1986: Bears were ready for Bourbon Street by third quarter

By Bob Fedas, Globe Staff, 2/1/2002

hen the Patriots arrived in New Orleans for their first Super Bowl in late January 1986, they were given little chance of toppling the mighty Chicago Bears. As it turned out, people were overestimating the possibility of a New England upset.

The Bears, who came into the game with the only blemish on their record being a Monday night loss to Dan Marino and the Dolphins in Week 13, failed to - as linebacker Otis Wilson boldly predicted they would - produce the only shutout in Super Bowl history, but it's hard to believe the 46-10 beating the Patriots absorbed could have been worse.

Chicago's vaunted ''46'' defense, which knew by game time it would be losing Buddy Ryan to the Philadelphia Eagles the next season, sent their beloved coordinator out with a performance for the ages, limiting the Patriots to 123 total yards, the second-worst total in Super Bowl history, and a mere 7 rushing yards, a record low.

Patriots coach Raymond Berry, realizing no team had been able to run on the Bears, wanted to come out throwing the ball. ''I wanted to get their attention,'' he said. No need. The Bears were already quite attentive, and, unfortunately for quarterback Tony Eason, he was the focus of their fury.

By the time a shellshocked Eason was replaced by Steve Grogan midway through the second quarter, the Patriots trailed, 20-3, had lost tight end Lin Dawson to a torn knee ligament, and Eason had been sacked three times and fumbled once en route to going 0 for 6, becoming the only starting quarterback in Super Bowl history not to complete a pass.

''You could see it in [Eason's] eyes very early,'' said Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. ''It was a look that said, `Oh my, here we go again.''' Singletary said he saw the same look from Eason the previous September, when Chicago beat New England, 20-7, and Eason threw three interceptions.

The creaky Grogan, already wearing a large neck restraint that looked as if it had been borrowed from an offensive lineman, wasn't spared from the onslaught. His first pass was slammed back into his face by game MVP Richard Dent, who steamrolled New England left tackle Brian Holloway all afternoon, producing two forced fumbles and 11/2 sacks. The Patriots did register their initial first down during that series, but they went to the locker room trailing, 23-3, having been outrushed, 92 yards to minus-5, and outpassed, 144 yards to minus-14.

The carnage continued when the teams returned to the field, though by midway through the third quarter the Patriots at least had managed to reach positive yardage. The Bears scored on each of their third-quarter possessions, pushing the lead 44-3.

''I was ready for Bourbon Street after the third quarter,'' said Bears defensive tackle Steve McMichael, whose fellow Super Bowl Shufflers had made no secret of the fact they had become quite familiar with the French Quarter in the week leading up to the game.

Chicago got third-quarter touchdowns from punky quarterback Jim McMahon (1-yard plunge), backup cornerback Reggie Phillips (28-yard interception return), who Grogan thought he should test, and rookie defensive tackle William ''Refrigerator'' Perry (1-yard run), who Bears coach Mike Ditka had used in goal-line situations all season.

To this day, Ditka says he should have given the ball to the great Walter Payton, but, alas, Payton was kept of the scoreboard in his only Super Bowl.

''It didn't matter,'' said Payton, who rushed for 61 of the Bears' 408 total yards, although the look on his face said otherwise.

Ditka inserted his second team for the fourth quarter and the Patriots finally reached the end zone as Grogan hit Irving Fryar with an 8-yard TD pass, making it 44-10.

The scoring ended when Bears defensive tackle Henry Waechter, a non-factor before and since, slammed Grogan to the turf for a safety with 61/2 minutes left remaining.

''They totally dominated us,'' said Patriots cornerback Ray Clayborn. ''They came and took off the field what they thought was theirs.''

Namely, the Vince Lombardi Trophy.