Week 1 1987: Bears vs Giants on MNF

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

In a week 1 MNF matchup between the last two Super Bowl Champions the Bears would win 34-19 to start off the season 1-0.

This game is broken up into numerous videos. I will post the different parts with random thoughts/facts about them.

Part 1:

[video=youtube;JXidIrr9RZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXidIrr9RZo[/video]

-Astro turf is hideous...how did anyone ever play on it?

-Even on the first snap you can still see the Bears using base 46 looks.

-The Bears CB's: Vestee Jackson and Reggie Phillips...yuck

-We get to see Phil Simms here for the entire game. One of the more underrated QB's in NFL history

-The Giants had a lot of early success running on the Bears and catching them in blitzes and single coverage

-(6:45)Love the Bears coming out in the "ultra" back backfield starting both Walter Payton and Neal Anderson. For as archaic as the Bears were for most of this era on offense playing two multi-purpose RB's at the same time was pretty forward thinking of them

- First play from scrimmage Tomczak(Starting for a yet again injured McMahon) takes about a 12 step drop. Nice coaching there.

-(7:30) Bears called a literal dive play for Payton and he (nearly) fumbles......I take back everything nice I said above about the Bears offensive thinking above.

-On the very next play on 3rd and 2 the Bears come out in the shotgun and throw the ball down the field. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?

-The Giants then block a punt to score a TD to end this section of the film.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 2

[video=youtube;ldG2F-fgRjA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldG2F-fgRjA[/video]

-Thomas Sanders get a nice return on the next kick off and nearly fumbles right back to the Giants.

-(1:45) The Bears continue to try and throw the football. This time off play action. It does not go well.

-(2:30) The Bears get cute again trying a throw back screen the Moorehead who has miles of room in front of him...but drops the ball before he even gets going. :obama:

+points for creativity here and taking advantage of the Giants aggressiveness but holy cow it's executed poorly.

-(3:30)You see closeups of the players helmets now(like after the 3rd down McKinnon catch) and no wonder players brains are mush. They just look ridiculously unsafe and supportive. Plus to have your head bouncing off astro turf....yikes.

-(4:00) Neal Anderson get's absolutely blown up on a 4th an 1 by LT. Just...blown up. I'm surprised he knew what sideline to go to.

-Despite all the blitzing the Bears defense having a real tough time getting home to Phil Simms. Not much pressure up the middle from the DT's and the DE's getting washed out of the play way high side.

ruprecht · Oct 22, 2014

Astroturf was basically concrete with a smidge of carpet on top.

Jack Lame · Oct 22, 2014

Part 2 is still the part 1 video

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 3

[video=youtube;ey6aBUvi6NU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey6aBUvi6NU[/video]

-(2:05) Walter Payton gets eaten alive by Harry Carson

-(2:45) T-Suck with his patented "Stare down the WR then loft a ball into traffic". This time it's not picked off in play.

-(3:30) Neal Anderson with a big catch on a 3rd down conversion. Tomczak of course gets him killed on the play by staring him down.

-(4:25) Doug Flutie sighting! Had Tomczak gotten hurt Flutie was his backup in this game

-(4:54) For all of you who were too young to remember the greatness that was young Neal Anderson..watch this draw play. The one cut he makes in the backfield freezes 3-4 Giant defenders. Just spectacular

-(5:15) Want to know why the Bears were so good during this era? Nice stat there. Anderson was 1 of 11 Bears were were 1st round draft picks. Most in the NFL.

-(5:50) Tomczak doing Tomczak things.Almost getting Moorehead killed.

-(7:15) I again direct you to the greatness of young Neal Anderson on this 3rd down conversion. Watch him absolutely hit the afterburners when he turns the corner. He outran TWO players angles on the play. Just beautiful.

-Pretty interesting as we close out this Part how little Payton has been used. By my count he only has three touches to this point in the game

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Bearsz said:
Part 2 is still the part 1 video

Fixed. Thanks!

nwfisch · Oct 22, 2014

Awesome. Thanks for the great memories.

Too bad I wasn't alive then

.

Omeletpants · Oct 22, 2014

Watch to see if Lawrence Taylor did anything against Jimbo Covert.

Covert destroyed him in the playoffs the year the Bears one the SB and I dont remember him doing anything against Covert ever

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 4

[video=youtube;ldG2F-fgRjA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldG2F-fgRjA[/video]

-(1:15) Gary Fencik in his final season of play and on kick off coverage forces a fumble on the kick return after the Butler field goal....however the officials rule the runner was down.

-(4:00) The Bear defense starts to find it's legs a little bit. An all out blitz gets home with Marshall and Singletary getting to Simms.

-(4:50) On the first play of the second quarter the Bears get home again on the pass rush to take down Simms. Mongo and Otis Wilson involved on this one. Wilson gets an easy speed rush and forces Simms right into Mongo. The Bears DT's this drive really started to play well.

-(6:15) Remember how forward thinking I mentioned the Bears were earlier? Strike that. On this play and through out the rest of the game and season they will willingly use Neal Anderson as a battering ram blocking back for Payton. The Bears top draft pick from the year before and heir to the RB thrown at 5'11 210lbs is being used as a HEAD DOWN BLOCKING FULL BACK ON A REGULAR BASIS. Let that sink in.

-(6:55) Two of the best to ever play the game meet here as LT tackles Payton after a short gain.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 5:

[video=youtube;baQCY5SSu1Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baQCY5SSu1Y[/video]

-Something to note is how loud the crowd seems to be the entire game. Just a constant loud roar.

-(0:10) Singletary with an absurdly great play. Gets cut down from the side, somehow keeps his feet jumps over the bulk of the block and goes to make the tackle. The replay shows it really well.

-(0:50) I keep cringing. The amount of times you see huge collisions with guys just ducking their heads down while running full force into piles is horrifying.

-(2:20) The Bears pressure REALLY starting to get home on a consistent basis. Simms almost gets killed here

-You almost feel bad for Rutledge having to come in here...Almost. You know that entire Bears defense now smells blood in the water.

-(6:45) The roughing the passer call on Wilson there is pretty tame for that era.

-(8:12) How Simms survives this sandwich hit I will never know or understand.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 6
[video=youtube;ixQGjhjkt7I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixQGjhjkt7I[/video]

-(1:35) Payton's 169th consecutive NFL start.

-(2:25) Just Neal Anderson out running people to the corner. Jesus. BTW, that Giant defender left in the vapor trail...Lawrence Taylor.

-(2:55) Jim McMahon #SWAG alert.

-(3:15) Tomczak gon Tomczak. Stairs down WR. Rifles a pass off target. Intercepted.

-(4:45) Rutledge back in to be sacrificed...Otis Wilson was a bad BAD man. I think he is single-handedly trying to kill every Giants QB

-(6:25) Sean Landeta looks like your creepy uncle.

-(6:30) OMG Tech geeks nerd out. IMB commercial!

-(6:45) Looks like those glancing blows have ALWAYS been illegal.........

-(7:30) Tomczak with Gault wide open over the top.....throws way off target.

-(8:30) Pepper Johnson with a nice take down of Anderson in the backfield.

-(9:20) Rookie Ron Morris with his first NFL catch for a big 3rd down conversion.

mecha · Oct 22, 2014

wrong video again :0

buckaroo2311 · Oct 22, 2014

FirstTimer said:
In a week 1 MNF matchup between the last two Super Bowl Champions the Bears would win 34-19 to start off the season 1-0.

This game is broken up into numerous videos. I will post the different parts with random thoughts/facts about them.

Part 1:

[video=youtube;JXidIrr9RZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXidIrr9RZo[/video]

-Astro turf is hideous...how did anyone ever play on it?

-Even on the first snap you can still see the Bears using base 46 looks.

-The Bears CB's: Vestee Jackson and Reggie Phillips...yuck

-We get to see Phil Simms here for the entire game. One of the more underrated QB's in NFL history

-The Giants had a lot of early success running on the Bears and catching them in blitzes and single coverage

-(6:45)Love the Bears coming out in the "ultra" back backfield starting both Walter Payton and Neal Anderson. For as archaic as the Bears were for most of this era on offense playing two multi-purpose RB's at the same time was pretty forward thinking of them

- First play from scrimmage Tomczak(Starting for a yet again injured McMahon) takes about a 12 step drop. Nice coaching there.

-(7:30) Bears called a literal dive play for Payton and he (nearly) fumbles......I take back everything nice I said above about the Bears offensive thinking above.

-On the very next play on 3rd and 2 the Bears come out in the shotgun and throw the ball down the field. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?

-The Giants then block a punt to score a TD to end this section of the film.

Is that Al Micheals voice?

mecha · Oct 22, 2014

Tomczak was horrible.

that defense was brutal. Simms nearly died like 6 times. LOL

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 7

[video=youtube;883Kr40Lsds]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=883Kr40Lsds[/video]

-(3:45) It's amazing even on checkdown passes to the flat Tomczak finds a way to stare even THOSE down.

-(6:35) Payton finally gets free for a little running room. Throws that stiff arm and gets dragged down.

-(8:35) Great run by Anderson.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

mecha said:
wrong video again :0

Fixed.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

Part 8

[video=youtube;2YlZ-W6qe2Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YlZ-W6qe2Y[/video]

-(2:25) Everyone wants the FRIDGE

-(3:10) Tomczak for the score. Bears likely would have been better off with him getting killed here and playing Flutie.

-(3:20) LT and the official on the left of the screen get into a shoving match of sorts. No flag. What the hell?

We go to the half with the Bears ahead 10-7

That's it for the day. I'll come back tomorrow with the videos and comments for the Parts covering the 2nd half.

Enjoy these for tonight!

bearmick · Oct 22, 2014

I actually remember this game. I remember the blocked punt.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

buckaroo2311 said:
Is that Al Micheals voice?

Yes sir.

FirstTimer · Oct 22, 2014

bearmick said:
I actually remember this game.

Simms and McMahon likely don't. :lol:

Week 1 1987: Bears vs Giants on MNF

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

Bills Board Hall of Famer

New member

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

Hall of Famer

My favorite teams

Save America

My favorite teams

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

Captain Objectivity

v. 2.0: Fully Modded

v. 2.0: Fully Modded