1982 Chicago Bears season

1982 Chicago Bears season
1982 Chicago Bears season
Owner	George Halas
General manager	Jim Finks
Head coach	Mike Ditka (1st season)
Home field	Soldier Field
Results
Record	3–6
Division place	12th NFC
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	1 DT Dan Hampton;
All-Pros	2 DT Dan Hampton; SS Gary Fencik;
	← 1981; Bears seasons; 1983 →;

The 1982 season was the Chicago Bears' strike shortened 63rd season in the National Football League, and their first under head coach Mike Ditka. The team failed to improve on their 6–10 record from 1981 to finish at 3–6 and failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

The strike also prevented the Bears–Packers rivalry from being played this year, making the Lions–Packers rivalry the longest-running annual series in the league.

Offseason

Transactions

Signings

After the draft, the Bears signed 2 undrafted free agents, linebacker Dan Rains from Cincinnati and running back Calvin Thomas of Illinois.^[3]

1982 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1982 Chicago Bears draft
1	5	Jim McMahon *	Quarterback	Brigham Young
3	62	Tim Wrightman	Tight end	UCLA
4	89	Dennis Gentry	Running back	Baylor
5	116	Perry Hartnett	Offensive tackle	Southern Methodist
5	134	Dennis Tabron	Defensive back	Duke
6	146	Kurt Becker	Guard	Michigan
7	173	Henry Waechter	Defensive tackle	Nebraska
8	200	Jerry Doerger	Tackle	Wisconsin
9	230	Mike Hatchett	Defensive back	Texas
10	257	Joe Turner	Defensive back	USC
11	283	Guy Boliaux	Linebacker	Wisconsin
12	313	Ricky Young	Linebacker	Oklahoma State
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

**1982 Chicago Bears roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 7 Bob Avellini 8 Vince Evans 9 Jim McMahon Running backs (RB) 29 Dennis Gentry 35 Roland Harper 37 Willie McClendon 34 Walter Payton 26 Matt Suhey FB 33 Calvin Thomas Wide receivers (WR) 84 Brian Baschnagel 82 Ken Margerum 80 Rickey Watts 83 Jim Fitzpatrick Tight ends (TE) 81 Robin Earl 85 Emery Moorehead 88 Brooks Williams		Offensive linemen (OL) 79 Kurt Becker G 72 Jerry Doerger 71 Perry Hartnett G 63 Jay Hilgenberg C 65 Noah Jackson G 62 Dan Jiggetts T 67 Phil McKinnely T 52 Dan Neal C 78 Keith Van Horne T Defensive linemen (DL) 99 Dan Hampton DE 90 Al Harris DE 73 Mike Hartenstine DE 76 Steve McMichael DT 68 Jim Osborne DT 75 Henry Waechter DE		Linebackers (LB) 54 Brian Cabral 59 Gary Campbell 57 Al Chesley 58 Jerry Muckensturm 50 Mike Singletary 53 Dan Rains 55 Otis Wilson Defensive backs (DB) 25 Todd Bell 45 Gary Fencik SS 24 Jeff Fisher CB 21 Leslie Frazier CB 20 Reuben Henderson CB 46 Doug Plank FS 44 Terry Schmidt CB 23 Len Walterscheid Special teams 86 Bob Parsons P 4 John Roveto K		Reserve 14 Tim Clifford QB (PUP) 57 Bruce Huther LB (IR) 89 James Scott WR (IR) 74 Jeff Williams G (IR) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 12	at Detroit Lions	L 10–17	0–1	Pontiac Silverdome	71,337
2	September 19	New Orleans Saints	L 0–10	0–2	Soldier Field	56,600
	September 26	at San Francisco 49ers	canceled	0–2	Candlestick Park	1982 NFL players strike
	October 3	Minnesota Vikings	canceled	0–2	Soldier Field
	October 10	Green Bay Packers	canceled	0–2	Soldier Field
	October 17	at St. Louis Cardinals	canceled	0–2	Busch Memorial Stadium
	October 24	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	canceled	0–2	Soldier Field
	October 31	at Green Bay Packers	canceled	0–2	Lambeau Field
	November 7	Atlanta Falcons	canceled	0–2	Soldier Field
	November 14	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	postponed	0–2	Tampa Stadium
3	November 21	Detroit Lions	W 20–17	1–2	Soldier Field	46,783
4	November 28	at Minnesota Vikings	L 7–35	1–3	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	54,724
5	December 5	New England Patriots	W 26–13	2–3	Soldier Field	36,973
6	December 12	at Seattle Seahawks	L 14–20	2–4	Kingdome	52,826
7	December 19	St. Louis Cardinals	L 7–10	2–5	Soldier Field	43,270
8	December 26	at Los Angeles Rams	W 34–26	3–5	Anaheim Stadium	46,502
9	January 2, 1983	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 23–26 (OT)	3–6	Tampa Stadium	68,112
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Green Bay Packers⁽³⁾	5	3	1	.611	1–2	4–2	226	169	L1
Minnesota Vikings⁽⁴⁾	5	4	0	.556	3–1	4–1	158	178	W3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers⁽⁷⁾	5	4	0	.556	2–1	3–3	158	178	W1
Detroit Lions⁽⁸⁾	4	5	0	.444	3–3	4–4	181	176	W1
Chicago Bears	3	6	0	.333	1–3	2–5	141	174	L1

NFC v t e
#	Team	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Seeded postseason qualifiers
1	Washington Redskins	8	1	0	.889	190	128	W4
2	Dallas Cowboys	6	3	0	.667	226	145	L2
3	Green Bay Packers	5	3	1	.611	226	169	L1
4^[a]	Minnesota Vikings	5	4	0	.556	187	198	W1
5^[a]	Atlanta Falcons	5	4	0	.556	183	199	L2
6^[a]	St. Louis Cardinals	5	4	0	.556	135	170	L1
7^[a]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	4	0	.556	158	178	W3
8^[b]	Detroit Lions	4	5	0	.444	181	176	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
9^[b]	New Orleans Saints	4	5	0	.444	129	160	W1
10^[b]	New York Giants	4	5	0	.444	164	160	W1
11^[c]	San Francisco 49ers	3	6	0	.333	209	206	L1
12^[c]	Chicago Bears	3	6	0	.333	141	174	L1
13^[c]	Philadelphia Eagles	3	6	0	.333	191	195	L1
14	Los Angeles Rams	2	7	0	.222	200	250	W1
Tiebreakers
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Minnesota (4–1), Atlanta (4–3), St. Louis (5–4), Tampa Bay (3–3) seeds were determined by best won-lost record in conference games. ^ ^a ^b ^c Detroit finished ahead of New Orleans and the N.Y. Giants based on best conference record (4–4 to Saints’ 3–5 to Giants’ 3–5). ^ ^a ^b ^c San Francisco finished ahead of Chicago, and Chicago finished ahead of Philadelphia, based on conference record (49ers’ 2–3 to Bears’ 2–5 to Eagles’ 1–5).