The Chicago Bears dominated the New England Patriots on January 26, 1986, claiming their only Super Bowl championship with a stunning 46-10 victory. The legendary Bears defense recorded seven sacks and limited the Patriots to minus-19 yards through the first half in what many consider one of the greatest football performances ever televised.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Location: Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 26, 1986
- Final Score: Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
- MVP: Richard Dent, defensive end, recorded 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles
- Historic Achievement: Bears set Super Bowl record for most points and largest margin of victory (36 points)
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The 1985 Chicago Bears entered Super Bowl XX as the second team in NFL history to win 15 regular season games with an undefeated 15-1 mark. Under head coach Mike Ditka, the Bears had outscored opponents by a staggering 456 to 198 margin during the regular season. The 46 defense was revolutionary, ranked first in the league in points allowed at 198, first in total yards at 4,135, and recorded two postseason shutouts including blanking the Los Angeles Rams 24-0 in the NFC Championship.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots were considered a Cinderella story with an 11-5 record, having qualified as a wild card team after winning tiebreaker scenarios. Remarkably, they had won three consecutive playoff games on the road to reach the Super Bowl, defeating the New York Jets, Los Angeles Raiders, and Miami Dolphins to earn their first championship game appearance since entering the AFL in 1960.
A Dominant Performance From the Opening Kickoff
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The Patriots achieved the quickest lead in Super Bowl history when kicker Tony Franklin booted a 36-yard field goal just 1:19 into the contest. However, this would be New England’s only highlight. Chicago responded decisively with defensive end Richard Dent forcing fumbles and quarterback Jim McMahon leading a 59-yard drive that included a 43-yard pass to Willie Gault.
Matt Suhey recorded an 11-yard touchdown run and McMahon added a 2-yard scoring run before halftime, helping the Bears build a 23-3 lead. The Patriots managed only -19 total yards in the first half with zero first downs. This dominance signaled a complete mismatch between two teams operating at entirely different levels.
Record-Breaking Statistics and Legendary Performances
| Statistic | Chicago Bears | New England Patriots |
| Total Points | 46 (Super Bowl record) | 10 |
| Sacks | 7 (tied Super Bowl record) | 0 |
| Rushing Yards | 167 | 7 (Super Bowl record low) |
| Total Yards | 408 | 123 (2nd lowest in SB history) |
Willie Gault caught 4 passes for 129 yards, averaging an incredible 32.3 yards per catch. Jim McMahon completed 12 of 20 passes for 256 yards and became the first quarterback to score two rushing touchdowns in Super Bowl history. Meanwhile, Walter Payton, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher entering the game, managed just 61 yards on 22 carries as the Patriots focused their defense on containing him.
“I looked up at the message board,” according to Mike Singletary, the Bears’ legendary linebacker, “and it said that 15 of the 19 teams that scored first won the game. I thought, yeah, but none of those 15 had ever played the Bears.”
— Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears Linebacker
The Refrigerator’s Unforgettable Moment
One of the most memorable plays occurred in the third quarter when William “The Refrigerator” Perry, the 335-pound rookie defensive tackle, scored a 1-yard touchdown run as a fullback. Perry remains the heaviest player ever to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. His touchdown cost Las Vegas sportsbooks hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost prop bets, as oddsmakers had not anticipated the unusual play.
The Bears added 21 more points in the third quarter alone, shattering a Super Bowl record for most points in a single quarter. Reggie Phillips returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, and Henry Waechter tackled patriot quarterback Steve Grogan in the end zone for a safety, making the final score 46-10 on January 26, 1986.
What Makes the 1985 Bears the Only Super Bowl Champions in Franchise History?
The Chicago Bears have won nine NFL championships total, but only one Super Bowl. The Bears dominated the NFL throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1960s, capturing titles before the Super Bowl era existed. Since their legendary 1985 championship season, the franchise has made only one other Super Bowl appearance in 2006 (Super Bowl XLI), where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts. This makes their dominance that January night in New Orleans particularly special, cementing the 1985 season as one of the greatest in NFL history and marking the Bears’ only Super Bowl victory.
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.