How it unfolded
Chicago entered 15–1 after shutting out the Giants 21–0 and the Rams 24–0 in the playoffs. New England scored first when Walter Payton fumbled on the opening drive and Tony Franklin kicked a 36-yard field goal 1:19 in — the Patriots' last lead. Buddy Ryan's 46 defence stacked the line and paralysed New England: seven yards rushing, 123 total yards, seven sacks. Chicago led 23–3 at halftime and 44–3 entering the fourth. Defensive tackle William 'The Refrigerator' Perry, listed above 330 pounds, scored a one-yard touchdown in the third while Payton finished with 61 rushing yards and no scores. Richard Dent won MVP with 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Roughly 92.6 million U.S. viewers made it the most-watched broadcast to that date.
Why it still matters
The 1985 Bears were the first NFL team to explode in both record and pop culture — the 'Super Bowl Shuffle' went platinum and reached Grammy consideration. The 46 defence helped push the league toward offensive rule changes. The 36-point margin was then a Super Bowl record, showing how lopsided the game could be.