The Chicago Bears will travel to Las Vegas on Sunday to take on the Raiders. The two teams have squared off 17 times, with Chicago winning 30-12 in the most recent matchup in October 2023.
But we’re going to dig deep into the wayback bag today and revisit the November 1984 matchup between the two teams, an absolute slobber knocker at Soldier Field that has since been dubbed one of—if not—the most brutal NFL games ever played.
Bears vs. Raiders: The Most Brutal NFL Game Ever Played
When the Bears visit the Raiders this week, the history between these two franchises calls back to one of the most violent games the NFL has ever seen. On November 4, 1984, Chicago handed the defending Super Bowl champions a 17-6 beating at Soldier Field that left players bruised and battered and talking about it decades later.
Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense was in peak form that day, recording nine sacks, three interceptions, and forcing two fumbles. The Raiders arrived in Chicago with swagger and a 7-2 record, but they left limping.
“The most brutal football game I’ve ever watched,” Bears Head Coach Mike Ditka said.
NBC analyst Merlin Olsen joked during the broadcast that Raiders owner and de facto GM Al Davis “better recruit some extra trainers.” Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated described Davis covering his face with his hands as the beating wore on.
Quarterback Marc Wilson bore the brunt of Chicago’s assault. He was knocked out of the game twice before halftime and later revealed that a team doctor privately told him, “Your thumb is broken. They won’t tell you about it because they need you to keep playing.” Wilson later admitted the bigger hit was when his head slammed against the Astroturf: “For a while, I wasn’t sure where I was.”
Backup David Humm tried to gut it out, but he took a pounding too—losing teeth on one hit before tearing up his knee. That left the Raiders staring at the possibility of sending punter Ray Guy under center. Guy flat-out refused, leading to an awkward halftime debate about who would be forced back into the lineup.
Even Chicago paid a price. Jim McMahon exited in the third quarter with what TV reported as a “bruised back.” In reality, it was a lacerated kidney that had him urinating blood in the locker room. His agent, Steve Zucker, recalled: “I found Jim there, standing at the toilet, in his pads, pissing blood.” McMahon would miss the rest of the season.
The nastiness wasn’t just physical. Raiders defensive end Howie Long, frustrated with Bears guard Kurt Becker, threatened him mid-game: “I’m going to get you in the parking lot after the game and beat you up in front of your family!” Long later admitted he said it, shrugging: “Everyone has their favorite threat, and that’s mine.”
In the end, the Bears broke the champs down. Los Angeles Times writers later reflected that “in a single afternoon, you could watch two franchises’ destinies passing.” The Bears went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy the following year, while the Raiders never repeated as champions.
Looking back, Wilson downplayed his own broken thumb and foggy head. “It was a different time, a different era,” he said. “I didn’t worry about it. I was grateful they still wanted me to play—because I desperately wanted to play.”
This week, when the Bears and Raiders meet again, the scoreboard may not resemble that day in 1984. But the memory of one of the NFL’s most vicious games still lingers whenever these two teams line up.
(Sources: Dom Cosentino, Deadspin; Rich Cohen; Sports Illustrated archives; NBC broadcast)
Bears vs Raiders — November 4, 1984 Full Game
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