Yes, before Steve Bartkowski there was some troubling QB situations for the Falcons. Then after him were troubling times again with David Archer, Turk Schoenert and Scott Campbell. I suppose I could go on and on, but you know the story far better than I.
I'm with ya regarding your take on today's game and I certainly appreciate your comments - thanks!
Glad that Walter Payton finally got his ring.
I’ll be honest, the bears had other QB stretches 96-05 and 14-18 that were akin to this. My dad disagrees and always tells me plainly, ‘you didn’t experience Gary Huff’ 😂😂
Yes, the Bears have had their issues throughout the years. It's absolutely amazing.
The stretch from 68 to 75 was no QB picnic either.
Except for Sid Luckman, Jim McMahon (when he was healthy, which wasn't too often), and maybe Bill Wade in 1963, the Bears' quarterbacking history wasn't much of a picnic.
Man ,those old Astroturf fields looked brutal!
I'm sure they felt even more brutal.
The field looked like a giant pool table
Candlestick Park’s Astroturf looked the worst.
The Astrodome always had the most raggedy-looking turf to me, at least until about the late '80s, and even then I'm sure it was not much better.
@mxxjss what about Busch Stadium. Everybody hated playing there. In an 1979 Texas Monthly article, the Cowboys stated that the Astrodome and Busch Stadium were the worst surfaces they ever played on.
The Bears QBs in the 70s were the Chevrolet Vega of the NFL.
Oh, wow. Now that brings back some memories...the Vega!
My dad made the Vega and says the future was more like the Chevy citation!
Dude, your videos are really good. I'm a Vikes fan, and it didn't matter that the Bears passing attack in these years resembled what you would expect to see out of the service academies. They almost always gave us trouble. I was stunned to see the 28-3 score early in the video. Trust me, the Vikes just couldn't get any comfortable wins against this team while losing a few from 75-79. Imagine if they had competent QB play. What could have been.
Thank you very much! I grew up a Vikes fan, too, so I know how the Bears used to play 'em. They were always hard hitting games - Plank and Fencik as safeties were as tough as they came. The Vikes would block a punt, extra point or field goal and come away with a victory to win some of those games.
It's not a score you see very often, 28-3. Not very memorable. I don't recall seeing it any other times.
Need to give a little more love to Mike Phipps in 1979. He played very well down the stretch of the ‘79 season and led them to the playoffs and threw more TDs than interceptions. He had a gorgeous TD throw dropped by Ricky Watts against the Eagles in the playoffs and Payton had an 80 yd TD run called back on a questionable penalty or else the Bears would have beaten the Eagles.
Yeah, Phipps took to a more safer, short passing game (RB's Payton and Dave Williams) that year which aided in ball control. The leading WR only had 30 catches (Baschnagel) and their best deep threat, James Scott, only had 21 receptions.
@@markgardner9460 I recall some deep shots to Watts and Scott (thinking of the Rams game, for example).
Both of them were good deep threats. After 3 years with the Bears, Watts faded - perhaps it was injury-related. I'm not sure.
No se en what universe that would happen
@@kibitznec700 I mean, I saw the game so… 2 TDs lost - 1 called back and 1 dropped. The final was 27-17.
Every time I see that Soldier Field turf, MY bones hurt. For some reason it always looked harder than all the rest.
I imagine that it was when it was below freezing and the snow and sleet turned to ice-like playing conditions. That artificial turf was just nasty.
And don't forget those dugout trenches on both sidelines, which they never filled up until 1979.
I wonder how many players ended up there not by their own decision. It's surprising that they didn't get rid of them earlier.
The Bears were a tough 7-7 in 1976.... outscored the opponents 253-216 with a very one-sided offense! Sweetness nearly had as many yards from scrimmage as the Bears had passing...and the Bears had 3 1 point losses,2 to the Vikings NFC Champions, and 1 to Oakland (Super Bowl XI winner) but Jim Finks was starting to lay the groundwork
The Bears were hosed by the refs in that Oakland game - quick whistle
The Cowboys were too much for the Bears in the '77 playoff, but in that era, the Cowboys were too much for most teams.
I watched that playoff game on tv and the only Bears score was towards the end of the game, so that Steve Schubert spike was bush league.
@@markgardner9460 I agree! You getting beat by 30 points,why spike the ball?
@tommy. Can't blame the Bears for their playoff loss going up against the so called "America's team" from back then, but give credit due for making the playoffs.
Soldier Field was a dark and cold place back then until Ditka and McMahon came in and suddenly the clouds parted and the sun came out.
Well stated!
It still is. Ditka and McMahon were self promoters who came to Chicago to promote themselves.
@@kendallevans4079So true
Great job on the video and love the funky music makes me want to get up and boogie
Thank you - I really appreciate that. Thanks for watching and commenting!
It was always a good Sunday watching the NFL on CBS when it was from frigid Soldier Field. With those monuments towering in the background, the wind chill factor, the loud fans- it was always a good game even with those QBs they had. Good stuff, Mark. 🏈
It always seemed that Tim Ryan and former-Bears wide receiver Johnny Morris were the commentators for Bears home games.
I remember the game vs. KC in 1977. Nearly punched a hole in the ceiling jumping so high to celebrate the victory. Avelllini looked like he was trying to throw wearing a straightjacket but he seemed to have a strong arm. I don't recall the Bears having any last second wins like that since. Thanks for the memories.
Good point about Avellini not having anywhere near a fluid throwing motion, but it did look like he had a live arm.
Ive heard some stories as well as reading Jeff Pearlman's outstanding biography of Walter Payton, "Sweetness" about a decade ago that suggested that Avelinni wasnt the most popular, well-liked guy on the roster. He could come across as more then a little bit arrogant, diva-like and a prima donna when his stats and performances didnt back up his attitude. Phipps, IIRC, and a few other of Walter's teammates said in the book that the major problem with the mid-late 70's Chicago Bears was their ownership/FO's overall philosophy and committment to winning with bargain-basement, cheap players. They also had a future HOF GM in Jim Finks who was a great, saavy judge of talent but never felt that you had to have a great QB to win games, even in Minnesota, before Tarkenton was traded back to Vikings in 1972, Finks believed that a middling, mediocre QB in Gary Cuozzo was sufficient to win Super Bowls.
Thankfully, Bud Grant was conscious and prescient enough to recognize this stupidity, but Finks' mindset on employing mediocre, lackluster QB's while stacking the rest of the team with Pro-Bowlers was how you won NFC Central division titles, or made the postseason.
Finks refused to entertain a possible trade with SB-winning QB, 4-time Pro-Bowl Kenny Stabler with Oakland in 1979 preseason, saying "we're happy with who we have" and only begrudgingly considered the Raiders offer by trading a 3rd or 4th round pick. Many Bears scouts and players were certain that on Draft day 1979, they'd draft Joe Montana out of Notre Dame?
We all know how that turned out.
They were just as happy being a "bubble" playoff team going 10-6, 9-5, or 9-7, as much as going 7-9, 6-10, or 8-8.
Thank you for providing awesome information. So Jim Finks was to blame - I was unaware of his philosophy in that regard.
Regarding Halas (the team) being satisfied with middling win/loss records, it reminds me of Connie Mack's similar philosophy of fielding those sorts of teams because it will keep the fans interested and coming to the games, but you don't have to pay the players high salaries because it isn't substantiated based upon not going to the playoffs.
Thank you for watching and commenting - much appreciated!
Despite being a quarterback in his playing days, Finks really had a blind spot when it came to the quarterback position. He traded a first round pick for Mike Phipps who had maybe a good nine game stretch in his entire Bear career @@davidroberts7282
Pretty sure I caught a glimpse of my high school principal Steve Okoniewski playing DT for the Packers here. He was journeyman for GB, Buffalo and others. Settled outside of Green Bay and limped about the halls as our warden. Nice guy of course but you look at him different as teen
That's cool. One of my buddies had former Bengals linebacker Jim LeClair as a high school gym teacher. I see that Okoniewski played for the Cardinals for a couple of years after the Packers and that he was a second round draft pick. Thanks for watching and commenting!
In my freshman year at TSU, my PE teacher was former Steeler defensive end Ben McGee. He was a quiet guy, didn't really seem to like talking about football much.
Bears didn't end up with a decent QB until Jim McMahon in '82 (?). Before that it was probably Sid Luckman from back in the 40's! Most of the time QB was never the Bears best position.
They almost drafted Montana in Round 3 in 1979, but Jim Finks changed his mind at the last second.
Billy Wade is not well known, but he wasn't bad. He led the league in passing attempts and completions and threw for over 3,000 yards in a 14 game season in 1962 ( John Unitas only had 2,967) and then led the Bears to the NFL title in 1963. His stats were not that far down in 1964, but the team had a losing record and in 1965, with Gayle Sayers now on the team, they gave the starting to Rudy Bukich which became Jack Concannon in 1968 and the start of the Bears run of Hall of Shame quarterbacks.
@@williamford9564 I was going to mention Bob Wade
@@williamford9564Rudy Bukich actually led the league in passing in 1965 and had one of the best years any Bears QB ever had (20 TD, 9 INT, QBR 93.7). Problem was, he was 35 years old and on the downside of his career, which only lasted 3 more seasons.
@@russellmurray3964 Bukich did play well. As you said he was older. He initially intended to retire after 1966 so the Bears traded for Concannon in early 1967 thinking he was a worthy successor. I think Bukich did agree to come back in 1967 as a backup and mentor.
Today's Bears fans actually have it pretty good in comparison to the 70s! 🤣
That's a great way of looking at it! Everything is relative.
From 1975-1979 you really could not distinguish between Gary Huff, Bob Avellini, and Mike Phipps. All three threw for 2x as many INT's vs TD's. You could not rely on any of them to win a game but can count on them losing it. At least Vince Evans was fun to watch. The Bears franchise was built on defense and great RB's although that was missing for several seasons in the last 40 years.
On my way home to watch this!
The Bears were snake bit all of the '70s. Avellini was horrible indeed, Vince Evans seemed to have the most talent. All the Bears qb's were tossed around like rag dolls....the Dallas playoff game was lost when they got off the bus. Nobody NOBODY gave Chi. a chance in that wildcard game. Sweetness though, man what a talent. Walter is top 3 all time! Thanks brother you're appreciated.
To me, Vince Evans was similar in style to Bobby Douglass. Both of them were tough, great runners, and had BIG arms - they could really fire the ball.
For value (rushing, receiving, blocking, leadership, and in a pinch quarterbacking/kicking/punting, if needed) I give the nod to Payton as the #1 RB of all-time
@@markgardner9460 agreed. Didn't Payton get a ring in '85...he would have been around 32?
Yes, 32. I just saw this: he lead the NFL in carries each year from '76 through '79. Talk about durable - then he played 8 more full seasons!
@@markgardner9460 Think about Payton getting tackled, he was amazing at avoiding hits, glancing off. I guess you could say he was an angry runner but he had/(depended on) an unbelievable straight arm and an innate ability to slither through stone wall hits. One of my favorite backs/players all time....shame he's not still with us. Thanks for your hard work and tolerating garrulous idiots like me.
I used to love watching him pop up super quickly when tackled. It was like he was on a trampoline. He weighed only 202 pounds, but he played like he was 250 pounds with no regard for his body. Thanks, Jammin'; it's easy to tolerate a super fan of this NFL era.
It is a shame the Bears and Rams had good teams in the 70's with no Quarterback.
No the Rams had great teams. They made the playoffs almost every year.
bears? Jajajajajajajajajajaja
@@kibitznec700 Bears made the playoffs many times in the late 70's.
Another 100 great video! I'm reliving my young days here!!
Looking at this video compared to the one I made for the Bears QB's from '70-'74, I think that this bunch from '75-'79 was worse. What do you think?
I don't know the stats perfectly but this group could rank as the worst group of five years in history which would be a great video itselff ranking worst QB's on a team in a five year or decade period.@@markgardner9460
That's a great idea - thanks!!! I've already got something in mind.
The back round music is great. Some sweet licks.
Right on - thanks, Donald.
The Bears has already wasted the great careers of Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. Now with Walter Payton, perhaps the most complete RB the game ever saw, Chicago almost wasted another. It was fortunate that Mike Ditka would come to town and change that culture. And finally give Sweetness his ring.
That Bears-Cowboys playoff tilt in '77, was the only post-season match-up between Walter Payton and Tony Dorsett. The Doomsday Defense was special that season. And in that unforgettable post-season. Arguably the best that America's Team ever fielded.
Ditka didn't do anything other than promote himself
@@kendallevans4079 Wrong. Before Ditka the Bears were an also-ran team. With minimal success at best. Mike turned that program around. Winning Coach of the year twice. He made them a powerhouse contender and a World Champion in 1985(one of the most dominant teams in history). As a player Ditka was a no-nonsense competitor. Nothing change when he was assistant under Coach Landry with the Cowboys. So I would hope as HC he would try to instill that kind of discipline to his players. And he did. The results speak for themselves.
Drafting McMahon and Dan Hampton helped immensely.
and Singletary
@@markgardner9460 Singletary was drafted in 2nd round in 1981. Amazing that 37 players were picked before him. He would start 9 games that year. Playing behind the one and only Alan Page(playing in his final season)
Boy were these guys bad! Even worse than the early 70’s group. I seem to recall Avellini complaining when the Bears drafted McMahon. This guy is arguably worst starter in league history with a minimum of 50 career starts. No mobility, bonehead passes and always good for a costly fumble or sack. I think Rusty Lisch could have done better. Nice work, Mr. Gardner. Brutal is being kind.
I agree with you - this group is worse than the early '70's group. Why they stuck with Avellini so long is amazing. He was only a 6th round draft pick, so it wasn't like they had invested a lot into him. Maybe it was Halas' tight-fistedness.
Thumbs up for the content and putting this one together . I appreciate the efforts to bring back the old days, and it works on me every time!
You're welcome - thanks for watching and commenting!
Rare mistake by Sweetness not getting out of bounds against the Giants, but it worked out ( at least until the Cowboys buried them)
He wasn't used to running out of bounds, right?
The Bears best QB during that period was Walter Payton.
Their best Receiver and kick returner too.
If they had asked him to play Safety he could have done that as well.
I worked at Soldier Field from 1977 to 1980 and saw him play in person.
The Michael Jordan of football.
He was the Bears back-up Punter and Kicker too!
That Greg Latta TD against Kansas City was quite stunning,
I didn't care for his celebration in the outfield end zone at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, MN.
@@markgardner9460 me neither
Mark comes in and saves the day 🏈
It's a party on a Friday night!!!
Avellini was bad. Huff was worse
Somehow the Bucs thought highly enough of him to start him in '77.
Huff looked like he could play,but not so much..
Who hit Phillps at 20:15 it made me wince!
Look at some of those receptions and Bears fans had to wonder, "What if we had a real QB?" (Nice highlights of Hendricks, Villapiano, and Colzie.)
I watched that '76 Bears/Raiders game on tv back then - great game
Walter Payton tackled in the end zone for a safety! There's something you didn't see every day...
Having a play run wide while in the shadow of your own end zone isn't the best play to call, but yeah, definitely rare.
Aw man and at 9:20 Payton runs down an interception return after 55 yards, that was great!
YES! I love that play - he was a total gamer.
By future teammate Tommy Hart
That's right! Good call.
Avellini has a few pretty passes sprinkled in here.
Yes, I noticed that he had a pretty strong arm, as a few of these passes were thrown right on a line - not rainbow passes.
Good stuff! Thx
Thank you - great to hear from you again!
Great stuff.
Thank you!!
You ain’t never lied Payton left Payton right Payton up the middle a horror show at QB Avellini ,Hufff ,Douglass a lefty running nut QB lol thank Goodness Sweetness survived
It's amazing that Walter could stay so healthy, given the number of carries and the fact that everybody in the stadium knew that he was going to get the ball.
@@markgardner9460Payton once remarked that one thing he really appreciated about Jim McMahon was that when Ditka and Ed Hughes would call Walter's number for a run up the middle against a stacked d-line on 3rd and 8, McMahon would audible out of it and get the easy short pass for a first down, saving Payton a bit of futile wear and tear running a play destined for failure. And he admired McMahon having the moxie to hold his own afterward with Ditka on the sidelines when Jimmy Mac was getting his butt chewed out for changing the play.
Hi Marc - Bobby Douglas!!! Have to get one of his jersey- arm like a cannon but couldn’t hit a barn side
Hi Ross! I was thinking to myself, if I got a Bears jersey of an offensive player and it couldn't be Sayers or Payton, who would it be? Well, I'm not sure that I've come to a conclusion yet. You know me, I've got to keep it prior to '81.
That would be reasonable but I would choose Piccolo or Douglas
I'd probably go with Ditka's #89, then how 'bout Bobby Joe Green's #88 for kicks 'n giggles?
@@markgardner9460 oh nice option , of course you have Dick Butkus as I seen you wear it.
I could opt for Doug Atkins or Bill George or #77 Red Grange
Ha, ha, we've been waiting for this!
I couldn't hold off any longer. Which batch of QB's was worse, from the 1st video or 2nd?
@@markgardner9460 The second. The fact that they stuck with Avellini ( a 6th round draft pick, not like he was drafted as an “elite” quarterback) that long is appalling. 69 interceptions! And can you believe they traded a FIRST ROUND draft pick for Phipps who was a 5 year bust in Cleveland!!
In 7 years with the Browns, he threw for exactly 7,700 yards and 40 td's with 81 int's. What the heck did the Bears think they were getting anyway? He couldn't even beat out 13th round draft pick Brian Sipe for the starting job in Cleveland.
Thank God for Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka
As a lifelong Bears fan, I recall since grade school the team has a history of revolving door of quarterbacks.
Bo Rather a nice play down the sidelines against St Louis...
Avellini had a good rapport with #89 James Scott who was a decent deep threat. Why didn't the Bears draft a QB in the first round until McMahon in 82 ?
Turk Schonert in the '80 9th round was the highest QB selected after Vince Evans in the 6th round of the '77 draft. They stockpiled defensive picks, predominately.
@@markgardner9460 It paid off in the long run but they took a long time to get there.
Bears gave up a 1st round pick for Phipps in 78. Then passed up Montana in the 3rd round in 79
Willie McClendon was their 3rd round pick - oops! Could have had Joe, but then again, a lot of other teams missed on him, too.
It still blows my mind how long Avellini started. And in papa bears number of all things.
I didn't even know that Halas' number was 7. I learn something new everyday from viewers like yourself - thanks!
@@markgardner9460 no problem. I bleed blue and orange.
My grandfather's favorite running back was Bronko Nagurski. Gotta love that last name - it's a lot like Butkus, Csonka, Ditka and Nitschke....hard-sounding vowels.
@@markgardner9460 it's easy to see why, didn't he come back 6 years after he retired cause they lost all the FBS to the war draft? There's so many great players over the years and a lot get forgotten. Bill George, Doug Atkins, Wally Chambers, The whole 63 team l,Buffone. Galimore. It's the mythology of the Bears that keeps me around.
Bears have had shitty qb play since Sid Luckman. How come they can't get it right? Jim McMahon was the only descent one but he was hurt way too much.
It's amazing. You'd think that they'd find a diamond in the rough by now, so I think that it has to be attributed to team philosopy in combination with coaching. I mean, what else? 80+ years now.
@markgardner9460 the bears have always had the reputation for being cheap.
That's another great point.
I think the old man (Halas) was partially to blame, for stubbornly refusing to change eith the times as the years went on. His ideas of offense was considered archaic even for the '70s.
My college room mate in the 80s grew up in Chi. he called him ANVIL ini. he threw shot puts
Wow I saw #27 Bob grim playing for da Bears 🐻 I never knew that I've seen him on Vikings and giants before
Yep - Grim started with the Vikes, then played with the G-Men, Da Bears, then back to the Vikes for '76 and '77
Didn't know he went back to Vikings good stuff I love learning
At Fran Tarkenton's insistence is how Grim came back to play for the Vikes and that's how Bob Tucker (another Giants receiver) came to play with the Vikes for the last 4 years of his career. What Fran wanted, Fran got.
I know Bob Tucker was te on Giants really good too bad it went bad in NY for Fran
Exactly how bad it got will be addressed in my next video - super excited about it.
Virgil Carter also played Bears QB in the 76 season, mop-up duty only, in the 33-7 win over Washington and the 34-7 win over Seattle.
That's right - he threw a touchdown on three completions and then his career was finished.
No football franchise in history have been this bad at the quarterback position and we all have to thank the McCaskeys.
The Bears made the playoffs in 1977 and 1979 so whatever the QBs did that season obviously must have worked
I think that the success was primarily due to Walter Payton's 1,852 rushing yards in 1977 which was #1 in the NFL, his 1,610 rushing yards in 1979 which was #2, and the Bears playing in an extremely weak NFC Central Division.
No it was because of Walter Payton both times
No team in history can match the Bears lifetime achievement award of employing such mediocre quarterbacks for decades. I’m 61 and can’t remember them ever having a real stud QB. Luckman is before my time 😊
I'm guessing that Luckman is before almost all viewers of this channel time. I'd love to see video of his passing! It's quite rare, I'm sure. Thank you for watching and commenting.
As a Broncos fan, we've had a not-so-great run.
But this vid shows me it could be a lot worse...
I think the only team that had it worse at QB was the Bucs their first few years.
@4:30 you highlight Alden Roche, but not the 3rd overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft out of SIU Lionel Antoine. Ahh Lionel, the days before Mel Kiper
Yes, sometimes it's tough to cram in everything into these videos, but thanks for pointing that out.
@@markgardner9460 It was sarcasm. I am just amazed how NFL teams could not draft back then
Yeah, they didn't have the scouting combine, but then again the 1974 1st round was held on January 29th. Now it's held three months later, so teams had far less time to perform their due diligence.
@@newtheisThe Bears couldn't draft worth beans until Jim Finks showed up in 1974. And Lionel Antoine was one of their better picks, that's how lousy the other ones were.
Someday, a creature will come from outer space and demand I turn over all 27 of my 1976 Bob Avellini cards. Sigh.
Remember when Joe Charboneau rookie cards were hot in '81? Dealers were selling lots of 100 of his for $100+
RIP Bob Avellini
the Honey Bears they should bring them back
Yes!!!
Yes they really do need to bring them back.
Bobby Douglas he was more like a running back.
That he was! One fearless runner for sure.
I’m almost 70 and I don’t ever remember the Bears having a good QB for more than a year or two. The only good QB they’ve ever had for any length of time was Sid Luckman, who was way before my time.
Tommy Hart taking down Payton for a safety! He was a heck of a player
Very underrated. Played with the Bears after the Niners.
They would usually Kaveri good dfence
Da Bears haven't had a franchise QB since Sid Luckman
That's about 75 years ago - they should have had at least one or two since then!
The team has a better tradition of running backs and defensive players.
🎉🎉🎉
I'm glad that you liked it!
It doesn't seem to be posting comments?
It's posting
I smh when I watch late 70's Bears. Every game I watched I was saying the have got to have somebdy better than Vince Evans.
I scratch my head too, thinking about how many QB's they've went through and are still looking to land a perennial Pro Bowl QB.
@@markgardner9460 yep
They traded QB Orton and a few high draft picks for Jay Cutler who was a Pro Bowler in 2008. How did he do? 8 years and no Pro Bowls.
Poor Walter. No wonder he had the rushing record. They couldn’t pass even back then!
Walter was a one man gang. I'm amazed that he was able to produce such huge numbers year after year because he wasn't that big of a guy.
please tell me who you all was the most elite between the 14 seahawks 07 colts 85 bears 92 cowboys and 15 patriots
I'll go with the '92 CB's
Always felt Evans didn't get a fair shake with Bears , "O" line wasn't the greatest when he 1st came in ans offense was totally geared to Payton
You bring up a good point. The Bears offensive line was geared towards the run, so they drafted accordingly. Logically, the pass blocking would suffer. It's the exact opposite problem that Dan Marino experienced in Miami where they were a passing team, so they drafted offensive linemen primarily for their pass-protecting skills. Therefore, Miami's rushing attack suffered.
Evans was the most gifted athlete. Had high hopes for him just didn’t work out. That blame falls on the organization not the offensive line. Bears invested 4 first round picks in the offensive line between 76-83 never had a good offensive coordinator
I think his inaccuracy was the biggest factor. He had a cannon for an arm, but he couldn't control it - much like Bobby Douglass.
But he did manage to have a long career. Helped get the Raiders into the playoffs in 1993.
I think that's a credit to his demonstrated ability to always be ready for action in the event of an injury and also in keeping in great shape at an advanced football age. He also must have had the respect of his teammates or else Al Davis would not have kept him on the team for so long.
When was the last time Chicago had a decent QB? Jim McMahon?
Jay Cutler was OK. In '95, Erik Kramer had 29 td's, 10 int's and 3,838 yards, but he didn't make the Pro Bowl and that was his only standout year with the Bears.
Didn't Phil.Villapiano take down Avillini by the face mask ?
I'll have to take another look see.
Considering it was Villapiano, and especially the team he played for, I would not be surprised.
Ah, yes. The good old days of the NFC Central. The Vikings were good, but never quite good enough. The Bears, Packers, and Lions were three poorly run, skinflint franchises stuck in the past. Then the league tossed in the Bucs for good measure.
I will say, though, as a Packers fan, I do sort of miss those days. There were no disappointments because there were no expectations. My friends and I would get together every Sunday, crack open a beer, and wait for the comic mishaps. When The Pack got good in the 90s a lot was gained, but something was lost, too.
Maybe The Pack of those days were like the Chicago Cubs - the lovable losers - where it was much to be a fan of perpetual losers.
"Huff" was alright...."However" Bobby Douglas"...was my boy....in spite of his "alledged shortcomings....he being a "southpaw"too...."I love to see a "southpaw" rifle the ball"!!
"Avellini was o.k. he had a "decent arm".."he was not as "agile" as "Bobby" !!!
Douglass was incredibly agile - AND a bruising runner, too, when the situation called for it. In these QB's defense, they didn't have any big name receivers to which to throw, but then it becomes a case of "which cames first: the chicken or the egg?" Were the QB's bad because the receivers were bad or the other way around?
@@markgardner9460
"Agreed"!!
I wonder if fans were screaming BOB AVELLINI IS MY QB back in the 70s 🤣😂
Or maybe more like "Get him outta there!!!"
I went to a bunch of games at Soldier Field back then, and I can guarantee you absolutely no one I ever ran into was saying anything remotely like that. It was more like, "THAT (expletive) AVELLINI IS OUR (expletive) QB (expletive, expletive)".
@@russellmurray3964 yet today they scream for our modern day Bob avellini
Those stats at the end, jeez, they had a better shot with Johnny Manzel at quarterback
Yeah, no kidding!
Chicago… “Where Quarterbacks go to die”
Jim McMahon
Jimmy Mac said that, eh? He was one tough dude.
I didn't know his name was Bob! My Dad used to call him, FU*KIN AVELLINI!
Same thing with Gary Cuozzo when he was with the Vikes!
You could say Walter Payton was the whole Bears offense until Mike Ditka arrived. And even then their offense was boring
Every once in awhile Walter would throw on an option play, but other than that...
Love the white pants white jersey road unis 00:19
They look crisp 'n clean. I like 'em too!
I, personally never cared for the navy blue pants.
@@robertmasina7388 The Bears introduced the navy blue pants in 1984 to connect with the 1940 championship team that also wore navy blue pants (the Bears hadn't worn them since 1940. On an interesting side note, they did wear orange pants in 1948-49 and in preseason games of 1950 and 1952). I don't remember exactly why, but I'm guessing it was in tribute to founder/owner/coach George Halas, who had passed away the previous season on 10/31/83.
Looking at these highlights a few things stand out. What is the deal with these 10 yard drop backs. In these highlights, you rarely see a 3,5, or 7 step drop back and release which is standard in today’s NFL but John Unitas was doing that in the 60s. The deeper drop backs mean the ball is in the air longer. A 10 yard pass beyond the line of scrimmage is 20 yards, a 10 yard out pattern to the sidelines is now 40 yards. There seems to be absolutely no timing between quarterbacks and receivers; the quarterbacks seem to have no clue where to throw the ball, they either hols onto the ball too long or they’re panicking and throwing the ball up for grabs. These guys are taking lots of sacks and turning over the ball a ton. It might not just be the quarterback. They’re set up to fail with a crappy offensive line and a coaching staff giving these guys absolutely no direction
With only a few exceptions, NFL teams in this era were predominately running teams. The QB's coming out of college were almost all QB's who rarely threw the ball. So, the modern passing game was in it's infancy in that regard (The AFL is an entirely different story). I like that you mentioned the offensive line because they were drafted primarily based upon their run blocking effectiveness. Coaches, too, were inexperienced in passing strategies. Viewers of today's product are spoiled because they mainly view QB's who are first rate passers who had years of passing experience through high school and college. By the time that they arrive at the pro level, a lot of them are game ready.
Bo rather related to you know who?
Bo Jackson? Dan Rather?
Dan
Tuff
Don't forget Rusty Lisch 😮
Yeah, he played in '84 for Da Bears.
Was avellini that bad?
Let's just say that he wasn't that good, but then again, he was the first string QB. So if he was bad as the first string QB, how bad were the second and third stringers?
I missed the stats about avellini at the end omg.
Bears maybe had 2 or 3 years with a good QB since ive been watching them since 75
Isn't that amazing? Hard to believe that they can't get it right.
Bud Wikenson was a huge mistake
I think the Cards lost their first 8 games
Had Bidwell spent some money and let Don Coryell do his job unabated- the Cardinals would’ve remained competitive. Instead- Bidwell was cheap- Coryell leaves and goes to San Diego, Cards bring in Wilkinson and that was the end for the Cardiac Cardinals.
@@roxiebeagle Bidwell left a lot to be desired...
Now that I think about it- the Don Coryell St. Louis years are usually forgotten because of his career with the Chargers. The Cardinals from 73-78 would be a great story: building the foundation for greatness but never finishing and then watching it crumble.
That's a good idea - thank you!
Honey Bears
Bring 'em back!!
@@markgardner9460 number 10 on NFL worst cursed teams
Walter Payton didn't have any help at all. The Bears don't know how to establish a passing game to this day. If I were Caleb Williams. I would tell the Bears not to draft me.
That's right - hold out and request a trade if they did.
Good grief the bears QB’s from the 70’s sucked Royal Ass. It’s hard to win when you’re QB throws more INTs than TDs
....and those guys were doing that at a 2 to 1 clip. Just awful.
My Favorite was #8 Vince Evans He was Fun to Watch. He was Also Good with the Oakland Raiders Too.
Yes, he had a very long career. Even though he didn't start that many games, he did play professionally for 17 years, so that is amazing. He was even out of the NFL for the '88 season, but came back to play another 7 years.
What were you watching!? Evans was TERRIBLE!
If he was so terrible, how did he play 17 years in the NFL?
@@markgardner9460 part time backup the whole 17 yrs.
@@debbiehenson1096 Why are You Hating?
bears had no business in 77 and 79 playoffs.
Well, they played in an extremely weak NFC Central Division, so that helped.
No importa igual NO BUSINESS IN 77 AND 79.
Scrubs all
Seriously, when has this fannchise EVER had a QB?
Way back in the 1940's - Sid Luckman. Hall of Famer, but not really a household name to today's NFL fans, perhaps.
bob grim? lol