1988 Chicago Bears season

The 1988 Chicago Bears season was their 69th regular season and 19th postseason completed in the National Football League. This season marked the first time since 1974 that Walter Payton was not on the Bears' opening day roster. The Bears looked to improve on an 11–4 finish that won them the NFC Central Division but ended abruptly when they were eliminated for the second consecutive year by the Washington Redskins.

The Bears won 12 games and lost 4, tying for the best record in the league with the Buffalo Bills and the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals. They earned home field advantage in the NFC. However, the Bears failed to advance to the Super Bowl XXIII as one of the top two seeds for a third straight season, falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 28–3, in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field. This was the second time that the 49ers and Bears had met for a trip to the Super Bowl during the decade, with the 49ers previously defeating the Bears in the 1984 NFC Championship Game on their way to Super Bowl XIX.

Coach Mike Ditka suffered a heart attack during the season, but was back on the sidelines 11 days later. Ditka was named coach of the year for the second time in his career. 1988 also marked Jim McMahon's last season as starter for the Bears, as he was traded during the following offseason to the San Diego Chargers.

1988 Chicago Bears draft choices

Round	Pick	Name	Position	College
1	23	Brad Muster	FB	Stanford
1	27	Wendell Davis	WR	LSU
2	51	Dante Jones	LB	Oklahoma
3	78	Ralph Jarvis	DE	Temple
4	105	James Thornton	TE	Cal State-Fullerton
5	133	Troy A. Johnson	DB	Oklahoma
6	161	Lemuel Stinson	CB	Texas Tech
7	189	Caesar Rentie	T	Oklahoma
8	208	David Tate	DB	Colorado
8	217	Harvey Reed	RB	Howard
9	245	Rogie Magee	WR	LSU
10	273	Joel Porter	G	Baylor
11	301	Steve Forch	LB	Nebraska
12	329	Greg Clark	LB	Arizona State

Undrafted free agents

1988 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Richard Ehmke	Kicker	Eastern Illinois

Roster

1988 Team Starters

Offense

• 9 Jim McMahon QB
• 35 Neal Anderson RB
• 26 Matt Suhey FB
• 85 Dennis McKinnon WR/PR
• 29 Dennis Gentry WR/KR
• 80 James Thornton TE
• 73 John Wojciechowski LT
• 62 Mark Bortz LG
• 63 Jay Hilgenberg C
• 57 Tom Thayer RG
• 78 Keith Van Horne RT

Defense

• 90 Al Harris LDE
• 76 Steve McMichael LDT
• 99 Dan Hampton RDT
• 95 Richard Dent RDE
• 59 Ron Rivera LB
• 50 Mike Singletary LB
• 51 Jim Morrissey LB
• 27 Mike Richardson LCB
• 24 Vestee Jackson RCB
• 22 Dave Duerson SS
• 37 Maurice Douglass FS
• 6 Kevin Butler K
• 15 Bryan Wagner P

Final roster

1988 Chicago Bears final roster

	Quarterbacks  4 Jim Harbaugh 18 Mike Tomczak Running backs 35 Neal Anderson RB 25 Brad Muster FB 20 Thomas Sanders RB/KR 26 Matt Suhey FB Wide receivers 82 Wendell Davis 29 Dennis Gentry 88 Glen Kozlowski KR 85 Dennis McKinnon PR 84 Ron Morris Tight ends 86 Cap Boso 87 Emery Moorehead 98 Brent Novoselsky 80 James Thornton		Offensive linemen 54 John Adickes C 79 Kurt Becker G 62 Mark Bortz G 74 Jim Covert T 63 Jay Hilgenberg C 71 Caesar Rentie T 57 Tom Thayer G 78 Keith Van Horne T 73 John Wojciechowski T Defensive linemen 94 Dick Chapura DT 99 Dan Hampton DT 90 Al Harris DE 76 Steve McMichael DT 75 John Shannon DT 97 Sean Smith DE		Linebackers 98 Greg Clark LB 92 Troy Johnson OLB 53 Dante Jones MLB 51 Jim Morrissey OLB 52 Mickey Pruitt OLB 59 Ron Rivera OLB 50 Mike Singletary MLB Defensive backs 37 Maurice Douglass FS 22 Dave Duerson SS 24 Vestee Jackson CB 44 Todd Krumm S 43 Lorenzo Lynch CB/S 27 Mike Richardson CB 32 Lemuel Stinson CB 49 David Tate S Special teams  6 Kevin Butler K 15 Bryan Wagner P		Reserve lists 21 William Bell S (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 68 Paul Blair T (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 95 Richard Dent DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 23 Shaun Gayle FS (IRTooltip Injured reserve)  9 Jim McMahon QB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 72 William Perry DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 30 Eric Starr RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 39 Curtis Stewart RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 55 Otis Wilson LB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) -- Darrin Woody CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics 47 active, 10 inactive

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 4, 1988	Miami Dolphins	W 34–7	63,330
2	September 11, 1988	at Indianapolis Colts	W 17–13	60,503
3	September 18, 1988	Minnesota Vikings	L 31–7	63,990
4	September 25, 1988	at Green Bay Packers	W 24–6	56,492
5	October 2, 1988	Buffalo Bills	W 24–3	62,793
6	October 9, 1988	at Detroit Lions	W 24–7	64,526
7	October 16, 1988	Dallas Cowboys	W 17–7	64,759
8	October 24, 1988	San Francisco 49ers	W 10–9	65,293
9	October 30, 1988	at New England Patriots	L 30–7	60,821
10	November 6, 1988	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 28–10	56,892
11	November 13, 1988	at Washington Redskins	W 34–14	52,418
12	November 20, 1988	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 27–15	67,070
13	November 27, 1988	Green Bay Packers	W 16–0	62,026
14	December 5, 1988	at Los Angeles Rams	L 23–3	65,579
15	December 11, 1988	Detroit Lions	W 13–12	55,010
16	December 19, 1988	at Minnesota Vikings	L 28–27	62,067

Game summaries

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total Dolphins 7 0 0 0 7 • Bears 14 14 0 6 34 Date: September 4 Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Game start: 12:00 p.m. Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) • Wind 16 mph (26 km/h) Referee: Pat Haggerty TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

Scoring summary 1 CHI Neal Anderson 2-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 7–0 1 CHI Neal Anderson 1-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 14–0 1 MIA Mark Clayton 28-yard pass from Dan Marino (Fuad Reveiz kick) Bears 14–7 2 CHI Jim McMahon 1-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 21–7 2 CHI Jim McMahon 2-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 28–7 4 CHI Thomas Sanders 20-yard run (kick failed) Bears 34–7

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Week 4

1 2 3 4 Total • Bears 0 17 0 7 24 Packers 6 0 0 0 6 Date: September 25 Location: Lambeau Field Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: Tom Dooley Television network: CBS

Scoring summary Q1 GB Fullwood 2 yard run (kick failed) GB 6–0 Q2 CHI Anderson 45 yard run (Butler kick) CHI 7–6 Q2 CHI Anderson 4 yard run (Butler kick) CHI 14–6 Q2 CHI Butler 35 yard field goal CHI 17–6 Q4 CHI Sanders 5 yard run (Butler kick) CHI 24–6

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Week 13

1 2 3 4 Total Packers 0 0 0 0 0 • Bears 7 0 7 2 16 Date: November 27 Location: Soldier Field Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); wind 20 mph (32 km/h) Referee: Pat Haggerty TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Scoring summary Q1 CHI Anderson 1 yard run (Butler kick) CHI 7–0 Q3 CHI Anderson 80 yard run (Butler kick) CHI 14–0 Q4 CHI Safety, Majkowski stepped out of end zone CHI 16–0

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Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Chicago Bears(1)	12	4	0	.750	6–2	9–3	312	215	L1
Minnesota Vikings(4)	11	5	0	.688	6–2	9–3	406	233	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.313	4–4	4–8	261	350	W1
Detroit Lions	4	12	0	.250	2–6	3–11	220	315	L2
Green Bay Packers	4	12	0	.250	2–6	3–9	240	313	W2

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Playoffs

In the divisional playoffs, the Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Fog Bowl, earning their first postseason victory since Super Bowl XX. A week later, Chicago was routed 28–3 by the San Francisco 49ers. This was the Bears' last appearance in the NFC Championship Game until 2006.

Divisional

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 3 6 3 0 12 • Bears 7 10 0 3 20 Date: December 31 Location: Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois Game start: 12:30 p.m. EST Game attendance: 65,534 Game weather: Fog • 25 °F (−4 °C) • Wind 7 mph (11 km/h) Referee: Jim Tunney TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist & Terry Bradshaw

Scoring summary 1 CHI Dennis McKinnon 64-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 7–0 1 PHI Luis Zendejas 42-yard field goal Bears 7–3 2 PHI Luis Zendejas 29-yard field goal Bears 7–6 2 CHI Neal Anderson 4-yard run (Kevin Butler kick) Bears 14–6 2 CHI Kevin Butler 46-yard field goal Bears 17–6 2 PHI Luis Zendejas 30-yard field goal Bears 17–9 3 PHI Luis Zendejas 35-yard field goal Bears 17–12 4 CHI Kevin Butler 27-yard field goal Bears 20–12

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NFC Championship

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 7 7 7 7 28 Bears 0 3 0 0 3 Date: January 8 Location: Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 66,946 Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden

Awards and records

References

• Chicago Bears on Pro Football Reference
• Chicago Bears on jt-sw.com
• 1988 Bears at Bearshistory.com

External links