Payton led the league in rushing with 1,852 yards, which would remain a career high made all the more special because it was the last NFL season of 14 games. He was voted league MVP, at 23 the NFL’s youngest. He had 50 runs of 10 or more yards and the Bears won their last six games to finish 9-5 and reach the playoffs as a wild card.
On Nov. 20, he rushed 40 times for 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings, still the league record.
“It was almost like he was a middle linebacker running around trying to run over as many defenders as he could,” safety Doug Plank said. “By the end of the day, he had run over everyone on the team at least once.”
Said Vikings cornerback Bobby Bryant: “It’s similar to trying to rope a calf. It’s hard enough to get your hands on him, and once you do, you wonder if you should have.”
Payton said he was so sick from the flu he was throwing up before the Minnesota game. But less than 24 hours afterwards, he was running scout plays to get the defense ready for Detroit. After watching film of his performance, Payton said: “I noticed on certain plays I should have got more yardage.”
Two weeks earlier, the Houston Oilers had blown out the Bears 47-0 to drop them to 3-5. The next week they trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 17-0 before coming back and winning 28-27 on Bob Avellini’s TD pass to Greg Latta.
Half the crowd had left Soldier Field in disgust before the finish, but millions since have seen Payton’s sensational pinball run on every highlight video of his career.
This was the year Payton’s blocking also blossomed. On a Monday night against the Rams, Pardee said Payton “almost had (linebacker) Isaiah Robertson crying.” Coaches proudly showed film of Payton putting Green Bay’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound linebacker Fred Carr on his back.
Payton’s chance to reach 2,000 yards in the final game was literally put on ice in the Meadowlands, where the Bears squeaked past the New York Giants to make the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys quickly sent them back to earth with a 37-7 drubbing as Payton was held to 60 yards and the Bears were exposed as too one-dimensional.
“I would like to play another three years,” Payton said as his contract expired. “There’s just so much torment and brutality you can send your body through. At one time I didn’t want to play pro football, but some friends who had been in pro football convinced me to try it. I found out it was OK, but I don’t want to make a long career out of it, like 10 years. I don’t think I could play that long.”
Said agent Bud Holmes: “Heck, he’ll be playing 30 years if he can hold up.”
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November 20
Payton sets NFL record with 275 yards rushing against Minnesota at Soldier Field.
1977
ATTEMPTS YARDS AVERAGE TD
339 1,852 5.5 14
