Every day of the 2015 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Sun-Times Sports will revisit its coverage 30 years ago during the 1985 Bears’ run to a Super Bowl title.
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Kevin Lamb
Originally published Aug. 26, 1985
Aside from holdouts Todd Bell and Al Harris, the only Bear regulars who definitely won’t play tonight are wide receiver Dennis McKinnon and cornerback Leslie Frazier. They’re injured, as is uncertain tight end Pat Dunsmore.
Coach Mike Ditka has kept the offense basic in the first two games, using only two formations in each, but he says the Bears will use “more unusual movement and formations” tonight.
Defensive tackle Randy White’s sore knee will give promising first-round rookie Kevin Brooks a chance to play much of the game for Dallas.
The Cowboys remain America’s Team in terms of merchandise sales, which was the reason behind the nickname in the first place. Cowboy paraphernalia has dropped from its 29 percent share in the late 1970s to 19.6 percent in 1984, but that’s still far ahead of No. 2 San Francisco, at 10.7 percent. Close behind are the Redskins and the Raiders, with the Dolphins No. 5.