I didn't remember this game much when it happened other than:

1. it was cold as fuck
2. Even to a 11 year old One Post was obviously the last gasp of that core
3. Seemed to be a depressing game and especially finish (like I never thought they would win)

I looked at this loss today in the boxscore and the Bears really should have won this game. Turned the ball over 2x inside their own 10. Blocked punt.
Failed to get TDs on two drives that were inside the Cowboy 10 yard line. The Bears were way better in every offensive category except (1) turnovers and (2) points - which yeah those are the two big ones.

The Cowboys went to Detroit and got their doors blown off by the Lions. The Bears split with the Lions that year and only finished one game behind the Lions that year.

So a few questions for some older guys here:

1. What was the mood/outlook as the game progressed? Did you guys think it was only a matter of time before the Bears took control, or were the Bears on borrowed time? Did the offense look good, defense? Etc. What was the general vibe as the game progressed.
2. What do you guys think would have happened the following week in Detroit. Obviously anyone was getting trucked by Washington, but would like some thoughts if the Bears could have pulled it out versus Detroit the following week on the road.
3. Any other thoughts or observations about the game are invited.

The worse playoff to Dallas was in 77.

And it was clear that the 91 team was done. Without Hampton the year before, that team was trash. And had been since Bill Walsh started dog walking that idiot Ditka.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Now that we have an In Person Report from this playoff game, we can finally close the book on a 30 year old season.

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Didn't mean for this to come off as an in person report. A young One Post was most definitely not at this game, thus why I'm asking what I asked.

They looked like they might have recaptured the dominant Bears of the '80s for a good chunk of the year and then stumbled to the finish and laid an egg in the playoffs.

It wasn't a shock. Waddle damn near committed suicide to try to win the game on his own. That's what made him famous. Nobody else did shit.

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I don't recall much confidence from Bears fans going into that playoff game. Every one could see Dallas was an up and coming team. Meanwhile the Bears had just been destroyed by the 49ers in that infamous Monday Night game (the Wayne Fontes cigar game).

What killed the Bears that year was the Miami game in Soldier Field. It was cold, windy, flurries and the Bears were on a roll and were winning 13-6 late in the game. Then a bad snap on a punt, led to a blocked punt and a eventual tie. Butler missed a late long field goal and the Bears lost in overtime. Then the Bears laid an egg on Thanksgiving in Detroit 4 days later. That game was like the Dallas game, the Bears moved the ball on the Lions and stopped cold Barry Sanders and the Lion offense. But Harbaugh had one of his worst games of his career, fumbles, interceptions and the Bears lost that game.

I just wonder if the Bears had been able to execute a punt snap and the Bears beat the Dolphins. All else being the same the Bears win the division, have a week off and maybe host the lions in a playoff game. I could see them winning that game before losing to the Redskins. It would have been seen as a successful year, instead it was another disappointing finish to a season.