The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history
By Ian Cummings
57. . Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton. Chicago Bears. Bad News Bears . 17. player
The conversation regarding the best defense in NFL history is reserved for a select few teams. While some may make compelling cases, the truth is, there’s only one nearly untouchable defense: The 1985 Chicago Bears.
The 1985 Bears, with a core consisting of Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Singletary, Richard “Sackman” Dent, and Dan “Danimal” Hampton, allowed an average of just 12.4 points per game over a 16-game slate. They allowed 10 points or less 11 times and shut out two opponents in a row en route to a 15-1 regular-season finish.
“The Bad News Bears” didn’t stop there, however. No, their best work was still on the way. In the first two rounds of the 1985 playoffs, against the best the NFL had to offer that year, the Bears did not allow a single point.
They shut out the New York Giants 21-0, then the Los Angeles Rams, 24-0. Then in Super Bowl XX, they flummoxed the New England Patriots, winning by a score of 46-10.
There were other standouts on the 1985 defense; Wilber Marshall was a force to be reckoned with at linebacker that year and Otis Wilson also earned Pro Bowl honors.
William “The Fridge” Perry is also revered for his unique contributions that year. But without the Pro Football Hall of Fame trio at the center of it all, the 1985 Bears would not have been heralded even today as one of the greatest defenses of all time.