NFL Network: NFL 1986- America's Game: New York Giants

Source:NFL Network- New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells.

Source:The Daily Review

As someone who loves the Redskins and hates the New York Giants and if your'e familiar with that rivalry you know why, I have a lot of respect for the 1986 Giants. They're still one of the top 5-10 Super Bowl champions of all-time, but that is not why. They just represent exactly what NFL football should be. "We're coming after you. Try to stop us." It wasn't this made for reality TV, or Hollywood nonsense where everything is perfectly designed like you're trying to put a Broadway play together. With all sorts of sophisticated offenses and defenses. Actually, just sophisticated offense. If Roger Goodell had his way, tackling might become illegal in the NFL today. The 86 Giants, represent the opposite of New School football. And they're one of the best Old School NFL teams of all-time.

The 86 Giants, were a power-run ball-control team, that could basically tell the defense, "here we come, try to stop us." And if you paid too much attention to their running game, quarterback Phil Simms would go play-action and hit tight end Marc Bavaro down the middle of the field. Or Stacy Robinson, Bobbie Johnson, or Lionel Manuel deep on the outside. On defense, good luck running the ball against them. Because even though they played a 3-4, blocking nose tackle Jim Burt could be like blocking 2-3 men with one man. And then you got defensive end Leonard Marshall on one side and George Martin on the other. And if somehow you block those three guys, you got some guy named Lawrence Taylor coming off the edge. (Maybe you're old enough to have heard of him) Carl Banks on the other side. Great against the run and pass. Harry Carson in the middle, again who could play the run, or pass.

The 86 Giants were, a classic Blue-Collar in your face, "try to remove us" football team. That represented Blue-Collar New York and North Jersey as well as the 85 Chicago Bears represented Chicago. They just came at you and dared you to even fight back back, let alone try to kick their ass. The Redskins had opportunities to actually beat them in the 86 NFC Championship and they got a break playing the undersize Denver Broncos, instead of the NFC tough Cleveland Browns. But the 86 Giants were the best team in the NFL on both sides of the ball that whole year. And played their best football in Super Bowl after dominating the NFC Playoffs. And are a team that unfortunately wouldn't have sold too well with today's NFL fans. That only seem to be interested in offense and pretty boys. But that team would still dominate today and are still the best Giants Super Bowl team of all-time.
Source:NFL Network

NFL Network: America's Game- The 1985 Chicago Bears

Source:The Daily Review

When I look at the 1985 Chicago Bears, I see how the 1980s Bears should have been. Dominant defense, strong offensive line with a great running game that can also pass block, but with a healthy Jim McMahon a passing game as well. Pre-1985 or so all you needed was a strong run defense and a team that could score about twenty points a game or less to beat the Bears. They had Walter Payton, Roman Harper and Matt Suhey running the ball and that was basically it for their offense. Especially Payton and if they had a big game running the ball then maybe Jeff Fuller or whoever the quarterback was could hit a few passes to James Scott, or Willy Gault and Payton in the passing game.

The 85 Bears with a healthy McMahon, now had an offense to go with perhaps the best defense that the NFL has ever seen for one season in the 85 Chicago Bears and their 46 Defense. Jimmy Mc, was the difference between the Bears being a good, or very good team and a great dominant team that was perhaps better than any NFL team we’ve ever seen at least in the 1980s. But for that one season the Bears were about as good, or better than any NFL team that the NFL has ever seen. Because they had all of their parts both on defense and on offense. Mike Ditka, running the offense and Buddy Ryan running the defense. With the offense only having to come up with 14-17 points, but that could give you 25-30, even though they didn’t have to do that very often if ever.

The reason why the 1980s Bears only won one Super Bowl and the Bears haven’t won another one since is because they either couldn’t protect Jim McMahon, or he couldn’t protect himself. Or a combination of both, plus he only weighed about 190 pounds. And when you’re 6’1 and you’re playing QB in the NFL and play on Astroturf, you probably need to weigh 200 or more so you’re strong enough to take a beating every week. By when McMahon was healthy and on he was about as good as any QB in the NFL at least in 85. He was athletic and quick and had a strong accurate throwing arm. And he had a great offensive line and running game and you got to see how great the Bears back then could be in 85.

The reason why we can’t talk about the 1980s Bears like we can talk about the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers, or the 1980s San Francisco 49ers, or even the 1980s Washington Redskins that played in three Super Bowls and won two of them, is because the Bears only did it for one season. And to be that team and a dynasty you must have more than one great season. You have to win multiple Super Bowls in the same decade and have at least one great Super Bowl champion. But in 1985 for one season we got to see how great and NFL team can be on both sides of the ball for 19 games. The 18-1 Chicago Bears that only lost to the Miami Dolphins who were the last NFL franchise to go undefeated in the NFL. And the 85 Bears were real special and still are.