1985 NFL season

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1985 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 8 – December 23, 1985
Playoffs
Start date December 28, 1985
AFC Champions New England Patriots
NFC Champions Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX
Date January 26, 1986
Site Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Champions Chicago Bears
Pro Bowl
Date February 2, 1986
Site Aloha Stadium

The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 at the Louisiana Superdome. The Bears became the second team in NFL history (after the previous season's San Francisco 49ers) to win 15 games in the regular season and 18 including the playoffs.

Major rule changes

  • Whenever a team time out is called after the two-minute warning of each half or overtime, it should only last a minute instead of 90 seconds.
  • A play is immediately dead anytime the quarterback performs a kneel-down (the quarterback immediately kneels down after receiving the snap) after the two-minute warning of each half, or whenever the player declares himself down by sliding feet first on the ground. The ball is then spotted at the point where the player touches the ground first.
  • Pass interference is not to be called when a pass is clearly uncatchable.
  • Both "Roughing the kicker" and "Running into the kicker" fouls are not to be called if the defensive player was blocked into the kicker.
  • The definition of a valid fair catch signal is clearly defined as one arm that is fully extended above the head and waved from side to side.
  • Goaltending (leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes through the goal posts) is illegal.
  • The officials' uniform changed slightly. Instead of wearing black stirrups with white stripes over white sanitary hose, the officials began wearing a one-piece sock similar to those worn by players, black with white stripes on top and solid white on the bottom.
  • Defensive backs were ruled to have an "equal right to the ball", meaning that pass interference would not be called if the defensive player was looking back attempting to intercept the ball, and that any contact with the receiver did not materially affect the receiver's ability to catch the ball.

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT = Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

AFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(2) Miami Dolphins 12 4 0 .750 428 320
(4) New York Jets 11 5 0 .688 393 264
(5) New England Patriots 11 5 0 .688 362 290
Indianapolis Colts 5 11 0 .313 320 386
Buffalo Bills 2 14 0 .125 200 381
AFC Central
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Cleveland Browns 8 8 0 .500 287 294
Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0 .438 441 437
Pittsburgh Steelers 7 9 0 .438 379 355
Houston Oilers 5 11 0 .313 284 412
AFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Los Angeles Raiders 12 4 0 .750 354 308
Denver Broncos 11 5 0 .688 380 329
Seattle Seahawks 8 8 0 .500 349 303
San Diego Chargers 8 8 0 .500 467 435
Kansas City Chiefs 6 10 0 .375 317 360
NFC East
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(3) Dallas Cowboys 10 6 0 .625 357 333
(4) New York Giants 10 6 0 .625 399 283
Washington Redskins 10 6 0 .625 297 312
Philadelphia Eagles 7 9 0 .438 286 310
St. Louis Cardinals 5 11 0 .313 278 414
NFC Central
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(1) Chicago Bears 15 1 0 .938 456 198
Green Bay Packers 8 8 0 .500 337 355
Minnesota Vikings 7 9 0 .438 346 359
Detroit Lions 7 9 0 .438 307 366
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 14 0 .125 294 448
NFC West
Team W L T PCT PF PA
(2) Los Angeles Rams 11 5 0 .688 340 277
(5) San Francisco 49ers 10 6 0 .625 411 263
New Orleans Saints 5 11 0 .313 294 401
Atlanta Falcons 4 12 0 .250 282 452

Tiebreakers

  • Los Angeles Raiders were the first AFC seed ahead of Miami based on better record against common opponents (5–1 to Dolphins' 4–2).
  • N.Y. Jets were the first AFC Wild Card based on better conference record (9–3) than New England (8–4) and Denver (8–4).
  • New England was the second AFC Wild Card ahead of Denver based on better record against common opponents (4–2 to Broncos' 3–3).
  • Cincinnati finished ahead of Pittsburgh in the AFC Central based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
  • Seattle finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (2–0).
  • Dallas finished ahead of N.Y. Giants and Washington in the NFC East based on better head-to-head record (4–0 to Giants' 1–3 and Redskins' 1–3).
  • N.Y. Giants were the first NFC Wild Card based on better conference record (8–4) than San Francisco (7–5) and Washington (6–6).
  • San Francisco was the second NFC Wild Card based on head-to-head victory over Washington (1–0).
  • Minnesota finished ahead of Detroit in the NFC Central based on better division record (3–5 to Lions' 2–6).

Playoffs

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Divisional Playoffs
    Jan. 4 – Anaheim Stadium        
NFC Wild Card Game NFC Championship
 3  Dallas  0
Dec. 29 – Giants Stadium     Jan. 12 – Soldier Field
 2  L.A. Rams  20  
 5  San Francisco  3  2  L.A. Rams  0
Jan. 5 – Soldier Field
 4  N.Y. Giants  17      1  Chicago  24   Super Bowl XX
 4  N.Y. Giants  0
    Jan. 26 – Louisiana Superdome
 1  Chicago  21  
 N1  Chicago  46
Jan. 5 – L.A. Memorial Coliseum
AFC Wild Card Game AFC Championship    A5  New England  10
 5  New England  27
Dec. 28 – Giants Stadium     Jan. 12 – Miami Orange Bowl
 1  L.A. Raiders  20  
 5  New England  26  5  New England  31
Jan. 4 – Miami Orange Bowl
 4  N.Y. Jets  14      2  Miami  14  
 3  Cleveland  21
   
 2  Miami  24  

Statistical leaders

Team

Points scored San Diego Chargers (467)
Total yards gained San Diego Chargers (6,535)
Yards rushing Chicago Bears (2,761)
Yards passing San Diego Chargers (4,870)
Fewest points allowed Chicago Bears (198)
Fewest total yards allowed Chicago Bears (4,315)
Fewest rushing yards allowed Chicago Bears (1,319)
Fewest passing yards allowed Washington Redskins (2,746)

Individual

Scoring Kevin Butler, Chicago Bears (144 points)
Touchdowns Joe Morris, New York Giants (21 TDs)
Most field goals made Gary Anderson, Pittsburgh Steelers (33 FGs)
Rushing attempts Gerald Riggs, Atlanta Falcons (397)
Rushing yards Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders (1,759 yards)
Rushing touchdowns Joe Morris, New York Giants (21 TDs)
Passes completed Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins (336)
Pass attempts John Elway, Denver Broncos (605)
Passing yards Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins (4,137 yards)
Passer rating Ken O'Brien, New York Jets (96.2 rating)
Passing touchdowns Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins (30 TDs)
Pass receiving Roger Craig, San Francisco 49ers (92 catches)
Pass receiving yards Steve Largent, Seattle Seahawks (1,287 yards)
Receiving touchdowns Daryl Turner, Seattle Seahawks (13 TDs)
Punt returns Irving Fryar, New England Patriots (14.1 average yards)
Kickoff returns Ron Brown, Los Angeles Rams (32.8 average yards)
Interceptions Everson Walls, Dallas Cowboys (9)
Punting Rohn Stark, Indianapolis Colts (45.9 average yards)
Sacks Richard Dent, Chicago Bears (17.0)

Milestones

The following players set all-time records during the season:

Most Kick Return Yards, Season Buster Rhymes, Minnesota (1,345)
Most Punt Return Yards, Season Fulton Walker, Miami / Los Angeles Raiders (692)

Awards

Most Valuable Player Marcus Allen, Running Back, L.A. Raiders
Coach of the Year Mike Ditka, Chicago
Offensive Player of the Year Marcus Allen, Running Back, L.A. Raiders
Defensive Player of the Year Mike Singletary, Linebacker, Chicago
Offensive Rookie of the Year Eddie Brown, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati
Defensive Rookie of the Year Duane Bickett, Linebacker, Indianapolis

References