The Best of the Best: A Football Simulation (come join!)

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by NickSeiler

Alright, the final eight teams to take place in our first Best of the Best tournament are:

-AvengerRam: '79 Rams
-HUbison: '85 Bears
-Ferter: '99 Rams
-WisRamsFan: '82 Redskins
-RamDez: '89 Rams
-RamWraith: '01 Rams
-Evil Disco Man: '62 Texans
-Bob L. Head: '75 Rams

I wrote each team's name on a piece of paper, and drew names from a hat to determine who will face who, and here is how the first round shapes up...


QUARTER FINALS
-'62 Texans vs. '75 Rams
-'85 Bears vs. '01 Rams
-'82 Redskins vs. '89 Rams
-'79 Rams vs. '99 Rams


I've have quarter final results up as soon as possible. Begin the trash talk!

I'll throw the first line into the trash pond...
...it's a shame that Wraith and I meet in the first round, cause of the teams selected, the 85 Bears and 01 Rams should be in the finals.
...of course, now that I've said that watch both of us get blown out of the water.

[txramsfan]

Oh man, can I jump in and take a Steelers team?

[Nick]

BEST OF THE BEST QUARTER-FINALS: GAME ONE

                         1st       2nd       3rd       4th       OT        TOTAL

’62 TEXANS               0         14        0         3         0         17
’75 RAMS                 0         14        3         0         3         20

SCORING SUMMARY
Second Quarter
-LOS TD (0-7): 3-yard pass from Harris to Jackson (extra pt good)
-DAL TD (7-7): 1-yard pass from Dawson to Burfurd (extra pt good)
-LOS TD (7-14): 14-yard pass from Harris to Jessie (extra pt good)
-DAL TD (14-14): 11-yard pass from Dawson to Burfurd (extra pt good)

Third Quarter
-LOS FG (14-17): 51-yard field goal by Dempsey

Fourth Quarter
-DAL FG (17-17): 48-yard field goal by Brooker

Overtime
-LOS FG (17-20): 31-yard field goal by Dempsey


KEY STATISTICS
Texans
-Dawson: 24/34, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
-Haynes: 18 att, 63 yards; 1 rec, 12 yards
-McClinton: 9 att, 43 yards; 2 rec, 18 yards
-Burfurd: 12 rec, 136 yards, 2 TDs
-Arbanas: 4 rec, 59 yards

Rams
-Harris: 15/26, 139 yards, 2 TDs
-McCutcheon: 22 att, 83 yards; 5 rec, 34 yards
-H. Jackson: 5 rec, 52 yards, 1 TD
-Jessie: 4 rec, 47 yards, 1 TD
-Youngblood: 1 sack
-Elmendorf: 1 INT
-Dryer: 1 INT
-B. Simpson: 1 INT
-Robertson: 1 INT


GAME SUMMARY
The Texans started off this contest by blitzing early in the first quarter, but the Rams were well prepared to counter it. James Harris came ready to play and helped the Rams drive into Texan territory, but it stalled there. The Texans answered with a blazing air attack, completing two passes for 33 yards to start their drive. But Dawson paid the price on a blitz up the middle when Fred Dryer intercepted one of his passes at the Rams’ 22-yard line. The Texans were obviously upset over the turn of events; on the Rams’ first play of their new drive, the Texans were penalized for unnecessary roughness. Harris continues to move the Rams downfield with successful pass after pass, but a blitz on 3rd and 3 brings their drive to a halt at the Texans’ 18-yard line. The field goal unit comes out, but the kick is wide left, keeping the Rams’ scoreless. Anxious to get the ball back into enemy territory, the Texans decide to try a running attack, which moves the chains after a nine-yard pick-up by McClinton. However, Haynes fumbles the ball on first down at the 38, and Eddie McMillan recovers. Another crucial turnover by the Texans!

After being penalized for illegal motion, the Rams try to pound ahead with their own running game, but McCutcheon gains only two yards. A blitz forces a bad throw by Harris, but it falls harmlessly to the field. On 3rd and long, the Rams try a draw that gains them only a yard, and are forced to punt, but would soon get the ball back as the Texans’ turnover problems continue to haunt them. On the very first play of their drive, Bill Simpson steps in front of a quick pass by Dawson and grabs the ball, returning it 11 yards to the Texans’ own 16-yard line. Despite throwing two interceptions in the first quarter, Dawson looks calm but obviously upset. The Rams’ offense takes the field, and moves the chains with two hand-offs to Cullen Bryant as time expires in the first quarter.

It wasn’t far into the second quarter before the Rams found themselves on the scoreboard after Harold Jackson pulls in a three-yard pass from James Harris for the touchdown! The Texans returned to the field and looked as determined as ever. After a quick pass into the flat, the Texans concentrate on their running attack by feeding the ball to McClinton and Haynes who get them to midfield. Then, Dawson took over with a 19-yard strike to Arbanas down the sideline! The Rams counter by blitzing, but it doesn’t seem to stop the Texans, who dodge the pressure with a quick pass to Burford for 20 yards and a 14-yard sweep to Spikes. Determined to force a mistake, the Rams continue to blitz, but Dawson remains cool and hits Burford with a short pass that leads him into the endzone! The Texans score in under five minutes with a balanced offensive attack!

After returning the ball to their own 32-yard line, the Rams know they need to take back the momentum, but find themselves at 3rd and 4 after two runs by McCutcheon, who can’t bring in Harris’s pass and the Rams are forced to punt. The Texans come back onto the field with momentum on their side, but it doesn’t last long. More pressure from the Rams defense forces a turnover on second down as Isiah Robertson grabs an ill-fated Dawson pass and gives the Rams another shot to drive a dagger into Dallas. Inside Texans territory, the Rams turn toward Cullen Bryant, who counters a blitz on third down with a 14-yard run off tackle! McCutcheon converts the following second down by rushing 9 yards on a draw play to counter a Texans’ safety blitz. The Rams are in the redzone for only one play as Harris hits Jessie for a 14-yard touchdown! The Rams take the lead!

And now, with 3:23 left before the end of the first half, can the Texans come out and even the score, or will the Rams defense continue to haunt Dawson? That question is answered quickly as Dawson connects with Bill Miller over the middle for 15 yards before the two-minute warning. A rush by McClinton takes Dallas into Rams’ territory but they can’t connect through the air. Forced to take a timeout, Dallas evaluates the situation. A quick strike from Dawson to Miller on a crossing pattern gets the Texans the first down, and then Dawson threads the needle to Arbanas on the sideline, who gets his feet inbounds for a gain of 18 yards! Inside the red zone, the Rams decide to blitz and it costs them as Dawson hits Burford on the sideline for 11 yards and the touchdown, tying the score! With the game tied and only a few seconds remaining, a few short runs by the Rams send both teams into the locker room.

Los Angeles kicks off to start the third quarter, hoping that the halftime break cooled off some of Dallas’s momentum. After Dawson hits his favorite target – Chris Burford – for 20 yards, the Rams look like they’re on their heels… until Dave Elmendorf picks off Dawson at the 36-yard line and returns the ball near midfield! With momentum back on their side, the Rams feed McCutcheon the ball. Six yards on a sweep, seven through the air, five yards up the middle… he can’t be stopped! Well, perhaps he can as Los Angeles is called for two consecutive illegal motion penalties that put them at 2nd and 15 to go at the Dallas 35. Harris can’t connect with Bob Klein, and after the Texans sniff a draw out, the Rams settle for a field goal and take the lead, 17-14.

But the Rams defense continues to shine. After Spikes finds a hole up the middle and gains 18 yards on the ground, the Rams force a fumble by Chris Burford after he makes a huge catch! Isiah Robertson is there to pick up the ball and gives the Rams another chance to widen the gap. But Dallas responds, perhaps sensing the necessity of the situation, and forces a fumble after Ron Jessie pulls in a 20-yard pass from Harris. The Texans have the ball back! A 14-yard pass from Dawson puts the Texans into Rams’ territory, but after a few short runs, the Texans are called for holding and face a 1st and 20 near midfield to end the third quarter.

Dallas trails by only a field goal to start the fourth quarter, and are unable to convert the twenty yards needed for a new set of downs. But the Texans bring out Tommy Brooker, who makes a clutch 48-yard field goal to tie the game! The Rams come back onto the field, hoping to put this one away, but can’t. The Texans defense holds up and gets Harris out of rhythm. The Rams are forced to punt. Dallas spends nearly seven minutes trying to drive from their own two yard line, but can’t get further than the Rams’ 43 before having to punt themselves. The defenses really seem to be stepping up as the end draws near! The Rams get the ball back at their own 20 after the punt, but seem to have gone conservative. Three runs fail to convert, and they punt once more. The Texans, after a great special teams return that put the ball on the Rams’ 38-yard line, see that this game could be theirs. Dawson hits Arbanas for a quick 16-yard strike before the two-minute warning. The Texans are nearly in the red zone, and could win with a field goal! Two runs by McClinton help center the ball, and the Texans choose to try a quick pass, but it’s nearly intercepted. With a minute and a half on the clock, the Texans try for a field goal… and miss! Brooker’s attempt is wide left! The game is still tied!!

There’s a minute and a half left to go, and the Rams are on their own 29-yard line. After McCutcheon fails to gain any ground with a sweep, the Rams call time out. Harris comes out shooting and hits Jackson on the sideline for six yards, but on third down, Harris can’t connect with Jessie and the Rams are forced to punt again. It looks like Dallas really has them out of rhythm late in the game. The Rams try to do the same to Dallas and blitz on first down, but Dawson remains cool under pressure and hits Chris Burfurd deep over the middle for 30 yards!! The Texans are at midfield with under a minute left! They call a quick timeout only to lose a yard as Haynes is buried by the Rams defense. Another time out. It’s 2nd and 11 now, and Dawson connects with Burford on the sideline for 9 yards. The Rams blitz up the middle on third down, but Haynes gets enough to convert on a sweep to the left. The clock’s ticking though, so Dawson is forced to spike the ball to regroup. Second and ten, and Dawson goes back to the bread and butter by tossing toward Burford… who can’t come up with the catch! Burford is beside himself! It’s a critical third down on the 39-yard line. Ten yards to go. Dawson drops back, but in comes Jack Youngblood! Youngblood brings down Dawson in the backfield for a loss of four! What a clutch play by Youngblood! The Texans let the clock run down to only nine seconds before punting the ball into the endzone, and after a failed bomb by Harris, this game is going into overtime!!

The Rams win the coin toss and elect to receive, returning the kickoff to their own 28-yard line. Despite the momentum gained by Youngblood’s sack and the winning coin flip, the Rams are patient and run the ball. Bryant picks up five on a draw, followed by McCutcheon getting 12 yards on two pitches to the right side. The Rams find themselves at midfield as Cullen Bryant pounds up the middle for 10 yards, putting the Rams in Dallas territory. After a short run by Bryant, the Rams decide it’s time for the final strike. Harris drops back in the pocket and makes his reads, sending a 20-yard pass to Jessie, who is knocked out of bounds to stop the clock. The Rams are inside the 25-yard line! A sweep to McCutcheon picks up 8 yards and helps center the ball, and on second down, the Rams waste no time by bringing in Dempsey, who kicks the game-winner: a 31-yard field goal that hooks through the uprights! The Rams win in overtime, and move into the semi-finals!

[txramsfan]

shoot, you guys already started.

tell you what, I'll take any Steelers team in the 70's against the winner. Well, any Steelers team that won a Super Bowl in the 70's.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by txramsfan

shoot, you guys already started.

tell you what, I'll take any Steelers team in the 70's against the winner. Well, any Steelers team that won a Super Bowl in the 70's.

Heh, okay. So the winner takes on whatever Steelers team Tex chooses in an exhibition game.

Or, if seven other people along with Tex want to pick different teams, we could expand the bracket and make it like the playoffs with two different conferences meeting for the championship.

[txramsfan]

Alright Nick....I'll remember that during Fantasy Football Season.....LOL

Just kidding.....have fun.

[Ferter]

Did somebody say trash talk?
I'll give you trash talk, since I specialize in that area.

The '99 Rams are going to kick your collective butts.

First up...'79 Rams you aint got a stinkin chance.

All that's left for you is the california cryin, as Nolan Cromwell drops another int.

And don't be bringing any those school yard trick halfback option plays our way. Those couldn't fool your momma.

and tx, when you wave your towel, we'll take it as an early surrender from the towel waving sissies of the '70s.

:tongue:

[RamWraith]

We all know the 2001 Rams is the best team to never win a Super Bowl. This team was better than any team the NFL has ever seen. If not for a lot of bush f'ed up holding and cheap shots this team would have won the Super Bowl.

'85 Bears...please. Candy ass's compared to the 2001 Rams offense.

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by RamWraith

'85 Bears...please. Candy ass's compared to the 2001 Rams offense.

Oh please, I can just see the Fridge plowing over Timmerman and McCollum, Dent blowing by Tucker, Singletary lighting up Faulk every time he touches the ball...and that's just the defense. Sweetness is going to have 150 yards, Gault will have 100 yards. And of course, all of this will be orchestrated by the greatest QB the game has ever seen, Jim McMahon...... :smile: I couldn't hold it anymore. I was fine until I wrote that McMahon line.

[HUbison]

We are the Bears shuffling crew...shuffling on down, doin' it for you...we're so bad, you know we're good...blowing your mind, like you knew we would...

Come on everybody sing :O

We don't mean to start no trouble...we're just here to do the Super Bowl shuffle.

[RamWraith]

SINNER ;-)

Originally Posted by HUbison

Oh please, I can just see the Fridge plowing over Timmerman and McCollum, Dent blowing by Tucker, Singletary lighting up Faulk every time he touches the ball...and that's just the defense. Sweetness is going to have 150 yards, Gault will have 100 yards. And of course, all of this will be orchestrated by the greatest QB the game has ever seen, Jim McMahon...... I couldn't hold it anymore. I was fine until I wrote that McMahon line.

[Nick]

BEST OF THE BEST QUARTER-FINALS: GAME TWO

                         1st       2nd       3rd       4th       TOTAL

’85 BEARS                3         3         6         7         19
’01 RAMS                 14        0         7         3         24

SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
-CHI FG (3-0): 39-yard field goal by Butler
-STL TD (3-7): 8-yard pass from Warner to Canidate (extra pt good)
-STL TD (3-14): 16-yard pass from Warner to Proehl (extra pt good)

Second Quarter
-CHI FG (6-14): 35-yard field goal by Butler

Third Quarter
-CHI TD (12-14): 14-yard run by Payton (2-pt conversion failed)
-STL TD (12-21): 69-yard pass from Warner to Holt (extra pt good)

Fourth Quarter
-STL FG (12-24): 46-yard field goal by Wilkins
-CHI TD (19-24): 18-yard pass from McMahon to McKinnon (extra pt good)



KEY STATISTICS
Bears
-McMahon: 16/27, 193 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 3 att, 12 yards
-W. Payton: 21 att, 122 yards, 1 TD; 3 rec, 30 yards
-Moorehead: 7 rec, 102 yards
-McKinnon: 2 rec, 33 yards, 1 TD
-Dent: 2 sacks
-Perry: 1 sack
-Wilson: 1 sack
-K. Taylor: 1 INT

Rams
-Warner: 18/30, 301 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 1 att, 6 yards
-Faulk: 22 att, 155 yards; 5 rec, 50 yards
-Holt: 5 rec, 128 yards, 1 TD
-Proehl: 3 rec, 47 yards, 1 TD
-T. Jackson: 2 sacks
-B. Young: 2 sacks
-Gary: 1 sack
-Archuleta: 1 sack



GAME SUMMARY
To start the first quarter, the Rams win the coin toss and elect to receive. Immediately, Mike Martz feeds Marshall Faulk the ball by calling a run up the middle which gains the Rams five yards, but on the next play, the dangerous Bears defense forces a fumble right out of Faulk’s hands. Otis Wilson recovers the ball at the Rams’ 28-yard line. The great Faulk shakes his head on the way to the sideline as the great Payton makes his way onto the field. Walter gets the ball on a draw that lends only two yards. McMahon finds himself unable to drive the team through the air, so the Bears settle for a field goal.

The Rams get the ball back and are determined to set the tone against this Bears defense. Marshall Faulk gets another chance to show what he can do by gaining 12 yards on two runs up the middle. Kurt Warner decides to stretch his arm and fires a quick pass to Torry Holt, but Holt can’t make the catch. On 2nd and 10, Faulk breaks off as a receiver and gets open but Warner underthrows the pass. On third and ten, the Bears bring a blitz, but Warner hangs in the pocket to the last second and delivers a great pass to Proehl for a 16-yard gain, taking the Rams to their own 45-yard line. Faulk gains 11 yards on a pitch to the outside, and then another six up the middle. The Bears make a costly mistake by having too many men on the field, and convert the Rams’ second down for them. Then, the Bears are penalized for encroachment, putting the Rams on the 28-yard line in position to score. Out of the backfield, Faulk breaks free in time to snag a 20-yard strike from Warner, and then heads to the sideline for a breather. Trung Canidate comes in to replace Faulk only to score on an 8-yard pass from Warner! The Rams take the lead!

The Bears start at their own 20-yard line, determined to show that the Rams aren’t the only offense capable of moving the ball. St. Louis sends Dre Bly in on a blitz from the side, but McMahon hands off to Payton, who gains 18-yards on a sweep to the right before being knocked out of bounds. Now at their own 38-yard line, McMahon drops back to pass only to get pressured and sacked by Tyoka Jackson, who stands and salutes after the play. Matt Suhey sees the ball on 2nd and 14 after another corner blitz, and dodges defenders to gain 10-yards on the ground. The next handoff goes to Sweetness, who gets six off tackle to the right. On first down, the Bears again try to go to their air attack, but Brian Young breaks through the line and wraps McMahon up for the second sack of the game. The Bears take their time in the huddle and get back to the line just in time to get the play off, but McMahon misses Payton by a couple of feet – Jim looks shaken. On 3rd and 13, the Bears are called for a false start, and McMahon looks livid. He comes to the line on 3rd and 18 like a man possessed, and hits McKinnon on the sideline for a 21-yard gain… only to have it called back for offensive pass interference! McMahon throws his arms in the air in disgust! On third and twenty-eight, McMahon tries to hit Payton in the flat but underthrows him, and the Bears are forced to punt.

While McMahon stands on the sideline and gets lectured by Coach Ditka, Kurt Warner and the Rams offense take the field at their own 33-yard line. Warner gets the ball and drops back into the pocket and quickly reads the blitzing Bears. He fires a missile downfield right into the waiting arms of Isaac Bruce for a 27-yard gain! The Rams line up again, now in Bear territory, and Warner snaps the ball and goes through his reads, deciding to throw to Faulk in the flat this time. Marshall shakes and bakes for 11-yards and another Rams first down. The Rams come to the line with five wide receivers for the next play, and Warner drops back despite a heavy blitz. He heaves the ball skyward before being slammed to the ground, and the football sails out of bounds above the head of Torry Holt. Warner shakes off the blow and calls the next play, a 13-yard sweep to Faulk for another first down, putting the Rams inside the Bears’ red zone. With four receivers on the field, Kurt Warner drops back and delivers his second touchdown pass of the day, a 16-yard strike near the sideline to Ricky Proehl!

The offense for the Bears returns to the field after the preceding kickoff is a touchback. Payton gets the ball on first down but can’t make anything happen. McMahon drops back on second down and throws to Gault, but London Fletcher breaks it up. Third down with nine yards to go, and McMahon drops back again to throw. Jeff Zgonina pushes the pocket back and McMahon throws earlier than he wanted to, causing McKinnon to turn to try and make the catch. He bobbles the ball, and drops it. The Bears punt, and the Rams return it to midfield. On first down, the Bears send a heavy blitz and nail Warner as he throws, but Torry Holt comes back to the ball and grabs it, then shakes a defender for a 16-yard gain. On their second first down of the drive, Warner drops back again, and after Faulk fends off a linebacker, Warner sets his feet and fires toward Proehl, but Ken Taylor breaks the pass up. Second down finds Warner dropping back to throw again, and being brought down hard by Richard Dent to end the quarter.

The Rams go back to Faulk to start the second quarter, fooling the Bears with a draw play that picks up just enough to convert for another first down. It’s first down at the Bears’ 24-yard line, and Warner drops back to throw and fires immediately to Holt, but Torry can’t make the catch. A flag on the play signifies offensive pass interference, and the Rams are backed up to the 34-yard line despite Holt’s pleading to the ref. First and twenty now, and Marshall Faulk picks up nine off tackle with Pace leading the way. On second down, Warner drops back to pass and is eyeing Bruce as he makes his way toward the endzone, but Kurt is dragged down by the Fridge for a loss of three yards. It’s now 3rd and 14, and the Bears bring Gary Fencik on a blitz that disrupts Warner’s read, causing the pass to Bruce to be off the mark. The Rams bring Jeff Wilkins onto the field, but Jeff can’t make the 45-yard attempt.

The Bears get the ball back at their own 35-yard line, and immediately give the ball to Payton, who pounds ahead for four yards. McMahon decides to let Walter continue to drive, and hits Payton in the flat for a 12-yard gain. On first down at midfield, Payton again gets the handoff but is stopped by London Fletcher on a blitz up the middle. Walter takes a breather and the Bears hand off to Suhey, who gains four yards between the tackles. On third and six, McMahon drops back and eyes McKinnon, but gets hammered by Adam Archuleta for a sack, losing three yards on the play. The Bears are forced to punt, and St. Louis takes over at their own three-yard line thanks to some great Chicago special teams work.

A confident Rams offense is back on the field now, and they start by handing off to Marshall Faulk on a draw for four yards followed by a pitch to the right for five yards and an off-tackle run to convert the third and short attempt. Faulk heads to the sidelines for a bit, allowing Kurt Warner to take over as he delivers a bullet to Isaac Bruce, who gains 16-yards on a crossing route before being knocked out of bounds. The Bears bring a corner blitz on the next play, but Warner reads it perfectly and hits Holt for a screen pass that picks up seven yards. Marshall comes back into the game and sees immediate action when Warner throws to him in the flat for a gain of five… the Rams have crossed midfield and have another first down! After another successful draw by Faulk, Warner drops back to pass on second down. The Bears have the Rams receivers well covered, so Warner buys some times and rolls out to the left side, then throws toward Proehl, but Ken Taylor ends up with the ball and returns his interception for 18-yards – back to midfield.

McMahon comes out slinging a pass to Moorehead for a gain of five, and then tries a handoff to Payton, but it goes nowhere. Gault takes a quick screen to get the first down, and then the Bears counter a Rams blitz with a run by Suhey off tackle. The Bears look like they’re getting into an offensive rhythm until Brian Young breaks through the offensive line and brings down McMahon for a loss of five yards. On third down, the Bears decide to regroup and let the clock run down to the two-minute warning. Returning to the field, McMahon drops back and is forced to move from the pocket because of a blitz by Don Davis. McMahon points downfield and tosses toward Walter Payton, but the pass is overthrown. Chicago decides to punt the ball, and the Rams get possession at their own 20-yard line with nearly two minutes to go. Warner looks confident as he marches onto the field, but that confidence is drained when Otis Wilson brings down Warner in the backfield for a loss of eight yards. On second down, Warner looks out of rhythm, and throws behind Holt for an incompletion. Third down brings another off target Warner pass, this time over Hakim’s head. On fourth and 18, the Rams send their punting unit onto the field, but a false start sends them even further back into their own territory. The Rams finally end this horrible attempt at a drive by punting to the Bears, who bring the ball back to midfield.

With slightly over a minute left on the clock, McMahon tries to do too much and gets sacked by Willie Gary for a loss of five. Chicago quickly calls a timeout. On second and 15, McMahon drops back again and sends a pass deep toward Payton, but it’s off the mark and falls to the ground. It’s third and long, and the pressure is on. The Rams hang back in coverage, but McMahon finds a hole and rockets the ball to Moorehead for a first down – a 23-yard gain! Chicago quickly calls a timeout as the referee places the ball on the Rams 34-yard line. First and ten, and McMahon drops back and makes his reads, sending the ball to Payton in the flat… but Sweetness drops it! The Rams bring a heavy blitz on second down, but Walter dodges tacklers and gains seven yards up the middle. The Bears try to get to the line quickly and after an audible, McMahon takes a five step drop before hitting Moorehead on the slant for a six yard gain and a first down! McMahon rushes to the line and spikes the ball to stop the clock – twenty seconds left in the half! Chicago tries to fool St. Louis by handing off to Payton for a draw, but the Rams stop Walter after three yards. Chicago calls its last timeout, and brings on Butler for a 35-yard field goal, making the score 14-6 in favor of St. Louis as both teams head into the locker room.

The Bears come out ready to play in the third quarter, knowing they’ll have to do better on offense and defense in order to defeat the Rams. Starting their drive from their own 37-yard line, Suhey gets the first handoff and gains only three up the middle. The Rams send Kim Herring on a blitz on second down, and McMahon – who seems calmer and more composed in the pocket after a breather – fires immediately to Moorehead for a 27-yard gain! Now at the Rams’ 33-yard line, McMahon gets greedy and tries to hit Moorehead for another deep pass, but it’s off the mark. Payton gains a cool eight yards on a pitch to the right, giving the Bears a short third down to try and convert. McMahon drops back and fires to Suhey in the middle of the field for a gain of six yards and a first down. The Rams are on their heels, and get called for encroachment. On the next play, St. Louis sends in a blitzer but the Bears sniff it out and toss the ball to Payton on a pitch. Walter spins away from Rams defenders