The 1985 Bears did not so much win in January as conduct a public demolition. The most fearsome defense the sport has produced rolled through the postseason allowing almost nothing, and the whole country watched a team enjoy itself at everyone else’s expense. That January is the high-water mark, and forty years on the franchise is still measured against it.

The peaks, and the long flat stretch

Chicago has not been back to that height. They made a Super Bowl run after the 2006 season and reached the NFC Championship Game after the 2010 season, losing to Green Bay on a day their quarterback went down hurt. In between and since, the January appearances have been sparse, a proud old franchise that has spent long stretches watching the postseason from outside.

The recent return

This past season brought a genuine thrill. As the second seed the Bears trailed Green Bay by eighteen in a wild-card game and stormed back to win 31-27, one of the largest fourth-quarter comebacks in playoff history. The run ended a week later, a 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round, but Chicago in January had a pulse again.

One of the great January teams ever, a long gap, and a recent comeback that reminded everyone the place still cares. Bears fans, the 1985 standard is a heavy thing to carry, but that wild-card comeback was the most fun your January has been in years. The defense made me a fan of this sport. The rest, I am still waiting on with you.