{"id":1168508,"date":"2020-11-27T06:22:28","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T11:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/?p=1168508"},"modified":"2020-12-04T23:04:50","modified_gmt":"2020-12-05T04:04:50","slug":"flashback-1989-packers-top-bears-in-instant-replay-thriller-html-bkurt11-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/flashback-1989-packers-top-bears-in-instant-replay-thriller-html-bkurt11-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Flashback 1989: Packers Top Bears In Instant Replay Thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers enjoyed a thrilling 1989 season, improving from a terrible 4-12-0 record the previous season to a solid 10-6-0 mark under second-year head coach Lindy Infante. They were also an exciting team, playing nine game that were decided by three points or less that season. The \u201cCardiac Pack\u201d went 6-3 in those games.<\/p>\n

The Packers were 4-4-0 at midseason heading into a big Week 9 matchup against the 5-3-0 Bears who entered the game tied for first place with the Vikings. Winning this game would put the upstart Packers in the thick of the NFC Central Division title, while a loss would put them behind both Minnesota and Chicago and all but end their title hopes.<\/p>\n

There was even more to the game than the immediate playoff race. The Bears had won the last five division titles and the Packers hadn\u2019t beaten the Bears in a long time. Their last win came on Rich Campbell\u2019s desperation, last minute 43-yard touchdown pass to Phil Epps which gave the Pack a 20-14 win over the Bears back in 1984.<\/p>\n

Since then, Mike Ditka\u2019s team had beaten the Packers eight straight times. Some of those losses were embarrassing like when Ditka had 300-plus pound rookie William \u201cThe Refrigerator\u201d Perry run for a touchdown on Monday Night Football or when Packers defensive tackle Charles Martin was ejected from a 1986 game for body slamming Chicago quarterback Jim McMahon after the Packers intercepted a pass. Martin had a towel with a \u201chit list\u201d of Bears he wanted to take out of the game. The Bears hadn\u2019t just beaten the Packers eight straight times, they had embarrassed them.<\/p>\n

Losing badly to the Bears was becoming a painful reminder of just how low the Packers had fallen in recent seasons. If the Packers could beat Chicago, they could throw off the yoke of being losers and prove they were not the same old Packers who had not had a winning record in a non-strike season in more than a decade.<\/p>\n

The Packers got off to a good start and took an early 7-0 lead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Don Majkowski to tight end Clint Didier. The Bears answered with a 25-yard field goal by Kevin Butler and the Packers held a 7-3 lead at halftime.<\/p>\n

The Bears kicked another field goal in the third quarter to pull to within one point and then took the lead later in the quarter on a two-yard run by fullback Brad Muster. The Packers now trailed 13-7.<\/p>\n

The Packers had their chances to get back into the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, Majkowski had the Packers deep in Chicago territory but linebacker Ron Rivera intercepted \u201cThe Majik Man\u201d and ended the threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember coming off the field after the interception and Lindy [Infante] grabbed me by the face mask and said, \u2018Keep your head up because you\u2019re still going to be the hero,\u201d Majkowski recalled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With 4:44 left in the game, Majkowski got his chance when the Packers got the ball back at their own 27-yard line. The Packers steadily moved the ball downfield. They had the ball at the Bears 7 with 1:26 left to play. On first-and-10, Majkowski was sacked and fumbled the ball but Packers center Blair Bush fell on the loose ball at the 14. Two plays later, the Pack faced a fourth-and-goal from the 14 and there were just 41 seconds left on the clock.<\/p>\n

\"Flashback<\/p>\n

The Packers were expecting the Bears to blitz and play man coverage on this final play. Instead, they rushed only four and fell back into a Cover 2 zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI immediately aborted the play,\u201d Majkowski said<\/a>, \u201cand said I’ve got to buy some time and let my receivers do their thing, and let the scramble drill, which we practiced a lot, take effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Majik Man\u201d scrambled to his right as the pass rush started to converge. He was able to release the ball back toward the middle of the end zone where wide receiver Sterling Sharpe had found a brief opening between three Bears defenders. Sharpe caught the ball and the referee signaled touchdown. The crowd and the Packers players went wild.<\/p>\n

But their joy was short-lived. A penalty flag was thrown because one of the officials had ruled that Majkowski was across the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball to Sharpe.<\/p>\n