The Paytons were now the parents of a daughter, Brittney, and this season would bring other gifts money could never buy. The Bears were now a complete team, with Payton still at the center.
“He was the catalyst who made the offense work,” Ditka said.
Buddy Ryan’s “46” defense terrorized offenses the way Payton terrorized defenses.
“He was the first running back I ever saw who I thought could play defense,” middle linebacker Mike Singletary said.
The Bears won every game but one and Payton set a record with nine consecutive 100-yard games.
“When his name is written down, it ought to be all by itself — above the others,” Ditka said.
His 1,551 yards was his fourth-best output and his 4.8-yard average was his second best.
“I hear people say he’s lost a step. That’s pure bull,” fullback Matt Suhey said. “He’s absolutely as good as he’s ever been. He’s probably contributing as much as he ever has, but he doesn’t have the ball doing it. He picks up blitzes, blocks for me or Calvin (Thomas), runs great pass patterns. Anything they’re asking him to do, he does.”
Said Payton: “Am I better than I have been for 10 years? Probably, because I’m smarter.”
Against Minnesota on a Thursday night, McMahon entered the game and threw touchdown passes on his first two attempts. The first one happened because Payton crushed a blitzing linebacker just in time.
The finest hour of his entire career may have come against Green Bay at Lambeau Field on Nov. 3, when he gained 192 yards in a 16-10 win, rising above the fist fights and ejections that soiled the game.
“I thought Payton’s exhibition was maybe as good as I’ve ever seen a guy with a football under his arm play,” Ditka said.
When the Bears beat the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers 26-0 to avenge their title-game loss, the clinching touchdown drive was: Payton left 9, Payton middle 4, Payton left 7, Payton middle 2, Payton middle 2, Payton left 6, Suhey left 2, Payton middle 3, Payton left 2, Suhey no gain, Suhey pass 9, Dennis Gentry middle 3, Payton left 17 for the score.
“This Chicago Bear team does not consist of one individual or two individuals. Everybody has contributed in some way, shape, form or fashion,” Payton said.
In the Super Bowl, Payton was more of a bystander than usual. His early fumble led to the first score by New England. He gained 61 yards in 22 carries and watched late in the game while Ditka called on William “The Refrigerator” Perry to score a touchdown.
Ditka regretted the oversight and McMahon blamed himself for not changing the play and handing off to Payton.
“I feel very sad for No. 34,” McMahon said.
Payton was subdued in the midst of the celebration. He said he was drained of emotion, but later acknowledged that scoring would have been nice.
“It definitely let the air out of my balloon at that particular time,” he said. “But I became more mature about life and things, and I said to myself, `If scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl was the ultimate that made my career great, then obviously whatever I did in the past didn’t mean anything.’ That’s the way I looked at it.”
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November 3
Payton’s biggest rushing day on the way to a Super Bowl victory is a 192-yard effort in a 16-10 victory at Green Bay.
1985
ATTEMPTS YARDS AVERAGE TD
324 1,551 4.8 9
