Windy City Gridiron
Yes, before Michael Jordan dropped 38 points against the Utah Jazz in game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals, Walter Payton had his own flu game. In week 10 of the 1977 NFL season, the 4-5 Chicago Bears were set to host the 6-3 Minnesota Vikings. The Bears ground game took charge, fueled by Sweetness himself. While battling the flu and a 101-degree fever, Payton carried 40 times for 275 yards of rushing, while scoring the games lone offensive touchdown, a 1-yard rush in the second quarter. The Vikings would get a touchdown off a blocked punt in the third quarter, but the Bears would hold on to win 10-7.
Running back Robin Earl would chip in 60 yards rushing of his own, as the Bears would rush for 343 yards total on the afternoon against the vaunted Vikings “Purple People Eater” defensive line. The Bears would attempt just 7 passes all afternoon, relying on their ground game with 63 rushing attempts, a strategy that paid off in victory.
The 275 yards would set the NFL single game rushing record, a mark previously held by O.J. Simpson at 273 yards. The record would stand until 2000, when Bengals running back Corey Dillon would rush for 278 against the Denver Broncos.
In a game that saw winds averaging 26 miles per hour, with gusts up to 40, the windy city would play a large part in this week 10 matchup. The 2-6 San Francisco 49ers came to town to visit Lovie Smith’s 5-3 Bears, in a game that saw just 95 total passing yards, with 49ers starting quarterback Cody Pickett completing just 1 of his 13 attempts. He would complete as many passes to his team as he would to the Bears, as Mike Brown would pick off a pass in the 3rd quarter.
But the highlight of the day came from 4th round rookie cornerback Nathan Vasher. In a drive that was kept alive by a Bobby Wade fumble after a punt, the 49ers would march to the Bears 34 yard line, and with 3 second left, attempt a 52 yard Joe Nedney field goal. The kick was short, and drifted off to the right.
Expecting the kick to be short due to the conditions, Nathan Vasher dropped back to the endzone with hopes to field a short kick.
He does just that, making a nice fingertips catch on the ball. He hesitates a moment, then takes the ball up field. And after a spin move at the Bears 15 that made five 49ers defenders miss him, he sprints up the right sideline, picking up a convoy of Chicago Bears blockers, and finds the opposing endzone, returning the missed kick for 108-yards, a then NFL record. Antonio Cromartie would break that record a few short years later...
