The Bears of the 1970s: The Worst of Times, and the (Almost) Best of Times

The Chicago Bears seemed to split the decade of the 1970s in half. From 1970 to 1974, they suffered through some very woeful seasons. Then from 1975 to 1979, they began becoming competitive again in pro football. Let’s take a look at the bad years first, because they would eventually set the stage for the overall improvement of the Chicago franchise.

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THE WORST OF TIMES

In 1970 and 1971, the Bears posted identical 6-8 seasons under head coach Jim Dooley. They had a few moments where it appeared as if they were on the brink of becoming competitive in the tough NFC Central Division. In 1970, they managed to post strong wins over lesser teams such as the Giants, Eagles, Saints, Bills, Packers, and Falcons. That trend continued in 1971. Chicago defeated Pittsburgh and Minnesota to start the year. But a five-game losing streak to complete the 1971 campaign meant that a change was needed.

Enter new head coach Abe Gibron in 1972. If Bears fans thought things were bad the previous two seasons, they were undoubtedly much disappointed with what happened in 1972. Chicago recorded a woeful 4-9-1 record in 1972. They only managed to win one of their six divisional matchups that year.

The situation got even worse the next season. The Bears only won three games in 1973. Team owner George Halas gave Gibron one more chance in 1974, but the team’s 4-10 record that year meant another new head coach would be hired in 1975.

CHANGE AT HEAD COACH

Halas went with former Washington Redskins linebacker Jack Pardee to be his new head coach in 1975. Pardee could work no sudden miracles. The team once again only won four games in 1975, despite the efforts of new rookie tailback Walter Payton.

But unbeknownst to a lot of people, the seeds for future success had been planted, and in 1976, onlookers could observe the team’s promising growth in their won-loss record. Chicago posted a 7-7 record in 1976. It was a hopeful sign that this franchise was finally starting to become competitive.

THE (ALMOST) BEST OF TIMES

In 1977, the Bears would enjoy their best season of the decade (up to that point). They ran off a streak of six straight victories to post a 9-5 record and a berth in the NFC playoffs as the conference’s wild card team.

It was a season that pointed to a huge growth of momentum, and even though Chicago lost to the eventual World Champion Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, they nevertheless gained a lot of experience…and a lot of highlights along the way. Walter Payton enjoyed another super season in 1977, as he rushed for a league-leading 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns that year.

But just as things started to look good, a monkey wrench was thrown into the situation in Chicago. Pardee left the Bears in 1978 to become the new head coach of the Redskins. He was replaced by Neill Armstrong in 1978, and the team once again had a losing record at 7-8. That was not entirely Armstrong’s fault, mind you. But it’s always tough for a young team like the Bears to transition to a new head coach and a bunch of new assistant coaches and expect them to return to the playoffs.

In 1979, however, Chicago did return to the playoffs. They closed out the decade of the 1970s with a strong 10-6 record. They managed to post a pair of shutout victories that year (over Buffalo and Tampa Bay), and Payton’s 1,610 rushing yards was the best mark in the NFC in 1979. While it’s true that the Bears lost in the wild card playoff game to the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s also true that the Chicago team of the second half of the 1970s enjoyed much more success than they did during the first half of the decade.

Trivia Question:

Who was the leading passer for the 1979 Chicago Bears?

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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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