1980 Chicago Bears season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Chicago Bears 1980 7–9 3rd NFC Central Neill Armstrong Jim Finks George Halas Soldier Field Did not qualify Bears seasons The 1980 season was the Chicago Bears' 61st in the National Football League, and their third under head coach Neill Armstrong. The team failed to improve from their 10–6 record from 1979 to finish at 7–9, and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1978. One of the victories was on Thanksgiving at Detroit; Chicago entered the Thursday game at 4–8, last place in the NFC Central division, and were trailing 17–3 after three quarters. With no time left in regulation, Bears quarterback Vince Evans scored a game-tying touchdown that sent the game into overtime. Then, before a national television audience on CBS, Dave Williams returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown on the first play of overtime for a 23–17 victory over the stunned Lions.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6fhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5231%2C8713367 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon UPI Bears make it a short overtime, 23-17 November 28, 1980 5Chttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2QdHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZOkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=820%2C10849834 Schenectady Gazette New York Associated Press Atkins Harry Williams' return stuns Lions, 23-17 November 28, 1980 34 Running back Walter Payton once again led the NFC in rushing for the fifth straight year with 1,460 yards; he also had the league's highest annual salary at $475,000.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vnZGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R-kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5927%2C2900653 Schenectady Gazette New York Associated Press Payton tops salary list of NFL players February 13, 1981 29 Offseason Draft 1980 NFL draft 1980 Chicago Bears 1 19 Otis Wilson Linebacker Louisville yes yes 2 46 Matt Suhey Running back Penn State yes 4 103 Arland Thompson Guard Baylor 5 130 Paul Tabor Center Oklahoma yes 6 156 Mike Guess Defensive back Ohio State 7 183 Emanuel Tolbert Wide receiver SMU 8 215 Randy Clark Center Northern Illinois 9 242 Turk Schonert Quarterback Stanford 10 269 Willie Stephens Defensive back Texas Tech 11 296 Chris Judge Defensive back TCU 12 323 Bob Fisher Tight end SMU yes no Source:https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1980_draft.htm 1980 Chicago Bears Draftees Pro Football Reference February 12, 2022 Undrafted free agents + 1980 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeVincent AllenRunning BackIndiana StateRennie BucknerTackleBoise StateMike HarrisWide receiverPurdueLarry JamiesonLinebackerJackson StateChuck MateKickerNotre DameRick NashWide ReceiverIdaho StateMike WrightQuarterbackBowling Green Roster 1980 Chicago Bears 45 5  7 Bob Avellini  8 Vince Evans 15 Mike Phipps 35 Roland Harper 37 Willie McClendon 34 Walter Payton 30 John Skibinski 26 Matt Suhey y 22 Dave Williams running back 84 Brian Baschnagel 83 Kris Haines 89 James Scott gridiron football 80 Rickey Watts 81 Robin Earl 85 Bob Fisher tight end y 88 Greg Latta 64 Ted Albrecht T 65 Noah Jackson G 62 Dan Jiggetts T 70 Dennis Lick T 71 Rocco Moore G 52 Dan Neal C 69 Revie Sorey G 53 Paul Tabor y G 99 Dan Hampton DE 90 Al Harris defensive lineman DE 73 Mike Hartenstine DE 68 Jim Osborne defensive tackle DT 82 Alan Page DT 76 Ron Rydalch DT 59 Gary Campbell linebacker OLB 51 Bruce Herron OLB 54 Tom Hicks American football MLB 57 Lee Kunz MLB 55 Otis Wilson y OLB 49 Dave Becker SS 48 Allan Ellis American football CB 45 Gary Fencik SS 36 Wentford Gaines CB 47 Jon Hoke y CB 46 Doug Plank FS 44 Terry Schmidt CB 23 Len Walterscheid FS 86 Bob Parsons American football P 16 Bob Thomas K 87 Mike Cobb TE IR 24 Virgil Livers CB IR 29 Vaughn Lusby CB IR 58 Jerry Muckensturm LB IR 72 Brad Shearer DT IR Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 7 at Green Bay Packers L 6–12 (OT) 0–1 Lambeau Field 54,381 2 September 14 New Orleans Saints W 22–3 1–1 Soldier Field 62,523 3 September 21 Minnesota Vikings L 14–34 1–2 Soldier Field 59,983 4 September 28 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 3–38 1–3 Three Rivers Stadium 53,987 5 October 6, 1980 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 23–0 2–3 Soldier Field 61,350 6 October 12 at Minnesota Vikings L 7–13 2–4 Metropolitan Stadium 46,751 7 October 19 Detroit Lions W 24–7 3–4 Soldier Field 58,508 8 October 26 at Philadelphia Eagles L 14–17 3–5 Veterans Stadium 68,752 9 November 3, 1980 at Cleveland Browns L 21–27 3–6 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 84,225 10 November 9 Washington Redskins W 35–21 4–6 Soldier Field 57,159 11 November 16 Houston Oilers L 6–10 4–7 Soldier Field 59,390 12 November 23 at Atlanta Falcons L 17–28 4–8 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 49,156 13 November 27 at Detroit Lions W 23–17 (OT) 5–8 Pontiac Silverdome 75,397 14 December 7 Green Bay Packers W 61–7 6–8 Soldier Field 57,176 15 December 14 Cincinnati Bengals L 14–17 (OT) 6–9 Soldier Field 48,808 16 December 20, 1980 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 14–13 7–9 Tampa Stadium 55,298 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Season summary Week 1: at Green Bay Packers Chester Marcol Game Chicago Bears 1980 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 1: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers September 7, 1980 1:00 p.m. CST Bears 3 0 3 0 0 Packers 0 6 0 0 6 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Overcast, 65 F C Jim Tunney CBS Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CHI – Mike Phipps – 17/30, 174 yards, 3 INT GB – Lynn Dickey – 10/22, 138 yards, 1 INT Top rushers CHI – Walter Payton – 31 rushes, 65 yards GB – Eddie Lee Ivery – 15 rushes, 73 yards Top receivers CHI – James Scott – 5 receptions, 59 yards GB – James Lofton – 5 receptions, 77 yards Week 2 Saints 3 0 0 0 Bears 10 3 2 7 September 14 Soldier Field Bob McElwee Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris CBS Week 3 Vikings 14 7 7 6 Bears 0 0 0 14 September 21 Soldier Field Curt Gowdy and George Allen CBS Week 4 Bears 3 0 0 0 Steelers 7 17 7 7 September 28 Three Rivers Stadium Jerry Seeman Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach CBS Week 5 Buccaneers 0 0 0 0 Bears 0 3 10 10 October 6 Soldier Field Ben Dreith ABC Week 6 Bears 0 0 7 0 Vikings 3 0 3 7 October 12 Metropolitan Stadium Jerry Markbreit Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris CBS Week 7 Lions 0 0 0 7 Bears 7 3 7 7 October 19 Soldier Field Gordon McCarter Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris CBS Week 8 Bears 0 0 14 0 Eagles 7 0 7 3 October 26 Veterans Stadium Red Cashion Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier CBS Week 9 Bears 0 0 7 14 Browns 3 7 3 14 November 3 Cleveland Stadium Dick Jorgensen ABC Week 10 Redskins 0 0 14 7 Bears 21 14 0 0 November 9 Soldier Field Vin Scully and George Allen CBS Week 11 Oilers 0 7 3 0 Bears 0 6 0 0 November 16 Soldier Field Bob Frederic NBC Week 12 Bears 7 3 7 0 Falcons 0 14 0 14 November 23 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Week 13 Chicago Bears 1980 2; text-align:center collapsed Week Thirteen: Chicago Bears (4–8) at Detroit Lions (7–5) November 27, 1980 Thursday 12:30 p.m. EST Bears 0 3 0 14 6 Lions 3 7 7 0 0 Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan 75,397 Indoors (dome) Fred Silva CBS Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, and Irv Cross Pro-Football-Reference.com First quarter DET – Eddie Murray 34-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. Drive: Second quarter DET – Billy Sims 47-yard pass from Gary Danielson (Eddie Murray kick). Lions 10–0. Drive: CHI – Bob Thomas 24-yard field goal. Lions 10–3. Drive: Third quarter DET – Gary Danielson 1-yard run (Eddie Murray kick). Lions 17–3. Drive: Fourth quarter CHI – Bob Fisher 20-yard pass from Vince Evans (Bob Thomas kick). Lions 17–10. Drive: CHI – Vince Evans 4-yard run (Bob Thomas kick), 0:00. Tie 17–17. Drive: 14 plays, 94 yards. Overtime CHI – Dave Williams 94-yard kickoff return. Bears 23–17. Top passers CHI – Vince Evans – 11/22, 167 yards, TD DET – Gary Danielson – 9/21, 156 yards, TD Top rushers CHI – Walter Payton – 18 rushes, 123 yards DET – Billy Sims – 19 rushes, 72 yards Top receivers CHI – James Scott – 6 receptions, 106 yards DET – Ray Williams – 3 receptions, 50 yards Week 14 Packers 0 7 0 0 Bears 0 28 13 20 December 7 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 1:00 p.m. 56 F, wind 10 mph on Chuck Heberling Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris CBS yes 2 CHI Walter Payton 1 yard run (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 7–0 2 CHI Walter Payton 3 yard run (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 14–0 2 CHI Roland Harper 1 yard run (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 21–0 2 GB James Lofton 15 yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Jan Stenerud kick) Bears 21–7 2 CHI Brian Baschnagel 4 yard pass from Vince Evans (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 28–7 3 CHI Robin Earl 9 yard pass from Vince Evans (kick failed) Bears 34–7 3 CHI Rickey Watts 53 yard pass from Vince Evans (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 41–7 4 CHI Walter Payton 14 yard run (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 48–7 4 CHI Len Walterscheid 36 yard interception return (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 55–7 4 CHI Willie McClendon 1 yard run (kick failed) Bears 61–7 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Week 15 Bengals 7 7 0 0 3 Bears 0 7 0 7 0 December 14 Soldier Field Week 16 Bears 0 7 7 0 Buccaneers 10 0 0 3 December 21 Tampa Stadium Standings References Chicago Bears Category:Chicago Bears seasons Chicago Category:1980 in Chicago