Epic Showdown in the Capitol City! (Bears vs. Redskins, 1984 NFC Divisional)) 

I love watching these old games from the 70's & 80's. After watching these, you watch today's NFL and it's like a completely different game.

I have so much respect for John Riggins. Can't think of many RBs who gained more tough yards (i.e., between the tackles) in their careers. The guy scored 128 touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs and never spiked the ball after any of them. Never bitched, never moaned, never talked smack (at least openly). Just went back to the huddle then lined up for the next play. That's what I call a man's man. #HOF

Joe Theismann and Warren Moon. Two college greats that the NFL overlooked and let the CFL groom them. Man, there was a awful lot of NFL greats on the field with this one. Thanks for the load.

Despite the disappointing home playoff loss, this was one of my favorite years as a Redskins fan. They started 0-2 after playing their first two games against the two eventual Super Bowl contestants, the Dolphins and 49ers. Because of this they spent the rest of the year scrapping and fighting to stay in the playoff race. They suffered many injuries over the course of the season, but a career year from Art Monk and a timely defense kept them competitive. Entering the last two games of the year they had to come out on top both in Dallas and at home against St Louis to win the division. In Dallas in week 15 they had to overcome a 15 point halftime deficit and score late in the 4th to win by just 2 points. On the last day of the regular season they faced the Cardinals in a game that would determine the division champion. Art Monk came up big, scoring two touchdowns, gaining 136 yards, and breaking the record for catches in a season along the way. His last catch of the day was on 3rd and 18. He gained 19 and set up the game winning field goal from Moseley. Maybe they just didn't have enough left to take down this tough Bears team after all of that. Their usually great offensive line was held together by duct tape due to injuries, and it shows here. This was one of the great rivalries in the league from '84 to '91.

Say what you will about the 85 bears, THIS was when we as bears fans realizes how good we were. No one expected us to win this game. Ditka knew.

The tough running by Walter Payton never gets old.

Payton, the best there ever was, the best there ever will be. Total energy E=mc^2. The total package. He'll lay down a block with as much enthusiasm as running with the ball. The goosesteps are the exclamation of confidence, scoping and anticipating the defensive players reactions and then exploding in acceleration accompanied by a 2×4 stiff arm. I'm glad I got to see Sweetness.

That hit on Joe Washington was brutal

Theismann should be a HOF’er. The dude was a league MVP and took his team to back to back Super Bowls, winning one of them. Better stats than Joe Namath and more accomplishments, too.

Mike Singletary #50 of the Chicago Bears Career Accomplishments Chicago Bears (1981-1992) 10x Pro Bowl selection 8x All Pro selection 51 passes defended 7 interceptions 12 fumble recoveries 1,488 tackles (885 solo) 7 touchdowns Missed 2 games 1981 All Rookie Team 1980's All Decade Team 1985 Defensive Player of the Year 1988 Defensive Player of the Year 1985 Super Bowl Champion 1989 Byron “Whizzer” White Man of the Year Award 1990 NFL Man of the Year Award 1991 Bart Starr Award Hall of Fame selection

Holy cow, looking at the Bears defense play in '84 you could easily see what was coming for the 1985 Season. If only McMahon was healthy in '84 that NFC Champ game would've been one for the ages !

12:25 Darrell Green covering Willie Gault. 2 of the fastest players in NFL history to this day.

It's so interesting how the '85 Bears are revered in history but the defenses that sandwiched them are often forgotten. The '84 Bears still have the record for most sacks by a defense in a single season with 72 (!!!) and allowed fewer yards. And the '86 Bears actually allowed fewer yards and points than the '85 Bears, but were let down by their offense in the playoffs.

The Redskins’ only playoff loss at RFK Stadium.

Wow! Now that was football!

8:42 That's how you celebrate a touchdown. Flip the ball to the official and walk off the field like a total badass.

This game was a stunner; However, we would repay the Bears with 2 consecutive defeats in the divisional playoffs in Chicago: '86 and '87

Imagine how many roughing the passer calls there would be

Great little rivalry these two teams had in this era. Bears fan here and while I loved seeing them win here, the divisional losses in 86 and 87 to the skins still hurt to think about. Those teams were just as good as 85. If only McMahon wasn’t injured so often. The Bears win/loss record when he actually played was insane. Consistently having to start backups like Fuller, Tomczak and even Flutie for that 86 playoff game wasn’t ideal, even with the best running back and defense of all time.

both Redskin fumbles would have been called incomplete passes today

Richard Dent was incredible.

I remember this game - Payton what a legend

We didn’t have much luck vs the Redskins in the late 80s but this was a gritty win on the road.

Love to see these old games/highlights. Especially this one. Talk about two Mack trucks running into each other on the interstate. And Walter Payton... won't ever see a guy like him again. The Bears may not have hit their potential in the 1980s, but it was still a fun ride, and the rivalries are something you won't forget. Thanks so much for posting this.

Bears fan here but I did have a great admiration for the Redskins' John Riggins. Just behind Payton in moves but he was a fine athlete all around.

NFL games aren't even close to being this entertaining....the game has changed so much that it's unrecognizable today.

Awesome! Thanks! Lifelong Bear fan and grew up watching Sweetness. Forever the best. And, to be fair, I didn't realize what a cannon of an arm Theismann had!

Walter Payton played like a 24 yrs old man! Hard to believe he was 30 in this game! He was truly inconquerable & special!

2:54 So Joe Gibbs *WAS* lying when he said that he never used the Shotgun formation in his career prior to his return to coaching in the mid-2000s.....

This would be the only playoff game the Redskins would lose at RFK Stadium (11-1 postseason record)

NFL Football in the 1980s was when real men played no complaining to the refs, you got hit hard plus

Sweetness 🔥

Thanks for continuing to do these. The visual and sound quality of these cutup highlights is superb, and it makes the viewing experience a lot better compared to other sources online :D

This was one of the toughest hard hitting games from the Redskins glory days. When it was done you knew the Bears were special.

Walter Payton could throw a pretty good pass too as well as being possibly the greatest runner ever to play the game. He would've been a ridiculously good triple threat QB on occasion

This was the season I started to become a Chicago Bears fan and still ✊🏾🐻⬇️

Does ANYBODY have the 1985 New York Giants @ Chicago Bears divisional playoff game? I can't find THAT game anywhere. I loved that game.

It is so fun to watch Walter Payton run.

This is the hardest hitting game Ive ever seen. Watched this game when I was 9 with my dad. First game I Remember.

The Bears knocked the Redskins out of the 84 playoffs. The Redskins knocked the Bears out of the 86 and 87 playoffs.

The game after this the Redskins got dominated by the Bears, but in 86 and 87 the Redskins beat the Bears in the playoffs. They figured out how to beat the Bears blitz and sadly Jim McMahon was never ever healthy. The Redskins would also win in 90 and 91 while the Bears would only win in 88. The Redskins would capture another 2 Super Bowls.

I believe that was Frank Glieber doing play-by-play, isn’t it?

Back when the bears and redskins were very good teams

Then next week, Bears get shut out by the 49ers.

Mark moseley only kicker to win mvp

What a hit by Todd Bell at 3:02 Great throw by Walter Payton at 5:27

I love Joe Theismann!

out of all the great defenses the bears teams of the 1980's had both ditka and ryan said the 1984 bears defense was the best of them all. 1984 bears still hold nfl record for sacks in a season at 72! good to see games like this .. real football not the 2 hand touch we see in todays nfl.

This was the beginning of the Bears Winning Window Years! Before this matchup, they hadn’t won a playoff game in 21 years dating back to 1963. The 85 Bears were like the ‘83 Philadelphia 76ers! Walter Payton was Dr J who added flash to the game. The Bears should’ve won two or three more Superbowls in the mid-80s (possibly a three peat) if it wasn’t for Mike Ditka’s ego. I always thought Ditka was overrated coach because the Bears team and the defense was shadow under Buddy Ryan, respectively.

You know it's a crazy beginning when the show the opening kickoff in the highlights

You have to get this whole game it was a great game.

I was 9 years old and a Redskins fanatic when this game was played. They were so dominant the previous two seasons that it seemed impossible that they could lose this game. I still remember bawling when it was over. Still hate the Bears and 49ers to this day. Hail to the Redskins!

I don't know how far this 84 Bears team will go but they might be pretty good in 85.

Redskins and Bears would square off in the divisional round of the playoffs 3x between 1984-87. Both teams would start 3 different QBs: 1984 - Bears @ Redskins: Steve Fuller vs. Joe Theismann. The road team won 23-19. Redskins K: Mark Moseley; Redskins Leading Rusher: John Riggins 1986 - Redskins @ Bears: Jay Schroeder vs. Doug Flutie. The road team won 27-13. Redskins K: Jess Atkinson; Redskins Leading Rusher: George Rogers 1987 - Redskins @ Bears: Doug Williams vs. Jim McMahon. The road team won 21-17. Redskins K: Chip Lohmiller; Redskins Leading Rusher: Timmy Smith Fun Fact: Mike Richardson had the Bears only interceptions in each of these games. He had 1 interception in each game.

I remember this game kept waiting for the bears to choke. I could believe they won. First playoff vic in 21 years!!!

I remember watching this game in a pool hall. Some poor guy had a nickel on Washington (if memory serves, he was laying 9 or 10 points) and he was pretty much dead by the early 3rd quarter, and while that was going on, he was in a straight pool money match and had to watch his opponent make around 80 balls in a row to beat him out of another few hundred. He then tried to get even betting the Broncos with Elway at home in the late playoff game laying 4 against visiting Pittsburgh and had to see Mark Malone (remember him?) and the Steelers rally and upset the Broncos outright. I'm sure he was a ray of sunshine by the time he finally made it home to his wife that night.

When Igor + friends went in 94 2 see Dead at RFK, hopped fence & 1st spot went to was about 30yd line 2 recreate Todd Bell/Joe Washington. Favorite hit of Bears youth

The defenses in the game were outstanding

3:02 Every Bear fan remembers this hit. Todd Bell nearly be heading Joe Washington. Completely changed the course of this game.

Joe Gibbs would return the favor twice to the Bears in Chicago the next few seasons and go on to be a legendary coach... booking 2 more Super Bowl wins.

Walter Payton could have been an excellent QB.

"Washington is really clobbered!" I had to re-watch that a few times.

The Redskins Special Teams coach (Forget his name) was probably the greatest Special Teams coach of all time. He pulled off something similar the previous year in the NFC Championship against the 49ers that went for a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty.

LOVE the violence, and how the refs let players CRIPPLE each other!

The Bears were only a quarterback, a wide receiver, a tight end and a head coach away from being a pretty good team.

Chicago Bears-🏈 NFC Central (1970-2001) NFC North (2002-present) Washington Redskins-🏈 NFC East (1970-present)

The Bears' first postseason win since the 1963 NFL Championship game.

I wish you can do a reverse kickoff on Madden.

WALTER Payton was a beast when he runs RIP RUNNING IN HEAVEN NOW LOVE ❤️ WALTER

Future WFT head coach on winning side in this game.

What a great game. I was there with my dad

Awesome Two great Defenses

As great as '85 was, this is my all-time favorite Bears game. At the end when the Bears D should have been too tired, they went the other way and dialed it up.

Chicago's 1st post-season victory since 1963,...at seasons end, the McCaskey's would begin the long process of removing 1 pro bowl player after another from their roster. The McCaskey's started to dismantle the '85 Bears before the '85 season even began. This franchise is a dime store joke...and it wasn't George Halas that won the '63 championship, it was George Allen...yes! The game completely evolved beyond Halas's comprehension.

This is FOOTBALL!!!

One reason the Bears only had one gr8 season, McMahon couldn't stay healthy.

incredible game.those guys just fought and fought. Not Thesiemann or Fuller once phoned it in.

2:55 WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONE OF THE HARDEST HITS I’VE EVER SEEN !!!! #MAKEFOOTBALLGREATAGAIN

joe theisman, is my favorite qb (i’m a redskins fan) We had great qbs and a great coach i mean we had Record breaker wrs, Art monk Etc Before y’all say JERrY RiCe HolDs thE rEcord Before art monk was the record holder.

These 2 teams would face each other in '84, '86, and 'the '87 playoffs and all 3 times the road team pulled the upset.

So fresh to see the actual video in its original format. Too many people, pretty much everyone, stretches the screen and it looks lame.

I miss those games, today is a video game.

I was this game as a kid at RFK this was Joe Gibbs only home lost in the playoffs in his career it was great to see my favorite running back in my lifetime the late great Sweetness Walter Payton

Walter payton was a beast

That bears D- Line is relentless 😯

How hard these guys played was awesome!!

Daaa Bears💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 , we lost in San Francisco but then we wept those Niners next season 1985 and we all know the Shuffle , our 9th NFL Championship and yup the last one too. Its about time Bears lets go and get that 10th sooonnnn mtfks🙏

have you ever seen a reverse to a #51 on a kickoff before?

The last playoff game for Joe Theismann. He would suffer that compound fracture of his leg on MNF the following season that would prematurely end his career.

Joe's single bar facemask was Awesome !!

Bears won this game without a quarterback that’s how good that defense and Payton were. If the Bears had an above average quarterback in the 80’s they would have won at least 3 Super Bowls

This was the last NFL game Frank Glieber ever called. He died five months later on May 1, 1985 of a heart attack while jogging.

That Pass to guns more was crazy 🔥

I remember this game when I was a teenager and can see why my Redskins lost...the officials really needed some good glasses some really horrible calls but oh well got even with them in 86 and 87 both at soilder field HTTR!!

3:02 Bone crunching ☠☠☠ That's that encephalopathy.

The entire 1980’s NFC playoffs it was the 49ers, Redskins, Bears, Giants. Besides the Raiders winning 2 SBs it was one of these 4 NFC powerhouses every other year of the 80’s Superbowls 1980 Raiders > Eagles 1981 49ers > Bengals 1982 Redskins > Dolphins 1983 Raiders > Redskins 1984 49ers > Dolphins 1985 Bears > Patriots 1986 Giants > Broncos 1987 Redskins > Broncos 1988 49ers > Bengals 1989 49ers > Broncos -And into the 90s NFC dominance 1990 Giants > Bills 1991 Redskins > Bills 1992 Cowboys > Bills 1993 Cowboys > Bills 1994 49ers > Chargers 1995 Cowboys > Steelers 1996 Packers > Patriots

The Bears "Blue & Orange" has always looked so much more like "Black & Red". WHY ??

Washington is almost back to playoff football

How about the matchup in 1991?

Clint Diddier was ahead of his time. He was a really good pass catching tight end for washington.