1985 NFL season

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
← 1984 NFL seasons 1986 →

Colts

Patriots

Bills

Dolphins

Jets

Bengals

Browns

Oilers

Steelers

Broncos

Chiefs

Raiders

Chargers

Seahawks

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AFC teams: West, Central, East

Cowboys

Giants

Eagles

Cardinals

Redskins

Bears

Lions

Packers

Vikings

Buccaneers

Falcons

Rams

Saints

49ers

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NFC teams: West, Central, East

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.

Player movement

Retirements

• August 30, 1985: Four-time Super Bowl champion Franco Harris announces his retirement. ^[1]

Draft

The 1985 NFL Draft was held from April 30 to May 1, 1985, at New York City's Omni Park Central Hotel. With the first pick, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Bruce Smith from Virginia Tech.

Major rule changes

The Bears making a rushing play in the end zone against the Patriots during Super Bowl XX.

• 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 two white stripes over white sanitary hose, the officials began wearing a one-piece sock similar to those worn by players, black with two white stripes on top and solid white on the bottom. These were first worn the previous season in Super Bowl XIX.
• 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.

1985 deaths

• Denver Broncos tight ends coach Fran Polsfoot died on April 5, 1985, after suffering from brain cancer. ^[2]

Regular season

Scheduling formula

Inter-conference AFC East vs NFC Central AFC Central vs NFC East AFC West vs NFC West

Highlights of the 1985 season included:

• Thanksgiving : Two games were played on Thursday, November 28, featuring the New York Jets at Detroit and the St. Louis Cardinals at Dallas, with Detroit and Dallas winning.

Final standings

AFC East view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Miami Dolphins (2) 12 4 0 .750 6–2 9–3 428 320 W7 New York Jets (4) 11 5 0 .688 6–2 9–3 393 264 W1 New England Patriots (5) 11 5 0 .688 6–2 8–4 362 290 W1 Indianapolis Colts 5 11 0 .313 1–7 2–10 320 386 W2 Buffalo Bills 2 14 0 .125 1–7 2–12 200 381 L6 AFC Central view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Cleveland Browns (3) 8 8 0 .500 4–2 7–5 287 294 L1 Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0 .438 4–2 5–7 441 437 L2 Pittsburgh Steelers 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 379 355 L1 Houston Oilers 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 284 412 L4 AFC West view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Los Angeles Raiders (1) 12 4 0 .750 5–3 9–3 354 308 W6 Denver Broncos 11 5 0 .688 5–3 8–4 380 329 W2 Seattle Seahawks 8 8 0 .500 4–4 6–6 349 303 L2 San Diego Chargers 8 8 0 .500 3–5 7–7 467 435 L1 Kansas City Chiefs 6 10 0 .375 3–5 4–8 317 360 W1

NFC East view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Dallas Cowboys (3) 10 6 0 .625 6–2 7–5 357 333 L1 New York Giants (4) 10 6 0 .625 5–3 8–4 399 283 W1 Washington Redskins 10 6 0 .625 4–4 6–6 297 312 W3 Philadelphia Eagles 7 9 0 .438 4–4 6–8 286 310 W1 St. Louis Cardinals 5 11 0 .313 1–7 3–9 278 414 L2 NFC Central view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Chicago Bears (1) 15 1 0 .938 8–0 12–0 456 198 W3 Green Bay Packers 8 8 0 .500 6–2 8–4 337 355 W2 Minnesota Vikings 7 9 0 .438 3–5 5–9 346 359 L2 Detroit Lions 7 9 0 .438 2–6 5–7 307 366 L3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 14 0 .125 1–7 2–10 294 448 L4 NFC West view talk edit W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Los Angeles Rams (2) 11 5 0 .688 3–3 8–4 340 277 L1 San Francisco 49ers (5) 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 411 263 W2 New Orleans Saints 5 11 0 .313 2–4 5–7 294 401 L3 Atlanta Falcons 4 12 0 .250 3–3 4–8 282 452 W2

Tiebreakers

Rams' running back Dickerson (29) rushing the ball through the Cowboys' defense in the 1985-86 NFC Divisional Playoffs Game .

• 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

Main article: 1985–86 NFL playoffs

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

This box:

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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)

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 (151 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 (19.0)

Awards

Most Valuable Player	Marcus Allen, running back, LA Raiders
Coach of the Year	Mike Ditka, Chicago
Offensive Player of the Year	Marcus Allen, running back, LA 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
Man of the Year	Dwight Stephenson, center, Miami
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player	Richard Dent, defensive end, Chicago

Coaching changes

Offseason

• Cleveland Browns: Marty Schottenheimer began his first full season as head coach of the Browns. He replaced Sam Rutigliano, who was fired after starting the 1984 season 1–7.
• Detroit Lions: Monte Clark was fired and replaced by Darryl Rogers.
• Indianapolis Colts: Rod Dowhower was named as head coach. Frank Kush resigned after the team went 4–11 to start the 1984 season. Offensive line coach Hal Hunter served as interim for the team's final 1984 game.
• Minnesota Vikings: Les Steckel was fired. Bud Grant came out of retirement for a second stint with the Vikings.
• New England Patriots: Raymond Berry began his first full season as head coach. He replaced Ron Meyer, who was fired after eight games into the 1984 season.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: John McKay retired and was replaced by Leeman Bennett.

In-season

• Buffalo Bills: Kay Stephenson was fired after going 0–4 to start the season. Defensive coordinator Hank Bullough was named as interim.
• Houston Oilers: Hugh Campbell was fired after 14 games. Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville took over for the final two games, then was given the job permanently for 1986.
• New Orleans Saints: Bum Phillips resigned after 12 games. Wade Phillips, his son and the team's defensive coordinator, served as interim for the last four games.
• Philadelphia Eagles: Marion Campbell was fired before the final game of the season. Fred Bruney as interim for that last game.

Uniform changes

• Due to their unpopularity, the Cleveland Browns removed the striping patterns and number outlines that they introduced in 1984. They returned to their brown and white jerseys, and white pants combination used prior to 1975. Face masks remained white.
• The Minnesota Vikings switched from white to purple face masks and wore white shoes for the first time.
• The Philadelphia Eagles replace the sleeve stripes with their "eagle in flight" logo.
• The San Diego Chargers switched from dark royal blue to navy blue jerseys, and from gold to white pants.

References

1. "Franco Harris, 35, Reluctantly Retires. By Associated Press". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
2. "Briefly Noted". The San Bernardino Sun . San Bernardino, California. April 6, 1986. p. 38. Retrieved August 21, 2017– via Newspapers.com .

• 1985 NFL Season Schedule
• NFL Record and Fact Book ( ISBN   1-932994-36-X)
• NFL History 1981–1990 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League ( ISBN   0-06-270174-6)