The 49ers (3-2) host the Chicago Bears (6-0) at Candlestick Park on Sun October 13, 1985.
Joe Montana returns after the Atlanta statement game. The Bears start Jim McMahon at quarterback with Walter Payton at running back. Buddy Ryan's 46 defense is the NFC's dominant unit.
Chicago is 6-0 and the league's most talked-about team. The 46 defense is shutting down the NFC's best offenses.[1][2][3]
The Bears' 46 defense under Buddy Ryan is the year's primary storyline. Six wins, zero losses. McMahon is the quarterback but the defensive front is the identity. Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Singletary — four rush, seven drop into zones that take away every quick read.
Montana is 37 of 57 coming off the Atlanta game. The 46 defense will reduce that efficiency. The question is whether the 49ers can sustain drives without the quick passing game that has defined Walsh's system.
Week six is the NFC's signature matchup of the year. The undefeated Bears (6-0) visit Candlestick to face the defending champions (3-2). The Bears' 46 defense has allowed fewer than 14 points in four of six games. The NFC West is watching whether the Walsh offense can crack the year's dominant defensive system. The Dolphins (5-1) lead the AFC. The 49ers' Sunday home game is the week's most-watched game nationally.
Through five games the 49ers are 3-2 with a plus 54 differential. The Bears are 6-0 with a plus 143 differential — the NFC's most dominant unit. McMahon is 83 of 135, 1,115 yards, nine touchdowns, two interceptions. Payton has 99 carries for 464 yards. Montana is 108 of 179, 1,301 yards, ten touchdowns, five interceptions on the year. The 49ers have not scored fewer than 17 points in any game since Week 4.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 3-2 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-3 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-4 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 4-1 | W4 |
| New York Jets | 4-1 | W4 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-3 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-3 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 3-2 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-2 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 3-2 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-2 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-0 | W5 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-2 | W3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-2 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 5-0 | W5 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-2 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-2 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-1 | W3 |
| New York Giants | 3-2 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 3-2 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-3 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-4 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bears | Walter Payton 3 yard rush (Kevin Butler kick) | 7-0 |
| Bears | Kevin Butler 34 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Bears | Kevin Butler 38 yard field goal | 13-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bears | Kevin Butler 27 yard field goal | 16-0 |
| 49ers | Carlton Williamson 43 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) | 16-7 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 32 yard field goal | 16-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bears | Kevin Butler 29 yard field goal | 19-10 |
| Bears | Walter Payton 17 yard rush (Kevin Butler kick) | 26-10 |
Jim McMahon threw one touchdown pass and the Chicago Bears' defense held Joe Montana to 160 yards and no touchdowns in a 26-10 Bears win at Candlestick Park. Montana finished 17 of 29 and was sacked twice. The 49ers' rushing game produced only 67 yards on 12 carries. Walter Payton ran for 132 yards. The 49ers fell to 3-3.[1][2][3]
The Bears held the defending champions to 10 points at Candlestick. The 46 defense's scheme — four linemen, three linebackers in the A-gaps, two safeties — eliminated Montana's intermediate routes and forced him into check-downs that gained 4 yards before the Bears stopped them. Montana's 17-of-29, 160-yard, zero-touchdown day was the 46's most effective performance of the year.
Payton ran for 132 yards on 22 carries. McMahon threw one touchdown and managed the game cleanly without taking risks. The Bears' 26-10 final at Candlestick — the defending champions' home — was the most emphatic statement win in the 46 defense's run.
The 49ers' 67 rushing yards on 12 carries showed Walsh's attempt to match Chicago's physicality — unsuccessful. The 49ers had not produced fewer total points at home since 1982.
Bears 26, 49ers 10. Margin: minus 16. Record: 3-3.
A 10-26 home loss to the Chicago Bears. The 46 defense shuts down Walsh's offense at Candlestick.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored a field goal in the first quarter. The Bears built a 13-10 halftime lead on Payton's rushing and McMahon's management. Two second-half Chicago scores made it 26-10. The 49ers' offense could not sustain drives in the second half.
The turning point
Montana's zero-touchdown performance. The 46 defense's A-gap blitzes disrupted every play that required more than two seconds in the pocket. Montana's check-down game produced yards but not scores.
By the numbers
Montana 17 of 29 at 5.5 per attempt — the year's second-lowest efficiency game. Run game 12 carries for 67 yards — the year's lowest rushing output. Payton 132 on 22 carries controlled Chicago's clock.
What it means
3-3 heading to Detroit. The Bears have defined the NFC's ceiling for this year. The 49ers must win the division to reach the playoffs; six straight games separate them from the postseason.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 22 | 11 |
| Total Yards | 372 | 183 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 18/31 | 17/29 |
| Pass yards | 186 | 160 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 7 |
| Sack yards lost | 3 | 44 |
| Net pass yards | 183 | 116 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 39 | 12 |
| Rush yards | 189 | 67 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 4 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties | 7 | 13 |
| Penalty yards | 45 | 94 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 17/29 | 160 | 0 | 0 | 73.9 |
| CHI | |||||
| Jim McMahon | 18/31 | 186 | 0 | 1 | 62 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 4 | 42 | 0 | 19 |
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 6 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CHI | ||||
| Walter Payton | 24 | 132 | 2 | 17 |
| Jim McMahon | 4 | 24 | 0 | 12 |
| Matt Suhey | 6 | 22 | 0 | 17 |
| Willie Gault | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| William Perry | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Dennis Gentry | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Thomas Sanders | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Dwight Clark #87 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 15 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 17 |
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 16 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| Derrick Harmon | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| CHI | ||||
| Tim Wrightman | 3 | 56 | 0 | 26 |
| Willie Gault | 3 | 50 | 0 | 34 |
| Walter Payton | 5 | 34 | 0 | 13 |
| Matt Suhey | 5 | 25 | 0 | 9 |
| Ken Margerum | 2 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
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