1980 Chicago Bears season

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox NFL team season 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.

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.

Offseason

Draft

Source:

Undrafted free agents

1980 undrafted free agents of note

Player	Position	College
Vincent Allen	Running Back	Indiana State
Larry Jamieson	Linebacker	Jackson State
Chuck Mate	Kicker	Notre Dame
Rick Nash	Wide Receiver	Idaho State
Mike Wright	Quarterback	Bowling Green

Schedule

style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Week	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Date	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Opponent	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Result	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Record	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| Venue	style="Template:NFLPrimaryStyle"| 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	Template:Dow tooltip	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	Template:Dow tooltip	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	Template:Dow tooltip	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

Week 1: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bears	3	0	3	0	0	6
Packers	0	6	0	0	6	12

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: September 7, 1980
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Overcast,
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen
• [1]

Game information
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

1 2 3 4 Total Saints 3 0 0 0 3 • Bears 10 3 2 7 22 Date: September 14 Location: Soldier Field Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total • Vikings 14 7 7 6 34 Bears 0 0 0 14 14 Date: September 21 Location: Soldier Field TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and George Allen

Week 4

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 3 0 0 0 3 • Steelers 7 17 7 7 38 Date: September 28 Location: Three Rivers Stadium Referee: Jerry Seeman TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach

Week 5

1 2 3 4 Total Buccaneers 0 0 0 0 0 • Bears 0 3 10 10 23 Date: October 6 Location: Soldier Field Referee: Ben Dreith Television network: ABC

Week 6

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 0 7 0 7 • Vikings 3 0 3 7 13 Date: October 12 Location: Metropolitan Stadium Referee: Jerry Markbreit TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris

Week 7

1 2 3 4 Total Lions 0 0 0 7 7 • Bears 7 3 7 7 24 Date: October 19 Location: Soldier Field Referee: Gordon McCarter TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris

Week 8

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 0 14 0 14 • Eagles 7 0 7 3 17 Date: October 26 Location: Veterans Stadium Referee: Red Cashion TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier

Week 9

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 0 7 14 21 • Browns 3 7 3 14 27 Date: November 3 Location: Cleveland Stadium Referee: Dick Jorgensen Television network: ABC

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Redskins 0 0 14 7 21 • Bears 21 14 0 0 35 Date: November 9 Location: Soldier Field TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen

Week 11

1 2 3 4 Total • Oilers 0 7 3 0 10 Bears 0 6 0 0 6 Date: November 16 Location: Soldier Field Referee: Bob Frederic Television network: NBC

Week 12

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 7 3 7 0 17 • Falcons 0 14 0 14 28 Date: November 23 Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium

Week 13

Week Thirteen: Chicago Bears (4–8) at Detroit Lions (7–5)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bears	0	3	0	14	6	23
Lions	3	7	7	0	0	17

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

• Date: November 27, 1980
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Indoors (dome)
• Game attendance: 75,397
• Referee: Fred Silva
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, and Irv Cross
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

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

1 2 3 4 Total Packers 0 7 0 0 7 • Bears 0 28 13 20 61 Date: December 7 Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: , wind Referee: Chuck Heberling TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Johnny Morris Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry Template:AFB Game Box Scoring Entry

Week 15

1 2 3 4 OT Total • Bengals 7 7 0 0 3 17 Bears 0 7 0 7 0 14 Date: December 14 Location: Soldier Field

Week 16

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 0 7 7 0 14 Buccaneers 10 0 0 3 13 Date: December 21 Location: Tampa Stadium