# 1980 Chicago Bears 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

1980 Chicago Bears draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 19 | Otis Wilson * | Linebacker | Louisville |
| 2 | 46 | Matt Suhey | Running back | Penn State |
| 4 | 103 | Arland Thompson | Guard | Baylor |
| 5 | 130 | Paul Tabor | Center | Oklahoma |
| 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 |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
    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

| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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

| 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, 65 °F (18 °C)
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen
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 |

### Week 3

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Vikings | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |

### Week 4

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Steelers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |

### Week 5

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Bears | 0 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 23 |

### Week 6

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| • Vikings | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |

### Week 7

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Bears | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Week 8

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |

### Week 9

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| • Browns | 3 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 27 |

### Week 10

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| • Bears | 21 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 35 |

### Week 11

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Oilers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Bears | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |

### Week 12

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Falcons | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |

### Week 13

| 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 |

### Week 15

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Bengals | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### Week 16

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |

## Standings

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Minnesota Vikings$^{(3)}$ | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 317 | 308 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 9–5 | 334 | 272 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 304 | 264 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 1–6–1 | 4–7–1 | 271 | 341 | L3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 3–4–1 | 4–7–1 | 231 | 371 | L4 |