The Divisional Round matchup pairs the New York Giants against the Chicago Bears on 1986-01-05 at Soldier Field. The conference bracket's postseason slate includes this matchup as one of the calendar's most-anticipated games.
The starting quarterbacks, the lead-back rotations, and the receiver rooms project the kind of game-script the wire copy has been writing into.[1][2]
The Divisional Round game between the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears is the kind of postseason matchup where the conference's projected leaders carry their regular-season pacing into the bracket. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity both staffs have been pointing toward.
The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the home team's offensive line. The bracket continues for the winner.
Around the conference the Divisional Round bracket produces the kind of matchups the wire copy has been writing into across the postseason slate. The New York Giants versus Chicago Bears game is one of the calendar's most-anticipated postseason windows.
The opposite-conference bracket carries through to its own conference matchup. The Sunday closes a week where the playoff race continues to clarify across the divisional standings.
Across the regular season both the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears tracked the kind of pace that anchored their conference seeding into the Divisional Round. The starting quarterbacks' passing lines came through. The lead backs' rushing workloads were the staffs' projected calls. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the front rotations' pass-rush production.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 8-8 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-9 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-9 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 5-11 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 12-4 | W7 |
| New England Patriots | 11-5 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 11-5 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5-11 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-14 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 12-4 | W6 |
| Denver Broncos | 11-5 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-8 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-8 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 11-5 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10-6 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-11 | L3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-12 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 15-1 | W3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-8 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-9 | L3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-9 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-14 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10-6 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 10-6 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 10-6 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7-9 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-11 | L2 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bears | Shaun Gayle 5 yard punt return (Kevin Butler kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bears | Dennis McKinnon 23 yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kevin Butler kick) | 0-14 |
| Bears | Dennis McKinnon 20 yard pass from Jim McMahon (Kevin Butler kick) | 0-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
The Chicago Bears won the Divisional Round game on 1986-01-05 against the New York Giants 0-0. . . . For the other side Phil Simms went 14 of 35 for 209 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Walter Payton ran for 93 on 27 carries. The closing two-minute drill produced the kind of in-game adjustment the staff has been calling.[1][2]
The Chicago Bears took the Divisional Round game over the New York Giants on 1986-01-05. . . .
The afternoon's outcome maps to the kind of postseason game-script both staffs have been projecting since the regular season closed. The offensive line's pocket time on the dropbacks produced the kind of pass-protection the winning playbook called. The defensive unit's pressure produced the kind of takeaway that defined the closing two quarters. The Divisional Round's afternoon ends with the projected outcome.
The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the wire copy has been writing into. The closing-drive coverage was the kind of stop the winning unit has been generating.
Chicago Bears 0, New York Giants 0. The Divisional Round's box score reads: . . . On the other side: Phil Simms went 14 of 35 for 209 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Walter Payton ran for 93 on 27 carries.
The Chicago Bears's Divisional Round game against the New York Giants on 1986-01-05 ended with the kind of game-script the wire copy has been writing into. The conference bracket continues to shape across the calendar's projected postseason pacing.
How it unfolded
. . . The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace both playbooks have been working through across the bye-week preparation. On the defensive side Phil Simms went 14 of 35 for 209 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, and Walter Payton ran for 93 on 27 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in postseason play, decided the closing two quarters. The winning front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating across the calendar's back half.
By the numbers
. The lead-back rotation: . Receiver room: .
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort both staffs have been projecting. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in postseason play, anchors the bye-week preparation. The receiver room's distribution carried the offensive production.
What it means
The Divisional Round's outcome maps to the projected postseason pacing. The next-round bracket continues. The film room note is the in-game adjustment that decided the closing two quarters.
| Giants | Bears | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 10 | 17 |
| Total Yards | 181 | 363 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 14/35 | 11/21 |
| Pass yards | 209 | 216 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 6 | 0 |
| Sack yards lost | 60 | 0 |
| Net pass yards | 149 | 216 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 14 | 44 |
| Rush yards | 32 | 147 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 3 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 4 | 2 |
| Penalty yards | 25 | 20 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | |||||
| Phil Simms | 14/35 | 209 | 0 | 0 | 60.3 |
| CHI | |||||
| Jim McMahon | 11/21 | 216 | 2 | 0 | 120.3 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | ||||
| Joe Morris | 12 | 32 | 0 | 14 |
| Tony Galbreath | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Byron Williams | 1 | -9 | 0 | -9 |
| CHI | ||||
| Walter Payton | 27 | 93 | 0 | 12 |
| Matt Suhey | 6 | 33 | 0 | 9 |
| Jim McMahon | 5 | 18 | 0 | 10 |
| Calvin Thomas | 4 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| Dennis Gentry | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Dennis McKinnon | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | ||||
| George Adams | 3 | 65 | 0 | 31 |
| Mark Bavaro | 4 | 36 | 0 | 11 |
| Byron Williams | 1 | 33 | 0 | 33 |
| Rob Carpenter | 3 | 24 | 0 | 16 |
| Phil McConkey | 1 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Bobby Johnson | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Tony Galbreath | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| CHI | ||||
| Willie Gault | 3 | 68 | 0 | 28 |
| Dennis McKinnon | 3 | 52 | 2 | 23 |
| Tim Wrightman | 1 | 46 | 0 | 46 |
| Dennis Gentry | 1 | 41 | 0 | 41 |
| Matt Suhey | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Walter Payton | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1985 Divisional Round - New York Giants at Chicago Bears - Game Thread
