handed off to linebacker Wilber Marshall on a reverse that backfired.
The next time, he lost the ball in the sun and it luckily bounced through the end zone for a touchback.
The third time, the Redskins must have been set up to ignore him. Gault`s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown charmed 63,708 fans in Soldier Field
and 44 Bear teammates who went on to smother the Redskins 45-10.
At the time of Gault`s sprint, the Bears were losing 10-0. Rarely has a
football game turned so suddenly. But this was a rare football game, and the
Bears are a rare 4-0 team, off to their best start since their last National
Football League championship year, 1963.
“I don`t know what happened out there,“ said coach Mike Ditka. “We`ve
tried to emphasize what a team can do–offense, defense and kicking team–and I think you saw the picture.“
Gault`s return started an avalanche of 31 points in the second period
that was a Bear record for one quarter.
“The kickoff return turned on everybody, even the fans,“ said Ditka.
“There were a couple curse words going through the audience before that.“
Greatness is not measured in one-fourth of a season, but the Bears have
won their games the way great teams win them. Somehow, they find a way.
They have come from behind in three of the four games. They have won when they have controlled the ball and when they haven`t. They have won despite
injuries and holdouts.
They have more than won; they have dominated. The Redskins are the
defending NFC East Division champions. The Bears sent them home with a 1-3
record and their worst loss since a 53-0 pounding by the New York Giants in
1961.
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On Sunday, the Bears won when Walter Payton was a blocking back and when
Jim McMahon was a receiver and when Gault didn`t catch a single pass.
They won when Redskin quarterback Joe Theismann was a punter with a lone
boot of 1 yard.
They won when tackle Jimbo Covert and guard Kurt Becker sat out with
injuries and were replaced by Andy Frederick and Tom Thayer. They won when
strong safety Dave Duerson also sat out and was replaced by Shaun Gayle and in some defenses by Marshall.
They won when Payton gained only six yards in seven carries. It was the
sixth-lowest output of his career and his lowest since the Redskins held him
to five yards in 1981. That time, the Redskins won 24-7, when McMahon was a
senior at Brigham Young and Joe Gibbs was an innovative young coach enjoying
his first victory.
Times change. Football`s all-time leading rusher finally has a team
capable of carrying him on its shoulders in return for past favors.
The Bears won when McMahon called audibles out of running plays for his
first two touchdown passes. McMahon also caught one from Payton during the 31- point blast.
McMahon started out 0-for-4 with an interception and finished up 13 of 19 with 3 touchdowns. His last one was a 33-yarder to Payton that was Payton`s
first touchdown of the year.
The Bears scored five straight times in the second quarter on Gault`s
return, a 14-yard pass to flanker Dennis McKinnon, a 10-yard pass to tight end Emery Moorehead, a 13-yard pass from Payton to McMahon, and a 28-yard field
goal by Kevin Butler.
After Gault`s run, the scoring drives consumed 1 play, 3 plays, 5 plays
and 7 plays.
On their first possession of the third quarter, McMahon needed 10 plays
to drive 80 yards, the Bears` only drive of more than 36 yards. They closed
out the scoring in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Dennis Gentry after a 90-yard interception return by cornerback Mike Richardson.
“The kickoff was the biggest play of the game,“ said McMahon. “I had
started out real bad, 0-for-4 and an interception. We heard the regular boos, but I think they`re finally starting to realize the Bears can come back. We
have the explosive players.“
Gault`s return virtually took the Redskins out of the game. Kicker Jeff
Hayes pulled a thigh muscle on the kick and didn`t help it by chasing Gault.
Hayes also is Redskins` punter, who was sorely needed later.
“I saw blocks by Dennis Gentry and Shaun Gayle and a bunch of guys were
on the ground,“ said Gault of his first pro kickoff return for a touchdown.
“Real early, before I went through the hole, a guy almost stopped me.“
At the 20, Gault burst through the hole. At the 45, he faked out Hayes.
At the Washington 30, he cut inside Barry Wilburn and sprinted to the goal
post. It took 19 seconds, almost twice as long as he used to do it in a track suit.
“Remember, I had to move a couple times, but I must be getting real
slow,“ said Gault.
“He was the catalyst last week up in Minnesota,“ said Ditka of Gault`s
70-yard touchdown catch against the Vikings. “You`ve seen not only what
Willie means to this football team, but the impact he`s going to have on our
league, because his speed is just exceptional. I marvel at what he does when
he runs.“
On the first Redskin play after Gault`s run, linebacker Otis Wilson
leaped over a blocker to nail George Rogers for a loss on the same play that
Rogers had turned into earlier gains of 28 and 29 yards. After Theismann was
sacked by defensive end Tyrone Keys, Theismann had to punt.
“They don`t pay Joe Theismann to punt,“ said Ditka.
The ball traveled sideways 30 yards and forward 1 yard. The Bears took
over at the Washington 14 and called a draw play.
“I saw we were in a blitz situation,“ said McMahon. “The free safety
flew toward Willie and opened up the middle for Dennis.“
McKinnon beat cornerback Vernon Dean for the touchdown.
Three plays later, Richard Dent rushed Theismann from the left side in
the 46 defense and stripped him of the football.
Dan Hampton recovered the fumble at the 22. On third and 3 from the 10, a toss to Payton was called in the huddle. Again McMahon changed the play when
he smelled a blitz. Payton nailed the blitzer, safety Tony Peters, and
Moorehead ran alone to the flag for an easy touchdown.
Dent tackled Rogers for a 7-yard loss on the next play. The Redskins let
back-up quarterback Jay Schroeder punt, and his first offering was for 22
yards, giving the Bears the ball at the Washington 36.
On third and 12 from the 13, Payton took a handoff on a Statue of Liberty play and faked a run. He avoided defensive tackle Darryl Grant and threw back to McMahon.
McMahon had eluded end Dexter Manley, who had vowed harm to Payton and
McMahon early in the week. No one followed McMahon into the end zone, where he made a diving catch.
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“For two years, we`ve established that we can run the ball, and we look
across the line of scrimmage and see eight guys there,“ said Ditka. “When
McMahon gets that look, he`s got the leeway to audible. It`s just the way it`s going to be.“
McMahon said he called perhaps 10 audibles. Payton estimated maybe 6 were on runs called to him.
“You have to take advantage of it,“ said Payton.
“Walter mentioned on the sideline, `If you see the blitz, just keep
throwing the ball,` “ said McMahon, who doesn`t need much encouragement.